Chapter Text
The sound of rain pitters on the concrete roof of a building that seems to be an unfinished building of some sort.
The loud splash of footprints stomping in small, formed puddles.
"Huh? You tried to kill yourself? You named me in your note, you fucker?"
The bully asks as he pushes his victim and his friends laugh in background.
"No.. no.. I'm sorry, please I-I'mm sorry" The boy begged through a stutters.
"He's so pathetic." "So weak"
"Jesus. Hey" Gwi-nam, A well-known bully at Hyosan High School, says through repeated slaps.
"Hey, hey, Hey. You tryna get us in trouble you fucker?" He asks before kicking him to the stacked boxes and storage rack.
"I'm sorry." "Hey Jin-su." "Stop..." "Jin-su." "Please Stop!"
Jin-su yells before grabbing a metal pipe nearby him and swinging blindly. Once, twice, three times.
Before he is kicked over "Hey! Cut that shit out, freak."
Gwi-nam and his friends crowd around, pushing and stomping on Jin-su.
"Hey, watch it! You're splashing water all over me!"
The only girl there complains and further distances herself as Jin-su is continuously assaulted.
Gwi-nam punches Jin-su before grabbing him by hair and sweeps a foot under his leg.
Lying on his side in pain Gwi-nam begins repeatedly kicking and stomping on him.
"Fuck you, you fucking asshole. You tried to ruin my life."
Breathing heavily Gwi-nam and his group begin to walk away. "Geez, fucking freak."
The sound of quick pattering follows behind them, turning around quick enough one of Gwi-nam's friends tackles Jin-su to the ground.
Crashing into a pile of metal barrels. Folding his umbrella another one goes to hit him.
Jin-Su was erratic. Grabbing him by the hair Gwi-nam throws him to the floor.
"Bastard." "Fucking Stop! You're getting water on me!"
Standing up in a jerky, unnatural movement, Jin-su rushes towards Gwi-nam, who uses his arms to redirect him.
Toppling over the roof Jin-su hits an electric sign before falling and laying motionless on the wet asphalt.
(I actually don't know which bully is which except for Gwi-nam. Sorry if I get this wrong)
"Holy shit..." Feeling and hand slap the back of his head Gwi-nam sees Myeong-hwan.
"What. You're not scared, are you?" "No... Of course not." Gwi-nam replies, his voice slightly shaky but he tries his best to cover it.
"Good. Let's go"
──── ✦ ────
"He BP is fine, but he himself is lethargic. So far, the obvious sign of TBI. Without surgery it's unlikely he'll live past an hour."
A doctor flips through his charts, on the phone with someone as the hospital doors open and Mr. Lee Byeong-chan walks through undetected.
Ignoring the bright red words
"𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃"
Byeong-chan pushes open the door and sees his son.
Laid out like a corpse on the hospital bed with different sorts of machines hooked up to him.
Turning his head, slowing "Dad..."
Only giving him and small nod Jin-su continues in a weak hoarse voice.
"How are they?" Confused Byeong-chan offers just one word.
"What?"
"I'm sorry, Dad I... I know it's wrong. But I really wanted to kill them..." His eyes express his tiredness. His droopy kids as he spoke.
"It won't happen again... I'm sorry" Byeong-chan stares at his son.
"... It's okay." "Really?... What's okay?"
"Everything. It's okay, all of it" Byeong-chan says with the slightest bit of a smile.
"Really? Then has anything gotten better? Won't you answer me? Has anything gotten better?!"
Jin-Su' eyes start turning red, like blood vessels are slowly popping.
"It will never change. The only way is if someone dies." His voice has an undertone of rage, harshness.
"I'm gonna kill those assholes." Trying to get up Byeong-chan pushes his son's arm back down.
"Let go!" Jerking his arm up, Jin-su shakily sits up, ripping off the pads stuck to his chest.
"Jin-su, stop! I'll fix everything" His father begged, grabbing his arms, but he didn't listen.
"Do you wanna be killed too?" Jin-du says to his father, his crazed, red eyes as he continued sitting up in a jerky manner.
"Jin-Su, please stop this!" Byeong-chan begged louder, seemingly glaring at his father Jin-su chomps his teeth once.
His father's express changes to one with hints of fear. Jin-su then tries to bite the hand of his father that held his left shoulder.
Recoiling in fear, Byeong-chan stares at his son in disbelief. Jin-su continues to twitch.
