Smoke

Even though.. so.. (그래도.. 그래서..) - Im Si-wan (Misaeng OST)

 The snow fell ponderously, soon turning the streets into a snowing cornucopia. Jieun slipped her gloves on and walked outside the school building, trying to embrace the cold wisp of air that attacked her face. She watched as students got picked up by their parents, and some trying to make a run in the snow but slipping. She stared at the flyer that Myungsoo had given her, vexed. She didn't know why Myungsoo was trying so hard to convince her that Chanyeol was.. different. She had thought that perhaps, when you hate someone so much- it is in their instinct to plant preconceived notions into a third person. 

 Wrapping her red knitted scarf over her lower jaw, she walked through the heap of snow to the final destination. As she walked through the more Adult corners of the street, she could feel the burning stares of older men right at her as she walked past. She stared at the flyer and looked all around the place, searching for a place that had the name mute on it somewhere. 

 "What am i getting myself into.." she whispered to herself as she contined to look through the numerous signboards labelled with karaoke clubs and the miscellaneous sort. She really didn't understand how people found entertainment in a street that was so crowded and full of perilous men waiting to provoke you. from afar, she saw a signboard that stood out from the rest of the others. The signboard was flickering in many neon colors and had the name Club Mute darkly engraved on it.

 As she approached, she saw Myungsoo waiting under the roof gutter waiting for Jieun. He was dressed in a fancy casual suit and was rather dressed up for a high school student. He hed a small plastic bag in his hand and made a straight face as he watched Jieun walk over with the red scarf bandaged all over her face. The two stood under the shade and watched the snow fall mutely. His usual straight face seemed more straight today, and by now Jieun was sure that his straight face was a face full of emotions.

 "Why are we here..?" Jieun asked, trying not to get on his nerves.

"Follow me." Myungsoo stuck his hands inside his inner pocket and led Jieun further into the crowded streets. There were men trying to dash women lecherously and even constantly inappropriate touchings were involved. They soon reached the dark corners of the street and people started to disappear. A cold wind struck Jieun's face and caused her to pull her scarf up higher. Myungsoo halted and stared at the dark alley before them.

 There was a guttering light that lit the fore of the alley, and notorious sounds echoed from the further ends. Myungsoo grabbed Jieun's wrist and the both of them hid behind the side wall, peeking at the group of people inside the alley. unpleasant cuss words emanated the alley followed by the fume of cigarettes that arose from the place. It was a bunch of delinquent teenage boys, or IlJins, as how they were termed these days.

 "Look," Myungsoo pulled Jieun through the small crack in the wall and pointed at the tall figure who entered the alley. 'Chanyeol-" Jieun whispered but was soon cut out by Myungsoo's hand. The two watched silently as Chanyeol dumped his bag on the frail female student that he had dragged along with him. He yanked her hair and pushed her to the floor with his might. She squealed in pain and the boys all sniggered, imitating her.

 Chanyeol sat on the stacked milk crates and stared at the girl trembling for her life. Chanyeol's minions started to empty her wallet and trashed her backpack in her face. Chanyeol slipped the metal baseball bat out of his duffel bag and dragged it against the cement floor, scaring the poor student. She seemed to be a middle schooler- a freshmen at that too. Chanyeol knelt down to the floor and yanked her jaws up with his index finger.

 "You're pretty," he chuckled. "This oppa won't hurt you.." he laughed under his breath and placed his hand on her shoulder, slowly leading down. Jieun stared, her eyebrows knitting a sweater. She couldn't believe that Chanyeol was doing this, she was sure that he wasn't this type of person. 

"STOP!" The girl screeched and spat on Chanyeol's face. the grin wiped off his face, replaced by an ominous expression as he retreated back onto the milk crate. He waved a single finger and his minions rolled up their sleeves, physically and ually abusing the girl. There was a similar boy seated next to Chanyeol, who watched the attack indifferently and slipped a cigarette packet out of his pocket.

 He offered one to Chanyeol and slipped one into his own mouth, lighting both of their cigarettes. Chanyeol gripped the cigarete between his index and middle finger, letting the smoke escape from his mouth. the fume once again travelled through the alley and reached Jieun's nose. Chanyeol grabbed his baseball bat and his minions retreated back to their spot. He dragged it along the cement floor and knelt down before the girl.

 He stared at the girl who averted eyes with him.

"What do i do? i scarred this beatiful face," Chanyeol gripped her jaws and pressed down on the purple bruises near her eyes. "I told you, if you just listen to this.. handsome oppa, i wouldn't have to go this far you know?" he smirked. He slipped his mobile phone out and held it against her eyes. "You know what this is?" He repeated. "It's a report for school violence." Chanyeol slammed the baseball bat agaist the brick wall, right next to her face.

