Life, Once Again!

* * *Park Daemyung wanted to live brightly as his name suggests, but that was never the case since his time in elementary school.“Hah! You look pretty funny, don’t you?” one of the kids said to him back then.Daemyung’s entire life changed from that one sentence. He could still remember it clearly. He stopped talking as much after hearing that from a friend back in third grade.Why was he so sensitive to about that? After a point, everyone in the class had started pointing out his goofy looks, he remembered. People stopped calling him by his real name. That was when he accepted his ugly appearance. He kept his head low for the rest of elementary school until he entered middle school. Spent middle school without talking much as well. He was bullied then, too.Daemyung hated his face. His cheeks were puffy like a frog’s, and his eyes and forehead were abnormally small. He started talking less and less, but the bullying only got worse and worse. Daemyung went home immediately after his middle school graduation. He didn’t want to hear the joy in his peers’ voices.‘I can’t keep living like this,’ he thought. From then on, Daemyung was set on changing himself. That’s why he decided to go to an engineering school instead of a normal one. Perhaps his personality would follow the change in environment.‘And… I wouldn’t have to meet the kids from middle school if I went to an engineering school,’ that was his intention at the very least. His mother wasn’t vocal about his choice. That was her way of telling him she knew of what was happening to him at school. And then… the first day of school. He wanted to hang out with the kids with a strong greeting, but nothing of the sort occurred.‘S-scary.’The engineering school kids were something else. The boy next to him brought a pack of cigarettes on the second day. One of the other ones was excitedly talking about where to buy alcohol. Everything felt unfamiliar and scary to him. Almost as if he would be punched if he spoke a word. And then there was this as well.“Hey, let’s switch seats,” one of the more aggressive looking kids asked him to change seats with Daemyung. The boy took his bag and quietly moved up to the front without saying a thing. “What a freaking coward,” he could hear behind him. Right there, Daemyung felt his middle school nightmare reappear. No, he felt something even worse this time: the contemptuous gaze of the delinquent’s friends upon his back. Why did he decide to come to an engineering school again? He should have just stuck to normal schools. Maybe he could have become friends with normal kids if he went there?“Bahahaha!” “Ugh, you bitch. Please? Just 500 won?”“Fuck off.”People were swearing all around him. Just hearing those words made a chill run down his spine, especially since he never swore.‘I have to spend three years like before again?’ he thought.3 years of bullying in elementary school, 3 years of bullying in middle school. Did he have to live his life as a victim all the way through high school as well?“You know any other places to grind? The skeleton compound no. 8 is garbage. Has too many people as well.” one of the boys complained.“I told you, there’s literally no better place.”He heard a few kids start talking about video games behind him. They were talking about a game he played. He also did know a better place to grind. If he opened his mouth now… could he make friends with them?He didn’t end up talking to them. He was afraid of being treated coldly after approaching them. Plus, the kids looked like delinquents. They would surely ignore him if he tried to talk to them.‘Yeah, maybe later...’ he excused himself with a thought.Daemyung knew very well that there would be no ‘later’. But there was no way for him to overcome 6 years of bullying so quickly. It’s impossible, he found himself thinking. He could feel all the energy inside him stream out. Just like last time…“Hey.” he heard someone behind him. Someone calling out to his friend? In any case, it couldn’t be him.“Ah, Daemyung, was it?”“Eh, ah?” Someone said his name? No one’s said his name since… Daemyung turned back in surprise. There was a pretty tall kid standing behind him. Han Maru, was it? He remembered because of the strange name.‘This kid looks like a delinquent, too...’ Daemyung couldn’t help but start worrying.

* * *[This kid looks like a delinquent, too...]Yet another word bubble. Maru couldn’t help but laugh a bit in surprise when he saw the bubble. Just what about him made himself look like a delinquent?“Park Daemyung, right?” he asked.“Ah, yeah.”“You play World Crash?”World Crash was the name of the game the other kids were talking about. And of course, Maru was familiar with this game as well. Why wouldn’t he be? Games were practically the only thing he did with his time instead of studying. He didn’t play this particular game much, though.“Yeah, I do.” Daemyung answered.“What’s your level?”“Me? 23.”Oh boy. World Crash launched just 3 days ago. Level 23 already? Just how much did this guy play?“Hey,” Maru called out to the three kids talking nearby. “You guys play World Crash too?”“Oh, of course. We were just talking about that,” one of them answered.“What’s your level?”“15.”“What about you guys?” Maru asked the two others.“I’m 16.”“14 here.”They all had lower levels than Daemyung. Alright, Maru’s set the boy up for a very nice play here. All Daemyung needed to do now was open his mouth.

* * *Daemyung felt his entire body freeze up. The group of three was looking at him now.‘Could it be...’ He looked up to Maru, who motioned towards the three with his head. This guy… was he helping him? Why? There was no reason for this boy to help him.‘Ah, he must be making fun of me.’ Things instantly became clear for him. How depressing. They’d pretend to be his friends again before throwing him away. He’s experienced this several times in the past.‘Of course it would be like that.’ Daemyung glanced at Maru, who was still motioning him towards the group.‘You… stop acting like a nice guy.’

* * *[You… stop acting like a nice guy.]Maru saw the word bubble as soon as his eyes met with the boy. So that’s what the dude was thinking now, with that depressed face of his. Maru didn’t feel any annoyance from the reaction, he just felt sorry. Just how much was Daemyung burnt in the past for him to respond to him in this manner?The boy would surely live antisocially if left like this. Maru wouldn’t interfere if that’s what he wanted, but… if that wasn’t the case?“Hey,” he called out.“W-what?”“Are you doing this because you’re comfortable being alone?”He leaned forward so that others wouldn’t be able to hear. Daemyung frowned angrily in response.“A-are you making fun of me?” he said. He sounded clearly offended by the statement.Maru turned to look behind him. The three kids were still looking at them.“I didn’t barge in for nothing here, right?”“What?”“I thought you wanted to talk with them? Sorry if I misunderstood.”“.....”“If you were just focusing on studying… Sorry about that.”Daemyung’s eyes were shaking a little. Maru already knew from the beginning that the boy just wanted to be friends with people.“But… if not, why don’t you start talking with them for once?”