The next day at lunch, the cafeteria buzzed with its usual chaotic energy students laughing, trays clattering, the aroma of grilled fish and rice filling the air. Jisung and I were deep in conversation about our math homework, debating the correct formula for some particularly nasty quadratic equation, when a sudden crashing noise shattered the pleasant atmosphere.
My head snapped up instinctively, my heart lurching in my chest.
It was my seatmate Hyunwoo. He was surrounded by a couple of students, their postures predatory and their expressions cold. Among them, I recognized Daejung one of my classmates, a boy with sharp features and eyes that seemed to hold nothing but contempt for everyone around him. Hyunwoo was dripping wet, his perfectly pressed uniform now clinging to his frame in dark, soaked patches. His hair was plastered to his forehead, water dripping down his face and mixing with what looked like tears or maybe he was just trying to blink the water out of his eyes. One of the seniors was holding an empty bottle, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
What's happening...?
My stomach dropped as I watched the scene unfold. Hyunwoo looked so small despite his height, his shoulders trembling as he tried to shield himself. No one around him moved. No one said a word. It was like they were all invisible, watching a tragedy unfold from behind an unbreakable glass wall.
"Come on, you thought you could escape after disobeying us?" said Minseok, Daejung's older brother. His voice was calm, almost bored, as if this was nothing more than a chore he had to complete. His designer watch glinted under the fluorescent lights as he crossed his arms.
"How about you teach him a lesson, Cheng?" Jaesung suggested, his grin wide and malicious.
"That would be my pleasure," Cheng said, smirking as he cracked his knuckles. The sound was sickeningly loud in the sudden silence of the cafeteria. Students nearby pretended to be deeply interested in their food, their eyes fixed firmly on their trays.
I turned to Jungwon, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why isn't anyone helping Hyunwoo?" My hands were trembling, and I could feel the blood rushing in my ears. This could end up really, really bad. Very, very bad.
Jungwon's face was pale, his jaw tight. He didn't meet my eyes. "Ignore it, Junseo. It's for your own good," he said, turning back to finish his lunch as if nothing was happening. But I saw his grip on his chopsticks tighten until his knuckles turned white.
I looked back at the scene in utter shock as Cheng threw a hard punch at Hyunwoo's face. The impact echoed through the cafeteria like a gunshot. Blood dripped from Hyunwoo's nose, staining his white shirt in bright, horrifying streaks. He tried to stand, his legs wobbling beneath him, but failed miserably collapsing back onto the floor with a dull thud. His glasses lay shattered beside him, one lens cracked.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. The blood roared in my ears, drowning out everything except the sound of Hyunwoo's quiet whimper.
But I don't think I can do that...
I stood up from my seat so fast that my chair scraped loudly against the floor. Several heads turned in my direction, eyes wide with surprise.
"Hey! That's enough!" I shouted, my voice cracking slightly. "Don't you think you've caused enough harm already?!" I tried to sound like I wasn't scared, but my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. My palms were sweaty, and my legs felt like they were made of jelly.
The seniors turned to look at me, and for a terrifying moment, I saw the cold calculation in their eyes. They were sizing me up, weighing my worth. To them, I was just an insect beneath their notice, beneath their concern.
"And why should we listen to you?" Jaesung mocked, stepping closer. He was tall, built like an athlete, and his presence alone was suffocating. "Are you willing to take his place?"
Jungwon pulled my sleeve urgently, his eyes wide with panic. "Junseo, sit down. Please," he hissed, his voice desperate. "You don't know what you're doing."
But I refused. I couldn't sit down. I couldn't watch someone get beaten into a bloody pulp and do nothing. My conscience wouldn't allow it. I pulled my sleeve free from Jungwon's grip, ignoring the frantic looks from Hanbin and Jisung.
"Why do you think your status is more important than others' feelings?" I asked, my voice steadier than I expected. "Why do you think you have the right to treat someone like this?"
"Because it certainly is," Baekhyun said, his tone dripping with arrogance. He leaned against a nearby table, his expression bored. "And if you don't like it, maybe you should leave. Or better yet join him on the floor."
Daejung broke our conversation, stepping forward with a chilling smile. "Leave it, Baekhyun hyung. He got it on himself." He turned to Hyunwoo, who was still crumpled on the ground, trembling. "Hyunwoo, we'll leave you for now." Then his cold gaze shifted to me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. "You better watch out, Junseo." He glared at me as if he was ready to kill me right on the spot, his eyes promising retribution.
My breath hitched, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. I wouldn't look away. I wouldn't show fear.
---
Once they left, the tension in the cafeteria slowly dissipated. Students began to murmur and move again, but no one approached Hyunwoo. No one offered to help him up.
