Chapter 11: Chapter 11- Brutal?
At that exact moment, Shin-Il's whole life flashed before his eyes moment by moment. Ever since he was born, he was cursed with a weak body that gets sick easily and can't really get stronger.
He couldn't exercise or do anything that exerts his body. However, for better or worse, he was able to attend school normally like everyone else his age which was something he was grateful for since staying at home would just be horrible.
However, he didn't realize that this was going to be the start of his suffering. His peers didn't like him because of how skinny and weak he looked.
Naturally, his soft appearance and short height made him an easy target for bullying. Shin-Il would spend his days alone at his seat or behind the school building getting beaten up for reason or no reason at all.
He was cast away and never had friends during his whole childhood and as much as it hurt him, Shin-Il never lost his smile in front of his parents. They were the only people that truly cared for him and loved him unconditionally.
He believed deep in his heart that as long as he had them, he would never need anyone else in this world. They were the beacon of his hope and the people he looked up to the most. And then... The two of them died in a train accident when Shin-Il was 11 years old.
The accident was apparently a mistake by the train engineer who steered it out of its normal trail, ending up smashing into a building. Everyone inside the train died, including his parents.
It was a tragedy that shook the whole country.
When Shin-Il received the news, something cracked inside of him. No, it didn't simply crack, it completely shattered. He felt as if his entire world was robbed of all light in one single moment.
His parents, the most precious people in his world were suddenly gone, just like that. It just felt so unreal that for months and months after, he became obsessed with looking at the door, wishing it would open and they would peek secretly from it to check if he was there just to surprise him with his favorite snacks.
Yet, that day never came. Shin-Il spent the rest of his childhood living in his grandparent's care. They were good people and they did treat him well, but Shin-Il completely lost the desire to do anything, no matter how simple it was.
Even walking to school became his worst nightmare. Bullying and depression simply were too much to handle separately let alone at the same time.
In reality, Shin-Il did consider ending it all. After all, how painful could death be? Certainly not as painful as he was feeling at that moment. However, every time he would take the knife to his wrist, he would stop at the last moment. The image of his parents smiling while looking at him would flash in his memory every single time he would try to end his life.
'What am I even doing...' Tears well up in his eyes as he grabs his head. The regret and the pain would collide together and turn his head into a mess.
Years passed slowly as Shin-Il grew up. Fortunately, with time, he started overcoming his depression and things started getting better for him. His doctors found a way to treat his condition and he was able to improve physically although he couldn't come back to normal.
He also started making friends and communicating with people. He was starting to feel alive again, to feel that his life had a purpose.
That was his life until he graduated from high school and enrolled in Seoul National University where he was able to join the student council and meet Hyun-Jae and the others who truly became his best friends.
"Shin-Il!!"
As the boy stood there, he felt his heart beat slowly. He didn't feel anything around him nor look at anything else besides the stinger that was flying at him.
At that moment, out of nowhere, a silhouette flashed in front of him as he pushed him back and put his arm forward.
That sudden movement shook him out of his own world as he focused on the man who appeared in front of him.
'Won... Yang?' He blinked in surprise as something shocking happened. The stinger stabbed through Wan Yong's arm as it plunged into his heart.
"Blurgh!!" Blood splattered out of his mouth. But, he suddenly grabbed the monster with both arms as he grinned with his bloodied teeth.
"I... won't... let you... go!"
"WAN YONG!!" Chin-Hwa yelled as he rushed toward him.
Meanwhile, Talon used that opportunity to jump down and dash toward the mosquito. His spear was already moving as he closed the distance between them and slashed down with all of his strength.
"HAAAAH!!"
*Swish*
The spear sliced through the abomination's body, cutting it into two as blood splattered everywhere, including Talon's face and shirt.
[Ding!]
[You have killed a level 7 Imagdurel Mosquito. +5 Strength, +5 Stamina.]
[You have leveled up. +2 free points.]
[You have leveled up. +2 free points.]
A series of notifications popped in Talon's retina that he ignored completely and hurriedly approached Wan Yong.
"Wan Yong! Wan Yong!!" Shin-Il screamed as tears welled up in his eyes. The giant man was on the ground, and a gruesome injury in his chest was pumping out blood endlessly.
"Don't die on me now, Wan Yong!" Hyun-Jae had already started trying to stop the bleeding as she cut a part of her clothes off. Her face had a huge frown on it.
"*Cough* *Cough*... Did it... die?" Wan Yong spoke with great difficulty.
"I killed it," Talon said with a dark expression.
"Good... I'm glad we did it..."
"Don't speak, you're losing too much blood. We need to get him to a hospital!" Soomin said as she tried to hold back the tears. Even though she was trying to hide it, deep down, she knew that her words were simply impossible.
"I-It's pointless, prez... I'm feeling cold..."
"No! Shut up! I won't allow it! You aren't going to die now!"
As she tried to tie the cloth around his torso, Talon signaled for her to stop. Hyun-Jae looked up with surprise as he shook his head slowly with a deep frown. She understood what he meant.
Then, Talon crouched down and grabbed the man's arm. "Do you have anything you want to say?" He asked in a calm tone that was filled with hidden emotions.
Wan Yong's face relaxed as if he felt glad that Talon had given him the opportunity to speak. "Don't follow me too early... guys... I want to see you... all... living well... in this cruel world..."
"..."
Everyone listened silently. Soomin and Shin-Il were already in tears.
"I'm sorry! Wan Yong! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!! If I didn't stand there like a dumb idiot... If I just moved! Goddamit!!" Clenching his fists, Shin-Il felt his heart tighten greatly. Again, his weakness caused pain to him and to everyone around him. Just like how he went back home every day when he was young with bruises to his worried parents, he was now standing next to his dying friend.
Just like how he would hear his mother crying and blaming herself for causing harm to her child and giving him such a sickness, he was now staring at his friends who were holding back the tears.
He felt the darkness that he escaped years ago starting to throw its hands on him, pulling him down again.
"*Cough*... *Cough*... Don't blame... yourself... Idiot... Didn't I tell you... before... that you can get stronger... you just... need to..." Wan Yong's voice slowly waned as his body froze completely and his eyes lost all light in them.
Talon closed his eyes and looked away. Chin-Hwa simply punched the ground as he cursed to himself. As for Hyun-Jae, she stood there with a blank expression that no one could read.
Soomin hid her face away and started crying. The only one that stopped crying was Shin-Il and the reason for that was the words he heard.
'You can get stronger, kid. You just need to believe. Those who reach their goals are those who dream the most, you know?' Wan Yong told him on the first day they met.
He never understood those words. Dream? Why would dreaming help? Dreams are nothing but an illusion we create with our minds or that was how Shin-Il interpreted it. However, at this moment, it hit him.
Wan Yong didn't mean the dreams that he saw at night. He meant ambition. He wanted him to be ambitious enough to reach his goal.
'But... What's the point... I keep failing everyone... I keep failing myself...' Beads of tears fell down his cheeks as his face crunched up. Then, he quickly turned around and dashed away.
"Shin-Il!" Soomin called for him but he didn't turn back.
"I will go after him. The outside is still dangerous." Chin-Hwa said as he stood up and dashed after his friend.
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