“Phew. I thought something serious happened.”

I shuddered as I recalled Choi Yu-han after returning home.

“Why did he suddenly act like that there?”

He must really have a grudge against the Three Musketeers.

Seeing how he keeps appearing and blocking my path, there must be some hidden story. My reincarnator’s instinct screamed that.

‘I’ll have to be careful in the future.’

Choi Yu-han’s eyes from when I last saw him flashed in my mind again.

A face without a hint of smile.

‘That’s one hundred percent the expression of someone with a backstory.’

It seemed like Choi Yu-han was also entangled in the ‘Three Musketeers’ past’.

Come to think of it, didn’t the system refuse to tell me last time, saying it was a spoiler or something?

‘There must be something hidden there.’

And that is most likely related to my happy ending plan.

The Three Musketeers’ past…

‘I need to find out what happened.’

I decided to first go over what Choi Yu-han had said.

First, what he said today.

〈The one who really can’t use his hand is someone other than you.〉

What Seon Woo-jin reacted to wasn’t the words directly attacking him, but these words mentioning someone else.

‘Does that mean there’s another person who injured their hand?’

I don’t know the details, but Seon Woo-jin definitely said he injured his hand in an accident.

Then did that person get into the same accident? Or was it a separate incident and someone coincidentally injured the same body part?

‘Either way, there’s definitely a hidden ‘someone’.’

Then who could that be?

To figure this out, I need to recall Choi Yu-han and Ban Ha-min’s conversation during the infirmary assault incident last time.

〈Don’t tell me… you know Hae-yul?〉

At that time, Ban Ha-min definitely said that.

If I assume the ‘Hae-yul’ mentioned here is the same person as the ‘kid other than Seon Woo-jin who injured his hand’ that Choi Yu-han mentioned today… would that be a stretch?

‘No matter how special the Three Musketeers are, there can’t be two special people from their past.’

In original works, it’s most effective to dump the narrative on one person.

I’m most likely correct in my guess.

‘Then it would be good to investigate the Three Musketeers’ past centered around the person named ‘Hae-yul’.’

I came to a conclusion.

But who should I ask…?

The next day.

As soon as I arrived at school in the morning, I went to find Short Hair.

“You want me to talk about the Three Musketeers…?”

I nodded.

The reason I chose Short Hair as my informant was simple.

Among the people I knew, Short Hair had the tightest lips.

However, contrary to my expectation that she would eagerly start chattering, Short Hair looked at me with guarded eyes.

“Why all of a sudden? Don’t you know them better, Ju-eun?”

No, you probably know more than me…

Honestly, no matter how close I get to the Three Musketeers, I’m not confident I know more details than Short Hair. I don’t underestimate the abilities of the Three Musketeers fan club.

But that’s not what I’m trying to say right now.

“There’s something I’m curious about regarding the Three Musketeers’ past.”

At my words, Short Hair showed signs of being startled.

‘Why is she reacting like that?’

I pretended not to notice and calmly continued.

“I didn’t attend middle school around here. So I don’t know how they used to be in the past, and I suddenly got curious.”

Wait, is it correct that I didn’t live here when I was in middle school? I didn’t check.

Fortunately, Short Hair didn’t seem suspicious.

“Ah, if it’s something like that… What are you curious about?”

I immediately brought up the main point.

“Do you know someone named Hae-yul?”

Then Short Hair was visibly surprised and raised her index finger to her mouth.

“Hey! What if someone hears you say that name out loud?”

“…Huh?”

I don’t know what it is, but seeing Short Hair’s reaction, it seems I chose correctly.

Short Hair looked around at other people and lowered her voice.

“Where did you hear that name?”

I pondered for a moment.

“Just in passing?”

“What?”

Short Hair exaggeratedly scrunched up her face. It was an expression saying ‘That can’t be’.

“I don’t know what cheeky bastard said that, but you shouldn’t casually mention that name. Especially in front of the Three Musketeers.”

A person whose name shouldn’t be spoken. What is this, Voldemort?

I had a rough idea from when the Three Musketeers got angry, but he must really be a vicious person.

Now I’m curious.

“Just what kind of person is that Hae… Alright, I won’t say it, stop glaring. Anyway, what did that person do?”

Then Short Hair began explaining.

“You know the Three Musketeers used to be called by a different name, right?”

“…A different name?”

I asked back with an ominous feeling.

Short Hair solemnly nodded.

“That’s right… The Four Heavenly Kings of Jeil Middle School!”

I ended up hearing that name.

‘Oh my god, the Four Heavenly Kings appear here?’

That name was so classical it was trite, enough to drive me crazy.

‘So originally they weren’t the Three Musketeers but the Four Heavenly Kings?’

I thought it was strange there were only three… Looks like there was another ‘^_^’ role besides Ji Seung-hyun.

