I moved through the crowd, weaving my way toward the balcony on the second floor, heading for Section C.
Though I wasn't entirely myself, my thoughts were fixated on her.
Kurosaki nudged me just as a female teacher passed by. She was trembling slightly, like a nervous student about to be scolded.
I didn't care much, but I straightened up like a well-behaved kid, pretending I hadn't seen anything. From the side, Kurosaki leaned in and whispered, "Did you see that? Did you see how that teacher was sweating while running? Haha!" He chuckled when she was finally gone.
I let out a breath. Why is he always like this?
"Kurosaki, are you going to explain now?" I asked.
"You don't know? Let me tell you then."
His tone shifted slightly, making me pay more attention.
"In this school, teachers don't hold any power. Did you see those muscular guys at the entrance?"
"Yeah, I did. So what?"
"They're called the Elites. It's a gang that operates inside the school… and in other areas too."
I frowned slightly. It sounded ridiculous, but something about his tone made me uneasy.
"No need to worry, right? We're not here to make friends or get involved in anything anyway," I said, shrugging it off.
Kurosaki sighed. "Yeah, we're not… but just so you know, I'm actually good friends with our section's boss."
"Wait—there are bosses for every class?" I scoffed.
"Not just that," he grinned. "There's also a main boss… and his six swords."
"Are you insane, Kurosaki? This isn't some fantasy story. This is real life, dude. I think your brain's damaged."
"You'll see, you'll see. Just don't do anything stupid, and you'll be safe."
At that moment, I was confused. I had no idea what he was even babbling about. But what I didn't know then… was that he was telling the truth.
Kurosaki made some weird faces at me as we finally arrived at the classroom door.
Section C.
As I stepped inside, my breath hitched.
There was no teacher.
Students—mostly male, with a few female students—were clustered into groups. Some lounged on desks and chairs like hooligans, while others smoked openly. A girl in the back was live-streaming a makeup tutorial, speaking into her phone as if she were anywhere but in a classroom.
This wasn't a school. It was a lawless den of gangs.
Shock and confusion washed over me, and for a moment, I felt like I might faint. I forced myself to stay composed. Kurosaki, who had been beside me just a second ago, had already slipped into the chaos, merging seamlessly with the crowd.
I hesitated, then took slow steps toward the front. The seat directly in front of the board was empty. Without thinking, I sat down, relieved that no one seemed to notice me. Letting out a quiet sigh, I prayed that I could stay invisible.
Some of these guys looked old enough to be my dad.
The girl in the back continued her stream, her voice carrying through the room.
"Guys, I'll be streaming again at nine. Bye~"
Before I could even process what was happening, a knock echoed from the door.
A teacher walked in.
Immediately, the students scattered back to their seats. The girl hurriedly ended her stream, and whispers filled the air as if a switch had been flipped.
Kurosaki, unable to find a seat, forcefully squeezed in beside me, practically shoving me.
The teacher, an older man, walked to the front, placed his hand on the table, and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, ahem…" He sat down, then looked at us with an awkward smile.
I braced myself, expecting him to say something about the absolute mess in the room.
Instead, what he said sent a chill down my spine.
"Dear students, as you know, I am your humble teacher… so I'm heading to the canteen. You guys enjoy yourselves. Mister Beak is coming."
And with that, he stood up and walked out.
What. The. Hell?
What. The. Hell?
The teacher walked out just like that, leaving us in this chaos.
For a moment, I held on to a sliver of hope. He mentioned Mister Baek—maybe he was another teacher, someone with actual authority? But just as I was about to calm myself, Kurosaki leaned in and whispered into my ear.
"Do you know who Mister Baek is?"
I shook my head, uneasy.
"He's the boss I was talking about."
My stomach twisted.
I really got scared for a second. But then I reassured myself—He's Kurosaki's friend, right? That means I don't have to worry…
However, the moment the teacher left, the students broke into their groups again. The girl in the back resumed her stream as if nothing had happened.
There were about nineteen students in the room. From the side, one of them got up and walked toward us.
He looked me over with a smirk before turning to Kurosaki.
"Hey, Kurosaki, who's that scrawny guy?"
Kurosaki's tone was casual as he replied, "He's my friend. A new admission. Carlo."
The guy—Carlo—clicked his tongue. "Tch. A new one, huh? Show him to the boss after school. And before he goes home, make sure he knows what he has to do to pay his class tax. Tell Choi Hana."
My breath caught in my throat.
"Class tax?" What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Kurosaki immediately defended me. "Oye, Carlo, that's for the boss to decide. He's my friend—he's not paying anything."
Carlo scoffed, "Tch. Whatever. Talk to him all you want. I don't care." He turned away and went back to his spot, lounging on his desk like nothing had happened.
But before I could even process that, I felt something on my shoulder.
A hand.
I froze.
It was her. The girl who had been streaming.
Carlo chuckled. "Choi, don't tease the kid too much, haha."
She laughed, tilting her head as she looked at me.
I swallowed hard.
Then, without warning, she forcefully sat on Kurosaki's lap, pushing him off the chair with a loud thud.
The whole room erupted in laughter.
Kurosaki groaned from the floor, rubbing his back, but no one helped him up. They just laughed mercilessly.
But I didn't.
It wasn't funny.
Then she turned to me.
With a smirk, she lifted her hand and ran a finger along my chin, leaning in closer. Her voice was a whisper, her breath thick with the smell of smoke.
"Hey, kid… aren't you beautiful? But so awkward."
I stiffened, my pulse quickening.
I shoved her hand away. "What are you even doing?"
She gasped theatrically. "Oh my, my. Are you seeing this, Carlo? He's acting like I'm not seductive."
The others chuckled.
Normally, I would've been the easy one in this kind of situation. A total simp. A proper one.
But that day?
I don't know what happened to me.
I didn't feel excited.
I felt nervous. Awkward.
And for the first time since stepping into this school—
I realized I might be in serious trouble.