24. Whatever the Intention (3)
I moved my seat.
It was a Korean-style restaurant with one room.
Choi Seung-ah’s father, Choi Seung-pil, looked at Kim Hyun-seong with a happy expression.
“You’re so tall, just like Suna said. Come on sit down. “Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“I ordered in advance, so we’ll talk while eating when the food comes out. “The formal course here has no likes or dislikes and is very good.”
“… … thank you.”
I sat down with a calm face.
Seungpil Choi.
He was a person without much information.
In the first place, Choi Seung-ah’s existence was related to him in this life, so he could not pinpoint the exact reason why Choi Seung-pil came to see him. Still, she accepted the meeting for one reason. Since Choi Seon-ah was also a person with evil intentions towards her trash, she decided that this position she promoted was not to her detriment.
The food came out quickly.
We exchanged light conversation that I could ask as a friend’s father, but when the food was gone and I was sipping tea, I started talking in earnest.
“The reason I asked to meet like this is because the stories Suna told me were so impressive. As you know, my son was a victim of school violence, and I am busy trying to eliminate school violence in my own way. But it’s not easy. Interests at school, status as a minor, problems that arise if the perpetrator is a person in power, etc. “The deeper I went, the more intrigued I became when I heard that you, who were only 18 years old, had uprooted the shackles of school violence.”
I listened without saying a word.
Sufficient time was left for Choi Seung-pil to reveal his intentions first.
“I was really happy. I couldn’t be happier that someone other than me was able to accomplish this. At the same time, I couldn’t hide my miserable feeling. If my son had a friend like you when he was in school. If someone raised their voice and said that school violence is wrong. “I think my son wouldn’t have died.”
closely.
I clenched the hand holding the teacup.
I needed a drink.
After his son died, he lived as an invalid for a year, but when he decided to seek revenge, he vowed to quit drinking. He swallowed down the emotions bubbling inside him. It was anger toward the perpetrators who caused his son’s death, and self-hatred for not being able to stop it.
He smiled bitterly.
“These are all meaningless words. “If I had taken good care of my child as a father in the first place, my son would not have died like that.”
Many years ago.
Seungpil Choi recalled a memory from the past.
* * *
Choi Seung-pil was a high-ranking civil servant under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
People think that high-ranking civil servants enjoy considerable wealth and prestige, but as with all occupations that make a living from the country, they are merely office workers who are burdened with heavy workloads. Due to the nature of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there was a lot of traveling overseas, and because of his strong desire for promotion, he was busy enough to devote all 7 days a week to work.
It was the same with my wife.
Even though she was socially recognized for her abilities, she was busy with work and naturally could not pay close attention to the daily lives of her two children.
That was why.
So, I didn’t notice the signal my son was sending.
“What are your grades?”
The atmosphere that day was very harsh.
Seungpil Choi held the test paper and looked at his son.
Both the son and daughter were good at studying, probably because they had inherited their parents’ smarts, but the son’s test scores, which had always been above 90 points on average, dropped by a whopping 10 points. It was an absolutely unacceptable result. Although he went to a private tutoring academy for his son’s grades and did not spare any support, his poor grades gave him a sense of betrayal that made his hands tremble as he held on to the test papers.
“… … sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, is that all? What is it that you lack? It’s a private tutoring academy that other people say is good and they send it to everyone, but why is my test score dropping even though it doesn’t improve? son. Are you really rebelling against your father?”
“no.”
The son bowed his head.
I was a very timid child.
My father and mother are people who raise their voices in society, but I couldn’t understand why they were so timid.
I didn’t lift a stick.
I did not want to punish my son with physical punishment.
however.
“… … dad. “I will study well in the future, so can’t I just transfer to another school?”
“Why are you transferring schools?”
“… … .”
There was no answer.
It was frustrating.
Choi Seung-pil looked at his son with a serious expression.
“Your age. I know studying is hard. However, if you irresponsibly transfer schools because you did poorly on a test or because school life is difficult, what will your social life be like in the future? It all takes time. You must endure and overcome difficulties so that you can do the things that are truly important when you become an adult. It was the same with me too. “If you are Choi Seung-pil’s son, show your father that you are not ashamed of him.”
I didn’t know at the time.
The fact is that children of dual-income families tend to grow up timid.
And that timidity makes it difficult to speak up about problems even when it reaches the limit of taking one’s own life.
I found out too late.
I didn’t recognize my son’s signal.
A year later from that.
The son passed away leaving behind a will.
* * *
Seungpil Choi said.
“I still can’t forget that day. If my son, who had never had an accident out of fear of upsetting his parents, suddenly decided to transfer schools, there must have been a reason why I didn’t look into his situation. In the end, I work to eat well and live well with my family, so what did I live for at that time?”
The corners of my eyes were trembling.
When I thought about the past, I felt paralyzed.
“The reason I quit my job and came down to Daesan was to raise our Seonah properly and to fix the school that was rotten due to school violence. If you raise your voice as the chairman of the School Violence Prevention Committee and create policies related to school violence. I didn’t think there would be any more victims like my son. But it wasn’t. “The story Suna told me completely destroyed my world.”
Our eyes met.
I was used to it.
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The malice seen in Choi Seon-ah’s eyes was burning with even more intense desire in Choi Seung-pil’s eyes.
