I haven't proofread this; I will be correcting later, so I hope you'll forgive any typos.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Bullying and Brief Contemplation of Suicide.  :(

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Chapter 1

"JinYoung! Get off him!" the teacher shouted.

JinYoung's cheek was bruised and his lip was cut, but he hadn't got the worst of the fight. The boy on who's chest he was sitting as he punched him repeatedly had a bloodied mouth, bruises on both cheeks and most probably a broken nose.

However, when he heard the teacher's voice, he drew his lips back into a sneer that revealed his blood-covered teeth.

"Ah, JinYoung-ah. Shounds like you're in trouble," he slurred.

"Shut up, you f . . . " JinYoung responded, pulling his fist back.

"JinYoung! Stop it now!" the teacher shouted again.

JinYoung slowly lowered his fist and got off of his "victim".

"Come with me, young man," the teacher said, grabbing his arm. And she hustled him out of the classroom and down the corridor to the principal's office.

"JinYoung. Why can't you stay out of trouble?" Mrs. Nam, the principal asked him.

JinYoung didn't answer. Why should he? They wouldn't believe him anyway. He wasn't the one who started trouble. These guys were always bullying him, but contrary to what people believed, namely that bullies were idiotic louts, these bullies were smart: they made sure that there was never any proof. And he knew as well as anybody that if there was no proof, then there was no bullying. So, as long as he insisted on fighting back, he would always get the blame.

"JinYoung. You are a good student, but you're ruining your future by continuing this behaviour. What do you expect us to do? Put up with it? You may have broken that student's nose. His parents will probably be coming to the school and they'll expect us to take strong action, maybe to expel you. They may even try to sue us," she complained.

JinYoung just sat hanging his head. He knew that Mrs Nam was probably feeling very frustrated. She had taken special time with him when he first arrived at that school. She'd arranged for him to have special tutoring and even some therapy sessions to deal with  . . . well, what had been his new situation. She probably was feeling that it had been all for nought. But, it hadn't. JinYoung had studied hard. He had tried his best, but no matter how hard he tried or how well he did, it couldn't make up for what he didn't have.

A family.

It was bad enough he was an orphan, that made him the target of remarks and gossip, but the thought of him being a better student than kids who had parents around, seemed make some of those kids feel envious and miserable.

And, as everyone knows, misery loves company.

So, every happy moment JinYoung had, had to be transformed into a moment of torture.

How could any of his teachers or Mrs Nam understand?

"JinYoung," Mrs Nam sighed. "Just try to stay out of trouble. You only have to finish out this year and then you can take the entrance exam for university." She sat on the front of her desk, just in front of him. She said kindly, "I will do everything I can to help calm down this situation, but I need you to promise that you'll do your best to stay out of trouble. I know that it's hard for you without any family, but that's exactly why you have to work harder: no one is going to give you anything. You're probably going to have to be twice as good as everyone else just to get half as far. I know that's not fair, but that's the way it is. You have to do well, for the memory of your family, but most of all, for yourself. I just hope you'll do the right thing," she said, sympathetically.

JinYoung just nodded slightly, before he got up and left.

The parents of the boy in question, also known to students by the affectionate title of 'Head Bully', came to the school shouting about their son's injuries, demanding that something be done about that young hooligan who dared lay a hand on their precious offspring.

Mrs Nam tried to explain the situation.

That explanation fell on deaf ears.

"I'm sure everyone feels sorry for that homeless kid . . . " the father began.

"He's not homeless, Mr Cho. He has a home. He's an orphan," Mrs Nam explained patiently.

"Whatever. He doesn't have a family . . . "

"If he had one, they would have taught him that this sort of behaviour more befits animals than human beings!" the mother chipped in. "Did you see my son's face? Are you going to put up with this sort of behaviour? This is a school, not a zoo!" she shouted.

Mrs Nam calmly opened a file.

"According to the eye-witness accounts of four other students, your son seems to have started it. And although JinYoung didn't defend himself, others have come forward reporting that your son and his friends have been bullying JinYoung for some time."

"Let me see those," Mr Cho demanded. As he thumbed through the papers, his face grew almost purple in anger. "These kids . . . who are they? Friends of that Pak kid? Let me talk to them myself! I'll get the truth out of them!" he shouted slamming his hand the principal's desk.

"Mr Cho, I am more than happy to discuss this situation with you rationally and deal out any appropriate punishments that may be in order, but I will not stand for these violent outbursts," Mrs Nam stated strictly. She looked Mr Cho directly in the eye with an expression that made it clear that she wasn't going to stand for any more of his nonsense.

"I'm just saying . . . " he mumbled, backing down.

"It's obvious that they're jealous of my son," Mrs Cho took over. "That would explain . . . "

"We have investigated the matter thoroughly and have no reason to doubt the veracity of these students, Mrs Cho. In fact, according to our findings, it is your son who would be receiving punishment regarding this incident. Would you like us to proceed, or are you willing to let the matter drop? We will act according to your pleasure," Mrs Nam pronounced.

"Just keep that kid away from our son," Mr Cho growled.

"Already done. TaekMyun is already in his new classroom," Mrs Nam confirmed.

"Instead of moving that . . . that  . . . ORPHAN, You moved OUR TaekMyun?!" Mrs Cho screeched.

"That's right. We feel he'll do much better in that class."

That class was Mr Bang's class. And Mr Bang knew how to control the student population.

"He had better do," Mr Cho warned. "If not, you'll not have heard the last of this," he threatened.

"We will be happy to reopen the incident at any time and allot the punishments as we've already discussed."

She smiled.

"Good day."

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

Once he'd shaken off the worst of the bullies, JinYoung actually started enjoying school.