 The girl flinched, still looking down.

"Someone reported me and Joonhyuk for school violence," Chanyeol pointed to the boy sitting beside his milk carton, slowly breathing out the white smoke. "I wonder who it was, hmm?"  Chanyeol pushed the girl's head back and blew a large punch against the brick wall with his baseball bat. He rose from his place and encircled her. 

 "We need to do something about this!" Jieun hissed but Myungsoo only stayed silent. Jieun did not rebut, because it seemed as if he knew what he was doing. They diverted their eyes back to the scene, because as much as gruelsome it was, it still had to be seen until the end. 

 "Spare the poor girl," Joonhyuk crossed his legs and exhaled the white smoke once more. He bent down and met eyes with the girl, blowing the smoke into the girl's face. She coughed in misery as a tear fell from her bruised face. He stared at the girl's face profoundly and crushed his cigarette with his shoes. "Jihyun?" He read the name off her nametag and stared at the bruise near her eye.

 "Do you know what i hate the most in this world?" he paused and lit another fresh cigarette. "I really hate tiresome people." He sighed and slipped out a small paper from the inner pocket of his blazer. He straightened the creases and revealed it before her eyes; the violence report. "It's my fifth transfer this semester and i'm not planning to transfer anymore. If you dare mess this up one more time, i'm going to come for your family as well." Joonhyuk glared at her and stood up.

 He signalled Chanyeol and his minions and they disappeared into the dark alley. 

