Chapter Text
"Meet me during the recess," Kim Rok Soo told the person behind him as he walked.
The person with grey hair and side-bang nodded, before turning to walk in the opposite direction.
Kim Rok Soo's face was calm as he walked to his destination. Inside, however, he was actually feeling annoyed.
He had purposely not come to school for a few days to avoid the photo-taking session for the yearbook. He did not like having his picture in a book where everyone could see it. To make sure he missed it, he had faked an MC for a few days in order to avoid his photo being taken.
But who would have thought that on the very first day he came back after several days off, the members of the Photography Club would come knocking on his classroom door?
They had informed him that they would be holding a photo shoot during the recess. Kim Rok Soo could not exactly refuse in front of so many people, especially with his teacher and classmates watching when they came knocking, so he could only agree, sighing inwardly.
He really should not have underestimated the principal's will.
Their school principal was a highly inclusive person. Someone who wanted to include everyone and expected everyone to participate. The principal had insisted on having every single person's photo in the yearbook. The Photography Team would actually wait for any absent students, ensuring they took everyone's photo before proceeding to process and publish the book.
A yearbook was supposed to be an annual publication that commemorated the school year. It featured formal portrait photos of every student arranged by class, alongside candid photos from sports events, clubs, and school trips.
Kim Rok Soo truly could not understand the point. Why couldn't they just focus on essays, club achievements, and the like, and leave the people who truly did not want to be in the yearbook alone?
Why did they have to take his picture too?
He was just a nobody in this school. Whether his photo was there or not would not impact anything at all. They should have just gone on and proceeded without waiting for him.
Kim Rok Soo personally did not care much about the yearbook. Only his family would gush about it whenever he brought the book back home, proudly saying that "their Rok Soo looked good in every photo".
He also did not understand why there were so many of his photos in the previous yearbooks. Though he did participate in some school activities and sports events, he was never the main character in those events. Why were there so many pictures of him, as if he was the school sportsman or something?
This was one of the reasons he had purposely missed school to avoid the photo shoot. But it seemed they would not let him go even this year.
So, here he was. Kim Rok Soo could only sigh and head towards the place where they were doing the photo shoot.
–
When he arrived at the designated photo-taking spot, the Photography Team was already waiting there with their equipment.
"Hi, Kim Rok Soo," the main photographer, Paseton Whales, greeted him. He was a member of the school's Photography Club, along with his older sister, Witira Whales.
Paseton smiled at him. "You and the President are the only ones left. Thankfully we managed to get you two today and finished the photo shoot. Thank you for coming."
Kim Rok Soo did not focus on the thanks, but rather on the "you two" Paseton had just mentioned.
'Me and who?'
Just then, another voice chimed in.
"Thank you for waiting. I'm sorry for making you guys wait," the person greeted them as he walked into the courtyard.
"President Lee," Paseton greeted him back with a polite nod. "It's okay. It's our job to wait until everyone is finished."
Kim Rok Soo looked at the new arrival.
It was Lee Soo Hyuk, the President of the Student Council.
Kim Rok Soo had heard that the President was out of the country last week competing at an international level and had only recently returned.
President Lee Soo Hyuk.
Despite his pristine reputation as Student Council President, there were rumours surrounding him. People said the Student Council President ruled the school by day, and the underworld by night, as he supposedly had secret ties to the underworld.
It was not known how the rumours came to be or who had spread them, but they came in many different versions. Some said his family was high up in the hierarchies of the underworld. Some said he worked as a broker in the underworld. Others even claimed that with a single phone call, the President could utilise his underworld connections to make anyone he wanted vanish before the morning assembly.
Whatever the case, up until now, there was no proof that could back up any of the hearsay, so they all remained just rumours.
Kim Rok Soo himself had never spoken to this senior before.
Just then, Lee Soo Hyuk turned to Kim Rok Soo and smiled.
"Hello, Kim Rok Soo," he greeted him warmly. "I will be joining you today for our yearbook photo shoot."
Kim Rok Soo politely nodded back.
A thought crossed his mind, telling him there was something off about the way the President had just said "our yearbook photo shoot", but he could not pinpoint the exact fault. So, he let it slide.
Kim Rok Soo looked around at the place where they were going to do the shoot.
'Why here?'
Why not in the indoor assembly hall?
The auditorium?
The gymnasium?
Why here in the open courtyard where everyone could see?
