Ch. 22 Villain – Chapter 22: The Boy’s Story (Part 1)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 22: The Boy’s Story (Part 1)
There is a boy scribbling something on the ground.
A boy smaller than others his age.
A scruffy child you’d commonly see in any slum.
Yet, his eyes were sharp, gazing at places others couldn’t see.
-Scratch, scratch.
“Good…”
Even though his educational environment wasn’t great, he knew what he needed to know.
He even knew that the name of the great Saint’s first disciple was ‘Rainer.’
From that, he took ‘Rai.’
And from his father’s old surname, ‘Linest.’
Combined, it became Rai Linest.
But since that surname had been stripped away and couldn’t be used, he took the first part and attached it to make ‘Riley.’ That became his name.
The boy, who had decided on his own name, hurriedly ran home.
During the day, his father didn’t drink. During the day, his mother didn’t go to work.
So, he could proudly present the name he had created.
“What do you think?”
“Hmm… Do whatever you want…”
His tired mother turned over and lay down.
“What do you think?”
“…”
His silent father showed no reaction.
But it didn’t matter. The boy, who had never been given a name by his parents and was only called “hey,” “you,” or “kid,” now had a name. At least neither of them rejected the name he had created.
If no one gives you a name, you can just make one yourself.
The boy, Riley, smiled with his grubby face.
Riley had a dream. A dream that his whole family would work hard, save money, and someday escape this dreary place.
Even though his days were tough cleaning chimneys, and his nights were tough enduring his drunk father’s abuse, he endured.
‘Everyone lives like this.’
Everyone lives this way. I’m not the only one. It’s just one of the common sights in the slums.
It felt like he was melting away. Becoming vague, faint, and turning into nothing. It made him feel at ease.
“I have to go to work! Stop bothering me!”
“You’re the only one working? I don’t work!?”
“Ha! You’re going to hit me? If my face or body gets ruined, I can’t earn money! You want to earn money alone?”
“This is real!”
Today, he did a new job. He went inside a large machine to move magic stones into the fuel tank. Even though the machine was big, it wasn’t large enough for adults, so this task fell to the children.
When he returned, dragging his aching body, it was always the same scene.
As dusk fell, curses, objects, and violence poured out.
Riley quietly went outside.
His heart pounded, but he tried to ignore it. He could stay calm because of one belief.
The dream of working hard to escape this place wasn’t just his—it belonged to the whole family.
Even though they fought like this every day, they were still together in the end. Even if they didn’t say it, everyone must be thinking the same thing.
We’re always together.
The crimson sunset dyed the faded land.
Following the color, he walked until he saw an old man sitting haphazardly on the ground. Worn-out clothes, a skinny body, and a musty smell. A beggar you could see anywhere.
“Grandpa.”
He sat down beside him, but there was no greeting. Yet, as if they had an understanding, the lesson began immediately.
How words change according to grammar. How pronunciation changes. How to use them. Despite the poor environment with only dirt and sticks, it was a decent lesson.
While learning, he suddenly remembered what happened during the day and spoke up.
“Grandpa. Today, I made my own name. Since Mom and Dad didn’t give me one, I made it myself. Riley. What do you think?”
“…”
Without a word, the old man wrote ‘Riley’ on the ground. Other than that, he showed no reaction and continued the lesson.
It was indifferent, but it didn’t matter. In a place where anger and contempt were the norm, simply being ‘accepted’ filled the boy’s heart.
The teaching had started by chance.
While wandering the streets to avoid his parents’ fights, the old man had gestured to him. Suspicious but hopeful, he approached, and the old man began teaching him letters without preamble.
The boy was nothing but grateful. Knowing letters meant possibilities. Someday, he could read ‘books,’ study, gain knowledge, and get a better job.
He didn’t know why the old man had started teaching him. Maybe he was lonely on his final path. Maybe he hoped the boy would succeed and repay him. Or maybe he simply believed that children should learn to read.
It didn’t matter.
“It’s getting dark. I should head back. Thank you for today.”
“…”
As usual, there was no response, but a part of him felt at ease. The feeling of being silently watched over was oddly comforting.
Leaving the old man behind, he headed home.
As soon as he opened the door, a bottle flew at him.
“Where have you been wandering so late at night, you brat!”
-Smack!
