Chapter 16: The Weight of Rumors and a Stand

“I’ve been meaning to catch you and ask… why do you keep talking to me?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’? What kind of talk is that to a friend…?”

“I’m asking why you’re pretending to be friendly. You never said a word to me when Im Namwoo was around, so why are you acting familiar now?”

I figured if I beat around the bush, he’d pretend not to understand, so I confronted him directly.

“Did you ever talk to me even once when they were bullying me? You just kept pretending not to notice. Why are you acting like this lately?”

At my words, Park Byungjoo lowered his gaze. He slumped his already small shoulders and then confessed.

“…It’s because I’m curious.”

“What are you so curious about?”

In truth, there was something else I truly wanted to press him on, but it seemed I had to ask about this first.

What Park Byungjoo brought up was an unexpected story.

“Remember that time in P.E., when Yoon Heesung took you away?”

“Yeah.”

“Since your mom works at the villa, and you’re close with Yoon Heesung… I thought you might know what happened, so I wanted to hear it from you.”

“Huh?”

Having listened silently until then, I furrowed my brow.

“How do you know my mom works at the villa?”

“Rumors spread fast in this town, you know? All the teachers are locals, even our homeroom teacher is from here.”

Even so, rumors spread about where everyone works? It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but I decided to let it go for now.

“So what? What did you expect to hear from me? I don’t know anything. You know I haven’t lived here long.”

“Still, you’re the closest to Yoon Heesung.”

“So you knew Yoon Heesung and I were close, yet you talked trash about him in front of me? Called him a crazy bastard? …Enough. Anyway, what is it that you’re so curious about?”

Park Byungjoo’s lips twitched unpleasantly before he asked.

“What kind of family is Yoon Heesung’s, anyway? What does his dad do?”

“……”

‘Why would *that* be so curious?’ I asked back calmly, my face bewildered.

“How would I know that?”

“You’re close, but you don’t even know that?”

“Is that all you’re curious about…?”

It was a genuine question. To think he’d pretend to be friendly just to ask about *that*. He had seemed like he wanted to ask something else, but it was just Yoon Heesung’s background. It was so absurd, it completely deflated me.

Then, Park Byungjoo quickly added, “It’s not just that I’m curious about.”

“What did he even do to send only Im Namwoo to another school after beating him up? The kids aren’t talking, but they’re all super curious.”

“What?”

It was a string of unbelievable words. It felt as alien as encountering a creature I’d never seen or heard of before. I asked again, dumbfounded.

“What did you say…? Beat him up? Who beat up whom?”

“Who do you think? Yoon Heesung beat up Im Namwoo and sent him to another school, didn’t he? They say he paid money to get him transferred—is that true? How much did he give?”

“……”

“I wanted to ask, but for some reason, that bastard keeps showing up at school these days, so I couldn’t.”

I was utterly bewildered. None of Park Byungjoo’s words made sense to me. Then, I quickly realized why.

It was because it all made no sense at all.

It was a story with absolutely no plausibility.

If that were true, why would the one who got beaten transfer schools, and why would the one who did the beating refuse to come to school? Park Byungjoo was clearly lying. Yet, even seeing my gaze, he continued to blather on.

“Even so, Namwoo’s parents are too much. Their son lost the use of his hand, and they cared about money? I heard Im Namwoo can’t use his hand at all. He’s right-handed, but he can’t use his right hand anymore.”

I frowned deeply at his utterly unrealistic claims. There’s a limit to how far rumors can go. I had no idea where to even begin correcting him. It was an absurd festival of nonsense from start to finish.

Park Byungjoo even started bringing my mother into it.

“They say your mom works there. There’s been a huge rumor going around. Haven’t you heard anything from your mom? If I were your mom, I would’ve told you not to hang out with a crazy guy like that.”

“……”

Exerting my patience, I let out a steady sigh. Then, I calmly arranged the words I wanted to say. First, I needed to understand why he was spouting such utter nonsense. I asked quietly.

“…So you’re saying Yoon Heesung beat up Im Namwoo?”

“Yes, I am! That crazy bastard. He didn’t just casually hit him; he maimed a kid.”

‘Crazy bastard…’ I silently chewed on the profanity, then confirmed once more.

“Are you sure about that? Did you actually see Yoon Heesung hit Im Namwoo?”

“Well… no.”

Park Byungjoo fumbled his answer. The moment I heard his uncertain reply, the pieces began to fall into place.

In other words, according to Park Byungjoo, he hadn’t seen it directly, but the circumstances suggested Yoon Heesung had beaten Im Namwoo and gotten him transferred. Im Namwoo had, indeed, transferred schools.

However, in cases of school violence, it’s standard procedure for the perpetrator to be forcibly transferred.

More importantly, the Yoon Heesung I knew would never hit anyone. Im Namwoo, on the other hand, was the type who would casually beat others.

