GBH 32

 Kim Deuk-pal wasn’t bothered by Song Min-seo’s alcoholism, but Jung Eun-chae was. Her eyes shook greatly upon hearing about Song Yi-heon’s home environment, and she nervously rubbed her clasped hands. The corners of her mouth, which she had raised to hide her surprise, twitched.

“I see. You must be going through a lot, Yi-heon.”

“It’s fine. This is just how life is.”

Compared to his gangster days, this family situation was luxurious. Meanwhile, Jung Eun-chae’s eyes reddened with admiration. It must have been hard enough dealing with school violence, but he was calmly enduring his family situation. He had overcome his extreme choice and conquered school violence on his own. She was grateful that he had overcome his trauma and was getting along well with his classmates.

She asked to understand Song Yi-heon’s home environment more accurately.

“Then how do you manage tuition and living expenses?”

If his father wasn’t around and his mother was an alcoholic, there was no one in the family earning income. However, as far as Jung Eun-chae knew, Song Yi-heon was wealthy. Although she didn’t know the details, Lee Mi-kyung, who had come as Song Yi-heon’s guardian, carried a luxury bag, and students testified that Song Yi-heon was a VIP at the school cafeteria.

“Ah, well…”

As Song Yi-heon trailed off uncomfortably, Jung Eun-chae’s heart sank. Kim Deuk-pal, not noticing Jung Eun-chae’s change, scratched his cheek. The morning’s events had already disturbed him, and now discussing money made it worse.

“There was some money on my father’s side so we weren’t in difficulty, but there might be some problems and financial support could become difficult…”

After thoroughly aggravating Lee Mi-kyung this morning, she might cancel his card. Although Kim Deuk-pal wouldn’t take it lying down if she did, it would be inconvenient if the card was cut off. He had intended to irritate her just enough to send her away, but he got angry when she mentioned the grace of raising him.

He knew Lee Mi-kyung liked the chairman because the housekeeper from Seosan had hinted at it. Only then did he understand why Lee Mi-kyung despised Song Yi-heon and loathed Song Min-seo, yet consistently visited and provided alcohol. It was jealousy towards Song Min-seo, who had secured the position of the chairman’s mistress. He should have realized it when she kept saying “chairman” at every opportunity, like a cultist worshipping their leader.

Jung Eun-chae sought to find another guardian to prevent more misfortune from befalling Song Yi-heon.

“Then what about the person who came before as your guardian? Isn’t she helping you?”

“What are you talking about? That person is a stranger.”

He had absolutely no desire to be involved with Lee Mi-kyung, who was cleaning up after the perverted chairman with both a wife and a mistress. As Jung Eun-chae turned deathly pale, Kim Deuk-pal, wondering if he had been too serious, tried to alleviate her worry.

“Don’t worry. No way would I let a spider web form in my mouth.”

If worse came to worst, he could always go to the chairman and get money. Since he would be asking, he might as well transfer the title of his house and check if there were any buildings he could take over. Kim Deokpal was thinking on a near-tycoon level.

However, in the mind of the ordinary Jung Eun-chae, it painted a picture of a boy taking care of his alcoholic mother alone.

“Well, I hope things work out. If you have any difficulties, tell me right away. I’ll do everything I can to help. If your family situation becomes difficult, make sure to let me know. There are many scholarship programs.”

Jung Eun-chae grabbed Song Yi-heon’s hand tightly. The determination of an enthusiastic novice teacher blazed brightly.

She didn’t scold him about his grades, and the young woman truly had a heart of gold. Kim Deuk-pal, who had been worried sick about being scolded for his fallen grades, was pleased to have safely passed this hurdle and warmly held her hand. Just as Kim Deuk-pal let his guard down, Jung Eun-chae delivered a hook-like question.

“So, Yi-heon. What’s your dream?”