His lip split. It had been healing from a previous injury, but now it burst open again.
“Just like your mother! You act just like her, look just like her!”
His head was grabbed. His golden hair was yanked, and he was thrown aside.
“…”
It’s okay.
It’s okay.
This is normal.
When he’s not drinking, he’s a good person. He doesn’t curse or hit.
The neighbors, the people next door, everyone gets hit while living here. I’m not the only one. There’s nothing unusual about it.
‘Everyone lives like this.’
The more he repeated it, the more it felt like his heart, his very self, was scattering like smoke.
As if he were carving away at himself, as if he were being carved away.
“I’m home~”
For once, she seemed to be in a good mood after work.
At dawn, as the sun began to rise, Riley rubbed his eyes and woke up.
“Mom… Are you home?”
“Mhm~ Ruila? Riali? I don’t know~ Anyway, kid, come here and try some of this.”
“It’s Riley…”
Muttering to himself, he walked to the front door in confusion and found an armful of food. Fruits, roasted meat, and other dishes.
His eyes widened.
“Where… did this come from?”
“There’s a rich customer I’ve been liking lately, and he treated everyone at the shop. I brought home some leftovers. Eat up. I’m going to sleep.”
“Ah… Sleep well…”
As his mother brushed past him, the smell of alcohol, cosmetics, and all sorts of indulgences wafted over. It was so strong it made his nose sting, but it was still the smell he associated with ‘Mom.’
“…You’re being loud.”
In the midst of this, the bedroom door opened. The stench of alcohol wafted out. Inside the room, several bottles of alcohol were scattered about.
“I just got back from work, so I might be a little noisy. You should go grab something to eat too.”
“What? Apologize, apologize! I just fell asleep, and you woke me up!”
“Ugh… Here we go again. I’m so tired…”
Riley quietly took a piece of meat and a fruit and slipped out of the house through the window. Leaning against the wall, he crouched down, and the sounds of their usual arguments echoed vividly.
Listening to it made him feel sick, but seeing the precious food, he somehow managed to eat it. The way he devoured it greedily made him feel pitiful. His eyes grew damp as he stared at the ground.
Before he knew it, he woke up to a bright morning.
Even in this dreary place, the sunlight poured down without fail. The brightness woke him up.
‘…I fell asleep.’
He had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position, and his whole body ached. Every movement made his joints creak.
But he had to go to work.
Only by earning money could he escape this situation.
Only then could he and his family all smile.
If they could just escape this colorless, hopeless place, everything would be fine.
Chewing on this ultimate goal, he dragged his exhausted body to work.
‘Today… should I go see the old man right away?’
He was so tired today. If he went straight home, he didn’t think he could bear it.
Lately, he hadn’t been able to visit much because he was adjusting to the new job. He hadn’t been there since the day he told the old man his name.
It was his only respite.
Crushed at work, crushed at home—it was the only time he could catch his breath.
The family is one, and if we can escape this place, everything will be fine. He lived with that belief, but still…
Sometimes, he couldn’t help but feel like running away.
After enduring until sunset, Riley headed straight to the wall where the old man usually was. Excited to learn letters again after so long, he quickened his pace.
“…Huh?”
But he wasn’t there.
The old man was nowhere to be seen. Only the pair of sticks he always used instead of a pencil and the traces of letters on the ground remained.
He was so frail he could barely move. He couldn’t even eat proper food.
A bad thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Feeling his heart sink, he stopped a random adult passing by and asked, but the person answered dismissively.
“I don’t know! He probably died of old age… A while ago, some people gathered over there. I think they were clearing away a body.”
“…”
After the person left.
Riley stared blankly at the wall.
He stood quietly, scanning the old man’s traces one by one.
He remembered the first time they met, the first time he learned the alphabet. The old man never praised him, but he taught him silently.
And as he thought about it, his feelings were…
It’s okay.
It’s okay.
This is normal.
People die of starvation, from beatings, from overwork. This is a place overflowing with death.
As life goes, birth and death always intersect. It’s no different here.
He could end up like that at any moment.
But he’s powerless right now. There’s nothing he can do.
‘Everyone lives like this. Everyone lives like this. Everyone lives like this…’
Vaguely, he remembered the old man’s weak, hoarse voice that smelled bad every time he taught him pronunciation.
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