Seokjin was always the last student to leave the school. All the other young students were waiting for a luxury car driven by a private driver to pick them up to take them to their evening classes and then take them home, but as for him, he was not expecting anyone and he had no evening classes. His wealthy sponsor hadn't paid for evening classes, only school, which was already a lot, he knew.
In the evening, he just waited for the middle school to empty so he could go out without being humiliated by others. Mr. Choi, the school guard was still waiting to see him go through the school gates alone before locking everything. The poor boy made him sad. He found him too kind to attend the same school as these wealthy, hard-hearted heirs.
During his early days in middle school, Seokjin hadn't been careful enough and didn't hide that he didn't have a wealthy and influential family unlike others. It wasn't something that could hide forever anyway. Initially, it didn't matter, because he had two wealthy friends who were protecting him. Then, one of them had moved away from him, he had even become his enemy and the other had left the middle school, leaving him to be the prey of the other students.
Left helpless in this world of wolves, the poor lamb had been targeted as the boy everyone could kick. This was what Seokjin had endured without complaining for nearly three long years. He had forbidden himself to complain, convincing himself that he had no right to do so: he had been given an opportunity to get by in life and if that meant putting up with the contempt and hatred of the other students towards him, so be it.
It was raining that evening when, after the last car had left the middle school compound, Mr. Choi saw Seokjin emerge from under a porch and prepare to run home, protecting his heavy school bag to that his clothes get wet as little as possible.
"Seokjin, come here, my boy!" he shouted from the porch of his gatehouse waving his hand, catching the attention of Seokjin who ran up to him, glad to see him after spending the day with unfriendly people.
"Good evening Mr. Choi," Seokjin greeted him politely when he joined him, bowing with a warm smile because he knew that when the guard called him, it was always to have a friendly chat that lifted his spirits at the end of the day.
The old man reminded him of his grandfather and he would have liked the two men to meet. They might have become friends if Seokjin's grandfather agreed to leave his precious garden some times. Now, Seokjin had the impression to see Mr. Choi much more often than his grandfather did.
"Good evening Seokjin, did you have a good day?"
"Yes, it was good thank you," Seokjin replied with a smaller smile than before and Mr. Choi saw that he was lying but the boy always pretended that it was okay, it was like a second nature to him.
"They played a bad trick on you again, huh?" He said, with a sad smile, "you know you can tell me, I will believe you."
Seeing that he couldn't hide the truth from the shrewd guardian, Seokjin changed his strategy: telling the truth but making it lighter.
"They tried to get me fired again today, but it didn't work," Seokjin laughed lightly, "I told them I'll hang in there until I finish middle school and I'm going to keep my promise. I don't have long to hold on and I will for sure!"
"Yeah, I remember that's also what you promised me too the first time we met," the old man said wistfully.
He recalled the first time he had met little Seokjin in first grade, then 12 years old. The boy had taken refuge behind his caretaker's lodge to hide from his classmates who were looking for him. He had just been abandoned by his friend who had allowed others to humiliate him in front of his entire class and that day, Seokjin cried.
But then, having been consoled by the old man who made him promise to be strong and successful to show those rich kids what courage and perseverance was, Seokjin smiled again. He hadn't lost his smile since, no matter how difficult the days he had to face and Mr Choi he thought him really brave for such a young boy.
He had dried his tears and hadn't cried anymore, hadn't let himself be touched by the meanness of the other students who seemed to be doing everything possible to make him break down and give up, to make him understand that he didn't have his place among them.
"Have you received the high school admissions results?" Choi asked in a loving fatherly tone.
He knew how important it was to the boy and how critical it would be to his future happiness and success. Every time they saw each other, Seokjin only talked about football and his eyes were sparkling with excitement.
The boy only saw his bright future if he could play football forever and turn professional soon. In this, he was in no way like the other students of this middle school and that Mr Choi passed by every day without them giving him a single look, he was so invisible to them.
