Chapter 9

The most disfigured time in my life was not when I got into a fight and got hit by someone. This is when my lips and eyelids were bitten by a live mosquito. That's your room too. Even though it was a summer night, it was cold, so I covered myself with a blanket up to my chin and slept, but only my face was bitten by mosquitoes. I have never seen such an ugly face in my life. Now, there was a face in front of me that had a similar feeling to that time. As expected, Taekin's face had swollen eyes and nose, and there was even a purple bruise on his forehead. I was seriously contemplating leaving Taek-in, who I brought home, on the floor. If their mom sees this, she'll faint.

"Do you live alone?"

Unlike me, who was serious, Woo Min-jae was leisurely looking around in the living room of our house. I called him to think about it together, and that bastard...

“Yeah. I live alone. Yo.”

huh? Why am I being polite?! shit!

“You live in a nice place.”

“It’s mom’s house.”

And I supplemented it right away out of fear of misunderstanding.

“This house is my mom’s retirement fund, so I’m paying rent every month. Hey, now that I think about it, you’re going to live in a better place than me, right?”

“Yes. Much better.”

...Unlucky.

“I don’t have to pay rent. I paid a huge inheritance tax, but I also made an even bigger amount of money. Enough to eat and play for the rest of my life.”

He blurted it out as if he were talking to someone else and looked at me and asked.

"I envy you?"

"huh."

It's good to have a lot of money. Still, I felt sorry for responding in this way to the wealth I gained after my parents passed away. I offered some consolation in my own way.

"Don't just spend the money, but take good care of it. How hard must your parents have worked to earn that money? You will be sad that they left you all the money, but your parents will be happy in the afterlife because you will live your whole life without worrying about money. So save it and live well. ."

He looked at me quietly and asked.

“I was thinking of giving you about 100 million won, but since you said that, do you think I’ll give up?”

1 million? No, this kid...

“Give me 50,000 won, you bastard.”

"..."

“Huh?! You laughed, right? You tried to laugh, right?”

I jumped up from my seat. I definitely saw the corner of his mouth twitch. But the guy shamelessly denied it.

“I didn’t laugh.”

“No, you definitely had your mouth like this and this place like this.”

I demonstrated by moving my finger to my lips, but he just responded with an expressionless expression.

“Have you ever seen someone ask for money and smile because it’s fun?”

"!"

I could never refute it. That's right, when you're angry, you're angry, it's not something to laugh about. But it definitely seemed like he was smiling. I tilted my head and sat down in front of the high school student again. Anyway, what about this guy? I looked at the clock and it was approaching 8 o'clock. Taek-in should take her away before her mother comes, right? Or should I call her over to my house when she comes and explain it to her? But what?

“Be honest.”

I heard advice. I looked up at Woo Min-jae with frowning eyes.

“Are you going to tell me that your son was beaten to death by his teacher?”

“Is it okay to get hit by someone else?”

“It’s okay to say you didn’t get hit. It’s just a wound from a bump.”

Does that make sense? I felt a strange stare, but I planned to say that even if I died soon.

“You’re a teacher, so I’ll believe you when you say it.”

“Is that why you brought me here?”

“Then I thought you brought me here to play with me?”

“Playing is bad...”

​

 

Woo Min-jae's words were suddenly cut off by the sound of the phone ringing. He took out his cell phone. But he just stared blankly at the name that popped up on the screen.

“Please save me a seat?”

When I asked about it, I found it strange. It's my house, why do I have to get out of the way? Why am I paying attention to that guy? This wasn't like me. No matter how cold his expression became.

"hello."

After answering the phone, he was silent for a long time. It seemed like the other person kept saying something. Cell phones are really good these days. The performance is so good that even I, who am sitting next to me, can hear the other person's swearing. I don't know what's going on, but Woo Min-jae just listens to the other person's abusive language and then says, 'I'm going to hang up.' He said one word and ended the call.

“It’s not bad to have fun.”

what? I asked back blankly. The guy changed what he was saying before talking.

“Having fun isn’t bad. As long as you make me laugh.”