The open courtyard was surrounded by the corridors of the school blocks. It was like a stage at the centre, and anyone walking along the floor corridors could easily see right into it. This meant that if they did the photo shoot there, everyone all around the corridors, no matter which floor they were on, would be able to watch the entire photo session down here.
"Since there are only the two of you, we're going to change the pose a bit," Witira, the coordinator of this photo shoot, announced. "One will stand, the other will sit."
Paseton carried a single chair to the centre of the courtyard.
"And for the one who will be sitting..." Witira trailed off.
Lee Soo Hyuk smiled and made a polite gesture towards the chair, inviting Kim Rok Soo to take it as if he were a true gentleman showing courtesy.
"Right, President Lee," Witira agreed. "Kim Rok Soo, you will be the one sitting."
"Me?" Kim Rok Soo blinked.
Witira smiled. "Yes. You."
"Why doesn't President Lee take the chair?" Kim Rok Soo asked, looking between them. "He's the President of the Student Council and all."
"We're taking photos for a school magazine," Witira replied. "Not some corporate company hierarchy bulletin."
"Besides..." Witira paused and smiled meaningfully.
To Kim Rok Soo, that look translated to: "You're the pretty young lady here, of course the seat belongs to you, girl."
Kim Rok Soo opened his mouth to protest further, but Paseton gently guided him by the shoulders, steering him into the seat.
"It will just be temporary." Paseton smiled gently.
At that, Kim Rok Soo swallowed whatever protest he had left and just quietly sat down in his designated chair.
Paseton smiled again and walked back to his camera setup where his sister was standing. The two of them chatted quietly as they adjusted the equipment and looked for the right angles.
While waiting for the siblings to finish their setup and start the photo session, Lee Soo Hyuk broke the silence.
"I heard you were absent for a few days. Are you unwell?" the Student Council President asked Kim Rok Soo.
Kim Rok Soo was surprised by the question.
First, he was surprised that the President of the Student Council was speaking to him at all. Second, how did he know about his absence? Did the Student Council President keep track of everyone's attendance every single day?
"I'm well. Thank you for your concern, Senior." Despite his internal questions, Kim Rok Soo still answered politely.
"It's good that we can both make it to school today and take the photo together for the yearbook," Lee Soo Hyuk said.
"Is it really okay for me to take a photo with you, Senior?" Kim Rok Soo did not know where or how he had found the sudden courage to speak so directly to the Student Council President. "I don't want your fan club members to misunderstand and start attacking me."
Despite the dark and ambiguous rumours surrounding him, Lee Soo Hyuk was still the most popular student in the school. He had fans, supporters, and secret admirers left and right. If they took pictures together, just the two of them like this, wouldn't Kim Rok Soo be making himself a target for the whole school?
Lee Soo Hyuk just chuckled.
"Don't worry. Nobody will disturb you," Lee Soo Hyuk said. He smiled, but there was a certain weight to his tone. "I will make sure of it."
Kim Rok Soo felt a sudden chill down his spine when he heard that.
"Okay, we will begin our photo shoot now!" Witira announced merrily.
Kim Rok Soo straightened up and sat properly on the chair. Behind him, he could feel Lee Soo Hyuk begin to shift as well.
He knew the President was going to stand behind him, but he felt as if the senior was standing way too close. Kim Rok Soo could feel the heat radiating from the other person's torso just behind his shoulders. It felt as though the President had stepped into his personal space.
Witira waved in their direction from the camera stand. "President Lee, can you put your hand on the back of the chair? Near Kim Rok Soo's shoulder."
She then added in a soft whisper, though both of them heard it anyway, "If you want to put it directly on top of his shoulder, that works too."
Kim Rok Soo heard Lee Soo Hyuk chuckle softly.
Then, he felt Lee Soo Hyuk's hand move slowly, coming to rest on the back of the chair. Kim Rok Soo felt the edge of the senior's hand very subtly brush against his shoulder. The touch was so light that it barely felt real, but he was sensitive enough to detect it nevertheless. Even without direct contact, the other person's warmth enveloped him from behind.
They were just getting their yearbook photos taken. But why did this start to feel like something else entirely?
'Wait—'
Kim Rok Soo did not know much about photography, but this specific composition...
Isn't this the famous, classic pose for wedding portraits, pre-wedding shoots, and vintage married couples?