He still had no friends because the students seemed to have the idea that being an orphan might be somehow contagious or, at least a magnet for bad luck, but, at least he could travel to and from school in relative peace and not have to hid in the bathroom, locker room or other assorted places just to eat his lunch.

To be honest, he didn't go to school to make friends. He just wanted to do well in his classes.

Doing well for him meant that one day, life might be better for him. If it stayed the way it had been for years, he honestly didn't know if he could endure it.

So, he lived in hope. And that hope was in school.

Mrs Nam had said that education could be his saviour. It could give him the life he wanted. And after all he'd lost, he wanted a good life.

Friends would just be a distraction, he thought to himself with a hurt half-smile on his face. It's a good thing I don't have any.

So looking fixedly ahead, with only school and books in his line of sight, he charged forward, with nothing, and no one standing in his way.

Because he was the eldest boy there, JinYoung had had a room to himself for the past couple of years. He needed quiet to study and the younger kids always made too much noise.

He was happy to have a room to himself. It had been his refuge when he was enduring his own Garden of Gethsemane with those bullies at school. He wept angry tears of frustration as he lay on his bed asking why.

Why did my parents have to die? Why do I have to live here? Why do I have to go to that school? Why do those kids want to pick on me? I didn't make my parents die? Why didn't I just . . . die with them . . . ?

His anguish was witnessed only by the silent, watching walls around him. His secrets were hidden only in their memory.

Now, his room was his Fortress of Solitude, where the things he treasured most were kept. The only surviving pictures of his parents. A few books they used to read to him when he was little. And now, his schoolbooks: the key to his future.

At night, he would lie in bed and think about the sparkling future he imagined ahead of him. He would live in a nice place; not a place where the water went cold after the first few minutes if you got into the shower too late in the morning. He would have nice things. He would have a job that he liked going to every day. He would eat delicious meals in fancy restaurants. He would take trips and meet interesting people, who wouldn't know that he was an orphan. They might even respect him.

He would shrug off his memories and leave all this behind. His life would be happy. Finally.

Early the next morning, there was a knock on his bedroom door.

It's Saturday. I don't have to get up yet, he thought grumpily.

"Come in," he called.

"Good morning, JinYoung-ah," Miss Jung said poking her head around the door. She was one of the carers at the orphanage. She was not that much older than JinYoung and was very kind to all the children there. "We need you to get dressed and come to the office. Please get ready as quickly as you can."

"What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

They're not throwing me out, are they?

"No, nothing's wrong," Miss Jung answered. "Just come along quickly." Then she smiled reassuringly before closing the door.

What could it be? He wondered as he hurriedly threw his clothes on.

"Good morning, JinYoung, Mrs Shin, the director of the orphanage said as JinYoung stood in the office doorway. "Come in," she invited. She was a lady in her fifties and had been here for decades. She was nice, but very busy. JinYoung didn't actually see her very often.

He walked in and took a seat. He was nervous. Mostly people weren't called to the office unless they were in trouble or something big happened. In that way, it was a lot like school.

"Please, sit down," she directed. He took a seat in the chair in front of her desk. Then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

Someone was seated on the small sofa in the corner of the room. The person had their head down. On the floor next to them was a large suitcase.

"JinYoung, there's something I'd like you to help out with," Mrs Shin said.

"Yes, Mrs Shin," he responded.

"Well, I know you've had a room to yourself for a while now and you're probably very happy in there by yourself, not having to room with the younger children while you're studying . . . "

"Yes, Mrs Shin. It makes it easier to study."

"I can believe that," she said smillingly. "However, I'm afraid that we'll have to ask you to share your room."

"Oh," he said.

"JinYoung, this is Mark. He'll be living with us here. Mark?" she called to him.

Mark just stayed sat exactly as he was.

"Mark is a year older than you," Mrs Shin continued. "He'll be starting at your school on Monday. You'll be in the same class."

"But, you just said he's a year older than me," JinYoung said, confused.

"He's had a hard time over the last year or so, so he's fallen behind with his studies. We were hoping that since you are such a sparkling student, you might be willing to help him catch up."

First he had to give up space in his precious room. Now he had to be this guy's personal tutor? What would they ask for next? A kidney?

"JinYoung, I would really appreciate if you could help us under the circumstances. We just thought it wouldn't be right putting him in a room with some of the younger children when he's older than you and you'll be in the same class at school. That makes sense, doesn't it?

JinYoung had to admit that it did.

He didn't have to like it, though.

"Okay, that's settled then. Mark, just follow us. JinYoung, could you help Mark with his bag?"

"No!" Mark shouted pulling his bag even closer to himself.

It speaks, JinYoung thought unkindly.

But then he looked at the boy's face.

There was so much fear in his eyes. JinYoung had never seen such an expression. Sombre, downcast and full of anxiety. It reminded him of how he felt when he first lost his parents. And it made him feel instantly sorry for what he'd been thinking about him just a moment ago.

He walked over to Mark.

"Don't worry, I won't touch your bag. Come with me. I'll show you to our room."

Mark looked into JinYoung's face. for a brief moment.

Or, more accurately, into his eyes.

Then, he nodded briefly, picked up his bag and followed him down the hall.

"That went better than I thought it would," Miss Jung commented. "I didn't think JinYoung would part with his solitude that easily."

"It's a good start, better than I expected to be honest, but don't be fooled, Miss Jung. I've worked with kids now for years. And especially for the older ones, changes of any kind, most of all personal territory aren't easily aren't easily adapted to."

She sighed.

"It certainly won't be smooth sailing. That, you can count on."

Hope you liked this first chapter!

I will be updating "In the End" VERY soon!

Thanks for reading and if you like it, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT and UPVOTE!

And if you really like MarkJin, don't forget to check out my other stories!

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