Chapter 4: Half Brother & Sister

The next day.

As I arrived at Konkuk University, my eyes were heavy with fatigue. Now, someone might ask why. Well, it's because I was writing a suitable story for a short film which I could present to Kim Soo-jin after class.

This time, I was the first to arrive in class. Last night, I didn't even get a wink of sleep. As soon as I finished writing the story for the short film and wanted to sleep, the 7 o'clock alarm rang, which I had set up to wake me up and not be late.

Yeah, I was right. The 7 o'clock alarm was the right one because this time I didn't get late and wouldn't have to be punished. Heck, I was half an hour early.

Yawning, I was so sleepy I could fall down at any time. Sitting on my chair from yesterday and resting my head on the desk, I dozed off.

As I heard the voices of jokes and laughter from my fellow classmates, which were gradually increasing as the time neared the start of class, it woke me up, and I was unable to sleep.

Sighing, I closed my eyes, head on the desk, thinking: how are these people able to make friends this quickly? Only one day has passed since we met—just one day. How on earth are they able to laugh and crack jokes as if they have been friends for 10 years?

Am I the only odd one here who is unable to make friends? Should I talk to someone and say, "Let's be friends"? Is this how they make friends? Oh God, this is so hard. Anyway, let's just pretend to sleep.

Now thinking about it, Kim Soo-jin was easy to talk to. Are we considered friends, or just colleagues who work on the same project? Well, it doesn't matter for now. Anyway, I will just ask her about this sometime.

Ring Ring!

Exactly at 9 am, a bell rang, indicating the start of class. I woke up hearing the bell. A few moments later, the classroom door opened, and the professor arrived.

This was not the same professor from yesterday. I thought Professor Lee was our homeroom teacher, but it seems not. Whatever—it's a fortune to not have that psycho devil as our homeroom teacher.

"I am your homeroom teacher, Professor Park Ji-hoon. You can call me Professor Park. As for Professor Lee, who took your first class yesterday, he will be teaching you the Drawing and Illustration subject.

I am pretty sure Professor Lee must not have mentioned this. Yesterday, I was unable to come because of an urgent faculty meeting, which was called for important updates and changes that required my immediate attendance. That's why I was unable to come. You can look forward to this year's new changes and enjoy your university life."

I was feeling bad for Kim Soo-jin. If Professor Lee was not my homeroom teacher, then he must be the homeroom teacher of Kim Soo-jin's class. What bad luck this girl has—it is comparable to mine. How much will that crazy devil torment her? Who knows? I should console her and tell her to look forward to the future. It's just one year—it will pass like a breeze.

---

In Kim Soo-jin's class, as the homeroom teacher arrived, she thought, "This is not the same professor as yesterday," as she heard the professor speak.

"I am your homeroom teacher, Professor Choi Min-seo. You can call me Professor Choi."

When Professor Choi started to take attendance, Kim Soo-jin thought, "If Professor Lee is not our homeroom teacher, then he must be Kim Joon-ho's homeroom teacher. What bad luck he has to get a strict teacher like him. she should console him sometimes."

---

And like that, the whole day passed between the lectures. Exactly after 3 lectures, there was a 30-minute break for lunch. Well, there is nothing to say here—nothing really happened. The food was ordinary compared to the meals I have at home. Hah, what am I saying? I am comparing a meal from one of the richest families in Korea with a canteen's food.

As classes ended at 2:30 pm, I left class and started to walk towards Kim Soo-jin's class. Thinking of her, a smile was forming on my face. While walking, after taking no more than 10 steps, I bumped into a guy. As we bumped, I heard him speak in a cold voice:

"Watch where you are going."

This voice seemed familiar. Wanting to apologize, thinking it was my fault, I bowed and apologized without looking at who it was.

"Um! Sorry."

After that, I wanted to leave, but a hand grabbed my shoulder firmly, and I looked at the person. This face—how could he be here? As my pupils shook, fear gripped me. He was the last person I wanted to see here. When I trembled in fear, I recalled the nightmare days of school.

Every day was a living hell for me where he bullied me to the extreme. Every day, he would torment and beat me to such an extent that I needed medical care. Once, when I mistakenly called him "brother," in front of everyone, he banged my head so much that I was in a coma for 6 months and needed to be hospitalized for 9 months.

Even at that time, my father never visited me once. Nor did any of the teachers have any choice but to close their eyes to the bullying because that school was funded by my father. Every day, my half-brother and his friends beat me up.

Not a single day passed peacefully. So many times, I wanted to end this miserable life of mine. Every day, I just thought of dying. I even bought a poison bottle from the black market but never had enough courage to drink it.

What a trash I am—not even having enough courage to die. That's why, wanting to leave that hell, I studied hard and got a scholarship for this university, thinking that everything was over. I am free now. I had started to feel good these days, but I was utterly wrong because Kim Tae-hyun was standing right there in front of me.

Staring in amusement, seeing my reaction, he spoke with a smile on his face:

"I found you at last."

