The Art of Getting By
CHAPTER EIGHT

❛ Prometheus and His Great Courage.❜

12:25 PM
September 2021
HYOSAN HIGH SCHOOL

DOUBTING COULD POSSIBLY be categorised as one of the most wicked things to ever happen to man. Moon Ji-hun seconded this, his inner void moulded his insides and caused them to be wrought. Ji-hun despised how much Eun-Byeol reminded him of Jeong Areum. As the previous moments relayed in his mind, repeatedly in an agonising, torturing manner, he found himself blaming and blaming and blaming and blaming-

Himself.

"I know you may be uncomfortable with this question." Passing the weight onto her other leg, Park Sun-hwa leant to the side, her eyes were squinting from the scorching sun, but hastily widened to its normal state, after finding shade under Moon Ji-hun's shadow, as he reigned over her figure. "But could you tell me what happened earlier? I know this may seem demanding, but -"

He watched as she trapped her bottom coral pink lip under teeth gingerly, as a tiny exhale left her lips, a sign that she was trying to suppress an emotion that could be portrayed as negative. Ji-hun craned his neck downwards, letting his eyes fall to his polished shoes, a flitter of guilt painted his eyes as he squeezed them shut.

"But?"

"I just, sorry- Not to sound-"

"You don't have to apologise, it's okay."

". . . Really?" The rest of Sun-hwa's sigh fell through the gap between her peachy pink lips, as relief seeped through her veins.

"Really. You can tell me." Ji-hun didn't mind, for he'd been in this position before. Whenever he found it hard to work around Sun-hwa's teaching style, whenever they taught Class 2-5 as a pair, he wanted to point it out, and knew how arduous it was to actually put it into a sentence. Eventually, he did, for Sun-hwa was understanding. Now, it was his turn to fill that spot and Park Sun-hwa fitted into his shoes.

"Okay, well . . . I just need to know, because, it was unfair for me to handle it all on my own . . . You are my colleague after all- and I just need to know what concerned you, so that we can work around this together-"

"Right, right," inclining his head understandably, Ji-hun's mind was not attentive to the fact that a warm feeling bloomed across his chest at the word 'together,' ". . . Hm . . . oh! Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."

Shakespeare won the hearts of many literature tutors, and he just so happened to entwine his words around every fibre of Moon Ji-hun's mind. Upon quoting Britain's greatest playwright, he forced the sides of his mouth upwards with his midnight eyes avoiding the steadied glance that Park Sun-hwa held.

Slowly tilting her head to the side, Park Sun-hwa had her arms were firmly overlapped together and crossed under her chest. As she agitatedly pressed her paled rosy orange lips together, half irked, she blinked several times at those words, but all of that allayed as soon as she regained her rational thinking. Moon Ji-hun always conversed with a flair, and she was used to it, well, that was what she told herself. At times, it felt as though Ji-hun was beating around the bush with the words and phrases he used.

But they all had a meaning to it. Thus, her patience remained.

"Great Ideas of Western Man." Park Sun-hwa finally answered.

"Correct," answering, Ji-hun's shadowy eyes still steering clear from Sun-hwa's fervent eyes. It became a habit. Long stares caused him to feel as though the other could pierce through the barrier he held up, and read into his befuddled mind.

The overbearing sun glowered upon their shoulders, the heat beckoned them to flee under some shade, narrowing her almond coloured eyes, Sun-hwa elevated her chin a little further, for Moon Ji-hun towered over her frame, and it did not help that he was consistently peering away.

"So . . . was that the reason for your hesitance? When I asked for your help? It was because of your own fears?"

Unable to voice his own thoughts, Ji-hun leant his weight on to his other foot, mindlessly bringing his own guilt stained eyes on to Park Sun-hwa's own troubled pupils. ". . . Yeah," mumbling tinily, he, momentarily, resembled a lone star, drowning in a sea of his obscure doubts. "I don't know how to explain this further, but, uh," his tone was sheepish.

"No, no, you don't have to, I understand. I just needed to know so that . . ." Then Sun-hwa'd voice trailed off, as though she were drifting off into her own thoughts, which was rare during work. Therefore, it left Moon Ji-hun on edge, not able to stand still as the answer left him half-satisfied.

