How much time had passed? Around when Kang Ihyeon's house had disappeared from view, Seo Chaeil opened his mouth.
"When you leave the house, tell me in advance. Even when staying at a friend's, you should know parents worry."
"...Yes."
Seo Chaeil kept his eyes forward as he drove. There wasn't even the sound of common music or news inside the car, only a silence full of emptiness that seemed to reflect Seo Chaeil's personality.
"Was that a friend's house."
"Yes. His name is Kang Ihyeon, a friend I made a few days ago."
"His grades are low, and he isn't particularly exceptional in anything else... a full-of-himself sort. He doesn't seem like a very good friend."
The overbearing tone came down on Chaheun. For a moment he thought to say something, but ultimately kept his mouth shut.
...There was no need to pick a fight with Seo Chaeil.
From what he'd caught, Seo Chaeil was significant enough to be discussed as the next Deputy Prosecutor General. Come to think of it, a father caring about his son's friendships wasn't strange in itself. Some accomplished parents even disapproved of their sons' friends who were poor academic performers. Especially prosecutors, no need to say more.
I see. That's why he rushed over when I said I was staying out?
Chaheun didn't agree but didn't push back either, and quietly stared out the window.
Following Seo Chaeil back to what had become a familiar house, the moment he opened the front door and stepped in, he could see someone behind the inner door at the end of the long entryway.
...Seo Jaeheon?
Fearing he might be waiting to beat him, Chaheun flinched and stepped back, but Seo Chaeil, walking up behind, gripped his shoulder firmly for a moment before releasing it and going through the inner door first.
"A-ah, Father."
"Seo Jaeheon, get down."
Chaheun was still looking around confused about what was happening when Seo Chaeil picked up the golf club that had been leaning against the sofa. Chaheun flinched and hurriedly approached Chaeil.
"W-wait a moment, Father."
"Seo Chaheun, go to your room."
"No, but--"
"Seo Chaheun."
"..."
His body felt frozen.
This sensation, what is this?
Those frost-cold black eyes, undimmed by the years, still glimmered like a predator's. The air around felt so heavy that even breathing was difficult. The scent circling his nose, like early winter dawn air, felt frighteningly cold.
Was it because he still had that broad-shouldered build despite his age. From this man came not the pressure of a common older person, but the imposing weight of a seasoned middle-aged man.
Chaheun exhaled a shallow breath, squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, then stared at Seo Chaeil.
...Is it right to just go inside like this? Since this is child discipline?
Seo Chaeil apparently was a strict father with strong interest in household education. Enough to come pick up a son trying to stay out, and to intervene immediately with even a rod at the news of a fight between siblings.
...Still, a golf club is a bit much, isn't it? Getting hit with that would seriously hurt.
Chaheun, feeling a cold sweat coming on, glanced at the golf club held tight in Chaeil's hand, then finally opened his mouth.
"Then. Then, I'll take it too."
"...What?"
"Since we fought together, hyung getting hit alone is weird."
Seo Chaeil looked at him with a peculiar face.
Like he was looking at something strange.
Was it a minute that felt like ten? Seo Chaeil eventually leaned the golf club against the sofa.
Seo Chaeil, who'd seemed to briefly examine Chaheun again, told Jaeheon to act appropriately for his station as his parting words, grabbed his outer coat again, and went out.
The moment Seo Chaeil left, the heavy air from moments ago seemed to lighten a bit. Chaheun exhaled a breath and looked toward where he'd disappeared.
Could it be... he had business outside but came because of Seo Chaheun...?
Recently there'd been a case big enough to make the news, and he'd heard the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office was extremely busy. He'd only overheard bits of phone conversations, but still.
A man serving as Chief Prosecutor there, how busy he must be.
...In the middle of that, coming home for the sake of just Seo Chaheun, put that way, he wasn't a bad father at all. At least not to Seo Chaheun.
"Yah, what are you doing?"
Just as he was wrapping up his thoughts, a sharp voice suddenly came out. Chaheun quietly turned his head.
Seo Jaeheon was glaring at him with a completely scrunched-up face.
"...What is."
"Now you're pretending to be nice just because Father's around? After you tattled?"
Watching Seo Jaeheon's brazen attitude, Chaheun let out a sigh. He'd blocked the golf club to spare him, and there wasn't even a hint that Jaeheon thought he'd done anything wrong or was reflecting.
I'm the idiot for worrying. Who was worrying about whom.
Chaheun shot him a look and went into his room.
The next day, upon arriving at school, Chaheun spotted Kang Ihyeon already seated and immediately went over to put his bag down at the next seat.
"...Hey, are you okay?"
He was going to apologize for leaving like that yesterday, but Ihyeon asked after him first, which was strange. Chaheun tilted his head.
