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Zhang Hao is evil. 

From a young age, he enjoyed pulling pranks, lying, stealing, and devising elaborate schemes for world domination. One of his malevolence plans as a twelve-year-old involved kidnapping the president. However, his parents didn't allow him to execute this stunt because he was still too young. 

Whatever, Hao will carry out this abduction later in his villainous career. 

Still, his parents couldn't be prouder that their son has become just like them, eager to break the rules of the world. While his father is a con artist who tricks money from random billionaires, his mother likes to rob banks on occasion. Though Hao could easily follow in their footsteps and learn from them, he aspires to something greater. More evil.

That's why his parents have decided it’s best to enroll him in the School of Evil. A high school for teenagers whose ambition is to become villains. The perfect school for Zhang Hao.

It’s no surprise that he is one of the top students in his year. Always excelling in his classes, Hao submits assignments that astonish his teachers with his remarkable talent for mischief and do exceptional on bad projects. One of his projects caused the school's roof to explode during his first year. He got an A+. His parents threw a party for him that night. 

Zhang Hao is also quite popular. While some students seek to befriend him or team up with him for their own selfish reasons, others attempt to destroy him. Yet, Hao is always one step ahead, prepared for any challenge.

What he wasn't prepared for was falling in love.

He, Zhang Hao, the future greatest villain, has some silly romantic feelings for a classmate. Disgusting, he knows. 

And yet, Sung Hanbin is the only person he would not harm. In fact, he would kill for him.

They have been dating for a year. Hao finds their meeting to be very romantic, a true fairy tale story.

In his second year of school, Hao tested out his latest weapon, the Slim-inator. It wasn’t even for a class; he had created it out of sheer boredom during his free time. However, he needed a victim to test it on, and as if by fate, Hanbin walked down the hallway at that very moment. Hao knew exactly what he needed to do.

Aiming the weapon at the unsuspecting boy, Hao fired and hit Hanbin square in the chest. Green, sticky slime erupted from the device, rapidly spreading over Hanbin's entire body, covering him completely.

Excited, Hao sprinted over to his immobilized victim. “It worked!” 

At that moment, Hanbin looked up, his cheek and hair smeared with slime. Despite the mess, Hao couldn't help but notice Hanbin's long eyelashes fluttering in bewilderment. “Did you do this?”

Hao nodded proudly. “Yes! Try to move.” 

Hanbin attempted to move, but with a gleeful grin, Hao noticed that the boy couldn’t move any of his limbs, trapped in the walking position as he got hammered with the slime. Hao got the results he wanted, the slime was not just ugly, but its main purpose was to freeze the body for several minutes until the slime slid down. The boy looked uncomfortable as he realized that he was unable to move. 

“Don’t worry, the reaction will only last a couple of minutes. It should stop soon.” Hao took out his notebook, scribbling down his observations. “What is your name?”

“Uhm, Sung Hanbin.” 

Hao wrote the name under ‘ test person’ just to have his protocol accurate. “Do you feel icky? Or have any burning sensations?” 

Hanbin took a moment to think. “Not really. It just feels gross. Oh, and the smell is very chemical, maybe you could change that. And you could make the color more pretty, maybe purple.” 

Very important points for Hao for future improvements. “Thank you very much for your feedback. You are surprisingly very cooperative.” Suddenly, Hao looks up, adjusting his glasses. “By the way, why are you actually not… mad? I just slimed you.” 

Hanbin probably tried to shrug, but the slime restricted him. “I mean, I’m just happy I could help you out. Making new inventions isn’t easy if you don't have someone to test them on."

Hao clapped his hands together, the notebook slipping to the floor and a smile spread across his face. "Right? Finding someone is always so hard! Last time when I sprayed someone with my shrinking potion, they got really angry. But well, since they were small, they couldn't do much damage. But you, you're so understanding!"

At that, Hanbin smiled at Hao for the first time, and oh . Something stirred in Hao’s heart. Since when did a smile look so pretty?

“If you need help, I’m here for you,” Hanbin said. 

From that moment on, Hao was a goner.

It took only a month before Hao declared his feelings toward Hanbin under a dying cherry blossom tree. Luckily, Hanbin felt the same way, and Hao discreetly tucked the love potion back into his pocket, relieved he didn't need it, before hugging his boyfriend.

Boyfriend, huh.

Even after a year, Hao's cousin Ricky still couldn't wrap his mind around how Hao and Hanbin ended up together and are still together. Very happy together, actually. Ricky still doesn't believe it and is convinced that Hao must have used the love potion.

In fact, Hao himself is a bit surprised at how well the two of them work together and how compatible they are.

Zhang Hao is the best student in school and is destined to be the best villain. Nothing can stop him from his goal. Of course, he also needs a strong partner by his side.

The thing is... well, Sun Hanbin is a bad villain. And no, don’t misunderstand, he's actually a terrible villain! 

Sure, Hanbin is clever and intelligent, he has enough skills and good tactics to pull off something evil. 

But Hanbin... is too nice. Too good. 

And it frustrates Hao so much! 

One time Hao took revenge on their classmate, who had stolen Hao’s fancy lip gloss. She needed to be taught a lesson, so Hao gave her a potion that turned her teeth bad. And what did Hanbin do when he found out and saw her giant yellow teeth? Hanbin comforted her! Assured that she still looked very lovely! 

And the worst part was how Hanbin looked at Hao with a disapproving pout and refused to speak to him for the entire day. The potion only lasted for two hours! And as if the loss of Hao's lip gloss wasn't also Hanbin's loss, there was no cherry taste when kissing!

