Chapter 23 The end of the memory

He got closer to Joon-Woo. "Hey! Wipe off that frown! You think I'll take it easy on you because I call you my friend?" - "What? You serious? Is this how you treat your friends?"

"What? You little..." he clenched his fists, ready to hit Joon-Woo who didn't look like he was afraid. Tae Yang looked back at their friendship, hesitating.

Meanwhile, the other guys of the group shit talked Joon-Woo. "Gonna fight for his pride? Hahaha", "This weak bitch wants to stand up for himself."

"Ugh." Tae Yang pushed him away, releasing Joon-Woo of his grip.

"This... Asshole", Joon-Woo said angrily.

"Just get lost! Fucking messing with me because of some bitch. You better watch your back, fool." Tae Yang walked away but stopped once his friend spoke up again. "She doesn't know you're lying. Just leave her alone. We don't have to be friends. Just leave her alone." They glared at each other.

"Fuck you."

With that, Tae Yang walked away.

"The balls on Joon-Woo! Nerves of steel!"

"Awe, I was expecting a fist fight."

The students were disappointed and left. Well, I suppose some of them were glad they didn't fight, actually.

'Just like that. I parted ways with the gang I once was so desperate to get in. Life at school wasn't bad. My priority after all was to apologize to Yuri.'

He sat on a chair, thinking about how he should write this apology letter.

'Yuri didn't have a phone as she wanted to concentrate on her studies. So I decided to write her a letter.'

'The least I can do is apologize', he thought.

'But.. I didn't actually have the courage to go to her class. I was hoping for her to show up in cram school but she's been absent for days.'

He packed his things. 'I hope she is alright.'

'I felt uneasy.'

Not too long after that Joon-Woo ran into a classmate or friend of Yuri. "Yuri transferred schools."

Joon-Woo in shock flinched. He was stunned. "What?! W-When?" - "Not too long ago. After what happened to her, she stopped coming to school. You didn't know? Tae Yang Lee's gang beat her up so bad that she admitted to go to the hospital."

He had a pained expression on his face, which soon turned into rage. "They must have targeted Yuri", she continued, "There were kids in our class that she didn't get along with, but it was never this serious. Anyway, be careful. It's been crazy at school."

'In the end, I didn't get to apologize. I felt like a pathetic fool.'

The thought of Yuri Lee getting helplessly beaten to a pulp made him furious.

'T-Those bastards!'

He began trembling 'Those sons of bitches!'

'I was pissed.

Tae Yang, walking down the hallway sighed. 'I need to make amends with Joon-Woo but I don't know what to do.'

Bzzt; "Tae Yang Lee from class 2-1 please come to the dean's office immediately."

'Huh? Why are they calling me?' He scratched the back of his head.

"Tae Yang Lee."

"Are you even human? How could you beat up a girl?" He looked at the teacher in disbelief. "What?"

"Just answer me! Are you working out so you can just bully others? You are in deep trouble young man. Your parents will be brought in tomorrow."

Touching his neck and fiddling around with his hands he said "Look... I have no idea what this is all about..."

"Don't act dumb. I heard you're the leader of the gang", he fixed his glasses, "You're acting so immature. You're already infamous at this school. You're going to act clueless now?"

'?! What is he talking about?? I don't understand at all!'

"The others already confessed."

"But I-"

"Explain yourself at the hearing. Your parents will be brought in."

"I- I didn't do anything!! I'm not the one who hit her!!"

"Be quiet! You're going to be charged with criminal offense, stop making a scene. Go back to your class."

There was nothing he could do so he left, angry at his so called "friends."

When he found Young Yoon he grabbed him by his neck and held him against the wall. "It was you. You framed me, you jerk!"

"Tae Yang... Wait a minute-" - "I TOLD YOU TO NOT TOUCH THAT GIRL!"

"I- I'm sorry. But I am not the one who told them it was you.. Who else could it have been? Remember how Joon-Woo Choi acted last time? It's gotta be him. That asshole. He knows he can't win a fight you so he's getting back at you this way."

Tae Yang wasn't sure. 'It was Joon-Woo?'

"Think about how he treated you!"