Yet, if they weren't looking at him, the old man was looking at them and he had realized that unlike Seokjin, those kids had no passion in their eyes, no dream to realize since they would be content to inherit their family and will always have what they want without having to make the slightest effort to obtain it.
"No, the results come out tomorrow before the match!" Seokjin said excitedly. "If I am accepted, I promise to make my team win!"
"You will make your team win despite everything, you know that very well!" the old guard laughed and both burst out laughing. "Well, you better go home and go to bed early so you can be fine tomorrow for your match. And don't forget to eat well!"
"I won't!" Seokjin promised, "thank you very much!"
Seokjin bowed, glad to have had a chat with the old man, and dashed off at a run in the rain, carrying his bag on his stomach with his jacket over it, having finally chosen to wet his uniform rather than his school stuffs and praying that one night would be enough to dry them.
"Omo... I called him to give him an umbrella and I forgot," the old man realized with a sigh as he looked at the umbrella he was holding in his hands before watching the boy disappear once the portal of the crossed school. "I hope my little Seokjin doesn't get sick."
Seokjin ran home as fast as he could. His daily forced walks and runs to get home several kilometers from school were a blessing for the sportsboy that he was. They had allowed him to develop his endurance, which he particularly needed as the sportsman and top athlete he aspired to be. However, his health problems required him to take a break in the middle of his run to catch his breath and calm the fire in his lungs.
He stopped under the forecourt of a restaurant for a few minutes and placed a hand on his aching chest. Wheezing and hard, he took his ventolin out of his pocket that he always had with him and inhaled its contents, taking a deep breath and surrendering to the satisfaction of feeling his bronchial tubes expand again to let in the air and its precious oxygen. Closing his eyes and breathing steadily, he felt he was once again ready for a new race.
However, before leaving, he took the time to take his phone out of his uniform pocket and turned it back on. It wasn't a state-of-the-art smartphone like his rich comrades, just an old phone he'd been given to call and send or reply to messages. He was rarely called and he had no one but his mother and grandfather to call in case of trouble, but he had been hoping for a call from the school of his dream for several days.
As his drenched locks of hair dropped large drops of water onto the small screen, Seokjin saw with disappointment that high school hadn't contact him. Yet, he saw with apprehension that another person, unable to reach him, had sent him a message. The sender was called "Sir."
He pressed the button to listen to the voicemail and jumped when he heard the harsh, stern voice he knew all too well:
"Seokjin, why aren't you answering your damn phone?! You don't have night classes so where are you hanging out again?! I'm waiting for you in my office but I don't have the whole evening to devote to you, so you'd better get there quickly!"
The voicemail had been left only a few minutes earlier, Seokjin noticed with relief. He put his phone away, adjusted his bag, praying that the library books he had carefully wrapped in his gym clothes inside of it wouldn't get wet, then he ran as quickly as possible.
He soon arrived in front of the large front gate of a rich mansion which he crossed after having entered the code and having passed in front of the lodge of the permanently posted security guard.
"Good evening Baek," Seokjin greeted, so breathless that he started to cough for several minutes without stopping.
"Hey don't die Seokjin!" the burly man in his forties joked, raising his cap slightly to get a better look at the boy who, bent over with his hands on his knees, his schoolbag and his clothes soaked, was catching his breath.
He had known him since childhood and was very attached to him. There were few children in this property but Seokjin was the only one who had managed to soften the hearts of all those who worked there. Everyone wished him wholeheartedly to realize his dreams and to flee this this house with the detestable owners who gave it a hard tim eand where he had no place. Others where adults and had chosen to work there out of necessity but Seokjin hadn't chosen anything at all and he suffered unfairly from living there with his mother and grandfather.
"I'm fine!" Seokjin gasped, smiling and joining his thumb to his index finger before raising his head and taking a deep breath.
"Yeah, I can see that," Baek-Hyun scoffed. "You shouldn't be running like a crazy if it's going to end up like this,"the man chided him, patting him on the back.
" Hey! I'm... a young athlete... in great shape, just learning... to manage... my breath," Seokjin pretended to sulk before looking at his stopwatch: "I took twenty minutes less than usual to return home, I'm progressing!"
