CH 402

What would one 'feel' while watching someone getting beaten up?

At first, one would pray they wouldn't become the next victim of that act of violence. Especially more so when the one acting violently couldn't be resisted or opposed; the only thing people could do in that situation was praying ardently to be spared from the violence.

However, that was at the beginning. Once the horrifying violence continued for a while, people would gradually realize that witnessing the act of violence itself was even harder to stomach.

That was the stage Han Jin-Seong was currently in.

At first, he was puzzled by what was happening before his eyes. He didn't know why these hoodlums wanted to see him. He didn't know why Jo Hyeok-Tae, of all people, wanted to see him. And he certainly had no idea why Jo Hyeok-Tae started beating Kim Dong-Min up without warning.

However, none of that really mattered to him anymore.

'Just hit me already or something. Goddamn it...!'

Watching someone get mercilessly beaten to a pulp was not something a sane-minded person should do. Good thing Han Jin-Seong stopped at the school loo before coming to this place located somewhere on the hill behind his school. If he hadn't done that, Han Jin-Seong might have wetted his pants a little by now!

Slaaaaap!

Jo Hyeok-Tae's pot-lid-sized palm powerfully slapped Kim Dong-Min's face. Considering the impact, it was rather bizarre to see not a drop of blood splattering everywhere or Kim Dong-Min's cheeks swelling up like a balloon. Each of the hits forced Kim Dong-Min's head to snap to one side, yet he still stood his ground. What an admirable endurance that was.

Jo Hyeok-Tae growled menacingly. “You f*cking piece of shit. What did I say to you last night?”

“...My apologies, hyung.”

“Your apologies? Apologies? You little f*ck?!”

Slaaaaaap!

Kim Dong-Mi's head was snapped to one side again. However, that didn't seem to satisfy Jo Hyeok-Tae. He glared sharply before abruptly kicking Kim Dong-Min in the stomach.

“Kkeu-hurk!” Kim Dong-Min gasped while toppling to the ground.

“F*ck! You better stand up or else!”

Even before Jo Hyeok-Tae's roaring ended, Kim Dong-Min was back to his feet. It was as if he knew something very bad would happen to him if he insisted on staying on the ground.

Jo Hyeok-Tae growled like a hungry predator. “Do I look like a punk to you after I got expelled?”

“Definitely not, hyung!”

“Really? If that's true, why did you ignore what I said last night and do nothing even after that brat has turned into a used punching bag? Isn't that f*cking weird? Hang on a second. Could it be that you personally f*cked that brat up because you didn't like what I said? Is that it?”

“...That's definitely not true, hyung!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“If it's not true, why does that brat look like that?”

“...”

“Hah, f*cking hell. These ungrateful punks...! I treated you with respect because you've finally reached your adulthood and shit, but now...! Your heads are getting too big for your bodies, eh? Sure thing, let me trim your f*cking heads off for you, then! Today, Imma teach you all straight, you little shits!”

Slaaaaap!!!

Jo Hyeok-Tae mercilessly slapped the living daylights out of every third-year standing still. There were almost ten of them here, yet no one could peep out a word while getting slapped around like ragdolls.

This sight taught Han Jin-Seong how scary Jo Hyeok-Tae really was.

'Even though I've heard all the rumors…’

Han Jin-Seong heard about the legend of a terrifying 'hyung' in the third year so many times. However, those stories didn't adequately warn him of how terrifying this hyung really was!

The third-year seniors here, the ones who couldn't even say anything while getting beaten up to a pulp, were 'famous' even in other schools, yet here they were... Getting slapped around like little kids at the mercy of an adult!

Slaaaap!

Unable to stand still and watch this anymore, Han Jin-Seong staggered ungainly.

“Which motherf*cker...!” Jo Hyeok-Tae was about to swear loudly, but his expression rapidly changed after realizing it was Han Jin-Seong. “Oh, it's you. Sorry about that. You can sit down, kid. Sorry about making you stand, okay?”

