TOIGC 11

Chapter 11 …

Well Met, You Bastard (2)

Yoongi shouted in his head, pure reflex taking over. ‘Finally…!’

It was a face he could never forget. Flushed red from booze, yet unable to hide that sickly yellow undertone. Eyes perpetually bloodshot from heavy drinking. An unkempt, stubbly beard clinging to his jawline. Topped off with clothes smeared in coal soot and muddy puddles from rolling around drunk in the streets. The unmistakable image of that butcher was carved indelibly into Yoongi’s eyes.

“Who the hell is Choi Yoongi?!”

The dangerous adult’s sudden entrance instantly froze the noisy lunchtime chatter, bringing the whole classroom to a dead standstill.

“I am.”

When Yoongi stood up in the middle of the dead silence, the other kids panicked.

[Yoongi, don’t go out there!] [No, Yoongi!] [I’ll get the teacher!]

Yoongi shook his head.

“No, it’s fine.”

Jinsu and Wonhee tried to hold him back as well.

“Yoongi, that guy looks weird. Don’t go out.” “Yeah. My granddad told me never to follow people like him.”

Yoongi just shook his head again.

“Don’t worry, trust me. And don’t follow me.”

Finally, Choi Deokbae chimed in.

<You You about bastard even human. isn’t said sure that this?> ‘I know him better than anyone else, though.’ <Just I If back die, die. don’t go starving. to you>

Yoongi glared at him, prompting Choi Deokbae to quickly look away and float silently behind him.

“You’re Choi Yoongi?”

It was a meeting across time, right at the front door of the classroom. Only this time, things were going to be different.

‘Unbelievable. I’m not scared at all.’

Back when he lived under the butcher’s thumb, getting beaten half to death, just looking at the man used to make him wet his pants. And his mother at home? She was useless. She completely neglected her child, just as eager as the butcher to extort money from him.

[I told you to prepare extra cash on top of what I give him!!!]

Remembering a freezing winter day when he was stripped naked and kicked out into the cold for not having side money—after slaving away shining shoes just to hand over his earnings to the butcher—a cold, unyielding desire for revenge settled deep in Yoongi’s heart.

“I asked if you’re Choi Yoongi!” “Yes.”

When Yoongi looked him straight in the eye without backing down, the butcher caught himself flinching, clearly taken aback, before shouting again.

“Follow me!”

Yoongi followed him without hesitation. They ended up at the sports equipment shed. It seemed the butcher had bribed the school janitor with booze, as the janitor, who should have been guarding the area, was nowhere to be seen. Just like that, it was only the two of them.

“I told you not to follow me!”

When Yoongi shouted inside the closed shed, the butcher started, looking around in surprise.

“S-sorry…” “I said don’t follow me!”

As Yoongi yelled again, Wonhee scratched the back of his head and quietly slipped away from the shed. Once Yoongi confirmed they were truly alone, the butcher spoke up again.

“You beat my kid half to death?”

Yoongi smirked and nodded.

“Yeah.” “Yeah~?”

The butcher raised his voice in disbelief, but Yoongi wasn’t scared at all.

“You don’t get the situation, kid. There’s no one around. A tiny brat like you? I could kill you in one hit. Still don’t get it?”

Yoongi just smirked again.

‘I’ve already set things up so I can escape if I need to.’

Yoongi was confident for a reason. Part of it was his physical training, which was far beyond that of a typical elementary schooler. He had enough stamina to outrun a man whose body was ruined by booze and escape the shed. Since the shed door pushed open directly rather than needing a knob turned, he was even more confident in making a run for it. Besides, Yoongi understood the butcher’s mindset completely, so he wasn’t worried in the first place. The physical training was just a backup plan for a worst-case scenario.

“You little runt!”

As the butcher raised his voice to intimidate him once more, Yoongi spoke up with a sneer.

“How much do you want?” “Huh…!”

The butcher froze in his tracks, hearing the exact words he wanted. He didn’t like the kid talking down to him, but his goal was money all along. Once he realized Yoongi was a rich kid, he only showed up to squeeze money out of him using his son as an excuse.

