The next morning.

As soon as I entered the classroom, I could feel the students’ gazes following me.

Murmuring sounds. Sharp glances. They were all directed at one person.

Of course, the center of their attention was not me, but Ban Ha Min next to me.

“Kyaa, it’s been a while since Jjueuni was in our class.”

I heard words like “So cute!” and “Look over here!” from what seemed to be his fan club.

Ban Ha Min smiled and waved at them. The students screamed and made a fuss.

… What a mess.

I shook my head.

It was a sight that I really couldn’t get used to no matter how many times I saw it. Ban Ha Min and his devotees… I couldn’t understand at what point they became so enthusiastic. If that’s just how it is, I have nothing more to say.

Ban Ha Min came and sat next to me only after he finished his fan service.

“So why does Jjueuni need a bodyguard?”

You don’t need one…

When I didn’t even respond, Ban Ha Min looked around and whispered softly in my ear.

“Is someone in class bullying Jjueuni?”

No, they’re not.

And you’re too late to notice. You were nowhere to be seen when I was actually being bullied.

I opened my mouth to send Ban Ha Min back.

“I’m really fine, so go back to your class now.”

Then Ban Ha Min said with a serious face.

“I can’t do that. Ha Min is Jjueuni’s guardian angel.”

If you’re my guardian angel, please listen to what I say.

He was a guardian angel who was of no help at all.

‘Oh well, whatever. If I leave him alone, he’ll probably go on his own.’

I eventually gave up on sending Ban Ha Min away and sighed.

“So Jjueuna, you know, I saw this on TV yesterday…”

Ignoring Ban Ha Min chattering next to me, I rested my chin on my hand and became lost in thought.

‘Let’s think about how to deal with Seol Yu Hwa from now on.’

The female lead, Seol Yu Hwa. My neighbor, Seol Yu Hwa.

I just wanted to avoid her and go our separate ways, but her presence was too big for that.

‘I never expected to see gangsters.’

Isn’t this scale getting too big?

How was it in the original? Seol Yu Hwa using gangsters did appear, but school life was the main focus so it didn’t have a big role. That’s why I wasn’t paying much attention to it.

‘…I just hope I don’t get involved with her.’

From what I remember, in the original, Sung Ji Chan and Seol Yu Hwa’s first meeting was quite public.

Sung Ji Chan openly showed interest in Seol Yu Hwa, and the other students who saw it became jealous and bullied Seol Yu Hwa even more.

So if the two had already met, there’s no way I wouldn’t know about it.

Judging by the lack of news, it seemed the fateful first meeting of the main characters had not yet taken place.

‘…It’s probably better for me not to intervene here, right?’

Who knows how things might go wrong due to the butterfly effect if I hastily step in.

‘Yes, I should focus only on the villains as I initially decided.’

There will be plenty to do with just that.

At that moment, someone grabbed my shoulder and shook it.

“Ahh, Jjueuni! Are you listening to me now?”

Ban Ha Min’s words pulled me out of my thoughts.

When I turned my head, Ban Ha Min winked at me. It made me feel bad.

By the way, is this guy really not going back?

Looking at the clock, it was almost time for the morning assembly. Now we really needed to return to our respective classes. I clenched my fists tightly.

‘Alright. The homeroom teacher will be coming soon. Let’s endure a bit more.’

Not just any teacher, but surely the homeroom teacher will send him back, right?

No matter how much this is an inso world, school is still school. I had some hope that it would run sensibly except for ‘a few parts’.

But it didn’t take long for me to realize.

That in this world, the ‘Three Greats’ are always an exception.

“Oh my, isn’t it Ha Min?”

As soon as the homeroom teacher entered the classroom and spotted Ban Ha Min, she tilted her head.

“Class is about to start, so why is Ha Min still here?”

“Ha Min will be taking classes here today!”

When Ban Ha Min smiled brightly, exclamations like “So cute!” and “This is awesome!” burst out from the students. The teacher chuckled.

“Is that so? Then is Ha Min in our class today?”

Teacher. Why aren’t you kicking out a student from another class?

That’s right. I was the fool for expecting common sense from this darn school.

‘Dang it.’

Regardless of whether I was trembling with rage inside, the teacher, students, and Ban Ha Min chatted and laughed together.

“Yes, yes! Ha Min will be in Class 3 today!”

“Kyaa, now Ha Min is in our class!”

“Okay. Then listen well in class today.”

Amidst the warm atmosphere, I was the only one shaking with a sense of betrayal.

‘If I can’t go back to my original world, I’m definitely transferring schools.’

