Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator : M.N 1391
Chapter: 13
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Kyung-wan didn’t involve himself, even when he happened to overhear the sinister conversation. Which path one chose was up to their own ability. He couldn’t say that Jeonggo’s pitch, soliciting prostitution, was 100% false. It’s just that, in the scenario Jeonggo painted like sweet honey, only one in ten might actually succeed.
The person receiving the offer surely knew too. That it was dangerous. And that whether or not to take that risk was the true fork in the road.
These days, kids know everything.
He could feel the atmosphere turning worse by the minute. The children were confused, and some had become rough.
The only thing barely keeping that tension from snapping was the headmaster’s charisma and his consistent message: don’t cause trouble inside the facility. The kids remembered it and tread the line cautiously.
But that tension didn’t last long before it finally snapped.
“Kyaaah! So-Someone, help me! Mmph!”
While out on a nighttime walk, mulling over trash thoughts like: How could I become a homeless guy without starving? Which city offers the best welfare for the homeless?, Kyung-wan faintly heard someone calling for help.
He hesitated for a moment, then started walking toward the voice. He was curious who was pulling such a bold move that might end up dragging him into trouble too.
“…You again?”
Kyung-wan frowned as he looked at Jeonggo. Then, seeing the girl Jeonggo had cornered, he spoke again.
“…And you again?”
The girl avoided his gaze and hastily adjusted her clothes. Kyung-wan, watching her, asked in a tone dripping with disbelief.
“Do you actually hate that guy or not? If you really hate him, couldn’t you hide a knife and just stab him in the gut?”
“Hey. Fuck, watch your mouth.”
Jeonggo, pulling up his pants, ground his teeth and warned Kyung-wan.
But Kyung-wan wasn’t the type to respect someone just for being a year older. He ignored Jeonggo’s warning and continued speaking.
“Getting scammed three times means it’s your own damn fault. Are you really that stupid? Or do you seriously want to give yourself to him?”
“I told you to watch your mouth, didn’t I?”
Jeonggo stood up, pants now fastened, growling low. At that moment, the girl spoke in a trembling voice, almost crying.
“He’s got scary people behind him! Sniff! If I say no, they won’t leave me alone!”
“You heard that?”
Kyung-wan looked at Jeonggo as if waiting for a response. Jeonggo rolled his neck and shoulders and spat on the ground.
“Ptui. So what?”
“Shameless, aren’t you?”
“The shameless one’s that bitch. I fucking explained in detail how she could live well, ugh!”
Kyung-wan grimaced mid-sentence and kicked Jeonggo right in the crotch. Normally silent and quiet, no one would’ve expected Kyung-wan to strike mid-conversation, which is probably why Jeonggo took the hit straight to the groin and collapsed, cupping his balls.
Kyung-wan clicked his tongue and said:
“Sorry, but the more I listened, I felt like my eardrums were rotting. I was about to start oozing pus from my ears.”
A thug caring about others? That’s like saying a cat nursed a baby mouse, it’s nonsense.
“You… You little sht!”
Even though he was in agony, his eyes rolling back from the pain, Jeonggo still tried to keep his bravado intact. Which only proved that Kyung-wan had gone easy on him, if his balls had burst, he wouldn’t have the luxury of talking at all.
Kyung-wan asked:
“What kind of face are you planning to show Cheol when you pull this kind of crap again?”
“I’m not gonna see him, you motherfucker!”
Jeonggo shot up like lightning and charged.
But Kyung-wan had already expected that. He knocked aside the hand reaching for his collar and swept Jeonggo’s legs. The punk tripped and fell hard, and Kyung-wan started stomping on him relentlessly.
“Let’s! All! Dance! Tap! Together! K-pop! Cultural powerhouse! Do! You! Know! Psy! Let’s! Horse dance!”
“Aaaargh!”
Jeonggo tried to lunge at him with a scream, but his frenzied state only made it easier for Kyung-wan to counter him with brutal efficiency.
Jeonggo collapsed again and was stomped on until he couldn’t fight back anymore.
Because of that trash, Kyung-wan ended up burning calories in a midnight workout. Annoyed, he stomped even harder.
“Die! Die! Die!”
“Gahhh!”
Eventually, the commotion drew the other kids, and the headmaster.
“What the hell is going on here?!”
= = = = =
The headmaster listened to Kyung-wan’s explanation, but his hardened expression didn’t ease. He turned to Jeonggo and asked:
“Is this true?”
“…”
There was no way to deny it. Bring the victim for cross-examination, and the lie would unravel instantly.
The headmaster’s face twisted. Seeing Jeonggo stay silent, he raised his voice.
“I said, is it true?!”
“Damn it, fuck!”
Jeonggo let out a vicious curse and stormed out of the office. Watching him go, the headmaster let out a deep sigh and leaned back, rubbing his neck.
Seeing this, Kyung-wan asked:
“Should I call the police?”
“…For what?”
“He’s a repeat offender at this point. Shouldn’t he be eating prison food?”
Kyung-wan had a point. But the headmaster simply stared at him with a conflicted expression, saying nothing.
Kyung-wan ignored the unease in his expression and pressed again.
“Should I report him, then?”
“Sigh… It’s no use.”
“What isn’t?”
“You can’t trust the police.”
“Wow.”
