A Child Without a Past... The Shadow Heir
The sky was gray, heavy with rainclouds, mirroring his emotions.
In a rundown neighborhood where the streets were littered with trash and the buildings seemed on the verge of collapse, Jeon Hayun walked sluggishly. His clothes were torn, dried blood stained his face, and bruises covered his body.
Today was just like any other day—another fight, another set of bruises, the same hateful glares, and the same result: utter loneliness.
When he arrived home, the house was silent. His mother wasn't back yet, working late shifts as always.
He shrugged off his tattered jacket, threw his bag into a corner, and collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"How long am I going to live like this?"
The question had echoed in his mind thousands of times, but there was never an answer.
🔹 Hours Later...
He woke up to the sound of the front door opening. His mother, Sakurai Akane, entered, carrying a few plastic bags. But when she turned and saw him, her eyes widened in shock.
"Jeon! What happened to you?!"
She rushed toward him, hands reaching for his bruised face, but he instinctively pulled back.
"Nothing. Just another fight."
"This isn't just a fight, Jeon! This isn't a life!"
He could see the worry in her eyes, but he didn't want to hear another lecture.
Slowly, he got up and removed his tattered shirt, revealing a body covered in bruises and cuts. This wasn't new to him, but the pain in his mother's eyes made his chest tighten.
He pulled on a black hoodie, pulling the hood over his hair, then headed toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I just need some air."
She didn't argue. She just nodded, her expression unreadable.
🔹 Outside...
The rain had started falling, light at first, then turning into a heavy downpour. Jeon didn't care. He walked through the wet streets, head down, thoughts spiraling into the past.
His childhood was never peaceful.
The kids always mocked him:
"He doesn't have a father... maybe his mom was just some whore."💬 "No one knows where he came from. Even his mother won't talk about it."💬 "He's just a nobody. He'll never be anything."
But Jeon never ran. He fought them all.
Yet now... he was tired.
He lifted his head toward the sky, raindrops streaming down his face.
"Why is this world so cruel? Why is my life like this?"
Then, he saw the lights.
A massive truck sped toward him.
The driver was drunk.
He didn't move. He wasn't scared. He simply stared at the incoming truck, as if it was his inevitable fate.
And then... time stopped.