The boy looked back at Ho-jin with a completely blank face.

"I think you got the wrong guy," he said. "That isn't me."

"But—"

The wooden door shut loudly right in Ho-jin's face. The loud click of the lock echoed in the empty hallway.

Ho-jin stood there and stared at the peeling paint on the door. 

He thought he was completely sure about the boy's identity for a brief moment because those eyes looked so familiar. 

He turned around and walked down the dirty stairs because he just wanted to leave the terrible building.

—

First, Ho-jin went back to his own apartment and changed his clothes. Then he took the bus to Miryeong Institute. His whole body was in pain because the physical strain of the previous night was too much for him. He walked straight into the campus cafeteria and found his project group. The large room smelled like cheap ramen and fried pork.

When he spotted Tae-min, Joon, and Sang-woo at a table near the large windows, he approached them. 

The three boys immediately looked very relieved. The violent bouncers made them expect his death the previous night. Eager excitement quickly replaced that initial relief.

"Ya, what happened?" Tae-min asked.

He looked at the bandages on Ho-jin's face in pure horror.

"Whoa, did they put those on at the hospital?" he asked.

"Did they beat your ass, hyung?" Sang-woo asked. "Give us the details."

Joon opened his mouth, but Ho-jin yelled first.

"Bastards!"

The entire cafeteria got very quiet for a moment. Students at the nearby tables stopped their conversations and looked at him.

Ho-jin took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He leaned over the plastic table and spoke in a very low voice. He wanted to make sure nobody else heard his words.

"I got the shit beaten out of me," he said. "I woke up in some total stranger's swamp-like room. How the hell could you guys just leave me behind like that?"

Nobody answered him. Nobody actually had the guts to say a single word. Tae-min looked at the ceiling while Joon stared at his empty coffee cup. They looked incredibly guilty.

Ho-jin turned his head and looked directly at Sang-woo.

"If you didn't piss those guys off for absolutely no reason, I was gonna pay for everything," he said. "You ruined our entire shooting schedule!"

Sang-woo kept his mouth shut.

"We'll present the group project together, but I'm not coming to shoot photos with you guys," Ho-jin said. "Do whatever the hell you want."

Joon finally looked up from his cup.

"How are we gonna do the presentation then?" he asked. "We're seniors, and we can't fail this project!"

"Call me the day before the deadline," Ho-jin said. "I'll come over and combine our work. But everyone is on their own for the photos because you guys got my camera smashed into pieces! Now I need to buy a brand new one!"

Sang-woo crossed his arms.

"So what are you gonna shoot now?" he asked.

"None of your damn business anymore, Sang-woo."

—

The Siseon Media Group occupied a massive corporate building in the middle of Sangam-dong.

Ho-jin walked up to the front desk and asked the secretary for Chief Creative Officer Cha In-soo. He walked down the hall and pushed the heavy door open. After he stepped inside the spacious room, a deep bow showed his respect.

"Chief, I broke my camera while I was shooting photos for a school project," he said. "I really gotta take some time off from work."

In-soo sat behind a massive wooden desk. A slow lean forward brought him closer, and he looked right at Ho-jin's battered face.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "Why's your face completely wrecked?"

"I fell during the school project shoot, sir," Ho-jin said.

In-soo leaned back in his leather chair, which looked expensive under the office lights. He looked at the dark bruises and the fresh bandages.

"You don't really look like you took a simple fall," he said. "But whatever. Go down to the equipment room and grab any camera you want. You can use company gear until you buy a replacement."

"I actually need a camera for my school project, sir," Ho-jin said.

"Then grab one and fit your project perfectly," In-soo said. The boss smiled. "I just got one favor to ask you. Don't run the shutter like a machine gun. I know you love rapid shutter sounds, but you kill the camera's lifespan. Don't do that to company gear."

Ho-jin chuckled and hid his embarrassment.

"It always amazes me how you know everything about everyone, sir," he said. He bowed again and showed his deep gratitude. "I really don't know how I can thank you."

In-soo waved his hand in the air and chased him out.

"Just go get it," he said.

—

Ho-jin went down to the basement and entered the secure equipment room. Heavy metal shelves lined the walls. 

He walked along the aisles and picked out a camera. After he signed the checkout document on a clipboard, he packed the new gear into a padded black bag and carried it safely.

The bus ride back home felt incredibly long. Once he unlocked his front door, he went straight to his desk and plugged the new battery into the wall charger.

He threw his dirty clothes on the bedroom floor and stepped into the small bathroom. Steam filled the room as soon as he turned on the shower. The hot water hit his bruised skin, and he winced in pain.

Several heavy purple marks covered his ribs and his stomach. His entire body ached terribly with every single movement.

He dried his hair with a thick towel after he finally stepped out of the wet cabin. He walked back into the bedroom and checked the power status on the desk. The small indicator still showed a red charging signal. 

Hunger suddenly hit his empty stomach, so he went to the kitchen. He took a plastic bowl of cold bibimbap from the fridge and sat down at his small wooden table.

The quiet room gave him too much time to think about the young man in the dirty apartment.

Eight whole years went by, so I really gotta forget about that kid, he thought. He was thirteen back then, and I was nineteen. He must be twenty-one now.

His mind went back to his high school days, and he remembered the terrible sequence of events. He remembered the exact last words the little kid ever spoke to him.

"I will make you pay for pitying me."

Ho-jin felt terrible when he remembered that moment. He put his chopsticks down on the table and looked at the blank wall.

"Where is Moon Ji-hun, and what is he doing right now?" he muttered.

He picked up his glass of water and took a slow drink. The expensive host bar and his smashed camera stayed on his mind. He set the glass down firmly on the table.

"Nonhyeon," he said. "I'm not done with you."