Hugging me, he whispered in my ear:

"Did you honestly believe if you secretly applied to this university, I wouldn't know? How can you be so dumb?"

With Kim Tae-hyun's single action, his lackeys surrounded me, placing their arms around my shoulders and dragging me forcefully. I heard Kim Tae-hyun speak once again:

"We have a lot to discuss. So let's go."

As I was dragged by these guys, the surrounding people started to whisper, but I was unable to hear them because I was in despair. The same thing was going to happen to me as in school.

In the alley outside the university, Kim Tae-hyun spoke:

"Won't you give my friends some money?"

As I heard this, I hurriedly took out my wallet to give money and escape, but he grabbed my wallet and took everything. When I didn't complain, he said:

"Don't you have more?"

When I said,

"That's all I have,"

he raged and kicked me in the stomach. When I fell back, hitting the dustbin, he told his lackeys to beat me up. I was in despair as I shouted:

"But I gave you money."

I heard him speak:

"This is not enough for my friends."

Kim Tae-hyun's lackeys started to beat me up. After some time, my phone started to ring. When I heard the ring, I hurriedly wanted to cut the call, but Kim Tae-hyun grabbed my phone and looked at the caller ID. It said Kim Soo-jin.

---

After Kim Soo-jin's class ended, she sat on a bench in the university's garden and tried to call Kim Joon-ho. The phone was ringing, but no one was picking up.

She thought maybe Kim Joon-ho had six lectures today, so she waited for one period to end, watching the loving couples passing by.

Well, no matter what, she had no choice because she was in a university garden. This is the time of life where romance blooms in every single soul, and everyone wanted to have a romantic life like in the movies. So, everywhere there were just couples and grass. Not wanting to look at either, she started to play a game. Engrossed in it, she didn't notice it had been two hours since she started waiting. When the phone notified her of low battery, she looked at the time and realized it had been two hours.

Debating whether to call Kim Joon-ho or not, she decided to call and scold him very much. She thought if he wasn't going to come, he should have informed her, and she started to call him.

---

Kim Tae-hyun was even angrier than before when he saw the caller ID. As he grabbed my collar and lifted me up, he shouted out loud:

"How do you have her number? Answer me."

As I didn't want Kim Soo-jin to be involved or get hurt because of me, I didn't answer. When he saw me keeping quiet, he threw the phone, breaking its display, and told his lackeys to beat me up even more.

"Good. Until you answer me, I won't stop them from hitting you. You can stay quiet as much as you want."

I don't know how much time passed—one or two hours maybe. As time passed unknowingly, a girl's voice could be heard:

"I knew I would find you here. Let's go. Mother told me to bring you home early."

She had a beautiful face with a expensive dress. She looked charming. Kim Eun-seo, sister of Kim Tae-hyun and my half-sister, is also the same as Kim Tae-hyun, similar in looks and personality. They both love to watch me suffer.

As Kim Eun-seo spoke:

"You started it already. What a shame. I wanted to give Joon-ho a big surprise."

I shivered in fear. Right now, I had no strength to even lift my arms. Pain was coursing through my entire body. I was going to faint for the third time, but the beating stopped. Some words were said, but I was unable to hear them.

After some time, as I recovered some strength, my phone rang once again. Thinking of Kim Soo-jin waiting for me, I wanted to pick up the call, but the display was so damaged from the throw that it was not working at all.

As I limped toward the university gate, i rejoiced, fortunately Kim Tae-hyun and his lackeys didn't take me far from the university. A sweet voice can be heard calling my name:

"Here, Kim Joon-ho, here."

As I looked up, she was none other than Kim Soo-jin. As she ran towards me, seeing me limping, she supported me and started to lead me towards the nearest bench to sit.

When she supported me, my heart started to beat wildly, and the pain in my body dissipated little by little as I heard her speak. Concern in her voice, and worry about me.

"What happened to you?"

I couldn't tell her that I was bullied now, could I? What would she think about me? The little amount of respect she had for me and the tiny amount of pride I had would go up in smoke. That's why I lied to her.

"I fell down."

---

This was the first lie I told her. At this time, I didn't know that lying to her was my biggest mistake. I shouldn't have lied to her. I should have told her honestly. The day I would regret lying to her was not far.

To cover up one lie, you have to tell a hundred lies, and when the person you lied to finds out, the trust between you two shatters like a mirror. Every broken piece of the mirror can hurt you if you try to grab it.

To this date, I regret lying to her.

---

As she heard my response, she worriedly said, concern etched in her eyes.

"Let's go to the nursing room. Can you walk? Does it hurt?"

As I didn't respond this time, she angrily scolded me,

"How are you so clumsy as to fall down and get hurt this badly? Where were you looking while walking?"

As I laughed at her angry face, she said again with a milder tone this time,

"You were definitely daydreaming like yesterday, right?"

"No, I was not! I wasn't daydreaming!"

As I said this agitatedly, remembering yesterday's embarrassment, she giggled, seeing me.

"Ok fine, you weren't. Now then, let's go to the nursing room. It's not far from here."

"Ok."