35 – How a Thug Deals with School Violence (6)
1.
After saving Harira student and introducing myself as a manager to Mr. Hahyuksoo in the afternoon, I was at the grandmother’s beef soup restaurant that I was planning to go to earlier.
“So, what happened?”
“What happened? I got caught right away. Since I got caught, I must be having this kind of conversation with you.”
I thought it was fine to urgently hand over the business card as a manager, but Mr. Hahyuksoo, who had already convinced himself that I was a thug, was not buying it.
“Well, if a thug is a manager, it’s suspicious. Anyone would think it’s a management agency run by a thug.”
Following my brother’s words, I even heard him say, ‘This crazy thug! Did he climb the management agency tech tree? This is not just a thug, but a proper thug! Where is he trying to exploit our daughter as a slave of the management agency! No way, you bastard!’ I felt more resentment.
But it wasn’t like I couldn’t understand Hahyuksoo’s perspective.
Thugs setting up management agencies was a common thing even before I went to prison.
“Even if I say it’s not true and it’s a perfectly normal management agency, there’s only one entertainer, Choi Cheolhoon, in the agency. Well, there’s nothing to say.”
“Well, that’s right. Choi Cheolhoon is an entertainer who doesn’t even come up in searches. Hey, does such a management agency even exist?”
“It’s the agency my brother created!”
“Yeah~ The boss is really straight~ He got money from a star, and I only acted as an intermediary in between~”
Brother, in a manner that seemed fit for scolding children and learned from goodness knows where, generously raised me up with medicine.
However, the rise in tone was due to the language, and if you only listened to the content, there was no incorrect information, so I had nothing to say about it.
Still, I couldn’t just take it lying down, so just as I was about to bring up Brother’s dark history No. 158, ‘The Story of Brother Proposing to His Sister-in-law,’ my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Wooong-
“Huh? I got a message.”
The only people who would contact me were Prison Chief Kim or Haan from the correctional facility, and of course, Brother, but both Chief Kim and Haan would be busy, and Brother was right in front of me.
So the only remaining option was something like an advertisement text.
“Special deal on Sundae Gukbap. Enjoy it!”
As I took out my phone from my pocket to quickly block the number, the ordered Gukbap arrived.
“Wow. Just looking at it makes my stomach feel secure. Gukbap is the best for lunch!”
Wait, doesn’t Brother get tired of Gukbap? It’s been a few days since my release, and he’s been having Gukbap for lunch every day?
Comparing it to seven years ago, Brother’s love for Gukbap hasn’t diminished. With my tongue out, appreciating Brother’s love for Gukbap, I checked my phone.
“Oh.”
“It might be a bit late for lunch, and I actually ate three hours ago, but well! Eating leaves something behind. Jinho, let’s eat!”
Brother laughed happily, lifting his spoon, and I pushed my chair back, getting up from my seat.
Swooosh.
“What’s up? Why are you getting up? Bathroom?”
With a worried look, Brother, frozen in the act of bringing Gukbap to his mouth, asked as I stood up.
It was a look that seemed to already know what was going to happen to him, but probably didn’t want to believe it, so he asked again to confirm.
I felt a moment of guilt in those eyes, but recalling Brother’s scolding tone just now, I could leave with a light heart.
I still held the spoon in front of my mouth, showing the frozen hyungnim the text messages with a playful smile.
“Oh no. You received a message from the precious idol trainee candidate.”
“What?! Hey, what about your beef soup?”
“Huh? Well… hyungnim, do you want it?”
With that, I ignored the sound of a person wearing a bear costume crying from behind and left the beef soup restaurant.
Even though I hadn’t eaten, there was a reassuring feeling in my chest. Whether it was because I was going to meet Hari-ra student or because I could give a punch to hyungnim, it seemed to be one of the two.
Probably the former.
※※※
It was a good idea to secretly give a business card to Hari-ra student. When the word “idol” came up, his eyes changed. I wondered if he suspected something, and sure enough.
When I asked Hari-ra student if he wanted to become an idol, I couldn’t hear the answer because Ha Hyeok-su was next to him, but I could see the sparkling pupils of Hari-ra student.
It was definitely the kind of eyes that only someone with a dream could reveal.