Jisung hit my left arm, his voice sharp with frustration. "Why didn't you keep shut?! Fuck...! Now, I'm feeling sorry for you..." His face was pale, and I could see genuine fear in his eyes.
"How can I do that when they were literally making someone's face bloody?" I shot back, my voice shaking with a mixture of anger and adrenaline. "What's their deal anyways? Why does no one do anything?"
Hanbin sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Daejung basically owns the school right now, along with his brother Minseok. Their family is one of the wealthiest in the country they practically fund half the school's operations. The rest of them are friends, more like friends for business purposes," he explained, his voice low and bitter.
Jungwon continued, his expression grim. "They get away with anything. It's been going on with Hyunwoo for more than a year. His father used to be a business partner of Daejung's father, but something went wrong a deal fell through, money was lost, and now his family is in debt. Daejung and Minseok have been using him as their personal punching bag ever since. Whoever tries to expose them becomes their new target." He paused, his eyes meeting mine with a heavy sadness. "I'm sorry, Junseo, but if this continues, I don't think we can continue to be friends..."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at him, disbelief washing over me. "What? Jungwon, you can't be serious—"
"I'm serious," he cut me off, his voice cracking. "I've seen what happens to people who get on their bad side. One student tried to report them two years ago. His family was ruined. They lost their business, their home everything. He transferred schools within a week and we never heard from him again." He shook his head, his eyes glistening. "I can't afford that, Junseo. My parents... they've worked too hard for me to throw it all away."
This is more serious than I thought. But what did he mean by 'owns the school right now'? The words echoed in my mind, sending a chill through me. Did that mean there was a time when someone else held that power? And what happened to them?
"Junseo, one last piece of advice for you," Jisung said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "If you can transfer schools, then please do it as soon as possible. Before it's too late."
Can I? No... It will only worry Mom even more. She already has enough on her plate. And what would I tell her? That I got into the best school in the country and left because I was scared of some bullies? She'd be devastated. She'd blame herself for putting me in this situation.
But they didn't say anything about reporting it to the teachers or principal. If things get out of hand, I should probably reach out to them. Maybe they can do something about it, even if the students won't lift a finger. It's clear from how they perfectly ignored the bloody mess in the corner that this is all very common... and that thought terrified me more than anything else.
I shook my head in defeat, my voice hollow. "I can't... I just can't."
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn't focus on any of my classes. My mind kept replaying the scene Hyunwoo's bloodied face, Daejung's cold glare, the way everyone turned away as if nothing had happened. It felt like I was living in a nightmare.
I was taking notes in our science class, my pen moving mechanically across the page, when something hit my head. It was a paper ball, crumpled and small. It bounced off my hair and landed on my desk.
I glanced behind me to see who threw it.
It was Cheng. He gave me a dangerously endearing smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. He pointed at the paper with a lazy flick of his wrist, as if to say, Go on. Read it.
I picked it up, my fingers trembling slightly, and unfolded it. The handwriting was neat but sharp, each letter perfectly formed.
'I hope you won't skip school tomorrow. Don't be a weakling and face the consequences of your actions ;)'
My blood ran cold. I read it three times, hoping the words would change, hoping it was some kind of sick joke. But they didn't.
I crumpled the paper in my fist and shoved it into my pocket, my heart pounding so hard I could barely hear the teacher's voice. My mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do. Should I tell someone? Should I stay home? Should I go to school and face whatever they had planned?
I didn't have an answer. All I knew was that I had made a choice and now I had to live with it.
---
That evening, I walked home in a daze. The streets of Seoul felt unfamiliar again, the towering buildings pressing in on me like walls closing in. When I finally reached our apartment, I hesitated outside the door, listening to the sound of Mom humming inside.
I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face before opening the door.
"Seo-ah! You're home!" Mom called out from the kitchen. "I made your favorite japchae! How was school?"
"Good," I lied, kicking off my shoes and hanging my bag. "It was really good."
I walked into the kitchen and hugged her from behind, just like I always did. But this time, the hug felt different. It felt like I was clinging to her, desperate for comfort I couldn't ask for.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" she asked, her voice soft with concern. "You seem a little quiet."
"Just tired," I mumbled into her shoulder. "It's been a long day."
She patted my hand gently. "Well, eat up and get some rest. You'll feel better tomorrow."
I nodded, forcing myself to eat the delicious meal she had prepared. But I barely tasted it. My mind was elsewhere on the paper crumpled in my pocket, on Daejung's cold glare, on the promise of consequences that awaited me at school tomorrow.
I didn't know what was going to happen. But I knew one thing for certain: I couldn't let Mom find out. I had to protect her from all of this, even if it meant facing the consequences alone.
---
To be continued...