A so-called head of a youth protection facility saying that? Now that was shocking.
“Are the people behind Jeonggo connected to the cops too?”
At Kyung-wan’s question, the headmaster averted his gaze and brushed it off.
“…You don’t need to know.”
His voice held traces of guilt, and Kyung-wan didn’t push further. It was obvious he wouldn’t get a clear answer.
Still, he had his suspicions.
Thugs and law enforcement often knew each other well enough that, when their interests aligned, they formed symbiotic relationships. Like crocodiles and plover birds. At Gangnam clubs, you could snort drugs, sneak in GHB to commit sexual assault, and still walk free, all to protect the spotless resumes of the privileged elite. The police and the gang-running the clubs worked together so closely, it made French kissing look like child’s play.
He didn’t know the full story, but perhaps this facility was caught in a similar web of mutual interest. That would explain the headmaster’s attitude.
If that were true, then reporting Jeonggo and his backers wouldn’t bring justice. More likely, it would just damage the facility. As dirty as the money might be, it was still money.
“You can go now.”
“Okay.”
Kyung-wan nodded and obediently left the room.
After that, Jeonggo never returned to the facility. The headmaster didn’t go looking for him either. He couldn’t neglect the rest of the kids for one derailed boy. The best he could do was help the others find ways to survive once they left.
Even if those paths led to workplaces where a moment’s distraction could cost you a finger, or garbage companies that treated staff like disposable tools, anything was better than ending up in the sex industry or becoming a thug.
So, when Kyung-wan passed the GED and officially became a high school graduate, he received a semi-forced proposal.
“Baking or cooking might suit you. It’s a trade that won’t leave you starving.”
“Hmm…”
As Kyung-wan hesitated, the headmaster offered another suggestion.
“Then how about factory work? Learn a skill, and you’ll never have to worry about making a living.”
“Hmmm…”
Kyung-wan didn’t answer easily. It all felt like capitalist slavery.
Watching him hesitate, the headmaster’s gaze gradually grew cold. Whatever credit Kyung-wan had earned for preventing the earlier incident was already fading from his mind.
Noticing the shift, Kyung-wan quickly responded.
“I’ll go with cooking.”
If things were going to be like this anyway, he might as well eat good food during training.
Only then did the headmaster nod, seeing him as just another normal kid.
After that incident, the wariness and avoidance the other kids felt toward Kyung-wan eased considerably. He wasn’t exactly friendly, but thanks to the support of the victim, a girl named Miyeon, he was no longer seen as hostile.
According to Miyeon, Kyung-wan just had a quirky personality and was shy around strangers.
At any rate, everyone could agree on one thing, he wasn’t a bad person. If he were, he never would’ve helped Miyeon. In a harsh world with no parental protection, they knew all too well that if Kyung-wan had been evil, he would've used the incident to his advantage.
One morning, as Miyeon served breakfast, she ran into Kyung-wan and offered her thanks.
“Thanks for helping me.”
“If you're grateful, give me more meat.”
“Nope.”
“Hmph.”
When Kyung-wan pouted in disappointment, Miyeon quickly explained:
“If I don’t follow portion sizes, fights break out.”
Kyung-wan nodded in agreement. Nothing triggered people like food, it was one of the most primal, sensitive things. No wonder the kids got edgy.
After eating his properly portioned breakfast, Kyung-wan followed the group heading to cooking classes. Among the six or so kids attending, the oldest was a slightly chubby girl a year younger than him. Her name was Seonmi.
Kyung-wan quietly followed her lead. He didn’t act like a know-it-all just because he was older; he respected her authority and obeyed her instructions. As a result, his reputation softened even more.
Thanks to that, he was occasionally treated to samples from their cooking lessons. It had been about a week since he started attending the academy.
“Hey. Looking good.”
Two punks with bleached yellow hair approached the group. It was the route between the academy and the facility, but unfortunately, this section was a quiet alley.
Kyung-wan didn’t miss the yellow-haired figure behind the two thugs.
“Jeonggo. Are those your friends?”
His voice was so sweet, one might think they were brothers. As soon as Jeonggo realized Kyung-wan recognized him, he cautiously stepped in front of the punks.
One of the thugs sneered and asked:
“Which one of you is Kyung-wan?”
“No clue.”
Kyung-wan looked around like he was just as clueless, causing the other kids, especially Seonmi, to stare at him in disbelief. That level of shamelessness, bordering on smugness, almost felt like he was taunting them. Taunting, in a situation like this?
His attitude made the two goons chuckle.
“Damn. Look at this slick bastard.”
“Heard he had a temper, but turns out he’s cheeky too.”
From the way they spoke, it was clear, they already knew exactly who he was.
“Uh… can we go ahead and leave?”
Seonmi stepped forward, trying to shield the younger kids behind her. Kyung-wan, being older, didn’t qualify for that protection.
The two punks simply nodded.
Seonmi quickly grabbed the children’s hands and hurried them away.
“Wow~ What a loyal girl.”
Watching her retreat with impressive speed, Kyung-wan let out an admiring sigh. But he didn’t feel the slightest bit of resentment.
It was a harsh world. If you didn’t know how to protect yourself, you’d lose everything. Especially orphans with no one to defend them. In Seonmi’s position, she had simply chosen to protect what mattered most.
It probably hadn’t been a pleasant choice for her either.