The girl who sang in front of people had those eyes. I knew because I was always by her side.
I don’t see those eyes in the girl on TV right now. Perhaps because I see her through the medium of TV, I don’t see those eyes, but when she carried a guitar and busked before her debut, she definitely had the same eyes as Hari-ra student.
Seeing that look in Hari-ra student’s eyes, I was halfway convinced, and the business card I handed him connected our fates.
“Oh, here you are! Come quickly!”
Far away, Hari-ra student waved his hand vigorously towards me on the park bench.
Despite being quite far away and with a fair number of people around, Hari-ra student somehow managed to spot me.
Hari-ra student has a really good physique. Even though he fell down being pushed, he can take on ten delinquents alone. His eyes are good too. If he stands on stage, he can probably see all the way to the back of the audience.
An idol who declares that even people at the back can be seen and actually proves it becomes an indispensable swamp for fans.
If Hari-ra student becomes my assigned idol, he will surely play an active role as a reliable member.
I reached the bench where Harira, the student, was imagining scenes of standing on stage, captivating the fans.
“Despite the cold, where could you be going? Why are you out here, Harira?”
From the moment I entered the park and saw Harira’s face, the blushing cheeks and nose had caught my attention. If we were to count from when the message arrived, it had been about 30 minutes. Today’s weather was good, not too cold, but staying in the same place without moving for 30 minutes in the heart of winter still strained the body.
As evidence, Harira’s fingertips, the tip of the nose, and the cheeks were frozen red.
“Well, to be anywhere warm, you’d have to buy something. I don’t have a wallet or anything right now. I sent the message after asking someone passing by to lend me their phone.”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, Harira had lost her phone and wallet while fighting against a dozen or so thugs earlier. Well, she wasn’t exactly poor. She just couldn’t get in because she lost her wallet and phone! There’s no reason for me to feel sorry for Harira!
“Actually, even if I had my wallet, I probably couldn’t have gotten in anywhere.”
“Why? What’s the reason?”
“Oh, it’s because my family is poor. My dad’s income isn’t good. My mom passed away on the day I was born. So, we barely manage our living expenses, and I don’t have money to spend on passing the time somewhere.”
“…”
The light-hearted banter mixed with Harira’s jokes was like a heavy and sharp nail named guilt, mercilessly piercing my heart. Although she briefly mentioned her situation, the weight of Harira’s life within that short statement seemed too heavy for her delicate but small shoulders.
And as heavy as the weight of Harira’s life, the guilt named a nail in my heart also became heavier, causing my waist to involuntarily bow.
“Ha, Harira, I’m really sorry. I lacked consideration.”
“Huh? No, it’s not… No need to apologize. I should be sorry. My lack of consideration for my brother’s lack of sympathy for the poor tore my poor heart into shreds.”
Oh my goodness. Seriously, did she receive such deep wounds? Is poverty a complex for her? Did she confront more than ten thugs alone because they mocked her poverty? Poverty is not a sin, and there is even less reason to ridicule it. If I encounter those bastards on the street, I’ll make sure to give them retribution!
“So, I have the right to receive compensation from my brother, don’t I? I am the victim, after all. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes? Oh, yes. I’m not sure what I can do, but if it helps Harira student feel better, I’ll do anything I can.”
“Then please grant me two requests.”
Listening to Harira student’s words, for some reason, I recalled the time when the lady forced me into a situation, portraying herself as the victim and me as the sinner, then asked for various favors as a reward for forgiveness.
No, no, Kang Jinho! What Harira student is doing is not like that forced situation! It’s just that the circumstances are similar, and memories from that time are resurfacing.
Because I couldn’t believe that Harira student would have such a facet, I shook my head and leaned in to listen to her requests.
Then, Harira student smiled and made her requests.
“One request is for you to talk to me.”
Talk to her? Is that a request? Certainly, Harira student is different from that lady! If it were her, she would have requested to secretly go to a hotel together without her brother knowing! Considering the underage issue!
Indeed, Harira student is not the same type of person as that lady. Rather, she’s a kind person who, to alleviate my guilt, makes easy requests.
During this time, Harira student fetched a large bag from behind the bench, came back to me, and said,
“And the remaining request is… please let me stay overnight.”
?
“I ran away.”
???