Chapter Text
Cheeseburger. Kim Rok Soo thinks it all started with that.
It was mid-July and 10-year-old Kim Rok Soo was still full of life. At least, as happy as he could be. His elementary school had booked a field trip outside town to a resort in Harris Village; a cute little farm with horses that they could ride on.
But he wasn’t interested in all that, not really. Sports made him tired so he begged his supervisor to let him go into the commercial centre and buy a Happy Meal. The adult agreed- times were different back then, a lot safer.
Unfortunately for young Kim Rok Soo, the worker at the fast-food chain told him they didn’t have anymore toys. Dejected and determined to satisfy his boredom, the boy went to hang out at a dingy looking park with only rusted swing that made grating sounds when moved and wooden monkey bars in sight.
He sat down on one of the swings carefully to not move them and hurt his ears and began digging into his food. The apple slices were his favorite since his uncle never had fruits around the house, only beer and chips that made him gag when he smelled the Cheeto dust and that didn’t satisfy his hunger at all. It made him think about how unfair all of this was, how a stupid apple slice meant so much to him. He should work hard in the future, to afford more apples. Maybe even make pies with them.
With his mind so busy contemplating his future meal, Kim Rok Soo didn’t notice the approaching boy. He had black hair and brown eyes, just like him, but he was slightly taller.
‘Hello, I’ve never seen you here before.’ The boy told him and Rok Soo stared at him blankly for a moment, processing the new face in his vision- before abruptly standing up, bumping heads with him. ‘Ow!!’ yelped the stranger. ‘That really hurt!’
Before Rok Soo could apologize and quickly make his leave, the boy started laughing. ‘Your face! I’m sorry I-‘ he giggled before clearing his throat and straightening his back. Kim Rok Soo was unimpressed.
Apparently, the boy’s name was Choi Han and he was currently on lunch break at St’s Josephs. The big baby blue building near the church, that had a big football field in the back. Kim Rok Soo thought that was interesting, his school didn’t have an outdoor place. ‘Oh. It’s not a school, it’s an orphanage.’ Clarified Choi Han. Rok Soo nodded and continued munching on his apple bites. The orphanage he went to for a while didn’t have something like that. Hm.
They sat in silence on the swings, the two staring at each other but neither doing anything other than enjoying the comfortable silence. Choi Han didn’t know what to talk about, and Kim simply just didn’t want to.
But if they were hanging out for a bit, Rok Soo decided to study the kid more.
They looked pretty similar, although their eyes and nose were completely different. Choi Han had a more soft-looking face- his eyes being downturned and his nose being pointed up- while Kim Rok Soo had more of a hooked nose and eyes resembling that of a fox’s.
The biggest difference by far though, was their body. Kim Rok Soo was a skinny kid- but he never met someone like Choi Han. His shirt was hanging lose on his body- a kid shirt - and his collarbone was peeking through, showing a deep gap between his clavicle and scapula. It made him look like a skeleton. Kim Rok Soo didn’t like that.
So, he took out the cheeseburger from the happy meal box and put it in the kid’s hand.
‘Huh?’ Choi Hans face was puzzled as he stared at the burger.
‘Have some food, you’re too skinny’ Kim Rok Soo stated. ‘I’ll have to bring you more cheeseburgers in the future so you don’t starve.’
That day Rok Soo made a promise and gave the child five gallons for another happy meal to use when he came back tomorrow- so they could both eat together like this again.
Choi Han started sobbing right there on the swings and Kim Rok Soo awkwardly hugged him while whispering sweet nothings in his ears of a better future, things he himself needed to hear.
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But life isn’t fair. Sure, young Kim Rok Soo understood that and he never tried denying it but this time it felt like he had betrayed himself.
When the teachers came up to them and said that the trip had been cut short and they needed to return home tomorrow Rok Soo had been one of the kids that needed consolation- not because it was sad that he didn’t get his turn with the horses- but because he never got to eat together on a dirty swing with the strange boy again. Because he realized just because his life wasn’t fair that didn’t mean other people weren’t struggling as much as him or even more.
He would never say it out loud, but he never forgot about the boy, not even until now.
And when he came back when he was fifteen- with stupid happy scenarios in his head about their reunion- all he was met with was concrete and paved roads.
All around the area were commercial buildings and future skyscrapers. From what he heard from the people working there, the village had suffered a great accident four years ago in which more than three-thirds of it were burned down and the Golden Turtle company had bought the rights to the land to create more centres for their new workers and research facilities.
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Back then he had been angry, wanting revenge, fire burning deep inside him with the desire to make sure that Choi Han was okay, that he didn’t die in the accident, even though media coverage made sure to specify in every headline that the majority were killed and his chances of meeting him again were impossible.
Now? Now he feels as close as he can to acceptance, that this chapter is closed. That things like that happen for a reason. That the reason why he had been involved in gang culture in the first place was just so he had a way to survive and a reason to live.
