Chapter 28 Part 3: Commission – Violence

Kim Eun-ji, a second-year student in the Close Combat Department at JinYang Academy.

She woke up in bed with the contradictory emotions of feeling a great sense of pride in entering the Awakened training facility that everyone envied, yet also not wanting to go to the academy.

“…I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to go.”

I have to go. Because that’s how I can graduate.

But I don’t want to go. Because if I go, another hellish day will begin.

Buried in the blanket blankly, she had the thought for a long time that if she pretended to be sick, she might not have to go to the academy.

But, in the end, she sighed and got out of the blanket.

It was useless to have such delusions.

No matter how much she dragged her feet, she eventually had to go to the academy.

That was the only way she could escape the hell she was trapped in.

“I’m off….”

Fearing that her parents would wake up, she quickly hurried out of the house.

It’s not that she dislikes her parents. Rather, the relationship between the family members was quite good.

To the point where she could pride herself on having a picture-perfect harmonious family.

However, recently, she was reluctant to face her parents.

Even though she’s in the Close Combat Department, is it really necessary to have so many wounds all over her body?

She thought they seemed to be starting to have such thoughts.

If they realized that their daughter was in this situation, what would they do?

Would they suggest that she transfer schools? If not, would they protest to the parents of those guys?

None of that should happen.

JinYang Academy is the only academy in this area. In order to transfer to another academy, she would have to move.

If they move, it would put an even greater burden on her parents, who work two jobs and struggle to pay her tuition.

On the other hand, protesting to those guys was even worse. Her family might disappear without a trace.

Maybe she watched too many movies. But, but…. She couldn’t stand the anxiety.

There were also many rumors that Awakened people with low grades were being murdered in disguise as accidents, and that could happen to her family.

In the end, she had no choice but to endure as she had no money or power.

“Haa…”

She blankly stared at the splendid and magnificent building that was unfolding before her eyes.

Around the first grade, she admired that building and nurtured her dreams and hopes.

She seemed to have made up her mind to become a strong Awakened and make her family happy.

Why did it turn out like this?

Because nothing would change even if she cursed the world, she moved her feet.

“You’re here early again today?”

“Hi, hiiek?!”

Suddenly, and.

When someone casually put their arm around her shoulder, she was startled and turned her head, surprised at what was going on.

“Why are you so surprised? We’re friends. People are looking at us strangely.”

“Ah, ahahahaha… sorry.”

Then, was it because she was uncomfortable with the way people’s gazes gathered in an instant?

As the student who claimed to be her friend started to joke around, the people around her moved their feet again as if confirming that it was nothing.

“Aish, sh*t. Can’t you react properly?”

“….”

“See you during break?”

…How nice would it have been if it was really a casual friendship?

Despairing that another terrible day had begun, she nodded her head.

This was because the bullying would be even worse if she didn’t answer.

Feeling that the mood, which wasn’t good to begin with, was plummeting to the very bottom, she headed to the classroom as if crawling.

As she approached the classroom, she heard the sound of several students who had already arrived chattering loudly.

“Ah…”

However, as soon as she opened the door, the atmosphere instantly subsided and silence came.

And, as she sat down in her seat as if she was used to it, the silence was broken again and the inside of the classroom became noisy.

This was also a familiar occurrence. The students tried not to associate with her no matter what happened.

It was natural. This was because they didn’t know what would happen if they got involved with her, who had become the target of bullying.

If they got involved even a little, they might end up in the same situation. It didn’t take long for the general students who had such thoughts to treat her like an invisible person.

“…I have to prepare for class.”

It’s okay because it’s a familiar thing. If I just endure for two more years, it’ll be okay.

As she comforted herself like that and took out her textbook, a book covered in graffiti appeared.

The graffiti wasn’t eerie. It was just covered in playful-looking graffiti.

“Hey, Kim Eun-ji. What are you going to do if you put graffiti on your textbook like that?”

“I know, right? What do you think the teachers will think if they see that?”

“…Sorry. I’ll be careful.”

Even though they did it themselves.

They got tired of writing curses and slandering, so they ruined other people’s textbooks by using them like sketchbooks.

You guys did it!

Suppressing the urge to shout that, she quietly apologized.

