* * *

An unfamiliar number lit up Chairman Yeo’s phone. He took the call as he rode to the office.

“Hello, Chairman Yeo. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. This is Kang Sunghee, Chairman of BB Group.”

BB Group was a relatively new company, but behind it stood the Black Bear Gang.

For their boss to call personally, it had to be about what Kang Dohee had done last night.

“What can I do for you, Chairman Kang?”

“I’m calling to apologize for the rudeness my son displayed yesterday.”

Chairman Yeo recalled the audacious and brash Kang Dohee.

If it weren’t for that call, Yeo Jinwoo would have assaulted Yeo Woohee after returning home.

Though a blackmailer, Kang Dohee had once saved the second son’s life and was still a childhood friend.

It wasn’t hard to imagine how desperate he must have been.

Chairman Yeo was willing to overlook this incident if the evidence of Yeo Jinwoo’s arson and murders was handed over peacefully.

“If you give me the video, I’ll let this go. I trust you understand my meaning, Chairman Kang.”

Chairman Yeo skillfully avoided mentioning Kang Dohee’s name directly, his words carrying a veiled threat.

“Your eldest seems unwilling to cede even a little ground to his younger brother. Does the second son have to die because of his greedy sibling? My son has decided to be Woohee’s guard. I’m sure you understand what that implies.”

Kang Sunghee, once the boss of a crime syndicate, had the charisma of a true leader.

He hinted that he’d keep the evidence as leverage and wasn’t about to hand it over blindly.

Instead, he proposed an alliance: if Chairman Yeo didn’t intend to abandon his second son, they could work together.

Chairman Yeo, too, realized the benefits of this arrangement.

Letting Kang Dohee and his father hold onto the video ensured that Yeo Jinwoo wouldn’t dare harm Woohee.

The video was a critical weakness, an Achilles’ heel that kept Yeo Jinwoo in check.

Whether Kang Dohee and his father faced threats from Yeo Jinwoo because of this was none of Chairman Yeo’s concern.

“How did you come to know of this? My eldest isn’t one to leave behind loose ends.”

“Woohee was declared dead in a car accident as a child, correct? It seems my son pieced things together after reuniting with him at school.”

“I see.”

From that perspective, it was understandable how Kang Sunghee could misunderstand and think Yeo Jinwoo intended to kill his brother.

“I trust you’ll keep the video buried, Chairman Kang.”

“Yes, I’ll take it to the grave. Rest assured. Goodbye.”

As the call ended, Chairman Yeo considered how fitting it was for Yeo Woohee to transfer to such a rough school.

Acquiring a fiercely loyal dog wasn’t easy.

Given Kang Dohee’s lineage, he’d likely excel in school, ensuring Woohee’s safety there.

Perhaps Kang Dohee could even do what no psychiatrist ever could—separate Yeo Jinwoo from Woohee. That was Chairman Yeo’s hope.

As soon as Yeo Woohee entered the classroom, the students turned to look at him.

It was a familiar gaze, so he calmly went to his seat and sat down.

Na Taejoon approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Woohee, I want pizza bread, chocolate milk, and potato chips.”

Murmurs filled the room, gossiping about how the captain of the judo team was trying to turn the new transfer student into his personal errand boy.

Observing from a distance, Ji Sunyu mustered his courage and approached Yeo Woohee.

“T-Taejoon, d-don’t h-hic make Woohee, hic, run errands for you. Even if we’re the same age, he’s still a third-year.”

“What’s this idiot babbling about?”

Na Taejoon turned to mock Ji Sunyu with a sneer, making Sunyu’s face flush with embarrassment.

Yeo Woohee couldn’t stand by any longer, watching someone else endure the bullying that should have been directed at him.

Sliding his chair back, he stood up and glared at Taejoon.

“Taejoon, don’t talk to Sunyu like that.”

“Okay, fine.”

‘What? He’s agreeing that easily? If you’re going to be trash, at least act like it.’

Yeo Woohee felt deflated.

But Na Taejoon, unwilling to mess with his golden goose, hooked an arm around Yeo Woohee and tugged him along.

“Come on, Woohee. Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

“Didn’t you eat breakfast?”

“Nope. I want cream bread and chocolate rolls too, not just pizza bread.”

“Fine. Let’s hurry up and come back before class starts.”

The two left the classroom, chatting amicably.

Left standing alone, Ji Sunyu became the target of ridicule from the other students.

“Pfft. Hey, ‘Ji Sunyu,’ know your place. What a busybody. Does he think he’s something special?”

“When did those two get so close?”

“They’ve been hanging out for a while now.”

“Wow, Na Taejoon’s a total player. First the judo team captain, now Yeo Woohee?”

“Yeo Woohee’s the better deal by far. Talk about striking gold.”

Sunyu clenched his fists, tears welling in his eyes as the mockery continued.

Watching from the side, Kang Dohee quietly got up and left the classroom.

---

At the campus convenience store inside the central library, Na Taejoon grabbed an armful of snacks.

As soon as the bread, milk, and chips were paid for, he sat at a table, ripped open the packages, and began eating voraciously.

Yeo Woohee poked a straw into Taejoon’s chocolate milk.

“Man, I felt like my stomach was about to stick to my back.”

Taejoon hadn’t eaten anything since having the school lunch yesterday.

His grandmother had stayed up late working a part-time job and tried to prepare a meal for him when she returned, but Taejoon had lied, saying he’d already eaten.

He knew that every meal he ate would mean less food for her.

He was still young and healthy enough to endure hunger, but his grandmother might collapse if she missed even one meal.

Though he worked part-time and occasionally extorted money from omegas, it wasn’t enough.

His grandmother’s medical bills, the rent, tuition, transportation, food, and phone bills… It was too much for a mere student to handle.

“Did you oversleep today?”

“Oversleep, my ass. How could a spoiled brat like you understand how I feel?”

Taejoon sighed, and Yeo Woohee’s eyes widened.

He’d known Taejoon was poor but hadn’t realized it was bad enough that he couldn’t afford food.

Taejoon scarfed down two pieces of bread in quick succession, finally looking somewhat content.

“Damn, I’m so full I might burst.”

Leaning back in his chair, Taejoon rubbed his stomach but didn’t seem particularly happy.

Ah, Yeo Woohee realized.

He must be thinking about his grandmother.

Feeling guilty for eating so much when she might still be hungry.

But asking for more food probably made his conscience sting.

Despite his rough appearance and behavior, Taejoon wasn’t as heartless as he seemed—Yeo Woohee had read as much in the novel.

Yeo Woohee grabbed five more pieces of bread and checked out.

Worried that milk might spoil, he opted for drinks and bought plenty to ensure Taejoon wouldn’t go hungry.

Handing over the bag packed with food and drinks, Yeo Woohee smiled.

“Why are you giving me this? Do you pity me because I can’t afford to eat?”

Though Taejoon sounded irritated, he carefully accepted the bag and hugged it close to his chest, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.

“No, it’s not pity. I just like seeing you eat. Think of it as fan service for a mukbang star.”

“You’re such a weirdo.”

As they left the convenience store, a faint smile played on Taejoon’s lips.

He couldn’t wait to get home and make sure his grandmother ate her fill.

* * *