Chapter 5 - The robbery
"Is it true that you got more money than the rest of us?" the workers asked with a hint of dislike.
Tae-hyun hesitated for a moment because he didn't know what to say. "I-I don't know," was all he could say. "I just do my job as well as possible."
The worker looked at him with disgust but didn't say anything more. As long as people say that Tae-hyun is getting special treatment, his coworkers increasingly hate and dislike him. Tae-hyun can tell that his fellow soldiers don't like him, and he knows he's becoming an outcast among them.
One day at lunch, the anger finally got too much. Tae-hyun doesn't get his lunch, so his coworkers start making fun of him and insulting him. As the bullying worsens, Tae-hyun is physically attacked whenever he lets his guard down.
Every day, Tae-hyun got punched and kicked, often coming home with bruises and cuts. His clothes were stained with blood, and he felt lonely and alone at what was supposed to be his workplace.
Tae-hyun needs to figure out where or who to ask for help. One of his coworkers came over to him with a smirk on his face.
"Hey Tae-hyun, how are you? Enjoying your boss's special treatment? "The coworker laughed at his.
"You think you're so great, don't you?" sneered a coworker. "Well, you're not. You're just a little kid who just started working at the factory but is already acting like one."
Tae-hyun doesn't answer because he knows that anything he says will only make the situation worse. He tried to keep his head down and not pay attention to the jokes and insults, but doing so was getting harder and harder. Tae-hyun gets kicked and spit on all the time. He can't answer because he thinks that if he gets into trouble at work, Mr Kim will get him out.
When this happened, his coworkers would stop bothering him because they were afraid of getting caught mistreating him.
One day, while Tae-hyun is sitting in a factory chair taking care of his injuries, the head of the factory comes up to him. Coworkers of Tae-hyun scatter like cowards, leaving him alone to face the man. He went over to Tae-hyun and helped him to his feet.
"Are you okay, Taehyung?" asked the head of the factory, who was worried.
Tae-hyun nods, trying to hide how hurt and embarrassed he is.
The head of the factory asked, "What's going on here?"
Tae-hyun hesitates because he doesn't want his coworkers to get in trouble.
Tae-hyun says, "It's nothing," trying to make the situation seem less important. Tae-hyun is thankful for the help he got from Mr Park. He wants to avoid getting more attention and wants Mr Park to be included.
He quickly got his things together and left the factory. He tried to keep his head down and not talk to anyone else. Other workers still see Mr Park as an authority figure and fear getting too close to him. Tae-hyun is grateful for Mr Park's efforts to cheer him up, but he can see the strain it's putting on their relationship and doesn't want to get into trouble.
During lunch, Mr Park often ate alone, while Tae-hyun would try to eat quickly and get back to work. Mr Park's efforts to get close to Tae-hyun pay off in the long run. Slowly, Tae-hyun starts to talk more about himself and his life. He also enjoys Mr Park's company and laughs with him, even though, at first, he is afraid of getting too close to someone in a higher position.
They usually talk about jokes, and Tae-hyun feels at ease when Mr Park is around. He liked what the older man was doing, and it reminded him of a father figure who had left him a long time ago.
"Hey, Tae-hyun, do you know why the scarecrow won the prize?" Mr Park asked with a wink in his eye.
Tae-hyun shakes his head and looks around. "No, why?"
"Because he is amazing at what he does!" Mr Park chuckled.
Tae-hyun laughs because the joke is so funny. "That's great, Mr. Park."
When Tae-hyun saw the mess in front of him, his heart sank. The drawers were opened and emptied, the cupboard contents were scattered on the floor, and the bed was turned over. He soon realized that his apartment had been broken into and that the thieves had taken everything of value.
He felt frustrated. He had worked so hard for everything he had, but now it was all gone in an instant. Tae-hyun takes a deep breath and tries to calm down, even though he knows he needs to call the police.
He started looking through the rubble, hoping to find something left behind. While sorting through the mess, he found his missing laptop, cell phone, and clothes. He was sad when he realized that some of the clothes were gifts from his mother.
When Tae-hyun calls the police and tells them what happened, he feels angry and sad. He was glad they got there fast and started looking for evidence and asking questions. He couldn't help but feel hopeless as he talked to the police. He knew there wasn't much chance that the thief would be caught, and even if he did, he didn't think he'd ever get his things back.
Tae-Hyun is at the police station, feeling frustrated and helpless. Officers asked him questions to find out more about how his apartment was broken into. Tae-Hyun explains that he's at work, but the officers seem more interested in blaming him for what happened.
"Don't you know that a quiet place is a good place to steal?" One of the officers asked with a tone of accusation.
Tae-Hyun says he works like a teenager, but the officers don't listen.
The officer kept asking, but Tae-Hyun was thinking about something else. He didn't expect things to be so bad for him. The officers didn't seem to care about his situation and treated the apartment was robbed as his fault. Tae-hyun only wants to go home, but he no longer has one. He walked around town looking for a cheap place to stay for a few days. He finally found a small inn where people often stayed the night or escaped trouble.
Tae-hyun will spend the next few days there, trying to figure out what he should do next. He had saved some money, but not much, and even then, it was only what was in his wallet.
Even if the sun hasn't come out in the morning, Tae-hyun is up and getting ready to work. Even though he had to use his clothes yesterday but luckily, last night he had washed them. Along the way on the bus, Tae-hyun often daydreams and is so helpless that he doesn't realize he has arrived at his stop.
Tae-hyun gets off the bus and walks toward the factory, but his mind is still on what happened to him recently.
When Tae-hyun walks into the factory, the loud machines and screams of the workers take his mind off what he wants to do. He quickly changed into his clothes and went to work, lifting and moving heavy things like every day.
Tae-hyun tries to stay upbeat and focused on what needs to be done. He reminded himself he was doing this to get by, support himself in the future, and find a way.
Mr Park listens intently as Tae-hyun recounts the details of what happened. He felt terrible about what happened and about Tae-hyun losing his things.
"That's horrible," said Mr Park, shaking his head. "You should have come to me if you had needed help. I'd be happy to let you stay with me."
The offer from Mr Park moves Tae-hyun, but he turns it down. "I appreciate it, but I can get over it. I'll figure out how to deal with it."
Mr Park in understanding. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to come to me," he said.