Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sehyun’s walking down the hallway to his next class, when he realises something is off… 

It’s too quiet. 

As he walks around the corner, he hears a hushed “careful!”, followed by “that’s Gamin’s boyfriend over there.”

His steps falter.

...what.

“Gamin?”

“The fighting psycho from tenth grade! Come on, keep up!”

“Just hurry, let’s go, don't look at him!”

Sehyun is very much confused. 

***

The gossip is wild.

Geonyeop stands at the board, eyes no longer on the announcements, but focused on the group of students instead, as he observes the commotion... And listens to some weird-ass talk. 

“Waah, so if you’re weak – you just gotta get yourself a higher-ranked boyfriend!” someone exclaims. 

“Huh? Why?”

“Gotta get myself one too, dammit” some other student mutters with a blank stare. 

“What ya mean – ‘why’? Yoon Gamin and his guy” the boy shrugs, his tone nonchalant, as if just that vague statement was proving his point. 

He gets smacked upside his head. 

“Put some respect on Gamin’s boyfriend’s name – it’s Kim Sehyun.” 

Multiple people nod. 

The conversation picks straight back up; “girls got it too – Lee Jiwoo and Choi Heewon.” 

Another student joins; “Phi Hanwool and his boyfriend– ” 

“Ma Minhwan?” one more butts in, interrupting. 

“Nah, Minhwan doesn’t need Hanwool’s protection, he’s got a fucking gun.”

The room falls silent, just for a moment. 

“You think they use it... y’kno... in bed?” 

“The gun?!”

A hurricane of hushed whispers takes over the space:

“Be quiet!”

“Y’all, they’re for sure into some freaky shit– ”

“Oh come on– ”

“No, hear me out– ”

Geonyeop inhales. 

...where the fuck did he just transfer to?

(And even if he does store some of the names from that information in his head – it’s nobody’s business.) 

***

Jun’s strutting down the hallway, on his way to the gym to get some training, when his hearing latches onto some chatter;

“–that fighting psycho! Yoon Gamin from class 4 of the tenth grade.”

“The one who beat up Lee Hyunwoo?”

He stops in his tracks, all his focus is now on the conversation. 

“Yeah!”

“Nah, no way– ”

“I’m telling you!”

“So like... You gotta– what? Become his bitch to get his protection?”

A loud smack echoes through the halls. 

“Ow!”

“You perv! No, I’m telling you. He’s collecting boyfriends and training them.”

“That sounds stupid.”

“No, it’s not. That guy, who’s always with him? Sehyun? Telling you – his boyfriend! And he just beat up the first in academics of the tenth grade. Smacked him clean! Gamin clearly trained him. He was number 171 before that.” 

Someone whistles, clearly impressed. 

“And so what? What’ya gotta do for that?”

“You gotta tell Gamin you’re interested. Don’t get your hopes up though, I heard he’s super picky with his boyfriends.”

“Yeah, no shit. Making them solve some math tests first or something.”

“Ah... A beast like him deserves to be picky.”

Jun can’t help, but nod in agreement with multiple affirming hums. 

He checks his reflection out in the nearby window, adjusting his clothes and fixing his hair. Jun spins around, starts walking with determination – the direction is set to class 4. 

...briefly stops on his way, picking up a flower from the pot in the corridor. 

***

“Naaaah, did you hear?!” an overly-excited voice pierces the pleasant lunch-time silence of the back-yard. 

“What?!” 

He sighs. Ah, gossip hours…

Being the newest disciplinary committee member, he’s stuck on yard patrol all day. He watches as a group of teens walk right past the smoking drums, completely ignoring them – they all flock together, forming a circle. 

“You know, Hyunwoo came back, yeah?”

“So?”

“Well, he’s going out with the transferred guy! The American!”

“Park Geonyeop?!”

Fingers snap, “yeah! That’s the name!”

“Nah, no way…”

“What ya mean?”

“We're all fucked then.”

“How come?”

“‘til now, the weak ones were getting strong boyfriends. Now, with these two together, we’re fucked!”

“Whaaat? Geonyeop can fight?”

“Dude, he’s a boxer, did you see his brass knuckles?!”

“That’s it. I’m transferring from here– ”

“I’m applying for Gamin’s boyfriend position!”

“Dude, he won’t pick you, you’re stupid.”

“Yeah, he only likes smart guys!”

“Nah, he picked Lee Jun though!”

“Lee Jun?!”

“Oh no. Lee Jun is like what? 17th fighting place? That’s not fair!”

“Dude, I saw them already training in the playground– ”

“Fuuuuck.”

“So, two strong couples! Great.”

“Ah right, Hyunwoo and Geonyeop... Shameless, those two!”

“Why, why?”

“Someone saw them making out on the floor right in the middle of the parking lot!”

“No! That’s gotta be illegal.”

“Dude, they’re tough as shit – they don’t care.”

“Damn.”

“I'm telling you, the strong ones are always the freaky ones…”

His gaze breaks away from the group, eyes scanning the yard… Should he get rid of the smoking drums? 

He’ll ask the vice principal later. 

***

“Dude!” someone exclaims, and the buzzing immediately spikes up, excitement surges – gathering everyone to listen to the new gossip. 

“Yoon Gamin and Phi Hanwool are collecting boyfriends, so they can group-fight n’ compete with each other!”

The crowd splits up – hollering with equal amounts of disbelief, dread, thrill, and enthusiasm. 

“Nah, no hate to Gamin, but I’d join Hanwool – my life is precious to me.”

“Like he would take you.”

“Ah, come on– ”

“They’re both picky.”

“What did you expect from the best fighters in the school?”

“I dunno, I’d join Gamin, I think he’s got potential.”