“Do you want to laugh like that? Of course, you can do that if you get cursed at. Who would curse on the phone like that?”

“Why do you want to know who it is?”

“What, can’t I ask? You have the personality to be criticized, but I’m worried because you keep hearing things like that. You’re sure you didn’t use private loans, right? Hey, that’s not true. Don’t use private loans.”

"..."

"why?"

I asked, and he stared at me as he sat down in front of me. I've never cared about what other people think, so why do I feel uncomfortable when this guy looks at me? Maybe it's because Taek-in, who used to get excited whenever he sees Woo Min-jae, has gotten used to it. AC.

“You are as simple as being ignorant.”

“If you want to fight, come out. There’s an open space behind you.”

As I was about to stand up, I heard his next words.

“So, I don’t see any intention to deceive others in your words.”

I had decided that if I were to fight this time, I would definitely hit him in the back first, so I thought about his words for a while. Is it a compliment? I narrowed my eyes and looked at Woo Min-jae. If you're curious, just ask.

“Is this a compliment?”

“That’s right.”

“If it’s a compliment, it’s a compliment, but what does that mean? Is it just a spring where you come to wash your face and then just drink water?”

“It’s not funny.”

"I get it."

I coolly admitted it and was about to think about the issue of high school again when I heard his voice.

“It’s my uncle.”

who? As I was about to ask, I realized the answer. It seemed like he was referring to the person calling.

“He sued me over his father’s property, but he was angry because the decision didn’t go as he wanted.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Among the properties I received, there is my grandfather’s property that he should have received.”

What is that? That should have been sorted out a long time ago. Even though it was someone else's business, I frowned.

“I guess the law somehow figured it out and made the right decision. Because of that, I spoke harshly to my nephew...”

“It costs tens of billions of dollars, so I don’t care what the law says.”

That's enough to not worry about it. I agreed without even realizing it. Still.

“If you get a verdict, you should accept it and forget about it. If you don’t have that money, will you starve to death?”

“No. Have a nice life.”

“Then ignore it. You’re a relative, so you’re not trying to give me some out of pity, are you?”

“I have no intention of giving it to you. If I give it to one person, I have to give it to all the other relatives who are clamoring to give me money.”

“Other relatives? Isn’t it just my uncle?”

"My aunt also sued for the same reason. My uncle, who used to manage my father's building, is demanding compensation for damages, saying he was unfairly evicted, and my father's cousin is suing to avoid paying back the money he borrowed, claiming there was a problem with the contract at the time. paid."

“...my head hurts.”

“Not really. The lawyer does everything.”

I looked at him quietly and said something.

“You’re laughing.”

What is he? He raised his eyebrows as if to say.

“What’s so bad about it? I guess it’s the elder relatives who have been encouraging you since you were young and coming at you to tell you that you should die and let me survive. Don’t you think your aunt or aunt would have been good to you like a mother? Does that make sense? The grateful people who gave you New Year's money when you were young will become enemies, and your cousins who were like friends when you meet them will see you as enemies. You used to laugh a lot and had the personality to show anger. Everyone believed that you would naturally do it, but it turned out not to be the case. "Aren't you going to make more of a fuss when you find out? You'll probably get criticized for saying that you've changed as a person in front of money."

He didn't deny it and just kept his mouth shut.

“Are you surprised that I know so well?”

"okay."

"Even if it's simple, I can see how the world works. If you get involved in money issues, you're not a family or anything. I don't know the details, but there's no problem with the law, and if you don't have an obligation to give, no matter how much you're family, let it go. And pretending to be cool isn't a good thing. “When you get angry, get angry, when you want to cry, cry, and when you want to complain, you have to complain.”

“So I told you.”

"what?"

“I want to laugh.”

"..."

“If you keep being so funny, I can’t help you either.”

He spoke coldly and stood up.

“Hey, humanly, you have to give it some time. Who doesn’t? Taek-in will make you laugh even if it takes years, regardless of his work, so don’t give up. This guy’s mother will come sooner than that… You’ll be next to me. Please adjust accordingly."

He looked at Taek-in lying dead on the floor for a moment and then suddenly asked.