"Hm? About what?"
"No. Your dad... he seemed to really dislike me."
Kang Ihyeon glanced at himself and recalled the Seo Chaeil who'd passed by.
A black sedan parked in a peaceful upscale residential neighborhood, and the man standing in front of it, everything about him had been out of place.
Traces of time were etched around his face, but with elegant features, and unlike Chaheun, a solid chest and large frame that recalled an athlete, his father had a presence like something from a movie.
...His expression.
Unlike his sophisticated appearance, his gaze had held some unexplained hostility. It was near-expressionless, but there was some emotion mixed in, how to put it? Rather than looking at his son's friend, Seo Chaeil had swept him with the eyes of someone looking at something contemptible before taking Chaheun to the car. As if worried filth might get on him.
Kang Ihyeon awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
After observing Ihyeon's reaction, Chaheun recalled what Seo Chaeil had said the previous day, thought it over, and opened his mouth.
"Ah. About that. It's probably because your grades aren't great. You're not in the top rankings, right? My father cares about that stuff a lot."
"...Ah. ...I guess so."
"Yeah. But my grades aren't good either."
Chaheun said that and rifled through his memory. In his memory, Seo Chaheun's report card was full of 8s and 7s. Yes, grade 7 and grade 8. Similar to Chaheun's original high school grades.
Why are this kid's grades like this when he's not even an athlete.
Chaheun's eyelids twitched. It occurred to him that from prosecutor Seo Chaeil's perspective, kids with bad grades hanging out together would understandably be off-putting.
Come to think of it, that Seo Jaeheon bastard, despite looking like a delinquent, goes to a decent university.
Considering he attended the best private university in the country, compared to Seo Chaheun that was actually very impressive. Even his department seemed to be one of the higher-ranked ones in the humanities, so Seo Jaeheon must actually study.
...Should I study, or maintain this?
Whether to be relieved that he didn't have to force this shabby head to match grades, or whether to lament from an adult's perspective at how bad this student's grades were, he couldn't decide.
Chaheun finished his thought and said to Ihyeon, who was looking at him with slightly dazed eyes:
"So imagine how much he'd hate kids with bad grades hanging together... put that way, you're better than me. You at least have kendo, but I don't even have that."
"Pfft."
Kang Ihyeon let out a short laugh and shook his head. Then, seeming to remember something from yesterday, he burst into a dry laugh and said,
"Seo Chaheun, my mom really likes you."
"I like your mother too. Can I visit again sometime?"
"Yah, don't say things like that..."
"I know. If a chance comes up, let me know."
"Seriously, don't say things like that. It sounds fucking sincere."
"..."
Chaheun stared at Ihyeon with a meaningful smile, and Kang Ihyeon locked his face under his arm and squeezed.
During PE class, apparently because the third-year PE teacher had an issue and was away, they were told to team up freely with second-years to play foot volleyball or dodgeball. Probably the boys would go with foot volleyball and the girls with dodgeball. He'd thought Kang Ihyeon would be the first to dash out excited, but looking around, Ihyeon wasn't in his seat.
Come to think of it, this kid's never here during PE class? ...Or is he using it as personal training time with permission?
It was a plausible guess. Thinking that for a moment, and since it had come to this, Chaheun also used the excuse of feeling unwell to quietly step back.
First, because he was terrible at foot volleyball, and second, because he'd realized Seo Chaheun's body wasn't particularly sturdy. That day he'd taken down the delinquents, wasn't it, the next day he remembered feeling aches throughout his body.
The body is just weak.
It wasn't at a level he couldn't handle, but there was no need to seek out hardship. His skeletal frame itself was thin and not particularly strong, that seemed to be the issue.
Just as he was about to sit down on the stepped bleachers commonly found at school playgrounds, someone hooked him around the waist and lifted him up.
"Whoa, what the--"
Seo Chaheun turned his head sharply, startled by the sudden feeling of floating.
Lately many kids had been swarming around behind him and bumping into him, and he wondered if it was them again. Strangely, second-year girls in particular kept coming near the third-year classrooms and falling down in packs, and he was internally curious why.
...I get that it's a fun age, but... they'll actually get hurt like that.
He'd even caught one who was about to fall the other day, and worried she might get seriously hurt.
If he ever went back, he needed to think of a way to keep kids from running. That was legitimately a teacher's job, wasn't it?
Wait, I've probably died in reality, right?
...Because I'm alive here so it doesn't feel real, maybe? At the thought that his original-world self might be dead, his chest suddenly felt tight.
Breaking out of his thoughts, he looked to see who had lifted him by the waist, and it was none other than Baek Yugyeong. Today too, Yugyeong wore a bright face, smiling brightly and waving his hand.
"...Baek Yugyeong?"
