"Let's go to the terrace. It's cloudy, and there's a cool breeze up there," Hyun suggested, his voice filled with a hint of excitement.

"Sure!" Min exclaimed, his hand gently resting on Hyun's shoulder as he asked with true concern, "I hope you're doing better."

"I'm as energetic as ever. I slept very well!" Hyun replied, his words masking the truth.

In reality, Hyun had spent a sleepless night, consumed by a swirl of emotions. The encounter with Min the previous day had stirred something deep within him, leaving him feeling both elated and restless. Throughout the night, he found himself tightly hugging his pillow, unable to find solace or calmness.

Initially, Hyun attributed these overwhelming emotions to the genuine kindness he had received from Min after days of enduring hardship. However, the peculiar sensation didn't diminish as the night wore on. Instead, it continued to grow, intensifying with each passing moment.

In truth, Hyun's feelings for Min multiplied exponentially whenever he conjured up an image of him in his mind. He couldn't help but dwell on how Min could have easily turned away, avoiding involvement with someone he barely knew. Yet, Min chose to sit beside him, attentively listening to his worries without judgment and with a sincere desire to assist. The depth of Min's empathy touched Hyun. It touched him profoundly.

The memory of Min delicately placing his arm on Hyun's shoulder lingered in his thoughts, a gentle gesture that held immense significance. Hyun found himself unable to shake off the image of Min, who, despite his own shyness, tried his best to provide guidance and reassurance. The image of Min tearing a page from his expensive notepad to wipe away Hyun's tears played on a loop in his mind. The price sticker that was still visible on the notepad's back served as a reminder of Min's selflessness. Above all, Hyun couldn't stop reflecting on how Min treated him as a normal human being — a rarity in his life that left a memorable impression.

Those very thoughts continued to swarm Hyun's mind as he ascended the stairs alongside Min. When they reached the top, narrowly evading Mrs. Choi, Hyun hastily slammed the door shut behind them.

"Min! Look what I got you!" Hyun exclaimed, his voice filled with childlike excitement. He extended both arms, revealing a collection of chocolates and a set of art pens in his open palms.

"Hyun, why did you get me these?" Min questioned, a mix of surprise and hesitation in his voice.

"You know why. Take it!" Hyun insisted, his tone carrying a hint of aggression, as he grabbed Min's hand and deposited the gifts into his grasp.

"No, I can't. I don't deserve it!" Min protested, his self-doubt evident.

"Please take it... for me," Hyun pleaded, his eyes reflecting a pleading expression.

Reluctantly, Min accepted the gifts. "These pens are really nice. Also, I love chocolate, so thanks!" he expressed with an awkward giggle.

"His laugh is adorable. He has such a cute nose," Hyun thought, captivated by Min's charm.

"I wish I could hug him like that day, but won't he find me weird?" Hyun questioned himself, battling conflicting emotions.

"Why do I feel like this? He's a boy," he pondered.

"But... there's nothing wrong with loving a boy, right?"

"Anyway, Min, did something happen? The moment I stepped into school, I noticed something was off. Mr. Glenn told us to watch out for the teachers too. Why?" Hyun inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Min proceeded to recount the events of the day in great detail, his voice gradually diminishing and occasionally faltering as he reached the part about the incident with the principal. Meanwhile, with each passing minute, Hyun's anger grew hotter and more intense.

It became evident to Hyun that the culprits responsible for the vandalism were none other than his "friends." Naturally, he felt a gush of fury towards them. His blood began to boil and bubble even more when he learned about the principal's disrespectful treatment of Min and how she forced him to clean up the mess created by the troublemakers.

"What the fuck is wrong with those baboons?! Don't those brain-dead idiots have anything better to do? And who does the principal think she is? She made a big deal last year when they installed hundreds of cameras, but what's the point if no one uses them? You don't need a camera to know who's guilty, but still... And she made you clean the board? For what? She's utterly useless," Hyun vented, the revelation fueling a blazing flame within him.

Min nodded vigorously in agreement, his own frustration palpable.

