An Unfulfilled Life

2

"You should always have a trade Seokjinnie. Education isn't something that will put money in your pocket and food in your belly. Trust your ajhumma. She knows what life is about."

The words of Seokjin's aunt rang in his head. Ever since he was a little boy, he had been taught that going to school never really helped you in life. What mattered was being able to make money and for that, he would need to use his own hands that God had given him.

Seokjin lived on a farm, tending to animals like chicken, pigs and the occasional rabbit. He loved the animals but he was taught never to get too close to them since they were their livelihood and not pets. By the time he was 5, he could kill, skin and prepare the meat of an animal quite easily.

Although it pained his little heart to see his beloved animals die, Seokjin knew he was powerless to do anything about it. God had created them for consuming, to give his body energy and provide nourishment for his family. Seokjin knew he had to learn to harden his heart or his family would go hungry.

As he grew up, his ajhumma had taught him to bake. He loved the smell of freshly made bread and rolls in the morning. He was always up before the cock would crow so he could help his ajhumma in the kitchen. He was a thin boy but he had strength in him that kids his age would never have. Growing up doing hard labour, had seen to that.

He became adept at baking and cooking delicious meals early on. But life was never good for Seokjin. Neither was it very fair. He loved school and learning but they never had enough money or the time to let him study. So he grew up with the animals on the farm as his companions and his ajhumma as the major influencer in his life.

When he was merely 16, she died, leaving Seokjin alone in this cruel world. He didn't have the money nor the resources to keep the small farm afloat, so he was forced to leave and move to the city to look for better opportunities. Those were the saddest days of Seokjin's life.

He had lived on the streets and found odd jobs to fill his stomach. He was not above stealing food either. He had to do a lot to just survive. When he was 18, he found a good live-in position for an all round errand boy to an old man and his 20 year old son.

Yoongi, the man's son, was attending college and could not take care of his bedridden father and their home. Seokjin was happy for the first time in years. He had found a home with the Min family. He didn't mind the work as long as he had a warm bed and good food. What more could he ask for?

Then came a day that Yoongi took a decided interest in Seokjin. He would watch the boy working, cleaning the house, cooking or running errands and it all conspired to drive Yoongi crazy with desire for him.

Seokjin, who was naturally trusting, fell for Yoongi's manipulative ways and soon found himself in the man's bed. Yoongi deflowered him and they carried on with a sexual relationship that only served to fulfil Yoongi's needs. Poor, oblivious Seokjin, thought that Yoongi was actually in love with him.

Soon enough, he found himself pregnant. But thinking that Yoongi would honor him and marry him, Seokjin had bravely told his paramour of his impending fatherhood. The betrayal that he had suffered thereafter at the hands of a man he thought was in love with him, set the seal on Seokjin's life and he found himself once again on the streets. Only this time, he had another life to think about. The life of his unborn, bastard son of Min Yoongi.

He found shelter at an orphanage and gave birth to his son. But since he didn't have the heart to put his little angel up for adoption, he resolved to make a life for them even if he had to struggle alone.

He met Huenmi one day at the traffic light where he was begging for food or money. Anything that would help him to feed his son. Huenmi had pitied him, especially his little baby that was slung on his chest with a cloth.

Although she was a year younger than Seokjin, she was ahead of him in many ways. She arranged for him to be a dishwasher at her father's restaurant and found him accommodation at a nearby settlement. Seokjin was grateful for Huenmi. She had helped him when he was possibly at his lowest.

It had been a few months now and JungHwa was thriving since he was well fed and taken care of. Seokjin was able to get nappies from a local clinic that provided free health care for him and his child. Huenmi had helped him to register there even though he had lacked the proper documents. Seokjin was basically illiterate.

His job as a dishwasher was not what he had envisioned for himself but nevertheless, he was grateful. He was still treated badly by many people and humiliated often for being poor but the smiles of his little JungHwa always compensated for the sadness in his life.

So when Huenmi got a scholarship to study abroad, Seokjin knew that the protective shadow she had over his life, would soon be ripped away from him. No sooner had she left, her father fired him and he found himself jobless and homeless in a single moment.

His disparity at finding himself in this predicament once again, took a toll on a man who had seen so much hardship in the short space of his life that, he contemplated taking his own life and the life of his child. He had no one to protect him anymore. Once again Seokjin found that even though he was at his lowest, that optimism that he nurtured was still able to give him a hope in his darkest hours.

He resolved to find a way to fight for survival. If not for himself, but at least for his innocent son.

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This story always makes my heart cry. Even when I write/edit the chapters, the tears flow easily for our protagonist 😭

I purple you 💜

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Love Swty 😙