“I'm sorry?” Han Jin-Seong blinked his eyes.

“You can sit down. Take it easy, okay? Well… Hey, kid, I'm sorry, okay? It shouldn't have taken this long, you know? It's all my fault for not dealing with things properly,” Jo Hyeok-Tae sighed grandly. “Don't worry, you'll be on your way home soon. Take a seat and wait for me, okay? Sorry about that.”

“...O-okay.” Han Jin-Seong nodded dazedly but remained standing.

“Eii, don't be like that now. You can sit. Really! Don't be too nervous.”

“Oh, uh… okay.” Han Jin-Seong ungainly settled down.

Jo Hyeok-Tae smiled good-naturedly, then slowly turned his head. His expression instantly morphed back to that of a grim reaper as he resumed slapping the living hell out of the third-years. “You f*cking morons!”

Slaaaaaap!

“Argh, I...! Hah-ah...!”

Slaaaaaap!

Jo Hyeok-Tae couldn't seem to control the outpouring of his anger and continued to slap the high school seniors... Until his head suddenly snapped toward Yoo Da-Bin.

Yoo Da-Bin's complexion was as pale as a sheet of paper. Seeing how sickly pale he was, it wouldn't be strange to see him pass out right this second. However, Jo Hyeok-Tae didn't seem interested in punishing the boy.

Since he had spoken to Kim Dong-Min and his crew, it seemed Jo Hyeok-Tae was planning to make them answer for this slip-up.

Thanks to Jo Hyeok-Tae's decision, Yoo Da-Bin had no choice but to witness his ten seniors get beaten up because of his mistake.

Han Jin-Seong was afforded a vintage view of Yoo Da-Bin's legs trembling pitifully from his sitting position.

'I guess it is terrifying…’

Even Han Jin-Seong was scared, so how much worse would it be for Yoo Da-Bin?

“Eiii, f*cking hell!”

Slaaaap!

Jo Hyeok-Tae finally stopped slapping his juniors and grabbed Kim Dong-Min by his collars. He yanked the battered-and-bruised Kim Dong-Min closer and growled menacingly. “Listen here.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“From today onwards, Han… Han… F*ck! What is that boy's name again?”

“It's Han Jin-Seong, hyung.”

“Right, Han Seong-Jin.”

“...No, it's Han Jin-Seong, hyung.”

“Okay, whatever. If that Han Jin-Seong kid ever gets a little scratch while in school, and I hear about it, you lot are coming back here. And if something happens in school to make that boy unhappy? Yup, you'll be back here again. Get my drift, Kim Dong-Min?!”

“Yes, hyung.”

“And, even if a girl rejects Han Jin-Seong...! You'll be back here, too!”

Han Jin-Seong nearly fell off his butt after hearing that.

'N-no, wait a minute. That's a bit... You know? Please calm down, Uncle.'

“In any case, if I hear about Han Jin-Seong in trouble… F*cking hell, I promise you! You'll die by my hands even if you graduate and run away! You hear me!”

“...Yes, hyung.”

“Make sure to keep your brats in line, Kim Dong-Min! Before I f*cking kill everyone here. You hear me?!”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Stinking little motherf*ckers dare to…” Jo Hyeok-Tae grunted before releasing Kim Dong-Min's collars. He reached inside his leather jacket, pulled out a cigarette, then mouthed it. He lit the cigarette, then tossed the packet to Kim Dong-Min while puffing away. “Let's all do our best, yeah?”

“Yes, hyung!”

“I hope we won't have a repeat of this nonsense. And understand that this hyung didn't do this because of a grudge or anything like that.”

“Yes, hyung. We know.”

“Okay. Good. Enjoy the smokes. They are on me.” Jo Hyeok-Tae took a few more puffs of his cigarette before tossing the butt away, then he walked up to Han Jin-Seong. “You ready to leave?”

“Eh? I'm sorry?” Han Jin-Seong blinked his eyes.

“Come, I'm giving you a ride home.”

