Empire

2. Bullies

Both Seon-jun and Man-wol were going to the best high school in Seoul, Heonga High School. Only that Man-wol as at the art department. She went to school with anxiety and fear in her gut every day. There was not a time that she wouldn't have gotten bullied. They had beaten, humiliated and made fun of her every single school day. She never told it to anyone, she was scared, but most likely she felt humiliated, sometimes she even thought she deserved it because she was ugly. Her biggest bully was Mi-na, Eun-wo's sister. Well, she didn't know she was Seon-jun's little sister, no one knew it, except Eun-wo. Him and Eun-wo were the heartbreakers of the school, they were senior students and had no intention in dating or getting in trouble, therefore they were cold to everyone.
As the bell rang and the teacher left the classroom a group of students stood up and walked to Man-wol. Ki-ra took her by her hair and pulled her head back, then she hit it to the table's surface. Her nose didn't broke but started bleeding. She didn't even cry or made a noise, she was too used to it. The torture. The terror. The humiliation.
"Wash up, then get us dumplings." Ki-ra said.
"And kimchi too!" said another girl with dark brown hair, her name was Ka-nii.
Man-wol ran out of the classroom staright to the restroom. She quickly washed up and shed some tears. After some deep breath she went to the school mensa. As she ordered a lot of dumplings and kimchi a boy from her grade started teasing her.
"Look, someone's pretty hungry. If you eat that much you'll grow fat. And then you'll really become as disgusting as a pig." the guy laughed and someone grabbed him by his shoulder.
It was Eun-wo. He was tall and handsome. His hair and eyes were black as the sea in Romania and his lips were soft a newly bloomed rose. His nose was well proporioned and his face was characteristic. As said, he was tall, tall and pretty muscular. Maybe this is why most of the student's were scared from him.
"Take it back!" he said as he pierced his fingers into his shoulders.
The boy instantly got scared and ran away as he could have.
"Are you okey?" he asked her.
Man-wol looked into his mesmerizing eyes and felt as if her heart was ready to jamp out of her body.
"Y-yes. You-you should go back to my brother." she stuttered and ran away with the food.
She ran to the classroom and Ki-ra was waiting for her with a bucket of water in her hand. As soon as Man-wol put down the dumplings she poured it all over her.
"You're late. It took you 12 minutes." she as she pushed her and grabbed a dumpling.
Man-wol just stood there, she was shaking by anger. She had enough and bursted out.
"Enough! Why do you keep doing this to me? What have I ever done to you? Why can't you just leave me be?" she shouted as her as the teacher walked in.
"What's this loud mess. You should be waiting for my in your seats! Man-wol!" he shouted at the poor girl.
"I'm sorry, but-" she wanted to explain herself but the teacher cut her off.
"Enough if you don't want to go to detention!" he said and sat down by the desk.
"Stupid ass bitch." Ki-ra whispered giggly as she rolled her eyes.
In break time Man-wol was eating by herself at the courtyard. Hert tears were flowing down her cheeks and she was sobbing so hard she couldn't chew the food properly. Her hero sat down next to her and just started at her with a bright smile, but it quickly faded when he saw her crying.
"Man-wol! What's the matter?" he asked worriedly.
She looked at him and almost chocked on food she was so startled. She had to think for a moment about what her answer should be.                 
   "Are you okey?" he asked again.
"I just have my monthy pain and I'm very emotional." she said and ran away.
"I hope she's doing allright." he told it to herself.
When Eun-wo got back to his classroom he asked Seon-jun out for the corrdior.
"What?" Seon-jun looked at him.
"Is everything okey?" Eun-wo asked.
"What do you mean?" he gave Eun-wona confused face.
"Today, I saw Man-wol crying really hard. I'm just worried about her." Eun-wo said.
"As far as I know nothing's wrong." Seon-jun smiled at him "And she's my sister. You should be worried about yours because if she doesn't leave me alone I'll fucking-" Seon-jun bursted out but Eun-wo cut him off.
"Okey, I get it." Eun-wo smiled at his bestie and rushed away.
Seo-jun walked to one of the glass windows at the corridor. He looked out on it and saw his little sister, sitting all by herself. He didn't see how hard she was sobbing. Her face was res and her eyes were full of water. Even though he didn't see her crying he could have felt that something wasn't right. He wanted to walkd down to her but as he turned around he saw the teacher entering his classroom, and he was a very strict and scary teacher.
He couldn't pay attention in class, he was too distressed about his sister's well being. After the bell rang the teacher asked him to the desk.
    "Yes?" he walked there.
    "Is Man-wol your sister?" he asked coldly.
    "Yes. why?" he asked concerned.
    "She was making trouble, she was shouting loudly at one of her classmates, instead of waiting for me quietly in her seat. What a disrespect." he said as he packed away his papers.
    "There must have been a reason, you know she's not a troublemaker." he tried to save out his sister.
    "I don't care, I've only messeged your father, but next time I won't be that kind." he said.
    "You did what?" he asked him.
    "You didn't hear me?" the teacher asked arrogantly.
    "Yes, I did, sorry sir." he bowed down to him as he walked away.
    "Ch, how I hate my job." he mumbled as he left the class filled with noisy students.
Jeon-sung ran down the stairs right to the floor of his sister's class but she wasn't there. He ran out to the courtyard and after some minutes he found her. She was alone, again. She was listening to her favourite singer, IU.
    "Man-wol?" he ran to her.
    "What? God, you scared me!" she got so sturtled she jamp up.
    "What did you do?" he asked worriedly.
    "Nothing, what's the problem?" she asked confusedly.
    "Oh, nothing." he didn't want to scare her as she had no clue about what was going to happen. He would've protected her either way.

