School.
The bell rings, signaling the end of class.
As I'm putting away the textbook I had open, a powerful impact strikes the back of my head.
Smack.
"Hey, you beggar bastard. Go buy me some bread."
"Not answering?"
"Uh.."
When I hesitate.
"Aren't you going quickly? You need to go buy it fast so I can eat bread and get ready for the next class. Are you dragging your feet to screw me over?"
"No.. that's not it."
When I continue to hesitate.
Yang Jeong-won speaks as if he finally understands the reason.
"Ah~ you don't have money because you're a beggar bastard? Hey, here's money, go buy it quickly. Bread, drinks, milk, and snacks too."
Yang Jeong-won, the bully of our grade, pulls out a single thousand-won bill from his pocket and flicks it to the floor.
I pick it up out of habit and head to the school store.
I ran, not walked.
At least, I had to make it look that way.
That's how I get hit less.
A single thousand-won bill is in my hand.
Actually, the only thing you can buy at the school store with a thousand won is exactly one Choco Pie.
With that money, milk? Drinks? Snacks are out of the question.
Even the smallest bread costs 2,000 won.
So why does he only give a thousand won?
He just needs an excuse, a pretext to hit me.
Yang Jeong-won gave me a mission, and I failed.
So I must be punished.
What kind of logic is that?
What if I buy drinks or milk too?
He'll still hit me.
He'll say I could have done this but didn't all this time.
Honestly, I don't really know since I've never chipped in my own money to buy something before.
You need money to buy bread or drinks, don't you?
The electricity at home is cut off too.
I can't chip in for a bully bastard's bread money.
Today, I do have settlement money in my inventory, but I won't use this money to buy bread and milk.
I wouldn't even give that bastard a taffy.
Anyway, that bastard isn't making me run errands so he can eat.
No, eating is important too, but more important is hitting.
He just wants to hit. He's making excuses.
To Yang Jeong-won, this is just a game.
This bastard isn't doing what he's told.
He's lost his mind.
I'll make him come to his senses.
The reason I know this is.
When he's in a bad mood, he just hits.
Whether it's the store, excuses, or games, fists fly first regardless.
So what do I do?
What can you do. I take it.
Thud, thud, thud.
As expected, fists fly at me, who returned with only a Choco Pie.
"Did I or did I not tell you to buy snacks and drinks!!!"
I was taking hits at the back of the classroom.
A few kids close to Yang Jeong-won watched me getting hit with what looked like interest,
while the other kids thought 'he's getting hit again,' and as if used to it, no one turned around.
Of course, there was no one to stop it.
But today is a bit different.
Maybe because I've been hit so much.
Maybe because I have 3 million won in my inventory.
Maybe because I often eat beef, so my stomach is full.
It doesn't hurt much.
Normally, I'd tremble because that bastard Yang Jeong-won was so scary.
Today is very different.
That bastard Yang Jeong-won seems to be hitting me with all his might, but it doesn't hurt much.
Still, I have to pretend it hurts.
I have to manage my expression with all my might.
That's how I get hit even one less time.
Thud, thud.
"Fuck, you useless bastard who can't even buy drinks."
"Sigh.. why did I get stuck with such a beggar-like bastard."
"Other classes have rich kids who listen well as errand boys, why did I get stuck with such a beggar-like bastard."
Did he become stupid because he's a bully?
Or did he become a bully because he's stupid?
I don't know.
No, errand boys aren't decided by lottery or drawing. He picked me himself. Who is he blaming?
No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand that bastard Yang Jeong-won's mental world.
But since I'm taking hits.
The necklace hanging on Yang Jeong-won's neck is very clearly visible.
Is it 24k?
18k?
If it's gold, it must be worth quite a bit.
It looks incredibly thick and heavy.
I want it.
Should I steal it?
I have an inventory.
Can't I subtly take it while bumping into him as he hits me?
Even while taking hits from Yang Jeong-won, I was thinking such thoughts.
While throwing punches at me, whether he realized it or not, his punches gradually carried more force.
At this rate, a real solid hit is coming? While thinking that, sure enough, a punch that seemed to use his full strength flew at my face.
The thought that I shouldn't take that properly.