"How much for tomorrow?" Chanyeol asked casually, counting the money that they took off the girl's wallet. Joonhyuk crushed his cigarette and slipped his hands inside the pocket of his pants, deeply in thought. "Didn't you hear? money doesn't do justice. her family will." Joonhyuk spat on the sideway and zipped up his jacket. "Alright." Chanyeol chuckled and slipped the money into his pocket, leaving the alley filled with smoke. 

~~~ 

 "How do i face Chanyeol now..?" Jieun asked blankly as Myungsoo drove the two of them home. Myungsoo made a sleek turn and exited the highway, slowly entering the suburb driveways. "To be really honest, i'm afraid of him now. What if he does the same thing to me?" Jieun babbled in fear. Her hands were paralyzed along with her thoughts. She hated- no, loathed school bullies; they were her worst fear. 

 "Don't worry," he said with his usual straight face. "Chanyeol will probably never do that to you. because only you know, and not him." his words impacted her thoughts and calmed her down a little. She breathed out lightly and stared out the window, silently watching the city lights shine in the darkness. She missed her father terribly, and she missed how he would always her hair when she felt scared; that one that would eradicate all fears.

 "I'm curious," Jieun said monotously. "Why did you show me..?" Jieun really wanted to erase that memory from her brain, because that fear was tainted onto her brain and only spread deeper, and her father wasn't here to make it better. Myungsoo breathed out lightly and stopped at the red light. He stared at the high school freshmens who were crossing the road. Myungsoo always looked as if something genius would pop out of his mouth, but most of the time it was a paradox.

 "I assumed that you didn't want to treat a bully nicely." His one sentence was enough to have Jieun silent in her seat, deeply in thought. She didn't really know what he meant, but she knew that it was one of his paradoxical theories. 

 The car pulled up infront of the house and Jieun got off, entering. She rushed upstairs and into her room, burying herself inside the blanket. She didn't know for how long, but she wept and let out tears; just tears. She wasn't sad, she wasn't scared. There were days she just needed a good cry, just a day to get everything off her mind. bad memories were haunting her and paralyzing her every single limb.

  Her study session had finished, Jieun walked through the dark alley that was enclosed with decrepit apartments and rustic vehicles. There were hardly any street lights except for a guttering light every twenty steps. She was afraid, because darkness was her strongest weakness. she grabbed her backpack and sped up, trying to escape the alley as soon as possible. Just right through this alley would be a street full of safe people which would lead her home.

 She felt footsteps tracing hers, halting everytime she did.

She trembled as her footsteps grew more unsteady and shaky. She sprinted for her life, and so did the figure; except the figure was much too faster. The figure raided Jieun and she fell to the floor, her skin sliding against the concrete ground. Although the pain hurt, it was nothing compared to her fear. She couldn't even scream because she was so afraid, she only stared at the figure in great terror as he forced Jieun's bag off. He searched through her bag and emptied her wallet so that everything fell out, including the picture of her and her Father.

 She reached for it but the figure stepped on her finger and crushed it. She yelped in pain and bit her lips, letting a tear fall down her cheeks. She watched as the figure tore the  picture apart and let it strew all over the floor. He slipped the money inside his pocket and threw the backpack into her face, running back into the darkness. She watched as the long slender figure disappeared into the darkness and sighed.

 It wasn't the first time; it was always the same figure.

 That memory was too hard for her to handle, and she was so afraid that that figure woul come back and haunt her. She felt safe, but in a way she did not feel safe. She crawled up inside her blanket and tried to elude the thought. Bullying was a horrible thing and nobody should fall victim of it, but the world seemed to ignore that little fact and make life a furnace for the  innocent people.

 She thought of the girl that Chanyeol attacked; her face. She could feel the terror by just looking at her face. She felt so much guilt about just watching the girl suffer - but she knew very well that she could have also been a victim if she tried to help. She leaned against the bedboard and grabbed her wallet. She slipped out the picture of her father and herself,  neatly taped together. Her father's smile seemed so frail and powerless, followed by the wrinkles that surrounded his eyes. 

 The picture in her hands, she walked outside the balcony and sat on the swing. The snow was slowly sprinkling and building up the rims of the window. She breathed out and released a white smoke gush out of . She heard the window slide open and soon enough, the bully was sitting beside her, also staring at the snow. Chanyeol blew warm breath onto his hands and rubbed it together, chucking foolishly.

 "What are you doing out here? It's cold." Chanyeol glanced at Jieun who looked rather glum. Jieun did not reply, but only stare at the snow with her fingers slowly brushing against the picture in her hands. He shrugged and sat, taking notice of the picture in her hands. "What's that?" Chanyeol forced the picture out of her hands and stared at it. Jieun tried to waver it off him indignantly, but his long limbs were no match to hers.

"Is this your Father?" He asked, staring at the picture delicately. "Give it back." Chanyeol pushed Jieun lightly and continued to stare at the picture, laughing at it. "Why were you so chubby during middle school?" he sniggered and before he could say another thing, she snatched the photo off him and sighed in annoyance. She rose from her seat and stared at the sky.

 "What's your problem?" Chanyeol grunted. "Is it that time of the month?"

Jieun frowned at him. How could he act so brazen after beating the life out of a poor student? 'Where were you today?" Jieun asked in a straight face. "Where do you think i would be? If not at school, then i would be at practice." He stuck his thumb out as if it was a definite thing. Jieun scoffed and glared at him. On top of being brazen, he was lying to her. Jieun sighed and walked towards her room, when Chanyeol grabbed her by the wrist.

 "Let go before i saw your wrist off." Jieun growled. Chanyeol released gently and stared at Jieun who looked extremely disappointed. "Lee Jieun, did i say something wrong?" He asked in a serious tone. Jieun looked up at his sullen eyes and scoffed at his acting. "Forget it." "No," he slammed his hand against the glass. Jieun was starting to feel afraid at his violence, but there was no way she would let that show. "As long as you're in this house, i'm your second brother. I don't want anyone else to hate me."

 She stared at him ironically. 

"Well thanks Chanyeol," she said sarcastically. "I'm just in a bad mood because today, i saw a bully pick on an innocent middle school girl. " Chanyeol flinched lightly and stared at her seriously. "B..bullies? who would do such..such a thing?!" Chanyeol stuttered and averted eyes with Jieun. He walked toward the balcony and stared at the sky silently. "Yes, i wonder who would do such a thing. If there's anything i hate more in this world, it's bullies."

 An awkward silence flowed through the room.

"What if.." Chanyeol blurted. "They just need someone by their side too?" 

Jieun turned back and sneered. "If they needed someone by their side, why do they bully them?"

Chanyeol stared into her eyes quite seriously and spoke quietly. "Because, at least that way, they're noticed." Jieun stayed silent as she stared at Chanyeol's eyes which slowly stared to get watery. Jieun opened to speak but did not bother. She only stood there, staring at Chanyeol who stared back at her sadly. She could see in his eyes the genuity, but she wasn't sure if that genuity was also a part of his act.

"What do they expect from people? you reap what you sow." 

"They need someone to help them change." Chanyeol stared into her eyes sour bitterly. 

Jieun stared back at him resoundingly. "Someone in this world cares. not me, but someone." With that, Jieun excused herself to her room. She plopped back into her bed but Chanyeol's words were bugging her.

They need someone to help them change.

"Lee Jieun, don't you dare think about it." repeating those words, she fell asleep inside the warm sheets.

Hi Hi I am sorry for the slightly delayed update..

I was going to update yesyerday since i had finished writing it but yesterday when i was running during P.E class, i fell over on the track and i scraped both of my knees and by inner elbow. I was in so much pain and on top of that i had to go to a Birthday Party so i was extremely tired and did not have the energy to do a final check. I am sorry once again.  I hope you liked this chapter and if you don't mind, please upvote and leave a comment! thank you and i love you all!