$ f i v e $
Spring 2010.
"Mr. and Mrs. Byun," The principal began with a frustrated sigh. In the room were four people. The principal of Seoul Reform School for Delinquent Boys sat at his desk.
Across from him were three people. Baekhyun sitting in between his parents with his arms crossed over his chest and an uncaring look on his face. His expensive school uniform was missing the red tie that was supposed to adorn his neck and the gold pin with the school's logo. He had discarded them long ago, or lost them in a fight. He couldn't quite remember anymore. The sleeves of his blazer jacket had been cut off, as had been the sleeves of his light blue button up shirt. He never even bothered to wear the hideous church boy shoes--as he referred to them--from the very beginning. Instead he chose to wear black and white Vans shoes, even though he got in trouble for it every day.
It wasn't the first time he had made it to the principal's office and he was used to it by now. His mother wore a worried expression on her face while his father appeared in a bad mood.
The principal continued. "Your son is always late to class, he's failing every subject, he doesn't care about anything, he tags up the furniture, he organizes fights after school for money, and today Professor Kang caught him with this."
He opened his desk drawer and retrieved something. He placed it on the desk and slid it towards his father. It was a switch blade with a red handle. Mr. Byun picked it up in his hand and observed it carefully.
"What do you suggest, Principal Kim?" His father asked.
The principal gave a shrug of his shoulders, and spoke as though he had no other choice. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to expel your son from my school."
Mrs. Byun immediately protested, on the brink of tears. "You can't do that. This is a school to reform problematic boys. He's been kicked out of five schools already. He'll have nowhere else to go."
"I'm sorry." The principal refused to budge with her plea. "We've done all we can for him, and we've given him way too many chances. I'll need you to sign some papers at the main office to finalize his expulsion." He dismissed them and Baekhyun rose from his seat first. He left the principal's office with his parents following after him.
As soon as they were out in the empty hallway, his father grabbed him by the arm. "This was the last straw, Baekhyun." His father hissed through gritted teeth. Still, the look on Baekhyun's face was uncaring and unbothered. "You've been kicked out of five schools, and no other school will take you now. Couldn't you have behaved just one more month? You were about to graduate. Then you could do whatever the hell you wanted." In his frustration, he had added, "Why couldn't you be a good boy like your brother?"
"Because I'm not him." Baekhyun gave a shake of his head. "I'll be eighteen in two weeks. I don't have to go to school if I don't want to."
"Then go find a job, or get out of my house." His father demanded.
"Well then I'll fucking leave." Baekhyun replied, taking off running towards the exit of the school.
As he reached the door, he could hear his mother's cries, begging for him to come back. But his pride wouldn't let him. He would never return to his parents.
-
He had been on the street for nearly two weeks, but he refused to go back home. His mother and brother had put up flyers around town, looking for him. But he'd tear them down and throw them in the garbage every time he saw one because he didn't want to be found. He had moved to the uglier part of town and slept wherever he could, eating food out of dumpsters behind restaurants.
How much his life had changed.
Baekhyun had a good life, when he thought about it. His father made good money and they lived in a middle class part of town. Even so, they had enough money to pay for piano lessons and vocal lessons growing up, until he let those talents go to waste when he started getting in trouble every day at school. He had also been a hapkido champion, until he dropped that as well and used his skills to fight classmates for money. But he had always felt unappreciated in his family and envied his older brother Baekbeom. He always had his father's praise and affection, while his father could only look at Baekhyun's flaws.
He had been tired of it and decided to rebel when he started high school. He had gone from some of the best school's in the city to the very last rung. The Seoul Reform School for Delinquent Boys, and he had even been kicked out from there.
He wandered the streets for days until he saw something by the Han River one weekend. Two kids about his age, but they were well dressed and with friendly smiles. One a boy and the other a girl. They had set up a table with a banner that read, "Free food and toiletries for the homeless." There was a line of people standing there, all of them with old and tattered clothes hoping for a little help in their hard times.
Baekhyun's stomach growled and he licked his lips. It couldn't hurt to get some real food for once, he said to himself. Since all he had for the past two weeks was stuff he found in the garbage.
He stood in line for about ten minutes until he got his turn. At the front was the girl, handing out big sandwiches with lots of condiments, and the goody bags with toiletries. She smiled at him as she handed one of each to him. She had at first been surprised to see him, since most of the people who had gone were older. But she quickly recovered. "I hope you enjoy your meal and that you have better days." Her smile seemed to light up the sky and he had felt his heart speed up a little, something that had never happened to him before.
Baekhyun couldn't help but blush, but he lowered his head and coughed an awkward, "Thank you."
He scurried off nearby and sat in the grass to eat his sandwich. He decided to wait close by in case he was still hungry, he would ask for another sandwich. But there was not a chance and the two teenagers soon ran out of food.
The boy started packing everything up and promised they would return the following week with more food. While he packed everything into the car, she walked over to the boy sitting on the grass nearby. "Hey." She called as she plopped down in the grass by his side. He only watched her as she continued talking. "What happened to you? Where's your family? How come you're here all alone?"
Baekhyun sighed. "I ran away from home."
"Hm." She nodded her head in understanding. Gesturing to the boy who was packing the car, but still keeping a watchful eye on her, she explained, "My brother and I used to have parents. But they died in a car crash and we became homeless. So now that we have money, we try to give back to the people who have nothing."
"That's very nice of you." Baekhyun told her with honesty. He had often been selfish, and there she was, helping the people in need.
She didn't get a chance to say more when her brother called to her. "Minha! Its time to go."
Minha nodded and turned to Baekhyun. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you..." She trailed off suggestively for him to tell her his name.
"Baekhyun." He said.
"Baekhyun." She repeated his name with a smile playing on her lips. "If you need a place to sleep in, there's a tent under that bridge over there. One of my friends used to live there. Its been empty for like three years now."
He nodded gratefully and she got back on her feet. Waving goodbye to him, she turned and ran towards the waiting car, climbing inside, and disappearing down the road.
-
so baekhyun and minha meeting for the first time. and again we see baekhyun feeling unappreciated. its a recurring theme with him. that's why he left his first home. but i mean his father really did unappreciate him and reject him.
but then there was minha too make him company and treat him well and save the day. he was only a bad boy because he wanted attention, not because he was a bad guy in his heart.
i can't wait to continue writing for this. sorry that it skips time a lot as well.
-clary
