10 – Middle School
-It’s cute too…! Oh, yes. The uncle brought something like this, but today you eat it alone, not the hyungs..!
That’s right, without the teacher’s knowledge… Now…! Come here… Yes… Sit on your thighs and eat..!
– How could it be..! Look at him…! It looks so cute..! Her skin is fair, and her eyes are really big..! Yes yes..! How many times have we seen each other..?!
Yes..! So, should I stay with the lady and eat at the restaurant..? Umm… Don’t you like that..? Come here boy well done..! I’ll stroke your hair…!
-In the past, this grandfather also had a grandson like you. Okay, can I touch your stomach once..?!
…So far, I have been able to meet many people while living at the orphanage.
I’m sure there were people who supported me so that I could walk the right path and live a happy life… Some sponsors came to the orphanage with strange thoughts.
Just… Just a little candy or something to eat… There have been a couple of times he’s been stroking my thighs or buttocks.
Because I touched my body in that shady place while the director couldn’t see me- That’s what happened when I didn’t even have the concept of something wrong or strange, so I didn’t know what it was.
If it hadn’t been for the director who thought it was strange to see snacks in my pocket later and asked… Things could have gone worse. Anyway, since that day, I have not been able to accept things that other people give me.
Go a little further- You shouldn’t accept other people’s favor easily. Because I came to know that
And I didn’t receive the goods well. The more ideas develop there, the more we can see.
By giving a small donation, he… Himself is a really good person – a good person. There are many people in the world who want to prove that.
Like a small amount of money in Korea becomes a lot of money in Southeast Asia… There are many cases where a person who is not very important in the society he is in is respected as if he is a great person here.
…A bit nasty, though. I understand. If you give 1 million won a month, the director, teacher, and… The children all come out and greet you as if the four generations of adults have just descended.
If you can satisfy your… Social pride to that extent, I thought it was a pretty lucrative business.
Money.
Yes it matters
Because money is what dies without it.
Some people say that they shave their heads and lick other people’s toes for a single piece of money, and they make hundreds of thousands of dollars by uploading them on Internet broadcasts…
I… Don’t want to live like that.
That much money.
I don’t want to live on the street.
Again- I don’t want to get help from others.
I can fully stand on my own, think, judge and move.
Just- Looking at me like I’m a person who can’t do anything, handing me various things I don’t need- Laughing to myself. Every time I see the expression of a happy, again-joyful supporter.
-I don’t need anything like this..! Take this from your house
Because I said that to my face. I’ve been called to the director a few times because of that.
I had to clean the toilet by myself for several days after being cursed at by the director whose face turned very blue.
I felt comfortable.
Because it was so much better than just… Making fun of me by splitting things up in front of a strange person.
I don’t want to live like that, begging like a beggar, gaining useless sympathy.
“-Guyueeek…!”
I have a bad stomach.
I go to the bathroom and regurgitate everything inside. I think I’m going to die.
My head hurt, and tears came out stingingly.
I just wanted to leave early.
I want to go home.
I just… Want to beat them all up.
After washing your face with cold water, go back to the class.
…I see the homeroom teacher. Come to think of it, it’s time for the closing ceremony. When I went back to my seat, Jina was sitting next to me. The eyes are slightly red.
“Now, since we’re going on a school trip in a little while, I hope you hand in the application form quickly. If you lose the application form, tell me and I’ll draw one and give it to you.
I hope you feel free to come. With just that, the teacher doesn’t make you use flashlights, or make you clean… I hope you fill out the application form.
So…! I have nothing to say..! Then..! Let’s all go do our own thing..! I repeat, the teacher will be in the teachers’ room…! I want you to come quickly..!”
And… I could feel the homeroom teacher’s eyes staring at me. Maybe, everyone except me wrote an application for a school trip..?
Is that why you’re paying attention to me…?
After the funeral ceremony, children carrying bags and rushing out. Because it’s Friday, all the faces are bright.
“Jinah..! Let’s go to the department store today..!”
“I have a movie theater ticket. Would you like to go with me?”
“I want you to come over to my house today~”
“…No no… Today… I want to rest a little…”
While the children gathered around Jin-ah and spit out words one by one, I roughly packed my bag- and went to the teacher’s office.
– Dripping.
Open the door and find the homeroom teacher.
Tadaktak- Tapping on the keyboard, I met the eyes of the teacher who was writing something.
“I have something to tell you”
“… Is it a personal matter…? Shall we talk behind the scenes..?”
And guided me to a room at the back of the teachers’ room.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“No. Teacher, I don’t think I can go on the school trip. Because without me, there is no one to take care of my younger siblings.”
