[Side Story] Seokjin, Previous Story - Daddy Long Legs

Originally, Seokjin was homeless.

So... I came out of the orphanage in my late teens...

Seokjin's runaway was always planned, but the day he actually left was very impulsive.

If you ask why that day in particular...

just...?

Even though I came to the orphanage anyway, I have to leave when I become an adult.

Even after graduating from school, I felt like there was nothing I could do...

I think I wanted to make money, but I didn't have a clear goal.

So one day, when school was too stifling and I didn't want to go to the daycare, I just left.

I had to cancel my monthly rent at a motel and started working part-time at a convenience store.

I paid my first rent with the money I saved from skipping lunch for a year.

At first, I felt like I could somehow get by.

And then,

I've met thugs on the street and had my money stolen.

Finally, in the room where I had been living well for several months

Seokjin was kicked out of the house by the innkeeper who had been keeping an eye on him because he looked young.

After that, I tried to find a room and work part-time,

If you are kicked out because of your age,

Getting fired for some ridiculous reason at work, etc.

It was never smooth sailing.

At some point, Seokjin gave up on working part-time and finding a place to live.

I turned 20 in the park, a mess.

If I had money from begging, I would eat, and if I didn't have it, I would search through the trash cans in the park.

Then, Seokjin was kicked out of the park by the manager.

I was just wandering around on the street.

Then, about a week later, I started living on the streets near a daycare center.

Above Seokjin, who was lying facing the wall so that his face could not be seen,

One day, there was a neatly folded handkerchief.

노숙자 석진

Uh... what is it..?

At first, Seokjin didn't even know there was a handkerchief.

The next day, when I found the handkerchief again, I became a little curious about who had left it behind.

And the next day, Seokjin found the handkerchief again.

This time, I went to the public restroom in the park, soaked a handkerchief in water, and wiped my face clean.

노숙자 석진

I need to see whose face it is.

The next morning, Seokjin lay on a pile of boxes facing the opposite direction.

Knock knock knock... the sounds of walking around...

노숙자 석진

'It must be the time when the children from the daycare center go to school...?'

Another day passes... I quietly close my eyes...

초등학생 여주

Oh my... you're still here...

초등학생 여주

It looks cold... This is all I have..

I opened my eyes slightly and looked,

The student shoes that had been standing for a moment hesitated and then went away.

As soon as the children's voices died down, Seokjin got up, folded his handkerchief neatly, and put it in his pocket.

Seokjin was a little shocked to learn that the person who had been covering him with a handkerchief these past few days was a small child.

By the way, the security guards in front of the daycare center were starting to chase us away, so it was getting close to the point where we had to move.

The next day, another child came.

초등학생 여주

The old man doesn't have a home...?

초등학생 여주

Now, this is the last handkerchief... I hope you can cover yourself with this and stay warm...

The child covered Seokjin with a handkerchief as he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep quietly.

초등학생 여주

You can't lose this... I got really scolded by the nun... for keeping losing my handkerchief.

초등학생 여주

Keep it well...

초등학생 여주

Please be sure to go home too.

Two feet, noses together, hesitated in front of Seokjin and then disappeared.

Seokjin, who was observing his shoes and gait with his eyes open,

I thought I should at least know who that kid was by face.

That day, Seokjin sat upright while the children were leaving school.

The children who got off the bus headed to the daycare center.

A girl looked at Seokjin for a moment and then went into the orphanage.

Seokjin could tell from the girl's shoes and footsteps that she was the one he had covered with a handkerchief every morning.

When Seokjin realized that a child in his later years of elementary school was paying attention to him, he felt like a nuisance.

Now I feel like I can't live like a homeless person.

노숙자 석진

'...I can't do this anymore..'

Behind the child who disappeared to the orphanage

The security guard who had been shaking him awake day and night for the past few days and telling him to go home was approaching where Seokjin was sitting.

노숙자 석진

'I can't keep living like this... I have to do something...'

Before the security guard arrived, Seokjin stood up.

And then I shook off the dust that had accumulated all over my body.

It disappeared somewhere.

Seokjin took a quick shower in the park bathroom, but he looked so shabby that he didn't have the confidence to go out and look for a job.

Seokjin has no choice but to sit in the park,

Boom,

Someone hit the handkerchief that Seokjin had washed clean and it fell to the floor.

불량배

Oh my gosh, what the...? Crazy! Isn't this a homeless person!??

The man who bumped into Seokjin shook his arm as if he was in a bad mood and stepped on a handkerchief that had fallen on the floor.

노숙자 석진

No, this kid!!!

Seokjin got angry for a moment and attacked the man.