"I'm on calls, so I won't be home." So-Ju applied pressure onto the minor wound that was imprinted upon On-Jo's skin, as the gauze blanketed her forearm. "Just try not to get it wet. Call me right away if you need anything at all. I'll rush over okay?"

Heat drenched Ji-hun's skin, his head feeling light at those words. His eyelids blinked several times as he let his eyes drag slowly around the fields up ahead, not knowing what to do with himself. All he knew to do was to control the suppurating guilt within him.

Eun-Byeol called me. She called me and I didn't-

"Okay." There was trust and overall respect written upon On-Jo's features. Two sets of emotions that Ji-hun had never received before from his two children.

They bid the ambulance farewell, after seeing Hyun-Joo off as the vehicle drove off to the main hospital, together. He had been beside the door to the infirmary, but he couldn't bare to lay his eyes upon Eun-Byeol's injured face, in fear that it would enlarge the void within him. But the void within Ji-hun, only blossomed over the interaction that his student, Nam On-Jo, had with her father. Nam On-Jo and Nam So-Ju appeared harmonised, they were in a major key, and conversed freely. Moon Ji-hun floundered when witnessing their kinship, knowing that it had been a while since he had that with both Moon Hae-Bom and Moon Eun-Byeol.

Moon Ji-hun admittedly blamed it on himself; the Shakespeare quote explained his every existence. He had let his own darkened and doubting thoughts dominate him, causing him to be frozen whilst Moon Eun-Byeol laid motionless within Jang Wu-Jin's arms.

It was arduous to let go of those thoughts, when the past held a permanent and deathly hold on his mind.

Park Sunhwa dealt with their students and the nurse, "we'll talk more after Ji-hunssi," nibbling briefly on the corner of her lips, unable to think for a moment, she then returned her undeviating eyes onto Lee Su-hyeok and Nam On-Jo, who shuffled on the heels of their feet, a signal that they were attentive. "Thank you for your help, guys. I'm going to head back in a few minutes. Please make sure you don't tell anyone about this just yet, okay?"

"Alright," they both inclined their head in agreement.

"I think it's better not to tell anyone for the time being," nodding to herself more than the others, Park Sun-hwa then informed the nurse.

Entering the hallways, their leather shoes resounded around the hollow, and empty corridors. The swishing sounds, from the fabrics of their clothes beating against the soft winds, added to the music they made from racing down the halls, their feet racing against time as they tried to head over towards the science lab. Not sprinting, but walking hurriedly, so they did not attract their colleagues and students within the classrooms.

Park Sun-hwa was trying, to seem grounded and reassured, of course, to the students and colleagues.

But this did not fool Moon Ji-hun, flittering his uneasy eyes away from his surroundings, Ji-hun wavered on both his feet as he was able to depict the terror-stricken tone that laced Sun-hwa's voice. Still, it was her patience that he always commended, and how she was able to uphold the courageous mask she always wore to conceal her inner fears.

"You know what I admire?"

Almost stopping short, "oh," Sun-hwa perked up at Ji-hun's mellow voice, as though she were resurfacing from the ocean of daunting memories from earlier, "oh Moon Ji-hunssi? What did you say again? Sorry, I- I didn't hear you."

Drumming his fingers repeatedly against both his arms, since his palms were hugging his arms, Ji-hun puffed out his lips, almost as if he were taken aback at his own words, now I must answer my own question- But how? Opening and closing his mouth several times, like a fish out of water, he timidly set his eyes on Park Sun-hwa, who was awaiting expectantly. Only his eyebrows furrowed, he swallowed gingerly, unable to let anything leave his mouth for a moment.

"Moon Ji-hunssi?" Park Sun-hwa repeated, growing restless as her very own unquiet thoughts piled onto her mind once more, the effect of Ji-hun's voice faded away from her consciousness. Yet, she tried to let her attention linger on Moon Ji-hun, so that her uneasy thoughts did not overwhelm her.

A stiff chuckle rocketed from his lips, "I," clearing his throat once more, buying himself some time to think, he continued roughly, "I just thought that you were admirable. Back there. Considering the fact that I didn't do anything to help you. Your instincts were admirable."

"Oh," the two letter word fell out in a flurry.

"Sorry- that was really-"

"No- no. Thank you, really." After a wave of heat washed over Sun-hwa, she still felt the array of blossom pink and brazen red stain her cheeks, she rashly made a double-take at Ji-hun, never letting her sight behold him completely, as her eyes widened on the second glance, her body facing the front entirely. "To be quite frank, I only did what anyone else would've done."

