A Brutal Lesson They'll Never Forget
Damn, I was already regretting it... I'd beaten those kids into rice cake mush. Future me had insisted it was necessary, but I couldn't shake the feeling I'd gone overboard. Satisfied that it'd been enough, I picked up my bag from where I'd set it down and started heading home. That's when it happened.
One of the sprawled-out brats grabbed a brick and swung it down at my back while I was turned away.
No sense of limits, huh... No wonder Jun-woo ended up in the hospital.
I twisted my ankle for leverage, spinning into a back kick straight to his chest as I dodged. Thwack! The boy flew back a good distance, tumbling ass-over-end.
"Gahk!"
"You little shits... messing with the wrong guy."
I set my bag down again. Staring at the brick on the ground cooled my head right off. No sense of limits... Fucking little bastards. Looked like they needed to learn what it felt like to cross someone without limits.
I slammed a soccer kick into the face of the boy trying to push himself up with both hands on the ground. Crack! Even for a kid's body, a kick to the face would've been disastrous, but using my legs was second nature. I aimed precisely for the jaw with my shin—a soccer kick with control. I gave the brat a taste of his own brick, like a warning to punks who couldn't stay in line.
"......"
"Gotta feel it once to know how bad it hurts. Come on."
I brought the brick down on the head of the boy who could barely breathe. Thunk!
"Kyak!"
It landed with full weight, and he screamed in dizzying agony before collapsing flat. The other brats stared in terror, convinced I'd hit him with limitless power. Hell, one even grabbed my leg, begging forgiveness.
"We're sorry!!!"
I smashed the brick down on the head of the one clinging to my leg. Bonk!
"You little shithead!"
He went limp right there. The rest had lost all will to fight. Naturally, I had no intention of stopping.
Time to show these punks what a Marine drill instructor from under Sergeant Kim's thumb could do. In the kids' world, the weak get crushed by the strong—that's the rule. Beat the shit out of the disobedient ones where they could see, and they all flattened like pancakes.
"One."
"Never again!!!"
"Two."
"We won't bully anyone!!!"
"One."
"Never again!!!"
"Two."
"We won't bully anyone!!!"
Push-ups from the brats. One burst into tears and collapsed from exhaustion.
"Hwah...!"
I gripped a wooden stick and approached. The others freaked out and backed away. Then I unleashed on the fallen one's ass with the stick, no mercy. Whack! Whaaack!! After a few hits, he wailed and dropped to his knees, begging.
The remaining brats froze at the sight.
"Get back in position."
A glance around showed the others already prone. Fat teardrops mixed with sweat, splattering down.
"Fall again, and you get fucked up."
I headed back to my spot. Push-ups resumed. I sat on a rock, loud enough for all four to hear.
"Roll left."
Thud thud.
"Roll right."
Thud thud thud.
They bumped into jutting rocks now and then, but no more whining about the pain. I rested my chin on my hand, watching them tumble through the leaves. Then I made them do five more sets total.
They were hacking and wheezing, hitting their limit. I snapped a few overall shots with my phone, then close-ups of each face.
I approached the one who'd introduced himself as the 4th-grade boss. Grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked.
Terror in his eyes. I showed him the photos with a smile.
"Don't wanna word get out you got beat by a 2nd-grader, right?"
His tear-filled eyes answered for him.
"Yeah, too embarrassing to tell anyone. You're just idiots, huh?"
"...... Yeah."
"You all think you're morons too?"
"......"
I got serious, pinching his earlobe.
"Answer me."
I yanked him up; he shot to his feet in pain. Kicked his ankle. He flew into the air and flopped to the ground. A clump of hair in my thumb and forefinger. He screamed, clutching his scalp.
"Hwaaaah!!!"
"Get up? You wanna die?"
"......"
I squatted down, looking at the sobbing brat. Raised my hand like I might strike; he dropped to his knees fast. Kids only wise up after a beating and start listening to adults.
"I'm a moron, three times."
"I'm a moron! I'm a moron! I'm a morooooon!!!"
I scanned each face. Dirt-smeared but otherwise fine. Still squatting, I eyed them.
"If my name pops up at school, you're in trouble."
