Usually after school, Hanbin went with the boys to get an after-school snack before returning to the palatial Halmoon senior library. After studying there for at least another hour they would head over to their prestigious cram school together and be there till 10pm. Then their mothers would come by in their cars and pick them up, ready with a hot drink and meal for them to enjoy

But today he excused himself from the group, he decided he needed to visit his mother.

Word of his situation had already raced around the entire grade by lunchtime. His friends all knew before they’d had a chance to reunite in maths class, and then they hadn’t had time to speak. Yunhyeong had been trying to send him paper planes containing messages all throughout the lesson, but none of them managed to travel more than a wonky half metre.

As soon as class had finished they gathered around his desk where he was sitting sulkily. They were appalled.

“What the hell happened?” Jinhwan demanding, draping himself over Hanbin's desk. 

“Who did this to you?” Yunheyong demanded, as if some anti-Hanbin conspiracy were responsible.

“This is soo bad…” Hanbin groaned, “and it doesn’t even have an interesting history, or social issue, or economic issue…or anything? What the hell am I going to write about? Ten thousand words I have to write? I’m relying on this getting me into Law School!”

“If I were you, I’d get your dad to make a complaint to someone,” Chanwoo gave him a pointed look, “or I’d threaten Kangaroo (their nickname for their Principal) and get him to complain to someone. I know you don’t like it, but it’s time to remind everyone who your family are.”

“There’s no need for that yet,” Donghyuk scoffed. “Ms. Dan is going to figure something out. I’m betting she will arrange something for you, like an exception for something.”

“God, I hope so,” Hanbin muttered, accepting the ice-cold mineral water Yunheyong had just offered for him. “Or else this year is going to .”

 

***

 

As he made his way on foot from Halmoon to visit his mother he treated himself to a coffee from his favourite cafe, hoping it would temper that horrible bad luck feeling that was still hanging over him. He didn't know whether he felt supported by all the boys in his grade who'd expressed their regret for him, or if he felt irritated by it. This sort of thing wasn't meant to happen to him in the first place. That's why he went to a School like this, so these things didn't happen. 

His mother worked just a few blocks away from Halmoon, in a suburb known for its pricey cafes, clothing boutiques and wedding dress stores.

HERSTORY was the trendiest luxury antique and vintage store of its kind in Seoul. It was a stunning two storey warehouse converted into a chic wonderland of stunning pieces of art, pottery, jewellery, furniture, homewares, and decorations from all over the world and historical eras. It was renowned for its quality pieces, as Hanbin’s mother was exceptionally picky.  

She waited for the best of the best, no matter how expensive, and she was infamous in Seoul antique collecting circles for her ruthless bidding style at auctions. If she wanted something she got it.

His mother had always possessed the gift of discovering beauty, she spotted it before anyone else did. Whether it was an old cane chair, a dusty lace umbrella, or a manky vintage scarf, she was able to take things and transform them into something even more beautiful than they were before.

For this reason, she was an incredibly stylish, combining modern designer pieces with vintage designer pieces. Every day she wore something new and even his father had been banned from entering her walk-in wardrobe, it was her temple.

She was a short, slender, refined woman who looked ten years younger than she was. Often people mistook her for Hanbin’s sister. It was a well-known fact that Yunhyeong had a massive crush on her and that Chanwoo was terrified of her. 

Her shop had started off as a hobby project to keep her entertained while his father had worked long hours, but now it had grown into something entirely of its own. Not only did she source stunning, rare antique and vintage items from all over the world, collecting them in her store and then selling them to uber wealthy buyers, she rented out pieces for advertisements, tv series, documentaries and even movies. She had happened to provide some of the key furniture items for many of the great South Korean films of the past ten years.

When he’d been young, Hanbin had loved watching tv shows and movies, not for the action and stories, but because he’d loved guessing which items in the background belonged to his mother.

“That one?” He’d point at a beautiful chestnut set of draws from the Joseon period.

“Of course, that’s mummy’s,” she’d smiled, delighted he’d picked something so tasteful.

Hanbin pushed open the door of HERSTORY and a delicate chime tinkled throughout the spacious building. It was getting late and he knew she was about to close. Two pretty shop assistants tidying things paused and greeted him formally as he proceeded to hunt for his mother.

He wound his way through marble statues, velvet boudoir couches, shoulder height antique vases, cabinets of sparkling tiaras and necklaces, calling out for her, knowing full well she could be hidden behind something.

Not able to find her he went behind the front counter into the office space of the store.

“Mum?”

She was standing at work table, tallying sales on her macbook. As usual she was looking stylish wearing towering stilettos, chic tailored pants, a silky white blouse and Balmain leather jacket.

He walked over and kissed her dewy cheek before flopping down onto a pink velvet chaise.

 “I had the worst day,” he informed her with a woeful expression.

