She was no different from a beast

Chapter 21

—–CROW—– 

“Hey! Pfft. I heard you got beat up by a girl today?”

“No. What? Where’d you hear that, Noona?”

“At the Taekwondo dojang, by Yuri? Mom sent you to Taekwondo so you wouldn’t get beat up, but you’re getting hit? By a girl, no less? You’re hilarious.”

I was teased by my older sister, who’s six years older than me and in middle school, as soon as I got home.

But since I was in the wrong, I couldn’t argue… and it wasn’t like it hurt that much or I got injured.

Yeah. I was so stupid.

‘I should have known better than to call Yuna a pig, especially after we’d just started becoming friends. Idiot.’

Who is Han Yuna?

She’s the kid who made the Master’s hand numb the next day after holding the mitt for her roundhouse kick and who can easily do tumbles.

On top of that, at school, she single-handedly wins dodgeball against the whole class and even crushes chalk into dust.  She’s scary.

‘Yuri Noona said she can even poke holes through wood with her fingers.’

If anyone else had said that, I would have told them to stop lying, but since it was about Yuna… it seemed possible.

I called someone like that a pig, not because she was actually fat, but just because she eats a lot. It was my fault.

Besides, Yuna must have held back at the end so I wouldn’t get hurt. I also twisted my body to the side because I wanted to live, so I didn’t get injured.

“Oh my! You two! Why are you so noisy as soon as you get home?! I cut up some fruit, so change your clothes and come out!”

As I was bickering with my sister at the entrance, Mom’s voice came from the living room, and my sister smirked, looking down at me.

Wait. Noona. Why are you looking at me like that?

…No way, right?

You’re not going to tell Mom, are you?

Honestly, I wanted this incident to just quietly pass by with only my classmates and teacher knowing.

Even though Yuna is still scary, I know she’s not a bad kid. We made up, and I didn’t want to see that pretty girl, despite her ridiculous strength, looking so down.

‘If we don’t get along, I won’t be able to share her bibimbap next time.’

Even though I said that during lunch, I was tempted by Yuna’s bibimbap with the fragrant oil and red gochujang she took out of her bag.

But my sister ignored my wishes.

“Mom!!! Jeongwoo got beat up at school!!!”

“What?!”

“Ah! Noona!!!”

As soon as I took off my shoes and entered the house, my sister told Mom everything that happened at school.

Ugh. Why did Yuri Noona have to tell my sister?!

At my sister’s words, Mom’s eyes widened like a goblin’s as she rushed towards me, checking my body for injuries.

“Son, are you hurt anywhere?”

“…No. I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

“Don’t worry, my foot! I sent you to Taekwondo, and you’re still getting hit! I told you to hit them back twice as hard if they hit you!”

Uh, well, then she might actually die.

Punch Yuna?

I can’t even imagine it.

I feel bad enough hitting someone smaller and cuter than me, but she’s *Yuna*.

The thought of Yuna easily blocking my punch and rushing at me with wide eyes like Mom made me break out in a cold sweat.

…I’d rather make her angry with words than ever hit her.

“I was in the wrong in the first place.”

“Oh? Really? Yuri said that girl just! Grabbed you and slammed you down! And that you had to go to the nurse’s office and everything?”

“I teased her first. Actually…”

Since my sister had told Mom everything, I thought I couldn’t hide it anymore, so I ended up telling her everything that happened at school.

About how I called her a pig after seeing her mix the leftover rice and vegetable side dishes that nobody ate with gochujang and oil in a big food container.

And how angry Yuna had lifted and thrown me like the drama characters Mom watches, but held back so I wouldn’t get hurt.

Finally, how Yuna was surprised to see me lying on the floor and carried me to the nurse’s office, and how we apologized to each other.

After hearing that, Mom and my sister…

“You deserved it.”

“That girl is still nice. If your dad did that to me, I would’ve beaten him so bad he’d be in the hospital.”

“If it were me, forget the nurse’s office. I would’ve hit him even more right there.”

“???”

Well, I was definitely in the wrong, but hearing that from Mom and my sister felt strange.

“That girl was wrong too. No matter what, you can’t use violence on a friend. I’ll have to see that girl’s face tomorrow at school.”

“? But you said you’d put Dad in the hospital for hitting you.”

“Your dad got off easy. Don’t you remember when he went fishing with Yuri’s dad last year and came back completely drunk?”

‘…Is this right?’

“That…It’s Yuna. The girl who helps me study.”

“???”

“Oh?”

I know Mom and Noona have heard a little about Yuna.

Even though they haven’t seen her face, the Taekwondo Master never stopped praising Yuna to Mom.

He kept saying she’s a good student, polite, and has good manners, and that I’m lucky to have a friend like her.

And Yuri’s dad also talks about Yuna sometimes.

