SAV Chapter 13

My own past came to mind.

I had never, not once, messed with a friend’s girlfriend or made any advances. Yet somehow, without my knowledge, I had become the school’s “bastard.” No one believed the truth I told. It seemed the same was happening here.

And separately, judging by the emblem color on their uniform sleeves, these kids looked like first-years. Hearing them gossip so freely about a senior they barely knew—saying “that guy, that guy”—felt really uncomfortable to hear.

“Juniors, enjoying the basketball game?”

I approached the group and wedged myself into the middle. I snatched the phone that had Choi Jeha’s image on it, deleted the video, and handed it back to its owner.

“I know the senior is handsome, but come on. What you just did is illegal filming. Your big bro here just prevented a crime, okay?”

I put on a friendly expression and threw my arms around their shoulders.

The juniors’ faces went pale at the sudden appearance of a senior acting so familiar. It’s no wonder, since Cha Eunseong was known as a third-year bully with the nickname “car-friend-dog” (a play on “Cha-friend-dog,” meaning loyal dog). There was also a setting about having some really nasty friends and an older brother as backup, so my face was probably well-known throughout the school. As if confirming my thoughts, the juniors couldn’t answer and just bowed their heads with scared eyes.

“I was passing by and heard you talking about my friend. It didn’t sound too good.”

I had no intention of scolding the first-years who were criticizing Choi Jeha. I just didn’t like them spreading rumors and badmouthing him with non-existent facts. Maybe at this moment, I saw myself reflected in Choi Jeha’s situation.

“Juniors, where did you hear that talk?”

The first-years just rolled their eyes, looking at each other nervously.

“I’m not forcing you to answer, just curious.”

The four of them glanced at each other hesitantly.

“Let’s not make me ask twice.”

I remembered being shocked when I found out the source of rumors about me was my closest friend. When I confronted them, I ended up looking like I was bullying the victim instead.

In Choi Jeha’s case, his only close friend would be Kim Juyoung. I couldn’t imagine the only person who defended the ostracized Choi Jeha would spread strange rumors.

If that was the case, it was likely Cha Eunseong. If I was the source, I thought the rumor might be easier to suppress, which is why I asked. After all, if the originator of the rumor came forward and said it was a lie, that would be the end of it.

After hesitating, one of them spoke up heavily.

“We just overheard it in passing…”

“Where, when, and how exactly were you passing by?”

“I don’t really remember…”

“Then did you see with your own eyes Choi Jeha hitting on Omegas?”

“No…”

This is why baseless rumors are so disgusting.

People judge and cut others down based on things they’re not even sure are true. The more sensational it is, the more interesting gossip it becomes, but why don’t they realize someone could be hurt to the point of wanting to die because of these false rumors? Or maybe they know and just don’t care as long as they’re entertained.

Aren’t they perpetrators too, then?

“You don’t know where or from whom you heard it, and it’s not even confirmed. So it could be just a baseless rumor, right? Then why are you laughing while badmouthing someone with inaccurate information?”

“We’re sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing to me? You weren’t talking about me.”

I pointed to where Choi Jeha had been sitting, telling them to apologize to him directly. One of them glanced over but then shook his head.

“He’s not there…”

The stands where he had been sitting were empty.

‘That kid, where did he go off to now?’

I turned back to the first-years.

“Hey.”

“Y-yeah?”

“If you come across anyone spreading those kinds of rumors, grab them by the collar and bring them to 3rd-year, Class 2. I’ll reward your thorough reporting spirit by treating you to something at the convenience store.”

“O-okay…”

I lightly patted the shoulders of the two juniors I had my arms around and started searching for Choi Jeha. With his striking appearance, he was usually easy to spot wherever he went, but this time, it wasn’t so simple. He seemed to be hiding well. I asked everyone I met if they’d seen him, but all I got were head shakes.

‘That probably means he’s somewhere out of sight, alone…’

This school was absurdly large.

The school my sibling attended was a small building with no real campus. Maybe because of that, Raonjena High School—the product of my sibling’s imagination—had a campus that felt more like a university. With a mountain behind it, it looked even larger.

Even though Choi Jeha was nearly 190 cm tall, finding one male student in such a massive school wasn’t easy. As I sighed and leaned out of the hallway window, thinking this task was becoming a full-time job, I spotted a student with a perfectly V-shaped back standing near the pile of rocks by the pond behind the main building.

