GBH 26

 It was not unusual for Hong Jae-min to skip class. His frequent unexcused absences left him with barely enough attendance, causing the teachers to throw up their hands in frustration. Some teachers were even afraid of his rough behavior, so the disciplinary teacher took it upon himself to deal with Hong Jae-min and his gang.

Though he primarily bullied Song Yi-heon, there were other students in the class who had been extorted for money by Hong Jae-min under the pretense of borrowing.

The longer the silence dragged on, the more the students’ suspicions converged on one point.

“…Should we open Hong Jae-min’s bag?”

The suggestion came from the student sitting in front of Hong Jae-min, who had often been hit on the back of the head by him. No one answered, but the students in the class implicitly agreed as they closed the front and back doors of the classroom. Hong Jae-min’s gang were all in different classes, so there was no one to object. The student who made the suggestion swallowed nervously and picked up Hong Jae-min’s bag. As he fumbled with the zipper, a mocking voice cut through.

“Do you guys enjoy bullying each other?”

It was Song Yi-heon, standing crookedly with his hands in his pants pockets. Surely he too harbored resentment towards Hong Jae-min, but his furrowed expression seemed displeased with the situation of them suspecting Hong Jae-min.

“You’re the one who’s being ridiculous. When did we ever bully Hong Jae-min?”

A tough-looking girl crossed her arms under her chest and stepped forward.

“Song Yi-heon, don’t you hate Hong Jae-min too?”

Her tone implied that no one knew better than Song Yi-heon that Hong Jae-min was a bad person. Everyone knew that Song Yi-heon suffered school violence from Hong Jae-min. This connected to the belief that Song Yi-heon would be the most pleased if Hong Jae-min came under suspicion.

However, the one standing in the classroom was Kim Deuk-pal borrowing Song Yi-heon’s body. He had no intention of settling Song Yi-heon’s revenge after just a few punches. Still, apart from revenge, he couldn’t stand to watch someone suffer injustice.

“Searching through someone’s bag without permission may be wrong. But everyone knows Hong Jae-min’s bad habits, and no one knows where he went during art class, so isn’t it weird not to be suspicious? It’s obvious he’ll curse and hit us if he knew we searched his bag, but you’re accusing us of bullying Hong Jae-min.”

Kim Deuk-pal sighed because it would not be easy to persuade a girl who was harshly arguing.

“What happened to me has nothing to do with the class money missing. Whatever happens between him and me, I’ll handle it. And Hong Jae-min was called to the teacher’s office before art class. It’s not him.”

When he testified to Hong Jae-min’s whereabouts, the fierce-looking girl Shin Ji-soo bit her lip, seemingly at a loss for words. The other kids also couldn’t make any reckless accusations of suspicion. Kim Deuk-pal was about to point out their rash actions but held his tongue to avoid provoking the kids. Instead, he tapped Kim Yeon-ji’s shoulder.

“Come to the bookstore with me. I’ll pay.”

While 300,000 won might be a large sum for a student, it was a small amount for Kim Deuk-pal. He preferred smoothing things over with money rather than having someone wronged. But Yeon-ji waved both hands dismissively.

“Why should you pay when it’s not something you lost?”

“Does it matter who pays? It’s the thought that counts. It’s not a big amount, so I can pay.”

Shin Ji-soo’s eyebrows twitched. Kim Deuk-pal, as an adult, said this in an attempt not to burden Yeon-ji, but when it came out through the lips of teenager Song Yi-heon, it sounded like he was bragging about money. Even though the changed Song Yi-heon was rich and had a good personality, they wouldn’t swallow his pretentiousness. She pointed out a problem in Song Yi-heon’s words.

“Do you think we’re beggars? Do you think we’re doing this because of money? It’s not about the amount of money. The point is, there’s a thief in our class.”

“That’s right. We have to stay in the same class for the next year, so what if the same thing happens again?”

The problem had moved into the realm of morals and ethics. The unease that there was a thief in the class had shifted in another direction. Most agreed with Shin Ji-soo’s stance.

As Kim Deuk-pal alone withstood the confrontational atmosphere, the back door opened.

“Choi Se-kyung. Get lost, you idiot. Did I ask you to do it? You did it because you wanted to, so why would I thank you?”

Hong Jae-min, who was very angry, cursed at Choi Se-kyung as he followed him through the door. Despite the insults, Choi Se-kyung grinned foolishly, further infuriating Hong Jae-min to the point where his curses became too vile to repeat. As his voice echoed with his colorful language, Hong Jae-min sensed that the atmosphere in the classroom was different from usual.

“What’s going on? Why is the atmosphere like this?”

It was unusual for kids to gather together during recess. Hong Jae-min looked around the classroom and found a male student in front of him holding his bag.

“Are you out of your mind? Why are you touching my bag? Do you want to d1e?”

Hong Jae-min snatched his bag back. He was already in a foul mood.

It was a frequent occurrence for Hong Jae-min, who stopped by the teacher’s office to receive punishment, and Choi Se-kyung, who stopped by to receive praise, to run into each other. For some reason, the nutjob Choi Se-kyung had sucked up to the disciplinary teacher, allowing Hong Jae-min to escape his clutches. Getting help from the detestable Choi Se-kyung humiliated him and wounded his pride, leaving him feeling extremely, extremely dirty.

Though beating Choi Se-kyung might make him feel better, Choi Se-kyung had strong backing, making him untouchable. Thus, Hong Jae-min needed another target to vent his anger on, and the unfortunate boy holding his bag became the scapegoat. Just as he raised his hand to hit the boy, Shin Ji-soo intervened.

“Hong Jae-min. The money in the class is gone. We decided to check everyone’s bags. So, open your bag too.”

