“Good afternoon everyone. I’m Simon Park, I’m from Busan but I temporarily live here in Seoul. I hope we get along”

Everyone cheered on him, while all I could do was clench my fist.

“Okay, I hope you’ll enjoy your last year in high school here. Go seat behind Mr. Lee”

He walked past me without even taking a glance.

Did he forget about me? No. It can’t be, he made my middle school a living hell. How can he just forget when I still bring those painful memories wherever I go.

Ms. Na then started teaching us about geometry.

I can’t really focus well knowing that my perpetrator’s behind me. I am really sure it’s him.

“Hey, what are you thinking so deep?”, Yuri spoke all of a sudden.

“Nothing, I just–”

“Mr. Lee and Ms.Jeo, if you’re going to talk. Do this outside! Now!”Ms. Na shouted.

Yuri and I stood outside the classroom with our geometry book placed above our heads as Ms. Na’s punishment.

“What do you think about Simon?”, I asked Yuri, who is now balancing her book.

“Hmm, seems nice. I bet he’s also smart” she added.

“That’s all?” I asked curiously.

“Why do you know him? Is there something I should be wary of?”

I shouldn’t tell Yuri about him, or else she’ll get dragged into my mess.

“No…just a question”, I replied.

The class ended with nothing unusual that has happened. Simon gained a lot of friends, and was also able to get the teacher’s trust. Yet, I still think that he’s off to something. Something undesirable.

“Eomma!”I called when I saw my mom near our house with some vegetables.

“Aigoo! My Dylan’s here”, she exclaimed and caressed my cheek.

“Let me bring that inside”

“My child’s now grown up! Just put it there and let eomma cook your food”, she took the groceries from me.

“I want to help mom”, I insisted.

My mom’s been through a lot because of me. She had to sell our old house left by her parents just so I could study here in Seoul. She had been working everyday doing laundry, cleaning the street, and selling tteokbeokkie at night.

“Just study, and be a good kid. Okay?” I looked at her, and I suddenly felt a pang in my heart.

My mother doesn’t even know I got bullied in middle school, there’s no way I’ll get bullied in my senior year.

I just have to study and stay away from trouble. I’ll let Simon Park pass for now.

***

“Study well, my Dylan”, mom gave me a kiss before letting me go.

“I’ll study hard for you mom. Bye!”, I said and sent her a flying kiss.

As I walked to school, I saw one of my classmates, Denise Lee, bowing and offering an envelope to Mr. Henry Joo, our teacher in Korean studies.

I look closely and notice that there exists a heated argument between the two of them, and it seems like Denise is insisting on something.

My attention was shaken when Simon Park walked past me.

Mr. Joo and Denise then disappeared in my sight. That Simon!

“Hey, have you studied for the quiz? I’m doomed. Dad’s gonna kill me”,Yuri exclaimed while banging her head on the desk like some sort of maniac.

“We’re korean, I know we can pass the subject. Hwaiting!”, I cheered her but she just looked at me blankly while her head’s still on her desk. She already lost it.

“Hey, Simon! Do you think you can lend me your notes?”, Yuri asked.

“I don’t do notes hehe”, Simon answered innocently.

I don’t do notes hehe. I repeated in my mind while giving him the worst version of himself.

“I’m screwed” Yuri went back to banging her head on the desk.

“The quiz will be a 100-item test for 1 and a half hours. Strictly no cheating, if caught so, you’ll be given zero marks plus demerits”, Mr. Joo announced. I can’t help but notice Denise being anxious.

“Time starts now”

Help. I don’t know anything.

The exam ended without me remembering anything about our lessons, nor the questions that I have just answered.

“Hey! Let’s go to the cafeteria”. Yuri rambled while wrapping my neck with her hand attempting to choke me.

“Y-yeah..” I replied simply swaying her hand gently off me.

“Let’s eat tteokbokki and fishcake. My treat.” she announced merrily while hopping towards the cafeteria.

“Ouch!”, Yuri exclaimed.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking”,Denise explained.