But even if Hanbin is nice, it’s okay. Hao still likes him. His parents are somewhat baffled by his choice, but hey, he could still turn Hanbin evil. And even if it doesn’t work, Hanbin remains pretty, lovely, handsome, charming, glorious- 

“You got the oogly googly Hanbin look in your eyes again.” 

Hao turns to see Ricky making a disgusted face. 

“Shut up, redhead.” 

Ricky defensively grabs his hair. “It looks cool! Jiwoong-hyung said so too.” 

Hao would never admit that Ricky could rock any hair color effortlessly, so he teases his younger cousin instead. He packs up his bag, ready to leave Ricky behind, but the latter has fast legs to catch him. Hao stays at Ricky’s house since his own home is too far away from school. They always take the bus to school together before heading to their respective classes. 

Ricky immediately goes to his friends, Gyuvin and Matthew, who are theoretically Hao's friends as well. But as a tough villain, he can't call them friends, that would show weakness! Despite this, Hao exchanges a few words with them before they part ways, each going to their first class of the day.

‘Crazy Inventions ’ is the name of his first class and it’s Hao’s favorite class by far. Introduced only in their final year, the class allows them to design their weapons with guidance from the teachers. Today, they need to present their first project. Hao can’t wait to show his work to the class.

As usual, Hanbin is already in his seat, punctual as ever, and chatting with his seatmate, Jaehyun. Hao’s face sours, but he softens and waves when Hanbin flashes him a dazzling smile. Sometimes, Hao fantasizes about turning Jaehyun into a troll, but he is friends with his Hanbin, so Hao can’t be too mean to him. However, if Jaehyun ever hurt Hanbin, he would go back to his original plan in a flash. Trolls are important members of society and there's always a need for more.

Saddened that he can’t sit next to his boyfriend in this class, Hao reluctantly takes place beside Jiwoong, dropping into the chair with a scowl. 

“Nice to see you too, Hao,” Jiwoong greets him. “Ready for class?”

“I was born ready,” Hao replies. “What did you bring today?” 

“I was too lazy and just brought my existing ugly-maker. This teacher doesn’t know anything about it.”

Hao made Jiwoong swear a blood oath to never use the ugly-maker on him or Hanbin. About the rest, he doesn’t care. Gyuvin can get an ugly nose, he deserves it. But Hao can’t afford to be ugly, he wants to be a beautiful villain. The world already has enough unattractive villains, and it needs a change.

And Hanbin can’t turn ugly because Hao enjoys looking at him too much. Even if Hanbin gets a little ugly, Hao would still love his boyfriend, he’s not a monster . But losing Hanbin’s dimples and long eyelashes would be a tragedy for the entire universe, and Hao simply can’t let that happen.

After the teacher enters the classroom with his large black hat, he turns it over and his cat comes out. The cat promptly settles on the teacher's desk and with that, the class begins, and so do the presentations. Some students have lousy projects, while others do kind of okay. Hao holds back his laughter when Jiwoong tests his ugly-maker on the teacher's cat, who becomes hideous. Although the teacher is not amused, it proves the effectiveness of Jiwoong's maker.

As expected, the teacher is impressed with Hao's weapon, and Hao can feel the envious stares of his classmates. Except for Hanbin, who beams with pride and smiles broadly, making Hao feel even better.

And then it’s Hanbin’s turn. The teacher stands in front of his boyfriend’s desk, eyeing the small… watering can. "Sung Hanbin, what is your creation?"

Hanbin squirms a little and Hao wants to throw Jaehyun out of the seat so he can sit next to his boyfriend and squeeze his hand. "I made a watering can that changes the color of flowers."

The teacher pauses. The class waits. Then the teacher makes an oh face. "I see, so the flowers will die and the owner will have dead flowers all over the place! I must admit, that’s a bit maddening."

"No, the flowers wouldn't die. They would just change their natural color."

The teacher furrows his eyebrows. "But... why change the color? Where is the evil part?"

"If the owner bought pink roses, they would be very upset if they turned orange from the watering can. That is evil." Hanbin laughs nervously. "Right?"

Hao senses the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room and wishes he had brought his explosion bomb to use at this moment and save Hanbin from the teacher’s incredulous gaze. 

"Sung Hanbin.” The teacher sighs, sounding disappointed but not surprised because, well, this is Hanbin who is just not evil. “I suggest you step up and put in more effort. As it stands, you will not pass the year and therefore will not graduate.”

Hanbin’s shoulders sink and Hao's eyes grow. 

Hao has already planned the next twenty years with Hanbin: their home, their pet, their evil schemes, and their nightly laughter over a cup of tea as they celebrate their successful missions. If Hanbin doesn’t graduate, Hao will be left alone, and this cannot happen. 

He needs Hanbin by his side. For that, Hanbin must graduate. Hanbin needs to finally start being evil. 

-

“I can’t imagine Hanbin-Hyung as evil.” Matthew knits his eyebrows together in deep concentration. “He was always kind.” 

Hearing this from Hanbin’s childhood friend gives Hao a bigger headache. 

“It’s bizarre he turned out like… that, considering his parents are famous villains,” Gunwook comments. “It’s weird.” 

“Don’t call my boyfriend weird,” Hao tells him off, though he secretly agrees. How can Hanbin be so innocent when his parents are notorious villains, celebrated by many bad people? A younger student even asked Hanbin for an autograph.

