At home, inside his room, he took out a notebook and wrote on the first page in tight handwriting.
"I have to become strong. In every way. Also improve my appearance."
He stared at the words. It wasn't just to escape the bullying, nor just for revenge. It was to become someone.
At this rate, he'd be a loser forever.
That night he trained. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, planks… until his body trembled and he couldn't go on anymore.
In the following days, he endured the bullying with clenched teeth.
Saturday came. He turned fourteen. And as always, there was no cake, no singing. In the morning, his parents had taken his brother shopping and out to eat. It was something common. They always left him alone on his birthdays, saying things like "Byeoto doesn't enjoy those things."
He watched the door close behind them. Then he took a deep breath and put on his sneakers. He didn't have time to cry right now. Nor to wait for anyone. He went out jogging under the gray sky.
With that, Monday arrived quickly. Byeoto entered the school as always. Everything was the same as always. The same insults. The same faces.
The first few hours passed without incident.
He took notes in silence, head down. When lunch came, he went to the cafeteria. While eating alone, a strange silence surrounded him. Then he heard familiar footsteps behind him.
Seo Minjae, impeccable as always, entered the cafeteria along with Dohoon and Taeyang. The chatter of the other students slowly faded. It was as if the air had grown heavier.
"Look at him, still pretending not to see us," whispered Taeyang.
"He must think he's invisible," laughed Dohoon.
Byeoto ignored them. He took another bite of rice, trying to pretend they weren't there. But the blow to the back of his neck came suddenly. The tray fell to the floor, rice scattered everywhere.
"Get up," ordered Dohoon.
Byeoto clenched his fists and didn't move. Another shove forced him to stand. In the middle of the cafeteria, with all eyes on him, Dohoon and Taeyang forced him to kneel before Minjae.
The boy looked down at him. Perfect uniform, flawless smile. An idol standing over a broken human.
Byeoto swallowed hard. His shyness was suffocating him.
"Why… why are you doing this to me?" he asked in a trembling voice.
Minjae tilted his head, amused. His smile widened.
"Hahaha… It's very simple. Because it's fun."
The silence was absolute. Something inside Byeoto cracked.
That laughter… those words… that absurd reason.
Suddenly, he stopped trembling. The veins on his forehead bulged, and with a burst of strength he broke free from their grip and threw a punch at Dohoon's torso, the impact leaving him in pain.
Seeing that, Taeyang tried to intervene, but Byeoto kicked him in the stomach, making him gasp in agony.
Now, panting, he lunged at Minjae without thinking twice.
The first punch hit Minjae's cheek. Shockingly, a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
The entire cafeteria held its breath.
Minjae stepped back, furious. With a quick motion, he struck back, landing a punch to Byeoto's nose.
Dohoon and Taeyang recovered and grabbed him again. Blood ran down his nose, but Byeoto struggled to break free until he did, and without hesitation, he grabbed Dohoon by the hair and hit him again and again until he was unconscious.
Taeyang, terrified, backed away, but Byeoto reached him—one punch to the jaw, a kick to the liver, and a final headbutt to the face knocked him down.
The cafeteria was silent. The looks around him were a mix of fear and astonishment.
Minjae watched with a cold expression. Byeoto panted, blood dripping from his knuckles, struggling to catch his breath.
Without warning, Minjae launched a spinning kick. The impact to the head was brutal. Byeoto fell to the ground.
"Are you an idiot?" Minjae said with disdain. "Don't you know I practice taekwondo? A loser like you can't win."
He lifted his leg, ready to break Byeoto's, but Byeoto got up and tackled him desperately.
Both fell and rolled on the ground. Byeoto, on top, tried to hit him, but Minjae blocked with his leg, pushing Byeoto's shoulder, and countered with a knee to the ribs.
The pain made Byeoto recoil, clutching his side in agony, but he gritted his teeth and kept fighting, refusing to give up even as the blows broke him down.
"What are you? A zombie?" Minjae said, now annoyed, before finishing with an upward kick that knocked him down.
Byeoto fell to the floor, spitting blood. Even so, he did everything he could to stand up. He managed it, staggering, fists raised.
Minjae's face darkened. He approached slowly, twisted his torso, and shifted his weight onto his left leg. His body tensed like a spring.
