GUNS & ROSES | ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ

ii. ✓

𝒊𝒊.

As I woke up early, my cheeks still flushed from the encounter with the pavilion boy, my mind raced with thoughts. Who was he? Why did he seem so familiar?

Perhaps I had seen his lookalikes somewhere before.

Lost in my own musings, I failed to notice the man standing right in front of me until I bumped into his solid chest. 

"Ow!" I groaned, rubbing my head from the impact. I could have sworn it felt like running into a pole rather than a human being.

Looking up, I found myself staring into a pair of narrowed eyes, accompanied by a visible frown. The man exuded annoyance, and his towering height only made me shrink back further.

"Don't you have eyes?" he snarled, his irritation evident. My confidence dwindled, and I took a step back, only to stumble and fall embarrassingly to the ground.

The surrounding students froze, their gazes fixed on the unfolding scene. I could practically hear their hushed conversations, their whispers filling the air.

"Oh my gosh, it's The High King," one of them murmured. The crowd started to gather, eager to witness the spectacle, their judging looks weighing heavily on me.

I glanced up at the boy standing before me, still glaring with intensity. Could he be one of the Kings?

It suddenly dawned on me, memories flooding back from the previous day—the moment the thirteen boys had appeared, the Kings of Sakura High School.

"The High King," I muttered under my breath, my mind racing to put the pieces together.

Just then, as if on cue, another figure approached the commotion, causing the crowd to murmur even louder. "Jihoon, it's you," the High King spoke, his attention diverted.

I looked up, my eyes widening in surprise. It was the pavilion boy! His presence only intensified the whirlwind of emotions coursing through me. Our eyes briefly met, his face devoid of any emotion, before he redirected his attention to the High King.

The pavilion boy's voice dripped with disdain as he addressed me, his words cutting deep. "Why are you mingling with this thing? That's so unbecoming you," he retorted, his eyes boring into mine. Somehow, the impact of his words hit me like a bullet, anger and embarrassment flooding my senses, turning my face beet red.

The two of them left, the crowds dispersing as if nothing had happened, leaving me feeling humiliated and exposed on my very first day at Sakura High School. I let out a sigh, contemplating the strange behavior of those two guys. What was wrong with them?

Determined to stay strong, I picked myself up from the ground, only to be greeted by a warm smile from a petite girl standing nearby. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, extending her hand to help me up. Grateful for the assistance, I took her hand, still reeling from the humiliation I had just experienced.

"Thank you," I mumbled, my voice filled with genuine appreciation. "That's really nice of you."

"Oh, it was nothing! It was the right thing to do," she replied, her smile unwavering. I managed to muster a smile in return. She seemed genuinely kind-hearted. Her hair was neatly braided, and the school uniform suited her perfectly, despite her petite stature.

"I'm Choi Yoojung, by the way. I'm in my senior year. You're new here, right? I haven't seen you around," she said, her tone friendly and welcoming. I nodded in response. "Yes, I just arrived yesterday evening. I'm also in my senior year. Oh, and you can call me Dani," I introduced myself.

"Cool name, Dani! Are you a 'new money' or..." Yoojung trailed off, a curious glint in her eyes.

I smiled, amused by her question. "I'm actually here on a scholarship," I revealed.