The relationship between popular kids and nerds

ep.33

When I was young, my family was a series of misfortunes.

When I was seven, my parents went into debt and we moved from a large mansion to a single room. My parents became increasingly deranged by alcohol and gambling.

Whenever I failed at drinking or gambling, he would always beat me to the point of death. To avoid that, I would hide in the closet.

Eventually, my mother, tired of that kind of life, left home, and my father, who always cursed at my mother, became more violent with each passing day.

So, a year passed and when I entered elementary school, the other kids started gossiping about me.

"Hey, that guy's dad is a beggar!"

"Oh really? You're a beggar, aren't you? You don't have any money?"

"Hey Lee Ji-hoon! Your dad is a beggar, right? My mom told me not to hang out with friends like that!"

이지훈

My dad is not a beggar!!!

"No! My mom said she saw you coming out of the countryside!!"

이지훈

Mr. Lee...you're working!!

That was probably the first time I ever hit someone

Of course, after that, my dad came to the school to teach me and I got beaten again when I got home.

After that, I went to school alone until that kid transferred.

필요한역

He's a new friend who transferred today, so treat him well~

권순영

Hello! My name is Kwon Soon-young. Let's be friends!

That was probably our first meeting

이지훈

...

권순영

What is your name?

이지훈

You don't need to know

권순영

Hey~ Still, it's good to know each other!

이지훈

..Lee Ji-hoon

이지훈

But don't talk to me

권순영

why?

이지훈

Yeah...

"Hey, Soonyoung! Don't talk to him. His dad is a beggar."

권순영

uh..?

이지훈

...I need to go to the bathroom

"So don't play with him, play with us..."

권순영

You don't like it?

"uh??"

권순영

I decided to be friends with Jihoon first. If you want to be friends with me, be friendly with Jihoon. If you don't want to be friends with me, then get out.

"No, you really!!"

권순영

Go quickly if you don't want to get hurt more

이지훈

Don't do it..there's nothing wrong with what they say

권순영

Do you want to come over to my house today? No, come over! Let's play together.

이지훈

uh?

권순영

My mom told me to bring my best friend over to play, and it turned out great.

이지훈

Can I really go?

권순영

Then! You are my friend!

이지훈

..haha yeah!

He was the first friend who approached me without prejudice and the first friend who treated me with sincerity.

From then on, we quickly became close, and whenever my dad came home drunk, I always stayed at Kwon Soon-young's house.

When I was in the third grade of elementary school, I met Kim Min-gyu, and from then on, the three of us started hanging out together.

I thought I would only have happy days like this... but it happened in my third year of middle school.

이지훈

Hey, can I really sleep over at your house today?

권순영

I really can't do it today...sorry

김민규

We decided to go over to my house today too...

이지훈

Okay, I'll go home first.

권순영

Hey, be careful!

이지훈

..okay

이지훈

I'm back...

bang!!

The broken glass bottle hit the wall and left a raw gash on my cheek, and before I knew it was bleeding, my head turned to the right.

필요한역

이 개새끼가!어딜 싸돌아다녀??

이지훈

..sorry

필요한역

Damn, you think you've become something because I keep saying "yes, yes, yes"? You're just like your mom...

이지훈

..please stop it

필요한역

What the fuck!! You're going to leave home like your mom? Yeah! Just get out of here, I don't even want to see you.

이지훈

Stop it...

필요한역

You only know how to talk back, but you don't have any fucking clue. Oh my.

이지훈

Miss, seriously...stop it!!

필요한역

Huh..lol this is crazy!!

권순영

Stop it

필요한역

?What are you?

권순영

Lee Ji-hoon. You come here and I'll handle the rest. Kill me or throw me away, whatever you want.

"all right"

권순영

...

이지훈

Why are you here...

권순영

Let's go out first...

이지훈

No... Kwon Soon-young, what is this situation?

권순영

Haa.. that's a bit long, if you ask me

이지훈

Tell me it's okay

권순영

So you know my family is rich, right?

이지훈

Yeah...right

권순영

That's the system where when our family receives requests from other people, we only pick out the bad people and punish them to receive money.

이지훈

Uh..? Then what about you?

권순영

I'm doing it too.. That's why I went to solve that problem today.

이지훈

So...what do I do now?

권순영

So, Jihoon, do you want to do this together?

이지훈

uh?

권순영

But they don't hit innocent people, they only hit people who have a reason to do it... And we're still young, so we don't go to the field often...

이지훈

What happens to me if I don't do that?

권순영

You don't have to do it if it's uncomfortable! It's your freedom. If you do it instead, my dad said he'll find a place for you to live.

이지훈

...I'll do it

권순영

Really? Really?

이지훈

Yeah... I think I'll be in more pain if I don't do it...

권순영

Okay, let's go to my house first.

So we went to Kwon Soon-young's house, got an explanation of what we had to do, and I went straight to my room and started doing all kinds of exercise.

As I lived each day like that, I naturally became distant from the kids at school, and as things like that continued, rumors started to spread that I had killed someone.

Kwon Soon-young knew it wasn't true because she worked with me, and she explained the situation to Kim Min-gyu, so only they stayed with me.

So I went to high school far away from my home and started a new life without any friends.

I've always been smiling in front of others... I've always worn a mask.

이지훈

...Oh my, I suddenly remembered something old...I feel so bad for no reason.

Ji-hoon, having finished reminiscing about the past, stepped on the cigarette he had smoked and left the alley.

자까

Honestly, I think Jihoon's story is the saddest than Soonyoung's... If I'm the only one who feels that way, then I can't help it :)