At the very least, it would be nice if Ban Ha Min wasn’t sitting next to me. It just so happened that my seatmate Yoo Hee Na – who became my seatmate after I started tutoring her – was absent from school today, so there was no one to kick this guy out.

Come to think of it, why didn’t Yoo Hee Na come to school? I should contact her later.

“Kya! Taking classes together with Jjueuni!”

Get lost!

I frantically shook off Ban Ha Min who tried to hug me.

Ban Ha Min seemed unaffected by this level now and just laughed happily.

‘I want to go home…’

And so began a day with Ban Ha Min.

Ban Ha Min really sat next to me the entire class.

He didn’t just sit still but actively participated in class. How, you ask? He voluntarily asked questions to the teacher first and gave presentations. I had no idea he was someone who studied so diligently in class. It was a refreshing shock.

‘A guy who studies hard doesn’t care about attendance?’

I narrowed my eyes and glared at Ban Ha Min, nitpicking for no reason. Of course, Ban Ha Min was unfazed.

Time passed like that and soon it was break time.

‘…Is he really going to stay here?’

I looked at Ban Ha Min chatting with his fan club with dead eyes.

Let’s be generous and accept that this guy is my bodyguard. But does he need to take classes with me too?

What I wanted was someone who could save me when I encountered unexpected disasters like guys from Haeseong High School or Seol Yu Hwa’s subordinates, not someone who would be with me at school for my every move.

‘If you go back now, I’ll even bow to you, seriously.’

But unfortunately, there were no signs of that happening with Ban Ha Min.

In the end, I had no choice but to speak first.

“Hey, I’m really grateful that you’re worried about me, but the bodyguard thing was really a joke. Sung Ji Chan was just messing around. So you can go back to your class now.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Even though I did say I needed a bodyguard, that was just in case of ‘something that might happen’, not because a real crisis had occurred.

Ban Ha Min tilted his head.

“Huh? But Chanichani doesn’t joke around like that?”

“That’s why I’m telling you it was a joke. Sung Ji Chan only said that because he believed my words.”

I sighed.

“Anyway, I’m really fine so go now. You need to take classes in your own class too.”

“My class? Hmm…”

Ban Ha Min nodded and then seemed to be lost in thought with a serious face for a moment.

‘Did he finally understand what I’m saying?’

I felt strangely touched. Then Ban Ha Min opened his mouth.

“You know, Jjueuna. Can I tell you an old story?”

What is he trying to say all of a sudden?

I felt uneasy but carefully nodded for now.

Then Ban Ha Min closed his eyes for a moment, opened them, and suddenly started speaking with a sad-looking smile, controlling his emotions.

“Once upon a time… there was a child… That child had… a very kind and amazing friend…”

What is this now?

I was puzzled by Ban Ha Min, whose mood suddenly changed on his own.

Ban Ha Min determinedly continued.

“But their friendship… ended… Because… when the friend got hurt… that child couldn’t be there for them…”

I’m sorry to say this when you’re being serious but… this really sounds like an inso story.

I briefly pondered whether calling an inso character inso-like would be an insult or a compliment.

“So… that child made a decision… to never let go of a friend again… to protect the friend no matter what happens next time…”

And so ended Ban Ha Min’s tearful past confession time. Ban Ha Min wiped the slight tears welling up in his eyes with his sleeve and smiled brightly as if he had never cried.

“Hehe. So I’ll protect Jjueuni too! Because Ha Min is Jjueuni’s guardian angel!”

No, that’s why I said I don’t need a guardian angel.

I felt like I was going to die from frustration.

Well… anyway, it was a touching story. Kind of impressive too.

Surely the ‘child’ in that story is Ban Ha Min himself. I was a bit surprised that Ban Ha Min, who is always smiling, had such a narrative.

‘But could that have been about ‘Jin Hae Yul’ just now?’

How many past friends could Ban Ha Min have that he couldn’t protect and has a painful history with?

Even for Ban Ha Min, such a friend wouldn’t be common. So it was most likely Jin Hae Yul.

‘I didn’t expect him to talk about it himself.’

Since it seemed to be a sensitive matter, I didn’t expect to be able to hear about it directly from one of the Three Greats.

But seeing him talk about it now, I thought I might be able to find out more if I approached it well.

‘Let’s try probing.’

I opened my mouth to hear more details about Ban Ha Min’s story.

“Hey, about what you said earlier, is it Jin…”

At that moment, someone forcefully pushed open the back door of the classroom and shouted.

“Hey! There’s a fight in the girls’ bathroom!”