Chapter 202
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Yoon Jeongmin's Nightmare Year
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Yoon Jeongmin's one year had been a nightmare.
No, it was a reality more horrific than any nightmare.
No matter what dream he woke from every morning, nothing tormented him more than the fact that he had to go to school.
It had started lightly enough.
Something that could be brushed off as no big deal.
"Hey, change your clothes before coming to school."
"Yoo Jeongmin! Do you only have one shirt or what?"
"Uh, you smell...?"
Wearing the same school uniform shirt for three days straight—was that such a huge crime?
When someone pointed out the pen stains still on it, the classroom erupted in laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Who said you smelled, you punk?"
"Oh, yeah. That surprised me."
Starting the very next day, Yoon Jeongmin washed and changed his clothes every single day.
He didn't want to give them any excuses.
"Jeongmin, new clothes today?"
"Ooh."
But the friends who pointed fingers at him and snickered didn't change their gazes.
"Uh..."
"What do your parents do?"
"They're just office workers..."
"Oh yeah? Must be nice. They seem well-off?"
"Since you bought new clothes, grab me some bread too~"
If anything, it got worse over time.
They'd mock him for wearing the same clothes.
And cackle if he wore something new.
Soon, he realized it. There was no reason for the bullying. No matter what Yoon Jeongmin did, his classmates treated him like a toy.
"Hey, Jeongmin's studying! Everyone quiet!"
They'd tease him for studying.
"Jeongmin, what do you wanna be when you grow up? Just doodling in class~."
If he quietly sketched alone in the corner of the classroom, they'd smack the back of his head as they passed.
Tears welled up, but if he cried, he'd just become more of a laughingstock.
"Let's go game together."
"You pay for PC bang today. Right?"
"Wait, Seojun, I have plans today..."
"Hey! Anyone wanna hang with Jeongmin? Jeongmin's treating!"
The intensity grew, sometimes dragging on even after school.
"Hey, are you deaf? Can't you hear me?"
Thud, thud.
"Why are you so stupid!"
What started as jabs at his pride escalated to physical violence.
'...'
They took turns writing nasty words on Yoon Jeongmin's desk.
"Oops, my bad~."
They even dumped trash bin contents or mop water on him.
"Ha, haha... It's fine."
A group chat excluding only Yoon Jeongmin was created.
Then, suddenly, he was added.
Photos he didn't even know were taken flooded in, followed by relentless mockery.
"Ugh, ah, ugh...!"
In a impulse, Yoon Jeongmin left the room.
Everything felt scary and exhausting.
So he blocked them all and skipped school for a day.
"Hey, we hang out with you and you're treating us like a joke?"
But violence of a completely different intensity came back.
He'd been dragged to the bathroom and beaten by four guys.
"Sorry, my bad. Sorry."
Yoon Jeongmin curled up and just endured it.
Endlessly apologizing to Kim Seojun, waiting for this moment to end.
After that, he never resisted once.
He did everything they ordered, grinning like an idiot as he went to school.
Hit when struck, gave money when asked.
When they found it boring, he realized they stopped a little sooner.
'Just endure for 3 years. Just 3 years, 3 years...'
That was the only way to wake from the nightmare.
Close his eyes tight, endure exactly 3 years, graduate high school. It would all pass.
Clinging to that belief, he lived through hellish days.
"Yoon Jeongmin? Long time no see."
"Ah, Hyeonsu!"
"Jeongmin's friends? Huh? Why are you standing alone?"
"Uh, yeah. Just messing around with friends."
Then one day, Yoon Jeongmin ran into an old middle school friend.
He felt a bit embarrassed.
His role was running errands while Kim Seojun and the others gamed at the PC bang.
"I'll text you. Let's meet up separately next time."
Han Hyeonsu frowned. Had he noticed something off?
"Who the hell is that?"
A few days later, they met again, and Han Hyeonsu saw Yoon Jeongmin's arm and got genuinely angry.
"Uh..."
"Those guys from the PC bang?"
"Haha."
"I thought something was weird."
He tried laughing it off like always, like an idiot.
But it didn't work on Han Hyeonsu.
He grilled Yoon Jeongmin about what was going on.
'Why is Hyeonsu acting like this?'
No friend had ever shown this much concern for Yoon Jeongmin.
Early semester acquaintances distanced themselves the moment he became Kim Seojun's target.
They all made a show of not being close to him at all.
"Hey, your friend gets treated like this—doesn't that piss you off?"
Friend.
Yes, he had a friend. This was what a friend was.
Han Hyeonsu and Yoon Jeongmin had been friends since they were very young.
Always at the playground, the kid who was amazing at swings.
He begged his parents to go to the same kindergarten, then naturally entered elementary school together.
Thrilled when in the same class, they met up after school even in different classes.
In middle school, they were together all three years.
When Yoon Jeongmin read alone, Han Hyeonsu dragged him out to play.
When Han Hyeonsu forgot homework, Yoon Jeongmin urged him to copy quick.
Remembering those normal days, something welled up in his chest.
"Kim Seojun, right?"
But he never imagined Han Hyeonsu would actually show up at school.
"Huh? Who are you?"
"Yoon Jeongmin's friend."