“...O-oh, uh… It's fine, hyung.”

“Don't be a downer and get on the bike, kid. If I bring you home too late, they are gonna bite my head off. Hah, bloody hell. They'll scold me anyway, judging from your state…”

Han Jin-Seong couldn't dare say no to the 'offer' anymore. Besides, one should be selective about who to say no to. Obviously, he'd never say no to Jo Hyeok-Tae's face!

Han Jin-Seong nodded and ungainly stood up. “U-understood.”

“Oh, and put this helmet on.” Jo Hyeon-Tae was so considerate that he even put the helmet on Han Jin-Seong's head. “Oh, right. Almost forgot. Hold up.”

“Yes?”

“Gimme your phone.”

“...H-here.”

“You see, I've got f*cking rocks for my brain and keep forgetting things. I didn't wanna forget it later, so let me do this now. Imma save my number on your phone, so… If something happens and you have no one to talk to, gimme a call, okay? I'll perfectly take care of any stuff related to your school life. Got it?”

“...Yes, hyung.”

“Alrighty, then. Get on.”

Jo Hyeok-Tae climbed on his bike first, then pointed to the saddle behind him. Once Han Jin-Seong settled down securely, Jo Hyeok-Tae viciously accelerated out of the meeting spot and disappeared from everyone's view.

***

Click!

Kim Dong-Min watched the bike disappear into the distance, then lit up his cigarette. Other third-years approached him, accepted their share of cigarettes, then wordlessly smoked away.

They smoked without saying a word to each other. Once they had their fill of unhealthy cigarette smoke, the third-years stubbed the cigarettes out and turned their heads to glare at Yoo Da-Bin.

“...”

Yoo Da-Bin held his breath nervously.

The corners of Kim Dong-Min's lips curled up into a suspicious smirk. “So, was it fun?”

“...”

“Was it fun watching us getting f*cked up because of you?”

“N-no, hyung.”

“Oh? That's fine. Doesn't matter, anyway. Things will get fun soon, you see? Even though it wasn't fun for you, it'll be for us soon.”

The third-years surrounded Yoo Da-Bin without saying anything else.

***

Vroooom...

Ju Hyeok-Tae didn't drive into the orphanage's parking lot and stopped his bike just outside the perimeter. “It's fine here, right?”

“Y-yes!”

“Time to get off, then.”

“Yes, hyung!” Han Jin-Seong, nervous-stiff from all the tension, hurriedly climbed off the bike. He took off the helmet and cautiously handed it back to Jo Hyeok-Tae.

Jo Hyeok-Tae accepted the helmet and stared at Han Jin-Seong for a while before groaning loudly. “Haaaah. F*cking hell…”

“...I'm sorry?”

“My bad about this, but Seong-Jin...?”

“It's Jin-Seong, hyung.”

“Oh, sure. Jin-Seong?” Jo Hyeok-Tae looked incredibly nervous for some weird reason. “You know, that… About your burst lips, uh… Can't you say you got that after tripping on your feet?”

“Eh?”

“No, well… You see, the thing is… F*ck… Before coming here today, I was told only death would wait for me if something happened to you, but… God dammit! Even before I could do something, this happened to you… Argh…”

Han Jin-Seong dazedly stared at Jo Hyeok-Tae.

'What the hell? Is this a pyramid or something? Just how far up does this food chain extend to?'

Yoo Da-Bin was 'disciplined' by Kim Dong-Min, while Kim Dong-Min was 'disciplined' by Jo Hyeok-Tae. But now, there was someone else ready to discipline Jo Hyeok-Tae?

“...F*ck me. If Mister Cheon Tae-Hun hears about this, he's gonna flat-out try to kill me.”

Han Jin-Seong rubbed his chin.

'Oh, so the top of the food chain is a dude named Cheon Tae-Hun...?'

...Hold on, Cheon... Tae-Hun?

That uncle who follows Uncle Bang Jin-Hun around all the time? That assistant uncle?