“Maybe he’s vicious in secret but puts on a good-guy act,” Ricky throws in. “That way, everyone he meets will underestimate his true powers.”

“Hey, this is my plan!” Gunwook declares who calls himself a manipulator. He aims for an important government position by pretending to be a good person while actually having malicious intentions and blablabla. It's all too much work for Hao, he prefers the straightforward way of openly saying he is evil.

“No, Hanbin isn’t faking it.” Hao’s sure of it. He thought so too in the early months of their relationship, but when he saw Hanbin crying over a documentary of an injured pigeon, his theory was completely shattered. 

“Then how are you going to make him evil?” Matthew asks and uff, Hao would also love the answer to this question. In the beginning, he found it strange that Hanbin was genuinely good, yet he still loves his boyfriend despite his faults for not being evil.

He doesn’t admit it most of the time, but he likes how sweet and nice Hanbin is to him, Hanbin's presence keeps him grounded. Who would have thought love could make Hao so soft one day?

“I need to think about it.” Hao would rather spend his time helping his mother plan the next bank raid, but he needs to prioritize what’s more urgent. And Hao is not Hao if he doesn’t come up with a brilliant idea to turn Hanbin to the dark side. 

“Hello guys!” The cheery voice makes Hao’s headache worsen as Gyuvin and Taerae come to their lunch table. Hao wants to roll his eyes, but then he sees Hanbin with them. Instantly, he pushes Gunwook aside, who lets out a shriek as he falls down, so that Hanbin can sit next to him. 

“Hao, you didn't have to push Gunwook.” Hanbin still takes the seat beside Hao. 

Gunwook glares at Hao while settling next to Matthew. “Yeah, you could’ve just asked.” 

Ignoring him, Hao leans over to kiss Hanbin on the cheek. “I missed you.” 

“You just saw him two hours ago,” Jiwoong says, who has also arrived at the table with Yujin. Hao ignores him as well. 

Hanbin intertwines their hands under the table. “You didn’t start eating?” 

Matthew shakes his head. “We waited for you guys. And we were just discussing how to turn you ev-”

Hao grabs an orange and throws it at Matthew, who unfortunately catches it. “Anyway, we should hang out after school.” 

“I’m in,” Gyuvin chimes in. 

Hao gives him a look. “I meant that to Hanbin. Only him.” 

“Yes, we should,” Hanbin agrees easily and Hao’s heart picks up on speed. “But my parents are having a party at home today, we don’t have the house to ourselves.” 

“No problem, you can come over to my house.” 

“But it’s my house,” Ricky mumbles, and Hao also ignores him. Screw them all. 

When they are alone, Hao can talk to Hanbin about the whole evil stuff. Even as a villain, Hao values open communication and doesn’t want to do anything behind Hanbin’s back. They will talk about it - hopefully after a good make-out session.

They start to eat and chat, Hanbin and Hao keep their hands locked together and feed each other. The others have grown used to it and have no right to complain or else Hao will turn them into cockroaches. 

"Also guys, I made a weapon that can make heads explode!" Matthew exclaims excitedly while chewing on his bread.

"Woah, Matthew. Too dark." Ricky makes a judging face. 

Jiwoong agrees. "Yeah, we are villains, not murderers."

Matthew deflates. "Sorry guys, I'll get rid of the weapon."

"Can I have it?"

Everyone turns to Yujin, who just stares back blankly. 

Taerae frowns. "Why do you need it?"

Yujin shrugs. "There’s someone suitable for the weapon. So I want to use it."

Matthew hums thoughtfully. "I see your point. Fine, I’ll give it to you-"

"No!" The collective shout startles Matthew. Gyuvin looks particularly frightened, probably thinking he is the one Yujin wants to use the weapon on. Hao would do it in Yujin’s position.

Yujin pouts at the rejection.

Hao is absolutely certain that Yujin would be an awesome villain, maybe one of the best.

After Hao, of course.

-

The make-out session was indeed good and Hao would love to continue kissing Hanbin's lips, which are turning pink and swollen, but he has a job to do. Even if he only wanted to kiss Hanbin for five minutes, it turned into half an hour and if they continued now, it wouldn't end soon. 

That’s why Hao slowly pushes himself away from Hanbin. His boyfriend instinctively chases his lips but stops when he realizes Hao is out of reach. 

Hanbin opens his eyes. “Everything alright?” 

Hao nods. Then shakes his head. At that, Hanbin sits up cross-legged on the bed beside him.

“What’s wrong?” Hanbin asks with concern and this is also something Hao appreciates about him. 

“Binnie, today in class… your flower invention.” 

Hanbin lets out a deep sigh. “I know, it was terrible. I thought it would be enough to pass but apparently not.” 

"I'm worried you won't be able to graduate like that."

“I made it through the last two years, it will be okay. Maybe not with top grades, but I can still make it.” 

Hao isn’t sure about that. The truth is that Hanbin has made it through the last two years because he always passes the theory exams, making good use of his knowledge of villain history and potion recipes. But this final year focuses heavily on practical skills, requiring students to demonstrate what they've learned and what they can create. So far, Hanbin's ideas and inventions have been too tame.

“It won’t be enough. You need to do... more. More like the rest of us."

"What?" Hanbin frowns, a wrinkle sets on his forehead. "I don't want to be mean."

"Baobei, you don’t have to be mean. Just a... little bit evil."

"But I don’t want to."

"But you need to. This is the School of Evil." 

"You know I'm here because of my parents. But this was never the school I wanted to go to."