---

When Kim Deuk-pal suggested studying together, the first thing Choi Se-kyung did was find a study room with good soundproofing. After paying for a four-person room, as soon as they entered the spacious room, Kim Deuk-pal handed over his midterm exam results that he hadn’t shown anyone. Choi Se-kyung rarely lost his smile.

“Song Yi-heon did okay, but…”

“I misunderstood the exam scope. And this is my first test, no. Never mind.”

Kim Deuk-pal started to retort angrily but stopped. Excluding the GED and college entrance exam, this was his first time taking a school exam since becoming an adult. He was shocked from the moment he heard the midterm exams would last four days. He didn’t even know that studying for the college entrance exam and regular exams were separate. Kim Deuk-pal’s stubbornness remained unchanged in his study methods, believing that if he just studied hard for everything, good results would follow.

Although he had prepared diligently, when the first day of exams came, he was nervous and made frequent mistakes. He couldn’t remember in what state of mind he had taken the tests. When he got home, feeling as if he had climbed a great mountain, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep briefly, only waking up around midnight to hurriedly study for the next day’s subjects.

On the second day, he noticed something strange while looking at the test papers. When the third period in a row was filled with questions outside the exam scope, he checked the exam scope with Kim Yeon-ji. Kim Deuk-pal had been studying a completely different range from what was on the midterm exam.

“Hey, you should have told me if I was studying the wrong material.”

Still angry thinking about it, he took out his frustration on Choi Se-kyung, who was innocent. He was too embarrassed to tell others, but remembering how he had studied the completely wrong material so hard, Kim Deuk-pal still woke up suddenly at night and kicked his blanket.

“I thought you were studying for the mock exam.”

Unable to refute, Kim Deuk-pal added lamely after a silence.

“Still, I did okay on the March mock exam.”

Se-kyung didn’t agree, as it wasn’t a good score by his standards. Pretending not to hear, he looked closely at the report card, and seeing the unfamiliar ranking for the first time, his true thoughts slipped out unconsciously.

“You study like you’re aiming for first place in the whole school…”

“How did you do?”

Kim Deuk-pal snapped back, annoyed at having not just his abilities but even his efforts dismissed. Choi Se-kyung took out his midterm report card from his bag and handed it over. He happened to have it with him as he’d had a career counseling session today too.

1/27

1/340

Even after snatching the report card to look at it closely in disbelief, the number 1 printed for each subject ranking and grade remained unchanged. Kim Deuk-pal bit his lip. His thin lips were bitten until they turned red.

“…Please help me.”

---

One thing Choi Se-kyung noticed about the fake Song Yi-heon while studying together these past few days was that he didn’t give up easily.

Even though he received a rank close to last in the school, instead of feeling discouraged and quitting, he continued studying for both the final exams and college entrance exam, constantly checking the study scope with Choi Se-kyung. Today too, Kim Deuk-pal approached first, tapping Choi Se-kyung and suggesting they go to the study room.

In the room filled with four study desks, Song Yi-heon and Choi Se-kyung sat side by side with their books open. Se-kyung had mentioned that he hated any noise made by others. What a fussy kid. For a guy, he’s unusually particular. However, Kim Deuk-pal was the one in need, so while grumbling internally, he swiped his card including the cost for the other two seats. They agreed Se-kyung would pay next month.

Studying with Choi Se-kyung was indeed efficient, as he had expected.

It was especially effective for Kim Deuk-pal, who had started studying late in life and relied on brute memorization of textbooks without any techniques.

Today too, Kim Deuk-pal marveled as he flipped through the study materials Choi Se-kyung had copied for him. Sharing materials that supposedly could only be obtained from tutors accessible to those with connections in political and business circles, Kim Deuk-pal focused on memorizing the parts Choi Se-kyung had marked with a highlighter.

“Ugh-“

After studying without moving for over an hour, Kim Deuk-pal stretched his stiff body. As a groan escaped involuntarily, he quickly covered his mouth. Worried he might have disturbed Choi Se-kyung, he peeked over the partition to the seat next to him, but Se-kyung was absorbed in his workbook.