 She didn’t reply and kept typing in earnest. It made him smile, she always did this, acting as if she thought it was a pain he’d arrived at her work place. But really, he knew she loved it when he came to see her in her element.

“I got my social studies thesis topic today and it’s a disaster. Some stupid tiny country town that’s like, two hours away.”

“That’s unacceptable,” his mother announced, certainly and softly, letting him know that she was listening to his every word. “I’ll call Ms. Dan.”

“No, don’t, not yet. She’s said she’s going to try to figure something out.”

“I told you not to do that subject. It’s too much work and for what?”

“No Mum, I told you, I know it’s a good idea. Remember what your friend Sooyoung said? Nearly all students have good marks these days, anyone can do well if they just study long and hard enough.  What universities are looking for now is originality, someone who stands out from the crowd. Subjects with Major Projects are the least popular for a reason. I need to do this to stand apart!”

His mother turned and looked down at him sprawled on the couch.

“Get up, that couch is new and not for you.”

Hanbin grinned.

“Mum, I came here for you to comfort me, not to boss me around,” he got up and threw his arms around her.

“You just told me Ms Dan was taking care of it,” his mother teased in a tone no one else would have known was a joke except for her son and husband. “I’ve offered my help for years and never once have you accepted it. You’ve always done your own work, made you own decisions and done what you want. What does my opinion matter? You came here to whinge and distract me. Be honest, I didn’t raise a liar.”

“You’re exaggerating so much!” Hanbin laughed in protest, “you’re a total helicopter Mum, you always have been!”

Hanbin loved his sassy mum to bits. As an only child she hadn’t just been his mother, but often his best friend. And that was how they talked to each other. They bantered, bickered, agreed, conspired, and indulged each other.

His father, who was twelve years older than his mother, had already been a successful barrister for many years by the time he was born. Much of his youth his father had left before he’d woken in the morning and had typically arrived home when he was already in bed. It hadn’t stopped him from waiting up and sneaking into his father’s office to surprise him though.

But it was his mother who had been there through every one of his assignments, awards, achievements, concerts, matches, speeches, and end of year assemblies recognising student rankings. She was his biggest cheerleader, just a very refined one. 

What he loved most about his mum was her ambition and devotion to her family. He loved that she let him do what he needed to pursue dreams, but that she was always there to fight for him the moment he encountered an obstacle There was no doubt in his mind his mother was with him every step of the way when it came to following his dreams.

Every year Hanbin bought her extravagant gifts and to took her away on holidays. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

“You can still comfort me though!” Hanbin whined. Finally, his mother paused her calculations and looked at him. She pinched his cheek.

“Darling, you are going to study at Seoul National University Law School. You are going to be a brilliant barrister just like your father. There is not even a tiny piece of doubt in my mind that this will happen. You deserve the best and no son of mine will receive less than that.” She kissed him on the forehead and gave his shoulders a rub.

“Thanks Mum.”

“Now go study. I have work to do and you’re annoying me,” she chuckled and gave him a shove towards the door.

 

***

 

That crisp Saturday morning Hanbin’s inner circle came to see him off at Seoul station. They were all wearing their most luxurious padded coats and making fun og Yunheyong because he was wearing Fendi earmuffs and couldn't hear them properly, but he refused to take them off. 

It was already cold here in Seoul, he didn't want to think how feezing it was going to be in the countryside.

He was resentfully resigned to his situation this weekend, he trusted Ms. Dan, she'd never been wrong so far in his whole Halmoon education. He was going to this obscure village to suss it out, but he already decided he wasn’t going to settle for it. He was only going to notes to build his argument for why he needed an exception to change his thesis research location. Joollajong-ri was unacceptable thesis material, he knew that already, and no matter what it took he was going to demand the Board of Education give him an exemption. But that did not mean he wasn't angry he had to do this in the first place; such a long stupid journey that was going to take an enormous chunk out of his day which he could have spent studying and playing golf with his father.

First, he had to get a train to Daejeon which was an hour and a half, then he had to get on a bus for another 30 minutes. Yunhyeong was already fussing over the whole situation.

“I don’t understand why can’t just get your Chauffeur drive you ? It’s two hours away!”

“No, because, the journey being way too long is the whole point. I need to say, "look, I did the trip it was too long, it’s going to put me at a disadvantage, give me a different topic." Also, Hangyeol always has Sundays off.”

“Your chauffeur has a day off?” Jinhwan looked at Hanbin in surprise. His own parents who were currently based in Vienna would never have considered such a thing. They hadn't driven themselves anywhere for years.

“How long are you going to be there though?” Chanwoo looked concerned as well. “I’ve heard the water in the countryside is dirty as hell.”

“Oh my god.” Yunhyeong’s face fell receiving this frightening news. “Don’t you dare drink a single drop, no matter how thirsty you get!” he pointed a finger at Hanbin who glared at Chanwoo. 