"Oh don't give me that! Give yourself some credit Sun-hwassi." Shaking his head briefly, Ji-hun felt a silent exhale leave his lips as they stretched into a softened smile, "if you put it this way, not everyone would've reacted to the situation like you . . . well count me as one, I didn't," he combed his fingers through his unruly hair, one that was ruffled from their expeditious journey. "And I'm uh, I'm really sorry about that."

They had slowed, Sun-hwa's averted gaze had left the floor, and now her radiant eyes were lingering on his expression, all she could depict was awe. She placed the fallen tresses of hair, that curtained a side of her cheek, behind her ear, her smooth lips pressed together tightly as she examined his growing eyes.

The artificial stars that swam within Ji-hun's eyes, flickered tinily, as though something or someone had caused them to appear aglow.

"You should try to talk to Eun-Byeol," Sun-hwa blurted.

The artificial stars faltered.

"Oh," it was now Ji-hun's turn to utter the one syllable word, the crinkles that were engraved lightly upon his forehead only deepened. "Yes. . . I should."

The bridge of Park Sun-hwa's nose wrinkled as she scrunched it up in the spur of the moment, mentally scorning herself for making such a rash statement, knowing fully well that it wasn't her place to meddle with their kinship. But Moon Eun-Byeol was still her student, and often, required more care than others. As her teacher, Park Sun-hwa could tell how much her life outside of school hours affected her- she had a right to be anxious about her. Moon Ji-hun was also her colleague, a companion, and she could see he was distressed over being a solitary parent, whilst handling the lives of his students.

He just needed a few supportive words, ones that were enough to inspire, as he does to his students each day.

"Talking isn't doing. It is a kind of good deed to say well; and yet words are not deeds."

The artificial stars, within Ji-hun's pupils, began to illuminate once more, "Henry VIII."

"Exactly," a comforting smile illustrated itself across her genuine expression, "all I did was let my actions follow my words. Every time I said: 'you'll be okay,' when I was in the infirmary with our students that either helped or were injured, I not only tried to let my own nerves go away, but the others' nerves too."

"But the quote means that talking does not differ a situation at all, it does not change anything-"

"Which is why I'm defying that quote," interrupting Ji-hun's puzzled rambling, Sun-hwa trained her eyes onto his once more, her voice slightly precarious, for she was afraid that her words would be conveyed, in a way, that is opposed to how she initially wanted to. Moon Ji-hun was always the one to give speeches with great grandeur, whilst she took note of it and aspired to teach like him. It was never the other way around, however, there Park Sun-hwa was defying her own words, all for Moon Ji-hun.

"Defying?"

"Defy, defy, defy. I would've stayed frozen at the sight of Hyun-Joo and Eun-Byeol, but I didn't, because, I started to say a plan aloud. Sometimes we all need a voice that is grounded, and reassuring. Even if it is your own, even if you, alone, are not reassured. I had that in mind, otherwise, I wouldn't have known what to do," she let out a breezy chuckle.

"Right . . . got it." Even a ghost of a smile trailed its way across Moon Ji-hun's lips, he gazed up and into the distance, his presence half there, his mind occupied with Park Sun-hwa's magnificent words.

"Eventually, your words do become deeds. Naturally, your body goes along with your own words. During the process, others would become influenced by your words too. For instance, I-sak was unmoving at one point, but I continued to give words of motivation, and then I saw her nod to herself, she then copied my actions and went along with the procedure."

"Communication is always key, as they say," Ji-hun hummed as Sun-hwa's words settled into his mind, almost as if it were a remedy awaiting to work, in order to activate it, he needed to take action. For now her words were a plaster upon an open wound, it needed to heal by the measures that he was going to take himself.

"Exactly." Brightening, a sprightly tone decorated her voice, causing Ji-hun to spin on his heels slightly. Both faces flushed, their mouths in the form of a contented grin, their breathing synchronised as they began to sprint towards the science lab that they were nearing towards. Park Sun-hwa's rose pink lips only grew, at the sight of the artificial stars within Ji-hun's eyes becoming more livelier. "Those doubts and fears that you mentioned earlier? It'll take a while to overcome them, I learnt that from a personal experience. But it's much faster to tackle them."

