It was just another morning at school, where usually there would be lots of chattering near the gates. The students would normally be in their little friendship groups catching up with anything, from homework to what they got up to the day before. Where regularly, the students would start to line up late according to their years in front of the middle school’s principle, who stood sternly on the platform in front of them all with hands folded behind his back. However, this particular day had something else prepared for the young and timid Kim Hyunsoo.

It was foggy and raining that morning, so no one had the energy to start gossiping with their friends while their teachers hushed them to listen to the principle’s morning speech. No one, including the principle himself, was in a cheerful mood. It was near the end of the academic year and the students were completely exhausted. The teachers had their I’m-tired-but-I-have-to-deal-with-you-to-not-get-fired expressions slapped evidently on their faces. Everyone just wanted to go home already. Especially since it was the last day of school for Hyunsoo’s third year in her middle school.

Some people obviously did not want to stand around unhappily. There was one group in particular, a group of 4 girls, who decided that making others around them feel even more miserable would cheer them up.

“Hey you! Nice hair… I wonder where you got the grease from.”

They all giggled with each other, while staring cruelly at a younger girl in neat low pigtails.

“Oh my god! Someone here really needs to buy some deodorant, if they ever even heard of it…”

And they giggled some more. Then they got to Hyunsoo, who unknowingly had been staring at them the entire time.

“What are you looking at?” one of the girls hissed at Hyunsoo, who quickly looked away feeling her face heat up. That didn’t stop them from making comments about her this time.

“Ew, look at her hair. It’s even worse than the girl with pigtails!”

“And the smell!”

“Never mind that, just look at how much she’s trembling right now! She might even cause an earthquake with that kind of weight.”

They all laughed loudly, causing the teachers to take notice and put a finger to their lips. Hyunsoo felt awfully embarrassed, considering how socially awkward she is. She just wanted the world to freeze in time to let her run away from this situation. Though they weren’t finished with her yet.

One of the girls stepped out and held on to Hyunsoo’s arm, “I feel sorry for you. You will never find someone for you, to love you, or at least, not with that kind of weight. I hope you enjoy living on your own. Your own parents don’t even love you.”

Ouch. It was all true, thought Hyunsoo, which made it hurt even more.

A punch came through hitting her directly in the face, breaking the girl and Hyunsoo apart. Double ouch. A good ouch this one.

“What the heck!” the other girls shouted surprised and angry. The teachers were alerted at once and came rushing to the scene.

The owner of the fist punch didn’t move. He was a head taller than Hyunsoo, with black hair and a cold aura around him. He stared at the girl he punched until she was able to look up to him from the floor. “I heard enough of what you skunks had to say. Now get lost before I get the rest of you too.”

That’s it. After that Hyunsoo never saw him again. Not that she’d seen him before that incident either, but she always wondered where he went after that. Then again, it was the last day of school before she started high school in her first year.

Hyunsoo didn’t realise it then, but that moment was an important mark in her life. One she would never forget.