Before, when we were all grilling meat together with Yuri Noona’s family, Yuna’s name came up, and her dad said…

‘Ah~ Yuna? Come to think of it, isn’t she the same age as Jeongwoo? Wow. She’s so bright and kind for a young kid. Last year, when we were all drunk, she brought us honey water.’

When the name of the friend whom all the adults around me praised came up, Mom blinked her eyes a few times and then…

*SLAP!!*

“Ouch!!”

“Oh my! You little-! How could you say that to the kid who helps you study!!”

My…my back…!!

Mom’s hand stung as it slammed against my back. I rolled around on the floor in pain.

She hit me way harder than usual!!

“Oh my god!! Are you crazy?! Crazy!! Why would you tease the girl who helps you study?!”

Mom yelled as if she was frustrated, pounding her chest…

“…Are you really crazy?”

My sister looked at me with pity and sighed.

Well, it’s true that thanks to Yuna, I got second place in class on a test I’d never seen before, and fifth overall in the first grade, but is that a reason to be this angry…is it?

Of course, it is.

Jeongwoo’s mother wasn’t particularly talented in studying, and neither was her husband.  But she wanted her children to have opportunities, so she sent them to after-school math programs and bought them workbooks if they wanted them.

Jeongwoo’s older sister, Jeongha, wasn’t terrible at studying, but her grades weren’t that high despite her hard work.

She hovered between a 4 and a 3 grade ranking.

Considering she diligently listened in class, reviewed and previewed lessons before dinner, and then previewed again before bed, her grades were relatively low.

But oh my god! Our son placed fifth overall in the first midterm exams! Everyone, look at this! Our youngest is fifth in the whole school! Hahaha!!

While second place in class might have been a little disappointing, it was a different story since first place went to that mysterious friend, Yuna, who apparently helped Jeongwoo study every Saturday…no, sometimes even on weekdays.

Of course.  She’s first in the whole school, so of course, she should be first in the class. Second place is good too.

In her mind, even though she didn’t know Yuna’s face, she was nothing less than a savior for her son.

Not only did his grades improve, but her immature and whiny son had become calmer and more mature after making a friend.  So, she was a typical mom who always chanted “Hail Yuna!!” in her heart.

But!! Her recently dependable and adorable son called that savior a pig?!

‘This won’t do.’

It absolutely wouldn’t do if that girl distanced herself from Jeongwoo.

She resolved to bow her head to the great Yuna before she could express her displeasure at school, faster than anyone else.

“…That’s what happened.”

“Aha. So she still sees me in a good light.”

“She seems to value you more than me.”

Hmm. That’s a little unfortunate.

It can be a bit sad for a child to see their parent valuing someone else’s child more.  Of course.

But if you fall for Han Yuna with her beast-like charm…it can’t be helped, right?

“But right now, she seems more interested in our mom.”

“…Is she really your mom?”

“What? Are you insulting my mom now? Or are you saying I don’t have a mom?”

“No, no!! Your mom is so pretty and young. She’s as pretty as people on TV.  My mom’s face is all wrinkly.”

Ah, if that’s the case, I agree.

It’s true that even though my mom is in her 30s, she has the bouncy skin and beauty of someone in their 20s, without a single wrinkle, and, well, large breasts.

Plus, she has a great figure, so she’s dangerously close to being mistaken for a college student.

Well, the dangerous one is Dad, of course.

Dad has the face and body of a man his age.

While drinking the fruit juice the teacher gave us and waiting outside with Jeongwoo on the playground stands for our parents to finish talking…honestly, the atmosphere was so warm and friendly that I wondered if they had anything more to discuss.

Jeongwoo’s mom adored me, saying she’d rip off Jeongwoo’s limbs one by one if he acted like that again, and her eyes sparkled when she saw my mom’s appearance.

Dad was happy to see his drinking buddy after a long time, and they chatted about this and that.

“Don’t ever say that in front of my mom.”

“Of course not.  If I did, Mom would grab the cane and try to kill me.”

Wow. You know exactly what would happen.

That’s right. If you make comments about a woman’s body or looks, you’re screwed.

Did he learn his lesson after getting beaten up by me once?  His wisdom has grown.

‘…I’m glad, though.’

Jeongwoo is the only one I can really talk to in class, and if things got awkward between us, I would have been a total loner.

Sigh, let’s reflect, Han Yuna.

From now on, even when I’m angry, I need to resolve things with words, or if not, I should do it calmly where nobody can see, without leaving any noticeable marks, just enough to teach them a lesson…

“I’m thinking of practicing Taekwondo harder.”

“?? Suddenly?”

“Yeah. I think I need to be able to withstand your attacks.”

“…”

“I think I went down in one hit because I’ve been slacking off. I’m reflecting on that.”

…Is this kid crazy?

Why are you reflecting on that, you little shit?

It doesn’t seem like something someone who’s reflecting on beating people up in secret should say, but this kid, for an 8-year-old, is more of a weirdo than I thought.

—–CROW—– 

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