Jaeho knew what was waiting for him the moment it was break time and despite knowing, it didn't mean he was mentally ready to deal with it.
It was always the same strategy, Minho and Jiwon would ambush him in the hallway with Daeho already waiting for them at the location where the beating would take place.
Jaeho did think about fighting back numerous times, God knows he thought about it but what he stood to lose was too much.
Because if he truly wanted to fight back, there was no way in hell these boys would be able to withstand his brutality as he was stronger than three of them combined.
All he needed was a single punch to connect and they would drop like flies, his body was built differently from the shifts he took at the warehouse on the weekends carrying heavy boxes and bags.
But this was also why he could withstand their bullying, their fists barely did much damage to him but it didn't change the fact it had a psychological impact on him.
Jaeho knew all it took to ruin his chance at a future was one blip on his academic record, he would not only lose his scholarship but the chances of him ever getting one again would be zero.
That would mean the end of his life because there would be no way he would be able to sustain the responsibilities he was barely sustaining to begin with which would mean he would lose custody of his sisters.
This was nothing compared to all that he stood to lose, all he needed to do was act as their punching bag for a couple of years and it would all be over.
The bell rang shortly after, Jaeho already knew what was coming as everyone rushed out of the classroom to enjoy their break.
Jaeho gathered his things slowly, taking as long as possible before leaving the class.
"Han Jaeho," Ms. Ahn called him on his way out of class prompting him to stop at the door.
Jaeho turned his head and noticed she was now seated on the table with her arms crossed, looking right at him.
"I need to talk to you," Ms. Ahn informed him. Jaeho looked into the hallway before returning his attention to her. He didn't know why but he was relieved this was happening.
He couldn't believe his luck at the end of the day because now, he had a reason to stay in class.
Before he could walk towards her, she gestured for him to close the door behind him.
Jaeho did just that so no one from the hallway could peek in or eavesdrop on what they were about to discuss.
"Your grades…" Ms. Ahn began, before pausing briefly with a piece of paper in hand.
"...They are impressive, top five in the class as a matter of fact," Ms. Ahn said.
"Thank you, ma'am," Jaeho responded awkwardly.
"But this isn't the reason I called you back," Ms. Ahn said as Jaeho's awkward smile slowly vanished.
She reached out suddenly and grabbed his forearm before he could react, her grip was firm as she forcefully rolled up the sleeves in one fluid motion.
This exposed the fading bruises around his biceps.
"Ms. Ahn…!" Jaeho was clearly startled by this, it happened too fast as he quickly pulled his arm away before rolling down his sleeves to conceal the bruises.
Ms. Ahn knew it wasn't his parents because Jaeho didn't have any and she wasn't blind to the looks he got from those three even while class was going on.
"Jaeho…" her voice was suddenly softer. Jaeho knew she was trying to help him but there wasn't anything she could do.
"You can tell me who is doing this to you… I know what is happening," Ms. Ahn tried her best to reassure him.
"It is nothing, I got these from work," Jaeho dismissed her claims right away, trying his best to downplay the situation as there was nothing she could do even if he told her exactly how he was being bullied except to make it worse.
"Work?" Ms. Ahn asked with a raised brow.
"I actually have a few jobs. I got these because my hands aren't as steady as my grades," Jaeho said with a forced smile.
"You are working multiple jobs and maintaining top grades?" She asked to which Jaeho nodded.
Ms. Ahn knew he was trying to change the topic because he didn't trust her enough so she had to build that trust between them first, this was one way to do it.
"Jaeho, that is not sustainable," Ms. Ahn told him.
"I manage," Jaeho assured her.
"Clearly not well enough," Ms. Ahn said, gesturing at his bruised arm. Jaeho chuckled nervously while rubbing his hair.
"You need to go to the nurse and have those wounds properly checked out," Ms. Ahn said. She knew he couldn't afford to go to a hospital but the school's nurse could at least handle something like this.
Jaeho looked at her and saw there was genuine concern in her eyes, not pity or disgust, which was refreshing because it had been a long time since someone took it upon themselves to look after him.
Jaeho flashed her a smile, the same smile he gave Jia and Serin when he wanted them to believe everything was alright.
"Thank you, Ms. Ahn. I really appreciate your concern," Jaeho bowed his head slightly to show his gratitude.
"My door is always open, Jaeho. I want you to remember that any time you want to talk," Ms. Ahn reiterated.
"I will," Jaeho responded but this was a lie.
He left the classroom, leaving Ms. Ahn alone in the classroom to ponder on the kind of burden on Jaeho's shoulder with one question on her mind.
"Will he be okay?"
-
The moment Jaeho stepped into the hallway, he noticed the three bullies were waiting for him at the stairwell located close to the classroom.
Jaeho sighed the moment his eyes met theirs but once again, he played along.
"That took you some time," Minho said with a disgusting grin on his face but Jaeho remained mute. He knew not to speak back when they were talking.
"Were you trying to fuck Ms. Ahn? Is that what took you so long? Huh? Charity Case," Jiwon joined in.
They were trying his best to get a reaction out of him but Jaeho didn't give them one despite his mind doing the opposite.
Daeho didn't say a single word, he just looked at him before tilting his head in the direction of the bathroom. Jaeho complied without protest with Minho slapping the back of his head the moment he walked past him.
The bathroom was empty, the only kid in it, who was taking a piss, left the moment they entered.
"You know," Minho began as he leaned against the sink.
"Is it true that you begged the school to let you in on a scholarship?" Minho asked but this was an attempt to ragebait him so they would have an excuse to use more violence.
Jaeho remained quiet but the ragebait only seemed to work on the person who was trying to ragebait him because Minho slammed his back against the wall.
"Yeah, it is true," Jaeho responded like a zombie.
"Pathetic," Daeho said.
"You don't belong here, Han. This school is for people with futures, not some sewer rat like you," Minho said but this wasn't just a problem these three people shared but Jaeho was sure others shared this thought process as well.
"You know what? I think we should remind you of your place," Minho seemed to be the one who did most of the talking, like he liked the sound of his own voice.
Jiwon quickly grabbed Jaeho's collar, shoving him to the stalls before gesturing for him to get on his knees.
Jaeho had to mentally remind himself of what he stood to lose and complied with their every demand.
"All it takes is one suspension…" Jaeho thought to himself.
-
The school came to an end at 3:30 PM, and Jaeho let out a huge sigh of relief the moment he heard it, he managed to survive another day.
Jaeho took a couple of minutes to catch his breath as the class emptied out.
They had inflicted new bruises on his body but Jaeho already knew he couldn't let it define his day. As long as his sisters didn't see it, he didn't care about much else.
Jaeho left and on his way out, he saw his bullies being picked up by some of the most expensive cars in existence, not quite up there but these cars were definitely on the expensive side.
Jaeho looked forward and just laughed at how ridiculous everything was at this point, he had no energy to deny his pathetic fate anymore.
Surely, something had to give, it just had to as everyone had their breaking point.
Jaeho didn't feel envy for the lives they were blessed with but rather, he wondered why kids who had it all would rather expend their energy harming him.
He caught a glimpse at the boy, who was peeing in the bathroom, glancing at him through his peripherals.
Jaeho didn't pay him much attention because he had a job to go to.