Chapter LXIV – Thirst For Fighting
Since summer started, Don spent two weeks with his family back home. While he was keen on getting back to Seoul, Don enjoyed seeing his family again. His parents, especially his father, were strict but he still had a loving relationship with them.
Sticking to the story of falling down the stairs, his dad kept commenting on his clumsiness and insisted on Don considering joining the military before going off to college. Despite being mildly pressured, Don took his time explaining his plans after finishing J High. His goal was either enrollment into SNU or a college overseas. His grades were good enough to earn their trust and his academic future looked bright so they had no complaints, just parental worry about his safety. It would’ve been much worse had he told them the truth. Don’s father would’ve made an even bigger mess and his return to J High for the second semester would’ve been unlikely. However, his efforts were rewarded as his parents allowed him to continue studying in Seoul and even gave him the money he’d use for living expenses and a little bit extra on top.
“You can stop around here,” Don said to his driver.
“You sure? We’re a bit far from your apartment building.”
“That’s fine. I wanted to have a stroll anyway,” he smiled while glancing out the window.
For Don, it felt like a lifetime since he last saw his friends.
The car stopped along the sidewalk.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime,” the driver said as Don exited the car.
Left all on his own Don pulled on his lightly packed suitcase. It was the middle of the day and the sun once again seared the streets of Seoul, the city not as busy as usual. On his way home, Don had a place he felt the need to visit. He walked to the park where his heroic moment took place. It wasn’t because he felt good about the place and instead out of his desire to face his fear which he felt he needed to overcome. He didn’t tell others, but he feared that something similar could happen to him again.
Entering the park, he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. The scene repeated in his mind over and over again way before he even reached the place. There weren’t many people around as everyone waited for the sun to go down and the temperature to drop a bit before leaving their homes. Reaching the bench where he sat after the incident, Don glanced toward the ground where he was mercilessly beaten.
Closing his eyes, he could hear Tae’s laugh and the sharp pain that he felt from repeatedly being kicked. However, to his surprise, he felt relieved as he remembered that it was his sacrifice that helped stop Sophie and Ari from getting in harm’s way. Had Sophie not mustered up the courage to try and save him from getting involved, Don might’ve never acted out in the first place.
The fact that he managed to act left him feeling proud, even if he did lose the fight. He thought that coming to the park once more would trigger something bad within him that he had to face, but it turned out that what he needed was to realize that he had grown. He wasn’t alone anymore and the burden he endured all those years could now be shared with those that surrounded him, his friends.
He sat down on the bench and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander.
Don’s childhood was one full of joy and love. He had many friends from the neighborhood and his parents were lovely. When he enrolled in first grade, he was genuinely a happy kid, but that’s where it all started going downhill. None of his friends were in his class and he failed to fit in. Don quickly learned how mean kids could be, making fun of his appearance and more importantly his good grades. When they were little having good grades meant that others would either have to admit their faults or they could take out their frustration on others.
Some talked to Don as he wasn’t a total outcast. However, he got quickly abandoned when targeted by others as they feared that they might end up being next. The words they said were hurtful and demoralizing, enough for Don to give up on studying, desperately attempting to fit in. His grades plummeted over the years and it ruined the trust his parents had in him which led them to be wary of Don’s commitment in the future. His friends that he once had outside of school all started hanging out with their classmates as their interests parted ways.
Of course, nothing changed when his grades dropped. Others eventually started doing better as they got pressured by their parents. Later it even turned into Don being called dumb for being near the bottom of the class. As years passed, what once used to be only verbal abuse quickly turned into physical violence as well. They never caused him a major injury, but he often had bruises and was feeling battered. His stuff would get stolen or misplaced, and he’d be accused of doing stuff he never did such as grabbing a girl’s ass which they used as an excuse to abuse him further.
He never said anything to his parents nor teachers, wishing not to trouble them. Don was also afraid that nothing would get resolved and his school days would just turn for the worse. As such, he believed that all he had to do was endure it until high school.
