※ Contains fantasy elements.
※ ⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️
"We have a new transfer student today - should we introduce ourselves?"
In a high school where dazzling sunlight streams in through the cracks in the windows,
"Nice to meet you - I'm asking you to do it."
I ended up transferring.
•••
For some reason, this is my third time transferring. My first and second schools were on the verge of closure, with only a few dozen students, so I was bored. But this one was a prestigious high school, well-known nationwide. Perhaps because of this, the facilities, the quality of the students, and the teachers were distinctly different from my previous schools.
"hi-"
"Nice to meet you. My name is Jeong Ho-seok."
My life was completely turned upside down when our class president, whose smile was brighter than the sunlight streaming through the cracks in the window, entered my ordinary life.
•••
The rumors about a boy named Jeong Ho-seok, which I'd vaguely heard in the week since transferring, were quite sensational. He was the ringleader of a mass transfer of female students during my two years as a sophomore in high school, and he was said to have hidden a murderous gaze behind his sunny smile. There were other bizarre and exaggerated rumors. I'd never really believed them, nor did I want to, but I knew they were absurd. Still, that boy was my only friend. He was the only one who hung out with me, even though the other kids, shunning me for being weird after hearing that I was already my third transfer, seemed to be quite adept at creating rumors. This school, it seemed, was a master at creating rumors.
"What's next?"
"English~"
"Oh, right. I thought they were checking supplementary materials today..."
"Huh? Show me?"
"No. That happened once or twice."
"Just take it - don't whine about losing points again."
"...I guess so?"
"Hahaha, let's go quickly. We need to write this down quickly."
Jung Ho-seok was tall, handsome, and possessed a personality, academics, and artistic talent. He had no problem living without being interested in someone like me. Yet, he treated me particularly well. It was strangely enough.
"...what."
When I entered the classroom to borrow Jeong Ho-seok's supplementary materials, my desk was filthy beyond recognition. I'd burst countless cartons of milk, and so much had spilled that it was dripping down my desk. My gym uniform, which I had to wear for PE class in two hours, reeked of milk. To make matters worse, my writing utensils were all over the floor, practically broken, and my chair was covered in red cursive letters, unspeakable curses. A description worthy of a novel unfolded before my eyes.
"Who... is this..."
"What kind of kid is he?"
Jung Ho-seok's deep, muffled voice seemed to pour cold water on the already noisy classroom, quieting it down. It was a bustling lunch hour, but perhaps because of Jung Ho-seok's rumors, all the students remained silent and frozen in place. Silence filled the classroom and hallways until someone entered with a sneer.
"Me?"
The leader of the gang of delinquents at our school was Kim Hyun-na.
"...is that you?"
Jung Ho-seok's gaze and his clenched fist felt unusual, so I reached out to stop him, but he was faster than I could. He pushed Kim Hyun-na against the wall and began strangling her. Shocked, I desperately called out to Jung Ho-seok, but he didn't even look back. The students watching began whispering among themselves. The source of that bizarre rumor was Jung Ho-seok's behavior.
"Apologize to Do Yeo-ju."
"Why, me...!"
"If you don't apologize, or if you catch my eye one more time, then you're dead."
"This... Let go of this...!!"
"Answer me."
"Okay, okay, so this...!"
Only then did Jung Ho-seok release the grip on his neck and rise from his seat. I was too scared to approach him, but he smiled at me again, his smile as bright as sunshine. You, my sunshine, no longer seemed the same. Why on earth did you only smile at me...
"Lady, I'm sorry..."
"Oh, uh... it's okay..."
"You clean this up and go. I'll lend you some gym clothes too."
"Oh, I see..."
Jung Ho-seok grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him, as if to tell me to leave the desk that reeked of milk. He gripped my wrist tightly, then released it, as if trying to suppress the tension in his hand. When I looked up at him, his stiff expression softened and he smiled. What are you...?
"Jung Ho-seok, Kim Hyun-na! Both of you, follow me to the teacher's office."
The student body president, furious after hearing the news, came to the classroom. Jeong Ho-seok and Kim Hyun-na followed him to the student affairs office, while I stood, stunned, at the back of the classroom, unable to sit at my desk, which hadn't been cleared yet.
"....."
"Wow... How long has it been since Jung Ho-seok transferred here?"
"...uh?"
Jeong Ho-seok, you said it hasn't been long since you transferred?
"Me? I've lived in this neighborhood for about 8 years. I've been going to this school since my first year."
"...What are you talking about? Jeong Ho-seok just transferred here."
"What? He's Jung Ho-seok's best friend, so why doesn't he know?"
"I don't know. What did Jung Ho-seok do again?"
"No... definitely..."
"hey."
"Let's talk for a moment."
•••
That boy and I had barely spoken. All I knew was that he was the only boy who hung out with Jung Ho-seok. I didn't even know his name, but I learned it as we both got our leave passes. Kim Nam-joon... Even names for friends are unusual. What on earth did he have to talk about that he pretended to be sick to get out of school early? And what was that thing the kids were whispering about earlier? I was walking around the playground, my bag on my back, kicking sand in my step, when Kim Nam-joon's mouth, which had been tightly shut, opened.
"Doyeoju, right?"
"Oh, yeah."
How do you know my name?
“I was really surprised earlier. Because of Jung Ho-seok.”
"...right."
".....There is."
