Author’s note: Ho-jin and Min-ji are both 19 and legal adults in this chapter. 

By the time Ji-hun left the school, the courtyard had already become quiet. His bag was hanging from one shoulder as he walked. His footsteps could be heard on the sidewalk, and outside the school grounds, the usual sounds of the city slowly started to return. On his way home, he entered the narrow street between two low buildings. He sometimes used this street as a shortcut.

A weak meow made him stop.

Near the curb, there was a kitten curled up beside the fence. Its fur was messy. When Ji-hun crouched beside it, one of its ears moved. He did not want to scare the kitten, so he slowly held out his hand.

Before he could touch the kitten, another sound came from farther inside the alley.

It was soft and hard to hear because the walls around the alley almost covered the sound. Someone was crying. From the unsteady voice coming from behind the corner where the alley became narrower, Ji-hun thought it was a girl.

He stood up and listened for a little longer. His heart started beating faster as he moved toward the sound, and he placed his feet carefully until he reached the corner. Then he leaned forward only enough to see the other side.

What he saw made him stop where he was.

A girl was standing with her back against the wall, and she was trembling as if she wanted to disappear into it. Shin Ho-jin was standing directly in front of her, with one arm against the wall beside her head. Ji-hun could not hear exactly what he was saying because Ho-jin was speaking too quietly, but there was nothing kind about the way he was talking to her.

Tears were running silently down the girl's face, and there was fear in her wet eyes.

Ji-hun immediately moved back. When he was out of sight again, he leaned against the cool wall and looked toward the empty street while trying to calm himself. "I shouldn't be here," he whispered.

Before Ji-hun could leave, the girl suddenly ran out of the alley and hit him with her shoulder. Both of them lost their balance for a moment, but she continued running without looking back. The sound of her crying slowly disappeared as she went farther down the street.

Ji-hun's bag fell from his shoulder, and his books and loose papers scattered over the sidewalk. He went down on his knees and started picking them up. First he reached for the sketchbook that had fallen open on the concrete while several pencils rolled toward the gutter. The kitten got scared by the noise, ran through a narrow opening in the wall, and disappeared.

Then a shadow fell on the pavement in front of him.

Ji-hun stopped with his hand on the strap of his bag. He already knew who was standing behind him.

He's behind me.

"I didn't see anything," he said without turning around. "I'm not gonna tell anyone. Just leave me alone."

First, he heard a quiet scoff behind him. Then came a short laugh. Ji-hun finally looked up. Ho-jin was standing a few steps away from him. One of his hands was in his pocket, and he looked completely relaxed.

"Calm down, hoobae," he said. "Here." He crouched beside the papers on the ground, picked up one crumpled sheet, and held it out to Ji-hun. "Guess you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "I'd appreciate it if you kept what you saw to yourself."

Ji-hun took the paper from his hand. "I don't care what you're doing," he said.

He pushed everything back into his bag, then turned around and left without looking behind him.

Ho-jin stayed crouched near the entrance of the alley and watched Ji-hun disappear down the street. The thought amused him. "I'm starting to see that kid more than I see my mom," he said.

Then he took out his phone and dialed a number he knew from memory. "Ya... Yeah," he said when the other person answered. "I talked to her. The idiot almost pissed herself." He looked back toward the alley and laughed. "Don't worry. I took care of it."

—

It was still dark outside, and the apartment was quiet. Ji-hun was sleeping in his room while the first sign of morning slowly appeared behind the curtains.

He was dreaming.

In the dream, the alley looked almost the same as the one he had seen the day before. Then Ji-hun realized that this time, he was the one standing with his back against the wall. Ho-jin was in front of him and was speaking in a low and threatening voice.

"I'll break your bones, you little whelp."

The words followed Ji-hun even when he came out of the dream. He woke up with his heart beating fast and the sheets damp from sweat. A thin line of morning light was coming into the room, and his alarm would ring in five minutes.

Ji-hun reached over and turned it off before it had the chance to ring. He sat up and waited until his breathing became normal again. "I can't believe I saw that jerk in my dream," he muttered while rubbing his forehead, then got out of bed.

The usual breakfast routine helped him think about something else. He broke eggs into a pan, put bread in the toaster, and poured milk into two glasses. When everything was ready, Ji-hun went into his father's room and climbed onto the bed. He put one arm around him, rested his cheek against his father's back, and stayed like that until Dong-min slowly started waking up. "Daddy, breakfast is ready."

Dong-min woke up slowly and was still half asleep. When he understood that Ji-hun was there, his face became brighter. "I saw your mother in my dream," he said.

Ji-hun thought about his own dream for a moment. Then he took his father's hand and helped him go to the bathroom. After that, he quickly went back to the kitchen to check everything one more time. Dong-min came back and continued talking about the dream. "It was really nice," he said. "I saw us when we were young, Ji-hun-ah. In my dreams, everything is still clear," Dong-min said quietly. "Still bright."

Ji-hun helped him sit in his chair and then sat across from him. Dong-min leaned a little toward the table and smelled the breakfast. "These pancakes smell good," he said. "You're getting better at this every morning, Ji-hun."

"I've been looking up recipes online," Ji-hun said. "I think I actually like cooking for us."

They ate their breakfast in the warm kitchen and talked quietly while they ate. Dong-min asked if the Photography Club was meeting that day.

Ji-hun nodded. "Yeah, after the last period."

"Are you nervous?"

Ji-hun shrugged. "Not really."

—

After breakfast, Ji-hun washed the dishes and left the kitchen completely clean. Before leaving home, he checked his things one last time, took his bag, and put the camera case over his shoulder.

The morning had already started properly, but the streets were still quiet. His usual way to school passed through the shortcut between the two buildings, and when he came near the alley, he saw the kitten there again.

Ji-hun crouched beside it. His hand was halfway toward the kitten when he heard a low sound from deeper inside the alley. The narrow walls made the sound hard to hear.

He frowned. Not today. I don't wanna see anything.

He was about to stand up when another sound came. He could not hear any clear words, but it was obvious that someone was moving behind the corner.

Ji-hun stayed there for another moment. Then he leaned far enough to look inside the alley.

Shin Ho-jin was there with a girl.

Ji-hun watched them from the corner and wondered if Ho-jin practically lived in this alley.

The girl was tall and pretty, and her uniform fit her perfectly. She had both arms around Shin Ho-jin's neck while they kissed slowly.

Ji-hun stared at them because he clearly did not like what he was seeing. How can someone do that first thing in the morning?

He was just about to turn away when Ho-jin suddenly covered the girl's face with one hand and looked directly toward Ji-hun. This time, there was clear hostility in the way he looked at him.

Ji-hun's face became hot. He immediately turned around and ran.

Behind him, Ho-jin took his hand away from the girl's face and sighed. "Come on. Let's go to school, Min-ji."