Chapter 14
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Behind an Uneventful Day
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The university where Jin Sun-hu attended had a few peculiar clubs.
From ones that made you wonder how they even got approval, to those where you questioned if anyone actually did that kind of activity.
One of them was the Bird Watching Club.
Bird Watching.
Just as the name suggested, it was about observing birds.
What this club did was simple.
They observed their Bird—Jin Sun-hu.
It had started as a small departmental club.
Six like-minded students from one major banded together to form it.
They quietly spread the word about their activities and recruited collaborators.
By the end of the first semester, half the department had signed up.
And after a year, it had been promoted to a central club, accepting members from across the university.
The unofficial count hovered around five hundred.
The officially registered members were still just six, but the number of women aligning with their cause kept growing.
The most important rule in bird watching was to observe the bird in its natural state.
Never invade the bird's privacy.
That was the first principle of bird watching.
Watching and imagining were fine.
Hell, you could even write fanfiction in your diary.
But approaching closely or striking up a conversation was forbidden.
Even when observing, you must never make eye contact.
Realizing someone was watching could threaten the bird.
Touching it or offering food was an absolute taboo.
Just admire it from afar and enjoy.
That was the very purpose of the Bird Watching Club.
"But these days' freshmen...!"
The club president slammed the desk in fury.
Several bottles of mineral water—the same brand Sun-hu had drunk earlier that day—were stacked on the desk.
"President. What should we do?"
"...Let's try re-educating her our way first. If that doesn't work..."
The other female students around the president nodded solemnly.
A short while later, that insolent freshman was dragged into the clubroom.
She was the one who'd tried talking to Jin Sun-hu, only to have her mouth covered by other students and hauled away.
"Why'd you bring me here? I have plans—I gotta go."
The underclassman fidgeted with her brightly painted nails as she spoke.
Heavy makeup, earrings, short skirt.
The epitome of a party girl.
No one intended to nitpick her personal style.
But approaching their bluebird of happiness looking like that? Unforgivable.
"Promise us one thing, and we'll let you go right now. Stay away from second-year Jin Sun-hu."
"Huh? What right do you seniors have to meddle?"
The freshman laughed in disbelief.
But the president didn't flinch at her cheek.
If she rattled this easily, she never would've started this.
"Hey. Lights off."
At the president's command, the other girls moved in perfect sync.
They killed the lights, drew the curtains. One locked the door.
"W-what are you doing? Touch a hair on my head, and I'll report you!"
Sensing danger, the freshman jumped up from her chair into a defensive stance.
Instead of answering, the president played a video on her laptop and set it in front of the freshman.
"This is an edited documentary filmed by Sun-hu's mother, actress Im Shin-hye, when he was in middle school."
"Actress Im Shin-hye? You mean that Im Shin-hye? Sun-hu sunbae is her son?"
The stunned freshman got a chin flick toward the screen instead of an explanation.
On the laptop, a younger-looking version of Sun-hu's mother was being interviewed.
"The first time I saw that child was on TV news."
"A boy being abused by his biological parents."
The screen cut from Sun-hu's mother to archival news footage from back then.
"Police have made an emergency arrest of a couple in their twenties on child abuse charges."
"The victim's body bore bruises along with clear burn marks from cigarette butts."
Daycare teacher (mosaiced): "The kid wet himself that day, and there was blood. He was already sickly, so I called his mom. She said it was fine, she'd take him to the hospital later, just leave him be. But I was worried, so I decided to take him myself—"
Doctor: "Two broken ribs, and both the radius and ulna in his right wrist were fractured. The ribs snapped when the father kicked him in the stomach, and the wrist looks like it broke when he tried to block a hard stick or something swung at him. How no one noticed the swelling—"
"Criticism is mounting over police mishandling the case after receiving a child abuse report, failing to grasp its severity. Neighbor B, who reported it to police long ago, vented frustration that it was dismissed as mere parental discipline."
A young child's bruised body. A swollen wrist from broken bones. X-rays showing the fractures. Images flashed across the screen one by one.