But where did the remaining one go? Did he transfer schools or something?

As I was thinking that, Short Hair opened her mouth.

“But now they’re the Three Musketeers. Because…”

A bleak voice said,

“The remaining one died.”

“…..”

Wait, he suddenly died?

I was flustered by the unexpected development. After struggling to find the right words, I finally spoke.

“How did he die?”

“Isn’t that too blunt of a question.”

Short Hair gestured for me to come closer. As I tilted my head, she whispered quietly in my ear.

“Actually, no one knows exactly what happened back then. Except for the Three Musketeers.”

Then is there a need to speak so secretively?

“What ordinary students know is… An accident happened to the Three Musketeers at that time, and all of them were badly injured because of that accident.”

Seon Woo-jin’s hand must have also been injured then, right?

But didn’t that Hae-yul kid also injure his hand? Why did he suddenly die?

As if answering my questions, Short Hair said,

“The one whose name cannot be spoken has not shown his face anywhere since that accident. The Three Musketeers also never mention him at all.”

“Then isn’t it possible he’s alive?”

“That’s true, but… The rumors say so. No one has known his whereabouts since then.”

In original works, if a body isn’t found, it’s the rule that they’re alive.

Just like how Seol Yu-bin was thought to be dead in the original but was actually alive.

“Anyway, that’s how the Four Heavenly Kings became the Three Musketeers. It’s a sad story.”

It’s a serious story but I keep getting distracted because of the Four Heavenly Kings…

Lastly, Short Hair spoke as if making a request.

“So never carelessly mention his name in front of the Three Musketeers. Got it?”

Unable to cry or laugh, I nodded.

Short Hair returned to her seat after finishing the story.

Left alone, I became lost in thought.

‘So that person named Hae-yul really existed…’

After hearing the hidden story, the vague image became a bit more concrete.

‘He was probably ^_^ so his personality must have been kind.’

Considering each of the Three Musketeers has a screw loose somewhere, ^_^ most likely wasn’t normal either… But still, he was probably the most decent one among them.

‘But is he really dead?’

It was very suspicious. As someone who was once a webnovel otaku, to put it bluntly, this type of character is definitely the mastermind.

I should probably look for some more information.

Directly asking the Three Musketeers is a bit much, is there no other way…

‘Come to think of it, how did Choi Yu-han know that name?’

Saying he’s a transfer student? How does he know what I don’t? Is it not much of a secret at Haeseong High School?

Well, that’s possible. They might be shushing it here out of consideration for the Three Musketeers, but maybe not at Haeseong High School.

Anyway, the conclusion is,

‘Choi Yu-han knows the Three Musketeers used to be the Four Heavenly Kings in the past, and he’s trying to use that to provoke the Three Musketeers.’

…was it.

The reason for provoking… I still don’t know well.

‘There are many reasons why Haeseong High School kids hate our school.’

But seeing how he squeezed out a name that’s almost taboo around here, his resolve doesn’t seem ordinary.

‘There will be big trouble if I just leave him.’

I made up my mind as I recalled Choi Yu-han’s face.

‘I’ll have to keep a close eye on him from now on.’

Whether I uncovered a secret of this world or not, time flowed and the earth turned.

Nothing really happened during that time.

‘Hmm, peaceful today as well.’

When Seol Yu-bin first left, I was tense day by day not knowing what would happen, but I got used to it as time passed.

‘Right, let’s live roughly. It won’t go my way anyway.’

Whatever happens, happens. That’s my mindset these days.

Like that, I peacefully finished classes today as well. It was time to go home now.

I changed into my outdoor shoes and went outside.

That’s when it happened.

‘What is it?’

I heard a commotion from the empty lot behind the school.

Empty lots have been sacred grounds for delinquents since long ago, a place where all ominous incidents begin.

‘Hmm, I sense the energy of another bad incident.’

But my reincarnator’s instinct was screaming at me to go to the empty lot.

‘…For real, for real, I’ll just go watch and come back this time. I absolutely won’t get involved.’

I approached where the sounds were coming from.

The empty lot.

A group of girls were gathered there.

They had cornered a girl against the wall and surrounded her in a circle. The atmosphere was unusual.

‘The scene of group bullying.’

I frowned.

Although I entered the human relationship world, this was the first time seeing bullying like this in person. Ah, excluding when I was attacked by the fan club.

‘Should I call a teacher?’

I don’t know how much I can trust the teachers of this world… but it’ll be better than nothing.

I turned around to head back to the faculty office.

“Hey, didn’t I nicely tell you to bring money, or not!”

At the sharp voice, I unconsciously turned my head.

The girl taking the lead in the bullying had a ponytail. It was an unfamiliar face. But seeing the color of her name tag, she seemed to be in the same grade as me.

And the girl being attacked was…

‘Huh?’

…Seol Yu-bin.