“I have two water bottles, I’ll be fine, god. I’m not going to some war-torn country you guys, I’m just going to some pitiful rural village!”

“Also don’t eat the food, it could be ridden with parasites.” Jinhwan added.  

“Hanbin!” Yunheyong yelped. “This is unnecessary, I’m calling my chaffeaur, he will take both of us.”

“No! Yoyo, you need to study and I have snacks, I will be fine. Come on guys, I need to do this.”

And with that he stepped onto the train that was now signalling it's imminent departure,  and found the cleanest seat possible. As the train pulled away and his friends waved at him forlornly, except for Chanwoo who looked rather amused by the whole situation, Hanbin couldn’t resist indulging in a moment of self-pitying spite towards the Board of Studies. But then the moment passed and he remebmered he needed to study. He wasn't going to waste this precious hour and a half doing nothing. 

 

 

***

 

Even his parents the night before had thought going to Joollajong-ri was a waste of time.

“But aren’t you changing towns?” His father have him a quizzical look across the long, elegant dinner table. “Why spend your Saturday going to this nowhere place if next week you’ll be assigned something new?”

“I know, but Ms. Dan said that it will look more convincing if I go to the town in person, then complain. Or else the board will think I’m being spoilt without even checking it out and assessing it first.”

“It’s a waste of time, I’ll call Ms. Dan,” his mother snapped, taking out her mobile.

“No, Mum! Don’t, come on,” Hanbin cringed. His mother was way too comfortable calling Ms. Dan and making impossible demands, it embarrassed him. “Just let me do this. I’m playing the game right, let me go and make sure it’s not suitable.”

“Hangyeol will drive you.”

“No, it’s his day off, that’s mean.” His father smiled and his mother pet his cheek. 

“Sweet heart, you’re always so good to others. Fine, go see this horrible village and come back and tell us what a waste of time it was, you stubborn boy.”

 

***

 

Hanbin had never been to Daejeon as far as he could remember. It was alright he supposed, it was kinda pretty with more greenery and space then Seoul. But he could tell it was somewhere he could never live. It lacked a certain style. Also it was a grey drizzling day which did not make the place any more appealing. He wished he was at home in the family library, a large, warm, beautifully furnished room with a fireplace, an array of luxurious sofas, a whiteboard he used to brainstorm ideas, and a huge coffee table perfect, perfect for hosting endless textbooks, a pot of steaming jasmine tea, and freshly prepared snacks by Bongcha, the family chef. 

He studied Modern History on the long train ride and took out his textbook again as he waited at a dirty loud bus stop near Daejeon station for the mysterious 347 bus that would take him to Joollajong-ri. So far, he was the only passenger waiting, which concerned him greatly. It confirmed his worries that he was truly heading into the middle of flipping nowhere.

The bus finally rumbled up 15 minutes late and Hanbin could barely hide his irritation. It was a dusty, rattling shuttle-like thing that released the scent of sweaty socks and old groceries when the doors flung open. His mother would have refused to step foot onto a bus like this. The Bus driver glared straight ahead and didn’t even greet him.

He headed up the back of the bus, once again dusted off the seat before sitting, and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. It was freezing, his breath was even misting up even on the bus itself. He looked around and noticed his most windows were open. Just as he’d almost dragged the nearest one closed, the bus jolted forwards and he yelped and was nearly thrown over the seat in front of him. The driver didn’t seem to notice a thing, which Hanbin thought was very rude.

He didn’t bother looking up from his textbook until the bus had finished collecting its whole four passengers from within the Daejeon city centre.

It was the flash of green from the corner of his eye that caught his attention. They were now on a highway lined by thick green pine forest. The sky was stormy grey and they were driving through a mist that alternated from wispy, to thick and foggy. He hadn’t been in the countryside for ages, and when he did it was to stay with Jinhwan at one of his beach mansions or with Chanwoo in one of his ski lodges. This gloomy countryside was far from glamorous. 

The bus continued chugging along the highway for sometime without stopping for what seemed such a long time it made Hanbin. What if he wasn't on the right bus? When he'd inspected the route last night Joollajong-ri had not seemed this far from Daejeon. He cautiously made his way up the shuddering bus to speak to the driver.

“Excuse me Sir, is this bus going to Joollajong-ri?”

“Yeah?” barked the driver as if annoyed Hanbin needed that information. “Sit down. You’ll fall and break your neck.” Hanbin stared, unsure whether he needed to remind this driver to have some manners. He decided it wasn’t worth it and asked another question as politely as he could. 

“Could you please let me know when we are nearly there?”

“Yes! Now sit down!”

Hanbin returned to his seat feeling all the more irritated by the whole situation. The bus rumbled on for what felt like another lifetime. 

