8
Chapter 8: Trying to Give a Gift
After witnessing the clash between Do Min-Oh and Han Yuri, eight-year-old orphan Lee Hyunseung felt a strange sense of
catharsis. From that point on, he stuck to Min-Oh like glue, both at school and at the orphanage.
It was because he wanted to get closer.
“What happened to the one you were drawing before? Why are you doing another one now?”
But since he wasn’t good at expressing his feelings, his words always came out harsh.
“I gave it.”
“You gave it?”
“I gave it to the vice principal.”
“Why?”
Hyunseung had realized the drawing was of the vice principal, but he hadn’t expected Min-Oh to actually give it away
after spending all day on it.
“My choice.”
“Tch…”
Min-Oh had a way of leaving people speechless, even more than Hyunseung.
“So you want to suck up to him that badly?”
Because of that, what started as curiosity slowly turned into childish bickering.
“Yeah.”
“To the other kids too?”
Hyunseung found it irritating that Min-Oh kept drawing at the desk.
“Yeah.”
“Even if you do all that, you’re still an orphan.”
To Hyunseung, Min-Oh’s drawings were pointless effort.
“No matter how nice your gift is, you’re still just an orphan. If you have time to draw that, draw something for the
kids at the orphanage instead.”
Even at eight, Hyunseung carried deep scars.
“The ones who play with you are us. The ones on your side are us. Gifts like that just make you look pathetic.”
A gift was a way of expressing feelings.
Or, more bluntly, a way of winning favor.
Hyunseung saw Min-Oh’s drawing as that—and Min-Oh didn’t deny it.
“I’ll draw yours too. So stop whining.”
“I never asked for one!”
“I’ll draw it even better than the one I gave him.”
“…What?”
“And I’ll color the ones for the orphanage kids.”
Though all his drawings were done with a simple pencil, the vice principal’s portrait had been highly detailed, while
the kids’ drawings were quick sketches.
“You think I’d take better care of others than you? I just want everyone to get along. Who says orphans have to stick
only with each other? If something this small can help, why not do it?”
In his first life, Min-Oh neither gave nor accepted gifts.
Good gifts felt like burdens. Bad ones weren’t worth taking.
His pride and distrust made him hate owing anyone anything.
But now, he was the one giving.
“Even if this gets thrown away or turns out meaningless, it’s fine. At least I’ll be remembered as someone who gave a
gift.”
He couldn’t deny it anymore.
He had survived thanks to the kindness and sacrifices of others.
“I used to think pride mattered. But it doesn’t feed you.”
His past had been both glamorous and miserable.
And there had been moments when kind people reached out to him.
Those memories changed him.
“Besides, what’s so hard about this? A cheap pencil and a notebook. Just some time. Can’t I spend that much on my
classmates?”
“…Tch.”
“No matter what you think an orphan is, this much is fine.”
The more Min-Oh spoke, the harder it became to argue with him.
“And don’t worry. If I’m likable, you’ll be too. We’re roommates.”
“What are you even saying?”
“I’m not trying to impress you. I just want to be remembered well. If I disappear someday, wouldn’t it be nice if
someone remembered me?”
His drawings weren’t free.
They were an investment in relationships—and in memories.
‘I want to live like this.’
A step away from the empty life he once had.
“Should I bring photos of the kids?”
“Yeah.”
“Wait here.”
Hyunseung got up, both embarrassed and happy, to fetch an album.
Meanwhile, Min-Oh looked around.
‘Was this place always this old?’
What once felt cozy now looked small and worn.
‘Maybe I should fix it up.’
He had the means.
The only issue was pride—his and the others’.
‘Forget it. I’ll do it anyway.’
“Hyunseung, bring some paint too.”
‘Let’s turn this place into something better.’
At school—
“Wow… is this really mine?”
“Who else would it be?”
The students were overwhelmed with joy.
Even simple drawings would have been enough—but these were exceptional.
“Th-thank you…”
Even Park Hyunsoo, who didn’t fully like Min-Oh, softened.
“Hey, this is cheating! Hyunsoo’s supposed to be fat, but this drawing makes him look handsome!”
The class burst into laughter.
“Want to die?”
“It’s true!”
“Draw him again!”
“Are you making fun of him?”
With the teacher present, the teasing grew bolder.
“Just draw a cute pig instead!”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Pigs have around fifteen percent body fat.”
“Huh?”
“Guys with abs are around that too. So pigs aren’t actually that fat. And fat can be lost. Why draw something
temporary?”
“…Wait.”
Hyunsoo frowned.
“So don’t take ‘pig’ as an insult. If anything, the pig should be offended.”
“Here.”
Min-Oh handed him a drawing of a muscular pig.
“…Thanks.”
“And that’s my goal too.”
“What?”
“Something like that.”
‘I want to get fit this time.’
In his previous life, he had been tall but skinny—nothing but study and work.
“Where’s Jeongmin?”
“In the bathroom!”
“I’ll give it to him.”
“I can—”
“No, I’ll do it.”
He made sure no one was left out.
Even the quieter kids were included.
“Hey, this one’s even better!”
“They’re all good!”
“But not as good as the one on the wall.”
“Do you want me to spend a month on each drawing?”
“Haha, no!”
“Then be satisfied!”
‘People really never are…’
Shaking his head, Min-Oh approached the teacher.
“This is for you too.”
“Thank you…”
Han Yuri was deeply moved.
Gifts from parents were nothing like this.
This was different.
This was real.
“Min-Oh, do you want to join the school art competition?”
She wanted to nurture his talent.
“And the writing contest. And academic competitions.”
“You could win at school, county, even provincial level!”
In his first life, Min-Oh only cared about what benefited his future.
Competitions like these had meant nothing.
But now—
“Yes. I’ll join.”
‘Staying quiet won’t stop them from targeting us.’
“I’ll do all of them.”
‘Better to stand out so much they can’t touch me.’
Turning the orphanage into something better wasn’t hard.
The real challenge was making sure it stayed that way.
‘I like this place.’
‘No need to take the bus.’