But crossed with the thought that I probably shouldn't dodge it either.
At that moment, I slightly turned to avoid his fist and pretended to fall.
I angled it so well that from Yang Jeong-won's perspective, he would think he landed a clean hit.
There was no impact.
I might as well admit it—as I collapsed toward Yang Jeong-won, I briefly touched his necklace.
Yang Jeong-won is startled when I collapse.
Even though I normally take hits, I never collapsed like this; he seems surprised I fell.
As I said before, today definitely hurts less.
Because of that, I started seeing things I don't normally see.
The necklace too, but,
I got the feeling that falling like this around now would be okay.
And that was exactly on target.
"Hey~ is this bastard dead?"
"Check if he's breathing."
"Jeong-won, I told you your punch is a nuke, you have to go easy. The kid's completely pulp now."
"What do we do about this?"
Yang Jeong-won, who seems slightly flustered.
"What... what.. what do we do? He just collapsed while we were messing around. Hurry up and take him to the infirmary."
At Yang Jeong-won's words, two of Yang Jeong-won's lackeys carried me and took me to the infirmary.
"He suddenly collapsed while we were playing around, so we brought him here."
The school nurse seemed to somewhat suspect the situation, but it seemed she didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
"Okay, lay him down and go."
My mouth corner was slightly torn from the punches and bleeding. There were no particularly visible wounds.
Yang Jeong-won usually hit mainly my torso because it shouldn't show.
Even if you hit the torso, bruises don't form immediately; it takes a few hours for bruises to show up.
My body is probably clean right now.
The nurse roughly wiped the blood from the corners of my mouth as I pretended to be collapsed with my eyes closed, then disappeared somewhere.
I had no thoughts of feeling disappointed that the nurse didn't treat my wounds.
Rather, I felt comfortable being alone.
But this place is quite pleasant and nice?
It's much more comfortable and better than my house, where I just roughly spread a blanket and sleep.
Lying here makes me sleepy.
Should I take a nap?
.
.
.
At that moment, the classroom.
Yang Jeong-won was calming his startled heart.
He never thought that beggar bastard would collapse like that.
Today, hitting strangely felt good, so he had hit with a bit more force than usual.
The fists thudding in felt quite satisfying in the hand, so he had hit mindlessly.
Then, seeing that beggar bastard collapse from a punch flying at his face, he was startled.
Judging by the impact felt in his hand, it was enough to make him collapse.
He had taken a clean hit.
He hadn't thought about such things but...
Having an incredible fist that could knock someone out was something to be proud of,
but he didn't want things getting complicated if that beggar bastard got seriously hurt by that fist.
He doesn't care if that bastard gets hurt,
but if a school violence committee opens because of this, it becomes annoying.
He'll catch another beating from his dad.
It's best to hit moderately and toy with him moderately.
Worried he might be badly hurt, he asked the guys who took him,
but they said they just dropped him off and came back, and didn't know his condition.
They should have checked his condition.
Nothing but frustrating bastards everywhere.
Ah~ annoying.
Naturally, his hand went to his neck...
Uh... it's not there??
He can't feel his necklace.
My 'gold' necklace is gone.
My treasure number one gold necklace that I barely bought with money saved from my allowance and extortion is gone.
My 10-don gold necklace is gone.
Did I not wear it this morning?
No, that can't be.
Because I've never taken this necklace off.
Because it's my pride.
Did it fall on the way to school?
No, I remember touching the necklace even after arriving at school.
Did it fall off while I was beating that beggar bastard earlier?
Then it should be somewhere on the classroom floor.
He scanned the classroom floor with his eyes, but the necklace was nowhere to be seen.
Could it have broken and fallen inside my uniform?
He put his hand inside his uniform to look, but still couldn't find it.
Unable to check properly while sitting, Yang Jeong-won stood up and began searching for the necklace.
Despite class being in session, he began searching for the gold necklace without caring at all.
Even though he already checked, he checked again in case it had fallen inside his uniform,
and checked the place where he had beaten that beggar bastard earlier too, but the necklace was nowhere.
"Hey. Did anyone see my necklace? Look for it."
Even though the teacher was looking, Yang Jeong-won spoke to the kids sitting in front without caring at all.