The man was startled and threw a punch at Seokjin, who stumbled after being hit and grabbed the man's waist.

The man, startled once again, began to beat Seokjin. Even as he fell to the floor and was beaten, Seokjin still held a handkerchief in his bosom.

I bit hard at the foot of the man in front of me.

불량배

Aaaah!!!

The man disappeared with blood dripping from his ankles.

Seokjin, who was sitting on the bench and looking around because the place he was hit hurt, took out the handkerchief in his bosom.

The handkerchief was torn terribly.

Seokjin, obsessed with revenge, wanted to find that man by any means necessary.

Black shoes.. suit

Seokjin was thought to be a company employee, so he had been sleeping rough for several days on the street where many companies were located.

I've been observing the feet passing by for several days, but none of them limped.

Seokjin, who had been moving from alley to alley, lay down to sleep in a dark back alley, and opened his eyes wide.

A man wearing black shoes and limping on his left foot.

Shoe shape, worn-out soles

It's just like what I saw back then.

Bingo.. this is the guy.

불량배

Oh seriously, brother, back then, I inherited it from that guy... and now I look like a total retard..

대장

Hey, you crazy bastard, you should have dodged it well...!

대장

Are you avoiding poop because you're scared of it, or because it's dirty? Oh my... It's so pathetic...

The man who had been receiving the captain's beating suddenly stopped in fear.

노숙자 석진

You, you're a good kid.

노숙자 석진

Do you know how long I searched here for you?

As Seokjin approached him shouting, the man cowered slightly and barely managed to fight back.

불량배

What, there are all these crazy kids?

불량배

Brother, brother, this kid...!!!

대장

Oh my... Really..?

Contrary to the man's expectations that he would be protected, the eyes of the captain, who was called "hyung," shone with curiosity.

대장

Yeah, you searched everywhere for him.. ?

대장

That guy, you're good at finding people??

The man looked Seokjin up and down.

대장

Haha...!! What, you really are such a bastard... ??

The captain briefly covered his nose at the peculiar smell of the homeless.

노숙자 석진

So you can just beat that little shit up like that? And then you step on other people's precious things too!!

노숙자 석진

Aww!!! You little shit!!

노숙자 석진

Yeah, check it out with that bastard!!

As Seokjin tried to jump at him, the man got scared and rolled flat on the ground.

대장

Oh, it's quite a living..?

The captain approached Seokjin as if he liked him.

대장

Would you mind helping me with what I'm doing?

노숙자 석진

..yes yes..???

The captain put his arm around Seokjin's shoulder, who was looking confused.

대장

It's a job to find people, and if you do well, I'll give you money...

The captain made a coin shape with his fingers and shook it, smiling.

Unlike before, the captain didn't even care about the smell.

대장

Let's go and take a bath together.

대장

That way, you look more human, right?

노숙자 석진

No... that's...

As Seokjin was about to say something, the captain interrupted him.

대장

Who doesn't have a story? Let's go to the bathhouse and listen to their stories and talk about work. Let's talk~

The man, his eyes sparkling brightly, left his subordinate lying on the floor and left the alley with Seokjin.

After that, Seokjin worked at the Ilsoo office to find the creditors who had run away.

Seokjin thought it would be more convenient to receive a monthly salary like at a convenience store, so he asked the manager to pay him in the form of a monthly salary once a month.

The captain liked Seokjin because he was neat and had a cool way of working, so he did what Seokjin wanted.

He was treated with considerable respect compared to other subordinates.

After that, Seokjin worked here for about 5 years before the office was dismantled by Prosecutor Kim Namjun.

김남준 검사

....

Namjoon first met Seokjin as a defendant.

In Namjoon's eyes, Seokjin didn't even know that what he was doing was illegal.

He was an unfortunate person who did not receive proper care in one way or another.

Namjoon, who found out at the daily office that Seokjin had been tracking and finding people that even the police could not find in various ways,

In order to give Seokjin a chance, he helped with the police and prosecutors' investigation.

Seokjin proved that Namjoon's thoughts were not wrong by successfully completing the tasks assigned to him.

Even after the set period of time, Namjoon offered Seokjin a job, and the two worked together for a long time after that.

Everyone... It's been a while!

Wow... I wonder if I can write this far... Should I skip the backstory... I've been thinking a lot while serializing this...

The day has come to write... I'm so excited...

I think I somehow got here because there were people watching me...

I'm so grateful to all the readers who really watch! Thank you!

Now the next episode... the final episode... here we go... haha

I'm sure you're all watching it with interest... or with various thoughts...?

Whatever your thoughts are... I hope you digest them well and make them your own.

Okay, that's it!!