Chapter 2 - The Earth spins around
Tae-Hyun ends up in a park, where he sits on a bench and tries to figure out what's happening. He thought about how his mother had suffered, been given the wrong medicine, and died.
Tae-Hyun felt tears running down his cheeks, so he wiped them away. He got off the bench and went back inside the house. Tae-Hyun waited for his father to come home because he wanted to find out what he was doing to his mother, but the man came one day. Tae-Hyun had to move out because he was three months behind on his rent.
Tae-Hyun has to pack up his things and move out of the tiny house he has lived in for years. Even though his father had betrayed him, he felt sad as he left the place where he and his mother had lived.
He didn't understand why his father gave his mother medicine for dogs and then left her like this.
He got lost for hours because he didn't know where to go or what to do. He doesn't know where he is and is alone in a strange and unfriendly city.
He was about to give up when a kind older adult approached him and offered him a place to stay. Tae-Hyun gladly accepts the offer and soon lives in his parents' small but comfortable home.
At first, Tae-Hyun didn't want to do it, but he had no choice. He went with the teacher to the dormitory in a big building outside of town. The atmosphere was very different from when it was a small room. The air is clean, and the space is bright and open. He was shown to his room and was amazed by the large windows that let in a lot of natural light.
Tae-Hyun quickly makes friends with the other kids in the hostel and discovers that they are all like him and come from families that couldn't afford to care for them. He was happy that he still felt sad about his mother's death.
Tae-Hyun has grown into a teenager who can take care of himself. Aside from going to school, he also works part-time in a convenience store. He studies every single day, even when he is busy helping customers. He is a serious student who is always eager to learn new things and improve himself. Tae-hard Hyun's work pays off when he gets a scholarship to a prestigious university. He then follows his dream.
One of the boys snorted, "Isn't that the poor kid I knew in school? Rub, what are you doing here?"
Tae-Hyun ignores them and concentrates on putting the customer's things in a bag. But the boys keep trying. They gather around him, making fun of her clothes and his work in the shop.
"It's a shame that people like you must work," one sneered. That's better than asking people for money on the street.
Tae-Hyun clenched his teeth and shook with anger. But he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he said, "It's 100,000 won," in a calm voice.
The boys laughed, but Tae-Hyun didn't back down when they called him names. She had been through worse things and wouldn't let bullies get to her over something minor.
Tae-Hyun tried to stay calm and not get angry, but the young man kept making fun of him and taunting him. When Tae-Hyun ran out, he told the young man to stop. He laughed and said, "What will you do, poor kid? You don't have any power or influence here, right?"
Tae-Hyun did his best to stay calm. He didn't want the young people to think he was weak. He looked at the young man who was still holding onto his clothes and spoke in a calm tone.
"Please let me go. I am just doing my job, "said Tae-Hyun.
The young man scowled at him, saying, "What do you think you're doing in a place like this? You're just a poor kid; there's no place for you."
The young man took Tae-shirt Hyun's off and left with his friends laughing. Tae-Hyun watches them leave and then goes back to work. Tae-Hyun thought something would happen, so he tried to calm himself down.
He finished his work and left the shop, where he saw a group of young people who had picked on him at school. They ate and laughed uproariously when they approached and tried to scare him.
Tae-Hyun tried to pay them no attention. He approached the young man who had taken off his work clothes earlier and asked him calmly to stop. The young man sneered, spat on the ground, and asked, "Are you still working here?"
"You're lucky because you didn't have to deal with people staring at you."
When his classmate punched him in the stomach, Tae-hyun was in terrible pain. He squatted down and struggled to catch his breath. A group of kids laughed, crowded around him, and made fun of him. Tae-Hyun can feel tears stinging the edges of his eyes, but he won't let them fall. He didn't want to make these mean kids happy by letting them see him cry.
"You think you are better than us just because you work in this slum?" he sneered. "You're a nobody, a poor loser who will never amount to anything."
Tae-hyun clenched his teeth and shook with anger. He didn't want them to think he was weak. He stood there with his fists tight, ready to fight. But before he could swing, the phone rang. He looked down and made a sad face. "It looks like we'll have to figure this out another time," he said as he pushed Tae-Hyun aside. "But remember, you owe us for that assignment."
Tae-Hyun is too focused on the task before him because he knows money awaits him. He has worked hard at each job and wants to ensure he can care for himself. As he worked, he could smell hot food, which made his stomach growl. But he put away his hunger because he was determined to finish the job.
The child who had talked to him and told him before returned with a tray of food. He gave it to Tae-Hyun and smiled at him. "You should eat something," he told me. "You can't work when you're hungry."
Tae-Hyun looked at the boy grinning at him. He felt a little bad that he had ignored her before. He thanked her, ate his food, and enjoyed the flavour.
"Sorry, I can't answer that," said Tae-Hyun, still looking at the paper before him.
"Come on, just give me a rough idea. I promise not to say anything, "someone else insisted.
Tae-Hyun looks up from his work and sighs. "This isn't about keeping secrets. I prefer to keep this to myself, but if you're curious, try to get into it first." The person leaned back in their chair and looked disappointed. "Fine. People like them would pay much money for an answer like this."
Tae-hyun shakes his head and goes back to what he is doing. "I have my own ways of making money. I deceive them."
They shrugged and got up from the table. Tae-Hyun looks at the person as they walk away. Tae-Hyun is getting ready for school, and it's almost 8 o'clock. He packed his things and put them in his bag. He was prepared to go to school.
Tae-Hyun walked along a street by himself. Tae-Hyun couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in the last few days. He felt a lot about how the kids picked on him and how they offered to pay him to do his schoolwork.
Tae-Hyun is looking for something in his dormitory room. He was dressed for work and ready to leave, but his friends were still fast asleep. The dorm's caretaker approached him and told him not to stay away from the house for too long.
"Tae-hyun, don't spend too much time outside. Later on, someone will come to see you, "said the caretaker.
Tae-hyun promises to be back before the agreed-upon time. After she was done getting ready, she went to work. He walked and could not help but wonder who had come to meet him. He had a lot of questions, but he tried to put them aside and concentrate on his work.
Tae-Hyun is always looking at the time because he can't wait for the guest they talked about earlier. Tae-Hyun can't focus on anything, and all he can think about is getting back to the dorms as quickly as possible to meet that person. Tae-Hyun runs back to his dorm after finishing his work, and the previous shop owner lets him because the teenager has done well so far.
He ran through the door with his heart beating fast. Two cars were parked nicely in front of the boarding gate. The kids who had been sleeping were now neatly dressed and waiting in line. While they wait for their new family to arrive, Tae-Hyun joins them.