The teacher watched that sight for a while, then just continued the lesson as if dumbfounded.
It meant there was no point in needlessly getting involved.
He searched for the necklace like that until the bell rang, but ultimately couldn't find it.
.
.
.
When I returned to the classroom, it was chaos in chaos.
Desks were scattered here and there.
At a glance, he was searching for the necklace.
'Search all day, let's see if you can find it.'
After inwardly laughing at Yang Jeong-won to my heart's content, I too pretended to look for the necklace.
Slam!!
Yang Jeong-won spoke, forcefully closing the classroom door.
"Find the necklace~~"
"I wore this necklace this morning. If we don't find it, you bastards can't go home today. Before I turn this place inside out, just hand it over willingly."
"That's worth over 5 million won. If we can't find it, you bastards are dead today."
Yang Jeong-won stood in front of the entrance, blocking anyone from leaving the classroom.
As Yang Jeong-won kicked up a fuss, the entire class reluctantly and half-heartedly went through the motions of looking for the necklace.
Meanwhile, a female student sitting alone with her legs crossed.
Kwon Joo-ah spoke to Yang Jeong-won as if amused.
"Good for me. Instead, you better explain well to my mom that I couldn't go to academy~ I hope we never find it. It'd be fun camping here. Keke."
Her dad was an executive at a major corporation, wasn't he?
Her mom is a professor too.
She studies well, her family is loaded, and even her face is pretty.
No one messed with a girl like Kwon Joo-ah.
Yang Jeong-won spoke like someone who had realized something amazing.
"Ah~ Academy? There was academy? Joo-ah, you can go. You can leave first."
"Ugh, how can only I go? There are several kids who go to the same academy as me. If they ask at academy, 'Joo-ah, why did you come alone?' should I say the other kids are looking for Yang Jeong-won's lost necklace?"
Kwon Joo-ah was openly putting him in his place, but Yang Jeong-won couldn't say anything back.
When Yang Jeong-won couldn't say anything.
"But Jeong-won~"
"Huh??"
"If we keep not finding it, do we all live here together from now on? Since no one can go home?"
"Huh???"
"I'm so excited. I can't wait. It'd be so nice if we all camped here together. Shall we order dinner delivery first? How about tteokbokki?"
To Kwon Joo-ah's words, her best friend Ji Min-seo, who was sitting next to her, answered.
"Totally down. I've been craving something really spicy, so this is perfect. Should we order chicken too? It's delicious when eaten together."
"Isn't it great~ Jeong-won, you're buying the tteokbokki and chicken, right? We're here to help you find your necklace, so you can do at least that much, right?"
Kwon Joo-ah asked sweetly, but Yang Jeong-won couldn't answer.
The eyes of the 25 classmates who had been looking for the necklace were all fixed on Yang Jeong-won.
'What? Why is the conversation going this way? Why are they asking me to buy tteokbokki?'
Yang Jeong-won, flustered by the unexpected development.
He hurriedly found an answer.
"Haha. Of course I'll buy it. But I can't buy for everyone. I'll only buy for people who are looking for the necklace."
"Really? Then people who aren't looking can leave, right?"
"Huh??"
"Then I'll go first. Search hard~ I really hope you find it. Let's go."
Kwon Joo-ah picked up her bag and stood up, talking to Ji Min-seo next to her.
Ji Min-seo also picked up her bag and stood.
"I'm going too. Bye~"
Kwon Joo-ah and Ji Min-seo exit the classroom.
I was watching Kwon Joo-ah leaving the classroom.
'Huh.'
I met eyes with Kwon Joo-ah.
I had never made eye contact with Kwon Joo-ah even once.
But it wasn't by chance.
Those eyes were definitely looking at me.
It was a gaze that seemed to be saying something.
I couldn't understand it, but.
Once Kwon Joo-ah left, all the other kids rushed out following her.
I too slipped in among them and left together.
Toward the backs of the kids who had already left, Yang Jeong-won pathetically called out after them.
"Hey~ don't go, we have to find the necklace. If you don't come back, you're dead."
Yang Jeong-won shouted several times, but the kids had already left the classroom.
Only Yang Jeong-won remained alone in the classroom.
"You fucking bastards, you're dead tomorrow."