“You just want money, right? So, how much do you want?” “You little piece of…”

The butcher tried to cling to his last shred of pride, but when Yoongi casually pulled a few 10,000-won bills from his wallet, the man’s expression melted like butter on a hot skillet. A yellowed face melting like butter. Seeing that made Yoongi sneer even wider.

Flutter, flutter!

“Whoops!”

As a few 10,000-won bills hit the floor, the butcher completely forgot he was standing in front of a 10-year-old child. He dropped to his knees as if bowing, scrambling frantically to scoop up the money.

“So, how much?” “W-well… at least enough for his medical bills…”

In the spring of 1977, the cost of living was roughly eight times lower than in 2019.

Heh.

Yoongi pulled out 100,000 won from his wallet and tossed it back onto the floor.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

Watching the butcher scrape up the bills with both palms flat on the ground, Yoongi felt a tiny piece of his old trauma heal. Not that the hatred had faded, of course.

‘Slowly. Very slowly. Until I grow up, until the day you die, I’m going to play with you. I’ll make sure you don’t get to die from alcohol.’

Clueless about what Yoongi was thinking, the butcher finished gathering the money, rubbed his thumb and forefinger together with a servile grin, and subtly asked for more.

“Want more?” “Oh, I’d be so grateful for more. Young master, you sure are generous, coming from a rich family and all.”

The butcher wasn’t the type to put his own life on the line. He acted tough around others, but the moment there was a small profit to be made, he became lower than dirt. And against those he could exploit, he was more cruel and oppressive than anyone. Which was why Yoongi gave him an order.

“I don’t like your son. How about you?” “Ugh, I feel the exact same way! That little brat is utterly useless! Tell him to go earn money, and he doesn’t. He never listens! Man, I wish that kid would just kick the bucket! He’s like mold living off my food.”

Listening to him, Yoongi picked up on one key difference from his own past.

‘Tough as nails.’

The kid was tough. Genuinely tough as nails. To endure such brutal beatings without breaking down and handing over money—that thief was undeniably tough.

“Your son makes a scene at school and it annoys me. Dealing with him is a hassle, too. So I’d like you to discipline him properly. Can you do that?”

Yoongi pulled out five more 10,000-won bills, tapping them against his palm as he spoke. The butcher began bowing his head obsequiously.

“Oh, absolutely! Absolutely!”

Flutter.

Money fell to the floor again, and the butcher bowed down like he was performing a formal worship. Watching him, Yoongi turned around and walked out of the shed.

‘Still not enough.’

The hatred inside him hadn’t disappeared.

Five days had passed since Yoongi beat him up, yet the thief—Kim Chanyeol—showed up to class looking completely unhealed. If anything, he looked like he had even more bruises. With one of his eye sockets turned purple-black, the kids looked at him with curiosity, but no one asked if he was okay, who did it, or why he hadn’t healed yet. That was how much everyone disliked Kim Chanyeol, and Yoongi had already made everyone realize how powerless the bully really was in third grade.

“He’s being really quiet today,” Wonhee remarked.

Jinsu just shrugged, while Yoongi didn’t react at all.

“Open your books, everyone.”

Even Park Sunja, who walked in as the bell rang, ignored Kim Chanyeol entirely. As if hoping the teacher might show him some concern, Kim Chanyeol stared at her, only to drop his head in disappointment when she didn’t even make eye contact. The next day, Chanyeol had even more bruises. The day after that, they grew darker. And the day after that, his other eye turned purple-black as well. And then…

“Mister, I’ll walk home today.”

When Yoongi told his driver, the driver just bowed and drove away, used to this routine. Yoongi had already received his grandfather’s permission to walk home with friends from time to time.

“You guys go watch the drakkon candy guy near the school gates for a bit.”

Sending Jinsu and Wonhee toward the street vendor making candy cutouts, Yoongi followed the butcher—who was offering him a servile smile—into a quiet alleyway. There was no one around.

“Young master, I’m doing exactly as you told me. So, um… well…”

Without saying a word, Yoongi pulled out 100,000 won and scattered it on the ground again.

“Whoa! Thank you so much!”

The butcher feverishly gathered the money and stood up, looking momentarily flustered when Yoongi was nowhere to be seen. But that was it. With enough booze money for a full week in hand, the butcher whistled and disappeared down the alley. Watching him from another corner, Yoongi turned back toward the candy vendor.