"huh?"
"Don't you remember me?"
***
The story Kim Namjoon told was shocking. He said the reason I transferred schools three times was because of Jung Hoseok. When I was bullied at my first school, Jung Hoseok used his extraordinary powers to erase my memories, first accidentally, but then intentionally. Jung Hoseok and I had been friends for a long time, and Kim Namjoon also connected with him through Jung Hoseok, and we remained friends for quite some time. Jung Hoseok always transferred a few days before me at every school I transferred to, becoming my first friend. When I struggled to adjust at my second school, he insisted I transfer to the metropolitan area. My parents both approved of the memory-erasing and transferring, but Kim Namjoon said he couldn't stand it anymore because he thought it seemed like Jung Hoseok's obsession. I had overheard the kids whispering earlier. For some reason, I couldn't quite grasp why I transferred three times. My parents just made me transfer schools, saying it was because of work...
"...The bottom line is, because you did that to Kim Hyun-na today, Jung Ho-seok will soon erase your memory again and transfer you to another school."
"...Jung Ho-seok, how..."
"The third school I went to after a few days of being a slacker, and the closer I looked, the more obvious it was that it was gaslighting."
"Then... that rumor..."
"Yeah, those are rumors coming from that local high school."
"...What do I do now?"
"Well... I don't care if you heard it from me, so talk to Jung Ho-seok."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you..."
"What. Have a nice trip... Call me. Here's my number."
"Thank you... really."
•••
As I trudged home with a heavy heart, I saw Jung Ho-seok waiting for me in front of my house, unsure of when he'd arrived. Seeing him, I unconsciously stopped my feeble steps, and Jung Ho-seok turned his head toward me. Jung Ho-seok put the phone he was holding back into his pocket and smiled. "Why was I so scared?" I swallowed the countless questions I wanted to ask him. "Is this really what you did to me?"
"You're here? I've been waiting so long~"
"...Why are you waiting for me?"
"We used to walk home from school together every day, but we couldn't do that today."
"...You know, Hoseok,"
"I heard you and Kim Namjoon left work early?"
"uh?"
"So you heard everything?"
For the first time, Jung Ho-seok gave me the same expression he'd given Kim Hyun-na earlier. The air around us suddenly grew cold. This is your true colors. It's also the result of your greed to protect me, twisted into something else. Those bizarre rumors were true after all. The mass transfer of female students, it's all my fault. There was something even more bizarre than the bizarre rumors. It's chilling. How could you do this behind my back, after all the times I've treated you, spent with you? How could you? A tear finally escaped my eye and rolled down my cheek.
"How did you..."
“Don’t act like you’re upset now when you don’t even remember.”
"Why, why did you do that...?"
"Does there really have to be a reason?"
"I just want it so badly."
"You... you're really bad."
"I know. I'm bad. But what can I do? This is the only way I can have you."
"If you had at least thought of me, you wouldn't have done this..."
"What does the method matter? You can't escape from me anymore anyway."
I couldn't understand him. He seemed half-conscious. What aspect of Jung Ho-seok had I been captivated by until now?
"therefore..."
"Just stay by my side forever."
Jung Ho-seok ran his finger over my ceaselessly flowing tears, then put them in his mouth, saying they were sweet and smiling again. Yes, I was captivated by that smile. That smile must have captivated me three times, trapping me, each time erasing my memories. I must have been brainwashed under the pretext of wanting you. I tried to grab Jung Ho-seok's hand that was hovering over my head, but he smiled and whispered that he loved me before using his power. This memory will fade someday, but in the next life, I will be captivated by your smile, and I will not be able to escape the swamp that is you at school, where there is no one like Kim Nam-joon to teach me. I slowly closed my eyes, my consciousness blurred, my vision filled with white, and the sounds of machines, like those heard when a patient goes into cardiac arrest in a hospital, echoed in my ears. Since my soul was possessed, I am indeed dead.
***
"hi-"
"I'm Jung Ho-seok."
"Do you want to be friends with us?"
*
Hello! My name is Aji from Ulryuk Hwihak Baekho Hall 😎
This is my second year of the Ulryuk Hwihak program, but this is my first time doing an assignment! My topic was "Brownie" 🍫, and while my writing skills are lacking, I did my best, so here's a brief interpretation. 🌟
In the story, Hoseok and Yeoju are lovers. Although Yeoju doesn't remember, they are a couple. Gaslighting, which has become an issue among lovers these days, can also be seen in the relationship between Hoseok and Yeoju. I wanted to express how easily gaslighting melts by using the characteristics of brownies, such as 'there's no need to beat meringue, no need to add baking powder, and aside from the hassle of melting chocolate, it's the easiest cake to make.' In the dialogue, Hoseok eats Yeoju's tears and says it's "sweet," which also uses the characteristics of brownies. Personally, the scene where he eats Yeoju's tears is the scene where Hoseok's obsession reaches its peak.
And using one of the small details of the birth of brownies, 'I made a mistake while trying to make a chocolate cake,' I wrote that while Ho-seok's first memory erasure may have been just a mistake, the subsequent erasures were intentional.
In short, please think of Hoseok as the female protagonist being a 'brownie' 🫠
I worked hard on it, but I'm sad it doesn't seem to be to my liking. But I'll work harder on the next assignment! Thank you for reading ❤️🔥🙇♀️