A Gangster Return To Highschool, Chapter 09
A Gangster Return To Highschool, Chapter 09
Jeong Eun-chae knew about Hong Jae-min's gang. Notorious juvenile delinquents, they were the main culprits causing stress-induced hair loss for the homeroom teacher in charge of that grade.
Only then did the situation of Song I-heon jumping from the overpass become clear to Jeong Eun-chae, who pressed her temples. From what she heard, Song I-heon had been a victim of school violence, which he had kept secret, leading him to despair and jump from the overpass.
However, the biggest issue was that the bullying was still ongoing. The attendance sheet she had for Class 1 of the third year included both Song I-heon and Hong Jaemin. Unless Hong Jae-min was shocked enough by Song I-heon's jump to reform, the bullying would continue.
So what were the chances of Hong Jae-min reforming? The homeroom teacher gave her a definitive answer. Reform? My hair would grow back faster than that kid would change.
No brilliant solution came to mind. How could she mediate and protect the victim while keeping both the victim and the perpetrator in the same space, ensuring the victim could blend in with other students? Jeong Eun-chae, deep in thought, tapped her desk before opening the attendance sheet to return to the root of the problem.
The fact that Song I-heon was being bullied by Hong Jae-min wasn't known, which is why they ended up in the same class. Now that it was known, it was right to separate them into different classes. Jeong Eun-chae knew this, but to do so, she would have to reveal the school violence Song I-heon had suffered in the faculty meeting.
The only one who could speak about the violence Song I-heon endured was Song Iheon himself. The perpetrators would keep silent as it would be disadvantageous for them, and it was hard to expect help from Song I-heon's guardians.
Asking him to reveal the violence after he had taken such extreme measures because of it would be like rubbing salt in his wounds. Jeong Eun-chae held her forehead, unsure if that was the right thing to do.
The school violence Song I-heon had suffered was kept so secret that even teachers were unaware. It was not something Jeong Eun-chae should bring to light recklessly. Song I-heon's opinion was the most crucial. He shouldn't suffer secondary harm by being highlighted for school violence when he returns to school.
First, she needed time for a serious consultation with Song I-heon. The class could be changed afterward. However, until then, someone was needed to ensure Hong Jaemin wouldn't touch Song I-heon in the classroom.
As she scanned through the alphabetically ordered list with her thumb, she spotted a third party's name. Choi Se-kyung, who sat between Song I-heon and Hong Jae-min.
Choi Se-kyung, intelligent, mature, polite, and kind, was an exemplary student.
The amusing point to note here was that none of the five students Jeong Eun-chae had counseled revealed that Song I-heon was gay. Not for Song I-heon's sake, but because they were afraid it might harm Choi Se-kyung. They all kept quiet without even having made a promise.
Jeong Eun-chae was unaware that Song I-heon liked Choi Se-kyung.
No one knew the sense of shame Song I-heon felt at the thought of his crush, Choi Se-kyung, finding out he was being bullied at school, or the anxiety he felt about Choi Se-kyung possibly witnessing him getting beaten up.
Thus, Jeong Eun-chae could think about asking Choi Se-kyung to help with Song Iheon.
"Se-kyung!"
She called out to Choi Se-kyung as he was leaving the teachers' room. The tall student turned his head. Not just tall, but his body proportions were well-balanced, giving an impression of stability and solidity. His appearance, teetering on the edge between boyhood and manhood, looked down at Jeong Eun-chae gently. His low, even voice spread out, soft yet with weight.
"You called for me."
His crescent-shaped eyes met hers without wavering, and though he was clearly ten years younger than her, Jeong Eun-chae felt a slight heat rise to her nape. "I left the file on your desk."
Pretending not to notice her flushed neck, Choi Se-kyung changed the topic. Jeong Eun-chae, also trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere, rubbed her neck while averting her gaze. Then she accidentally noticed the watch on Choi Se-kyung's wrist, which was worth nearly her monthly salary, and the surprise cooled her down.
"Se-kyung, can we talk for a bit?"
"Sure."
"Just a moment. Since the first period is about to start, let's talk while we head to the classroom. I'll grab my books."
