Up and Down

Description

In a world segregated between the upper and the lower classes, where the upper class have oppressed the lower classes for so long, one event takes place that threatens Seunghyun's love for Soojung and his friendship and brotherhood with Jiyong. 

When the world around them is changing so quickly, will Soojung be forced to choose between her love for Seunghyun or her loyalty for her brother Jiyong.

Foreword

Seunghyun arrived home from school today, disappointed and unsurprised to what he saw.

The secretary of defence (but known as ‘father’ to Seunghyun) had another giggling woman’s arms wrapped around his white-collared neck, her hands careful not to bring any creases to his grey, pinstripe suit. She must have been the fourth hooker this week. She did not look much older than Seunghyun, she must have been at least eighteen years old.

“Good afternoon father,” Seunghyun quickly acknowledged his father before rushing upstairs. He did not want to waste time with his father’s ‘leisure’ activities.

He entered his mother’s room, where he found her laying soundlessly on her bed; she had another migraine.

“Seunghyun, pass me another painkiller, the sound of your father and that he has downstairs is just making my head split even more,” she murmured, her hand outstretched.

Seunghyun sighed, pouring her a glass of whisky with her painkillers, aware that she would ask for one if he didn’t.

Sometimes, Seunghyun wondered whether he should give his mother more than her prescribed amount and put her out of her misery; it was clear she was leading an unhappy life. But his selfishness of being without his mother always prevented him from doing so. He was unsure of how he would feel if she ever left him.

Seunghyun sat in silence with his mother for a while. Even if they didn’t speak very much, he wanted her to feel his presence and that he was here with her.

“Mother, I’m going to go see Jiyong, will you be okay?”

Seunghyun’s mother murmured in acknowledgement.

*****

When Seunghyun arrived at Jiyong’s home, he found his ten year old sister, Soojung, with her knees to her chest. Jiyong’s entire house was smaller than one room in Seunghyun’s , but his humble home was more welcoming and warm than any of the 15 rooms in Seunghyun’s fathers mansion.

“Is Jiyong home?” Seunghyun asked the little girl.

She replied with a hoarse voice, it was evident that she’d been crying: “He’s inside with dad.”

“Soojung, are you okay?”

“Reece said that I’m poor and dirty, and that I probably have nits in my hair in front of my entire class,” Soojung bawled, her tears leaving her eyes like a leaking faucet.

Seunghyun quietly chucked at the young girl, before sitting next to her, “Why did he say that?”

“Because he’s always bullying me, he’s always making fun of dad being a mineworker, and that his dad is prime minster, and that me and Jiyong are only at good schools because we just make his dad look good.”

“Soojung, you and Jiyong go to good schools because you’re smarter than Reece and his band of friends combined. You shouldn’t let him put you down so easily.”

“But Seunghyun, he does it all the time. And mum and dad says I’m not allowed to punch him because ‘I’m so lucky to be at such a respectable school and I can’t screw it up because of one silly boy.’”

“Why don’t your friends have your back?”

“Come on Seunghyun, you’re the only rich person I know who would actually want to be friends with a lower-class person. Jiyong is lucky you’re his friend, nobody in my class wants to be mine.”

“Soojung, school doesn’t last forever, this time in your life will pass quickly. Then you’ll never have to see Reece or any other bully again.”

Soojung smiled towards her brother’s best friend. Something changed within her heart for Seunghyun after that interaction. A small fire lit in her heart as her small crush began, causing a light flush to fall upon her cheeks.

Before she could say anything more to Seunghyun, her older brother Jiyong came out towards the garden, a grave expression evident upon his face.

“Soojung, get inside. Its not safe to be out at this time,” he called out, then he noticed Seunghyun, “When did you get here?”

“Not too long ago,” replied Seunghyun, “has something happened?”

Jiyong sighed, “Yeah, they found a woman’s body dumped in the neighbourhood. She was lower-class. Apparently she was-“ then Jiyong realised his younger sister was listening into his conversation, “- she was a hooker. Whoever she was serving just got rid of her like she was trash,” he finished lowly, so Soojung couldn’t hear.

“Is there any lead on who did it,” questioned Seunghyun, although he already had an idea of who it could be.

“It was a group of upper-class guys. Apparently they were drunk,” Jiyong scoffed, “Typical, when an upper-class person commits a crime, they’re either drunk or mentally ill, but when it’s a lower class person, they automatically guilty.”

Seunghyun felt a sinking in his stomach, as he always did when he heard of the atrocities committed upon lower-class victims by his own class.

Jiyong’s and Seunghyun’s friendship was as unlikely as a friendship between a fly and a spider. One was supposed to live to destroy the other, but despite their stark differences in classes, Jiyong and Seunghyun had been friends since they were both young, when Jiyong had transferred into Seunghyun’s elite primary school through a scholarship program the Prime Minister at the time had enrolled after protests of segregation between the education systems of the lower and upper class children. Because, Jiyong had been chosen, Soojung also automatically would go to the same elite schools for both primary and secondary education as her and Seunghyun.

Seunghyun remembered Jiyong’s first day very clearly. He was dressed in second-hand clothes that had faded from being washed so many times. Being surrounded by rich, upper class children who never wore the same designer outfit twice, Jiyong stuck out like a sore thumb and became a victim of merciless bullying. One day, when one of the bullies was about to pour his milk carton over Jiyong’s head, Seunghyun had reminded the bully of his father’s high position within the government, sparing Jiyong of any more public humiliation.

Now it seemed history was repeating itself, the same bullying that Jiyong underwent six years ago when he was Soojung’s age was what she was currently experiencing.

But unlike Jiyong, Soojung didn’t have someone like Seunghyun who could protect her the way her brother had been.

ilovekrystal
Please leave some comments of your thought's on the story so far. I'd be interested to know what you think, and where you think the plot will lead to.

Thank you for you interest
xoxo

Comments

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Soojungkrystl
#1
Chapter 12: Update
Soojungkrystl
#2
Chapter 12: Update
2ne1blackjackvip #3
Chapter 10: Been patiently waiting for the update since January hehe. Please update soon! :)
Popkorn17 #4
Chapter 9: Ooh interesting! Please continue!
dxrd05 #5
new reader here! the story seems interesting. looking forward forbthe next chapters thank you!!
y0onda #6
Thanks for the update authornim <3