"You know what? I've had enough. You did what THEY were supposed to do. It's time to teach them a lesson," Hyun declared, his determination unwavering.

Min was taken aback. "No, no, no. It's already over. Let's forget about it," he pleaded, a tremor in his voice.

"And let them escape again? Then they'll never learn. The stupid principal will excuse them again with some made-up reason. Like, what the hell was the reason she gave today? Collective responsibility my ass," Hyun retorted, his resolve unyielding.

"Please, you'll get into more trouble if you're caught. Don't do this for me," Min implored.

"Fine. Think of it this way. I'm going to take revenge for the pain they put ME through. Let's forget about today, yeah?" Hyun proposed, attempting to sway Min's opinion.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Min hesitated, contemplating the potential consequences.

"Well, okay! I already have a few ideas," Hyun revealed with a mischievous grin.

"Already?" Min exclaimed, surprised by Hyun's preparedness.

"Yup! I've been waiting for this day since forever," Hyun confessed, excitement brimming within him.

"Woah," Min muttered, impressed and intrigued by Hyun's determination.

"I'm pretty sure everyone's rehearsing for their performances. Let's go downstairs. Quick!" Hyun urged, eager to set their plan in motion.

As Hyun opened the terrace door, he turned to Min and asked, "Can I hold your hand? I'll let go whenever someone sees us."

"Wha- Why?" Min stammered, very taken aback and flustered by the unexpected request.

"We need to stick together. I'm afraid of what those guys might do to you. They're unpredictable. They could ambush us," Hyun explained.

"Okay," Min acquiesced, a mixture of embarrassment and anticipation hueing his voice. Despite his initial surprise, he found himself secretly thrilled by the idea.

As the duo dashed down the stairs, Hyun's mind filled with a rough outline of the plan, but he still needed to figure out the execution. Upon reaching the ground floor, Hyun scanned the surroundings, maintaining a firm grip on Min's hand. A few meters ahead, he spotted two familiar faces engaged in an animated argument – the same first-graders he had witnessed fighting the previous day. Manu and Ishi were once again embroiled in a fiery dispute.

"Manu, you ruined the game!" Ishi shouted frustratedly.

"No, I didn't, Ishi! The bus was supposed to crash and fall off the bridge!" Manu defended himself, brandishing two toy vehicles in his tiny hands.

"No, the bus was supposed to cross the bridge safely!" Ishi countered, pointing her finger directly at Manu's nose.

Hyun decided to interrupt their argument. "Hello!" he greeted, adopting an unusually high-pitched voice. "I have a gift for you kids, but you need to do us a favor in return." He presented them with the chocolates he had brought along.

"My father told me not to take gifts from strangers," Ishi grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Well, my father didn't," Manu chimed in eagerly, snatching the chocolates from Hyun's hand.

"Fine, fine. Manu, don't forget that sharing is caring," Ishi reminded her companion. She then turned her attention to Hyun and Min. "Okay, tall man and shy boy. What do you want us to do?"

The four of them huddled together, their heads close as Hyun unveiled his meticulously crafted plan. He instructed Ishi and Manu to fill a bucket with water and transport it to the topmost floor of the school building. Meanwhile, Hyun would lure the culprits outside, setting the stage for a surprise drenching from above. Excitement scented the air as Hyun described each step. The young children eagerly embraced the mischief ahead, their anticipation growing by the second. Min was overwhelmed by the audacious scheme and on the verge of fainting.

"What happens if they find out?" Min asked anxiously, concern drawn on his face.

"We'll find a way," Hyun reassured him, although his response lacked conviction. Still, Min found comfort in Hyun's presence and trusted him to handle any potential complications.

"Remember, dump all the water when you see a tall boy who looks like a giraffe. Don't panic if he's with a few other guys. Got it?" Hyun instructed, seeking confirmation from the children.

The quartet then split up, with the kids scurrying off to fetch a bucket from the restroom while Hyun and Min sought cover behind a false ashoka tree. Hyun retrieved his phone from his pocket and began composing a lengthy text message, raising Min's curiosity.