I mustn’t fight back. I mustn’t fight back.

If I protest, those guys will just like it more. I shouldn’t react as much as possible.

“Not fun. Let’s go, guys.”

“See you later?”

As the students who were bullying her left, she let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it seemed like she got through today well.

Her shoulders weren’t grabbed hard enough to leave bruises, and they didn’t pour dirty water over her head by accident.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she blankly looked at the ceiling and thought.

“Uncle, what should I do….”

It was a story from a few days ago.

Her uncle, who had always been depressed since losing his wife, came home after a long time.

But it was strange. Her uncle’s expression, who had been depressed since losing his wife, looked so bright.

Even when her parents, who were suspicious of the sudden change, asked what had happened, he just said that he had sorted out the burdens in his heart.

She couldn’t know the details, but Eun-ji and her parents were happy with their uncle’s brighter appearance.

Recently, only depressing things have been happening, so it’s a relief that at least her uncle is feeling better. She sincerely thought so.

Perhaps it was because she was careless, but she ended up being caught by her uncle for being bullied at school.

Her parents usually didn’t come into her room, saying they were respecting her privacy, so she finished showering that day as usual.

And when she entered the room, her uncle was looking at her cell phone and asking what this was.

Wondering what the story was, I checked my phone and could realize what it felt like to have my heart sink.

The phone was locked, but everyone could see that a terrible conversation was going on.

A conversation that ridiculed me. The story that I’m stupid. The words that the screams I make when I’m hit are funny.

The ridicule and belittlement towards me were being reflected on the screen without filtering.

What her uncle, who hurriedly lifted the cloth covering her body, saw was a body full of blue bruises.

When she forcibly stopped her uncle, who was about to report it to the police right away, her uncle sighed and told her to go to that unknown place.

I didn’t particularly want to go to such a place, but I had no choice but to go because of her uncle’s threat that if she didn’t go, he would report it to the police and tell her parents.

Perhaps her uncle thought that those people could help her?

But in the end, her uncle was wrong. Those people couldn’t help me.

They couldn’t give me a sermon or persuasion.

Without being able to refute my words at all, they sent me away.

Right, in the end, there is no one who can help me. I just have to endure it alone.

I’ve been enduring well so far. If I just endure for two more years….

“Be quiet, you guys. It’s so noisy.”

“Hey, teacher. It’s not homeroom time yet. Please think of it as building friendship.”

“I’m sorry about that. …Still, there’s something a little important I want to talk about today. Please focus.”

“Something important?”

“A transfer student has come. Come in!”

Duduk.

When the teacher, who was listening to the students’ playful protests, spoke to someone outside the classroom door, a student began to enter.

A transfer student?

Doubt settled on the students’ faces, and that was the same for me.

There was a story that some Awakened people awakened after reaching a certain level of maturity, but that was a very small story.

Most Awakened people awaken in their early teens, or around their mid-teens.

So it’s extremely rare for a transfer student to come to the academy?

“Wow, she’s pretty….”

“Really? She looks a little scary.”

“That’s why she’s cooler.”

“I never know what your tastes are.”

Unlike the students who were admiring the transfer student’s appearance, my face was stained with astonishment. why is that person here?

“She’s a transfer student. Transfer student? Can you say hello just once?”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Damian. I hope I can have a pleasant school life with you guys at JinYang Academy.”

“Good. Then, the seat…. It would be good to sit at the end seat by the window. Is that okay?”

“It’s okay.”

…Then, you guys. Don’t fight with the transfer student, and tell them well because they don’t know much. I’m going to go first because I have work to do.

“See you later.”

Several students gathered around the smiling transfer student and began to pour out their curiosity.

Where did you live, what is your ability, what is your grade, etc…….

The transfer student, who was answering the questions appropriately, made eye contact with me, smiled, and got up from her seat.

“What…?”

“Hello. Your name is… Kim Eun-ji yang?”

The transfer student, who saw my name yesterday, called my name while looking at my name tag as if she was seeing me for the first time.

No, the person whose name I don’t know, reached out his hand to me and said.

“Let’s get along?”

Looking at the hand she held out, I thought.

I thought today would pass without incident.

Without incident, what a joke, it was the worst start.