"You are already the fastest on the football field. Honestly, considering how you run every day to school and back, I'm convinced if you weren't sick you would have extraordinary stamina."
"Don't worry, when I turn pro in a few years, I won't be sick anymore and I'll be running faster and longer than everyone else," Seokjin said, puffing out his chest.
"If you say so kiddo! Ah, and tomorrow you'll have the answer for high school, right?"
"You remember it!" Seokjin exclaimed happily.
" Obviously!" smiled the security guard, smiled amusedly because the boy had been repeating it so excitedly lately that all the employees at the property knew about it and weren't likely to forget it. But he then lost his smile suddenly remembering something important: "I'm sorry little guy but the Mr. Kim asked me to warn him when you arrived. I can only give you a few minutes to breathe before calling him and let him know you're coming: he's waiting for you in his office."
"Thank you Baek, I already got his message, I will go now," Seokjin said, getting ready to take leave of the man.
"But..." the man began uncomfortably.
"What?" the teenager asked with curiosity.
"I don't know why, but he had your mom called there, that sounded pretty serious to me."
Hearing that, Seokjin widened his eyes and, giving up on catching his breath, resumed running in the direction of the large and sumptuous house saying a quick "thank you, see you later!" to the security guard who sighed and hoped for the nice kid that it was nothing serious because his boss was usually not kind to him.
Entering the house while he was soaked, Seokjin apologized to the maid who had opened the door for him.
"Don't worry about that, Seokjin," she told him, handing him a towel and taking his wet backpack in exchange. "Dry off a bit and get on the stairs, the master is not in a good mood, I heard him yelling at Yoko."
"Thank you, Boram," Seokjin said returning the towel to her after quickly wiping his face and drying his hair.
Then, he rushed upstairs to where Mr. Kim's office was, leaving behind a wet trail on the Kims' carpet.
Through the office door, he clearly heard the man's angry voice and his mother's pleading voice, shaking as if she was ready to cry. Seokjin clenched his fists however, trying to calm down before entering. It was always difficult for him to know his mother in this state in front of this bad man.
Seokjin didn't have a father but fully believed that if he had one, he wouldn't have let Mr. Kim talk to his mother like that: he would have been there to defend his son and his wife, because he would have been the exact opposite of Mr. Kim with them, kind and protective. Instead, Seokjin and his mother had to spend his time apologizing for everything to keep Mr. Kim from picking on them or his aging grandfather.
But at almost fourteen, since he had no protective father except in his dreams, it was up to Seokjin to take care of his family.
Out of respect, he knocked gently despite his anguish and silence fell on the other side.
"Excuse me sir, it's me, Seokjin," he announced himself.
"Come in, boy," Mr. Kim said.
Seokjin walked into the room and saw his mother standing in front of Mr. Kim's ransacked desk. The man had always had temper issues, and upon looking more closely at his mother's rosy cheek, Seokjin saw in horror that his fears were well-founded: he had hit her. Mr. Kim was the boss and he did what he wanted with all of his employees.
Being in need, his employees had no choice but to tolerate this. Those who had the possibility fled this house as soon as they discovered this facet of the personality of their employer, whose appearance and attitude were always impeccable when he was in the company of people of the same social status as him.
When Seokjin entered and closed the door behind him, Mr. Kim walked around his desk, went straight towards the teenager, and delivered a resounding slap to him that elicited a cry from his mother next to him but left him stiff as an i and silent, waiting to find out what the man, whose usually impeccable hairstyle let a few strands of black hair escape on his furious face, reproached him this time.
He used to those evenings in that office that made him feel like he was undergoing a trial in which he was always accused and almost always ended up being punished, even though he knew it pained his mother to see Mr. Kim hit him. He preferred to make her feel like it didn't hurt him as he was a man, to which she replied evertime that he was still only a little man.
Mr. Kim then pushed him roughly onto one of the two small sofas facing each other and sat down on the other.