<Since abusive an been handle how huh? it jerk, know really through to you you’ve yourself,> ‘If you haven’t been on the receiving end, you don’t understand how bad guys think.’ <Is end it? of the this> ‘No way. I’m going to ruin him completely until his dying day.’

Yoongi walked slowly toward the candy setup where Jinsu and Wonhee were getting heated.

“You idiot! You gotta use the needle to gently carve it out!” “Ah, shut up! You’re making me break it!”

Watching Wonhee try to carve out a star shape with a needle while Jinsu back-seat navigated from behind, they looked every bit like ordinary third graders.

‘I wanted one of those so badly when I was little…’

Melted sugar shaped into giant guns or turtles given as prizes. Yoongi’s eyes sparkled with childhood innocence.

“Mister, give me one too.” “Sure thing, that’s 20 won.” “Yoongi, get me one too!” “Mister, give him one as well.” “Alright, 40 won then.”

As the three of them gathered around to carve out the star shape, Choi Deokbae lay back floating in mid-air, muttering quietly to himself so Yoongi wouldn’t hear.

<Guess I can him later…? tell>

Four days after the butcher took the money in the alley, Kim Chanyeol finally stopped coming to school.

‘Looks like he took quite a beating.’

Yoongi was pleased at first, but when Kim Chanyeol didn’t show up for over ten days, he felt a bit puzzled.

‘Still, there’s no way he’d miss this many days…’

He wasn’t worried in the slightest. If anything, he was annoyed. Watching Kim Chanyeol suffer had been his main source of entertainment lately.

“Mister, please stop by my friend’s house today.” “Is it Young Master Wonhee or Jinsu?” “No, someone else. He hasn’t been coming to school, so I’m worried he might be sick.”

Hearing that he was visiting a sick friend, the driver felt a surge of pride, thinking, ‘As expected of the young master.’

‘Right, I used to live in a place like this.’

A run-down hillside slum. Calling it run-down in this era meant it was truly falling apart. A cluster of neglected houses full of rat bites, covered in mold, and completely lacking maintenance. This was where he had been beaten half to death, worked half to death, and begged half to death in his past life.

‘Damn it, bad memories are coming back for no reason.’

When Yoongi got out of the car, the driver followed behind him, but Yoongi let him be this time. Showing off this kind-hearted side to the driver wasn’t a bad idea anyway.

‘It was definitely around here…’

A crumbling house right in the middle of the hillside slum. Yet no one answered no matter how much he knocked on the door.

“Grandma, where did the kid living here go?”

Yoongi asked an old woman in the neighboring yard who was fanning herself. She asked back, “Are you his friend?”

“Yes.”

Nodding as if that made sense, the old woman let out a sigh before speaking again.

“That boy couldn’t take getting beaten by his parents anymore, so he ran away.” “He ran away?” “Yeah, and that’s not all. After he ran off, that butcher of a man started beating his wife instead, so she couldn’t stand it and ran away too.” “Then what about my friend’s dad?” “The woman reported him to the police, so he got hauled off to jail. My son works at the station, and he said the guy got sent to the detention center. Word is he’ll be serving a few years.”

The old woman kept talking, but Yoongi stopped listening.

‘I endured it even while getting beaten like that, but he actually found a way out and ran… He…’ <Are changing? isn’t just now only past realizing that the thing you your>

At Choi Deokbae’s words, Yoongi looked over to where he was floating.

<Maybe A action already alter because big but can changing comfortably completely didn’t feel from in it life living now, of past seems single so someone the unrelated. ways. who you you’re> ‘Come to think of it, driving away that scammer when I was little was the same thing…’ <Yeah, How Moving a and big cause different do entirely forward, from future handle instance is knew one small that the things to too. unfold. up was will you you.> ‘Is there really a future I’d struggle to handle? Given my current situation, “struggle” doesn’t seem like the right word.’

Hearing Yoongi’s response, Choi Deokbae chuckled and dropped a bombshell.

<Of Group On Samwoo bankrupt. committed course day is. morning paper reported suicide, that the there went you>