Ha, with a snort of disbelief, Hong Jae-min approached Shin Ji-soo menacingly, casting a shadow over her.

“So you told him to search my bag?”

No matter how tough she was, she couldn’t help but be terrified when a large man cursed and acted overbearingly. She continued to glare at Hong Jae-min, but the hands that were holding her skirt were damp with sweat.

“I’ve tolerated your yapping, but you think I can’t hit you just ’cause you’re a girl…”

Hong Jae-min was annoyed by her glare, so he grabbed Shin Ji-soo’s knit vest by the shoulders and shook it. His hand went up as if he was going to hit her, and when his classmates tried to stop him, a portable fan came flying at him.

“Ugh!”

The fan Kim Yeon-ji had taken from her locker, lying on top of her belongings, hit Hong Jae-min’s bleached yellow hair and shattered apart. He shoved the girl he had grabbed and raised his voice.

“Which bastard did that?!”

True to his belief that he could hit others but couldn’t stand being hit himself, Hong Jae-min’s face twisted in rage. A pink tumbler then flew and hit his face, leaving a red mark. It was also Kim Yeon-ji’s.

“Ugh!”

“It was me.”

Song Yi-heon, who had been randomly throwing things, put down the massage wand he was holding when the startled KIm Yeon-ji hiccuped. With his hands in his pockets, he stepped forward to shield Shin Ji-soo from the fuming Hong Jae-min.

“Resorting to hitting girls because you’ve got nothing better to do?”

“…Sh1t, didn’t you see? That b1tch was treating me like a thief!”

Remembering the pain of being hit on the first day of the semester, Hong Jae-min clutched his aching chest with his forearm. Song Yi-heon chuckled as he saw Hong Jae-min’s defensive stance, wary of another hit. Indeed, v1olence seemed to be the only way to deal with this kind of guy.

“Oh, I saw it. She’s smart and said what needed to be said. Maybe you should have lived your life better. What kind of reputation is this for someone who is only 19 years old? You’re not even trash.”

“You!”

“Well, your actions are trashy.”

A short-tempered person who has spent a lifetime raging doesn’t change overnight just from being beaten by Song Yi-heon. Though his force had diminished from before, Hong Jae-min did not simply endure the humiliation in front of the class.

“This…!”

He grabbed the collar of the short Song Yi-heon and lifted him up. If he was skinny like a sheet of paper before, being lifted by the collar would work, but now with some muscle, he couldn’t be lifted as easily as before. Only Hong Jae-min’s grip on the school shirt lifted, exposing Song’s slim stomach.

“If you really hit her, you wouldn’t be standing here.”

Despite being grabbed by the collar, Song Yi-heon didn’t change his posture, just running his mouth. Song Yi-heon’s attitude, which suggested that even throwing a punch at him would be a waste, filled Hong Jae-min with shame. He pulled Yi-heon closer, baring his teeth as he growled and widened his eyes, but Song Yi-heon just smirked mockingly.

“If you’re going to hit a girl, why do you even bother having a di1ck, Jae-min-ah?”

Song Yi-heon pressed his thigh against the bulge between Hong Jae-min’s thighs. Hong Jae-min froze. Song Yi-heon tilted his head, smiling languidly as he taunted.

“Want me to rip off that useless thing?”

“Damn, you’re a fvcking f4ggot!”

Hong Jae-min harassed Song Yi-heon because he got on his nerves, but he wasn’t aware that he actually liked him. Startled by the sexual stimulus from another boy, Hong Jae-min pushed Song Yi-heon away by the collar. The boys who had been tensed to intervene if a fight broke out stepped in to grab Song Yi-heon.

Hong Jae-min was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. The discomfort of receiving sexual stimulation from another boy, embarrassment from his body’s reaction, frustration at being falsely accused of theft without even knowing what was missing, and disappointment that Song Yi-heon sided with Shin Ji-soo. Enraged and confused, he lashed out recklessly, kicking over desks and chairs while shouting loudly.

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it, but that b1tch is treating me like a thief!”

The students, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire, backed away. Hong Jae-min’s rampage kept everyone at bay, and when his rationality returned, he found himself at the center of a circle formed by scattered desks and frightened classmates.

“Damn, this fvcking…”

Hong Jae-min read the fearful yet disdainful eyes of his classmates. Being ostracized by kids from normal households was nothing new. Each time, it felt like a part of him was collapsing, leading him to act out more aggressively to erase that hollow feeling. However, while an unfortunate home environment was not his choice, bullying the weak and causing disturbances were Hong Jae-min’s own decisions, preventing him from ever fitting in among his classmates.

Even without the atmosphere of the kids wishing he’d disappear, Hong Jae-min didn’t want to remain in the classroom any longer. But as he headed for the back door, Choi Se-kyung, leaning against the door frame, blocked his way.

Hong Jae-min raised his gaze along the arm blocking his chest. Unlike his bleached hair, Choi Se-kyung’s thick black eyebrows furrowed deeply. Choi Se-kyung gently reminded Hong Jae-min of something he had forgotten.

“We decided to check everyone’s bags in the class.”

Today just keeps getting worse. Hong Jae-min gritted his teeth and endured.

“Damn it, fine. Take a look.”

He hadn’t stolen anything anyway. Hong Jae-min reached for his bag, which he hadn’t planned on taking with him. It was wedged between the legs of a desk. The bag, barely containing a couple of pens, was so crumpled it could hardly hold its shape.

Hong Jae-min picked up the bag, unzipped it, and shook it upside down.

“I said I didn’t steal any-!”

A white envelope fell from the open bag. Its unsealed flap exposed a bundled stack of green bills peeking out the edge.

Thud, roll roll- The sound of pens falling one after another and rolling around echoed in the quiet hall.