“The way to root out evil was very simple. Talking about policies cannot ultimately control those in power, but strong violence that dare not be resisted exerts a deterrent effect more than anything else. Hyunseong. As you have proven, this world needs a club to punish ‘evil’. If we prove a clear result that if a person commits a mistake, he or she will be punished even if he or she is in power, all perpetrators will not dare to use violence, just as school violence has evaporated in Daesan. Even if you use it, you will have to pay a price. So I wanted to meet you. “There was something I definitely wanted to say to you as you move up to Seoul and try to achieve something of your own.”
Kim Hyun-seong transfers to another school.
I knew it wasn’t common.
Choi Seon-ah and Choi Seung-pil.
Looking at his past actions, I knew that the reason Kim Hyun-sung was heading to Seoul was ‘an extension of his time in Daesan.’
So I wanted to meet him.
So I called Kim Hyun-seong.
“No matter what you do in Seoul from now on, if it means getting rid of the trash. Don’t be too scared when those in power attack you. I will take your side. If those in power, whether they are the police, prosecutors, or school officials, try to bring you down. “I will guarantee your legitimacy even if it means moving civic groups and putting my name on the line in front of people.”
It was shiny with malice.
The father, who had a good image, did not hide the festering pain and revealed it.
Just like Kim Hyun-seong’s family did.
The lives of those left behind were ruined.
With the death of their son and brother, Choi Seung-pil and Choi Seung-ah fell into the abyss and were unable to escape the cruel reality.
Seungpil Choi emphasized again.
“So please remember. “Behind you, I and people like us exist.”
It was a desperate voice.
It was also encouraging Kim Hyun-seong.
Hyunseong Kim is willing.
“I will remember this place today.”
As if to prove that Choi Seung-pil’s prediction was correct, he did not deny what would happen in the future.
* * *
came out
Choi Seon-ah was waiting outside.
She looked at Kim Hyun-seong with a slightly relieved face.
“I am. I talked to you and found out about my reality. Every day when I go to bed, I think about killing the scum that killed my brother, even though I clearly know who they are. I couldn’t do anything. “Like you said, you probably don’t have the confidence to deal with a situation where you get malice returned.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Yes, it’s the scumbags who bullied my brother that are at fault, not me who doesn’t have the courage to take revenge. But when I saw you, a new dream came to me. Just like the perpetrators, it didn’t matter what you did because you had the power in your hands. I really couldn’t believe it when I saw it. Even though Shin Young-min’s arm was broken in front of the entire school, and the kids clearly filmed the situation with cameras. I knew that even if I exposed it, I wouldn’t be punished and would have a backlash, so no one, not even my friends or teachers, had an issue with it. I guess that’s what power is. “It is the ugliness of power and the reason why you must hold it in your hands.”
I looked at the sky.
When I jumped off the roof.
Did my brother also look at the same sky?
“I will definitely become a prosecutor. Just as you took power and swept away the trash, I too will take power and get into a position where I can live the way I want. “I did really well on the test this time.”
I turned my head.
I smiled softly.
“So, never lose. You become my hope. “Thinking of you, I will never give up and move forward.”
Choi Seon-ah’s choice.
It was different from Kim Hyun-sung.
While Kim Hyun-seong took revenge with the same violence, Choi Seon-ah chose a different path.
Hyunseong Kim smiled.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
There are many paths in the world.
Choi Seon-ah and herself just have different methods.
Right now at this moment.
Kim Hyun-seong sincerely supported Choi Seon-ah’s path.
* * *
The new year has arrived.
It was snowing heavily outside.
Because it was underground, he couldn’t directly see the snow piling up, but Kim Hyun-seong carefully moved his earpick in the warmth rising from the warm floor.
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Our grandchild. Why are your hands so soft? “As long as you bring a pretty wife, we can have the ceremony right away.”
“What kind of marriage is marriage? “I’m only 19 years old.”
The grandmother lay on her knees and closed her eyes with a tired expression.
Welcoming winter vacation.
Hyunseong Kim focused on his family.
I ate delicious food with my grandmother and Hyunjin, went to see beautiful scenery, and not long ago, Hyunjin and I went to an amusement park for the first time in our lives, holding on to my grandmother’s hands on both sides. Because her grandmother was so old, she couldn’t go on the thrill rides, but she couldn’t forget her grandmother’s girlish smile on the carousel.
Ssuk suk.
I dug out my ears.
When I looked down at my grandmother’s head full of gray hair, I felt sad for no reason.
“Grandma is old too. Do you want to dye your hair today? “I’ll do it right.”
“With that money, I could buy my grandchildren another chicken. Aging naturally is also a blessing. “Why bother hiding it?”
“why. These days, grandmothers wear sunglasses and live really cool lives.”
“Yekki! “There’s nothing I can’t say.”
It was a precious time.
This moment.
I was so happy.
If you were to go back in time and ask what the best thing would be, it wouldn’t be to be able to get revenge on those bastards.
By undoing the pain of my family.
I was so happy about that.
It was then.
Ugh.
My cell phone rang.
I glanced over and a message appeared on the screen.
[See you in a week. I’ve completed all preparations for moving, so I’ll take you home.]
It was Go Chang-beom’s message.
Now really.
It was time to wrap up life in Daesan and leave for the home of the Golden Circle.
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