"Seokjin, my boy, didn't I give you a gift by allowing you to study in one of the best middle school in the country?"
"Yes sir, the most beautiful gift," Seokjin replied obediently, trying to sound humble, before reciting the words he often had to repeat to Mr. Kim to flatter his ego : "there is nothing more important than education for success."
"Exactly," the man approved, "someone like you cannot access the best without the help of a benefactor. Yet, despite everything, you keep causing problems at school and it is me who is contacted to inform me of it since it is I who recommended you. Do you know how embarrassing you are to me and my family, Seokjin?"
Finally understanding why the man was so angry with him and his mother, Seokjin lost all countenance.
"I-I'm really sorry sir, what happened today was a misunderstanding, I was wrongly accused and..." Seokjin started as he wanted to justify himself.
However, Mr Kim cut him off sharply:
"Of course, that's what you say all the time: it's never your fault. Your comrades, your teachers and even the school principal are all liars and you are a saint who has never done anything, right?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying but-"
"Enough! If I listen to you, you've never done anything wrong but it's starting to be too much, I can not stand you anymore, while you behave like a thug wit my name. I don't even know if I want to let you finish the school year, do you know that the headteacher asked me insistently to let him expelled you from his school?"
Seokjin and his mother opened their eyes and mouths wide in amazement, and Yoko fell to her knees, vigorously rubbing her hands in pleading:
"No, sir, please give him a last chance, forgive him please, let him finish his school year at this school!"
"And why should I do that?" retorted his employer in a contemptuous tone, "this year, I only have negative feedback from the school regarding Seokjin, I obviously did not make the right choice by sending him there in my children's school. He waited until his last year to show his true nature, probably thinking that we wouldn't dare kick him out of school anymore. Now, he behaves like a badly brought up child!"he thundered, startling Seokjin and his mother.
"I educated him badly Sir, I know it's my fault, so please forgive him and let him finish his year, I'll work harder to pay you back!"
"Mom..." Seokjin wanted to interject, but his mother interrupted him by grabbing his arm and kept her eyes on the ground while kneeling in front of her boss.
So Seokjin resolved to remain silent. His mother's words hurt his heart. Even though he knew his mother wanted to give him a better future, he couldn't stand Mr. Kim forcing her to humiliate herself like this. She had done her best to educate him as she could by giving him values, which Mr. and Mrs. Kim did not seem to gave their children. However, Mr. Kim thought he was a better parent and gave himself the right to call his mother a bad mother.
Regarding Mr. Kim's words about his school behavior, knowing full well that no matter what he said, the man wouldn't believe him, Seokjin had nothing to say and had to allow himself to be blamed he didn't deserve. The man never wanted to believe that it was Seokjin who was being bullied at school, even when he came home hurt, because if the other rich kids said he was bullying them, then everyone would believe them and no one would believe the son of the maid and the grandson of the gardener of the Kims.
The other parents obviously always believed their evil children but his own mother believed him no matter what so that was enough for him. However, it was unfortunately not his mother that the middle school always called in case of problems: it was always Mr. Kim.
"Please," Yoko continued, "you won't have to pay for his school fees soon, Seokjin will get a scholarship to enter a sports high school, you won't be tied to his schooling anymore. No matter what happens after that, you won't be ashamed anymore, I promise you sir!"
"Is that true, Seokjin?" Mr. Kim asked, looking up at the teen.
"It's almost certain," replied Seokjin who was praying even more than before to be accepted. "I am waiting for the official announcement tomorrow, but the recruiter seemed sure of himself and will come again to tomorrow's football match. He already told me that he had seen what I was worth on the ground but that it was especially necessary that I pass my exams now to receive my scholarship."
"If he can't finish the year in this middle school, he won't get his scholarship, so please sir, let him finish his school year, I'm begging you!" Seokjin's mother pleaded.
"Miss Murakami, Seokjin entered school as a Kim," the businessman replied harshly, "if he fails his exams and doesn't get this scholarship, my name will also be soiled. Understand that I have to think carefully."