They had reached the entrance of the science labs, Moon Ji-hun stood, astounded, his pupils twinkling as they finally glued on Sun-hwa. Widening his jaw to converse and answer, it was immediately forced shut when Coach Kang accelerated towards their side, already knowing about the situation for Park Sun-hwa had interrogated him about Hyun-Joo and her whereabouts. Even most of the staff were informed of Sun-hwa's contact with the emergency services.

"It's Leeseonsaengnim isn't it? You think he's the one behind this too?" The well-known coach of Hyosan High School, had an eager expression, as if this investigation was the only thing that occupied his thoughts. Coach Kang's usual slicked down hair, was fanned about, a tell-tale sign that he was trying to track down Park Sun-hwa for the majority of the morning.

Tearing her burning gaze away from Moon Ji-hun, "Kangssi?" Her voice fell out in an almost stupefied tone, for, she wasn't expecting her conversation to be severed so abruptly. Though this may be, she let go of the moment she had with Ji-hun, briefly, for this matter was grave. "Yes, yes-"

"Yes. That halfwit is definitely the one who's caused this havoc."

Before Park Sun-hwa could explain any further, the conversation only set him on edge, Moon Ji-hun had jumped in, the mirthful grin that had balanced itself on to his face, had faded at the interruption . . . and at the mention of Lee Byeong-Chan.

All three made a mutual, silent, agreement, and filed into the room on their own accord.

Moon Ji-hun needed courage now.

Moon Ji-hun needed courage like Prometheus, who defied the Gods. Prometheus adored humans more than the Olympians, and despised the fact that Zeus did not give humans any power like the deities. Thus, he stole the fire from Hephaestus's workshops, and gave it to the humans.

Oh such courage . . . Moon Ji-hun wished to have that level of it. But since he had a significant history of being a coward, he was so used to falling back into his habits. But Park Sun-hwa's words motivated him, they caused him to retract from dodging his dilemmas.

Moon Ji-hun was to speak to Moon Eun-Byeol, and he wanted to apologise, to explain himself for how he often neglected her because of his own fears. But of course, he needed to tackle someone before proceeding.

Whilst Park Sun-hwa and Coach Kang entered the storage room, Ji-hun surveyed the trashed classroom. Opalescent glass shards dotted the floor. The front row chairs and tables were disorderly. All of this was not overly wrecked, for, it felt as though Lee Byeong-Chan tried to clear the room, but he didn't work arduous enough.

One of the coral white, telescope tubes was concealed behind a table leg, nudging it with the tip of his brown leather shoes, it tumbled over towards his ankle. The afternoon, severe sunlight poured a limelight onto the tainted surface of the telescope piece. Burgundy, brownish-red, was flecked across it, some areas were rounded, patchy and in the shape of some . . . fingerprints?

Staggering backwards, his back almost colliding with a cabinet, Ji-hun's knuckles cracked half-loudly as he curled his fingers into tight fists.

Darting his wide-eyed glower to the side, he hunched over the discarded school bag that was just beside him. Written in permanent marker, messily, on the straps was a miniature star, indicating that it was indeed: Moon Eun-Byeol's. Twining his fingers around the rough fabric, he ripped open the zip and dug around for her phone. Some part of him felt as though, Eun-Byeol never called him, and that the notification he got in the morning was just a glitch.

Moon Ji-hun needed an answer, he needed to see her call logs, to check that all of this was not his fault.

It wasn't there.

He sucked in a breath, and lowered his hands. But there were many possessions within the bag that caused him to pause and stop in his tracks. A hefty album sat beneath the crumpled up, fresh clothes, he already knew the contents of it, for it was a size that could fit three boxes of polaroids. His fingers were aquiver as he reached for it. The corners of his eyes prickled with warm tears as he recollected the memories of Jeong Areum, when she was passionate about capturing moments with a polaroid camera.

But then he stopped.

Moon Ji-hun needed to stop revisiting the past, if he wanted to mend the present.

Finding the zipper again, he closed the school bag tightly shut, and let the straps hang loosely from his right shoulder, then arching his back once more to collect the guitar case, which was picked up more delicately. Beforehand, Ji-hun held an uneasy and feeble frame. This time, all of that dissipated as his minute, steamy tears were replaced with fuming and more vexed tears.