‘Giving him this banana is ridiculously hard.’

I reached into my pocket. After all the running around in my overheated state, the banana had warmed up nicely.

I wanted to give him something to eat since he’d only had one roll of kimbap for lunch. But why was he wandering around so much? Was he looking for a place where he wouldn’t hear any nonsense?

‘If that’s the case, then it’s even sadder.’

Worried he might move again, I sprinted toward him at full speed. When I reached the pond, he noticed me and turned to look. But he quickly turned away as if ignoring me and tossed a small rock into the pond. The splash echoed as the stone sank. Since he already disliked me, his indifference didn’t hurt much.

I hadn’t expected us to become close friends right away anyway. For now, I saw my role as reducing the time he spent alone. Slowly but surely, like rain soaking into clothes, I’d build a natural friendship with him.

As I approached and sat beside him—without even touching him—he frowned deeply and openly showed his displeasure.

“Am I some kind of bug? Why do you look so disgusted? You’re going to hurt my feelings.”

“That’s not a hurt expression; it’s more like you’re excited after spotting your target.”

“There you go mocking me again.”

I pulled the banana out of my pocket and held it out to him.

“You don’t have a banana allergy or anything, right?”

“I’m not some beggar…”

His dark eyes flicked from the banana in my hand back to the pond.

“There it is again.”

I peeled half of the banana skin and held it closer to his face despite his clear refusal.

“I don’t think you’re a beggar. So just take it and eat it nicely.”

“I’m not eating it.”

“It’s already peeled.”

Choi Jeha scowled deeply and glared at me.

“Didn’t you hear what those kids were saying earlier?”

Considering I’d just had a friendly chat with those first-years about that very topic, how could I not have heard? My gaze shifted from his face to the earphones in his ears.

‘So he wasn’t even listening to music.’

The earphones were just his way of shielding himself from nonsense rumors.

“I heard them.”

“Then you know what kind of person I am.”

“What kind of person are you?”

“Someone who doesn’t care about anyone except Omegas. Now leave me alone.”

The juniors’ earlier words were wrong. I was sure of it.

Choi Jeha didn’t resent his impoverished life. On the contrary, he was grateful for surviving after being abandoned as a baby on a cold winter street, which eventually led him to meet his grandmother, whom he loved as much as his own life.

Would someone like that dream of turning their life around by clinging to an Omega? If that were the case, why had he been secretly taking manifestation-inducing supplements?

Choi Jeha wanted to succeed on his own. Despite the hardships of collecting scrap paper to make ends meet, he wanted to provide a better life for the grandmother who had raised him without giving up on him. If he were truly the type to leech off others, he could’ve easily relied on his good looks and lived off some Omega smitten with his face. Why would he spend money he didn’t have on supplements if that were the case?

“Why should I care? I’m not interested in anyone’s love life.”

“Can’t you stop being interested in me too? When I’m alone, just let me be alone.”

I glanced at Choi Jeha, who was staring blankly at the pond. I thought we were alike in every way back then, but there was one difference.

At that time, I wished I had even one friend who believed in me. But Choi Jeha had already passed that stage. After being battered by society’s discrimination and unfairness, he had reached a point where he couldn’t hope for help from anyone anymore.

A bitter taste lingered in my mouth.

I reached out toward his ear, and startled, he jerked back and slapped my hand away.

Not knowing my intentions, his eyes glinted with contempt.

“What are you doing?”

“Doesn’t it bother you? You can take them off when you’re with me.”

I reached out again and gently tugged the earphone cord from his ear. It was my way of silently promising that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t let him hear anything hurtful while he was with me.

“When you’re with me, don’t wear them.”

Saying that outright felt too cheesy, so instead, I said gruffly, “You’ve badmouthed me before, but I’ve never badmouthed you.” Then I handed him the earphones I’d removed. He shook his hand as if I’d given him something dirty.

“Is meddling your hobby or something?” he said sharply, his voice still brimming with thorns.

He could say whatever he wanted. For now, it might feel like an annoyance to him, but having someone by your side—rather than being completely alone—was bound to provide some comfort. At least that’s what I believed.

“With your build, does one roll of kimbap really fill you up?”

As he scowled and tried to put the earphones back in, I shoved the banana in my hand toward his mouth.

“Stop pretending to listen to music with those empty earphones and just eat this.”

I insisted he eat it and pressed the banana against his closed lips.