A few club members were already sobbing as they watched.
The president silently wiped away tears.
It broke her heart every time.
The footage returned to the interview with Sun-hu's mother, Im Shin-hye.
"How could biological parents do that to their own child? I was so furious and heartbroken—as a mother myself—"
"I wondered if there was any way to help. Then I heard he'd been placed in protective care, and thought maybe I could adopt him—"
There, the president paused the video.
The freshman, who'd been glued to it, snapped in annoyance.
"Hey, why stop? I was watching!"
"That's all we can show non-members."
The president closed the laptop. The room lights flicked back on.
She pulled out a few A4 sheets and placed them in front of the freshman.
"This is a copy of the psychiatric diagnosis Sun-hu submitted to the professor."
"...Psychiatric?"
The freshman eyed the papers suspiciously and scanned the contents.
"Post-traumatic stress disorder. Depression. Social phobia. Claustrophobia..."
Adjustment disorder. Insomnia. Anorexia. Vomiting. Panic attacks.
It read like a catalog of mental illnesses.
"These are the aftereffects from the abuse by his biological parents. Sun-hu's been dealing with mental health issues ever since. He submitted this to the professor because his condition makes group activities like MTs or team projects difficult."
"...Is this for real? Shouldn't he be hospitalized instead of coming to school?"
The president shook her head at the wide-eyed freshman.
"As long as there's no external stress, he's fine. Most importantly, he wants to keep attending school and gradually adapt to society. We've even asked the professor to help ensure he graduates safely."
"I see... Then I can stay by his side to help Sun-hu sunbae adjust to school..."
Bam!
Before she could finish, the president shot to her feet and slammed the desk with her fist.
"I said no external stress! Girls like you caused him to miss a whole month of school last year! Know why?!"
"W-why?"
The startled freshman flinched and stammered back.
The president, voice rising in sudden rage.
"Because some clueless girl like you stalked him relentlessly until he had a breakdown! We had to endure a whole month of school without Sun-hu because of it!"
"W-why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything..."
The president finally sat back down at the freshman's protest.
Her face drained of color from exhaustion; she pressed her tear ducts hard.
Deep breaths to swallow her anger.
"...So, what happened to that girl?"
"Wanna know?"
"...No."
The president slid another paper toward the now-silent freshman.
"Sign this. Club membership pledge."
"B-but I'm already in another club."
"Duplicates are fine. We don't do much anyway. It's just agreeing to our rules."
A closer look revealed it wasn't a 'membership application' but a 'pledge' at the top.
Skimming it, the freshman grumbled.
"But what's in it for me? All restrictions, no perks."
The president pulled a photo from her breast pocket.
The freshman's eyes followed it hungrily.
"Jin Sun-hu, high school uniform photo."
Hearing that, the freshman lunged for it.
But the president yanked it back faster. The freshman's hand swiped empty air.
Frustrated by the miss, she scowled.
"Aren't you the stalker, sunbae? Recruiting with someone's photo? That's a crime."
"No need for your concern. We have guardian consent."
"Guardian?"
"No need to tell outsiders that. So, signing or not?"
The freshman scowled but reread the pledge.
It was long, but boiled down to: cooperate so Sun-hu graduates safely.
Sign it, and no approaching him.
Refuse, and no guarantee of getting close anyway.
Interference like today was certain—and they'd watch even closer.
Even if she sneaked in, an unstable Sun-hu might react badly.
If he had a breakdown because of her and skipped school...
Who knew what these fanatic girls would do.
"...Fine. Here?"
And so, the Bird Watching Club gained another collaborator that day.
The freshman pocketed the photo from the president, humming cheerfully as she left.
"Alright, that's it for today. Everyone, dismissed."
The members filed out, greeting her one by one.
"Hoo..."
The now-quiet clubroom.
Alone, the president gently pulled something from her pocket.
A smartphone.
She unlocked it with her fingerprint, then caressed the screen lovingly.
"Sun-hu... ♡"
Inside the phone screen, Sun-hu in his uniform stood smiling side by side with the president.