CHAPTER 5

The Table Between Them

"...Sit."

That was all Pond said before pulling out a chair.

However...

Instead of sitting together...

The Four Kings occupied the table near the window.

The four juniors quietly chose the table right beside them.

Only a narrow aisle separated the two groups.

Somehow...

That tiny distance felt impossible to cross.

...

Santa slowly lowered himself into his chair.

Only after the four seniors had settled down did he finally let out the breath he had been holding.

"...Why does it feel like I just escaped an interview?"

Boom quickly whispered,

"Lower your voice."

Santa immediately covered his mouth.

"Oh..."

Dunk couldn't help smiling.

"I've never seen you this quiet."

Santa leaned closer.

"Wouldn't you be nervous too?"

"They're sitting right there."

He discreetly pointed toward the neighboring table.

Without turning his head...

Everyone knew exactly who he meant.

The Four Kings.

...

At the other table...

Joong casually rested his chin on his hand.

Without looking over, he spoke softly,

"I think the cheerful one is afraid of us."

Pond picked up his coffee.

"He should be."

Joong laughed.

"You really don't know how to comfort people."

"I wasn't trying to."

Aou calmly unfolded his napkin.

"They're juniors."

"Don't make things difficult for them."

Perth remained silent, but his gaze briefly drifted toward the neighboring table before returning to his meal.

No one noticed.

Except Joong.

His lips curved ever so slightly.

...

Meanwhile...

Boom kept stealing nervous glances toward the seniors.

"...Do you think they're always this quiet?"

Dunk answered honestly.

"I've never seen them laughing."

Santa dramatically whispered,

"Maybe smiling is against their department rules."

Boom almost laughed but immediately covered his mouth.

"Don't let them hear."

Phuwin, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke.

"They're not as scary as everyone says."

The other three turned toward him at once.

Santa blinked.

"...Really?"

Phuwin nodded.

"They're just..."

He searched for the right word.

"...distant."

"They don't bother anyone unless someone bothers them first."

Boom thought back to yesterday.

"...Senior Perth caught you before you fell."

"He could've ignored you."

Santa slowly nodded.

"...That's true."

Dunk added,

"And Senior Aou apologized for taking the table."

"They weren't rude."

"They're just..."

"Cold."

The four fell silent.

...

At the neighboring table...

Joong quietly chuckled.

"They're analyzing us."

Pond didn't even bother looking up.

"Bored already?"

"A little."

Perth calmly continued eating.

Aou simply said,

"Ignore it."

...

Just then...

A loud voice echoed through the cafeteria.

"So this is where the famous Kings are."

Several students turned around.

Three senior students walked confidently toward the Four Kings.

Their expressions were filled with arrogance.

One of them smirked.

"I heard Mechanical Engineering thinks they're the best."

The cafeteria became completely silent.

Boom instinctively looked toward Phuwin.

Santa whispered,

"...This doesn't look good."

The arrogant senior crossed his arms.

"How about proving it?"

For several seconds...

No one answered.

Pond slowly placed his glass on the table.

His movements were calm.

Almost lazy.

He raised his eyes.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

His voice was low.

"If you're looking for attention..."

"...you're at the wrong table."

The senior's smile disappeared.

"You think you're better than everyone?"

Joong casually smiled.

"No."

A pause.

"We know we are."

The cafeteria erupted into quiet gasps.

Boom's eyes widened.

"...He's so confident."

Santa whispered,

"...Or crazy."

The senior slammed his hand onto the table.

Before anyone could react...

Aou finally looked at him.

No anger.

No shouting.

Just one calm sentence.

"This is the cafeteria."

"If you want to embarrass yourself..."

"Do it somewhere else."

For some reason...

The senior's confidence immediately wavered.

Even the professors watching from afar didn't interfere.

Almost as if...

They already knew how this would end.

After a few tense seconds...

The senior clicked his tongue and walked away.

His friends quickly followed.

Silence returned.

Santa stared in disbelief.

"...That's it?"

"They left?"

Dunk nodded slowly.

"They didn't even fight."

Phuwin's eyes remained on the four seniors.

Especially Aou.

He had ended the confrontation without raising his voice.

Boom quietly murmured,

"...They're strange."

"Everyone's afraid of them..."

"...but they didn't even touch those guys."

At the neighboring table...

The Four Kings stood up.

Aou adjusted his watch.

"Let's go."

Perth picked up the tray.

Joong stretched lazily.

Pond slipped one hand into his pocket.

As they walked past the juniors...

A sudden gust of wind swept through the open cafeteria.

Boom's notebook slid off the table.

Before it hit the floor...

A hand caught it effortlessly.

Boom froze.

Pond glanced at the notebook for a brief second before placing it gently back on the table.

"...Don't leave your things near the edge."

Then...

He walked away without another word.

Boom stared blankly at the notebook.

"..."

Santa slowly leaned toward him.

"...Did..."

"...Senior Pond just help you?"

Boom nodded absentmindedly.

"I..."

"I think so."

From several steps ahead...

Pond continued walking as if nothing had happened.

Joong looked sideways with an amused smile.

"You've become quite considerate."

Pond frowned.

"It would've annoyed me if it fell."

"...That's all."

Joong's smile grew wider.

He didn't believe him.

Not even a little.

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