Frustrated, Hao grabs his own hair, ready to pull it out. Maybe he should borrow Ricky's baldometer and just let his hair fall out. "But you are here and you can't refuse to do something bad. You need to do something, or else you won't graduate. We're in our final year, just give yourself a push. It’s not hard."

Hanbin turns away from him. "It's not easy for me."

Oh no, this conversation isn't going the way Hao hoped. When Hanbin won't even look at him, it doesn’t go well at all. 

To save it, Hao gives Hanbin a back hug, pressing his cheek against Hanbin’s. To his relief, Hanbin doesn't pull away and leans into the embrace just a little.

“Hanbin, I just want the best for you. I want us to graduate together and build a future.” 

Hanbin exhales heavily, closing his eyes. “I know.”

“Let me help you. In being evil.”

Hao can see Hanbin hesitating to answer. Although Hanbin is usually okay with Hao's crazy plans, he never wants to be a part of them, being content to watch Hao.

“Fine. But only a little evil.” 

Hao's face lights up with a grin. “Don’t worry your pretty head. I’ll take care of everything. It's going to be so much fun!” 

-

It’s not fun. 

Hao loves being evil, but with Hanbin, it’s no fun at all. 

Because Hanbin, argh, he is too nice!

Their first plan is very simple. Hao makes a potion that gives the drinker a squeaky voice and hands it to Hanbin in a bottle. Hanbin’s mission is to give the bottle to someone of his choice, pulling off the prank so that everyone believes he is the one who did the potion. A silly, harmless thing for the start. 

Everything went fine. Hanbin targets Sohee, fabricating a story about receiving an extra drink from a vending machine. Normally, nobody would accept a random bottle at the School of Evil. But since it’s Hanbin, Sohee thanks him and trustingly takes it.

Hao holds his breath as he watches Sohee open the bottle, about to take a sip.

So why did Hanbin suddenly snatch the bottle back and chug the entire drink himself? 

Sohee gives him a perplexed look, but Hanbin just smiles and dashes away.

Hao waits for him with arms crossed and Hanbin tries to explain how he couldn’t bring himself to humiliate a friend. However, speaking in a squeaky, high-pitched voice, it’s very hard to take Hanbin seriously. It’s also hard for Hao to stay mad when Hanbin sounds so adorable, reminding Hao of a cute mouse.

The second time is not better, however. 

They borrow (read: Hao steals) Yujin’s killer robot. Why Yujin created a robot designed to kill, Hao doesn’t question. He tells Hanbin to give the robot an instruction to eliminate a cockroach in the school bathroom. Someone enlarged this cockroach and ever since, it has been blocking the toilet. So, Hanbin would be doing everyone a favor by killing the monster cockroach. 

They first need to remove the instruction ‘Object to kill: Kim Gyuvin’ from the robot’s programming and Hao ponders if he should warn Gyuvin but decides against it. Not his problem. 

“So, you just need to write in who to kill,” Hao explains to Hanbin, who looks unconvinced. 

“Is it necessary?” 

Hao rolls his eyes before caressing Hanbin’s cheek fondly. “Yes, the cockroach is a disturbance to our school and you would do something evil with that.” 

“But is this not too much? I’m killing someone.”

“It’s a monster cockroach. It deserves it.” 

Hanbin grimaces but still kneels before the small robot to type in the instruction. Meanwhile, Hao takes the opportunity to apply his new lip gloss, still cherry-flavored but now with more shimmer. When Hanbin stands up, Hao plants a kiss on him, satisfied to see some of the gloss shimmering on Hanbin’s lips.

But Hanbin is too nervous to kiss him back or comment on it. “Okay, I did it. And started it.” 

The robot begins to move and since they are already on the right floor, the bathroom isn't far away. Hao and Hanbin stay behind to see how the robot will do. Hao is curious how the kill will be executed, eager to report the details to Yujin once the younger one calms down from their short borrowing. 

The robot approaches the toilet stall where the monster is hiding and slams the door open with force. Excitedly, Hao holds Hanbin’s arms.

“Oh, the robot has some power!”

The robot picks up the monster cockroach, which squeals and flails its long limbs in an attempt to escape. Hao waits for a dramatic finish, expecting the robot to slam the cockroach down or do something drastic. However, what happens next leaves him confused. The robot, still clutching the cockroach, heads towards the bathroom exit.

“Where is it going?” Hao follows the robot, quickening his pace. “Do we have a torture room or what?” 

Hanbin shivers at the thought. “It doesn’t go there.” 

The robot goes out to the garden maintained by the teacher, who keeps his monstrous creatures in this area. Hao doesn’t step inside, already spotting a snake ready to bite his ankle if he walks in any further. The robot releases the cockroach onto the grass. Even the cockroach is bewildered, as Hao can see from its ugly face. 

The robot returns to them, halting before Hanbin. 

“Mission accomplished!” It beeps and Hanbin gives it a thumbs up. 

“Well done.” 

“Wait a damn minute.” Hao crouches in front of the robot, examines its screen and then sees it. ‘Place the bathroom cockroach in a safe area’ .

Hanbin laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Why kill it if we can just remove it from the bathroom?” 

Hao tries his best to speak as calmly as possible. “This was not the goal! Hanbin, this is not evil what you did! Oh, it was even kind and you know, you can’t afford to be nice now! We should have killed it!” 

Hanbin apologizes with a few kisses and because Hao is weak, it works. 

But their third mission is the worst.