When his parents discussed with him which school he wanted to enroll in, Don pleaded that they allow him to attend a private school in Seoul. His wish was to have a fresh start, knowing that the high schools he’d enroll in the neighborhood would have some of his former classmates attending with him. He feared that his poor reputation would carry over and as such devised a plan to convince his conflicted parents.
The premise he went with was that the school was prestigious and would open doors for him that otherwise would’ve remained closed. Not only was the quality of education high, but living in Seoul on his own meant giving him a chance to be independent and learn true responsibility. Though his mother hesitated, his father accepted under the condition that he needed to keep his grades up and if he did poorly they’d move him back home where he would attend whatever high school his father chose.
Moving to Seoul on his own was already a big deal since he didn’t know the place. He was all alone in a whole new world. Don remember how nerve-wracking his first day at J High was as he put too much pressure on making a good impression. If he didn’t get accepted, he feared the thought of having to endure the same treatment for three more years until college.
Don’s idea of making friends was to pick someone who looked friendly and invite them out to a drink. However, as soon as he entered the classroom and felt everyone’s gaze, he froze up. The difference between his former classmates and current was evident. Though they wore uniforms, many of the students came from strong backgrounds which determined their status among them. There were exceptions, but that wasn’t exactly a good thing. Crumbling under pressure, Don failed to speak up and ended up making no friends for a while.
Some eventually turned to him, but his awkwardness was repelling. Eventually, gossip about having a weird and nerdy kid in class already put a mark on his back. The only reason he didn’t have it as bad in high school was that Arthur, before the accident, was the gloomy kid that everyone picked on. While many jumped at the opportunity to get along with the troublemakers by attacking Arthur, Don felt sympathy as he thought he understood how Arthur felt.
When he first approached him, Arthur ignored his existence. He wasn’t interested in making friends and his focus was purely on his troubles. Don was shocked to learn how troubled Arthur was which made them becoming friends impossible.
Don let out a sigh as he opened his eyes and looked toward the sky. It truly felt nostalgic thinking about it all. With a smile on his face, he dwelled deeper and thought about others.
Nabi was the smart one in class. She had a poor reputation and was often called names. However, that quickly stopped when people realized she was Tjay’s childhood friend, the biggest troublemaker in their year. Don and Nabi never got the chance to talk since her intimidating personality clashed with his inability to express himself.
Tjay on the other hand was the type to never show up. He often found himself in trouble when picking fights with upperclassmen or kids from nearby schools. However, he never got punished for it since his father was there to cover for him. It was safe to say that Tjay’s future was already in the bag and he had little to worry about.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Don always found it funny that Tjay didn’t remember the first time the two met. He even told him the story which Tjay said felt unfamiliar. It was near the finals during the first semester. One of the students from his class, a common bully that picked on Arthur and him, pestered Don on his way home along with two of his friends. Don failed to fight back but that’s when Tjay showed up. While his intentions might’ve not been to save Don, he still swooped in and helped him by scaring off the three. He remembered how disappointed Tjay was that they were unwilling to fight. When he wanted to thank him, Tjay didn’t even know he was his classmate since he skipped so often. To Tjay it might’ve been insignificant but to Don, it meant a lot as he appreciated the help he received for the first time.
Max had nothing to do with Don. He was the popular kid in class with all the girls swarming around him. He was accepted by upperclassmen and it wasn’t surprising considering Iseul was his older sister who had quite the reputation at school.
“To think that I’d get to call all these people my friends now. . .” Don smiled, standing back up. “It’s not just them either.”
It had been a long time since Don felt genuinely happy and his hardship ended on the day that Arthur randomly decided to ask him for help. He often said it but always felt the need to repeat how grateful he was to finally have what he truly desired, people he’d care for that he could lean on.
With a sigh of relief, it was finally time to head home. It was a peaceful day that brought up many memories, some of which were painful but eventually overcame.
“Look what we have here,” Don heard a chuckle that sent a shiver down his spine.