Choi Se-kyung nodded compliantly and waited for Jeong Eun-chae to gather her English textbooks and handouts before he opened the teachers' room door for her. He took the handouts from her and followed her. The sound of boisterous chatter from the school store drifted through the open window.
"Hmm, hmm. Do you know Song I-heon in our class?" "Ah... yes."
Choi Se-kyung thought of the boy rumored to like him. His smile stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal.
"I-heon had an accident during the winter break. Um, it's a sensitive issue, but it seems there was some friction with another student. And this year, he's in the same class as the student he fought with... You know him, right? Hong Jae-min."
Trying to convey 'school violence' without directly saying it for fear of hurting Song I-heon, her words came out disjointed. Fortunately, Choi Se-kyung understood what she was trying to say because he was aware of the situation.
"I-heon did nothing wrong. Jae-min has been rough with him for a while. Jae-min is quite... rough, you see. So I-heon got hurt pretty badly, and because the pain was too much, he did something terrible during the winter break." "So that's why he didn't come to the makeup classes."
"Oh, you know..."
Choi Se-kyung responded calmly. His mature demeanor was reassuring, and while Jeong Eun-chae contemplated whether to tell him about Song I-heon jumping from the overpass, they reached the end of the straight hallway.
They turned the corner to go upstairs, and the noise from the store grew fainter. Outside the window, the roof of the incinerator was close; though no longer in use, it still carried the stench from when it was used for school waste, making it a place students avoided.
Unlike the noisy store, the stairs next to the incinerator were quiet, and the sound of footsteps echoed loudly.
Perhaps it was best not to mention the jump from the overpass, especially since Sekyung was a minor. Deciding this, Jeong Eun-chae got straight to the point without further beating around the bush.
"So, there's an issue between I-heon and Jae-min that needs to be resolved, and it might take some time. I-heon's opinion is the most important, so we can't resolve it hastily. Could you look after I-heon for a while? I'm really sorry to ask this, but you're the only one who can keep Jae-min away from him. Of course, I'll keep an eye on things too."
"..."
However, Choi Se-kyung moved away to the window side, as if physically distancing himself was a form of rejection. Jeong Eun-chae quickly defended Song Iheon, insisting he wasn't a bad kid.
"I looked into I-heon, and he's gentle. He's shy, and his health isn't great, which is why he doesn't mingle well with friends. He's so kind that he endures and suffers through all sorts of hardships. He can't even kill a single bug-."
"Isn't that Song I-heon?"
Choi Se-kyung, who had been silently listening, suddenly pointed outside the window.
"What?"
Jeong Eun-chae pushed Se-kyung aside and clung to the window. Below was the incinerator area. There, Song I-heon was knocking down Hong Jae-min with a punch, and Hong Jae-min was rolling on the ground amidst a circle of students.
The high school Song I-heon attended was divided into the old building and the new building. The old building was mainly used by first and second-year students, while the new building was for third-year students. In the center of the 'ㄷ'-shaped buildings, there was a container box serving as a snack bar, making the area always crowded.
Leading the way, Hong Jae-min took a roundabout path along the outskirts of the school buildings to avoid being caught by teachers. The desolate and shaded path was quite different from the bustling center where the snack bar was located.
While being dragged along, Kim Deuk-pal learned the geography of the school. Although his arms were bound by Hong Jae-min and his friends to prevent escape, in Kim Deuk-pal's eyes, it was just like they were linking arms, so it wasn't threatening. Their arms were entangled, the immature muscles tense, which Kim Deuk-pal found somewhat cute.
They're showing me around the school! This thought made Kim Deuk-pal laugh, unable to suppress his snickers.
However, when Song I-heon seemed to lose all fear and openly laughed while looking around the schoolyard, Hong Jae-min's gang was taken aback and mocked him.
"You're laughing? Laughing, huh-?"
And then they roughly threw Song I-heon at the incinerator. When they pushed him by throwing his arms, his thin body staggered and fell onto a pile of sorted plastic bottles. The group of seven or eight, led by Hong Jae-min, closed in on Song I-heon.