Yuri bumped into her accidentally, yet she’s asking for an apology.

“Well, whatever. Let’s go Dylan”, Yuri then continued hopping like some child.

Our attention was caught when a familiar voice resounded in the area. It was Harold messing with some other kid. A male student who somehow looks like me when I was in middle school. Weak, skinny and scrawny. He was covered with kimchi stew, while Harold and his friends ganged up on him.

“You’re so small, you disgust me.”, Harold commented.

“You stink! Why would you go to school without taking a bath?”, Harold’s assistant bemoaned while covering his nose.

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All the people watching didn’t do anything but laugh.

I tried to help him, but my feet won’t move. I can’t. My both feet shiver in fear. I can’t do anything, just like when I was in middle school.

Harold lifted the little boy with his collar, just like what he did to me. The next part is when he’s gonna punch him in the face enough to send few feet away.

No, I was only able to do it since I’ve already been used to punches, and kicks and my body weight is much greater than the little boy. At this rate, Harold can send the boy across the cafeteria.

Harold started to take his stance, and all I can do is close my eyes.

“H-hey! Look!”Yuri repeatedly tapped my arm, which made me open my eyes.

The scenario shows Harold’s arm being stopped by Simon Park. Of course! It happened before, it will happen again.

“Don’t.”, he said while forcefully holding Harold’s arm that allows him to drop the little kid’s collar.

“W-who are you?”, Harold screamed in pain.

Simon then dropped his hand.

“Only weak people stepped on weak people”, Simon said.

“Bullshit”, Harold yelled and attempted to hit Simon’s face which he immediately avoided. Simon then did a front kick to increase the range between him and Harold. Then finished him up with his palm heel strike, which made Harold pass out.

No wonder he’s a pro.

“He hit me first, it was self-defense”, he told the little boy then patted his head and smiled. .

“Woah! I can’t believe Simon Park can do that woosh, and blahhh”, Yuri chimed while copying the taekwondo stances.

Why would he help the boy when he himself is a notorious bully?

Everybody cheered and applauded Simon. They were so focused that they didn’t even notice Harold’s underling grabbing a metal chair. He lifted the chair and tried to hit Simon’s head.

My head lost its sense, and I suddenly ran to where Simon Park is.

“Go!”, I shouted while receiving the hit.

I was thrown by the impact resulting from the hit I’ve received.

“Dylan!”, I can hear Yuri’s voice.

Simon looked at me…pathetically.

“Go, and don’t be a nuisance”, he announced in a stern voice.

I was offended by what he said but having a weak body and no experience about fighting will be pretty useless, and can set the enemy at an advantage.

Struggling, I told the little boy to come with me and exit the scene.

“Hey! Are you out of your mind? Why would you jump out there?”, Yuri yelled at me then started to hit me.

“H-Hey! Stop! It stings”, I complained, and massaged my arms that got hit by the chair.

Everybody distanced themselves from Simon and Harold’s underlings.

“2 VS 1? The fight is not fair!”, Yuri exclaimed.

“Yeah, from the start the fight isn’t fair”, I commented, and a smirk formed in my face.

Harold’s underling let out a kick that targeted the left side of Simon’s head which Simon easily blocked by extending his left arm at a 45 degree angle, preventing the kick from reaching his body. Simon assumed the stance of a boxer and closed the distance between him and Harold’s underling.He dropped his rear arm to a 90-degree angle and did the uppercut and the chin before his enemy could recover. The guy then lost his balance until he eventually passed out.

“Watch out!”, the little kid warned Simon.

The other guy then grabbed Simon from behind. Simon then used all his weight to bring himself down together with the grappler. When he got the chance to escape, he then positioned himself behind the grappler who’s minding his back. Simon Park then wrapped his right arm around the opponent’s neck, in which he supported by his left hand and locked the opponent around his bicep that resulted in his enemy to be knocked out.

“I told you, it wasn’t fair from the start” I stated.

