Empire

3. Fortune in missfortune

Man-wol was putting bandaids on her brother's scars when her phone beeped. She got a new message notification, but she didn't bother to look at it.
"Why didn't you tell me what was this about?" she asked her brother as she placed a bandaid on his chest.
"I didn't want to scare you. Also Eun-wo told me you weren't feeling well, so I didn't want to upses you more." he explained.
"Oh, he did?" she asked suprisedly.
"Yeah, he cares about you." Seon-jun smiled at her.
"Really?" her eyes sparkled as she blushed.
"You're like a littl sister to him." he smiled at his sister.
"Oh." Man-wol's smile faded away.
"But what was the matter?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter anymore, not after this." she brushed off the topic "We really should tell this to mom." Man-wol suggested.
"That would just make things worse." Seon-jun sighted.
"But how long are you going to get beaten up, not only because of you, but because of me?" Man-wol teared up.
"You don't have to worry about me, I will allways protect you." he said.
"But soon you'll be gone, what's then?" she asked with fear in her voice.
"You musn't be scared as long as I'm alive!" he smiled at her and put on his shirt.
Man-wol just smiled at him as he wiped away the tears from her face.
The sound of two swift knocks flowed trough the door.
"Come in!" Seon-jun said and the door swang open.
"Hello darlings!" Su-ryeon smiled at her children, she had just gotten home from work.
"Hi!" Seon-jun smiled at his mother.
"What are you guys doing?" she asked her children.
"I'm helping Man-wol in her studies." he smiled at her with angelic eyes.
"You?" Su-ryeon's eyes widened out.
"He's just criticising me." Man-wol laughed at she playfully pushed her brother by his shoulder. It hurt him a lot but he was a master in hiding his pain.
"Allright!" Su-ryeon smiled at them and closed the door.
"I'm sorry!" Man-wol looked at her brother innocently.
"It's allright." he mumbled.
"I hate lying to her." she sighted as she layed down on the bed.
"You think I'm having fun?" he asked sarcastically and stood up "I'm taking a shower." he said as he opened the door to his bathroom.
"But I just put on those bandaids." she sighted.
He closed the door and started taking off his clothes. After he strippee himself completely he just started at the mirror. His body was full of bandaids. There were at least 12 of them. He glanced at his body and turned on the faucet so Man-wol wouldn't hear him crying. But she did. As soon as she noticed the noise of him crying she walked to the door. She wanted to knock but she thought leaving him alone would be for the best. She rushed over to her own room and started sobbing as she slammed her door. The night passed this way. Both of them cried themselves to sleep. But Seon-jun never let himself to cry in front of his little sister. He didn't want her to see his weak side. She was looking up for him as some guardian angel.
This has been going on for a while. The beating. The terror. Seon-jun never let his father to hit Man-wol. Only when he wasn't there to protect her, but he doesn't know about those incidents. If he only did his heart would break for his sister. And poor Man-wol, not only she was scared and bullied in school, we couldn't feel safe at home neither. And why didn't they say a thing? They were frightened, of course.
Days passed by the regular way. Seon-jun went to work out with Eun-wo every second day and he went to the stables every third day. Riding made him forget about all of his problems, he was the happiest when he was with his horse, Luna. The greatest lusitano of South-Korea.
And for poor Man-wol. The bullying just went on. There was not a day she wouldn't have gotten bullied and harrasses by her classmates.
As she was walking to the main entrance Eun-wo ran next to her side.
"Man-wol!" he smiled at her.
"Hi!" she gave him a little smile.
"Are you ignoring me?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" she stopped for a moment.
"You haven't responded to my message since then." he said.
"Since when?" she asked confusedly.
"Since the incident in the cafeteria." he explained.
"You've sent me a message?" she asked cluellesly.
"Yes, by the afternoon." he said.
The it all snaped in her head. She had gotten a message while she was putting on bandaids on brother's scars. She quickly opened her phone and checked her unread messages.
"Oh!" she sighted. But she started smiling and blushing as she read the text 'Are you feeling better?' it said. Then she thought "Amd I smiling? Oh I hope I'm not blushing. Is it too noticable. Does he care for me? He rarely texts me. Was he concerned?" theye thoughts ran trough in her little head. Then she snapped "I'm sorry I didn't see it." she explained.
"It's allright! I just hope you're okey." he smiled at her "I was concerned."
"You were?" she glanced at him.
"Yes." he nodded with a smile.
Man-wol was so shocked she just kept starring at him as he was smiling. They were looking at each other for a long time. She felt like her heart was going to jamp out from her body. Then Eun-wo broke off this little moment.
    "I gotta go to class. See you later!" he gave her a last smile and rushed away. But he looked back at her and waved happily. She waved back as a zombie, she was processing what she had just heard.
    "That's it, I've gone mad." she let out her breath as she started walking towards the school building. She was in a hurry so she didn't look where she stepped and fell down. Her books fell out of her bag and her glass fell off too "Fuck!" she cursed.
"Here!" someone handed her her glasses.
As Man-wol looked up she saw the most beautiful girl in the world. She had long lucious black hair, a beautiful smile, gazing eyes and skin as smooth as a ballerina's moves. She had never seen her before.
"I'm Ro-na, I'm new here." she smiled at Man-wol.
"Thank you, Man-wol. I mean my name." she said.
"Are you allright?" Ro-na helped her up.
"Yes, thanks. Are you a senior year student?" she asked.
"Yes." she nodded "Are you in my class?" she asked.
"No, I'm one year younger." Man-wol smiled at her.
"I wonder what this school is like." Ro-na smiled at her "I've just moved to Seoul with my mom."
"Nice." Man-wol nodded, she didn't know what to say.
They entered the school together and they both walked to their own classes. Man-wol was thinking about Eun-wo the whole day. She was daydreaming untill she was grappes by her collar and pulled out to the corridor.
"My dad took away my credit for a week because the teacher texted him about our little scandal. Couldn't you just be more annoying? Isn't it enough that you're ugly as hell, must you be stupid too?" Ki-ra screamed at her as she grabbed Man-wol by the hair. Man-wol thought how lucky that girl was with a father that, but then it crossed that maybe she turned out to be such bitch because of how gentle her parents were. But the moment she snapped she was getting beaten up.
After school Man-wol was going to her lonely spot at the courtyard to bandage her bruises, she was sobbing as she was walking and as she looked up she saw Eun-wo standing in front of her.
     "Man-wol?" he glanced at her.
She couldn't say a word. She just walked up to him and hugged him tight. She started crying harder as she dug her face into his chest. He welcomed her in a warm hug and petted the back of her head. He didn't say a word, just let her crying out herself.
     "Why is everything so bad? It hurts so much, Eun-wo, it hurts so much! Why am so ugly? Why can't I be pretty like mom and Ro-na?" she cried.
     "Ro-na?" Eun-wo asked as he let down his arms.
     "The new girl, I've met her in the morning." she said as she wiped away her tears.
     "You are way prettier than her." he smiled at her as he pet her shoulders "Wanna get a drink?" he offered his companion to her.