Approaching him from the front were two West High students that were there on the day he got beaten up by Tae. They appeared to be fine even after the beating they received. Don couldn’t believe how misfortunate he had to be to see them here again after thinking about them. It felt as if the universe tried to prove that if one thought about something hard enough it would happen, not differentiating between good and bad.
“Isn’t that the shithead that Tae beat up? Hey, nerd! What are you doing here?” the one that recognized him spoke up before closing the distance.
Don didn’t know how to react. It was impossible to run away with the luggage and fighting them was also out of the question. His only hope was to resolve it with words.
“I was just passing by,” Don lowered his voice.
“How unlucky for you to meet up with us, huh?”
“I don’t want any trouble. . .”
“I bet you don’t,” the other one said. ”However, your friends caused trouble in your name and now Tae’s older brother is pissed. You’re all gonna get what you deserve.”
He never paid much attention to their appearance since they looked like typical high schoolers, except one that recognized him wasn’t bald like his friend. Not knowing their names made the situation even more frightening.
“Can’t we just-”
“Think carefully about what you’re gonna say,” said the bald guy before leaning in closer. “I’m feeling itchy today.”
Don took a deep breath before mustering up the courage to look him straight in the eyes, forming a fist in his right hand. If he was going to get beaten up again, he wanted to at least punch them once. His body tensed up before suddenly snapping out of it as he felt someone placing a hand on his left shoulder while standing to his right.
“What’s up dude?” a familiar feminine voice said as the girl next to him chuckled.
Turning toward her, Don was shocked to see Moon from Cyber Shark standing next to him. Her navy blue-dyed hair and matching eyes were mesmerizing and unforgettable. Her clothes were once again a revealing crop top and shorts which allowed for her dragon and flowery skull tattoo to show. Surprisingly though, she was rocking light-colored clothes instead of her typical black.
She pulled out an earbud from her left ear with her free hand.
“Oi, what do you think you’re doing?” the bold guy asked.
“Don was it?” she looked him in the eyes, completely ignoring the guy in front of them. “I was beginning to wonder where you were. It’s been over a month since you last visited Cyber Shark. Don’t tell me you got sick of it?”
Don was stunned at how carefree Moon acted. He was always shocked at how confident she was, believing it to be because she was constantly surrounded by guys that came to game at the PC bang.
“You okay?” she asked confused as Don remained quiet.
Realizing he awkwardly stared at her, he shook his head and spoke up. “I wasn’t home, otherwise I’d visit,” he was unsure why he was answering her question and not worrying about them, but something about her felt calming.
“Are you ignoring me bitch?”
“What did you call me?” her cheerful voice turned cold as her gaze met his. “Get lost baldy.”
Don suddenly realized that the comfort he felt wasn’t rational but rather produced by her insanity. He felt fear again as she enraged him.
“Gyo, don’t do anything stupid,” his friend warned him.
“Shut up! I ain’t letting them get away with this,” he gritted his teeth while pulling out a knife.
Ever since the encounter with Arthur who beat him up senselessly, Gyo has been walking around armed, prepared to take revenge.
“Woah!” Don took a step back, breaking away from Moon who held onto his shoulder. “We’re sorry! Please calm down, there’s no need for such things.”
“Yeah, now you’re sorry,” he grinned. “But this ain’t about you anymore. It’s about this bitch right here. If she begs for forgiveness I’ll be willing to let this go.”
“Your friend seems to be smarter than you,” Moon said calmly.
“Please stop. . .” Don pleaded to Moon, however, she ignored him.
“Can’t teach a bitch with words alone.”
“That’s the third time you’ve said that,” Moon stepped up to him while placing the earbud in her pocket. “I warned you.”
His grin suddenly turned into shock as Moon stepped in with one leg and with an open palm struck him near the heart. Her movement was so fast that Don couldn’t even see what happened before he flew back and fell to the ground a few steps away from her. Gyo’s friend was just as surprised as Don was, meanwhile Gyo was having a hard time catching his breath as blood came out of his mouth.
“Where did that smug grin disappear?” Moon’s voice remained monotonous. “Don’t tell me this is all you’ve got?”
