Fallen Lightbringers' Return

Chapter 25: Lunch Break Talks

"Piss off, Heeson," Jyejin growled at him. There was not a chance in hell that she'd let him go near Lee Dojin. Who didn't know their relationship? Kim Heeson, together with Oh Sanbaek and some other guys from another class, had been bullying him since they started classes. They'd always choose a time where she wasn't there, which is why she found out so late. The teachers also did nothing, chalking it up to boys being boys. Deplorable. They were the reason for Lee Dojin to have turned into such a miserable state. If it weren't for those bullies, then maybe he'd still smile like the old days. 

Though his mood seemed to have improved these days.

Kim Heeson quickly saw the misunderstanding unfolding within Jyejin's mind. He tried correcting her, "Hey, I don't have anything sinister planned, I swear. I am a changed man."

Kim Jyejin rolled her eyes. "Sure, and I'm the governor of Austria. Look, I'll give you three seconds to scram, or I will make you regret staying." 

"Jyejin, it's fine." Lee Dojin pulled her back. "He really doesn't have any ill intentions. Well, at least I think so." She really was a feisty lady. Though at the same time, he thought to himself that he needed to appreciate her. Well, not him, but the previous him. If it wasn't for her support, Lee Dojin could already imagine, he'd had disappeared a lot sooner.

Kim Jyejin stomped her feet in anger. "You don't have to stand up for scum like him." She turned at him, with solemn sadness in her eyes. "Why are you still trying to hide it from me? Do I not matter to you? Or do you think I'm so weak that I can't defend myself against people like them?" She paused. "We are friends aren't we?"

"That's not it." Lee Dojin shook his head. "We've made up. It's fine." He pulled her back.

"Huh?" Kim Jyejin tilted her head. Lee Dojin's words caught her stumped. "Could you repeat that? I think I may have misheard."

"It's true." Kim Heeson stepped forward. He had an apologetic expression on him. In the end, he bowed down. "I truly am apologizing for all the things I did to you in the past. I've been thinking about it since we met the other day, and our conversation had really helped me clear my head. The regrets, I can't quite put it in words how I feel, but again, I'm deeply sorry." He said everything with a lot of voice, catching the attention of the neighboring students. A boy that was silently stuffing his face with rice, sneaked a glance at the group to see how the story would unfold.

"It's fine, it's fine, don't make a scene," Lee Dojin calmed him down. "I don't really care about that. Just take a seat."

Kim Heeson lifted his head up. He appeared genuinely elated. "Thanks, brother." He took the chair from his desk and sat down. "I've talked a bit with the other guys, it might take a while, but I'm sure they'd be convinced. Now that Oh Sanbaek isn't here these days either, it should be a piece of cake."

"Well, isn't that great to hear?" Lee Dojin laughed. He did not really care if the whole school turned against him, not because he could beat them all (he could), but because there was no point in any of this school caste system anymore. He had no plans to associate himself with anyone in this class. At most, the Mother of Ravens was of interest to him.

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However, for the previous Lee Dojinthe boy he owed his current life todid no think so at all, for he knew only the people at school. At the very least, Lee Dojin wished to bury any past regrets that boy may have had.

"Jyejin, don't you agree?" He asked the girl.

She returned to her desk, moodily brooding, with her eyebrows scrunched and her arms crossed. "Do whatever you want. You don't tell me stuff anyway. I'm trying to prepare for the next lesson."

A bit further away, a few girls were chatting about the party they went to last Friday night, their shrill laughter echoing in the room. At this time of the day, the light took on a unique blend of cold and bright, that belonged only to the most fleeting time of winter, the late morning.

"That reminds me, Dojin, do you need me to leave?" Kim Heeson asked. "Didn't you always do that too? In the past, you'd always have your head stuck between the books. Didn't ya' come here with a scholarship or something? Must be hard."