The glass shattered, iron-bound door, greeted Moon Ji-hun as he rushed over towards the storage room, not caring how the fragments dug into the soles of his shoes. A vicious surge of lividness, ignited his pupils, as they drilled onto the very face of Lee Byeong-chan- Zeus' dual.

After learning what Prometheus had done, Zeus wanted to cease all possibilities of the deity of courage, from defying him any further. As a condemnation, he ordered Hephaestus to drill chains onto a rock and imprison Prometheus against it, whilst an eagle feasted on one of his organs for eternity. Eventually, Zeus let him go. Though, what Prometheus did in return, is unbeknownst to the human knowledge. Did he seek for revenge? Or lay low?

Moon Ji-hun felt a bitter sense of spite within his veins, which only fuelled his desires to lash out. Having a history of being a wimp, meant that he had a great habit of blaming others, and there was a valid reason for Ji-hun to blame Lee Byeong-chan for what happened to Eun-Byeol. Moon Ji-hun was seeking for: revenge.

"Hyun-Joo went to the hospital. An ambulance is on the way back to get Eun-Byeol."

Ji-hun could only make out Sun-hwa's sturdy words faintly, for his senses were dulled by the burning vexations within him. The burning vexations only scarred at his skin, when he witnessed Lee Byeong-Chan exhale emphatically, and how he rotated his eyes so far. Ji-hun wasn't at all surprised if Byeong-Chan could see the empty space at the back of his skull.

Advancing forwards with his left foot, the abrupt movement caught the eyes of his colleagues. But from Ji-hun's peripherals, their alarmed expressions were hazy, for his sight laid solely on Lee Byeong-Chan . . . and Moon Ji-hun so desperately wanted to erase the exasperated face he held.

"HEY-" The highly volumed yell caused everyone to flinch, apart from Lee Byeong-Chan, who tried to break through the human barricade they made, unyieldingly, "are you seriously sighing right now?- As if you have the right to feel frustrated-"

"Of course I have the right-"

At how easy those words fell from Lee Byeong-Chan's lips, Ji-hun elevated his arm, separating both Coach Kang and Park Sun-hwa apart by the elbows. The muscles around his knuckles tensed, the raw pink of them growing scarlet as his nails rammed into the surface of his palms. Upon noticing his clamped fists, it momentarily lowered, for he felt the gentle force of Park Sun-hwa's own hands, that enveloped his fist, refraining him from continuing his actions.

Subtly shaking her head, "wise words lead to rightful actions, this . . . this isn't right," Sun-hwa was to converse a little more, until Lee Byeong-Chan made an attempt to break through the barrier they had created with their bodies, to block the entrance.

"We can't send her to the hospital." Lee Byeong-Chan finalised.

"Shibal," cursing breathily, after untangling his disheveled hair with his hands, Ji-hun thrusted his arm to his side, his fists curling once again, but the palm around his left hand only increased its strength, causing the agitated nerves within him, to sizzle and dissipate away. "And the sun always rises in the west- How does this- how does this make sense? Have you even seen what you did to my students? You-"

"Move, please," completely dismissing Ji-hun's words, Byeong-Chan impudently continued to cram his colleagues aside, his pupils darting over towards the door with urgency.

With his jaw slack, Ji-hun rolled up his royal blue, blazer sleeves, exposing the slight hairs upon the skin of his arms, tilting his neck to the side briefly, a mellow crack resounded, satisfyingly, as he stretched out his muscles. "You're not going anywhere you good-for-nothing-"

Coach Kang beat him to it, for he felt the arising tension between the two, "- explain yourself Leeseonsaengnim, please."

Biting down on his tongue, an unsteady exhale escaped from Ji-hun's mouth as his eyelids fluttered shut, briefly, indicating his impatience, if Lee Byeong-Chan were to defend his actions one more time, havoc would erupt from the grounds of Hyosan High School. "Yes . . . explain what you did to my daughter . . . Lee Byeong-Chan." He disregarded the honourifics, for he felt as though the name was far from obtainable for the science teacher. For within Moon Ji-hun's eyes Lee Byeong-Chan resembled a riveting target for him to release his revenge upon.

Revenge . . .