“There’s something better.”

"What?"

“I’m a physical education teacher. If I told you that Taek-in got hurt during physical education class, you would believe me. If I told him that he crashed into the jumping box while trying to force it, that would explain why I was waiting and why the school would compensate for the medical expenses. I apologized. “I will do it too.”

"That's great! Hey, thank you. I never thought you'd help me like this..."

“Don’t even dream about it.”

Eh? This sound came out of nowhere.

“There’s no way I can just help you.”

My expression hardened. This bastard... I said firmly.

“I can’t give you more than 150,000 won.”

The guy’s expression hardened. Are you thinking of more than 150,000 won? He seems like a guy who doesn't have the slightest conscience.

“I don’t need the money. Later…”

His phone rang again. This time, I just stared at the number that appeared on the screen. As expected, he was expressionless, but different from before. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he was dealing with 100 of his younger fathers. Did he ever say it looked like a bear? He is 190 cm tall and has a good body due to exercise, so when you are next to him, you will think he is as big as a bear. But he's a bear, so if you imagine a cute bear from a cartoon, it's a big deal. In reality, bears expose their sharp teeth and bite people to death. That's how he felt right now. He hung up the phone by sliding the screen. But it seemed like a text message arrived soon.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

he asked, looking at the screen.

“I don’t know why you ask, but I have work to do tomorrow.”

“It’s Saturday.”

“Yes, it’s my day off from work. Of course I have a plan. I will definitely stick to this plan.”

"What?"

“Doing nothing.”

“I’ll come pick you up by 8 o’clock tomorrow, so wait for me.”

He ignored my words and made an appointment on his own. I shook my head strongly.

“No. I told you. I’m not doing anything. Do you know what it feels like to be awake 24 hours a day? It sucks. I’m definitely going to rest tomorrow. I’m going to do absolutely nothing.”

“You keep sleeping at school.”

"...Do you know what it feels like to be awake for 18 hours? It sucks."

“Eat dinner beforehand.”

“Hey. I really won’t do anything tomorrow...”

“Then Taekin took care of his mother alone?”

“8 o’clock. Got it.”

And just in time, the doorbell rang. It seemed that Taek-in had come up after seeing the note her mother had left on her front door. I stood up with a nervous face. Then he went out to open the door, straightening his clothes with his hands to check for any wrinkles. I felt Woo Min-jae looking at me strangely, but I ignored it and opened the door right away. Taekin's mother was standing in front of the door, looking worried. She held out her note in her hand.

“Just because my son is here...”

"hello."

I bowed low and smiled. I'm not bragging, but I tend to make a good first impression. Women especially like it when you smile. Fortunately, the wariness disappeared from her face when she looked at me.

“Taekin was hurt a lot. Is he okay?”

After the auction ended and the busiest time passed, Chungyeon asked worriedly.

“There are no broken bones.”

“I’m afraid it might cause a scar on my face.”

“What’s wrong with a guy having a disfigurement on his face? Rather, it’s a medal.”

“If you said that to President Kwon’s face...”

yes? When I asked him back, he shook his head and said no.

"But today, I saw that my friend was very good at handling things. Even though he was a temporary teacher, he took my side and told the principal that it was us who had done the wrong. The principal also couldn't say anything, perhaps because he was too discouraged. Hey, he only looked at me harshly before, but now he's on our side. “I couldn’t be that reassuring.”

I definitely got some help from him. Even though I came in while watching what was happening, I intervened when the time was right. If it weren't for him, I might not have been able to resist and would have lunged at the teacher. And what he said to the students was also good. His words won't make the bullying go away, but when he pointed out what you did wrong, it felt like your stomach was a little relieved. I admit it. It was kind of cool. Like the class president incident when I was in high school, I was even more scared because I didn't raise my voice even when I got angry. Now that I think about it, I felt the same way when I looked at the unanswered phone calls in the evening. Who was glaring at me so coldly?

“Boss, they say this person is a classmate.”

Jiyong brought a person into the store.

“Kwon Hee-chan, you really do business here.”

“Who are you?”

“...A high school classmate. I saw you at the last reunion.”

