Ch.9New Model Yerim

Strictly speaking, it was difficult to consider Shin Yerim as a school bully.

‘More like she’s pretty so she got mixed in with the bullies?’

She wasn’t particularly assertive either.

It was just that the friends who approached her first happened to be bullies, so she ended up in their group.

You could call her a “nice bully,” I suppose.

And as is often the case with female groups.

Since they were like a jungle where ostracism and bullying could happen at any time.

It was only natural that Shin Yerim became tied to the bullies.

In the 2010s, bullying was such a common problem.

Asking a 14-year-old to bear the risk of being bullied was too harsh.

‘But that’s that.’

Glance.

I looked down at Shin Yerim.

“Hic, hic.”

She was so frightened that she couldn’t say anything, just kept hiccupping.

And she’d even wet herself, so the situation was serious.

‘I was planning to just leave cleanly once things were settled, but…’

Leaving them behind didn’t sit right with me.

“Is anyone’s home nearby?”

In response to my question, one thin wrist stretched up.

Trembling.

Hic-hic.

Even while hiccupping, she still answered my question properly.

‘That settles it.’

Having made up my mind, I nodded.

“Then let’s go to your house. I’ll carry you. Kangsik, follow along.”

“Uh, um, uh…um, uh.”

“Uh, uh? Hic-hic.”

To Shin Yerim, who hadn’t regained her senses, I replied matter-of-factly.

“We’re going to your house.”

Just like that.

+++++

Shin Yerim’s life was extremely ordinary.

The only difference was that she was prettier than others, with good proportions.

She realized this fact in elementary school.

When boys confessed to her without her doing anything, how could she not know?

And that’s when the problems started.

-Shin Yerim, did you know I liked him when you did that?

-What?

-You did it on purpose, didn’t you? To make me suffer.

Just because a boy she liked confessed to Shin Yerim.

That day, she was bullied by a group for the first time.

At her young age, she naturally came to one conclusion.

Ah, I’m being targeted because I’m alone, because I’m isolated.

I need to form a group too.

She learned that living alone in this jungle of about 36 students per class was poison.

To survive in this classroom war,

she didn’t refuse the invitation of the first group that approached her.

Even if that group was the school bullies.

Anyway, not being isolated was the priority.

That’s not to say she actually did anything particularly bad.

Some boys would smoke cigarettes found on the ground to show off.

Honestly, that didn’t look cool to her at all.

Besides, having hung out with them since elementary school, it was hard to know what was wrong.

Boys would just fight as boys do, and girls would stand by and laugh.

She learned there was a hierarchy among classmates, and how to distinguish it.

By the time all this gradually became normal.

“Today we’re going to beat up this kid named Kim Donghu. Yerim, come watch.”

“What? Why me?”

Why should I specifically go watch someone get beaten up?

It’s one thing if a fight breaks out while hanging out, but to go watch a fight? Why?

Naturally, Shin Yerim tried to refuse.

“Hey, why are you pretending to be so clueless? Seokgu is asking, you know?”

“Yeah, Yerim~ We can watch Seokgu win and then go to D-Pang after.”

“…”

Unable to resist the flow around her, she reluctantly joined.

Just two days into middle school first year.

Already going around fighting, do they really think that’s cool?

‘Disgusting.’

Especially Park Seokgu’s glances at her were so disgusting.

Acting all high and mighty just because he was bigger than his peers and knew how to throw punches.

Naturally acting like he was her boyfriend—it was sickening.

But what could she do? If she refused, she’d immediately become an outcast.

So Shin Yerim moved with Park Seokgu’s group after school.

‘Wow… he’s seriously so handsome.’

Usually when someone is handsome, you should feel attraction.

But Kim Donghu, whom she’d only heard rumors about, just felt like a jewel.

The feeling that she might never meet someone this handsome in her life.

Then thinking his face would soon be ruined made her heart ache.

Or rather, it should have ached.

But.

‘What, what is this?’

He was beyond just being good at fighting.

‘W-Wolf’s Temptation!’

Shin Yerim thought a protagonist from an internet novel she’d read had jumped into reality.

He was even cooler than those in movies.

Every time he swung his fist, his loosened school uniform shirt looked like a scholar’s robe.

‘He’s like Jeon Woochi.’

Just as various movies came to mind,

Shin Yerim unconsciously met Kim Donghu’s eyes and collapsed on the spot.

The fear that she might get hit too.

The belated realization that this was no time to be admiring him.

These things combined to make her knees weak.

“Hic, hic.”

Then somehow the situation progressed and.

“Uh, huh?”

In the blink of an eye, she was at her house.

“Do you have two bathrooms at your house?”

