Ji Woo looked up, waiting patiently for Soo Jin's answer.
Soo Jin had already slipped into a trance, a little perplexed at the sudden closeness.
"Soo Jin," Ji Woo called softly, a little worried, noticing Soo Jin didn't make any movement. He got closer, bringing his face nearer.
"Soo Jin," he called again.
Soo Jin, who heard his name while in a trance, snapped out of it and was shocked to see Ji Woo's face up close.
He reacted instinctively.
Thud!
"Ahh—!"
Ji Woo landed straight on the floor, sliding away from the force.
The sudden sound grabbed everyone's attention.
Heads snapped towards them, though some eyes had been on Soo Jin and Ji Woo previously, wondering why Ji Woo looked so interested in the new student.
The class instantly burst into noise, surprise written on their faces.
"Did he just push Ji Woo?" a girl whispered out loud in shock.
"What the hell?"
"Is that how he treats people?"
Soo Jin hadn't spent a day in class, and everybody already had a bad opinion about him.
Even Mi Young turned sharply as he heard the thud.
"Ji Woo!" Mi Young called out in shock as he ran to Ji Woo, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
Mi Young carefully lifted his chin and arm to check.
"No bleeding… thank god," he muttered in relief.
Then he turned, his eyes narrowing as he finally faced the perpetrator.
The class fell silent, sensing the tension in the air.
Soo Jin was also a little shocked by his own action. The stares pricked his heart—just a little. The judging looks made him feel guilty for what happened to Ji Woo.
"Aren't you going to apologize?" Mi Young demanded, looking at Soo Jin.
"Don't," Ji Woo said, grabbing Mi Young's arm to stop him. He didn't want Soo Jin to be attacked because of him. What if Soo Jin ended up disliking him?
"Why should I?" Soo Jin replied nonchalantly with a raised brow.
A ripple ran through the class.
"So arrogant?" someone blurted out.
He wasn't about to take any orders from his mother's killer's son. He looked at Mi Young, not backing down.
Mi Young clenched his jaw.
"You!" Mi Young pointed at him, visibly enraged.
Some boys whispered behind them, ready to jump in if a fight broke out.
"Calm down," Ji Woo said, holding Mi Young's arm, trying to calm him. He knew how overprotective he was of him, and how ready he was to throw a punch.
"Calm down? Calm down?" Mi Young asked, shocked, looking at Ji Woo as if he had grown two heads. "Are you alright up here?" He pointed at Ji Woo's head. Wasn't he supposed to be angry? He was the one who had been pushed.
"He pushed you. You're supposed to be pissed," Mi Young stated as a matter of fact.
"It must have been a mistake," Ji Woo said. "Right?" he asked Soo Jin with a smile.
Seeing the shining smile directed at him gave Soo Jin the urge to nod in agreement, but seeing Mi Young also looking at him, he turned away and rested his head on the table.
Everyone gasped in shock. His attitude was so bad.
Ji Woo did not say anything, not taking it to heart.
Mi Young glared at the back of Soo Jin's head.
"It's okay," Ji Woo said, patting Mi Young on the back as he stood up. "There's no problem; it was a mistake. I must have startled him," he told his classmates, who were staring at them. He didn't want any of them to hate Soo Jin.
But his explanation only made it worse, as they felt pity for him, covering for Soo Jin after being pushed.
"You're being dumb as usual," Mi Young said with a knowing look. He could already tell why Ji Woo was trying to please Soo Jin.
"What?" Ji Woo asked, looking at him innocently.
"Don't play innocent with me."
"The class teacher is on his way," a guy announced, disrupting their conversation.
"Go have your seat; I'm okay," Ji Woo said.
Mi Young gave him a warning look before going to his seat.
Ji Woo only shook his head as he sat back down, brushing the dirt off his clothes. He stared at Soo Jin's back, wondering what he was thinking. Did he dislike him?
Soo Jin, who was resting on the table, was fully alert. His ears caught those who were obviously gossiping about him, and he could also feel Ji Woo's stare, which made him a little uncomfortable. Was he glaring at him? But he couldn't feel any malice from the gaze.
"Hello, class," a tall young man wearing glasses stepped into the class, carrying a file, a book, and a marker.
"Greet," a voice said from among the seated students. He was obviously the class head.
Soo Jin followed suit as they all stood to greet the teacher.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Felix," the students chorused.
"Have your seats," the young man with glasses said, smiling as he indicated for them to sit.
His eyes scanned the seated students until they landed on Soo Jin. "I heard we have a new student in our midst."
"Yes, sir," the head of the class replied.
"Introduce yourself," Mr. Felix said with an interested look.
Soo Jin stood up. "Soo Jin," he said, then fell silent, offering no extra words.
"So arrogant," one of the students whispered. "Who does he think he is?"
Soo Jin heard them but shrugged internally. People's opinions didn't affect him much.
Mr. Felix chuckled. "So cold. You may have your seat," he said.
Soo Jin nodded and took his seat.
"So let's start, What topic are we doing today?" Mr. Felix asked, directing the question to the class.
Ji Woo, Mi Young, and several others raised their hands to answer, but Mr. Felix ignored the raised hands.
"You there, what are we doing today?" he asked, pointing to the student who had just called Soo Jin arrogant.
The boy was caught off guard by the sudden question.
"How arrogant, you can't stand when your teacher asks a question?" Mr. Felix said, his voice laced with sarcasm.