For this mission, they need Taerae because he is a little (“hey!” Taerae complains) hacker, who knows the password to their history teacher's office. Once Taerae cracks the code, the trio sneaks into the messy office, books scattered all over the floor.

“You got some guts stealing the teacher’s manuscript,” Taerae whistles, closing the door behind him. “Especially if you're planning to pin it on the blackboard.” 

A few weeks earlier, Hao wanted to steal the answer sheet for the upcoming history test from his teacher's office. Not because he needed it- he already knew all the answers- but to prove to his classmate Karina that he could do it. Coincidentally, he stumbled across some weird stapled documents that seemed out of place in the chaotic office. With a quick glance, Hao got the gist of what he was looking at. 

It’s a draft of a romance novel between a hero and a villain, written by their history teacher. Hao stored this information in his brain and waited until the perfect moment to use it. And now, that moment has come.

Hao is a little shit, he knows. That’s why he's plotting to steal a few pages of their teacher's draft and pin them on the school blackboard for everyone to read the romance story. The writing style could be better, but who is he to tell? He's not the wannabe author. 

“We can’t do that,” Hanbin hisses at Hao. When Hao first told him the plan, Hanbin seemed to be on the verge of collapse. “We can’t just steal from a teacher!" 

“It’s just a romance novel.” Not even an original one. 

“It’s still not okay!” Hanbin insists. 

Hao leans closer to his boyfriend. “Hanbinnn,” he slurs the word, intentionally sounding whiny. Taerae behind them makes a face as he is about to vomit. “It’s not a big deal, just a silly little thing. The teacher might get embarrassed, people will have a few laughs, but nothing more will happen. You won't ruin a career, just show some evilness. Trust me, okay?” 

Hanbin usually trusts Hao, but now he's biting his lip. “But we would still be stealing..."

“That’s right, but let’s make a deal. We'll take the pages, and you can apologize to the teacher later. Does that sound good?” 

Hao notices a wave of relief wash over Hanbin as he nods. He knows his boyfriend would explode if he couldn't apologize a thousand times after doing something not acceptable . Hanbin is the type of person who says sorry even when someone else bumps into him. 

Moreover, Hao is sure that the teacher will actually be impressed when Hanbin tells him. This would be the first time in Hanbin's school life that he's done something remotely bad . Most likely, the teacher would be too astonished to scold Hanbin and might just accept his apology with surprise. And this would make the rounds in the teachers' room and boom, Hanbin would have a new reputation for not being so nice anymore. 

Hao smiles to himself, this is going exactly the way he wants it to.

They steal several draft pages and hang them on the board just before midnight. Hao has to hug and kiss his boyfriend to calm him down before taking their buses home. Hao could hardly sleep, smiling at the thought of Hanbin's action.

Hanbin is finally evil and they will graduate together!

“Just so you know,” Taerae greets him the next day, approaching him with a sly smile. “Hanbin called me last night.” 

Hao pulls the largest knife from his bag, ready to attack. 

Taerae shrinks back, raising his hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa, not like that! He called me to ask for the password to the history teacher’s office."

Hao pauses, lowering the knife. "Why does he need that?"

“I have no idea. I didn’t ask because I was too busy hacking into Matthew’s gaming account to sabotage him. But Hanbin just needed this information and then ended the call.” 

Oh no, Hao has a suspicion about what Hanbin needed it for. Without saying goodbye, he leaves Taerae behind and goes straight to the school board. As he feared, there’s nothing interesting, just ads for common clubs like devil summoning, a notice about a lost rat that resembles Gyuvin’s pet, and a drawing of their male teacher in a catsuit. 

The manuscript they displayed yesterday is missing. Hanbin must have returned at night after Hao left to remove it and take it back to the office.

Hao is fuming. 

He strides towards the lockers, but as luck would have it, he spots his history teacher talking to another teacher in the hallway. 

“I have no idea how, but when I arrived, everything was sparkling clean,” the history teacher exclaims. 

The other teacher rests her chin on a finger. “Are you sure a student didn’t steal anything?”

“No, I checked everything. Some things have been moved around, but everything is sorted alphabetically, the floor shines and there is no dust on my shelves. Hell, I even saw my office carpet for the first time in months!” 

Hao is not often shocked. Yeah, he was surprised when he first met Hanbin’s parents, not knowing that the current famous villains are Hanbin’s parents. And he was once startled when Jiwoong randomly transformed into a bat and flew away, unsure if this was a new invention or if Jiwoong is actually a vampire. 

But right now, Hao not only discovers that Hanbin has ruined their plan to portray him as evil by returning the draft of a shitty romance novel. No, he also learns that his boyfriend fucking cleaned their teacher’s office.  

Gyuvin comes towards him. “Morning H-” 

“Go away or I will use my drill on your head.“

Gyuvin quickly turns and walks away. Maybe that was too harsh, even for Hao, but he desperately needs a quiet moment. 

How can he help Hanbin if Hanbin won’t allow him to? Until now everything has failed.

Hao is frustrated but drastic times call for drastic measures.

Hanbin is going to be evil, whether he wants to or not.

-

A week has passed and although Hao isn't mad at Hanbin, his boyfriend can still sense the disappointment. However, Hanbin has apologized countless times with affectionate kisses. How can Hao not forgive him when Hanbin looks at him with those pleading, puppy eyes?

Hao already knows what his next move will be, but tells Hanbin that he needs more time to think it over. Hanbin seems relieved to have a brief break from trying to be evil. 