"Yoon Jeongmin's friend? Pfft! He has other friends besides us?"
"Why'd you come find me?"
"It's you four."
What happened next.
Was impossible to believe as reality.
"Give back the money you took from Yoon Jeongmin and leave him alone."
"Who the hell are you?"
He'd believed the only way to end this was to fill out the three years and graduate.
One against many fights or righteous high schoolers standing up.
That stuff only happened in delinquent webtoons.
Thwack! Pow! Whack!
Fancy kicks and punches flew.
...No, precisely, Han Hyeonsu was fighting alone.
The four who'd bullied Yoon Jeongmin just flailed their limbs and went down.
They weren't really used to group fights even among themselves.
Arms got in the way, one or two rushed and got beat.
"Damn it!"
Kim Seojun, the leader, swung wildly but couldn't touch Han Hyeonsu.
Was he really taking them all down? The moment that thought hit.
"Urgh, arghhh!"
One grabbed an iron pipe and charged.
Ha, why the hell was something like that lying around school!
"Guhk!"
It was a rusty chunk two handspans long, but Han Hyeonsu clutched his chest and flew back.
What do I do? What do I do?
Because of me.
"You crazy bastard..."
Thud.
But it wasn't over.
Han Hyeonsu grabbed the guy's leg even after, tripped him, snatched the pipe.
Whoosh!
As Han Hyeonsu swung it.
"Don't touch Jeongmin ever again."
"Hey, shit! Crazy bastard. Run!"
The four fled without looking back, pathetically.
Hard to believe they were the ones Yoon Jeongmin had feared.
"Hyeonsu! Ugh! You okay? Shouldn't you go to the hospital right now?"
Yoon Jeongmin, dazedly watching his back, snapped to and tried to check his injuries.
"Nah, no blood. Just bumped, it'll heal after sleep."
But he casually brushed off his hand.
And casually walked Yoon Jeongmin home.
'Wow...'
After that, direct bullying vanished.
They glared as he passed, muttered among themselves.
But stopping the arm grabs, endless mockery, dirtying his desk and clothes made life so much better.
[Thanks, Hyeonsu]
[But are you really okay?]
More than that, he worried about Han Hyeonsu.
He texted repeatedly, but he just said he was fine.
Never showed the hit spots.
Then one day.
Suddenly on a weekend, Han Hyeonsu called him out.
[Wanna play basketball? One short]
Hesitating, he entered Jungun High, where Han Hyeonsu and friends waited.
Th-they're really playing basketball...
"Whoa, Hyeonsu's friend is good!"
"Come out often! Be on our team!"
The friends seemed cool, unlike him.
...No, this was normal for weekends originally. Han Hyeonsu had finally given it back.
"Uh, but your arm."
Before he could even get close to them, the bruise was spotted.
What now, will they laugh?
"Those bastards still at it?"
Before another friend could speak, Han Hyeonsu exploded.
"N-no. They stopped after fighting you. It just hasn't healed well..."
"How's it not healed yet? You need treatment now!"
And when he came to.
He was at a Korean medicine clinic.
"Yes, yes. No retaliation or anything. Looking back, they weren't even worth it... Probably just targeted me 'cause I was pathetic, easy prey."
Yoon Jeongmin said glumly.
At least no new worries. That was a relief.
Third-rate ronin types who bully the weak but tuck tail against the tough.
Maybe hanging with martial artists who chase revenge to the ends of the Central Plains made my nerves too sensitive.
"Did you tell your parents or teachers?"
"Uh..."
Yoon Jeongmin just blinked.
He hadn't.
"Even if I did... it's kinda awkward..."
Not awkward-level violence. Discipline would follow for sure.
"Don't want to make a big deal?"
Yoon Jeongmin nodded.
"A-anyway, this year's almost over. Our homeroom teacher... seems like he'd hate the hassle..."
"Still, tell them. At least they'll split classes from those guys next year."
"Oh, really?"
Yoon Jeongmin's eyes lit up at that.
"I thought about reporting, but Hyeonsu hit first. Worried it'd be mutual assault..."
"You and Hyeonsu are separate. Tell the teacher first, and if anything happens, speak up. Call 112 if urgent. Must've been really tough."
Yoon Jeongmin teared up briefly, then cried.
I gently comforted him.
"Elbow sprain needs treatment. Bruise is healing but slowly. I'll prescribe Danggwisusan for blood stasis removal, plus a topical ointment."
"Yes, thank you."
Diagnosis and prescription done, Yoon Jeongmin headed to treatment room.
"Director."
While I consulted Yoon Jeongmin, Han Hyeonsu had done physical therapy first.
Acted cool leaving the exam room, but curious what we talked about.
Omitted what Yoon Jeongmin wanted hidden.
Just relayed diagnosis.
"No new hits recently? Old bruise?"
"At least three weeks from the state. He said no bullying lately."
"Ah, good. Was thinking of going beat them again."
...Don't solve problems with violence. You're not a peak expert! One slip and you're seriously hurt!
About to say something.
"But why isn't it healing? Body seems too weak... Should we prescribe tonics?"
Han Hyeonsu's relieved face turned serious again.
What is this kid saying? Tonics? Really!