"Did you have an accident? Did you go crazy? This bastard really became a dumb
idiot."
"How did you find out? You must have hit your head first."
When Song I-heon, still on the ground, laughed back at them, Hong Jae-min's gang sensed something odd.
The incinerator was a place they used for beatings. Song I-heon, who hadn't come to school during the winter break, had been forgotten, but at the mere hint of being dragged here, he used to fidget like a dog needing to go out.
However, instead of trembling with fear, Song I-heon leisurely got up, dusted off his knees, straightened his crumpled shirt, rolled his shoulders to loosen them, and then cocked his head to one side.
His eyes, gleaming with a sharp light, scanned Hong Jae-min's gang. "Thanks, buddy. After hitting my head, I feel much clearer now."
Whether Song I-heon actually fell head-first from the pedestrian bridge is unknown. The last Kim Deuk-pal saw of Song I-heon, he had rolled off a truck. But for Kim Deuk-pal, the boy's last moment became like a nail driven into him. A nail deeply embedded somewhere in his soul, causing a lingering pain that couldn't be removed.
Whenever Kim Deuk-pal encountered traces of Song I-heon in everyday life, it felt like a nail was being driven into him. The persistent pain made him feel as if he were one with Song I-heon, causing him to empathize with the injustices Song I-heon had suffered as if they were his own, leaving no room for leniency towards the kids.
Kim Deuk-pal walked with his hands in his pockets, his slouching gait belying a firm resolve. It was as if he wanted to chew up Hong Jae-min, not leaving even a single bone fragment, out of anger.
This wasn't just the pretense of intimidation or bravado often seen in schoolyard bullies. The surrounding students, sensing the intensity in his eyes that wouldn't be surprising if he were to stab someone, swallowed hard. They thought Song I-heon had gone mad, yet the unusual atmosphere kept them from moving.
Song I-heon stopped just before his chest touched Hong Jae-min's. Bowing his head due to the height difference, Song I-heon's forehead hit Hong Jae-min's shoulder. Not stopping at one nudge, he continued to push with his forehead, clearly picking a fight.
However, Hong Jae-min, unable to push him away, just furrowed his brows.
It wasn't just because Song I-heon had shaved his head. It felt like someone else was wearing Song I-heon's face. There was no other way to explain this unfamiliar and oppressive atmosphere.
"Hey."
With his forehead still pressed against the shoulder, Song I-heon called out. "You pushed."
The tone was flat, neither a question nor a statement, making it ambiguous whether it was a query or an accusation.
"...Fuck, what bullshit."
Hong Jae-min, unwilling to admit he was intimidated, deliberately spat out a harsh curse. Song I-heon was just a weakling who used to wet himself when beaten. It didn't make sense for him to feel tension just because this guy was acting tough. He himself couldn't understand this tension.
Hong Jae-min tried to shake Song I-heon off but felt the weight being pressed against him. Looking down in annoyance, their eyes met at a distance where even the fine hairs were visible. As Hong Jae-min admired the thick, overlapping eyelashes, he stiffened upon meeting the gaze that was staring him down.
The eyes were uncannily clear, transparent in a way that seemed alien, squeezing his heart with an eerie intensity.
Song I-heon parted his lips. The hot breath emanating from the dark cavern of his mouth tickled Hong Jae-min's neck.
"He jumped from the overpass."
There was no subject in the sentence, but it was clear who was being referred to.
There was only one person who could have jumped. Hong Jae-min scratched his neck stiffly, his nails sharp enough to leave marks, yet the tickling breath wouldn't disappear.
Feeling like his throat was being choked, Hong Jae-min took a deep breath, expanding his rigid chest, then let out a long sigh.
"He... jumped, and now you're blaming me?"
"If you bullied him that much, it's as good as you pushing him."
To make sure who was to blame, Kim Deuk-pal turned his forehead slightly, revealing Song I-heon's face. He pinned the blame with a cold, unarguable assertion.
" You are a murderer, Jae-min."
Whether it was Kim Deuk-pal's burnt-out body or Song I-heon's soul, which had gone who knows where.
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