Which is why they sit together in the school park—Hanbin engrossed in his studies, while Hao watches him with dreamy eyes.

"What do you like about me?" Hao asks his weekly question to Hanbin. 

This ritual began one day when Hao genuinely wanted to know what Hanbin likes about him. Hao knows he's perfect, but he’s still curious about what Hanbin sees in him. He liked the first answer of Hanbin so much that Hao now craves this affirmation regularly. Even a future biggest villain needs to hear words of love and reassurance.

And Hanbin never fails to deliver. His boyfriend looks up at him, eyes softening. "I like your passion for everything. You always give one hundred percent, never less."

Huh, today seems to be a sentimental day. Just last week, Hanbin said he liked his biceps, and Hao's arms started to be sore after flexing so much that day to impress Hanbin.

"Now it's my turn." It’s not usual for Hanbin to ask back. While Hao needs more reassurance through words and acts, Hanbin typically just wants to spend time with Hao and be close to him. But today, it seems like Hanbin needs more. "What is something you like about me?"

"Your big chest."

Hanbin pouts and Hao melts in an instant. 

“I like… how you see the world more positively. Brighter. Not as a horrible place. Just… better.” 

Hanbin's mouth forms a small O and Hao himself is a bit surprised by his own words. He knows the world is a harsh place, he himself plans to make it even worse. But with Hanbin by his side, he also started to see that the world can sometimes be… okay. Bad, but also okay. Last month, Hanbin gave him roses, and Hao had never realized that living flowers could be that pretty.

“Hao.” Hanbin takes his hands gently before glancing into Hao's eyes with a nervous expression. “Would you… would we still be together… even if I chose a different path?” 

Hao blinks a few times, processing Hanbin's words. "What do you mean by a different path?"

"I mean... something other than being a villain."

Horror takes over Hao. Hanbin cannot be serious, can he? Not being a villain? Yes, Hanbin wouldn't be a good villain, but that's okay because Hao would bring home the big money for them anyway. But Hanbin not being a villain at all?

Meaning that Hanbin would pursue something else and not stand by Hao's side. Not even support Hao's world domination plans? What if Hanbin’s morals are so strong that one day he decides he can’t be together with someone like Hao, who dreams of world destruction? 

Oh no, Hao couldn't let that happen.

Hao needs to finish his invention for Hanbin quickly, so his boyfriend can finally experience being evil and understand how great it is. Hanbin just needs to try it once, graduate, and then they can be villains together, just as Hao has always wished.

Hanbin patiently waits for an answer, unaware of how Hao's mind is spinning. How can Hao gently tell his boyfriend that he doesn't want Hanbin to do anything else with his life without hurting his sweet Hanbin? Should he lie? But Hanbin doesn’t like liars and Hao has promised to never lie about important matters. Yet, Hao can't straightforwardly tell his boyfriend that no, another path for Hanbin is not an option for Hao. Because that would mean they couldn't be together.

His salvation comes in the form of Kim Gyuvin. 

Hanbin spots him first and immediately positions himself in front of Hao, grabbing Hao's shoulders with such force that they both fall backwards. This action mostly saves them from the shiny beam that Gyuvin fires from his weapon. However, it still grazes Hanbin's hand, which is thrown upwards as he falls, causing it to instantly turn blue as ice forms over it.

“You shouldn't have moved!” Gyuvin shouts from a safe distance, frustrated that they dared to move away, preventing him from freezing them completely. “Did it at least work?”

Slowly, Hanbin rises from the ground, lifting his iced hand carefully. “You did great, Gyuvinie!” 

Gyuvin grins, but his smile quickly fades as Hao stands up with a deadly glare. 

“I will freeze your fucking balls! How dare you hurt Hanbin! Wait for me, where's my throwing ax?” 

Unfortunately, Hao doesn’t have the time to search for his ax as Gyuvin sprints away, so fast that he trips over his own feet a few times. Hao will use his body-swap-inator on Gyuvin, swapping him with a worm so that Gyuvin endures a new life in a worm's body.

But now is not the time for this, Hanbin is his priority. Hao grasps Hanbin’s hand, inspecting the fingers that have turned to ice and the trembling caused by the cold. Hao’s eyes darken.  

“I’m good,” Hanbin reassures, though his voice quivers slightly. “I’m sure this will go away in a few minutes.” 

Hao doesn’t say anything, too angry. Instead, he rubs Hanbin’s hand, blows on it and tucks it under his jacket, trying to give him warmth.

Hanbin can’t stay good. It worries Hao because he fears that one day Hanbin will be used and really hurt as he is too nice.  

And this scares Hao. 

-

Hao’s new creation is something he is proud of. This idea had been brewing in his mind for months and he worked on it really hard, even before considering using it on Hanbin. But the last weeks showed him the urgency to speed up the progress, often working late into the night. And now, it’s finally finished. 

The Hypnotizer. 

With this little pocket watch, he can hypnotize people into doing whatever he tells them to do. His original intention was to use it on Gunwook first, so he could get Gunwook to reveal his skincare routine, which he always keeps secret. But that can wait. 

Now he's going to use it on Hanbin and turn him evil—by force.

Yeah, it’s terrible that he does this, but well, Hao is like that. He is the best at being bad, so what to expect? 

Ricky side-eyes him on the bus as they head to the school because Hao is smiling and Hao never smiles in the morning. Actually, Hao rarely smiles unless he's with Hanbin. When Ricky asks what's going on, Hao doesn’t tell him. He can't risk telling anyone because their mutual friends would immediately tell Hanbin, and that would ruin everything.