After they got home they were in Man-wol's room. He was studying and reading out loud his literature lectures as she was painting a renaissance portrait interpretation. Then they heard the front door slamming. Footsteps got louder, a leather bag was thrown to the couch and it bounced, the steps got louder and angrier. Then a cold and deep voice, loud as could be, filled fear rage.
    "Man-wol!" he screamed.
Jeon-sung quickly jamp up and step in front of his sister.
The footsteps grew the loudest and the door slammed open. Their father, Tae-moon stood there with a leather belt in his hands.
    "Why must I hear from your teacher? How are you this irresponsible? After everything I have given you!" he stormed towards them and pushed his son away. He wanted to beat his daughter up but as he raised his arm Jeon-sung grabbed him by his arm.
    "How dare you?" Tae-moon raised his voice.
    "You cannot hurt her, if you want to beat up someone, then beat me!" Jeon-sung said and let go of his arms.
    "Be that as you wish!" he said and grabbed him by his black and shiny hair. He took him down the stairs to his study "Now hear your brother's screams, this is a better punishmenz for you anyways." he shouted at the poor girls and pushed to his study then closed the door, leaving Man-wol at the door "Take of your shirt!" he said.
     "No! Dad please! Don't! Stop it!" she screamed by heart as she was hitting the door and choking on her tears "Please stop!" she kept on begging as she heard the painful screams of her brother.
By the time the screams grew quiet and the door opened, she was already in a big schock. She was sitting on the floor, shaking and crying. As she noticed Jeon-sung her tears grew bigger and she started shaking harder. Sweat started hitting her face and she couldn't say a word as she stared at her brother's upper body with full of deep scars.
    "Look at your brother, look at what have you done! Hope this was good enough of a lesson for you." Tae-moon said as he walked away.
    "Oppa, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I'm so sorry." she begged for her brother's foregivness as she cried and sobbed.
He glanced at her and kneeled down. He locked her in his arms and pulled her close to himself. He let her rest her head on his shoulder to cry herself out, even if it hurt him.
    "I'm so sorry!" she cried.
    "It's allright. I will allways be with you. I will allways protect you." he said as he let out one teardrop rolling down on his cheeks.
They were sitting by the floor at the end of the main corridor and Man-wol was shaking in the arms of her big brother.