NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Min Joo
I watched Jimeen's head disappear through the car window, tears streaming down her face as she waved. I waved back until the car vanished into the distance. Taking a deep breath, I muttered, *"Maybe I should go to the park to clear my head."*
At the park, I lay on the grass under a tree's shade. *"How do I defeat that monster if my blows don't even scratch him?"* An idea struck me: *"If brute force isn't enough, I'll study human anatomy. Target the weak spots—the neck, the spine."*
Suddenly, noise shattered my thoughts. A group of seven-year-olds were bullying a boy their age.
**"Look at him! Crying like a girl! Hahaha!"**
**"Yeah! He's useless without his sister!"**
Curious, I approached. The boy had delicate, almost feminine features. Pity stirred in me. **"How about you leave him alone?"**
The ringleader turned to me. **"Anyone know this kid?"**
**"Nope, first time seeing him,"** said the chubby one.
**"Me neither! Never seen him at school!"** added the short boy.
**"Good,"** I said calmly but firmly. **"Now you know me. Bullying isn't what real men do."**
The leader smirked. **"What'll you do if we don't listen?"**
I smiled coldly and cracked the rope coiled around my wrist. **"We won't get to that point… right?"**
They retreated, fleeing after one last glare at the trembling boy.
I turned to him. **"Your name?"**
**"Min Joo…"** he whispered, wiping tears.
---
*"Hmm…"* I studied his soft features and timid posture. *"No wonder they bully him—he's a mirror of my past self."*
**"Got any friends?"** I asked.
He shook his head, staring at the ground. **"No one… wants to be my friend."**
I placed a hand on his shaking shoulder. **"I was like you once… until I learned true weakness is fearing your own skin."**
Pulling out the black crayon that had saved me countless times, I handed it to him. **"Hold this. It'll make you stronger."**
**"How?"** he asked, bewildered.
**"It'll teach you to turn pain into a weapon."**
He gripped the crayon hesitantly, as if it might burn him. But his wide eyes flickered with **the first spark of hope**.
---
The next day, I stared at Min Joo. **"Did you say you *stabbed him in the arm*?!"**
**"Yep! Then he screamed like a kid who lost his candy!"** he replied, eyes glittering.
**"..."**
I shrugged. **"The ends justify the means."**
**"But I used your crayon!"** he added proudly. **"I drew hearts on it first!"**
**"..."**
*Maybe "the ends justify the means" needs a footnote in parenting guides.*
---
I visited the dusty library owned by Grandpa's friend. The scent of yellowed paper and sunlight filtering through cracked shelves filled the air.
**"Any books on human anatomy?"** I asked respectfully.
The old man peered over his thick glasses. **"At your age?! These are advanced medical texts…"**
**"Personal research,"** I said flatly.
He handed me a leather-bound tome: ***Secrets of the Human Body: Between Science and the Killer.***
I devoured its pages:
- **Spinal cord:** A neck strike causes instant paralysis.
- **Carotid artery:** Cuts off brain bloodflow in seconds.
- **Skull base:** A hard blow triggers fatal bleeding.
**"Need more precise training…"** I muttered, tracing diagrams. But guilt pricked me. *Does this monster deserve death… or am I becoming him?*
Behind the counter, the old man whispered into a phone: **"He studies anatomy like a surgeon… unnatural for a four-year-old."**
I slammed the book shut. The Faceless Monster's taunt echoed: ***"Weak… weak… weak…"***
**"No,"** I hissed, gripping the crayon until it nearly snapped. **"I'll learn every detail… and make your pain real."**
---
Days, weeks, months, and years blurred like a runaway train. My routine became sacred:
- **Dawn:** Brutal combat drills in Grandpa's garden.
- **Day:** Dissecting anatomy books in the dusty library.
- **Night:** Bloody battles in the White Room against the **Faceless Monster**.