Now he has to figure out the best time to use it on Hanbin. It can't be during class, but it has to be in a place where there are a lot of people around. Lunch with friends is out of the question because Hanbin needs to interact with a stranger. So, after school it is, when everyone is leaving.

Hanbin notices his giddy emotions throughout the school day, but Hao simply whispers that his good mood is a secret. Although his boyfriend is a bit confused, a happy Hao naturally makes Hanbin happy as well. They even feed each other during lunch and Hanbin plants a kiss on Hao's forehead before heading to sports class. Hao is having an absolute blast today. 

Soon, it’s time for his mission. He waits at the school gates for Hanbin, having arranged a cover story about a date to a weapon shop. That is why Ricky has already taken the bus home, leaving Hao by himself. The wait should not take long, as Hanbin knows Hao is waiting for him and his boyfriend never lets him wait too long.

As expected, Hanbin rushes over to him, a strand of hair swept up. Fondly, Hao smooths it down, making his boyfriend smile. “Thanks for waiting.” 

Hao hates waiting, but he would do it for an eternity for Hanbin. 

Hanbin takes his hand. “Are you ready to go?” 

“Wait. I have something for you.” Excitedly, Hao pulls out his pocket watch, holding it in front of Hanbin. “Look, my new creation!” 

“What is this?” Hanbin asks curiously. 

Hao smiles. “You'll see.” With that, he swings the watch slowly back and forth. Hanbin's gaze follows it at first normally, but soon his pupils widen, and he becomes entirely focused on the watch. Fascinatingly, Hanbin does not even blink. 

Hao decides to test if it works. “Sung Hanbin, please kiss my hand.”

Swiftly, Hanbin leans down, his lips barely touching Hao’s palm, before straightening up again. Instantly, Hao knows it works. Normally, Hanbin would never rush a kiss to his hand; he would compliment his hand, touch it softly, play with it and let his lips linger for more than a millisecond. 

But this hypnotized Hanbin truly follows his words without any of his actual personality. And this is exactly what Hao needs.

“Sung Hanbin, go to the boy with pink hair behind you. Be mean to him. Tell him ugly things, judge him and make him feel bad. Don't stop.”

Hao doesn’t even know who the pink-haired boy is, but since he was the first person Hao saw, he'll have to do. Without a word, Hanbin turns and walks almost robotically toward the pink-haired boy. Hao has to hurry to keep up, as Hanbin is moving unusually fast. Typically, Hanbin matches his pace to Hao's. 

The boy with pink hair startles when Hanbin stands directly in front of him, a neutral expression on his boyfriend. 

“Ehm, you are in my way.” The boy looks weirdly at Hanbin, who doesn’t budge. 

"Your pink hair looks horrible.” Hanbin’s voice is devoid of any emotion, talking as if he couldn't care less. “Or rather, you are ugly.” 

And, oh wow. Hao did not see that coming. 

The pink-haired boy opens his mouth, closes, then opens again. “What the fuck? Who are you even to insult me, shiny boy?” 

Hanbin shrugs. “Someone better than you.” 

Now the boy is actually offended. “Oh, shut up and go get your head lasered. I don’t have time for this, my mom's picking me up.” 

“Can’t even go home by yourself?” Hanbin remarks spitefully. 

“Dude, I’m a minor, I can’t drive.” Well, this is a weak student by Hao’s standards. A bit of law-breaking is common in this school for evil kids. So, this boy deserves some hating.

Hypnotized Hanbin realizes that his comments aren't really working and Hao is about to call him back. But then Hanbin puts his finger against the boy's forehead. Hanbin looks… threatening. 

“Why are you even here when you have nothing in your brain? Using all your parents' money while being stupid and wasting your life here?” 

This makes Hao gasp, the boy is also shocked by the harsh words. 

“S-Shut up! You know nothing!”

“Oh?” Hanbin raises an eyebrow. “Did I hit a nerve? Are you really a dumbass? A disappointment to your entire family?"

This scene is… jarring for Hao. It disturbs him how wrong this looks. 

The pink-haired boy grits his teeth, seemingly holding back tears. Hao would never cry. Yet, if it were Hanbin, who appears like this , maybe he would.

“I will put my ants in your food, so you eat them and they eat your organs inside,“ the boy threatens, but Hanbin nonchalantly leans back a bit. 

"Go ahead. I'd be shocked if a failure like you could even recognize an ant." 

Hanbin is mean. Actually mean. So, Hao’s plan worked, he made Hanbin a bit more evil. But why does Hao feel so uncomfortable? 

It doesn’t sit right with Hao. Absolutely not. Hanbin spews more words at the boy, who shrinks under the cruelty. Instead of being proud that Hanbin is finally bad, a dread sets in Hao. 

This is wrong. Wrong in so many ways.

This is not his Hanbin. Not his sweet, nice, selfless boyfriend he knows. 

Not the person Hao loves. 

“You know,” Hanbin begins. “Your parents probably didn’t wan-”

“Stop!” Hao steps in front of him, frantically holding out his pocket watch. “Look at it.” 

Hanbin's focus shifts entirely from the pink-haired boy, who seizes the moment to scramble away. Hao hopes Hanbin doesn't find any ants in his food tomorrow. Hanbin fixates his eyes on the watch, his pupils dilating into a full black. 

“Sung Hanbin, turn back. Be yourself again. The hypnosis is undone.” 

