"How are you at school? No one is bullying you anymore, right?" His mother asked hesitantly.
Park Woojin paused for a moment and avoided her gaze. He gave her a faint smile and nodded.
"No one is, mom... and I've also found a friend, so I'm okay now."
He didn't want his mother to know what was happening to him at school so she wouldn't worry.
They talked for a few more minutes, and after they finished eating, Park Woojin went back to his room to sleep.
His mother watched him until he entered his own room. She sat down again and couldn't help but worry about her son.
She had once gone to her son's previous school because of something he had done that she couldn't fully believe. Even though almost all the students blamed her son, she couldn't bring herself to agree with them. Maybe because there was a part of her that didn't want to accept their accusations.
It happened during a time when she was busy selling at the market. There were many people, so she was overwhelmed with attending to the customers.
Her cellphone had been ringing in her pocket for a while, but because she was busy, she couldn't answer it.
When she couldn't stand it anymore and because the number of customers had decreased, she took the cellphone out of her pocket and answered the call.
She remembered that it was her son's homeroom teacher calling. So, even though she was puzzled, she quickly answered it.
As soon as she answered, the worried voice of the homeroom teacher came through.
"Mrs. Park, this is Mrs. Lee. I'm sorry to bother you, but something happened at school today. We need you to come as soon as possible."
Her heart skipped a beat. "What happened? Is Woojin alright?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"He's safe, but there was an incident. It's best if we discuss it in person."
Without a second thought, she hurriedly closed her stall and rushed to the school, her mind racing with a thousand possibilities. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the sight of Woojin sitting outside the principal's office, looking downcast and nervous.
Mrs. Lee approached her and led her into the office, where the principal was waiting. They exchanged worried glances before the principal began to speak.
"Mrs. Park, we've had a serious situation involving your son. There was a fight during lunch break. A-And..." The principal went silent, as if afraid of something. "Y-Your son almost killed someone.."
Her breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean? Woojin would never do something like that!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief.
The principal took a deep breath and continued, "According to witnesses, Woojin was being harassed by a group of students. They were pushing him around, saying terrible things. At some point, he snapped and retaliated. He grabbed a broken piece of glass from the ground and... it got dangerous."
Mrs. Park turned to Woojin, who was still looking at the floor, his eyes filled with tears.
Her tears welled up. "My son wouldn't do something like that!" She angrily said.
The principal cleared her throat, "For now, Woojin will be suspended while we conduct a full investigation. The other student's parents are pressing charges, so you might need legal representation. Please understand... their son was rushed to the hospital and, until now, he still hasn't woken up."
That was the last thing she remembered. She didn't want that incident to happen again. She didn't want to see her son locking himself in his room every day because of the blame and bullying from the other students.
________________________
"Renji, are you okay?" Park Woojin asked worriedly. Renji, who was lost in thought, looked up from his tray to Woojin sitting in front of him.
He frowned, "Did you say something?"
Woojin scratched his head, "I mean, you look so out of it..."
"Oh, sorry... I'm just sleepy."
"O-Okay?" Though still concerned, Woojin forced himself to concentrate on eating.
The cafeteria was noisy as usual, filled with the chatter of students. The line was long, but fortunately, they had been dismissed early, so they managed to get their lunch quickly.
As Woojin scanned the room, he noticed Daeho not far away. Their eyes met briefly, but Daeho quickly left the cafeteria, leaving Woojin puzzled.
Letting it go for the moment, Woojin's eyes landed on another familiar face. At one of the tables, Song Kang Dae was sitting with a girl.
He was surprised to see that the girl with him looked familiar.
Kim Sohee...?
He remembered her name clearly because she was the only girl who had ever taken the time to talk to him.
It appeared that Kang Dae was friends with her.
As Woojin was about to return to his meal, he felt a gaze fixed on him. His heart raced when he saw Donghyun's group glaring at him.
He quickly looked away. It had been a while since they had caused any trouble, but instead of feeling relieved, the situation only made him more anxious.
It was probably because he was worried that they might be planning something against Renji.
As the lunch break came to a close, Woojin and Renji stood up from their table, ready to head to their next class. Renji hesitated for a moment, glancing around with a relaxed demeanor before meeting Woojin's gaze.
"Hey, Woojin," Renji said casually. "I might need to leave school early today. There's a... small problem at home. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"
Woojin's concern was evident. "Are you sure everything's okay? You seem a bit off."
Renji shrugged nonchalantly, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah, it's all good. Just some family stuff. Don't worry about it."
Despite Renji's laid-back attitude, Woojin couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He watched as Renji casually gathered his things and headed towards the school exit, his stride relaxed but slightly hurried.
As soon as Renji was out of sight, Woojin made a snap decision. His concern for Renji overpowered his reservations, and he decided to follow him.
Woojin slipped through the school's side door and trailed at a safe distance behind Renji. He kept to the shadows, his heart pounding with both worry and curiosity. Renji took a route that Woojin wasn't familiar with, leading him through winding streets until they reached an abandoned building on the outskirts of town.
The building looked dilapidated, with broken windows and graffiti marking its walls. Renji approached the entrance with a casual air, glancing around with a relaxed demeanor. He pulled open the creaky door and walked inside without any noticeable urgency.
Woojin waited for a moment, then cautiously approached the entrance. He took a deep breath and followed Renji into the darkness. Inside, the building was eerily quiet, save for the distant sound of dripping water. The sunlight filtering through the broken windows cast eerie shadows on the walls.
Woojin moved stealthily, trying to avoid making any noise. He spotted Renji in the distance, talking to someone hidden in the shadows. Although he couldn't make out the other person's face, the conversation seemed gloomy and serious.
Woojin edged closer, trying to make sense of the situation. The dim light made it difficult to see clearly, but he could hear snippets of the conversation between Renji and the shadowy figures.
"Who are you?" Renji's tone was firm, his confusion evident.
In the darkness, he couldn't see the people he's talking to, only their shifting shadows.
Then, laughter echoed through the building.
"You're bold. I like that," said an unfamiliar male voice, tinged with amusement.
Woojin crouched behind a stack of old crates, straining to hear the conversation. The shadowy figures remained obscured, but the laughter and voices filled the room with a tense atmosphere.
Renji's voice cut through the murkiness. "I don't have all day. What do you want from me?"
Another voice, this one cold and deliberate, responded, "You're the one who took down Donghyun's group, Kang Renji, was it?"
"Donghyun?" Renji blurted out.
Woojin nearly stumbled at hearing that name. Wait... is this the bad thing Kang Dae was talking about?
"Those bastards. They ordered us to take you down. Haha. So, sorry about this. It's just business." The other guy's mocking tone sounded out.
As soon as he finished speaking, he charged. Renji quickly dodged the incoming strike and spun to face the others who had been quietly waiting.
A kick greeted him from one of them, but he immediately grabbed the arm of another who was about to attack him and used that body as a shield.
The attacker groaned and fell. The man cursed and lunged at him with a punch.