It was early morning in a vast public park, where Kiyo Jeong, a Fifteen-year-old, stumbled backward as a powerful punch flew in and smashed squarely onto his nose, sending blood spraying into the air.
"Ahh… that hurts," he thought, his vision spinned as he stumbled and crashed onto the ground.
A group of boys quickly encircled him, and unleashed a flurry of kicks onto his prone form.
One of the boys delivered a vicious kick to Kiyo's abdomen.
"You're nothing but a weak little shit! How dare you stand against us? You pathetic rat." he spat while kicking Kiyo.
Another boy smirked, "Just look at him, he's practically pleading for mercy," his tone dripping with mockery. "Do you honestly believe he has any chance of actually standing against us?"
The boy's cruel laughter rang out as they halted in their assault. One of them held Kiyo's wrist and lifted it up high into the sky.
"Look at this," he declared, his voice dripping with arrogance. "It's as thin as a fucking twig. I can snap it like nothing."
The mocking laughter intensified as one of the boys grabbed Kiyo's hair and wrenched his head upward, making him look at him.
With tearful eyes, Kiyo locked eyes with that boy, his nose dripping with blood, spirit crushed beneath the weight of their cruelty.
"Listen up, you worthless piece of shit," the boy's voice dripped with malice. "If you ever dare to cross us again, I'll make sure every bone in your body is broken, understand?"
Kiyo kept looking at him, his expression a mask of anguish and torment, his eyes filled with tears, blood dripping down his nose.
With a cruel smile, the boy delivered a devastating punch on Kiyo's face, plunging him into darkness…
Half an hour passed when Kiyo slowly opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the clear blue skies, signalling he was still lying on the grass of the park.
Struggling against the pain coursing through his body, Kiyo slowly pushed himself to his feet and brushed the dust from his uniform. He picked up his bag, gave it a quick shake, and slung it over his shoulder.
When his fingers touched his nose, he felt the blood still trickling down. Wincing, he drew a slow breath and made his way toward a nearby bench.
Sitting on the bench, he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a few bandages before starting to tend to his nose.
With deliberate care, he cleaned the blood and covered the small cuts and bruises left by the boys. When he finished bandaging himself, he stood back up, adjusted his bag, and resumed his walk to school.
As Kiyo took a few steps ahead, his attention got drawn on a trembling kitten trying to hide in the bushes, clearly terrified.
With a warm smile, Kiyo walks and kneels in front of the frightened kitten.
"Hey there, little buddy." Kiyo spoke gently, "You don't have to be scared anymore. They are gone, they won't bother you again."
Suddenly Kiyo's expression shifted from one of warmth to one of confusion, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait a minute, why haven't you run off?" he wondered aloud.
As he observed the Kitten more carefully, his gaze fell upon its injured leg, a wave of realization washing over him.
"Ohh no," he murmured softly, his heart sinking. "They hurt your leg."
Kiyo reached out gently, brushing his fingers through the trembling kitten's fur. At first, it shrank back, wary and unsure, but soon relaxed under his soft touch, its fear slowly melting into trust and calm.
With a warm smile, Kiyo gently scooped the kitten into his arms. "You're such a brave little one," he said softly. "Now, let's take a look."
Returning to the bench, he placed the kitten on his lap, tenderly stroking its head while carefully inspecting its injured leg.
As he examined the wound, Kiyo murmured, "It's not too deep. Don't you worry, I've got some bandages with me."
Kiyo pulled a pack of bandages from his bag and, with careful hands he began tending to the kitten's injured leg.
"I always keep bandages with me for moments like these," he said softly. "You never know when they might come in handy."
Tears welled in his eyes as he worked, knowing he carried those bandages because of the relentless bullying and beatings he faced every day.
Wiping his tears away, Kiyo forced a small smile. "All right, all done," he murmured as he rose to his feet. "I have to get going now. Take care of yourself, little one."
With a gentle smile, he set the kitten down and watched as it ran off into the distance. For a moment, his warm smile lingered, then, taking a quiet breath, he turned and continued his walk toward the school…
By the time Kiyo reached his classroom, the lesson was already in progress. The teacher stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing as she noticed him standing quietly at the doorway.
