Trigger Warning: Violence
Hyun Bin spent the next week trying to figure out the best way to convey his apology.
There's one problem though, he was worried if Ye Jin will be scared and traumatized when she saw him again. That's why he decided to find out how Ye Jin was doing through one of her classmates.
Kim Hyun Sook was one of the students who always exited the school at the same time with Ye Jin, so Hyun Bin could guess correctly that the girl was in the same class.
The bus that Hyun Sook took from school everyday also happened to be heading to Hyun Bin's area, so he could take advantage of the morning commute to school and in the afternoon after school to find out about Ye Jin.
It is not difficult to approach Kim Hyun Sook because of her naturally friendly personality. The girl seems wary at first, but as soon as Hyun Bin shows a photo of himself with his father, who Hyun Sook also recognizes as Ye Jin's stepfather who sometimes drops or picks up after school, her vigilance soon loosened.
"I just wanted to make sure things were okay because the last time we met the situation didn't end well." Technically Hyun Bin wasn't lying this time.
"And if you already know about her thoughts, what will you do?" Hyun Sook asked curiously.
"Well, I hope with your help I can figure out when and how to apologize." Hyun Bin answered honestly, "because if I showed up and apologized to her right now, she would have run away."
And from then on, Hyun Sook officially became his spy.
"Ye Jin has lost her appetite for days, she said eating Seolleongtang would make her feel better, but unfortunately she hasn't had time to cook it because it takes quite a while." Hyun Sook said that afternoon.
Hearing that, Hyun Bin spent the whole night looking for a restaurant that sells good Seolleontang. He was almost gave up and try cooking the soup himself but luckily the last restaurant he went to sold the Seolleontang he was looking for.
The next morning, Hyun Bin left the warmed Seolleontang to the school guard, not forgetting to slip a letter in it.
"Dear Ye Jin,
I know my apologies won't erase my mistake to you.
But please accept this Seolleontang Soup as a sign of my regret.
I hope you're always healthy.
HB"
Ye Jin folded the letter that was placed on the lunchbox containing the Seolleontang.
Her first instinct was to throw the lunchbox in the trash, but the seductive smell of the soup made her think twice before doing so.
It had been days since she had lost her appetite, the smell of the soup stirred up her malnourished body, convincing Ye Jin to eat the soup mouthful after mouthful until there was nothing left.
“Ye Jin finished her soup,” Hyun Sook reported proudly.
Hyun Bin who sat next to her on the bus on their way home from school nodded approvingly.
He hoped that by receiving the soup from him, Ye Jin's feelings for him would begin to soften.
"Did you know that Ye Jin's bag zipper has broken for a long time but she hasn't replace it yet because she really liked the style of the bag?" The next morning Hyun Sook gave him another idea.
That day Hyun Bin waited for Ye Jin to arrive at her school from a distance, in order to see and remember the shape of the bag she was wearing.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw Ye Jin walking slowly from the bus stop towards the school gate.
This was Hyun Bin's first time seeing Ye Jin since the incident at Gong Yoo's house. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, though she looked thinner and paler.
Hyun Bin tried to get as close as he could, being careful so Ye Jin wouldn't notice his presence.
Luckily, the girl seemed too busy with her own thoughts, walking down the street from the bus stop to the school gate so that Hyun Bin could see the shape of her beloved school bag quite well.
After the girl's back disappeared behind the school gates, Hyun Bin rushed to the shopping center on bus. It doesn't matter if he has to skip school for the umpteenth time.
It took quite a while until Hyun Bin finally found the exact same bag as Ye Jin's. Unfortunately, the price of the bag was quite expensive. His small saving was not enough to buy the bag.
Since he can't wait to get money from his monthly allowance from his mom, Hyun Bin rushes to his father's office looking for a way out.
After begging, his father finally allowed Hyun Bin to work part time on one of his projects.
Five hours of work for two days was more than enough to buy Ye Jin's new bag. Hyun Bin insists on starting that very day, regardless of his father's nagging because he skipped school that day.
The next day after school Hyun Bin went straight to work. His job is to transport sand and bricks from the truck with a cart. He worked with such enthusiasm, thinking about Ye Jin's smile when she got the new bag.
Hyun Sook accepted Hyun Bin's bag for Ye Jin worriedly. He winced several times in pain complaining about his aching muscles.
"Dear Ye Jin
I really can't fix things as easily as replacing your broken bag with a new one.
But accept this gift from me as a form of my sincerity to ask for forgiveness from you.
HB"
Ye Jin folded the letter tucked inside the gift bag. Her gaze turned to Hyun Sook who had been watching her reaction all this time.
"The person who left this bag... What was he like?" Ye Jin asked.
"Errrr... Tall, extraordinarily handsome, serious looking." Hyun Sook mentioned Hyun Bin's characteristics while pointing up her fingers one by one.
"No.. I mean how is he.. Does he look healthy or.. Like someone who's been drunk all night?"
"Oooooh... He looks healthy, I think..." Hyun Sook replied while remembering how his new friend looked. "It's just that he looks like a little in pain, whether he's fallen or sprained, I didn't have time to ask." she continued.
Ye Jin was stunned. There were so many questions in her head but she didn't know how to find the answers.
When he sent the Seolleontang a few days earlier, Ye Jin thought it was just a coincidence.
It just so happened that Hyun Bin sent the food she was craving after days of losing her appetite.
But now, how did he know it was time to replace her bag? Even Gong Yoo oppa didn't know that.
Ye Jin didn't know if she should feel angry, scared or happy to receive his gifts.