Not even Moon Ji-hun's students carried out that deed at their age anymore, yet, there he was, a forty year old man with a vigorously raging desire to go by the famous saying: an eye for an eye. Did Prometheus feel that way too? At this rate, Ji-hun didn't mind if he had no example to follow, he was to follow his conscience . . . and his significant handful of festering aggravations. All in all, he felt that that was the most wonderful opportunity to grasp onto courage on his own.

"I'll explain . . ." All three stopped pushing Lee Byeong-Chan backwards, their jaws agape, wordless, leaving him room to extend his sentence, "just let me speak to the principle first-"

"B-" Coach Kang objected against Byeong-Chan's wishes, his arm waving in front of the science teacher's torso.

"Let him."

I want to see his occupation be torn away from his very hands. Moon Ji-hun couldn't face the science teacher any longer, for he knew that if he did, his tightened fist would land a spot against the bridge of Lee Byeong-Chan's nose.

The entirety of the journey, consisted of penetrating glowers, as Ji-hun bored his eyes against the back of Lee Byeong-Chan. Though, a portion of Ji-hun felt as though he were pathetic, since that was all he did to defend Eun-Byeol. He felt as though he was not exercising his revenge to the fullest- every fibre of his muscles were fried from the flaming exasperations within him, causing him to curl his fingers into another tight fist, ready to force it into the side of Byeong-Chan'd head.

Sun-hwa's palm around his wrist, though, that was still there from before, prevented him from actually going anywhere near the wretched science teacher. On any other day, the touch would've sizzled, seared and scorched his skin- but Ji-hun's mind was preoccupied with hatred, and all he could do was appreciate the warmth, un-aware that the source was coming from Sun-hwa's hand, and how it eased some of his vexations.

"We can't send Hyun-Joo into the hospital. We have to put her in quarantine." When the principle would not apply his attention, immediately, on Byeong-Chan, he raised his voice, alarmingly, "HEY."

"You've already turned things upside down, when you're at school with the story about your son."

Oh- Moon Ji-hun had let slip those rumours from his mind. He wasn't there when Byeong-Chan stirred a storm within the staff room, about Lee Jin-Su, however, his ears were present when his students would gossip about witnessing, briefly, what seemed to be bullying incidents. Puffing out his lips, his chest deflated, feeling sinful that he didn't do anything further to help his former student.

He always believed that rumours, remained rumours. If something was not proven to him under his eyes, nothing would be true. Ji-hun had learnt that when news reporters would make up false articles of both himself and Jeong Areum, the topics ranged from extreme, to mild, subjects and rumours he felt uncomfortable to name.

"How could you say that?- JIN-SU WAS THE VICTIM! And of course you forced us to bury it."

Turmoil . . .

Moon Ji-hun was unsure with his plans, and strives to completing his revenge. The words that Byeong-Chan spat, stained his mind. Both Moon Ji-hun and Lee Byeong-Chan were fathers, who only wanted the best for their children. Both seeking for vengeance, for the lives of their children. Devastatingly, Ji-hun slouched his shoulders, staggering backwards tinily. The only difference was that: Byeong-Chan's son was deceased.

Upon feeling the trembles from Ji-hun's arm, as his hand was aquiver from shame, Sun-hwa was oblivious over the fact that her hand was still enveloped around his wrist. If they weren't rooted within a complex situation, one that was similar to being stuck within a blackhole, since, it was arduous to move past it, Sun-hwa would've slipped her palm away. But she kept it wrapped around his wrist, she let her fretful eyes linger on Ji-hun, unsure with why he was suddenly so timid.

"Oh that's some crack of bullshit, HUH? You know how the school's evaluation is just around the corner." Seated within a reclined arm chair, the principle still grasped onto the biro pen between his fingers, he waved it about to convey his irritations and disbelief.

"- School evaluation?" Tilting his head towards the side with a tsk falling out of his mouth, Ji-hun straightened his back, his pupils were fixed austerely on the damned figure that only stayed glued to a soft, comfy chair. Oh what an odious man. "This is unbelievable . . ." Thrusting his wrist downwards, so that Sun-hwa no longer had a hold on his forearm, he held a swaying breath, as both sets of his teeth tightened together, causing his jaw to appear sharpened more than usual. Park Sun-hwa didn't budge, only letting the red, wrathful flame within Ji-hun grow. "You're the bullshit here . . ." Staring off into the distance for a moment, with one hand swiping his chin gingerly and a hand on one hip, Ji-hun muttered, but not quietly at all.