Finally, the bell pinged, and the bus pulled up to a rusty stop sign on the highway, letting off an old lady carrying a basket of something that smelt far too pungent to be on public transport. Hanbin was glad to see her go, he’d been sitting with his hand over his nose for the last 15 minutes.

The next passenger to leave was the snoring middle-aged man who’d spent the entire trip with his head hanging over the back of his seat, sleeping unapologetically then waking up just in time for his stop.

The road became bumpier and bumpier and just when Hanbin had been about to speak to the driver again, the bus slowed down and they pulled into the station of  a humble urban town. It was hard to tell just from this street how big this town was, surely not nearly as big as Daejeon, but nearly as populated. 

The rest of the passengers exited quickly,  thanking the driver with broad country accents that made him cringe.

As he grabbed his bag and made his way to the bus doors he got a better view of what he was dealing with and his stomach churned. Joollajong-ri was even worse than he’d expected. He could see a few dated looking business buildings, a large outdoor food market over there, a group of elderly men smoking together on a street corner, a mother dragging her son kicking and screaming down the main road, some tacky looking stores, dirty gutters, a grimy food stalls set up on the pathways..

“You said Joolljong!” The bus driver blurted as Hanbin was about to step off the bus.

“Yes, Joolla-jong-ri?” Hanbin froze, pointing at the miserable looking town outside.

“That’s not Joollajong-ri, that’s Cheugdo-si,” the driver informed him as if he were a simpleton.

“Oh…”

“Joollajong-ri is next. 10 minutes away. Last stop.”

“Ah I see…thank you.” Hanbin returned to his seat feeling numb. The bus didn’t go any further into the Cheugdo town centre, instead it did a loop through the bus station and off onto a bumpy dirt road framed by even thicker forest.

He stared in bewilderment out the window as the bus driver sped up, not having to worry about speed limits now he was really off the beaten track. Trees, trees, more trees for a full ten minutes without a single stop in sight. Joollajong truly was the very last stop. 

Finally, the bus slowed down and forest road widened out into a small hilly clearing, dotted with what could be no more than 25 buildings, but it was hard to tell, the fog was so thick Hanbin couldn't see more than 200 metres ahead. 

The bus drew to a halt and he could see the driver staring at him resentfully in the rear-view mirror. Stunned, Hanbin pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and made his way off the bus.  

“Remember last bus at 4pm!” the driver bellowed and the bus doors slammed behind him. The bus rattled away noisily leaving Hanbin on the main road of the most desolate village he’d ever seen.

There wasn’t anything likeable about it at all. The buildings were run-down without any old-world charms to them. It was all stained, flaky paint, weed crops spilling out from handmade fences, tarpaulins stretched over patches of roof, exposed plumbing, rusted bicycles, random tires, buckets full of rainwater, random alleyways leading to more run-down houses, overgrown trees, sooty chimney tops, dirty window sills, soupy puddles. Even the thick woods surrounding the town all around didn’t strike Hanbin as beautiful, instead it just seemed ominous and claustrophobic. 

In fact, Hanbin noticed, the place stunk as well. It smelt like manure! 

He looked down at his feet in a panic, and yep, he'd stepped straight into a pile of old cow dung. He looked up to the sky as if admonishing God himself, and uttered a long seething groan. He broke a branch off a nearby shrub and did his best to pry the dung from his sneaker sole. 

WHen convinced he had cleaned his shoe sufficiently, he began to wander slowly down the main street. It was hard to tell how long it was because the fog was so thick, but he hoped to find at least one cafe, or library or town centre open. But each store he passed seemed to be closed or boarded up.

That was when he noticed someone up ahead through the mist, the only human life he had seen so far in this god-forsaken place. 

There was a male figure standing outside the only open store on the whole street, possibly in the whole town. It looked like a small shabby white convenience shop covered in faded posters. A delipidated drink machine sat outside along with a wooden bench. 

Through the fog Hanbin peered at whoever it was, trying to get a sense of his age. It was hard to tell as he was wearing a large hoodie obscuring most of his face. All he could see was a sharp note-tip. He was leaning against the wall of the shop, bringing a cigarette to and from his mouth, the smoke of which blurred into the fog around him, looking at his phone, indifferent to the world.

Hanbin took in the sight of his clothing: scuffed, dirty high tops sneakers, a pair of the slouchiest, most distressed jeans he’d had ever seen, and there was a long set of colourful keychains hanging from his jeans pocket. His mother would never have let him wear such an outfit.  

Hanbin wasn’t sure this guy was a hoodlum, but he definitely struck him as intimidating in a rather common sort of way. He looked the way he imagined public school bullies looked. If Yunhyeong had been here he very well would have called the police.

He was surprised the guy hadn’t looked up yet, considering the bus had been as loud as twenty farting hippos and the town itself was almost silent.