A sparrow passed their window. In the back row, someone constantly hummed a sweet melody while copying his friends' homework. He'd sometimes ask her questions, though they weren't audible enough to understand. From afar, the most one could tell was the annoyance of his friend, though he was too intent on his work, not noticing her puckered lips.

"Nah, it's fine," Lee Dojin replied. There was no way he'd spend his free time cooped up within a textbook. Reading a comic or web novel was still fine, but learning about advanced algebra? Not even if heaven were to fall. "I kind of just want to eat some food."

"I've got some candy if you want to," Kim Jyejin said. She reached into her bag, taking out a box full of snacks. In this regard, she was incredibly similar to Lee Dojin. She opened a bag of chips and handed them to him. "Here, have some."

"...I thought bringing any sweets was prohibited," Kim Heeson muttered silently, as he eyed all the junk food with a salivating mouth.

"Yes, but no teacher or guard would ever check on me. Can't really blame them, since I always behave." Kim Jyejin grinned, until furrowing vaguely. "...unlike someone else."

"I'm a changed man," Heeson said, lowering his head in repentance. Kim Jyejin gave him a disapproving look, but there came nothing more of it. "Anyway, what are you guys studying so much for? It's not like there's a prize at the top. being a bit above average is enough, no?"

"That's the problem with guys like you." Jyejin stopped taking the snacks out and looked at him. "No ambition. I'm aware, not everyone can be a winner, but you are young enough to at least try. How are you going to keep yourself afloat, ten years from now?"

"Yeah, yeah. What are you, my mum?" He closed his ears and stuck his tongue out. "Who cares as long as we live life well. What do you even want to become in the future, Miss niece-of-a-conglomerate."

She tossed her head. "How rude. I want to write my own story, not be caught in someone else's. Listen, I just don't want to be forgotten, and I don't want to be remembered as a mere family member of someone successful. I don't even see my uncle that often, it's not like he stays in Seoul for long."

Kim Heeson turned silent. He leaned back, causing his chair to tilt with him. It was as if he stared at the sky, though all he saw was the bleak white ceiling, illuminated by cheap fluorescent lights. "That's fair," he said simply. "You made several good points which I can't refuse, so that's fair."

"Looks like you can be understanding after all."

Kim Heeson faced Lee Dojin, who was shaking the leftover dust in the chips into his mouth. Did he really already eat it all? "What about you?"

"Shouldn't you talk about yourself first?" Lee Dojin placed the empty package away, then took new snacks from Kim Jyejin. This time some matcha-flavored pocky sticks.

"If you promise I won't laugh."

Lee Dojin took a bite. "No."

"Man, you really know how to rile someone up." Kim Heeson sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you." He paused for a moment, thinking if he should say it. But he had nothing to lose anyway. "I want to become a pro-gamer."

"What, why?" Lee Dojin raised his brows at the unexpected answer.

"I, uh, I don't really know either. I just like games, and people told me I was good at it." He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Damn, are you also just gonna make fun of me?"

"I'm not laughing, am I?" Lee Dojin said nonchalantly while continuing eating all of Kim Jyejin snacks, much to her chagrin.

Kim Heeson turned quiet. His eyes opened wide. He then laughed loudly. "That's true."

The three of them continued talking, switching from topic to topic, their voices mellow and rich with laughter. Kim Jyejin, who had been skeptical at first, slowly warmed up. Lee Dojin did not say much, but for some reason, the two could not help listen when he spoke. Their shadows grew fainter, as the sun moved away from Korea, and their lunch break to the end.

"Oh yeah, you remember Park Wonho right?" Kim Heeson asked, but seeing Lee Dojin's confused face, he knew the answer already. "You know, that big guy at the convenience store. The one who had gotten in an 'unfortunate accident'."

Lee Dojin connected the dots. "Ah him. How is he? Still alive?"

"You know, that may be a bit much to ask, so you can refuse if you want to." Kim Heeson smiled wryly. "But perhaps, if you have time, could you visit him? He's been kind of different since the whole, uh, endeavor. Maybe he'd get better, knowing you aren't the person we thought you to be."