“Nah, Minhwan is still Hanwool’s boyfriend. I’m choosing the side with the gun.”

“But Gamin’s side has girlfriends too…”

“Damn.”

“A girl or a gun – your choice.”

“So, if you ever get to join Gamin’s boyfriend group – you gotta steal Minhwan.”

“Ooff, shivers. Imagine stealing Phi Hanwool’s first boyfriend– ”

“Oh! Oh! About ‘first boyfriends’ – did you hear?! Hyunwoo and Geonyeop broke up!”

Multiple shocked exhales echo through the area. 

“Already?”

“Yes, that’s right! Hyunwoo’s now Hanwool’s boyfriend and Geonyeop is Gamin’s!”

Pure, horrified shrieking pierces through the place – someone faints. 

“No no no, I’m staying out of it– ”

“Damn, imagine getting your ass beat because your boyfriend’s boyfriend went through a bad breakup and now his ex is fighting you.”

“...what.”

“Anyway– ”

“Hanwool’s side got the Three Chuls though.”

“He’s dating all three?!”

***

Being an English language teacher at Yusung Technical High wasn’t ever easy, but lately… it’s been strange. 

She’s grading some students’ homework, as her current class is taking a test in silence, when– 

“Isn’t Geonyeop Hanwool’s ex?” someone randomly says in the middle of class, out of nowhere.

“Really?” 

“They had a fling in America or something.”

“Hanwool’s been to America?”

“He has! How do you think he can speak English?” 

“Oooohhh”

“Damn”

“Bet their current boyfriends always get help with English from them” 

“Ah, I wish – I don’t get the third question on this test at all…”

A beat of silence passes, the only sound is of pens scraping across papers. 

“What if they got married there?”

“Nah, that’d suck, ‘cause they’re not together anymore.”

“Imagine being tied to your ex. Do they have to go back there to divorce?”

“Is that why Hyunwoo broke up with Geonyeop?”

“Hyunwoo was the one who ended it?”

“Why would Hyunwoo start dating Hanwool right after then?”

“Maybe Geonyeop is trying to win Hanwool back with Hyunwoo’s help?”

One of her students nods seriously, eyes not leaving the test sheet: 

“That’s why Geonyeop transferred here from America.”

“To get back with Hanwool?”

“Or, to make him agree to divorce?”

“To get back together, of course. Why else would he be asking around about him?”

She knows she should tell them off for speaking during class, but… No one’s cursing. No one’s screaming, no smoking, nor fighting. 

Her students are just… calmly discussing this, while still focusing on the test. 

Besides.

She does want to know more about the American fling of Hanwool and Geonyeop. 

***

He’s just doing his usual job as an inspector. 

Going into yet another shitty thug-infested high school, preparing for the worst.

As he’s taking a step into the grounds, he hears a yell “yah!” –  a student smacks into him; 

“Shit, sorry– hey, c’m here, quickly!” 

He’s so flabbergasted by the apology, he stops, trying to listen in on the conversation the group of about fifteen teenage boys is having. 

Everyone is seriously focused on the one speaking.

“Ma Minhwan is flirting with Kim Sehyun!” 

Astonished gasps fill the air – multiple boys’ hands fly up to their chests, clutching at the clothes on the side of the heart, scandalised expressions painting their faces. 

He’s about to move past the group, not interested in the usual bully talk (and taking a mental note to bring up those names with the principal later), when it catches up to him.

F– 

...flirting?

Did he hear it right? 

Not ‘fighting’? 

“Nah, no way!” one of the boys exclaims. “Hanwool’s main boyfriend is flirting with Gamin’s main boyfriend?”

Ah... What?

Everyone’s eyes shift back to the first boy.

“I just saw it with my own eyes!” he exclaims proudly; 

“He was basically throwing himself onto Sehyun in the library” the boy confidently nods a few times. 

“Oh no–”

“But why Sehyun though?”

“Maybe Hanwool wants to steal him from Gamin? So he sent Minhwan?” 

Serious gasps fill up the place.  

“Oh! Is it ‘cause Gamin stole Sunchul from him?” 

“What?!– ”

“Gamin stole– ”

“When?– ”

“Sunchul is Gamin’s boyfriend now?!”

“Yes! Bet this why Hanwool wants to steal Sehyun! Revenge! ‘You take my boyfriend, I take yours’!”

“Oh no…”

“No, no! It’s ‘cause Sehyun’s smart!”

“Sehyun’s tenth year, Hanwool’s eleventh – it doesn’t make sense!”

“So what? It totally does! Kim Sehyun is academically first in tenth grade!”

“Phi Hanwool is academically first in eleventh grade though!”

Someone yelps, facial expression morphing into realisation: 

“That’s why! He wants to be a power couple!” 

“Is he gonna get the first place of twelfth grade as his boyfriend too?”

“Oh, probably!– ”

“I still have a chance then! I just need to climb… one hundred and sixty five places up– ” 

“No, y’all don’t get it! He obviously wants Sehyun to tutor his boyfriend Hyunwoo – he’s also in tenth grade.”

“Oh shit, I should try to get with Hanwool, I need some tutoring…”

“As if he’d want you– ” 

“Hey– ” 

“Y’all didn’t think that Minhwan just wants Sehyun?” 

He takes a good look around – students are all chatting in groups, walking to the building; no one seems to fight, he hears no screams, no litter or cigarette butts on the ground…

What is this school? 

***

“Yo! Did y’all hear?!” – a very loud yell breaks through the sleepy silence of the hallway on one lazy morning; 

“Phi Hanwool and Yoon Gamin are going out now!”

“I saw them making out in the classroom, I swear!”

The chatter immediately picks up.