“..Uh..Yes”
It’s not even a great story to talk about while drinking coffee.
Beep-
The homeroom teacher was staring at me in an awkward position, neither sitting in a chair nor standing up.
“I’m really fine.”
“Yeah… If Yoo Seon is like that… I get it…! Yu Seon, in case you need anything else…”
“Nothing”
“Okay, Yoo Seon-ah…”
The homeroom teacher wasn’t that enthusiastic or responsible.
Safe and comfortable.
A gray man.
Maybe that’s why things worked out much better than I thought.
If you asked for the nursery school teacher’s certificate or something like that, it would have been a little… Annoying.
No such thing. I just nodded and it was all over. Because you were telling me
To be honest,
Because I didn’t hate the homeroom teacher that much.
It doesn’t even have an accident, and it’s quietly dented with its mouth shut- There’s no benefit to touching it.
Because all things in the world are good. That’s what made it It’s over.
Yes. I’m 15 years old now, but I’m past the age where I like watching elephants and dolphins.
Thinking about it, I really didn’t want to go. Yes, I have to go there anyway, but I have to go around alone- I don’t think it will be much fun.
That… The restaurant inside the amusement park is overpriced and tasteless, and it seems like you’ve read the news that strange bugs have come out of the lodging where we’ll be staying and we have to go through hygiene checks.
Yes.
There is no need to go there. I didn’t want to go.
Since I didn’t even take off the clothes tags, I went to the store to get a refund and returned all the money to Yoo-jung, um… What should I say to the director…?
I thought about it.
I’m sick right now.
Because I’m sick… Come to think of it, I uploaded it once before in the bathroom.
“…”
There is still a lot of time left until the school trip – I’m getting a little better, but on the day of the school trip – I’m going to get sick again.
“…”
When I left the door of the teacher’s office, Jina was waiting for me outside.
Do you have something to say? He looked at me, moved his lips a few times, then lowered his eyes again.
She was talking to me as she bit into Jin-ah’s lips. What do i mean by that
I think I know.
“Yoo Seon-ah… That… So I…”
-It will definitely be fun..! So, let’s go to the zoo, go to the aquarium, ride rides and have fun…! I’m sorry earlier, I’ll apologize
“I’m not going. I’m not going”
“…”
Cut the horse. Jina lowered her head. What kind of face Jina is making,
I’m not sure.
Because I didn’t even look at her face, I just spit out what I wanted to say, and then – ran like crazy and ran away from Jina’s side.
I wonder what kind of expression Jina was making in front of the teacher’s office that day.
I don’t know.
2)
From noble mtl dot com
“Yoo Seon-ah, are you okay…?”
“Uh… Yes”
“It’s a pity, but- they say there are a lot of fun and interesting things to do there… It’s a pity I couldn’t see it…!
So, don’t get sick and get well soon..! Even the director was worried..!”
“I see”
She pulled the blanket over her head. Really, when you think about it, it’s a funny excuse.
I ate well until yesterday, and then, suddenly, the day came when I had to go on a field trip, and I felt sick and lay down without doing anything..
Because you said that- the director also said he would understand… That’s why he understood.
… A lot of shadows on her face. It must be just my misunderstanding.
Yu-jeong was also worried about me with her mouth, but she couldn’t even hide her expression.
-Actually, that’s not the case…?
An expression full of things he wants to ask me… But he doesn’t want to say it out of his mouth.
There are many kinds of information in the world that you don’t want to know. If we bring this or that out of our mouths, we will only hurt each other.
“…Are you crying, Seon Yoo?”
“No, I’m not crying”
“Should I bring toilet paper…?”
“Yes…”
A seat makes a person. Since he just said he was sick, it seems like he really got sick.
… I don’t know why I think of Jina so much. To be honest… Yes. If Jin-ah hadn’t had the money to mess around like before…
I would have paid for Jina by talking to the director, or cleaning the barbecue grill more.
But, I can help Jina, but Jina can’t do that to me.
Still, I have nothing. The bible says that a beggar’s last silver coin is worth more than a rich man’s hundred chests of gold.
It is good for the poor to help the poor. I think it’s a pretense for the rich to help the poor.
Jinah is rich. He’s rich enough to casually carry a lipstick like Serge Lutens.
For such a rich man to give me money… I thought it was the same as giving money to a beggar in front of the station.
Just trying to make yourself feel better with a small amount of money… That kind of feeling..?
I hate that. Because it’s disgusting. I shouldn’t do that… I think so in my head, but it’s hard to accept it in my heart.
Still, my heart is pounding and my hands are shaking. I don’t want to be involved with Jin-ah anymore.