He looked around cautiously, hoping that someone else more approachable would appear. But no one did, it was a ghost town.

With a deep sigh he decided he was going to have to approach store with the hoodlum outside. He had no choice, the convenience store was his only hope. He needed wifi and someone to answer his questions about this miserable, impoverished place.

When he was about 3 metres way the hoodlum moved suddenly. He dropped his cigarette to the ground, stamped it out and slipped his phone away in one swift movement.  Still without looking up he strode into the store.

Hanbin froze. Was the hoodlum the shop assistant? Was he going to have to talk to him? Ugh, he hated talking to people like this…it was always so awkward. He braced himself and stepped into the store.

As he entered clanging filled his ears. The Hoodlum was behind a greasy, glowing hot food counter at the back of the store, wiping down a small kitchen area, washing pans and frying equipment, and tossing them gracelessly into the cupboards already teetering with ill-placed kitchen items.

Hanbin looked around. It was a dim, joyless little store.

There were two tacky plastic tables and matching chairs, old wooden shelves lined the walls containing basic necessities, two fridges containing milk, water and juices, and a few pieces of random fruit. There were loaves of bread, snacks, a humble meat freezer that gave Hanbin the heebie-jeebies, a pitiful range of candies and sweets, and a magazine and newspaper rack that looked like it hadn’t been updated for years.

He approached the counter apprehensively.

The Hoodlum-turned-convenience-shop-assistant continued to bang around, acting as if he had no idea anyone else in the world existed except himself. Hanbin tapped the counter in front of him for some time, waiting to be noticed. Shocking customer service, his Mum would have fired this dude for his clothing alone.

He looked at the cabinet of hot food in front of him. Everything was greasy, shiny and steaming: a variety of dumplings steamed and fried with crispy bottoms, thick tteok-bbeoki bubbling in spicy sauce, plump pancakes sprinkled with sesame seeds, some dusted with sugar, crumbed hotdogs wrapped in melted cheese, chilli dusted potato twisters on sticks, homemade fried chicken. He remembered what Jinhwan said about parasites and shuddered to himself.

“Um, hello?” He raised his voice slightly to catch the attention of the assistant who was now at the far back of the store, shoving boxes around. The assistant decided that he, the customer, did in fact exist, pulled down the hood of his jacket, returned to the counter, grabbing a pair of tongs and a little plastic takeaway counter. He poised himself in readiness to collect Hanbin’s order.

Seeing him up more closely Hanbin could see that he was young, maybe only a year or two older than himself. But he didn’t look anything like his friends at school, or anyone he knew in Seoul for that matter. He had a sharp, square jaw, a narrow nose and a slightly pouting lower lip. His eyes seemed glazed over, bored even, which contrasted with the shiny silver piercing through his left eyebrow. What stood out to Hanbin most was his unevenly dyed lavender hair, gathered up in a rough high pony tail. A few loose strands drifted down from his temples, highlighting ears packed with piercings.

Definitely a public school bully, Hanbin thought to himself. Tough, worn around the edges, raw. And worst of all, he probably thinks he looks really cool…sad really. 

“Oh, I don’t want anything,” Hanbin waved his hands in a cancelling motion, “I just wanted to ask some questions about this place.”

Then, finally, the assistant looked up at him directly. The aloof surprise in his eyes took Hanbin aback for a second. It was as if he had been surprised by the act of communication itself.

“I’m from out of town, as you can probably tell,” Hanbin smiled, trying to be as self-deprecating as possible, he heard rural people hated pretention, “and I’m wondering if you could point me in the direction of the local library, is it open today?”

The assistant frowned slightly and his pupils darted to the side, then back at him, as if his brain was trying to process conflicting data.

“Sorry, I should have explained,” Hanbin smiled as dashingly as he could. “I’m from Halmoon.”

He waited for understanding to pass through the assistant’s eyes, after all, Halmoon was one of the most famous schools in the whole country. But once again the assistant’s eyes darted to the side and back again, nonplussed.

“So…I need wifi and a place to set up my computer…?” Hanbin added, becoming vaguely irritated by the assistant’s zombified manner, “…So yeah, if there’s a library that would be awesome…”

The assistant put down his tongs and rubbed his nose with back of his hand with a loud sniff.

“No library here,” he offered bluntly in a low gravelly voice. He sounded like he’d only woken up five minutes ago.

“No Library?”

The assistant looked towards the main street with a raised eyebrow as if to say “you saw yourself how small this place is, didn’t you?”

“Right,” Hanbin muttered. “So, is this it? Is this all of Joollajong-ri, on this main road?” Hanbin asked, gesturing with a limp disappointed hand to the main road, too deflated to keep the indignation from his voice. "I thought because of the fog, there was more...." he paced over to the door of the store and stuck his head out. The fog had shifted slightly and now he could see, that yes, it was true, Joollajong-ri was a 300 metre long main street, nothing more. 