"Well, look who's finally decided to join us, Mr. Lazy himself, Kiyo Jeong," she said, her voice edged with irritation.
Soft laughter rippled through the students, low and teasing, but enough to make the air feel heavier. Kiyo stood still, silent, expressionless, enduring it in silence.
Amid the laughter, one girl remained silent. Her gaze stayed fixed on Kiyo, a trace of concern in her eye.
"Yes, Mr. Kiyo Jeong," the teacher continued in a sharp tone, "Would you care to explain your tardiness and the bandages?"
"Forgive me, teacher," Kiyo spoke politely, "There was heavy traffic, and as for the bandages… I ended up falling face-first from my bed."
A few students chuckled quietly. The teacher exhaled, unimpressed. "Funny how traffic seems to target only you. Shiori and Goro take the same route, yet they somehow manage to arrive on time."
"I'm truly sorry, teacher," Kiyo said, his voice low, carrying a trace of sorrow and disappointment in himself.
"I don't want your apologies," the teacher's firm voice cut through the air. "Head outside and run five laps around the school grounds. Then you can join the class."
With a respectful bow, Kiyo obeyed and quietly stepped out to serve his punishment.
When he finally returned, sweat clung to his skin and his breathing was faintly uneven. Without a word, he took his seat, ready to resume his studies….
The bell rang for lunchtime, and the classroom filled with the sound of chatter and lunchboxes opening. With the canteen closed for maintenance, all the students had to eat in the classroom.
Kiyo reached into his bag, but his hand froze. His lunchbox was missing.
"Where could it be?" he muttered to himself. "I know I didn't leave it at home." His concern deepened as he checked his pocket, his money was gone too.
A wave of disbelief washed over him, and just as frustration began to settle in, a lunchbox appeared before his eyes, stopping him cold.
He looked up to see Shiori standing in front of him, the girl who had quietly watched his humiliation earlier without joining the laughter.
Holding out her lunchbox, she said softly, "It seems you forgot yours. You can have mine."
Kiyo hesitated, his eyes flicking between her and the lunchbox. "But... What about you?" he asked quietly.
With a warm smile, Shiori said, "We can share, it's no trouble at all." She opened her lunchbox, revealing two sandwiches.
Kiyo hesitated for a moment before finally taking one, which brought a gentle smile to Shiori's face.
As he took a bite, a faint smile tugged at Kiyo's lips.
Shiori's smile brightened. "How does it taste?" she asked eagerly.
"It's really good," Kiyo responded, appreciation clear in his tone.
Shiori's cheeks flushed red as she glanced down shyly, then slowly lifted her gaze to see Kiyo taking gentle bites from the sandwich.
After a brief pause, she gathered her courage and asked, "Would you like to walk home together after school?"
Kiyo stopped mid-bite, his eyes slightly wide in surprise. He looked up at her, she was staring down again, her cheeks still pink.
"I… have a few things to take care of today," he replied gently. "But how about we walk home together tomorrow?"
Shiori's face lit up with joy as she nodded eagerly, her smile bright and full of excitement. Kiyo couldn't help but smile back at her…
Later on as the final bell rang, Kiyo quickly packed his things and dashed out of the classroom.
"I have to bring that kitten home and make sure it's properly cared for," he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips as he ran faster through the corridor of the school…
Kiyo ran straight inside the park, his heart racing with excitement, "Hey, kitten! Where are you?" he called out, his voice echoing through the open space.
But suddenly his words got caught in his throat, coming to an abrupt stop, his eyes widened in disbelief. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he noticed the same group of boys standing on some distance.
Unaware of Kiyo's presence, The boys were laughing among themselves with one of them holding a hockey stick, and the other one holding Kiyo's lunchbox.
Out of instinct, one of the boys noticed Kiyo and smirked. The laughter among them died instantly as they all slowly turned their heads toward him, who stood terrified.
Smirks spread across those boys' faces. The once raucous laughter faded, replaced by the menacing grins aimed directly at Kiyo.