Tough guy, persistent kid. Kim Deuk-pal muttered words that could be either curses or praise for Choi Se-kyung’s impressively intense concentration, as he quietly pushed his chair back. As he was passing behind Se-kyung on tiptoe to get some air, his elbow was suddenly grabbed.

“Ah, damn, you scared me. Make some noise next time.”

“Where are you going?”

Se-kyung, with his concentration broken, was holding onto Kim Deuk-pal. As the hand painfully squeezed his elbow, Kim Deuk-pal forcibly pulled away.

“I’m going to get some air. You can come if you want.”

---

Kim Deuk-pal pushed open the rooftop door with his shoulder and surveyed the area. The wind passing between buildings brushed his face. Though there were no lights on the rooftop painted with green waterproof paint, the darkness was diluted by the neon lights from signs and the glow from vending machines.

In front of the vending machine were plastic tables and chairs with carbonated drink logos printed on them. Kim Deuk-pal took out tteokbokki, sundae, and fried foods from a black plastic bag and laid them out on the table.

After confirming that Choi Se-kyung had sat down and picked up wooden chopsticks, he aggressively inhaled the tteokbokki and sundae. As he dipped a large piece of sundae in the tteokbokki sauce and ate it, he felt a sharp gaze. Kim Deuk-pal asked while eating tteokbokki:

“What?”

“You eat well.”

“You eat well too.”

However, as if performing a ritual over the tteokbokki, Choi Se-kyung just poked around the fish cakes and green onions before slowly putting them in his mouth. Kim Deuk-pal, who had been emptying his bowl with a good appetite while being careful not to touch Se-kyung’s portion, put down his chopsticks with a clack when Se-kyung barely ate anything.

“What, what. Again. What’s the problem?”

“There’s no problem.”

Choi Se-kyung primly bit the end of his chopsticks. Maybe his mother hung pine branches instead of chili peppers when he was born, as it was rare for a guy to be so delicate. Kim Deuk-pal pushed the disposable bowl towards Se-kyung and said:

“Then eat heartily. If you eat like a bird, your fortune will run away.”

“…It’s spicy.”

“This?”

Even in the darkness, Choi Se-kyung’s cheeks were visibly red. Kim Deuk-pal remembered that Se-kyung had also barely eaten the noodles when they had ramen at the school cafeteria before. He recalled a subordinate from his gangster days who couldn’t eat spicy food but forced himself to, claiming people would look down on him if he admitted it, and then spent all night in the bathroom. Thinking of that guy, Kim Deuk-pal took Se-kyung’s side.

“There’s nothing wrong with not being able to eat spicy food. There are even Koreans who can’t eat kimchi. Have some sundae instead.”

This time too, Se-kyung hesitated before confessing quietly:

“…It smells.”

“Ah… Right, the sundae from this place does have a bit of a smell.”

Kim Deuk-pal awkwardly scratched the back of his head and pushed the fried food towards him. But Se-kyung’s hesitation didn’t disappear. For some reason, he didn’t like the fried food either.

Having grown up with an incorruptible prosecutor father, Choi Se-kyung didn’t have the sense of entitlement of the wealthy class, but he had been raised preciously. A prime example was that he couldn’t eat street food well. He pushed the fried food back, saying:

“You eat a lot.”

“Hey, if you can’t eat something, just say so. Don’t make people feel awkward.”

Choi Se-kyung had simply enjoyed watching Kim Deuk-pal choose street food from the food cart. He didn’t want to spoil the bright smile on Song Yi-heon’s face. Whether the boy before him was Song Yi-heon or someone else no longer mattered. Choi Se-kyung smiled genuinely.

“It’s enough if you enjoy eating.”

This kid has potential. The middle-aged Kim Deuk-pal dismissed what should have been a heart-fluttering statement with a single appreciative comment and picked up a fried spring roll. The soggy batter crumbled in his mouth.