The assistant stared at him from behind counter as if he were a mad man.

“How is this place so small?” Hanbin demanded, walking back to the counter, enraged. “I’m guessing this place doesn’t have a council building, or information centre, or tourist office…anything like that?”

The assistant didn’t need to confirm yes or no. He raised an eyebrow again and looked away.

“How do villages like this even exist? Like, what’s the point, you know?” Hanbin laughed bitterly. “How many people live here? What do people do here?”

The assistant shrugged.

“Look, I travelled really far to get here today, I’m from Seoul,” Hanbin informed him, snappily. “I’m a student at Halmoon, I mentioned that, right?” he added, hoping that by saying it a second time things might finally gel. But still, no response.

“Halmoon? The School? Private Boys School, Seoul?” Hanbin pressed, scouring his brain for any key words that might help this idiot finally understand his situation. The assistant cleared his throat loudly.

“k…” He mumbled slowly, avoiding eye contact “did you like...wanna buy anything?”

“I just need somewhere to work for a bit, can I set up over there?” Hanbin pointed at one of the tacky plastic tables.

The assistant frowned and glanced down at the food cabinet in front of him.

“If I buy something can I work here?” Hanbin tried again, through grit teeth. The assistant once again grabbed the takeaway box and tongs.

“Just two of the…fish-sticks I guess…and one of those strawberry milks,” Hanbin muttered. He only chose them because they were the least feral looking items and he wasn’t planning on eating them anyway.

He dumped his bag down on one of the plastic tables, took out his laptop and began furiously typing notes.

Case for why Joollajong-ri is not a viable research topic

• Roads in state of disrepair - clear signs of poverty and lack of council initiative.
• Evidence of low socio-economic conditions, evident in accents, clothing and presentation.
• No signs of substantial socio-economic issues to justify a ten-thousand word thesis. Unviable research option, grounds for exception to change location.

 

“It’s getting cold…” the assistant’s rough voice came from behind the counter.

Hanbin looked up. He was gesturing to the plastic container containing the fish sticks. He hadn’t even thought to bring them over to him, the customer. 

“Keep them, I don’t want them,” Hanbin muttered. He really didn’t meant to be rude, but he just wasn’t in the mood to indulge anyone right now. He was feeling absolutely furious and miserable about this horrible situation he was in.

He typed for some time, connecting and reconnecting to the dodgy wifi offered on the back of a dilapidated looking food menu. At some point music started playing and he looked up, the assistant was sitting on stool behind the counter watching a video on his phone. 

“Sorry, could you keep it down?” Hanbin asked. “I’m just trying to get some work done here.”

The assistant did another annoying eye-brow raise and put his earphones in.

“Thanks,” Hanbin muttered.

 

***

 

Fifteen Minutes before the bus was due Hanbin stood up with an irritable sigh. It was time to get the hell out of here.

“Thanks,” he offered the assistant just before leaving the store. The assistant didn’t even look up, he had his headphones in and his eyes were closed, slowly nodding to whatever music it was he was listening to.

The first thing Hanbin did once he got on the rattling rural bus back to Daejeon was call Yunhyeong.

“It’s a total disaster,” he informed him, staring at the bleak forest rushing past his bus window.

“Oh my god! It’s that bad is it?” Yunhyeong gasped.

“There is nothing here. Nothing. A complete waste of space. I don’t even know how anyone could live there, it's most depressing place I’ve been to in this whole country.”

“What are you going to do?”

“No idea, but I can’t research this place, it’s ridiculous.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to. Kangaroo and Ms. Dan will find a way for you, this is totally unfair.”

“Yeah, they better or I’m going to have a nervous breakdown,” Hanbin grumbled.

“When you are you back in Seoul? I’ll come pick you up from the station, we can study together this afternoon.”

“In your new Coupe?” Hanbin teased, knowing that Yunhyeong’s father had gifted him a Maserati as a reward for successfully becoming Vice Captain.

“Uh, of course. Why else would I be offering you a lift?” Yunhyeong joked. “Seriously though, I am so in love. I cry for at least 5 minutes every time I sit behind the wheel.”

“Did you go with grey or white in the end by the way?”

“Orange!”

“Ugh, you’re so vulgar.”

“No trust me, you’re going to change your mind when you see it! Give me a buzz when you get there.”

“Sure, thanks Yoyo.”

 

***

 

“So, there is good news, and bad news,” Ms. Dan informed Hanbin in a grave tone. “What would you like to hear first?

They were in her sleep private school office, sipping coffees that had just been brewed by the Staff Room barista. It was lunchtime and he should have been playing tennis but when the loudspeaker had summoned him to the staff building he’d raced there straight away.

“The Board of Education isn’t going to grant me an exemption to change topics, are they?” each word he uttered seemed to deflate him more. 