Kim Rok Soo's mind was reeling as they waited for Paseton and Witira to finish their final adjustments and begin the photo shoot.
He was aware that there were now eyes, many eyes, watching them from the corridors of the school blocks.
He could not imagine what kind of gossip would circulate starting from the recess this afternoon. He really did not want to know.
"Wow wow! What is this?!"
And sure enough, a few seconds later, he heard a familiar voice bellowing from above.
"Oii, Kim Rok Soo! Are you taking pictures for the yearbook, or are you doing pre-wedding photos?!"
'Ah, the spoiled troublemaker from the class next door', Kim Rok Soo thought.
Kim Rok Soo did not even need to look to know that it was Venion Stan yelling from the corridor upstairs, with his minions close by.
Venion Stan was a student from the next class and the second son of the Stan Family. That guy would never let go of any opportunity to get on Kim Rok Soo's nerves. Venion liked to mess with him for reasons unknown, but Kim Rok Soo never gave the other person a chance to trample on him. So far, Kim Rok Soo was always one step ahead of Venion Stan.
While Kim Rok Soo was thinking of a way to get rid of this annoying disturbance, a voice stopped him.
"Just ignore him," Lee Soo Hyuk whispered from behind. He had tilted his head down, leaning very close to Kim Rok Soo's ear to whisper the words.
The back of Kim Rok Soo's neck prickled from the close proximity and warm breath. Whatever had been on his mind about countering Venion Stan completely disappeared. At this moment, he somehow felt as if a devil had come very close to him, whispering sweet nothings. It sent cold goosebumps right down his spine.
That was exactly what he was feeling right now.
Meanwhile, upstairs on the second-floor balcony, Venion Stan was leaning over the railing as he watched the pair doing the photo shoot in the courtyard below with sharp eyes. Beside him stood his loyal minions.
One of the minions, Neo Tolz, remained silent. Other people did not notice it, but Neo could see Venion clenching both of his hands into fists.
Venion looked as though he believed he should be the one downstairs taking a photo with Kim Rok Soo. He was glaring at Lee Soo Hyuk, who was standing very close behind Kim Rok Soo, invading his personal space. The glare turned especially more intense when he saw Lee Soo Hyuk tilt his head lower to whisper something into Kim Rok Soo's ear.
A small group of passing students gestured towards the pair below.
"Look. It's President Lee. He's back."
"Oh, Kim Rok Soo is there too."
"They're taking photos for the yearbook?"
"Looks like they're taking a wedding photo to me."
"They're doing the old married couple portrait pose."
"The only thing missing is the wedding cake."
The students giggled amongst themselves.
"But seriously though, they look well-matched."
"Yeah. I have always thought they would look good together. Never expected I would get to see them taking photos together today."
"They really suit each other."
"I'll come to their real wedding."
Neo saw Venion's clenched fists tighten even harder as he overheard the passing students talking.
"Let's go," Venion said. His tone was chilling as he turned and began to walk away. His minions, including Neo, quickly followed after him.
At the camera stand, Paseton and Witira had finished setting up. Witira motioned for the two to get ready to take the photo.
"Okay. Smile!" Witira called out.
CLICKKK
Paseton took the first photo.
"Good," Paseton said.
Right after the camera flash went off, Kim Rok Soo shifted to stand up. But the Whales siblings stopped him.
"One more," Paseton said.
Kim Rok Soo begrudgingly sat back down for another take.
"President Lee, what a bright smile you have!" Witira commented as she looked at Lee Soo Hyuk, who was still standing in position, but with a much brighter smile this time. She then turned her attention to the seated student. "Kim Rok Soo, please smile once more for the camera."
Thus, Kim Rok Soo endured the session once again.
When the photo shoot was finally over, Kim Rok Soo quickly stood up, preparing to leave. He turned to Lee Soo Hyuk and nodded politely.
But before he could leave, he heard the President's voice speak to him.
"See you again, Rok Soo," the President said gently, giving him a warm smile.
Kim Rok Soo politely nodded again and dashed off, walking away from the courtyard as quickly as possible.
'I don't want to see you again', Kim Rok Soo thought.
Any normal student would not want to meet the President of the Student Council. His presence usually meant they were in trouble, or there was a misconduct that needed to be rectified, or a warning coming their way. It was never good news. He was a harbinger of bad luck.
Like everyone else, Kim Rok Soo did not want to see him frequently and wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.