Jin-woo scratched his head. The others also looked gloomy. 

The four of them sit in a semi-circle, surrounding my seat. 

With his face still held down, Jin-woo breaks the silence, which I assume is directed to In-ho.

“How did Do Han-byeol meet Lukas?”

“It’s a coincidence. We met in the hallway.” For the first time ever, I saw In-ho sound like he is defending himself as Ki-sung and Nam-il stared him down. “He goes to this school too. They’re going to meet sooner or later.”

“No offence, In-ho. I know he’s your friend but that guy is nothing but trouble.” Ki-sung stated.

“Dohan...his vibes are just off.” Nam-il tilted his head with his arms crossed over his body.

I looked at the four of them in rotation. Is it a bad thing that I met Dohan, In-ho’s friend the other day? They looked extremely worried.

“Dohan looked okay...”

All four of them turned towards me in unison.

“No, no. Stay away from him.” Jin-woo’s tone hardened.

Nam-il holds my shoulders. “If he tries to talk to you, you run away as fast as you can, understand?” 

“Only talk to him when I’m with you.” In-ho added.

“Okay...” 

Given how serious everyone is, Dohan must really be dangerous. Has he done something terrible at school before?

“What are you guys talking about?” A girls’ voice intrudes in. Chan-mi came and rested her arm and weight onto Jin-woo's shoulder. Jin-woo looks irritated. 

“Go away, this is boys’ talk.” Nam-il tried to keep her out of our ‘meeting’. She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

“Lukas, what are you guys talking about?” She turned towards me. She used such a girl-like tone with an excited, cheery face. I glanced at the others. Ki-sung forced a smile, Jin-woo is glaring at her, Nam-il face-palmed himself and In-ho sits still like a statue. I turned to Chan-mi. “Um…About a guy at school named ‘Dohan’…”

“Oh, you mean that bully?”

I froze. 

“He’s the ringleader of the bullies in the school. I heard he’s friends with gangsters in the streets, here in Daegu.” She moves her hand to the chin, as if thinking. “Though, really, it’s interesting. I heard he came from a very rich family. His father is the president of—“

“Hey, you talk too much.” Jin-woo finally pushed her arm away. “Are you trying to scare Lukas? Think more before you run your mouth.”

“It’s okay. Lukas didn’t fully understand me. Right, Lukas?”

I heard my name in the conversation but the words confused me. I just nodded to her. She smiled. “You’re so cute, Lukas.” She then walks away casually. 

“She’s so rude. What the hell is her problem?” Nam-il voiced. 

“Just ignore her. Anyway, Lukas, you heard us earlier, right?” Ki-sung turned to me.

“Don’t get involved with that ‘Dohan’ guy.”

###

When I got home, I laid my stretched arms and face onto the bed. Mr. Park told me before school that he’s going home a bit late today. He also told me to order a take-out if I’m hungry and even taught me how to use one of the food delivery apps. 

However, I have something planned in mind— I want to do a night trip to the convenience store. 

I washed up, slipped on a beige hoodie and embarked on my first adventure alone. 

The streets in the neighbourhood are adequately lit. I walked slowly, taking in as much scenery as I could. There are some noises echoing from afar. Still, it is very quiet compared to my own neighbourhood. 

There is a worry that I might not find the way back home, but I brushed the feelings off. 

What's the point of going to another country if I'm scared to explore it? 

I remembered that I saw a convenience store when I was driven here by Mr. Park. I tried searching the direction on the online map while walking. I stopped at a red light to cross the street.

“Hey.”

I turned to my left. His almond eyes greeted me. I almost dropped my phone.

“Where are you going?” He said, in his usual calm voice.

I got nervous again. He lived around here? Why didn’t I know that?

“Convenience…store.” 

You can do this. It’s just a normal conversation. 

“What about you, In-ho?”