38 – How Gangsters Deal with School Violence (9)
Bullying.
The act of tormenting and ostracizing an individual within a group, observed by a majority.
Having never attended school and rarely associating with any group other than the one my brother established or the inmates in prison, this word was unfamiliar to me.
Although there were times in prison when my roommates intentionally avoided me, it wasn’t to the extent of harassment. I didn’t feel uncomfortable.
If what I experienced in prison is considered bullying, then it might be called that, but the term “bullying” from Lira’s lips would have a different connotation.
“At home, it’s one way, and at school, it’s another. My life is simply hell.”
Lira’s voice, filled with sighs, vividly conveyed the agony she was feeling.
As I’ve never been bullied, or more precisely, never experienced the torment of bullying, I can only partially understand what Lira has gone through.
Yet, even with that partial understanding, the shadow on Lira’s face weighed heavily on my heart.
But there’s something I don’t quite understand. Why is Lira being bullied? Considering her appearance and personality, she’s far from being a target for bullying…
“Oppa, did you ever think, ‘She’s pretty, good at sports, and her personality is decent, so why is she being bullied?'”
“Uh, uh?”
“I even thought that with all that, she might not just be a victim but could be leading the bullying. Don’t you think so?”
“No, no! I haven’t.”
I almost had such thoughts, but I hadn’t quite reached that point.
However, since I almost had those thoughts, I hastily raised my voice, like a thief catching his foot in the act.
“Well, it’s okay. Even the teachers don’t believe it. I must have been too outstanding.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah. That’s right.”
Lira’s self-esteem was remarkably high.
Her face and body were on par with most idols, she was good at sports, had a cheerful personality, and even had high self-esteem. It was inevitable that someone like her would be popular, so why was Lira being bullied? What could be the reason?
As if reading my thoughts, Lira responded with a sigh, dispelling my doubts.
“Last year, a gangster transferred to our school.”
“Ugh.”
The sudden mention of a gangster made me flinch involuntarily.
But since the ‘gangster’ that Lira hated so much wasn’t me, I calmed my startled heart and cautiously asked.
“…Gangster?”
“Yes, a gangster. A truly despicable, cowardly, and filthy gangster that you can’t even imagine.”
“Cough!”
Even though I knew that Lira’s anger and hatred were directed at another ‘gangster,’ not me, I couldn’t help but cough involuntarily.
Avoiding her gaze, which had become difficult to meet, I managed to voice my lingering question.
“Um… If he transferred to our school, doesn’t that mean he’s a student? Isn’t it a bit strange to call him a gangster? Regardless of whether he does gangster-like things or not, if he attends school, his essence is still that of a student…”
“Oppa, are you seriously defending that guy?”
Lira’s eyes widened with betrayal and shock as she stared at me.
With a sense of impending doom that something truly unbearable would happen if I didn’t resolve this quickly, I hurriedly raised my hands.
“No! Absolutely not! There’s no way! I’m so angry that I want to rip that gangster apart if I ever meet him!”
“But why are you using that kind of tone?”
“He’s just a kid, after all.”
No matter how much of a gangster he may be, he’s still just a kid.
It was impossible to place that scumbag, who had tormented Lira, on the same level as the gangsters I had encountered until now.
You can’t make a body that kicks a bucket just before adulthood, either by beating up minors or kicking the chin while eating, you know.
I never experienced school life, and when I was young, I couldn’t even get along with peers, let alone people. Lila’s story of being bullied by classmates, who were also peers I never met, only made me think, “Isn’t it just kids’ stuff?”
“Yeah, that’s right. As my brother said, he’s a kid. A real kid. But his head is that of a kid while his body is that of an adult. Not only that, he has more influence than adults.”
However, when I heard Lila’s following words, I could tell that the ‘gangster kid’ she was dealing with wasn’t just an ordinary kid.
“I said, right? Gangster kid. Literally the child of a gangster. And not just any gangster, but the son of a big organization boss.”
※※※
After Harira rebelled against her father for the first time, she enjoyed a deviation from the experiences she had never had before.
Occasional ditching of work to go to karaoke with friends, going to PC rooms, and such small deviations.
Due to the financial situation at home, there was no allowance, and her conscience and inner moral compass did not allow her to bully weaker kids for their money.
Even when she went out with friends, she only went out when men mesmerized by Harira’s beauty offered to pay.
In the end, Harira became a figure on the gray area, associating with the so-called delinquents, the gang that played around but didn’t bother anyone.
