Back To School (2)

Gojin adjusted the strap of his backpack as he approached the familiar gates of his old high school. He had spent countless hours within these walls in his previous life, but now, returning as a teenager once again, everything felt both familiar and strange.

He stepped through the gates, feeling a tug of nostalgia as memories flooded back.

The familiar sights of the red-bricked buildings, the sounds of laughter echoing in the corridors, and the scent of freshly cut grass on the school field stirred something deep within him, reminding him of a life he had long forgotten about.

As he strolled towards the main building, lost in thought, someone yelled at it, snapping him out of his nostalgia.

"Hey, you! Stop loitering and get moving!"

Gojin turned to see the guard at the gate glaring at him impatiently. He chuckled softly. Although the guard was always stern towards the students, the old man also had a soft side. Gojin only got to know about it after being bullied.

"Sorry!" Gojin flashed a sheepish grin at the guard before hurrying inside.

Then, as he turned a corner, he saw her. His ex-girlfriend, Jiyeon, stood by her locker with her friends. She looked just as he remembered—long dark hair cascading down her back, eyes sparkling with laughter.

For a moment, Gojin froze, his heart skipping a beat. He hadn't expected to see her here, not after all these years. But then he shook his head, pushing aside whatever feelings he might have had for her.

Get a grip on yourself. You're 27, not 17! She is a minor, for fucks sake!

Even without that factor, she was his ex for a reason. He had no place for pretentious people in his life anymore, especially those who couldn't respect his family.

She had been his first love, but their romance had soured quickly. She said something about his mother that no man could forgive, and he broke up with her. However, he was a pathetic excuse of a man back then and went crawling back to her.

But not this time.

With a determined expression, Gojin walked past Jiyeon without so much as a glance in her direction. Still, he could feel her eyes on him, her expression shifting from surprise to irritation, but he refused to let it affect him.

Entering the classroom, Gojin sat near the back and settled in, ignoring his classmates' whispers and curious glances. Gojin had a clear goal in his mind.

He was here to make things right, to build a better future for himself and his family. Dwelling on the past and petty drama was the last thing on his mind.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Gojin. Long time no see."

Gojin turned to see his old friend, Minho, grinning at him.

"Minho! Yeah, it's been a while," Gojin replied, returning the smile when he saw his freckled face and extraordinarily big glasses.

Minho... was Gojin's only friend during his time in the high school. Unfortunately, their relationship had soured because of a misunderstanding, and in the past, Gojin was too proud to admit his mistake.

Suddenly, their attention drifted towards the commotion at the back of the room. There, amidst a group of students, stood Choi Taejun, the class bully, who was doing what he did best: bullying others.

Gojin felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach when he saw Taejun. All the trauma he had received from Taejun's hand made him have that reaction.

Why am I feeling this way after all this time?

Taejun was notoriously known for his bullying tactics, targeting anyone he deemed weaker or inferior. Today was no exception as he stood over a smaller, timid-looking student and hurled insults and threats.

Gojin felt for the kid but didn't do anything. He despised bullies—those who preyed on the vulnerable for their amusement.

He glanced around the room, noticing how the other students studiously avoided making eye contact, pretending not to see the bullying unfolding before them. It was a familiar scene—one he had witnessed countless times in his previous life.

He couldn't blame them, though. Because he also knew the consequences of standing up to them firsthand. After all, that's what he had done before.

Gojin's mind flashed back to that fateful day in the school infirmary, where he had found himself nursing a bruised ego and a throbbing headache. The bully had targeted him for daring to speak out against his group of lackeys for extortion, and the repercussions had been swift and brutal.

However, it wasn't half as bad as witnessing his mother being yelled at by the teachers, even though he was the victim. Taejun's parents were connected with the teachers, so Gojin and his mother were the ones who got yelled at and punished by the teachers.

His mother even had to beg Taejun's mother not to press 'charges' on Gojin even though he was the one who got beaten up.

That was the day Gojin learned about the reality of the world. As long as one had money, whatever one said was the truth, even if it was a blatant lie. Everyone would either believe them or look the other way.

That's why Gojin decided not to intervene in the matter. Even though he was 27, his body was still that of a weak 17-year-old. There was no way he could stand up to Taejun's gang.

But fate had other plans.

As he turned his eyes away from the confrontation, a sudden impact hit the side of his head, sending stars dancing across his vision. Turning slowly, Gojin's gaze saw Taejun smirking, his hand still raised from the strike.

"Oi Skinny," Taejun taunted him. "Hand over the lunch money. I don't have the entire day to wait for you."

"...I don't have any-"

Smack!

"I asked for money, not excuses!"

Thankfully, before things could escalate, the homeroom teacher entered the class, saving Gojin... for the moment.

"See you at lunch, Skinny," Taejun snarled before flicking at Gojin's head.

FUCK!

Gojin ended up in one situation he wanted to avoid. But from the corner of his eyes, he saw Jiyeon smiling and knew she must have put Taejun on him just because he ignored her.

Egoistic bitch...