“No, they’re not.” Ms. Dan sighed and ran her long  hands through her hair agitatedly. “I’ve tried everything, all my contacts. I’ve tried other teachers too, I’ve made hundreds of phone calls this past week to speak to the right people…but they all said the same thing. TNo student has ever successfully had their request to change topics approved. The Board of Education is adamant that this is fairest and in light of the recent accusations of corruption they definitely will not be risking changing things for a Private School student right now."

“What about my report? All the notes I took about Joollajong-ri, how unsuitable it is?”

“Apparently the Social Studies team are convinced it is a site of importance but they refuse to specify how. They say it’s up to you to work that out…”

“Far out…” Hanbin slumped back in his seat and stared at his teacher miserably. “Miss, what am I going to do? I’m freaking out, I need to drop this.”

“Hanbin, no.” Ms. Dan leant as far across the table as she could. She didn’t touch his hand but put hers near his, and looked at him long and hard. “You haven’t heard the good news yet!”

Hanbin sighed.

“How many high schools are there in this country?” She asked with a coy smile.

“Thousands, surely?”

“Twenty-Thousands to be exact. But only 3% of those schools offer a social studies subject involving a Major Project. So that makes it 600 schools to be exact. And Social Studies classes contain 4 students on average. So, with 6 times 600, there are 3600 students writing a thesis, just like yourself. Last year data collected showed that 50% of those social studies students planned to go on to do a Law Degree, just like yourself. So, this year Hanbin, you are currently up against at least 1800 students, hoping to do well enough in their Social Studies thesis, along with their other subjects, to get into the law school of their dreams.”

Hanbin stared, unsure how this was supposed to be good news. Ms. Dan held a finger as if to say “wait, I will explain.”

“You have already narrowed your competition down significantly by taking this subject. Only 3% of students are taking this subject, the rest don’t even dare. If you do well in this, then wow, this is going to make a very compelling argument for why you deserve an enrolment at Seoul National Law School more so than the next non-social studies student.”

“Ok…but that’s the problem, Miss, this town is a dump!”

“But what if it’s not so much about the content of the thesis…as it is what the thesis represents?” Ms. Dan gave him a sly look. “I spoke to several people this past week, and apparently, for University Admissions teams, they are less concerned with what your thesis says, and more so with the efforts you took to make it happen.”

“You mean that-”

“Law School Admission Officers look very highly upon students taking on challenging topics involving travel and huge time commitments and time management skills. They see a direct correlation between this and students then being able to handle the travel, long work hours and dedication that a law degree requires. Law Schools don't want to enrol flakes, they want student with a "can-do attitude." ”

“Right,” Hanbin frowned, that made sense in a weird way. “So, just my doing this project with all its challenges, the train rides, the bus rides, the chunks it takes out of my weekend, the time management and organisaiton, that is really what people will care about when my thesis is done?”

“Exactly.” Ms. Dan nodded knowingly. “Hanbin, don’t worry too much about this thesis, pull something together that makes sense, and watch as the University Admissions officers gasp in awe as they realise you conducted such a complex project whilst juggling all your others subjects, for an entire year.”

Hanbin nodded slowly at first as he processed this information, then faster as he decided he found it palatable.

“My mum is going to freak out though.”

“Don’t worry about your Mum, I’ll call her today and talk it over. When she sees this is actually going to work well in your favour, she will come around.”

Hanbin was feeling energised again and ambition was hurtling through his veins. He needed to get onto the tennis court before lunch was over and release his excitement through some serves.

“Thank you so much Ms. Dan. Honestly, I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank you."

“You’re my star pupil Hanbin, you make my efforts more than worthwhile every day.”

The office door opened and Principal Kang walked in. He was a distinguished looking man who had apparently been quite the scholar in his day. Right now, however, most students saw him as a kind of bossy, pompous mascot whose most important skill seemed to be saying the exact right thing to the media and parents at the right time, and making grand but vague promises. He was a true diplomat and an excellent flatterer. 

“Hanbin!” Kang exclaimed warmly, walking over and giving his shoulder a slightly painful squeeze. “I believe Ms. Dan has just spoken to you about this Social Studies dilemma?”

“Yes, Sir."

"So unfortunate this business isn't it? Being given such a...a....disappointing topic for such a bright, young mind."

Hanbin nodded, “But I trust Ms. Dan, I think she’s right, it might be worthwhile for me to put the hard yards in now so that distinguishing myself from other law school candidates is easier later on.”

”Yes, yes, yes,” Mr. Kang nodded solemnly, “and also, don’t forgot Hanbin, you are our School Captain. Dropping a subject simply because it is ‘too hard’ does not send a good message to your peers, does it?”

Hanbin blushed, he hadn’t even thought of that. He glanced over at Ms. Dan who remained impassive. He wondered why she hadn't mentioned that Kang would be dropping in on their conversation. 

