What They Deserve

The crunch of bones. The screech of rats. The bear's deafening roar. All of it blurred into white noise as I stared at Jae-hyun.

Blood pooled beneath his head, staining the cold floor, and his chest barely moved. I couldn't even tell if he was breathing anymore.

"Hyun-ah…" I whispered. My throat tightened. My feet moved on their own, dragging me toward him, slipping on blood and debris.

This was the second time I'd found him like this. The first time was something I clearly remembered. It was in middle school.

I could hear the laughter of kids echoing down the empty hallway, sharp and cruel as I followed it, my tiny fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms.

"Hey, freak!" one of them shouted from behind the corner, his voice filled with mockery.

I didn't see them, but I knew what they were doing. My legs moved faster, the sound of their voices pulling me toward the old storage room.

When I reached it, my heart almost stopped. My chest heaved, my breath fogging the dusty air. I could hear the muffled thuds of fists against wood and the faint sound of someone crying.

"Let me out!" Jae-hyun's voice cracked, high and desperate.

One of the kids snorted. "Not until you learn your place, piggy!"

The anger I felt back then was nothing compared to today. The reason was simple back then there was nothing I could do to save Jae-hyun. But today? Today was different I had the strength.

The bear's roar ripped me back to the present.

I dropped to my knees beside Jae-hyun, my hands shaking as I pressed my fingers against his neck. The pulse was faint but there. Relief washed over me, but I had no time to process it.

Behind me, the bear swung its massive claws, splitting a rat clean in two. Blood splattered against the walls, and for a moment, the rats hesitated before lunging again. I grabbed Jae-hyun by the shoulders, pulling him up.

"Come on, buddy. We're not done yet," I muttered. His body slumped against me, dead weight, but I didn't care.

I slung him onto my back, the blood soaking into my shirt. My legs screamed in protest, but I pushed forward.

Today was different.

I sat there in the shadows, hearing my best friend, my only friend scream in agony waiting for the upper class men to leave. My mind spewing with hundreds of ways I would have loved to kill them in but even then I knew going out would be suicide, it won't help neither me nor Jae-hyun, or well maybe it was simply the fear.

By the time they left it was already evening. The storage room door was locked, the handle jammed. I yanked on it with everything I had, but it didn't budge.

Behind the door, Jae-hyun's cries grew softer. He wasn't screaming anymore—just sobbing.

My chest burned. I could almost hear the rats inside, skittering across the floor, their claws scraping against the wood.

"Hyun-ah!" I shouted, slamming my shoulder into the door. The wood groaned under the impact, but it didn't give.

I spotted a metal pipe lying near the wall, rusted but solid. Grabbing it, I wedged it into the gap between the door and the frame, pushing with all my strength. My arms shook, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.

The lock creaked before finally snapping with a metallic crack, and the door swung open.

The stench hit me first—rotting wood, mildew, and blood. Then I saw him. My lips trembled as tears flew from my eyes. I couldn't stop them. I didn't want to stop them.

Jae-hyun was curled into a ball in the corner, his knees pulled to his chest, his face pale and streaked with tears. His shirt was torn, and small, angry red marks covered his arms and legs where the rats had bitten him. 

How could people be so cruel? We were kids. Outcasts maybe? But we never wronged anyone. Heck we never even talked to others. Then why were we bullied? Why did Jae-hyun have to suffer? Just because he was a little chubby did he really deserve to be called a pig? Just because I had dark circles why was I deemed a creep? 

I dropped the pipe, running to his side. "Hyun-ah!"

He flinched at my voice, his wide, glassy eyes darting toward me. "H-Ha-rin… th—the rats—" His voice broke into a sob. "They were biting me…"

I knelt down, pulling him into a hug. "It's okay. I've got you. You're safe now." My voice cracked, but I didn't care.

The weight on my back dragged me down, but I kept moving. My boots thudded against the floor, slipping on blood. Behind me, the bear tore into another rat, its roars echoing through the building.

Jae-hyun stirred against me, his breath warm against my neck.

I hoisted him onto my back, his small frame trembling. "Hold on tight," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

His tiny arms tightened around my neck, his sobs muffled against my shoulder. "Why did you come?" he whispered, his voice so soft I almost didn't hear it.

"Because I'm your friend, dumbass," I muttered. "What kind of question is that?"

It's the same as back then, yet why does it all feel so different? Is it because this time I am seeing the demise of those who did this to Jae-hyun with my own two eyes? 

"Ha-rin…"

His voice pulled me back to the present. Jae-hyun's eyes fluttered open, hazy and unfocused. "You… saved me again…"

A faint, bitter laugh escaped my lips as we entered the landing. "Yeah. I always do." I said, turning around. The sight of the bear and rats fighting was exhilarating. 

The blood bath I had always wanted to show those fucks was in front of me. They might have been expelled but was that enough of a punishment? Didn't they deserve to go through what Jae-hyun did? 

If they are still alive. They better pray that we don't cross paths. Cause if we ever do… I will make their lives worse than the hell we currently live in.

The white metal door creaked as I slowly closed it in front of me. Soaking in the view, the king was heaving finally tired but the number of rats that remained were few. Barely three.

"They got what they deserved." I whispered to myself turning around. 

[Time Left: 26 minutes, 59 seconds]