“Y-yes.”

“I’ll wash up here. I got your urine on my hands while carrying you.”

“Uh, uhh…”

Please stop talking about that.

Why do you keep emphasizing that I wet myself!

She wanted to say that, but showering and changing clothes came first.

Shin Yerim rushed to the shower in the master bedroom.

‘What is going on!’

The current situation was one that a 14-year-old pubescent girl couldn’t easily handle.

An incredibly handsome boy wins a 17:1 fight, comes to my house, and is now showering.

Why? What? Where did things go wrong?

While she was confused, she heard Kim Donghu’s voice from afar.

“My pants got wet too, so do you have any spare men’s sweatpants I could borrow?”

“Y-yes!”

Even his voice was handsome.

Thump-thump.

At first he just seemed like a jewel, but after exchanging a few words, he felt real.

Is such a handsome boy really talking to me right now?

There were many celebrities, but Shin Yerim firmly believed Kim Donghu was the best.

There should be a limit to how handsome a person can be.

Normally, suddenly coming home together wouldn’t be acceptable.

She had been completely dumbstruck by his face.

‘But maybe this is fortunate after all.’

Just looking at a handsome boy makes you happy.

Shin Yerim quickly showered, came out, and handed pants to Kim Donghu.

“H-here.”

“Thanks, I’ll wash and return them tomorrow. What class are you in?”

“I-I’m in class 2.”

“Got it.”

Touch.

“Eek!”

Their fingers touched while handing over the pants.

Her heart tingled—was this fate? Love?

Just as various thoughts crossed her mind.

“I-I think I n-need to go because of m-my academy time.”

An uninvited guest interrupted.

More precisely, she had just realized he was there.

What was his name again? Na Kangsik?

Shin Yerim felt it would be rude to just send away a guest who had come to her house, so she waved goodbye.

“Uh, huh? Um, b-bye.”

“Y-yeah, goodbye.”

At the awkward age of fourteen.

Na Kangsik and Shin Yerim exchanged greetings, not knowing why they were acting this way.

Beep beep beep- click.

As soon as the door lock sounded, awkwardness immediately set in.

‘Why should I feel awkward in my own home?’

But this too was unavoidable.

The very person who had made others vomit was right in front of her.

Who wouldn’t be nervous?

And his face was so handsome.

She could feel her heart shrinking just from Kim Donghu breathing.

“Why do you hang out with them?”

Kim Donghu’s words broke the awkwardness.

“Huh?”

“Why are you vaguely mixing with bullies and ruining your image?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Are you afraid of being bullied?”

“What?”

“Think about the future. It might be hard now, but being a bully won’t do you any good.”

You’re still young enough at first year of middle school to turn things around.

To Kim Donghu’s sudden words to a stranger, Shin Yerim could only give one answer.

“You’re really such a nag, unlike your handsome face.”

“…”

+++++

Clunk.

After leaving Shin Yerim’s house and heading home.

Shin Yerim’s number was saved in my phone.

‘I hope she comes to her senses after hearing what I said.’

It wasn’t that I had any particular feelings for Shin Yerim.

Nevertheless, I spoke because I knew the future.

‘Shin Yerim almost committed suicide after her past was exposed back then.’

If she had been a bad person from the start, I would have ignored it.

But since that wasn’t the case, it was hard to leave her to face such a future.

‘Now let’s start thinking about my own future.’

Middle school, now that I’m 14.

Unlike before, there were countless things I could do.

There were still many restrictions because I was a minor.

But with the development of smartphones, there were plenty of places to showcase talent.

‘Apple, Google, YouTube, Facestorm.’

An era overflowing with so many possibilities.

A time when you could aim for the top just because you’re handsome.

On my way home, I went ahead and created a Facestorm account.

2010. The era when Facestorm ulzzangs solidified their positions.

There were even programs featuring those handsome kids.

Click.

I took a quick selfie and registered with my face.

I didn’t enter any content, just set the tags.

Tags: #ulzzang #Shinbit Middle School.

It was the height of embarrassment, but it had to be done.

Now just register and it’s done.

‘But where have I seen this Na Kangsik before?’

Since I had Facestorm open, I searched to see if he had an account too.

“Whoa.”

I stopped in my tracks, shocked.

Na Kangsik.

A middle schooler who wants to make games.

This simple sentence struck like lightning in my head.

‘…Right, Na Kangsik.’

The genius who created an AAA-grade game in Korea and won a GOTY award.

That was Na Kangsik.

+++++

At the same time Kim Donghu was surprised about Na Kangsik’s identity.

“…Yes, bro, we, we got beaten up so badly, uweeek…”

A new flame of revenge was about to be ignited.