“Yes, very true Sir.”

“Good lad, very good. You’re going to be an exceptional lawyer Hanbin, this school is honoured to have you as our School Captain. Don’t let us down!”

“I will Sir, and I won’t Sir.”

Ms. Dan and Principal Kang gave him long luxurious smiles. 

 

 

***

 

“What? You’re going to go ahead with it?” Donghyuk asked reached for the tennis ball Hanbin had just served. He hit it back with precision but just a second later Hanbin’s backhand had him running up close to the net to catch it.

“Yep,” Hanbin grunted, as he raced to the net to catch the ball on the tip of his racket.

“Your Mum is going to kill you,” Donghyuk panted, looking genuinely worried.

“It’s all good, Ms. Dan is going to speak to her tonight. And anyway, Mum can’t stop me, Dad can’t either. Deep down they know I can handle it.”

They took a break and met at the side of the court to have a drink of water.

“It’s so much work though…how are you going to manage it all on top of going all the way down there once a week?”

“I won’t have to go once a week, at most once a fortnight.” Hanbin looked at his best friends face. “Hey, don’t worry!” He laughed. “When have I ever not been able to complete something I have started?”

“Well…”

“Well?”

“Never, but still, this is going to be the hardest year of our lives so far, you know that right? This is going to be intense. We have course work, our student leader duties, volunteering, study, cram school, and all the extra-curricular stuff. I genuinely think you are biting off more than you can chew.”

“Come on, it’s me we’re talking about. You know I thrive on being busy. You’re worrying about stress that hasn’t even happened yet!”

“I dunno Bin, do you really think it’s necessary?”

“For law school? Heck yeah. I didn’t work this hard for this long not to get into Seoul National University.”

“What if you get into it and find you can’t stand it,” Donghyuk teased.

“Can’t stand law?” Hanbin gave him a disgusted look. “What on earth are you talking about, I’ve been waiting to be a lawyer my entire life. I’ve been discussing human rights law with my dad since I was like, 4 years old.”

“Talking about it is different to living it….” Donghyuk gave him an annoying little smirk.

“Why are you being Chanwoo, playing devil’s advocate?” Hanbin complained and Donghyuk laughed.

“I’m joking, I’m just pushing your buttons. Questioning your love for law is literally the only thing I can get you mad about. I know you’ll love it, you’re a born lawyer, it’s in your family. You’re going to be the youngest judge in South Korea, I know it.”

“Ok, then stop worrying about me,” Hanbin insisted, giving Donghyuk a loving push. “Come on, let’s go, it’s starting to rain.”  They left the Halmoon tennis courts and made their way up the forest path to the changing rooms. As they went younger boys raced past them, greeting them as they went. 

“Just don’t go burn out ok?” Donghyuk smiled. 

“Burn out?” Hanbin questioned aloud, “I don’t get people who burn out. Not at all.”

 

***

 

That night he studied at home in the library with difficulty. He’d kept the door open so he could eavesdrop. So far, his mother has been on the phone with Ms. Dan for 40 minutes and 65 seconds and from the sharp tone in her voice it didn’t sound like the call was going to end anytime soon.

He was ready to fight if his mother hadn’t been convinced, but he was really hoping he wasn’t going to.

He couldn’t help it, he hated when his parents tried to made decisions for him. He was an only child, that was his excuse.

There was a knock on the door and in walked not just his mother, but also his father. He'd come home earlier from work tonight and Hanbin guessed his mother had just briefed him on the whole situation.

“So, I just spoke to Ms. Dan….” His mother announced. “She is convinced this project isn’t going to be a waste of time.”

“No, Mum, it’s going to really give me a competitive edge, really.”

“But we have some questions,” His father chimed in. He was a tall handsome man with a perpetually thoughtful, if not slightly weary, expression. Hanbin watched as his mother starred at his father. She always did this, brought in her husband when Hanbin was bring stubborn about something, as if that somehow would change his decision. “It is such a long travel time, to and from this….oollajong…isn’t this going to eat up time you need for studying on weekends?”

“I read four chapters of my Modern History textbook last Sunday when I went. I don’t see how that’s going to be a problem. In fact, I’m away from distractions, it’s the perfect opportunity to get work down without interruptions.”

His father looked at his mother. They both sighed at the same time.

“Well good luck then,” his father shrugged.

“Yes, good luck my darling,” his mother cooed, bending down and petting his cheek. “As long as this is for your future…”

“It is Mum, everything I do is for my future.”

“That’s what makes you his son,” she smiled, gesturing his father.

“I just want both of you to be  proud of me,” Hanbin said, “and I feel like this project is going going to be make sure that happens.”

“We’re already proud of you,” his father insisted calmly, “but I’d be even happier with you if you went to bed. It’s already 11:30pm.