A clear conclusion emerged. Now I understood the whole story: Yoon Heesung’s absence from school, Im Namwoo’s sudden transfer. Everything.

As I fell silent, lost in thought, Park Byungjoo began to defend Im Namwoo, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Hey. It’s true I didn’t see it myself, but it’s also true that Namwoo got severely beaten and transferred. Don’t you feel sorry for him? How can someone get beaten up and then *also* have to transfer schools? You wouldn’t know, but kids who’ve lived in this town their whole lives know: Namwoo isn’t that bad of a kid. He’s a decent guy. He’s just a bit rough around the edges.”

Park Byungjoo continued his infuriating monologue. Thanks to him, my suspicions grew stronger. It was an obvious story: Im Namwoo must have provoked the newly transferred Yoon Heesung, beaten him up, and then, upon discovery, was forcibly transferred. Then Park Byungjoo and the other classmates banded together, siding with Im Namwoo and ostracizing Yoon Heesung. The reason? Probably because they were long-time friends from the same neighborhood, closer to Im Namwoo than to the new transfer, Yoon Heesung.

I felt hollow. ‘Yoon Heesung and I were just trying to be left alone, so why was everyone so eager to torment us?’

“Park Byungjoo. Talk some sense. Why would Im Namwoo get beaten by him and then transfer? If anyone was hitting anyone, it would have been Im Namwoo hitting Yoon Heesung. That’s why he transferred.”

“You don’t believe what people say. Hey, if you don’t believe me, go ask anyone in the classroom. They’ll all tell you the same thing.”

“Why would I ask that? What a waste of time.”

I cut off Park Byungjoo’s bullshit in one swift stroke.

“Don’t talk to me anymore. It’s annoying. I brought you here to tell you that. I’ve told you everything you asked, so stop pretending to be friendly.”

Park Byungjoo’s lips twitched as if he was about to say something, but I cut him off.

“And if what you’re saying is true, then Yoon Heesung is the one who got Im Namwoo transferred, right? Then, to me, Yoon Heesung is a good guy. I haven’t lived in this town forever. At least to me, Im Namwoo, who bullied me just because I transferred, is the crazy one.”

“……”

“If you’re so curious about how he got transferred, go ask Yoon Heesung yourself. Don’t linger around me.”

I was out of breath just from spitting out those few words. Perhaps it was because it had been a long time since I’d vented my true feelings like this. My goal had always been to live quietly, avoiding friction wherever I went. But when it came to anything involving Yoon Heesung, I simply couldn’t.

Wasting any more time here would be pointless. I decided to return to the classroom. I was busy; I still needed to give Yoon Heesung his marker pen. Turning my back, I descended the stairs without a second thought.

I was about halfway down the stairs when it happened.

“Hey! Lee Yunwoo!”

Park Byungjoo called out to me again, stopping me. He stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at me, and yelled.

“That’s why the kids hate you!”

As if he wasn’t tired of it, he continued his nonsense.

“You know everything and still hang out with him, so why wouldn’t they hate you? The class atmosphere is ruined because of him. After Im Namwoo transferred, I’m the only one who even bothers to pretend to be friendly with you, and that’s why.”

“……”

“I talk to you, and you still act like this. You don’t even know how to be grateful.”

“Hey. Park Byungjoo.”

When I was being bullied by Im Namwoo’s group, I had rationalized that the other classmates didn’t necessarily need to help me. It was too exhausting to hate even the bystanders.

“Only Yoon Heesung helped me when I was being bullied. So, if that’s why you hate me, then feel free to keep hating me.”

But now, I genuinely disliked Park Byungjoo. It wasn’t just annoyance; it was true aversion. Yoon Heesung was the only one who had helped me. If he was going to insult Yoon Heesung, I would gladly hate Park Byungjoo.

“And to me, you’re no different from Im Namwoo. Now, seriously, don’t talk to me again.”

Likewise, if he wanted to hate me for getting along with Yoon Heesung, that was perfectly fine.

Park Byungjoo would probably never understand that being a bystander was also wrong. I didn’t want to deal with him any longer, so I ignored him rambling on behind me and headed back to the classroom.

The back door was wide open. I deliberately softened my footsteps and entered. The first thing I saw was a broad back.

With a heavy heart, I went to my seat and sat down. Then, I turned to observe Yoon Heesung’s face, who was sitting in the back.

“……”

Yoon Heesung wasn’t looking at a book, nor was he playing a game. He was just sitting there blankly, hands shoved into his pockets. With Yoon Heesung sitting there, the desk seemed small.

Unaware if he knew I had returned to my seat, he remained perfectly still. I watched him for a moment, then pulled a marker pen from my bag.

“Here.”

He, who had been quietly staring down, slowly shifted his gaze at my words. His dark, beautiful eyes stared blankly at the marker pen I’d placed on the desk. Without another word, and without even taking the pen, he asked, a slightly sullen expression on his face.

“Who was that just now?”