# Chapter 5
In the chilly January of the new year, bright sunlight pleasantly illuminated Woojin’s face.
Woojin suddenly felt something strange. It was because of the busy people moving around since morning. An uncommon scene where not only teachers and children, but even the director had come out to clean the entire orphanage.
That wasn’t all. There was a tantalizing smell wafting from the cafeteria, making his mouth water.
‘Is it a big cleaning day?’
“Youngjun, what day is it today?”
After pondering alone, Woojin caught his younger brother Youngjun who happened to be passing by and asked.
“Hyung, you didn’t know? Today someone who sponsors the orphanage is visiting!”
Youngjun, three years younger than Han Woojin, answered with a bright smile.
Hearing Youngjun’s words, he suddenly remembered what the teacher had told him. That the orphanage where he currently lived was difficult to operate with just government subsidies, and that there were people who sponsored the orphanage besides the government. The teacher often said they should be grateful to the people who help run the orphanage.
‘So it’s the day a sponsor is coming.’
Recalling the teacher’s words, Woojin also quickly joined the others and began cleaning. An adult who willingly helps those in need. Woojin continued cleaning, thinking that he wanted to grow up to be such a good adult too.
“Director, I think the Chairman has arrived.”
Before he knew it, the sponsor must have arrived as the orphanage director and teachers quickly went outside. The children followed closely behind them.
When they reached the entrance of the orphanage, a well-built man came into view. So this is what affluence looks like.
For the first time in his life, Woojin felt the ease of the wealthy right before his eyes. The director and teachers gave respectful greetings to the middle-aged man. Next to him stood a boy who looked about upper elementary school age.
“Ho ho, I brought my son along today.”
“Hello, young master?”
The director greeted the man’s son warmly with a bright smile.
Young master, young master… Feeling uncomfortable with the term “young master,” Woojin glanced slightly toward the boy.
‘What the?’
For a fleeting moment, his eyes met the child’s, and he immediately felt unpleasant. The boy’s indescribably twisted gaze. Woojin, who was usually sensitive to others’ emotions, immediately understood the meaning of that gaze.
Disgust. The boy’s eyes contained the raw emotion of having seen something dirty. Woojin’s mood plummeted in response to that unpleasant gaze.
However, he was still the sponsor’s son. Woojin knew very well that unnecessary friction should be avoided. He perfectly concealed his unpleasant feelings and greeted the sponsor with a bright smile.
“It’s nice to see such bright children.”
The man called Chairman laughed once more and began walking toward the inside of the orphanage, holding his son’s hand.
“Disgusting.”
A chilling voice that softly pierced his ear. It seemed only Woojin heard the low remark the boy made while passing by. Perhaps it was a sound meant for only a specific someone to hear.
‘What’s with that kid?’
The unpleasant feeling rose again, but knowing he had to endure it, Woojin maintained his smile until the end.
* * *
“Thank you for the meal!”
A special lunch rarely expected on normal days. With delicious food in front of them, the children enjoyed lunch more boisterously than usual. Steak, chocolate muffins, fruit smoothies…. Woojin too picked up his spoon with a joyful heart.
After finishing the meal, as he reached the hallway, Woojin caught sight of that boy from earlier through the gap in the director’s office door. The unpleasant kid was openly grimacing with his hand over his nose as if the smell of food was disgusting. Woojin hoped he would leave soon, feeling tired and irritated again.
‘I should go there.’
The secluded corner of the second-floor attic. Woojin headed to this place he often visited whenever he felt troubled. He sat in an old chair in the corner, slowly closed his eyes, and gradually sank into his own time alone.
“Aack! Don’t do that!”
About 10 minutes might have passed. A faint, sharp scream-like sound came from outside.
What’s happening? It seemed to be coming from the open area behind the orphanage. Feeling ominous, Woojin immediately ran toward the open space.
That annoying kid and a girl who had fallen backward. The girl’s body was smeared with dirt here and there, and her knee was bleeding badly, possibly severely scraped.
The fallen child was 11-year-old Park Yuha. A child who created a warm atmosphere in the orphanage with her cute appearance and friendly personality. Her white face was gradually developing a bluish bruise as if she had hit something hard somewhere.
The moment he saw that scene, his reason snapped.
“You crazy bastard!”
Woojin grabbed the boy’s collar and lifted him high. It happened in the blink of an eye. In this explosive situation, the attitude of the boy whose collar was grabbed was ridiculous. Far from being flustered, he smiled as if he found the situation amusing. It was such a vulgar smile that it could hardly be considered a child’s.
“Oh~ Want to hit me? Scary.”
Woojin’s reason returned at the sound of the boy’s voice. What happens next if I beat this kid up? Woojin took a breath and released the collar he was holding.
“As expected. Of course you can’t. Like a beggar would have the courage?”
The boy began spewing all kinds of words as if a dam had burst.
“Go ahead, hit me! What would happen? You bugs… if my dad cuts off the sponsorship, you’d all be out on the streets starving… This is why you shouldn’t associate with poor trash.”
He spouted inhuman words without blinking an eye. A new kind of uncomfortable feeling, different from the disgust he had felt toward his father in the past, rose quickly from deep within his heart like water filling up. He couldn’t contain his boiling anger and finally raised his fist high in the air.
“No!”
Just as he was about to hit the boy’s face with all his might, Yuha urgently blocked Woojin.
“Woojin oppa. Don’t do it…”
Yuha desperately grabbed Woojin’s right arm and began to cry.
“What a load of crap.”
Seeing Yuha’s desperate appearance, the boy muttered something to himself and left the place.
* * *
Late afternoon as the sun was setting. The sponsor’s son left as if nothing had happened.
“…”
Woojin and Yuha sat side by side on the stairs, saying nothing as if they had made an appointment. The silence lasted quite a long time.
After that commotion, Yuha went alone to the bathroom to wash off the dirt and wounds. When the teacher asked what happened, she told an obvious lie that she had fallen badly while playing with friends.
The more he reconsidered the situation, the more angry he became. Yuha was injured that badly, and did the teacher really believe she got hurt playing? Why was Yuha telling such an unconvincing lie when she even had bruises on her face?
“Park Yuha. I didn’t think you were like this, but are you stupid? Why are you telling such a ridiculous lie! What’s so great about that sponsorship. We can just eat less and wear less…”
Breaking the long silence, Woojin shouted at Yuha.
“Oppa, you’re the stupid one?”
As soon as she heard his shout, Yuha burst into tears.
“I’m really grateful you helped me today. If it weren’t for you… But oppa, I heard it the other day passing through the hallway. That the orphanage budget keeps decreasing… If the sponsorship is cut off too… we might have to scatter in different directions.”
“…”
“I don’t want that. I want to keep living with you and Youngjun oppa.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yuha began sobbing loudly again. Feeling perplexed, Woojin silently embraced her and patted her back. The long, prolonged sound of crying filled the silence.
He had snapped at Yuha who had suffered a major accident today. How scared and confused must this young child have been alone? But the desperate image of the child who stopped him and cried, telling him not to do it when he tried to hit the boy, flashed before his eyes like a kaleidoscope.
He began to get angry with himself.
He felt disgusted with himself for not being able to do anything in this wretched situation. Perhaps what was truly disgusting wasn’t that kid but himself, who was yelling at the wrong person?
Confusion that would not easily dissipate began to stir in Woojin’s heart.