Sometimes he thinks he’s lying to himself.
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Oh my god no please anything but a meeting with the Molans!
He couldn’t, he really couldn’t. And on a Thursday too?? That’s it! He’s putting in his 5 weeks’ notice.
Well maybe not that. Just maybe a walk around town to try and find an excuse to not meet the Molans. They were scary bastards, Head Molan always putting an unhealthy amount of lemon juice in his tea. At that point, it was just boiled lemon. Not to mention their smiles and requests for Kim Rok Soo to come around their base sometimes. Which is code for basically “Will you be my ally and put your life on the line for me while I don’t keep up my end of the bar” or at least that what he got from the last time he tried to cooperate with someone as skittish and skilled as them.
Mentioning distractions, the Rose Garden Park is a couple minutes away and he loved coming there to clear his mind. Surely, they won’t find him...
As he bypassed the big iron gates of the entrance and found himself in the middle of an orderly arranged garden, Kim Rok Soo darted behind the big bushes and into his secret hiding spot.
It wasn’t really, just a gap between the walls and flowers that was hidden away by the height of the bushes blending in with each other, forming a sort of roof. Best part about it was that the iron gate acted as a window towards the outside from a discrete spot, where he could see most of the town hall. So, it was worth the absolute pain in the ass the rose thorns were.
Rok Soo groaned as he made his way through the bush, giving him a clear view on the other side.
Wait. Was that someone on the other side? Was his hiding spot now compromised? Worse, what if it was Chef from the Molans gang!
Thankfully, it wasn’t him. It was just a child. A really mad one.
‘What are you doing here you creepy old man? Get out! Get out!’ the boy insulted, then continued on to say stuff about his bloodline and career. Honestly, Rok Soo was impressed.
After a while, the kid calmed down. Tears that Kim didn’t even realize were there sat dried up on his cheek. Silence followed the outburst, the child almost shrinking in on itself then looking as if he’s having an internal struggle and deciding to finally get up and puff out his chest, probably trying to overcompensate for a lack of presence.
Now that Kim Rok Soo thinks about it, maybe it wasn’t the kids glare not being intimidating, it was just because he was so used to people doing shit like that. If he were to give his opinion as a recruiter, the kid has potential.
He’s not though so he just raised his hands up in the air- as far as the ceiling would let him- and pleaded innocent. ‘Kid calm down, this is my hiding spot.’
That did not calm the kid down. It made his madder. ‘Who are you calling a kid? I’ll have you know my name is The Mighty Miru and I’m turning a grand total of ten years this year!’
Holy fuck, this kid gave Kim Rok Soo heavy deja-vu. He can’t tell why.
‘Alright Might Miru, I am at your mercy.’ The tone was clearly deadpan but the kid didn’t seem to catch his drift as he grinned happily. ‘Great. You must now repay for your disturbance and buy me food!’
‘What….but I don’t have money…’ Kim Rok Soo weakly protested, putting his hands in his pockets and then taking them out again as a sign that he could not afford anything.
‘You may try to fool the Mighty Miru but I can tell by the way you’re dressed. No one who has a coat for their coat is not at the very least a businessman or a boss.’
Okay, kid got Rok Soo there. I guess he’s going to have to buy him food now. Sigh, ‘Alright, where do you want me to buy you food from.’
‘McDonalds. Specifically, the happy meal with the cheeseburger.’ The kid stated, proudly exiting the now compromised hideout.
Kim Rok Soo felt a shiver run down his body, why did this situation seem so similar??
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Getting the kid his happy meal proved to be a lot more annoying then originally thought. Not only was he very particular on the sauces and drink he got but he could also not stop talking.
Kim Rok Soo was going to have an aneurysm before he even got to the now heavenly sounding meeting.
At least kid was enjoying himself, sitting on a bench, munching happily while also ranting about some video game he played on his Nintendo, crumbs flying everywhere.
‘And you know, the character really inspired my name “Miru” which basically means dragon. Yeah, I know, it’s awesome and the best thing you’ll ever hear in your short sad life.’
This statement made Rok Soo pause, as he was actually listening to his crazy rants. ‘Inspired your name? You mean to tell me it’s not your actual name?’
Miru nodded very seriously. ‘Yes, my parents didn’t get the chance to name me. And Veninon, my caretaker, calls me doggy. Which isn’t that bad but I never had the chance to great my own identity, to be free and understand myself on a deeper level with the help of a name. A true form of mine.’
Kim Rok Soo couldn’t even begin to debunk the disgusting connotations that the kids’ statement had. He will definitely search him up later and ask Head Molan to tag him, but until then. ‘Ha…If I had to choose my name, I’d probably name myself something lucky. Like Raon, which means happiness.’
‘That’s so stupid you old geezer.’