"Why are you typing Anna's name repeatedly?" Min asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She's Seungyun's ex," Hyun replied naughtily.

"Anna dated Seungyun? Seungyun of all people?" Min's surprise was obvious.

"I know, right? I was surprised when I found out. They had a messy breakup."

"Oh."

"Yeah, they had a major fight. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but Anna initiated the split. After the breakup, Seungyun couldn't even watch that one princess movie without losing his temper."

"Wait... You're going to send him the text right now?"

"Not exactly. First, we need to make sure those two are in the right spot. Let's go and check."

Hyun held Min's hand tightly as they cautiously stepped out into the open. The two boys looked up, their gazes narrowing as they spotted the kids carrying the brimming bucket while climbing the staircase toward the terrace. However, their progress was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Ron, who emerged from the restroom, yawning.

"Shit, let's hide," Hyun whispered urgently.

Swiftly, Hyun and Min slipped into an empty classroom nearby, where they had a decent view of the upper portion of the building.

"Why are you two carrying that heavy bucket?" Ron questioned suspiciously, eyeing the children.

"Um, um... It's for the plants on the rooftop!" Manu replied, fear apparent in his voice as he glanced at the muscular Ron.

"Cute," Ron remarked in an ugly tone, conveniently forgetting that there were no plants on the terrace. He then dashed down the stairs, passing by the classroom where Hyun and Min were hiding. Fortunately, he didn't notice their presence and proceeded toward the soccer field.

After a minute or so, the kids reached their destination. Unfortunately, their view was obstructed by a wall, preventing them from seeing what was happening down below.

"Climb onto me!" Ishi demanded.

"You want us both to go the hospital?" Manu retorted.

Another argument seemed imminent, but Ishi's eyes fell upon a nearby stool just in time. She exerted all her energy to drag it over, and with the help of the stool, both children managed to reach a height where they could clearly see the entire area below.

"What's taking them so long?" Hyun wondered aloud.

"Look, it's Ishi and Manu! They're waving at us!" Min exclaimed, shaking Hyun's arm with excitement.

The kids were exactly where they were supposed to be. Hyun retrieved his phone once more, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips as he tapped the send button.

On the other side of the school, Seungyun, Hyungjun, and Denis were engrossed in the computer lab. They had locked the door and set up a gaming session, with multiple screens displaying games and questionable videos. Just as Seungyun was about to defeat Hyungjun in a virtual battle, his phone's notification bell chimed, grabbing his attention. He glanced at the screen and opened the message.

Denis tapped Seungyun on the shoulder. "What's wrong, bro?"

Seungyun remained silent, his eyes locked on the message.

"You didn't finish me off. Something bothering you, dude?" Hyungjun inquired, oblivious to the impending storm.

Words couldn't describe the intensity of Seungyun's emotions as he read the text message. He was consumed by a terrifying rage, an anger that surpassed all expectations. Clenching his phone tightly in one hand, he furiously toyed with the computer mouse using the other. His eyes burned with a deep crimson red, and he fought the urge to smash the monitor and unleash his wrath upon his comrades. Seungyun's eyes scanned each word of the repetitive message, absorbing all the anger associated with the name he saw before him. Finally, he reached the last line, which taunted him further with a string of happy emojis, and Seungyun teetered on the brink of combustion. Coincidentally, Hyungjun chose that moment to speak up.

"Why did someone send you Anna's name a million times?"

Without hesitation, Seungyun threw a powerful punch at Hyungjun's stomach, causing him to crumple to the cold floor, writhing in intense pain. Denis wore a surprised expression, observing the sudden outburst of violence.

"What are you staring at? Come with me, losers!" Seungyun bellowed, his voice filled with uncontrollable fury.

Following his order, Denis swiftly rose from his seat, while Hyungjun struggled to stand, his hands trembling and his stomach throbbing. The trio tailed behind Seungyun, who was now a vessel overflowing with indomitable rage.