The hospital room filled with groaning, the clicking of his jaw and the chomping his teeth.
Each noise Byeong-chan steps back in fear, stumbling out of the curtain before his attention turns to a bookshelf.
Specifically, A Holy Bible.
Grabbing it and pushing open the curtain Byeong-chan stares at the person on the bed, his former son.
Jin-su was drooling, twitching and had black veins forming on his face, neck, and along his trapes.
Staring in fear at his son "I'm sorry Jin-su..."
"I love you" Holding the bible up, Byeong-chan then hits his son over the head. repeatedly as Jin-su tries to fit back.
To no avail, he continued to beat Jin-su, even after he stopped moving, Byeong-chan just had to make sure.
──── ✦ ────
Hurriedly wheeling a suitcase through what seems to be an underground storage area.
Inside that suitcase was none other than Jin-su. The small wheels weren't able to clear an uneven part of the floor.
Trying to pull it over the suitcase topples over with Byeong-chan following, that's when he notices an arm sticking out of the open suitcase zipper.
"Jin-su?.." Clutching Jin-su' arm and feeling for a pulse. Breathing a sigh of relief when he didn't feel a pulse.
Taking deep breaths, he then notices a large bruise on his forearm. Just then Jin-su grabs his arm.
In fear Byeong-chan tries to claw his son's hand off. It seems ineffective until he was able to jerk his arm back.
The arm continues to flail before ducking back into the suitcase. Then the suitcase itself begins twitching while the growling from Jin-su sounds through the open zipper.
Byeong-chan can only recoil and watch in fear.
──── ✦ ────
It was currently cleaning time at Hyosan high school. The students cleaned the windows, floors, desk, chalk boards and taking out trash.
A woman walks into the teachers' lounge and greets everyone there. Standing up, just as she came in another teacher gets up.
"Ms. Jung, I'll be leaving first. Bye" she says while adjusting her bag and giving a small head now before walking out.
"Okay, bye" Is the last she heard before walking down the hall and bidding goodbye to the students there.
Each floor was active: mopping, wiping, organizing. Some students in the nurse office are folding sheets and organizing the supplied.
"Good afternoon, the hot weather in Hyosan has finally moved on and we are now blessed with a cool breeze, today the topic of interest is a study that took place in the US."
The recording room is also lively. A student broadcasting the message, another recording her as other worked behind the scenes.
"A psychologist gathered a group of 48 men and women who've never met before and..."
Everyone was doing something, even if it was something as disgusting as removing all the gum stuck to the bottom of desks. A task that you somehow got stuck with.
"Fuck, this is nasty..." You muttered quietly as you were crouched down to look under the desk of the classroom.
Gloved up and lugging around a trash bag. You uses a scrapper given to you by a janitor to make the chore go faster.
But you couldn't help but wonder what excatly did you do to get stuck with arguably the worst task.
──── ✦ ────
A group of students in the science lab finally finished cleaning
"Man, I'm hungry! Let's go get some tteokbokki"
"Again?..." "Duh! Should we wake Hyeon-ju?" They ask while walking out.
"No, she'll just snap at us again. Let her sleep" With that the group leaves the room and closes the door.
Even if they were trying to close the gently it was enough to wake up the sleeping Kim Hyeon-ju.
"Tch... the jerks, I told them to wake me up when they were done" With a groan and stretch she gets up and begins walking out.
Until she heard the rattling of metal from the science storage room.
Causing her to stop, her curiosity brings her to take a look inside. Stepping in Hyeon-ju sees nothing.
Turning away she then hears another scrape; she finally finds the source.
A metal box with a grate like pattern, the holes so small it was impossible to see what was inside.
Stepping closer and crouching down. She knocks on the metal grate and waits. She hears nothing and goes to knock again when she then hears the clattering on the metal.
Recoiling in fear, Hyeon-ju hesitantly pulls the metal top off to see an adorable, little white mouse.
The fear on her face is replaced with awe. "Hey... come here"
She taps on the box trying to get the mouse to come closer. It doesn't listen.
"Tch, this damn rat is defiant. Come here" she says with a more annoyed tone and sticks her finger in a small opening in the plastic box.
The rat begins to twitch, almost in an unnatural way. It then rushes to the finger almost like it's drawn by the scent and bites Hyeon-ju.
"Ow! You little piece of shit" She squeezes the wound as blood pools into a little dollop on the tip of her finger.
The rat then begins to freak out, clawing and scratching at the plastic with its teeth and nails.