Hang on, does that mean Uncle Bang Jin-Hun... is at the top of all this?

'Just what is his real identity?'

Could Bang Jin-Hun be a criminal? A member of an organized crime syndicate? He must be.

No wonder Bang Jin-Hun had such a suspicious air about him!

Han Jin-Seong grimaced a little. “But, uh… I'm not sure if that'll work as an excuse…”

“You think so, too? Haaah…” Jo Hyeok-Tae sighed while looking genuinely troubled.

Although this description might not suit the big man, Jo Hyeok-Tae seemed to be trembling in genuine fear. The way he trembled was reminiscent of Kim Dong-Min shivering pitifully before Jo Hyeok-Tae earlier.

'...I really don't know what's going on here anymore!'

Han Jin-Seong's brain just couldn't process any of this. However, he still had functioning wits to help him in times like these. “Uhm, excuse me...?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want me to speak to Uncle Bang Jin-Hun? That Jo Hyeok-Tae hyung has been really kind to me?”

“Ah! If you do that, I'll be much obli… Hmm…” Jo Hyeok-Tae stopped talking and began pondering something. He suddenly grabbed Han Jin-Seong's hands and stared pleadingly. “You know, I'm really sorry about this, but…”

“Y-yes?”

“If it's possible, can you speak to Mister Kang Jin-Ho instead? Tell him that I did a good job, so he should order Mister Cheon Tae-Hun to spare me this once.”

“...Jin-Ho hyung, you say?”

“Yeah, him. That's the best bet for me, you see? Mister Cheon Tae-Hun has this OCD tendency, so he doesn't let people off the hook even if the Assembly Master does, you see? B-but he'll obey if Mister Kang Jin-Ho orders him. So... I'm really, really sorry about this, but can you do this for me? Then I promise to definitely look after you while you're in that school.”

Han Jin-Seong's eye blinking intensified.

'Hang on a sec, that sounds like a threat, you insane...!'

“...N-no, no need to go that far, hyung. I'll speak to Jin-Ho hyung.”

“R-really? Hey man, thanks! I swear, I won't forget this favor, okay?”

'I'm not doing anything grand enough to earn your favor, though?'

Han Jin-Seong nodded in bewilderment, but Jo Hyeok-Tae was full of bright smiles as he patted Han Jin-Seong's shoulder. “Great! I'll leave it to you, little bro! I believe in you!”

“S-sure thing, hyung…”

“Alright. Later.” Jo Hyeok-Tae waved goodbye, then drove off on his bike into the distance.

Han Jin-Seong stood there and watched the back of the bike before walking back to the orphanage.

“I'm home,” Han Jin-Seong announced his arrival while tossing his school bag on the floor. He headed to the main living room and found Kang Jin-Ho in his worn tracksuit lying on the floor munching on crisps while watching TV.

Meanwhile, two elementary school kids were snoring away while using Kang Jin-Ho's legs as their pillows.

“...”

Han Jin-Seong said nothing while sitting down near Kang Jin-Ho's head.

Kang Jin-Ho looked up at Han Jin-Seong, only to frown slightly. “Did someone hit you?”

“No, I fell.”

“Mm? You sure about that?”

“...Hyung. Everyone knows I've been getting bullied at school now. What's the point of hiding it now in that case?”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “Is that how it is?”

“Yeah…”

Kang Jin-Ho raised the packet of crisps. “You want some?”

Han Jin-Seong wordlessly reached inside the packet and scooped some of the potato goodness into his mouth.

Crunch...

The sound of hard-but-brittle crisps cracking inside a person's mouth echoed quietly in the living room.

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ].

Some time passed like this as they watched TV.

“...Jin-Ho hyung?”

“Yeah?”

“...Nah, it's nothing.”

“Silly kid.”

Crunch, crunch...

No other words were conveyed. The TV hummed quietly in the background. And...

The sounds of munching on snacks quietly blended with the TV's in the living room for some time afterward.