A high-pitched sound coming from a whistle was heard in the cafeteria. The whole place became chaotic. Students tried to escape all of a sudden. It was the school guard with Ms. Na and Principal Kim.

“What’s going on here?” Mr. Joo shouted.

“Now calm down”, the principal calmed him down while doing the inhale exhale motions.

“Ah, I caught them fighting each other Sir. So I had to step up, but then they passed out. Apologies, I must have overdone it”, Simon Park explained then smiled.

“Really? Then you all go back to class! What are you doing here? Such a nuisance”, Mr. Joo added.

I clenched fist and gritted my teeth on how Simon Park had lied to save his bum. I looked at him sternly, and when he met my eyes he just smiled…a fake one.

After the fuss that Simon Park has created, all I can hear in the hallway was his name and how well he fights. For a guy like him who was a bully his whole life, it’s not so strange that he was able to learn about different styles of fighting.

“What do you think you were doing earlier?”Yuri pinched my ear.

“S-stop! I-it hurts!”, I cried.

“Do you think you’re so tough, how can you go and be hit by a metal chair?”, she whined while placing each of her hands on her waist.

“Stop nagging, you look like my mom”, I said softly while massaging my ear.

“What? You called me your mom?”She screamed and started to choke me with both hands.

I heaved a sigh to let out my frustrations.

“Everyone, settle down!”, Mr. Joo said in a loud voice that made everyone come back to their senses.

“What’s up with him? Acting all so mighty?”, Nelly rolled her eyes then packed her makeup kit in her bag.

“It has come to my attention that someone in this class cheated on the test!”, Mr. Joo said.

“What?”

“Who would’ve cheated on the exam?”

“No way!”

Various contemplations can be heard inside the classroom.

“I will not tolerate any cheating incident under my class, and for the person responsible will gain zero marks for the last exam. That’s for you Ms. Denise Lee.”, Mr. Joo stated while eyeing Denise.

“What? How can Denise cheat on the exam?”

“Well, serves her right”

“I knew it, she doesn’t seem smart.”

Random chattering echoed within the four walls of our classroom.

“But, Sir. I didn’t cheat”, she stood up and asked for an appeal.

“Yes, you did! And the scholarship commission will hear about it. Class dismissed. I don’t have the energy to see your faces”, Mr. Joo walked out of the classroom.

Denise wasn’t able to do anything but cry in her seat.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit odd?”,Nelly told us all of a sudden.

“What’s so strange?’

“I don’t think Nelly cheated, she’s a consistent rank student since she’s a freshman and she wouldn’t dare to cheat given that Mr. Joo’s the father of his boyfriend.”, she added.

My eyes widened as I heard what she had said.

“Mr. Joo’s son is her boyfriend?”, Yuri exclaimed.

“Then why would he suspect her of cheating and even terminate her scholarship?” Charles butt in.

“I don’t know, maybe something’s going on”, Nelly said.

My head has been occupied with what’s going on between Nelly and Mr. Joo.

“Meow..”, I heard a cat’s cry in the neighborhood as I was on my way home. I went to where the sound is coming from.

“Meowww”, the cry’s getting louder.

“There you are”, I said when I spotted an orange cat with white spots laying in the dump.

Itlooks so fragile, and scrawny. I checked up on its body and found a wound on one of its hind legs.

“Meowww” it screamed, when I placed a first-aid ointment on it, and a bandage.

“Now, that’s it. I’ll bring you home”, I then placed my towel around it and carried it like a baby.

“What? Are you kidding me?”, I heard a familiar voice screaming near me. I looked to see where the commotion was coming from.

“D-Don’t do this please, Mr. Joo. I can’t lose my scholarship”, the other person cried.

Mr. Joo? I hurried to the place where the sound was coming from.

“Fucking bitch! Don’t touch me. Make up your mind before I destroy you”, Mr. Joo then hit the girl’s face which left me in awe.

I was about to come to her rescue but Mr. Joo was able to leave the scene so easily.

“What? You have business with me or something?”, Denise looked at me with such vicious intent.