Hyeon-ju recoils in fear and turns to see Mr. Byeong-chan one of Hyosan's science teacher.
"What are you doing." he looks at her before she stands up.
"Nothing. It bit me, that's all. Goodbye" Bowing to show respect Hyeon-ju begins to leave.
Noting the blood on the floor, Byeong-Chan can't let her go and just as she takes one step into the hall he pulls her back in, shutting the door.
──── ✦ ────
The light grayish-blue sky, littered with clouds, watches over the city of Hyosan.
You were absorbed with your phone. Walking on the giant grass field of the school, your days were kind of bleak from an outside view.
School
Academy
Back home
Do homework
Sleep and repeat.
Not far from you could hear a conversation.
"...moved. How about a grand opening?" Gyeong-su had an arm wrapped around Cheong-san's shoulder.
"We're not having one," Cheong-san says as he pulls out his phone to reply to a text from his mom.
"What!? Why not?!" Gyeong-su whines as his arm drifts off of Cheong-san.
"Geez, I told them to change the name," he says, looking at the message of the restaurant's name: "Cheong-San Chicken."
"I was told you were. What??" Gyeong-su whines again, with a following sigh.
"Well, we're not. Our fryer isn't even here yet" he says, focusing on his phone as he sends a text to his mom.
"My mom's so impossible..." Cheong-San mutters before On-jo comes and shoves his shoulder in a playful manner causing his phone to fall to the ground.
"My phone!" He says in a panic as he crouches down to pick up his phone, checking to make sure there's no damage.
"Don't think you can run away." On-jo says with a smile before taking off her bag and holding it to him.
"Let's go get some fried chicken, gopher" she says with a small smile
"It's not even open yet..." "It is, your mom said she was trying out a new recipe. You're coming too, right?"
She asked Gyeong-su when his face beams in excitement, "Yeah! Of course." Cheong-san then turns to Yoon I-Sak.
"Are you coming too?" She gives a nod "Of course, You mom told On-jo to bring friends"
Gyeong-su smiles and asks "So is this like a double date?"
I-sak's smile falls and she wraps an arm around On-jo "What the hell? So annoying..." she says as they both begin walking away.
"We aren't even open. What is going on?" Cheong-san mutters as he and Gyeong-su follow behind.
"What do you know? Let's go gopher" he says with a smile and begins to whistle.
"Pft. You like it that much?" "Hell yeah, I'm gonna eat so much chicken" They walk together behind the two girls.
You continue walking, hoping that minding your business wouldn't cause any trouble until you felt a hard shove against your back.
The force caused you to stumble slightly and bump into another person that walked in front of you. Your bag falls on ground as two boys run past you.
"Oh shit, Sorry!" One of the boys say but there was no actual meaning behind it.
With a faint sigh, you're able to stabilize yourself and look at the person you ran into "Sorry, are you okay?" You asks before bending down to pick up your bag.
"Oh, yeah. No, it's okay. I'm fine, are you okay?" Cheong-san says as he reaches down to pick up your phone that was knocked out of your hand when you were bumped into.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." you say and dust off your bag. Slinging it back over your shoulder before taking your phone from him.
"Thanks, um.... Cheong-san" you say reading the nametag sewn onto his vest. And give a faint thank you bow before walking away.
"hm... Oh! I know that girl, she's from our class! Not very a very talkative person" Gyeong-su says with a smile like he just cracked the hardest mystery puzzle in the world.
A long pause of silence between the two Cheong-san speaks "But I didn't ask.." he says blatantly, but Gyeong-su shows no offense.
His attention is drawn to a cluster keychain on the floor. Picking it up it had three branch off chain's, one had a plastic head of F/A, A small ceramic piece of F/F and a silver star.(I wanted the keychain to partial personal so favorite animal and fruit)
"She forgot something." Gyeong-su says as he jingles it between their two faces like they were both babies watching a ring of keys.
"Just give it to her tomorrow. Let's go, I-sak and On-jo are already super far ahead" Cheong-san says and continue walking as Gyeong-su followed behind placing the keychain in his hand.
"You do it."
──── ✦ ────
Cheering and laughter was heard in the fried chicken restaurant. Cheong-san's mom walks towards the table holding two plates of fried chicken.
"Woah! So much food!" Gyeong-su says with a smile as he a begins to dig in.
"Well, On-jo eats so much, so I had to make lots" She says with a smile "But I don't eat a lot, I eat well" On-jo says with a smile and grabs a wing.