He dropped Young Yoon and walked away.

'Fucking maniac!' Young Yoon thought. 'Bullying others just because he's stronger. What if he finds out it's all just a lie?'

Tae Yang walked down the school hallway. 'Joon-Woo did you have so little faith in me? You son of a bitch!'

They met each other just a moment later.

"Yo! Long time no see, my friend. Are you happy now? You've framed your friend into being a criminal."

"What are you saying? You got what you deserved. You hoodlum. I told you to leave her alone. Did you have to do that to her?" Glaring at each other, Tae Yang lunged at him first "You bitch!!"

'I realized then.'

Tae Yang, out of breath was panting.

'That he was much stronger than I expected.'

Joon-Woo's body was forced on the ground, Tae Yang's foot resting on his head. Students were watching.

'I would never be able to beat him.'

"You think you're tough? I merely went easy on you because we were old friends."

'Even at that moment I was scared of fighting others.'

"I'll ruin your life in every way I can. I'll get back at you for everything you did to me."

'I couldn't win against an enraged Tae Yang. No one tried to help me. I could only hear taunting. The kids I knew started looking down on me too.'

'I was scared of Tae Yang. But I was becoming more scared of people.'

"I heard he did worse things... He's real trash",

"So that's the kid who beat up a girl? How can you beat up a girl?"

'We were both changing in different ways. I was terrified of everything. I became insecure and lost motivation. After that, no one wanted to approach me. I became a loner.'

'Ironically, my loneliness grew and I started seeking company. And that's how I started using Random Chat.'

'That's... How I met Seung Ah.'

'And now... By chance. I met Yuri again.'

"Hey. Why are you spacing out? Are you ill? Why are you just staring into space?" she looked at him, concerned.

'Finally, I can apologize to you.'

His eyes lit up and his face tightened. 'And thank her for keeping me company.'

"Yuri."

"Huh?"

"I..."

'I have regretted that day.'

"You know back then..."

'I was sorry about that day.'

"I'm really... Sorr..."

He was sobbing. Yuri smiled at the sorry Joon-Woo. "It's okay. It's ok, you don't have to say it."

He noticed the three-leafed earring she was wearing back then.

'Even now... You still....'

This made him cry even more.

'To me.. You're..'

She came closer to him, comforting him. "Why are you cryig? What happened to you? You've changed." She put her hand on his back, drawing him closer.

'All the reason more not to tell her. You have already suffered so much. I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened. That's why these memories...'

"Tell me Joon-Woo. Did you fight with Tae Yang Lee? Or did you get into some kind of trouble?"

Stopping shedding tears he smiled at her and said "Sorry. I forgot."

'... Need to be burried.'

Yuri didn't quite believe him.

"Haha! What are you laughing about?" Of course, Tae Yang had to burst in now. "Found you. What are doing here, loser?"

Neither Joon-Woo nor Yuri Lee expected him to show up now.

"F- Let's go ask for help. Go ask for it, Joon-Woo."

"I'm not going anywhere."

She glanced at him.

He was nervous, his heart pumping. Yet he stood there, having decided to fight. "It's not the time."

'For a while now you've tried helping me out. But I've done something I shouldn't have.'

He looked back at the time where she helped him with the stalker, when she rescued him from Tae Yang by saying the teacher wanted to urgently see Joon-Woo.

"What?! Are you crazy? After getting beat up?!"

Stepping forward he thought 'I need to pay a price for that day.'

"Yuri." He bravely stared at her. "I'll be fine."

'You believed in me.'

Tae Yang was preparing, stretching his arms, popping his joints and cracking his shoulder. "There he goes again! Always acting tough in front of girls? What are you going to do? Try your luck fighting me?"

"It's not about winning or losing, you retard."

They approached each other. "Then what is it about? Why, worried that I'll take it out on your friend? Don't kid yourself. I'm only after you. Do you even have friends to start with?"

"What about you? Still playing yourself like a thug and ranking everyone below you?"

Tae Yang was the first to come rushing. "Yeah! So what, bitch?"

Joon-Woo dashed forward, coming to a close with Tae Yang, either of them reaching out with their fists.

~Chapter 23, end.

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