Prologue : Ripped Wings ( Part 1 )

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:05 A.M. — May 12th, 2011

 

The early morning light shot through the windows and onto the poor boy's eyes. He groaned, sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stared at his clock. Exactly 6:05 A.M. Youngjae woke up, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and headed down the long stairway which led to the kitchen of the rich Lee family. His father soon enough joined him and together they made the perfect breakfast for the family. Seventeen years ago, his mother died during childbirth, his birth. Now he and his father were left alone and in more debt than ever. Youngjae's father never told him how long they'd have to be in this mess, or how they got here anyway. 

 

One day, Lee Chae Rin, the oldest and only daughter of the Lee's, called him through the phone stating she was drunk and needed a driver. As he drove her hime, she was drunk enough to even tell him, 

 

"You... You'll serve us for 38 years... you... you might as well kill yourself while you're young!"

 

Ever since then, Youngjae hasn't smiled. The days just passed by like every normal day. He had even once asked his father,

 

"Appa... why can't we just run away?"

 

But the old man only turned and smiled, the young eyesmile that always got to Youngjae.

 

"Although the world may cheat on you, never cheat on them. I promise you, life will repay itself." 

 

Such words never stuck to Youngjae, until that day.

 

 

6:05 A.M. — May 13th, 2011

 

The early morning light shot through the windows and onto the poor boy's eyes. He groaned, sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stared at his clock. Exactly 6:05 A.M. Youngjae woke up, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and headed down the long stairway which led to the kitchen of the rich Lee family. His father did not join him. 

 

6:34 A.M. — May 13th, 2011

 

Youngjae still didn't see his father. His father was quite old, despite having Youngjae being 17. His father had told stories of his young love relationships with his mother— oh how he wished he knew how wonderful his mother was. They were around 40 when they decided to have a son, when their youth had died away. The doctors all said their son would have a disability, that he was going to be premature— they said everything to drag them down.

 

But his mother still gave birth to a beautiful son, and although she never lived to see it, Youngjae grew to be perfectly healthy, perfectly fine.

 

6:38 A.M. — May 13th, 2011

 

Yoo Youngjae ran up the long stairwell that led to the second floor of the rich Lee family, only to find his father's door unlocked and half opened. He ran in, the man perfectly contented on the bed. He looked suddenly smaller, lifeless.

 

"APPA KAJIMA!" 

 

And dear Youngjae fell onto his knees, crying hard enough to create puddles on the cleanly-swept hardwood floor. His father, the only other person on earth who cared about little Youngjae, was now gone. 

 

"APPA! APPA DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE! KAJIMA! KAJIMA!"