"Well eat up, I made it all for you" Cheong-san's mom says with a bright maternal smile.
"Eat up, Gyeong-su and you too A-sak" Using two forks to separate the chicken from the bone I-sak turns to gently correct her.
"Oh, it's I-sak, not A-sak" She says with a kind tone before taking a bite of the chicken.
"Huh. Did you change your name..?" She says confused offering a small laugh, Cheong-san chimes in.
"Don't go changing people's names mom... and change the restaurant name too. Don't use my name" He says as he takes a bite of his chicken.
"Hey! This restaurant was called this before you were even born" She says "Exactly... you named me after a restaurant. I don't like—"
"Shush, shush! Ignore him, I like it. It give authenticity" Gyeong-su says with a smile as I-sak and On-jo give their agreement and continue eating.
"Thank you, I tried a new recipe. Do you like it? We have spicy, and then super spicy!" She says a proud smile on her face as she gestures to the two different plates on the table.
"Man! I love it, it's like so super-crazy good! Ma'am, if you ever need a delivery boy. I'll gladly do it for cheap" Gyeong-su says with his mouth full of chicken and stuff to the side like a chipmunk storing nuts for the winter.
"Oh, no you guys need to study." She says with a smile and then turns to the girl sitting opposite "On-jo, is it good? Is it hot"
"No, it's salty" She says respectfully as Cheong-san's mom looks confused and gently scratches the side of her head with one finger as if she was pondering.
"Well, what about this one is it super hot?" a faint smile pulling on her lips as she gestures to the other plate.
"No, it's salty too." A little concerned and confused she mutters "It's salty too?... That's bad. Honey"
"Yes?" Her husband, Cheong-san's dad, replies from the open kitchen area just a few feet away cooking more chicken.
"She says it's salty, what did you do?" "What? Salty that can't...."
──── ✦ ────
"Come on we're gonna be late!" The group rushes across the street to the English academy "Let's go" I-sak and Gyeong-su rush up the stairs into the building.
"Cheong-san... I need to ask you something" On-jo stops walking, a small distance between them as she looks up at him.
"...What? I have a literature test. And we're already late..." He mutters looking at her. He was willing to listen to what she wanted to say. Only for her to change her mind last minute.
"Never mind." "What? Tell me." "It's nothing." "Just tell me, we can't keep wasting time"
Reluctantly, as if she didn't start the conversation. Taking out her hair from its low ponytail, "Is it better like this..." She ask tucking her hair behind her left ear.
"or like this?" She asks tucking the right side to match. Cheong-san was staring in awe. He had always liked On-jo, not hearing an answer; she repeated herself.
"Watch again. Like this... or like this?" repeating her motion "This is better, right?" She says with her hair just tucked behind her left ear.
"...get lost" Cheong-san says, unable to give other words, he reacts as if it doesn't bother him.
He begins to walk away only to get kicked in the back of the knee by an angry On-jo who then storms up the stairs leaving him in pain at the bottom.
──── ✦ ────
"You have exams coming up, no?" Your mom asks as she fixes her outfit, a notable businesswoman, it's important for her to look put together.
"Yeah...will you still be gone when I get home?" You ask while eating breakfast. A small bowl of rice with a fried egg, green onions and soy sauce.
"Hm, good luck. Probably not, we'll just have to see" she says before walking to the kitchen of the apartment they live in to pack her lunch.
"Hurry up and finish your food, don't be late for school." Your mom says as she closes the lunch box, putting on her shoes. Bidding you farewell, she walks out.
After finishing your food, you wash your dishes and leave the apartment. Locking the door, you make your way down to the bike rack.
To save time you decided it'd be faster instead of walking.
Pedaling through the streets, a semi-quiet ride but it's too much to ask for silence.
Pedaling past the gate attendant and the students rushing through the gate to avoid being late. You lock up your bike and walk inside.
──── ✦ ────
You walk through the door and head to your seat. It was quiet until you felt a tap on your shoulders and heard your name causes you to look up from your phone.
"Oh, Ae-cha. Where were you yesterday?" You say with a small smile and sets your phone down.
"Oh, I wasn't feeling well and my mom suggested I stay home. Sorry! I forgot to tell you" se says with a small apologetic smile, you give her a small wave.
Seemingly saying 'No it's okay you don't have to apologize' with the few moments you have left to freely chat before class starts.