One second, two seconds, three seconds and Hao is on the verge of a heart attack. Why isn't Hanbin normal yet? Why is it taking so long? Why-

Suddenly, Hanbin blinks rapidly, shaking his head as if to clear it. He looks up at Hao, confusion clouding his face.

“Hanbin, are you back?” Hao urgently needs to know.

Hanbin tilts his head to the side. “I-I think so? What even happened?” 

“Oh, baobei!” Hao throws himself into Hanbin's arms, who instinctively catches him around the waist despite his perplexity. “I missed you so much!” 

“Missed me? Why? Wasn't I here the whole time?” 

“No, you were not.” Hao hides his face in Hanbin’s neck, too ashamed to look up. “You weren't yourself, you were… a monster . Not my Hanbin.” 

“Hao,” Hanbin calls softly and grazes his back, waiting patiently. “Can you explain what happened? I can’t follow.” 

A small part of Hao fears that Hanbin will start hating him, but he knows he has to be honest. He is not the lying type of evil. 

Hao lifts his head to meet Hanbin's eyes. “I hypnotized you.” 

“Oh.” Hanbin knits his eyebrows. “I remember a bit. With the clock, right?” 

Hao nods. “I told you to be mean to someone. And you did.”

“And it worked,” Hanbin says. “Everything you create works.” 

“I’m sorry,” Hao stammers and wow, did Hao just apologize? Has he done this before? There is a first time for everything. “I wanted to make you evil, a bit more like… all of us, but it was wrong. You were so not-you , it was scary. Seeing you like that...I didn’t like it at all. I like you as you are, not this mean version I just saw.”

Hanbin stares at him and while he still holds Hao in his arms, Hao is afraid that Hanbin might end their relationship. If Hanbin does, Hao will make the world explode. Really. 

“So…”, Hanbin gulps hard. “You like me as I am?” 

“Of course!” Hao cups Hanbin’s cheeks in his hands. 

But Hanbin still doesn’t look happy, even removing Hao’s hands. “Do you? Because sometimes I get the feeling that you don’t like it when I help others.” 

And crap, he got Hao. “I mean, sometimes your kindness bothers me.… but only because not everyone deserves it! People will take advantage of you! This is a school for evil people, you can’t always act nice and-” 

“Hao, I don’t want to be a villain.” 

This revelation shouldn't surprise Hao, but he still loves to react dramatically, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. 

Hanbin lowers his gaze. “You know, my parents expect me to follow in their footsteps. But I don’t want this career. I just want to live like a normal person, without the fear of ending up in prison if I’m not careful. I don’t like threatening or hurting people. I want to spend my time positively. I don’t want to be evil.” 

This is what Hao has always feared. Hanbin and him choose different paths, drifting apart. This is the end. But Hao sees that his boyfriend is right. Hell, no matter how hard Hao tried, Hanbin simply can't be evil. He shouldn't have to be, not even for Hao. 

“It’s okay.” Hao smiles bittersweetly. “You are right, you don’t need to be evil. I’m sorry that I forced this on you, I was too blindsided. I didn’t want us to break up and-”

“Wait, wait.” Hanbin's eyes widen in shock. “Who says we should break up?” 

Hao points at himself. “Me?” 

“What! Why?” 

Now it's Hao's turn to be puzzled. “Because I would be a villain and you wouldn't. So, you wouldn't want to be with me because you're a good person and I'm not-” 

“Stop.” Hanbin shushes him, pressing a finger against Hao's lips. “Are you hearing yourself? I will not break up with you!” 

“You would not?” Hao asks, pushing Hanbin's finger away.

“Definitely not. Hao, just because I don’t want to be a villain doesn’t mean I won't be together with you.” Hanbin kisses Hao softly on the lips. “I love you.” 

Damn, the words pierce straight through Hao’s cold heart. How dare his boyfriend confess his love to him so romantically? 

Hao’s eyes sparkle. “I love you too. I want to stay with you.” 

Hanbin puts his forehead to Hao's. “Then let’s stay together and accept each other as we are.” 

Hao has learned his lesson, he will never wish to change Hanbin into something he is not. To make it more meaningful, Hao kisses his dear boyfriend again. 

“What do you want to be?” Hao asks against Hanbin’s mouth, their lips touching. “If not a villain?” Call him close-minded, but he doesn’t know much about other professions. 

“A teacher,” Hanbin tells him, a little nervous but also excited. “An elementary teacher would be nice. I like kids.” 

A new image comes up in Hao’s mind: he and Hanbin, nestled in their own home with a cat. While Hao is in his laboratory, creating his new deadly invention, Hanbin arrives home and shares stories over a cup of tea about his students' antics at school.

Hao likes this future a lot. 

“You would make a perfect teacher.” Hao has never been fond of children, but then he saw Hanbin's interactions with them and boom, he suddenly likes them a lot more. Maybe Hanbin has a way of making everything better.

Hanbin smiles and how can his boyfriend be so pretty? Unable to resist, he leans in for another kiss.

“But you can’t ever break up with me,” Hao warns him. “Or I will use this Hypnotizer again to make sure you never leave.”

Hanbin laughs as if it’s a joke, but Hao is dead serious. Well, if it ever came to Hanbin leaving him, Hao would rather set the world on fire. 

But first they have to get through school together. And Hanbin will graduate, Hao will make sure of it.

He just has to blackmail some teachers and Hanbin's graduation certificate is done.

Being evil is easy for Hao. And for Hanbin, he's willing to go even further.