Oh yeah? I looked at his face carefully.

“I don’t remember.”

“...I even gave you a business card?”

There should have been one or two business cards I received at that time. The only person I remember is the vice squad leader. He looked urgent and explained as if I still didn't know.

“Hey, you were listening to the vice-captain’s drinking, but in the end you handed it over to me. I was just going to talk to you at that time.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Only then did I remember my grateful benefactor who had served as vice class president. He smiled with relief.

“Well, it’s hard for me to be acknowledged by you.”

“We’re not in a relationship that deserves recognition. But what brought you here?”

“Huh? Uh... I just came here to eat raw fish...”

He hesitated and trailed off, but I noticed right away and gave him a business card from my favorite raw fish restaurant from the drawer.

“I’ll make a call and when you go, I’ll treat you as a good guy.”

"thanks."

He was embarrassed because he had achieved what he had set out to do so easily, so he held his business card and awkwardly looked around the inside.

“Isn’t it difficult to work early in the morning?”

“Hey, you can just leave, there’s no need to talk to me.”

“Uh, okay.”

He turned around right away. Then he looked back at me as if he remembered something.

“By the way, I heard you asked about Minjae at the reunion? Do you have any questions? I’m in contact with Minjae.”

Woo Min-jae’s name caught my ear particularly well.

“Do you know Woo Min-jae well?”

“Because we are close, we can say we know each other well. But why?”

“He got a little involved with the students he was teaching.”

“Really? It’s a strange relationship. Minjae, I didn’t want to do that, but I was forced to do it.”

by force? When I looked at him as if asking a question, he explained briefly.

“Minjae was in a bad situation because something bad happened. The senior who introduced it was the one who forced him to come out.”

“I heard roughly what the bad thing was. I heard your personality got worse because of that?”

He smiled bitterly at my words.

“People didn’t know because he usually laughed a lot, but he was also a bit grumpy. There wasn’t a kid in the group he played with that wasn’t afraid of dogs.”

After all, it was not an unlucky thing that was created overnight. I thought he had some talent despite being cheap.

“But he’s gotten a lot better now. He still doesn’t smile, but as long as that unlucky bastard doesn’t mess with Minjae, there’s no problem with Minjae.”

“Who is the unlucky bastard?”

“The fight I had while I was in Canada... Oh, no. It’s okay to say this is his personal life.”

Fought in Canada? Is there anyone else besides your teammates? My classmate left without further explanation, which made me more curious. Woo Min-jae This guy didn't go around the country fighting when he lived in Canada, right?

  8 am.

“Kim Taek-in.”

Today again, without fail, Hakju called me. Perhaps, if there were an award given to the most fair person in the world, it would definitely belong to Hakju. He looked at my pitiful appearance and said something.

“Get down.”

As I was about to lay down my bag and lie down without a word, he asked.

“Why aren’t you saying anything today?”

Instead of lying down, I looked up.

“Nothing is noticed just because you say it.”

"huh."

"teacher."

"why?"

“Long live long.”

“Shut up and lie down.”

After he started talking. I looked down and saw that he was smiling with one side of his lip pouting. I grinned at that sight, and a slight warmth spread inside his chest. No, it might be an illusion.

What's this? These words came out to me as I looked at my seat. There was a pile of stained books on my desk. When I looked, I found that the lost locker contained textbooks, workbooks, and notes. However, seeing that it was crumpled and dirty, it looked like it had been taken out of a trash can somewhere. Now that I think about it, it smells like garbage. After checking to make sure I had everything, I took the book and went to my locker. I put the book in and closed the locker without a lock. I returned to my seat, got ready for bed, laid down, and felt eyes on me. It seemed like everyone was looking at me. Normally I would have ignored it, but I raised my head. Everyone averted their eyes. There were some who did not avoid it. The class president is still glaring. He looked around at the kids in his class who ignored him and turned their backs to him, then said a word and fell down again.

"thanks."

I felt eyes on my prone body again. But it stung less than before. Before I fell asleep, I felt a warm feeling in my chest again. But this time, it disappeared so quickly that I thought it was an illusion.