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Yu Ijin had survived war zones.
Gunfights.
Kidnappers.
Professional assassins.
High school was supposed to be the easy part.
Unfortunately…
Today was not going to be easy.
Because when he arrived at the school gate, two very familiar figures were standing there.
One had messy grey hair, and the posture of someone who constantly calculated escape routes.
The other had long platinum hair, red eyes, and the unsettling beauty of someone who absolutely did not belong in a normal school.
016.
032.
Pretending to be students.
Ijin stopped walking.
“…Explain.”
032 waved cheerfully.
“We wanted to see where you spend your peaceful civilian life.”
016 added calmly, “Observation mission.”
“This is not a mission,” Ijin said flatly.
032 grinned. “Too late.”
Inside the Classroom
Dayeon walked into class with her usual bright smile.
Then she froze.
Two familliar, suspiciously intense “transfer students” were sitting at the back.
And she recognized them immediately.
“016? 032?!”
032 perked up. “Dayeon!”
Half the class turned to stare.
Dayeon hurried over, whispering urgently.
“What are you doing here?!”
“Field trip,” 032 said.
016 nodded. “Studying civilian education systems.”
Dayeon blinked.
“…Oppa allowed this?”
“…No.”
“Ah.”
That made sense.
...
First Period: Physics
This was where things began to fall apart.
The teacher wrote a complex equation on the board.
Velocity.
Force.
Acceleration.
The classroom was quiet.
Students scribbled notes.
016 stared at the board.
032 stared harder.
After five minutes, 032 leaned over.
“…Do you understand this?”
016 replied calmly.
“No.”
Pause.
032 frowned.
“But we calculate bullet trajectories.”
“Yes.”
“And wind resistance.”
“Yes.”
“And distance for sniper shots.”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“…Why can’t I understand this?”
016 stared at the equation like it had personally insulted him.
“…Because this problem does not involve survival.”
...
The Teacher Calls Them On
“New transfer students,” the teacher said.
The class turned.
016 and 032 froze.
“Can one of you solve the equation?”
Silence.
032 stood slowly.
He looked at the board.
Then at the teacher.
Then at the board again.
“…If an enemy was running,” he began carefully, “and I had to calculate how long until they reached cover—”
The teacher blinked.
“That… isn’t the question.”
032 tried again.
“If gravity affects the drop of a projectile—”
The class was staring.
Dayeon buried her face in her hands.
016 stood up.
He walked to the board calmly.
Picked up the chalk.
Looked at the equation.
Paused.
Then wrote:
“Unknown.”
And sat back down.
The classroom erupted into confused whispers.
...
Lunch Break
Dayeon dragged them outside.
“You two are going to get expelled before the day ends!”
032 looked offended. “We are elite mercenaries.”
“Exactly!”
016 quietly observed the courtyard.
Students laughing.
Friends sharing food.
People living normal lives.
“…Ijin protects this,” he murmured.
032 leaned back on the bench.
“Yeah.”
For once, his voice was soft.
“No gunfire. No missions. No death.”
Dayeon smiled gently.
“He really likes it here.”
Then Ijin Appeared
He had heard.
Of course he had heard.
Ijin walked toward them with the calm expression of someone who had already accepted fate.
“…You two.”
032 waved.
“Hello, Ijin.”
“We are attending school.”
“That much is obvious.”
Dayeon giggled.
“They failed physics.”
032 immediately pointed at the building.
“That subject is unreasonable.”
016 nodded seriously.
“It lacks tactical application.”
Ijin rubbed his temple.
“…You infiltrated my school.”
“Yes.”
“You embarrassed yourselves in physics.”
“…Yes.”
“You are sitting with my sister.”
“Yes.”
Ijin sighed.
Long.
Deep.
But then—
Very faintly—
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“…Just don’t cause trouble.”
032 grinned.
“No promises.”
Dayeon laughed.
And for a moment—
The former child soldiers of the Numbers sat together in the sunlight like normal teenagers.