i'll save you when you're weak

Part 18

There's something to be said about the chaos wrought by three very different people coming up with three very different plans. Of course, the full extent of those differences wouldn't become apparent immediately.

What was immediately apparent was the sound of mayhem within the schoolroom.

Kim Rok Soo had absolutely no love for the miscellaneous servant who guided them to the door with an edge of are you sure you want to go in there and perhaps today isn't the best day, shouldn't you come back some other day?

Kim Rok Soo had managed to push his way through the stonewalling servants, a growing worry for Cale growing inside of him with every step. Sure that today he would find the evidence of what was wrong with his friend.

He wasn't expecting what he saw within the schoolroom.

In stark contrast to yesterday, Cale was not meekly awaiting his arrival or listening quietly to the teacher. In fact, the polite young master from yesterday was nowhere to be found.

This Cale was standing atop his desk and having a shouting match with the baron.

"–it must be that creature's foul influence–!"

Were the only words Kim Rok Soo actually caught from the baron before something in Cale's demeanor shifted quite suddenly.

A full body flinch and a snarl of sincere anger–

...ah.

Kim Rok Soo blinked owlishly at the scene.

For all the bluster of it and the rage in the tutor, Cale really hadn't looked that angry to him. Until those words were spoken and then Cale's attention was very quickly focused on him.

There was just a moment, a second of hurt in Cale's face, and then he'd thrown a book with terrible accuracy in Kim Rok Soo's direction.

"Get lost! I don't want to take classes with you anymore!"

The anger from a moment ago was gone and despite his every attempt, Cale didn't look angry even as he yelled at Kim Rok Soo.

Kim Rok Soo knew what it was like for someone to yell at him in anger.

This was far from that.

He looked... sad.

"Didn't you hear me?!"

"...Raon."

An invisible hand touched his shoulder and Kim Rok Soo felt a bit calmer. This situation was insane and spiraling so quickly out of control, but he had Raon at his side.

"Can you bring me and Cale somewhere private?"

A hand squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and just as quickly, Cale was lifted into the air by an invisible force, squawking and struggling while yelling his head off until a moments teleportation later, the two boys were in what appeared to be an empty reception room within the Henituse estate.

Kim Rok Soo looked to where he assumed Raon was as Cale was lowered down and made one more request. "...can you leave us alone?"

Raon hesitated and agreed, hopefully obeying Kim Rok Soo's request as his presence vanished.

Cale looked exhausted. He wasn't yelling anymore but he was staring at Kim Rok Soo with shaking pupils and looked for all the world like someone trying to force words out of his throat.

Kim Rok Soo was sure that he hadn't seen Cale look this heartbroken since their first meeting.

"Didn't you hear me? I don't–I don't want–" He was choking on his words and big miserable tears were threatening to spill down his face.

Kim Rok Soo couldn't understand it but he really didn't have to. It was that damn baron's fault and he was going to make sure that bastard never went near Cale again, evidence or not.

Cale winced when Kim Rok Soo took the first step forward. But he made no effort to resist when Kim Rok Soo pulled him into a hug.

Kim Rok Soo wasn't really good with words, at least he didn't think he was terribly good with words, but he'd learned the value of a hug.

Cale was stiff, standing morosely and stubbornly for what felt like too long before the first sob wracked his body. He melted into Kim Rok Soo's warmth, holding tight to the younger boy and crying raw and miserable tears.

Kim Rok Soo hugged him, patiently waiting for him to calm down while an unspoken insecurity was soothed inside of him. He was a lot more shaken up than he realized. For all his ability to read Cale's emotions, he couldn't help the part of him that feared the rejection. Fearful of the truth that he was unsuitable to be Cale's friend.

Maybe the words from the baron hurt him more than he realized.

"...sorry..." Cale muttered wretchedly, still crying but calm enough to speak.

"Are you mad at me?" Kim Rok Soo asked.

Cale shook his head hurriedly before realizing that Kim Rok Soo couldn't see it from this distance, even if he could feel it. "...no."

"Why'd you do that?"

Kim Rok Soo knew better than most that Cale was serious about his studies. And he wasn't the type of person to throw a tantrum unless the circumstances were exceptionally awful.

Cale muttered something, hugging Kim Rok Soo tight and sounding miserably.

"I can't hear you..." Kim Rok Soo said, his heart pinching wretchedly.

"...if I'm bad... he'll stop criticizing you..."

Ah.

Cale really was stupid sometimes. Kim Rok Soo hugged his friend tighter and closed his eyes as a strange emotion went through him. He knew that Cale would protect him, the incident in the forest was more than enough to assure him of that, but this uniquely stupid way of taking the blow instead...

Ah, they were similar, weren't they?

Kim Rok Soo had been grateful yesterday. While the tutor went on and on about meaningless bullshit, Kim Rok Soo couldn't feel upset because he was glad that Cale wasn't the one being insulted. He'd been so scared that Cale would be cruelly criticized that even vicious insults directed at himself were actually quite relieving.

It never occurred to him that Cale might be the same. That he might also hurt at the idea of someone hurting Kim Rok Soo.

He supposed that was part of what it meant to be friends.

Kim Rok Soo smiled wryly as he disentangled himself from the hug, reaching up a sleeve to wipe away a trail of snot from Cale's distraught face.

How to properly repair the pain in Cale's heart?

Hm.

Maybe it required being just as impulsive as Cale was known to be.

Encouraged by the stupidity of it all, Kim Rok Soo asked the first question that really felt right to him.

"Wanna spend a few days at the castle?"

Who said that Cale had to endure this, at this place, in this way. Kim Rok Soo's guardian was a great and powerful dragon.

They could even kidnap the count's son if they wanted to.