He spun with force, driven by his hips, and his right leg rose above his head. His heel pointed at the sky for an instant before descending violently.
The downward spinning kick crashed onto Byeoto's head, who barely had his arms up.
The impact was devastating. Byeoto bent backward, his eyes rolling white, and collapsed to the ground.
Minjae landed gracefully, staring at the motionless Byeoto.
…..
When Byeoto opened his eyes, he was no longer in the cafeteria. The gray sky loomed above him. He was on the rooftop.
His head ached, his mouth tasted like iron. He stood up unsteadily. There was no one around. The cold wind hit his face.
Every step home was torture. He dragged his feet, chest burning with anger and shame.
When he opened the door, he heard his mother's voice.
"What did you do, Byeoto?!"
A slap made him stumble. His father stood behind her, face tense. His brother looked at him disapprovingly.
"They called from school," his father said. "Minjae claims you attacked him. There were witnesses. Tomorrow we'll meet with the administration."
Byeoto opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. He saw it in their faces, in their eyes—they had already condemned him.
"Even if I spoke… would they believe me?" he thought sadly.
….
The principal's office smelled of expensive coffee and polished wood. Diplomas hung on the wall behind the desk.
Byeoto entered behind his parents. His knuckles were scraped from yesterday's incident. His mother gripped his arm as if she feared he might run. His father kept a serious face, not looking at him.
In front of the desk were Seo Minjae, with a small bandage on his cheek, and his mother, a tall, elegant woman with an expensive coat draped over her shoulders. She had the same blue eyes as her son, but in her, there was more arrogance.
Minjae's father was a senator and hadn't attended "due to state matters," as the principal commented deferentially.
The principal smiled respectfully at Minjae and his mother before beginning.
"Thank you for coming, Mrs. Seo. We know your schedule is busy."
She nodded slightly, as if granting a favor.
"Let's get to the matter." The principal flipped through a folder full of papers. "We have the reports of the incident and several testimonies from students and teachers."
Byeoto opened his mouth to speak, but Minjae was faster. With a calm, almost hurt voice, feigning pity, he said.
"Mr. Principal, I was only trying to help. Han Byeoto has been harassing me for months. He follows me, insults me, steals from me. Today, I tried to talk it out, and he attacked me without provocation."
His mother placed a dramatic hand on Minjae's shoulder.
"My son only wants to study and serve this school. He's an exemplary young man, as you know. It's very hard for us to see someone bully him like this."
Dohoon and Taeyang, sitting behind them, nodded with wounded expressions. They said they came as witnesses and victims.
"It's true, Principal. We always see him bothering people. Today was too much," said Taeyang in a pained tone.
Byeoto felt his blood boil.
"That's a lie! They're the ones who bully me! Ask the others!" he shouted desperately.
The principal fixed him with a cold stare.
"We've already spoken with several students. They all agree that you're the aggressor, Han Byeoto. We even have photographs showing you attacking your classmates."
He pulled out a sheet. It was a photo taken from behind, in the cafeteria. Byeoto lunged at Minjae, fist on his cheek. No one could see the context. It looked exactly like what everyone believed.
His own mother looked at him with restrained anger.
"You're embarrassing us," she whispered through clenched teeth.
The principal closed the folder.
"This is serious. It could affect the school's image. More than that, we can't condone violence. We must reach an agreement to resolve this matter."
Minjae's mother smiled faintly, as if watching an insect.
"We expect a public apology. We don't want to take legal action, but this has gone too far."
Byeoto looked at his parents, seeking support. His father avoided his eyes. His mother gently pushed him forward. "Bow and apologize," she ordered in a low voice.
"But I didn't do anything!" Byeoto's voice trembled.
"Do it," his father said sharply.
Minjae looked at him with the perfect expression of a generous victim.
"Don't worry. If you admit your mistake, I'll forgive you."
Byeoto's hands trembled. His nails dug into his palms from the fury. He felt the whole world was against him. Slowly, head down, he bowed.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, each word burning his throat.
Minjae's mother nodded, slightly dissatisfied. "That's better. We trust this won't happen again."
The principal closed the case with a gesture. "You may leave. Tomorrow we'll discuss internal sanctions."
In the hallway, as Minjae and his mother walked away, he stood there, frozen, feeling something inside him break completely.