There was only one reason a bully like Dongsu approached other boys in school.
As he entered high school, he wanted to find himself a new pushover. Strangely enough, Dongsu led a quiet school life from the beginning of the semester to the midterm exam. As long as somebody did not bother him, he did not make any trouble either.
Now, Suhyuk wondered why he, who did not make any trouble until now, suddenly took the trouble of meeting him.
‘Despite his wish to turn over a new leaf, he had an intolerable itch to attract a fight?’
Suhyuk could not help but become a little nervous.
Dongsu said, “You must be very smart. Congrats on getting 1st in the class!”
“Thanks,” Suhyuk replied quickly.
Dongsu once again showed a smile and sat next to him, and then he threw a book at him. It was a workout book.
“I bought it today. I don’t know if I bought a good one. Take a look at if it’s okay.”
It’s a math workbook. Usually workbooks were more of the same, but Suhyuk listened to him because it was not a difficult task.
As he expected, the contents and problems of the workbook were pretty much the same.
“I think it looks okay.”
Dongu said, with a satisfied look, “Let me ask you for a favor.”
‘Favor? Do you want money from me? You won’t pay it back later, of course.
“What is it?” asked Suhyuk.
“Give me private lessons,” Dongsu said.
Suhyuk made a slightly embarrassed expression. It was something he did not expect at all.
“Why don’t you go to a private academy for tutoring?”
Dongsoo laughed bitterly, saying, “I cannot afford it.”
His family was not well off. Of course if he wanted, he could get the money. If he ordered his minions to bring money or blackmailed them, he could get the money to pay for the fee at a private academy.
But he cannot do it now, because he decided to come to his mind and turn over a new leaf in life. Of course, nobody knew how long his determination would last. But at least for now, it seemed he had the confidence to keep his resolution without any wavering.
When Suhyuk made an embarrassed expression, Dongsu opened his mouth again.
“If you do me a favor, it will certainly help you too.”
“Help?”
“Yes, if you see a guy who harasses you or if you don’t like a guy, just tell me. Let me kick their ass like hell.”
Suhyuk laughed aghast at him, but he quickly brushed off that expression from his face and agonized over it.
Dongsu said he could not study better because he had no money. It could be heard as an excuse, but Suhyuk fell somewhat for it. There are students who attend private academies for extra lessons and get private tutoring. In contrast, those who only focus on school textbooks can never beat them because the amount and quality of their work is completely different from them.
After silently looking at the workbook Dongsu was holding, Suhyuk cast his gaze at him.
‘If I teach Dongsu, certainly nobody in school will annoy or harass me. Even those good-for-nothing hooligans would try to avoid my eyes simply because of my staying with him.’
From his perspective, he would have to sacrifice a bit of his time if he studied with Dongsu. However, on the other hand, he could review his lessons during that process.
The problem was how to manage his time.
He delivered newspapers in the morning and went to a private academy in the evening. Then he went back home to study.
Suhyuk tried to find some time in between, and he soon made a decision.
“Alright,” said Suhyuk.
Dongsu nodded his head, as if he expected it.
As a matter of fact, no one has ever rejected his request.
“When will you start?” asked Dongsu.
“Starting tomorrow,” said Suhyuk.
Dongsu’s eyes opened bigger. He expected Suhyuk would start his tutoring next week. Little did he expect Suhyuk decided to start right away.
Suhyuk opened his mouth again, asking, “What position did you get in class this time?”
“29th.”
29th out of 31 students. Fortunately he was not the last in his class, but it did not make any difference. Suhyuk told Dongsoo about which reading room they would meet for his lesson. It was a free reading room run by a foundation.
After lessons at the private academy, Suhyuk was intending to go straight to the reading room instead of going home.
“Thank you,” Dongsu showed his cell phone to Suhyuk.
They exchanged their phone numbers like that.
At the end of class, Suhyuk came out to ride his bicycle.
‘I must express my gratitude.’
Suhyuk headed for the hospital before going to the private academy. He received not only tuition fees but also an expensive bicycle from that man. He felt he had to express his gratitude. He vaguely felt that the patient with appendicitis was still lying in the emergency room.
If she was there, his son would also appear. It did not matter if he was not there. He heard that the patient who had cognitive impairment visited the emergency room every day with a feigned illness.
It’s impossible that the doctors or nurses there could not know her guardian’s contact number. Arriving at the emergency room, Suhyuk was forced to make a bitter expression. The doctors and nurses he saw before disappeared and could not be found anywhere as if they were replaced with completely new staff.
He looked for them at other places beside the emergency room, but to no avail.
He could not find their faces there either.
“As you know, some patient came to the the emergency room every day with a feigned illness and she had also a cognitive disorder. Can I get her guardian’s contact information?”
The nurses shook their heads, indicating they did not know anything about her.
Suhyuk helplessly had to leave the hospital empty-handed. He really felt sorry about it. If it’s meant to be, he could meet her again someday. With some regret left behind, he had to turn back.
Even though it was late in the evening, there were many children playing near the villas. Suhyuk arrived at his house and walked slowly, dragging his bike. He had to be careful because an accident could happen at the slightest slip. Suhyuk went into the villa, and then he turned his head to one side where there was a familiar black car parked there. It was a luxurious and expensive foreign car that one could hardly find in this neighborhood. It was the very car that took him back home from the emergency room.
No doubt about it.
Honk.
The car door was opened with a light honk. And the driver he had seen before walked up to him.
“Do you like your new bike?” he asked.
Suhyuk nodded his head on an impulse, saying, “Thank you. Did you also pay for my tuition?”
The driver nodded his head with a smile, saying, “You’re coming back home now. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
‘Waiting for me?’
“Why did you wait for me?” asked Suhyuk.
“My boss wants to briefly see you.”