L E G A C Y

A Different Path

It was morning, Jihyuk stood in front of the bathroom mirror, admiring his new hairstyle, he couldn't help but think about how different he looked. The side part hairstyle fell nicely to his eyes, and he felt a newfound sense of confidence. He knew that it was time for him to let go of the past and move on with his life.

"It's best I should let go of the past," he thought to himself as he finished getting ready for school.

He put on his uniform blazer over his hoodie and made his way downstairs where he enjoyed a cup of hot milk with caramel and a sandwich.

Dok-yung continued to smile as he saw how bright and cheerful Jihyuk looked.

"Looking good youngmaster," he said, "that new hairstyle suits you well."

Jihyuk thanked him and grabbed his bag, ready to head off to school. But instead of taking the chauffeur car, he decided to walk to school on foot. This small act of defiance caught the attention of the chauffeur who took off his hat in respect and admiration.

"atta boy, Mr Kim would've loved this sight" he smiled proudly

As Jihyuk walked down the street, he felt liberated. He had always had someone driving him around since he was young, but now, he was experiencing the freedom of being able to walk by himself. It was a simple act, but it felt like a major step forward in his journey of independence.

As he made his way through the familiar streets, he was approached by a group of other students who were also headed to school.

"good morning, jihyuk"
"You look good oppa!"
"Stop suffocating him, Ha-rin"

"No, it's okay, thank you for the compliment, you look good as well" he said with a warm smile

then he drifted away from the group to the store, jihyuk waited in line to pay for his yogurt, he couldn't help but notice the delinquent cashier in front of him. The kid had a rather rough look about him, with wavy, bleached hair and a scar in his left eyebrow. He seemed agitated, but as the cashier handed him back his card, the delinquent looked up and his expression changed.

"Huh, Gaepo High?" he said with a hint of curiosity, "you go to Gaepo High?"

Jihyuk nodded, "Yeah, I do. Why do you ask?"

The delinquent's eyes narrowed as he looked jihyuk up and down, taking in his uniform and his appearance.

"You don't seem like you fit in at a place like Gaepo High" he said bluntly

Jihyuk tried to remain calm, "And what makes you say that?"

The delinquent smirked, "Well for starters, you look too clean and soft to fit in with all those rich kids" he sneered

Jihyuk couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance, but he kept his cool, "I don't see what's wrong with looking clean and soft"

The delinquent chuckled, "Oh, you'll find out soon enough" he said with a grin

As jihyuk slurped on his yogurt in front of the store, he couldn't help but wonder about the delinquent's words. "What did he mean by that?" he thought to himself, feeling a twinge of annoyance.

Suddenly, a car pulled up infront of him, and the tinted mirrors rolled down to reveal the faces of Choi minjae and her brother, Hoseong.

Minjae exclaimed in surprise, "Hey jihyuk! What are you doing walking to school instead of riding in a car like usual?"

jihyuk swallowed the last of his yogurt and looked at Hoseong who looked somewhat agitated, but he tried to remain calm.

"I just preferred to walk today," he said simply.