What she was sure of, there must be someone nearby who was always watching and informing Hyun Bin of Ye Jin's condition.
***
"I think Hyun Bin has a girlfriend." Ye Jin's step dad said as he chewed his breakfast slowly. Gong Yoo, who was eating at Ye Jin's house that morning, choked loudly hearing that.
While coughing he exchanged glances with Ye Jin who immediately patted him on the back.
"Dad was busy working late yesterday so I can't tell you right away. So a few days ago Hyun Bin asked for a part time job on my project." he explained.
Gong Yoo looked at Ye Jin who was now silently looking down at the food on her plate.
"He didn't say what the money was for, but appa had a feeling he wanted to buy something for his girlfriend. You should see the number of patches that appa put on his back on his last day of work... Phenomenal!" Ye Jin's stepfather laughed heartily, not noticing that there had been tension at the dinner table since his son's name was mentioned.
"He's a strong-willed kid huh, yeobo?" Ye Jin's mother chimed in as she added a bean sprout salad to her husband's bowl.
"Just like his father!" Ye Jin's father replied proudly.
"Even if he could just ask you if he needs money, right?" Ye Jin's mother was the only person who responded to Ye Jin's stepfather now.
Ye Jin was still looking down while Gong Yoo silently listening, gripping his chopsticks with trembling hands, holding back emotions.
"That's the point! He's determined to make his own money, that's what makes appa sure he intended to use the money to buy something special!"
Ye Jin glanced at her new bag which seemed to be sparkling by her feet right now. Gong Yoo oppa's reaction made her afraid to tell about the gifts Hyun Bin gave her.
***
"Maybe it's time for you to apologize directly to Ye Jin." Hyun Sook started the conversation as soon as Hyun Bin sat beside her on the way to school. "Looks like she's starting to get suspicious."
"No, my efforts are still not enough." Hyun Bin shook his head stubbornly.
"I can't keep spying on Ye Jin. After all, how big of a mistake did you make that you have to try this hard to atone for your sins?" Hyun Sook asked curiously.
Hyun Bin just lower his head silently.
"I'm sure other girls would have swooned with joy if they got as much attention as you do for Ye Jin." Hyun Sook stared at him enviously, "Frankly, I suspect that you actually have a crush on her. Why can't you just be honest with each other, it seems that she also pays attention to you." Hyun Sook tried to reason with him.
Hyun Bin raised his head, looking at Hyun Sook expectantly, "Really? What did she say about me?" he asked.
"Haish look at his face immediately light up so happily" Hyun Sook pretended to be annoyed, "I don't want to get involved if you get into trouble with your parents, okay!"
"Come on, tell me what she said about me!" Hyun Bin insisted.
"She asked about your health condition when you left the gift for her," Hyun Sook answered briefly.
That answer made Hyun Bin's smile widen, revealing a pair of deep dimples on his cheeks.
"Haishhhhh... It's been almost a week since I've known you, this is the first time you're smiling just because you heard Ye Jin ask about your condition." Hyun Sook glanced at him sneering.
Hyun Bin grins wider, ignoring his friend's taunts. Ye Jin asked her condition, it meant that the girl still cared about him.
This afternoon he would try to meet Ye Jin after school, and convey his apologies in person, he thought determinedly.
***
Ye Jin lost in thought as usual when she walked out of the school building. Her friends walked in groups, whispering to each other talking about their weekend plans.
Ye Jin noticed some of them started whispering excitedly while pointing at the front of the school gate. There was a handsome boy from another school standing waiting for someone at the gate? Ye Jin raised her face curiously.
Hef heart stopped for a moment as her eyes met Hyun Bin's hopeful eyes.
As she continued walking, Ye Jin contemplated whether she should approach Hyun Bin or just walk past him.
Ye Jin closed her eyes, letting her heart answer. Her footsteps suddenly stopped, and when she opened her eyes, Hyun Bin was right in front of her.
"Hello Ye Jin.... Can we talk...?" Hyun Bin asked, his eyes full of hope.
Ye Jin was just opened her mouth to answer when suddenly, "BAMM!!!" A man pushed Hyun Bin's body hard, made him fell to the ground.
Ye Jin gasped, some of her schoolmates shrieked in surprise. Gong Yoo oppa now grabs Hyun Bin by the collar, pulling him until he stood up before throwing punch after punch at his cousin's face with both hands.
*Punch!!* "I," *Punch!!* "WARNED" *Punch!!* "YOU," *Punch!!* "ALREADY" *Punch!!* "DON'T" *Punch!!* "COME" *Punch!!* "NEAR" *Punch!!!* "YE JIN" *Punch!! "AGAIN!!!" Gong Yoo gasped for breath. Hyun Bin is now lying on the ground with his face covered in blood.
Ye Jin grabbed Gong Yoo by the waist trying to make him stop, but his step cousin's emotions were still bubbling.
Gong Yoo kept kicking Hyun Bin's body who was now curled up without a fight, only protecting the front of his body. Ye Jin's screams and cries were not heard by Gong Yoo who was only saw red.
Several grown men and school security officers came to intervene. Ye Jin felt as if everything was moving in slow motion as they tried to pull Hyun Bin's body out of Gong Yoo's reach.
The step-cousin was still panting with emotion even when Hyun Bin's limp body was carried to the hospital in the school car.
Ye Jin could only sit there crying while her friends whispered judgingly around her.
A handkerchief outstretched, Hyun Sook crouched next to her with a comforting smile. Ye Jin just stared at her classmate's face, feeling helpless when Gong Yoo oppa pulled her hand, taking her home with him.