"......"
"But honestly, who cares? Four-on-one scrap—who's gonna say shit? School probably won't either."
Few believed me. But I knew this era well. Teachers would just say, 'Kids fight sometimes.' Especially four problem 4th-graders jumping a well-behaved 2nd-grader. If it got out, they'd call me 'general material.' For real. No such thing as a school violence committee back then.
"But it'll piss me off. So if you tell your parents, you better transfer. See you around, I'll fuck up your brains."
"!!!"
"I'm busier than I thought, so I'm out first. Looking forward to tomorrow?"
I shouldered my bag and headed home, spotting Yu-bin hiding in the distance.
What's with her peeping hobby...} She thought I hadn't noticed and stayed put. I passed her and murmured,
"Not coming?"
Yu-bin stepped out from the woods and ended up walking home with me.
"That's why I told you to go ahead?"
"So, no more blabbing?"
"Yeah!"
I brushed a burr from her long hair. Naturally, we detoured to the tteokbokki joint.
Where the hell did Jun-woo ditch his bike...}
I shoved some tteokbokki in my mouth. Afterward, word of my deeds never spread. No updates in the future diary meant I'd chosen right.
Time passed, and the day arrived for Min-ji's modeling shoot, booked straight through Yu-bin's mom.
Min-ji, made up and in winter clothes, was indescribably stunning.
Problem was...
"Me too...?"
"You thought you'd sit this out?"
"Nah, I can't do that stuff. Look at me—do I look the type?"
"What, thought you were some cocky kid with no humility? Anyway, Yu-bin agreed thinking she'd pose with you."
Mom, already in the know, glanced at me. She wanted cute pics of me and Min-ji at home—saw this as her chance.
"Min-ji'd feel awkward solo anyway?"
"......"
"My boy~ Just this once. Deal?"
I sighed at Mom's plea. ...Shoulda warned me. I'd come straight from playing, eye boogers and all.
Not like I couldn't pull it off. I was confident in my looks anywhere. Picked my eye gunk with thumb and forefinger to finish primping, then headed to the set.
But a hand grabbed me. Turned to see a young woman with a bright face.
"Makeup first~"
"...Huh?"
The shoot director led me through hair and makeup. Not cutting it, just styling—annoying enough. Washing my face once should've sufficed, but here I was, getting dolled up like some diva...
"So fierce... Handsome as hell."
"Oh my, oh my! This kid's gonna charm a harem when he grows up~"
"I'm already charmed..."
Self-loathing hit hard. Never imagined a day I'd let women paint my face. Felt my precious bits shrinking in shame.
One-time thing... Making memories with Min-ji.
Sighed and slipped into the prepped clothes. Still autumn, so winter gear felt stuffy. But the price tags made them weigh a ton. This jacket alone matched a month's pay from the gig Jun-woo hooked me up with later. One kid's outfit = my salary...
Stepped out to Mom's sparkling eyes.
"Oh my god... Where'd my Do-hyun go?"
"I-is that Oppa...?"
Min-ji hiding behind Mom looked flustered. I checked the mirror, wondering.
"Splash water on, and I'm back to normal."
"Have some shame..."
Yu-bin's intense sparkle was burdensome. Even her mom was impressed.
"Well... Min-ji's got the looks too."
Winter clothes indoors were stifling. They blew cool AC breeze from fans for us.
Thought Yu-bin was a talented actress, but nah—wallet power. This was her mom's department store? Heard she owned other brands too; this was branch two.
I struck poses as the director wanted, camera clicking.
"Do-hyun's smile looks so awkward... Like an adult forcing it."
"Why not lean into mature? Kid's proportions are killer."
"Oh! Yeah, that works. Switch to big-bro-little-sis concept."
They chatted, then consulted Yu-bin's mom on the change. Big-name director bending over backward. Made me insanely curious about the Hong family. Rich neighborhood or not, this level meant no normal elementary school for them. Drama-style elite schools for the wealthy... Mom wasn't low on education zeal either—wanted me tutoring Yu-bin after hearing about middle school workbooks.
Concept switched, shoot went smoothly. Time to bust out the Playboy posing skills from my army days.