Chapter 20. Mercenary

Even though she was a bit slow to notice things, and the after-school crowd was pretty big, Haeyeong didn’t seem to realize someone was following her.

Taeseong quietly followed her, planning to say hi once she reached the bus stop.
He figured, if he was next to her, those punks wouldn’t dare do anything.

But instead of heading to the bus stop on the main road, Haeyeong turned into a big alley next to the school.

‘Where is she going?’

Frowning, Taeseong kept following behind Haeyeong and the shady guys.

Her destination turned out to be a small snack shop a little away from school.
It was known among students in the area for its super spicy tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes).

From outside the shop, he could hear Haeyeong placing her order.

“Auntie, one tteokbokki please. And some fried stuff too.”

“Just wait a bit, student.”

After ordering, Haeyeong stared at the tteokbokki simmering in the pot.

Meanwhile, the three guys following her also went into the snack shop.

“…Did I imagine it?”

Taeseong, hiding behind a wall a bit away, whispered to himself.

He was sure those three boys had been staring at Haeyeong,
but now they just walked in like they were going to eat too.

If they had stayed outside acting suspicious, it would’ve made more sense.

“What the heck…”

While Taeseong was still wondering, Haeyeong started eating the tteokbokki in front of her.

Maybe she was stressed, because she shoveled the rice cakes into her mouth without hesitation.

Hoo, ha, hoo, ha.

Even from far away, her mouth movements were clear, and Taeseong couldn’t help but laugh.

Why’s she eating like that?

Watching her enjoy her food so much made him smile wider.

When just breathing hard didn’t help with the spiciness, she even used her hand as a fan and still finished the whole plate.

“Auntie, I’ll pay now!”

Just as Haeyeong pulled cash from her pocket and Taeseong’s doubts were going away—

The three punks suddenly burst out of the snack shop.

“Hi there.”

The one who looked like the leader greeted Haeyeong.

She finished paying and glanced him up and down without a word, then tried to walk past them.

It was a very Haeyeong thing to do, and Taeseong grinned.

But then, the second guy stepped in front of her again.

“Hey! What’s your problem ignoring someone like that?!”

“What’s your problem saying hi to a stranger?”

“What?”

“I don’t eat with people I don’t know.”

“….”

“Especially not with ugly ones.”

“What? U-Ugly? Ugly what?!”

The three guys seemed to be pretty confident in their looks,
but now their faces turned red with anger.

“What the— We were gonna be nice and mess with you a bit ’cause you’re kinda cute, but…”

“Forget it. I don’t sit with anyone unless they’re good-looking. So get lost.”

“….”

“And tell Gaenari this.”

Haeyeong sneered like it was obvious.

“If she wants to fight, she should come herself.”

“Hah! Now I get why Nari wanted someone to handle you!”

The third guy suddenly stepped in really close to threaten her.

“If you don’t like it, go bring your own mercenary to fight for you.”

He leaned his face close to hers, full of anger.

But at that moment, his head snapped back like a fish caught on a hook.

“The mercenary’s here, you jerk.”

“Aaargh!”

Taeseong, who had been watching from the side, had rushed forward.

He grabbed the guy hard by the back of the neck and glared at him with cold eyes.

“Who the hell are you?!”

The guy shouted, not recognizing Taeseong because of his pulled-down hat.

“Are you deaf? I said I’m the mercenary.”

Taeseong replied calmly and pushed his head up, taking off his hoodie.

“What the— Sh—Sh*t…”

The guy saw Taeseong’s face clearly and cursed out loud.

“Ju Taeseong?!”

“You know me?”

“Yeah, you’re that guy who’s crazy famous for being—”

“I don’t know you, though.”

Taeseong looked over the guy’s face and gave him a sharp, cold smile.

“Now I know why you’re not famous.”

“Y-You bastard…!”

“And what’s with the swearing when we just met, huh?”

Smack.

Taeseong let go of the guy’s collar like he was tossing him away and stepped in front of Haeyeong.

Thanks to that, her view—barely 160cm tall—was completely blocked by his large frame.

He was nearly 190cm tall, and the three punks hesitated.

Even if all three jumped him at once, they weren’t sure they could win.

The vibe Taeseong gave off, the pressure—everything about him was overwhelming.

It didn’t feel like he was a regular high school student.

“Fold up those dirty thoughts and get lost, guys.”

Taeseong looked them in the eyes one by one as he spoke.

“And keep those filthy, rude thoughts folded up forever.”

His eyes said clearly: I remember your faces, so don’t even think about doing something stupid.

“If you bother her, you’ll regret it. For real.”

He gently patted the shoulder of the lead punk, who was frozen in place.

“You’re a senior in high school, right? You should be studying instead.”

But his eyes were cold and dangerous.

Sensing real danger, the three punks slowly backed away… and then ran off without a word.

“Pathetic and stupid.”

Taeseong muttered, watching them run.

Now that things had calmed down, Haeyeong poked Taeseong’s broad back a few times.

It tickled, so Taeseong turned around.

Then he bent his knees low—almost like squatting—so their eyes were at the same level.

Now Haeyeong’s whole view was filled with his face.

Unlike when she usually had to look up at him, facing him directly gave her a different feeling.

Without meaning to, Haeyeong just stared at his face.

‘His eyes are softer than I thought. And… why does a boy have eyelashes that long?’

She had always thought he looked cold and sharp,
but now he looked surprisingly gentle.

He really was full of surprises.

Rough on the outside, but unexpectedly kind. Cold-looking, but with a warm face.

“Why? Do I look handsome?”

“Huh?”

Taeseong asked with a smirk, and Haeyeong’s neck flushed with heat.

Worried her face might be red, she turned her head away and answered with an annoyed tone.

“W-What? Don’t stick your face so close! Move!”

“Purifying.”

“Huh?”

“Your eyes were exposed to an ugly face, so I thought I’d purify them with a handsome one.”

“…”

“You like my face. Even when you pretend not to, you stare at it.”

Just like when they first met, his words were bold and shameless.
Haeyeong frowned.

“Seriously… you and your prince syndrome.”

But this time, it felt different.

Last time, she had just felt annoyed.
But now… now her heart was pounding.

‘What do I do? What’s happening to me?’

She didn’t know how to stop it—her heart was beating way too fast.

“Cha Haeyeong. Look at me.”

This time, Taeseong’s voice was calm and serious.

“H-Huh?”

Surprised, Haeyeong turned her head back and looked him in the eyes.

“Sorry.”

At that moment, the apology from Taeseong, something she never expected, reached her.

“W-What… are you sorry for?”

“For yelling at you yesterday.”

Still kneeling, Taeseong’s gaze was honest.

Unlike usual, there was no teasing in his eyes.

“You must’ve been scared yesterday. In a new city, ending up on a bus all the way to the last stop.”

“Ah… yesterday…”

Her heart trembled again—but this time, it felt different.

If her heart had been pounding wildly before, now it felt like someone had poured cold mint extract into it.

Yesterday, she had hoped Taeseong would worry about her…
But now that he actually said it, it felt weird.

She was caught in a mix of feelings, her mind all over the place.

Then Taeseong’s firm voice broke through.

“But… don’t get close to Gijoon hyung anymore.”

“Huh?”

“I said, don’t get close to him.”

Suddenly more alert, Haeyeong carefully asked:

“…Why?”

Seeing her innocent look and honest question, Taeseong went silent for a second.

Then, he finally spoke.

“Because I don’t like it.”