“Get away!” Gyo yelled out while holding the knife in front of him, slowly trying to get up.
With a single kick, she knocked the knife out of his hand and before he could even react, she grabbed his wrist and twisted it painfully while forcing him to the ground. Her knee pressed against his shoulder as his face dragged along the cemented walkway.
Gyo’s friend wanted to act, but one look from Moon was enough to put him in his place.
“You have no idea who you’re messing with!” Gyo still dared speak up with a crazed look on his face. “I know where you work and we’ll show you what it means to hurt one of our own. Nobody will save you!”
“Is that so?” she said before grabbing his index finger and snapping it back. He tried his best not to scream which was the first time she felt any respect. Luckily, the park was yet again empty enough for them to get away with fighting in a public place. She leaned down and whispered into his ear. “Baldy, I’ll tell you this only once so listen carefully. You have no idea who you’re messing with. If you don’t quit it, I won’t stop with a broken finger. Should we check how cold the Han River is?”
Gyo realized he was outmatched and quickly shook his head. There was nothing to gain from further provoking her wrath. Letting out a chuckle, Moon let him go before watching them run away. While she wasn’t convinced he learned his lesson, going any further would’ve dulled her mood.
“You alright?” she looked toward Don.
“Yeah. . . Thanks,” he looked saddened.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just a bit frustrating that I was saved again,” he chuckled while scratching his head.
Moon couldn’t help but smirk at his honesty.
“You were ready to fight back so I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I just stole your thunder if anything,” she approached him once more, their height rather similar.
“I was still scared shitless,” Don explained.
“So? That doesn’t matter,” she patted him on the shoulder. “Someone once said that if you can’t beat fear, just do it scared. You’d be surprised how different your life could be.”
“I’ll try. . .” he said but he wasn’t convinced he could. Though, she was right. He was ready to fight them so maybe he could do it if he tried hard enough. “By the way, what if they call the cops?”
“Cops don’t worry me,” she laughed.
Don didn’t know what to think of her. She sounded as crazy as she was beautiful.
“I’ll be honest, I’m a bit surprised you remembered me.”
“You’ve been in Cyber Shark so many times that if I didn’t remember you I’d begin to question my sanity. Besides, that recent video of your friends beating them up went viral around my circles. Made me wonder when you’d visit again. Especially that kid, Arthur.”
“Oh, right. . . But why’d you call him a kid, aren’t you like a year older than us?” as soon as he asked, he realized that she might get angered by his question. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to sound rude or anything.”
She burst into laughter at how easily intimidated Don was. “You got pretty cute reactions, but ye you’re right. You’re seventeen right?”
“Turning this year, yes.”
“Well kiddo, I hope to see you around again. I gotta bail now, work waits for no one.”
“Oh right! Sorry, I got too caught up in everything that happened. If I’m honest I still don’t know exactly what just happened.”
“The world is a bigger place than you think, maybe your friend Arthur will explain it one day.”
“Noona, you sound pretty obsessed with him,” Don commented.
“Noona? Aren’t we getting a bit too friendly all of a sudden?” she smirked.
“I figured if I started doing things that sound scary, I might be able to overcome my fear,” he explained as his courage originated from over-exhausting himself with his worries.
“Bold way to start. I like it,” she approached him, wrapping her arm around his neck. “Fine, from now on I shall allow you to call me Noona. I bet that’s gonna get you some recognition kiddo.”
“Could you stop calling me that?” he asked while looking down at the ground as she tightened her grip, making it more of a choke hold than a hug.
“When you show me that you’re not a kid, I’ll stop calling you that,” she let go of him before taking a step back. “And to answer your question, I love strong people. Something about them makes me want to either beat the shit out of them or get beaten the fuck up,” she burst into another laugh.
Don was sure of it now, she was utterly crazy. However, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.
After he reminded her that she needed to get to work, she took off running claiming that she’d get a pay cut if she was late again. Left alone, Don had a lot to think about. All he knew was that he couldn’t wait to tell the boys the unbelievable story he just witnessed.
Chapter End.
Thank you for reading.