Seokjin had the impression that he took a malicious pleasure in seeing his mother humiliate herself in front of him and in seeing them despair, depending on his every will and decision.
"Yes, sir, we understand and we are very grateful to you for everything you did for Seokjin since years!" She said and motioned for her son to stand up from the couch and show his respect, which Seokjin unflinchingly did as he respectfully kneeled beside her.
"Seokjin!"
"Yes, sir?" Seokjin asked immediately, his head lowered to the ground, like his mother.
"Look at me boy and listen to me carefully: if you do not get this favorable response or if you do not obtain excellent results in your final exams, I will consider that my investment was wasted and that you did not deserve that I take care of your schooling until now. First, it means that I will not subsidize the rest of your studies anymore and you will manage to find and pay for yourself a high school. And secondly, your mother and grandfather will be fired, which will also cause you to lose your house."
Seokjin froze at those words and his mother gasped in surprise.
"Have I made myself understood, Seokjin?"
The cold voice made him shiver but Seokjin nodded. After all, he trusted himself to pass his exams and most importantly, to stop relying on Mr. Kim's funding on which he no longer wanted to depend, and to offer soon his mother and grandfather a better future away from this evil man.
"Yes sir, I understood and I will success without a doubt," he replied with conviction.
"Very well. Now you can go out Miss Murakami, Seokjin and I have to talk between men," Mr. Kim said.
"No, please..." begged Yoko with tearing eyes, because she knew what the man meant. And discussions "between men" always ended the same way for her little boy.
There was a time when Seokjin hid from her mother what the Kims were doing to him so as not to cause her more trouble than she had, but she inevitably found out because how can a mother stay indefinitely blind to the suffering of her child?
"Seokjin has no father and obviously you are not doing brilliantly in the education you are giving him. Someone has to take care of your rascal, now get out," Mr. Kim ordered.
At that moment, Seokjin really would have wanted to tell him a lot of things about his methods of education but he refrained. He had to remain obedient so as not to harm his mother or harm himself more.
"It's okay, mom, you can go, I'll join you later," he told her in a tone that he wanted to be reassuring.
Her mother grabbed his hand and kissed it. She didn't want to leave her baby in the hands of this man, but she knew she had no choice. His child's future would be bright, she wa sure about that, but right now he had to go through hell and she couldn't do anything to protect him like what other mothers do for their children and she was ashamed of it. A few more weeks until graduation and she would resign to offer her son a living environment without a violent and unfair man around him.
She resolved to leave the office crying silently and closed the door behind her, whispering: "I'm sorry, my son."
Mr Kim sighed tiredly when the door closed and he was finally alone with Seokjin.
"I was already having a bad day and theheadteacher's call was too much, I need to vent a little tonight. Give me my cane."
Seokjin swallows with difficulty. The first time the man had asked him that, Seokjin had wondered why Mr. Kim had a cane. Well advanced in his forties, he did not seemed to need it and besides, he had never seen him walk with it. But afterwards, he didn't wonder anymore because whenever Seokjin saw it, he knew that it was on him that it was going to be used. Maybe Mr. Kim just bought it for that?
"Take off your uniform, I don't want to have to buy you another one again because this one will have torn or stained."
Seokjin quickly complied, removing his wet jacket, tie, and shirt, hoping it would pass quickly and finding himself shivering with cold in front of the man who was waiting for him to present his back to him. Seokjin gritted his teeth as the man's contented smile stretched across his face behind him, knowing he was going to indulge his wild pleasure on this boy who depended entirely on him.
Seeing the hole in his pants that the cigarette had made and that Seokjin could no longer hide, Mr. Kim's anger was only greater and Seokjin knew that his ordeal would only be longer. The man grabbed his cane and held it high while Seokjin closed his eyes.
"Don't scream too loud tonight, is my wife is already sleeping and you know that she hates to hear you scream."
I know that she hates me and that she is happy to know that I am in pain, Seokjin had time to think before to repress a cry of pain when he received the first blow.