Sixteen year-old Jongup was walking back from school by himself. He had his skateboard, his backpack, books and binders in his arms, and a hat that was tilted. In any stranger's eyes, you may say he's a person who gives out a 'bad boy' vibe, but with the distraction of his angelic and cheerful smile, he gives out the 'perfect' vibe.

Getting a text, Jongup stopped his board and shuffled for his phone. But before he could do that, he saw an old lady, ready to cross the street. Looking both ways, he shuffled his phone back into his pocket and dropped his books, running across the street. 

There, he approached the old lady. She was trembling with a load of groceries. "May I help you, ahjumma?" Jongup offered.

"Y-yes. Thank you," she smiled brightly as Jongup offered his arm to her. She took it and the two walked across the street successfully.

When Jongup arrived to the other end, he picked up his books and skateboard, still holding the lady's groceries. "Where are you going?"

"T-that house." She pointed to the old, broken house that was right next to his. 

"T-there?" Jongup blurted unexpectedly. "Oh, I'm sorry for being rude. It's just that I live right next to it."

"No, no, it's okay," she sighed, clutching onto Jongup's arm tighter. "Say, young man, do you hear a lot of fighting or yelling and crashing of glass sometimes?"

I try not to because of Sunhwa noona and I don't want to and I can't disobey her. But to be honest, her voice wasn't loud enough to cover the noises from the neighbor's house, so of course. "Yes. I do. At night."

The old lady exhaled. "My grandson lives in there. He doesn't attend school and he's always at home because his stupid father, my son, pressures him too much. His mother died and he thinks it's his fault. My son remarried to another woman who was trashy - I don't even know what my son meant by flawless. She was full of flaws! She got him to drink and do drugs and he owes a lot of money. But now that she died, my son has been beating my poor grandson. My grandson has to work in order to support the house and his father. His father demands too much from him and can't get his lazy up and man up to say that it wasn't his son's fault of the reason why his two wives passed away. But it's useless."

"Oh. I'm so sorry," Jongup said tenderly. There were times he caught an accidental glance at the guy who lived next door, remembering the time he saw him get yelled at by his father, he could guess that his name was Junhong. "Is your grandson named Junhong?"

"Yes. Choi Junhong." The old lady let go of his arms and took her groceries back. "Thank you young man for listening to my rants and nonsense, and for helping me. I appreciated it."

"No problem."

Once the old lady entered Jongup's neighbor's house, he tried his best to not look at Junhong when he opened the broken door and was greeted by his noona, Sunhwa. "Jonguppie, you're so nice! You helped the old lady!"

"Thank you, noona."

Instead of doing his homework after changing into his home attire, he stared at the graduation picture of his sister. He gazed at his room, thinking about what the old lady had said earlier. Honestly, he didn't know what she meant by pressure. He didn't exactly get what she meant by remarrying and beating. Frankly, he didn't get the woman's speech at all. He was too confused. Was she talking about nonsense? Why was she so tense with her speech? Was it something everyone else knows about but him?

He went downstairs to see Sunhwa on the phone chattering away. When she finished, she looked at Jongup. 

"What do you want, Jongup?" Sunhwa asked nicely, getting ready to leave the house. "Remember what I told you about the house next door because I'll be in Japan for two weeks for modeling, okay?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about, noona," Jongup said. "You told me you would tell me that thing I wasn't supposed to know as a kid. And you told me when I'm a teen, you'll tell me. I want to know outside. I want to know what happened to eomma and appa and that kid next door, Junhong."

Sunhwa was shocked. Stunned. But she knew this day would come when Jongup will have to make his own decisions, and in order to make these decisions, he must know everything about this cruel world that she and her three other friends have been trying their best to protect him from this disaster. They've been covering him with happiness and joyousness, but Jongup knew that there has to be something more than that. He's not a kid anymore. He's a teenager. Young adult.

"I-I..." Sunhwa was lost for words. She has to tell him about what happened to eomma and appa. She has to tell him about the real world and how it's not a sweet fairytale where everyone gets fun and freedom. She has been keeping him secured and making sure he doesn't know the outside of the home walls. He doesn't know how to live. "I'm sorry, Jongup. I can't. Not now. My flight is soon and I'm l-late. I will tell you when I get back from Japan. It's not enough time to tell you right now. There's too much confusion. I just can't, okay?"

Sunhwa clumsily took her jacket and luggage, placing sunglasses over her frightened eyes. She gave her little brother a kiss on the cheek and opened the front door, ready to leave. "I love you, Jongup, okay? This is why I can't tell you yet. But when I'm back, I'll tell you. I promise."

"Bye, noona. Love you too." Jongup closed the door as he watched his sister run to Hyosung's car.

What did she mean that there wasn't enough time? What did she mean by too much confusion? What did she mean by 'I love you, Jongup, okay? This is why I can't tell you yet.'? What has she been covering up from me? What happened to eomma and appa? And most importantly, what is happening to Junhong?

"And stay out! You live there until you find a ing job! No son of mine will defy my orders! Not to mention it was your fault! Come back when you have money!"

Not to Jongup's surprise, he recognized the voice that belonged to Junhong's father. Oblivious to his friends' ears, they kept on skating or riding, noticing a hole in their 'family'.

"Jongup?"

"I don't feel so well, Daehyun. I'm going to stay home and Sunhwa noona is going to call me soon, so I'll have to go back home," Jongup said. 

Daehyun and the others bid him goodbye and continued on.

Jongup was walking back towards his house, meaning that he has to pass his terrifying neighbor. He was on his skateboard (not that Sunhwa was actually going to call or he actually didn't feel good) and passed by a comparily large box. In that box, there was someone scrunched up and crying in there.

As Jongup approached, the sobs were pretty audible to Jongup's sharp ears. Jongup approached the box and saw someone in it. Who was it? The guy was scrunched up with barely any clothes on. Socks, a white tee, and sweat pants was all the boy had on this cold winter day.

"Are you okay?" Jongup asked in his sweetest voice.

The boy looked up at Jongup, and Jongup could clearly recognize him. It was Junhong. Though Junhong didn't know Jongup, he looked up with his teary eyes and his brusied and scarful face and whispered: "I-I killed her." 

Jongup's mind went blank, but a pang striked his heart. He felt his heart squeeze at the sight of Junhong. He felt his back fire up and his eyes hurting, his ears wanting to screech and scream. Was it something he didn't want to hear? What's happening? 

What did Junhong mean? Why were there so many flaws on his face? And what was the feeling Jongup felt? Pity? Sympathetic? On a side note: what do those words mean?

"I-I killed her," Junhong repeated. He was still crying and his tears were stinging his scars, looking up at Jongup as if he needed help. Help is what this poor child needed, and Jongup decided, help is what he is going to get, despite this painful discovery.