After the most enjoyable first year of high school in Harira’s life passed and she entered the second year, a boy transferred to Harira’s class.
[I’m Geum Duk-soo. Don’t say anything special since my reputation has already spread. I transferred here after a forced transfer, and I came here because I beat up some annoying kid, so don’t mess with me.]
His height was 190cm, and his weight was 100kg. His name was Geum Duk-soo.
Even in Harira’s not-so-good school, he was an unrivaled troublemaker, a real gangster prospect.
[Oh, who are you? You’re damn pretty, aren’t you? What idol are you? No, more explosive than most idols?]
And naturally, Geum Duk-soo, who came to transfer, caught the attention of Harira, who was already the prettiest student in school and somewhat famous in the area for her celebrity-like appearance.
[Alright, decided. Your name is Harira. Harira, huh? Even the name is damn pretty. Hey, you’re mine.]
In response to the nonsense that wouldn’t even work in the 90s, Harira confidently flipped him the middle finger.
[What are you saying, tattoo soy sauce pig maggot? Get lost, you stink.]
The disdainful gaze and the voice dripping with contempt were just an extra.
[······Ha, look at this crazy b*tch, Ankaljin.]
It was that day.
[Yeah. Yeah, damn, it’s fun when you come out like that. Hey, Harira. From now on, I’m going to make your life as miserable as possible. Don’t change your mind and endure it diligently. Got it?]
The turning point when the brief freedom felt after rebelling against father for a year turned into a dreadful violence.
※※※
“And then, it was revealed that the father of that thug, who was making a name nationwide as the leader of the Geumilpa, had connections. And the guys who used to be friends started sticking to that thug and began harassing me more diligently than anyone else.”
In less than a year, Hari, who was once the most popular student and an aspiring idol in the whole school, turned into a victim of school violence, ostracized by the entire student body.
Even if Lira is pretty, good at sports, and has a good personality, she is now the daughter of a violent gang boss, feared even by adults.
For high school students who couldn’t escape the logic of powerlessness, Geum Deok-su, who suddenly appeared, must have been a law unto himself.
“When in the bathroom, they throw water, trash, or milk at me. If I go out during PE, my uniform is torn, and the gossip behind my back never stops.”
“Heh.”
Even the methods used to torment Lira were so crude and filthy that even I, who had seen all sorts of dirty things, involuntarily burst into laughter.
It’s like being dirty in a different sense. It’s quite sinister that a guy of that size only does such things.
“Of course, because I was good at fighting, I could only do those things. At first, the crazy bastards attached to Geum Deok-su came with scissors. But after a few stomps, they couldn’t openly attack anymore.”
Ah, if it wasn’t for dirty tricks, it wouldn’t have worked because it wasn’t working.
“Anyway, thanks to that, Geum Deok-su and his gang couldn’t do such things openly, but their dirty tricks behind my back became even worse. Because of that, I had no choice but to become a crazy b*tch as I mentioned earlier…”
“As you said, you tore them apart like a dog.”
“······Pfft. Yes, tore them apart like a dog. As soon as I saw any sign of mischief, just went straight and tore them apart!”
Lira sat on a chair, stretched her legs, and mimicked kicking with a smile.
Unburdening the stories within, the heart seemed to lighten a bit, fortunate that the jesting tone prevailed.
Simultaneously, witnessing the nonchalant narration of such experiences felt heavy-hearted.
Despite going through incidents that wouldn’t be out of place in seclusion, how could one exhibit such a bright demeanor?
In Lira’s tales, she was always alone.
Not just alone, but having turned solitary even from trusted and close friends, betrayed and left alone.
Having experienced such events, how could she speak of them so lightly within just a year?
“But no matter how much I dealt with those gang bastards, Golducksu was even scarier than me. So, let’s settle it! And when I went, cunningly, they attacked with baseball bats, even an extension. I was about to die. Ta-da! My brother saved me!”
“······.”
The voice was lively and cheerful, but Lira’s eyes remained lifeless.
To me, such a sight of Lira seemed like a performance.
“Second one. The one who helped me in life. First is the mom who gave birth to me, but she’s not in this world anymore. The only one who can help me now is my brother in this world.”
“······.”
“So, brother. Can you please get me out of here?”
“Lira, I······.”
Feeling that leaving this as it is might lead to a serious problem, I spoke up.
“······Harira, is that really true? What you just said, is it all true?”
But a dismal voice from behind prevented me from continuing my words.
“······Ah, Dad.”