Winter Flame [Book 4] | Pentagon ✔

Chapter 21

Chapter 21
A New Start
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[[ JIYOO ]]

Every single day that we walk on earth, how many times do you think you've come across someone who's been abused?

Sometimes, it's the people who seem the happiest; sometimes, it's the people who seem the coolest; sometimes, it's the people who appear the bravest. Most of the time, we never really know who because victims have gotten so good at hiding the pain. Most of the time, the choice is ours to make. Do we speak up? Or do we let it slowly eat our whole lives?

If we speak up, will we get help? Will people genuinely care? Will the pain stop?

These are the questions that the victims often ask themselves. Sadly, there's no certainty that the answers will always be yes. Maybe, the word 'eventually' is a more suitable answer.

Eventually, there would be help. Eventually, there are people who would care. Eventually, the pain would stop. Eventually, you would see a glimpse of light in the darkness you never thought you'd see again. Eventually, you would start living your own life without being afraid. Eventually, you would be alrightㅡbecause you spoke up, because you cared, because you're strong and you believed that the pain and the monsters will not be there forever.

We are not only talking about physical abuse because sometimes you don't have to hit someone to harm them.

Emotional abuse is just as bad, less visible but it's there. Words are precious and powerful. Words are what we take to the heart. We should be careful on how we use themㅡbecause with words, we can either save or destroy anyone.

This work is a piece that I wrote with author Jo Hyun Joo. As someone who has gone through the same road, I can promise that there is a better world hidden in this one that we live in. It's up to ourselves to find it.

To the society, to the law, to every single person on earth, we have to stop blaming the victims for the abuse. We have to stop turning a blind eye on this matter. As Albert Einstein once said, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."

I smiled as the video ended. We were eating at Seunghee's restaurant when she played my video from the college's website. My professor asked me to film it a few days ago as a preview to my story.

Seunghyub, Mijin, Changgu, Hyunjoo, Yanan and Seunghee were in the restaurant with me and they were clapping their hands proudly.

"That was so good, Jiyoo!" Hyunjoo praised.

I smiled at her. "Thank you for helping me."