During the midst of Ji-hun making that comment, the principle shot up from his chair, but there was a sickly sweet grin that scratched against his lips. One that was always there when he found himself talking to Moon Ji-hun- who wouldn't do that, when your employee used to be betrothed to an idol?- It'd make your school face popular! "Look here Ji-hunssi . . ."

"No," cutting through the principle's words thinly, his words a sharp knife, Ji-hun had had enough of his antics.

What fumed Moon Ji-hun the most, was that the principle would treat him like a supernovae, as if he were star that could explode a thousand times over. After the passing of Jeong Areum, reporters would line up outside of Hyosan High School, practically on their very own knees for an interview with Jeong Areum's husband. It all halted and stopped after a year and a half- but the principle was weary, always cautious of what the school did, in case a reporter was lurking around on the grounds of Hyosan High School.

Every second of being in Hyosan High School, the principle would put the english teacher on a pedestal.

Moon Ji-hun despised it.

"No? Look, you'll see why I'm doing this. You'll see that this will help you too- I'm doing you all a favour." The principle spluttered, his mouth drawn in an uneasy grin as he peered towards the side, only feeling Ji-hun's unsettling stare that could set fire to his existence.

The heaps of bags that were draped on top of Ji-hun's shoulders, collapsed on to the polished ground, creating a shuddering sound. Rhythmically, he forged ahead. He didn't need Prometheus to set him an example for how he was going to lay out his extravagant revenge. Ji-hun only had his very own palms, and if one were to read the lines upon them, it'd tell everyone that the notion of revenge was feasting on his soul.

Almost every ounce of his intentions, was to throw some beastly karma down the principle's way, for the words that emitted his mouth. Moon Ji-hun needed courage, but he didn't need one that was identical to a deity's strength- he had his own.

Latching his fingers around the tie that was neatly folded around the circumference of the principle's neck, Ji-hun tugged at it. Letting his left hand curl securely around the top of the tie, so that it was taut around the neck, a purply vein began to appear on the surface of the principle's skin. The principle was unmoving, only whimpering pitifully as the whites around his pupils increased, his frantic eyes fixated on Ji-hun unwillingly.

Moon Ji-hun kept a balled up fist close to his side, in preparation to drive it into the side of the principle's temple if he needed to, "is it possible to repeat that? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Loosening his grip tinily, only because it was physically impossible to maintain such a deathly hold, Ji-hun lowered his tone once more when the principle did not give an immediate reply. "Repeat that for me please, Sajangnim."

"Ji-hunssi. I advise that you let go right-"

"I will, once you tell me what you just said."

"I- I'm doing this . . . for your sake, you're all risking the face of our school here-"

"How unbelievably prideful." At that, Ji-hun let his deathly hold return, causing the surface of the principle's cheeks to morph into a turnip red, subtly he curled his top lip, as a thin layer of revulsion glimmered against the surface of his eyes. "Two students have faced injustice and you only care about the school evaluation?"

"There's nothing I could have-"

"You dimwit- Every day I wonder how you landed yourself in the role of our school president- Frankly, you're nowhere fit for that title. A teacher's job is identical to the role of a parent, if you can't handle the responsibilities, then I think you should quit." Being so completely blinded by his own vexations, a deepening frown besmeared itself upon his enraged expression, not noticing how his hands increased its tension around the tie.

"You-" The principle strained.

Moon Ji-hun was supposed to defend only Moon Eun-Byeol. But after how the principle revealed his truest form, there were no sides to take- Ji-hun was to tackle the root of this. If the principle hadn't turned a blind eye on the torment that Jin-Su faced, nothing would have happened to Eun-Byeol.

Ramming his hand towards his side, releasing the grip held around the principle's spotted tie. The force impelled the principle to strike his back against the hard surface of the arm chair, his face still swollen and blazingly red from both Ji-hun's words and actions. If Moon Ji-hun let his eyes linger on the wretched face of the principle for one more minute, he felt as though he could implode from impatience. Ji-hun so desperately wanted to lash out on the unreasonable man before him.

Instead, he caved in and freed an exhale from his nose, inaudibly. Straightening his own royal blue tie, Ji-hun then settled his palms around the handles of Eun-Byeol's baggage once more, before stating his final word, "I don't want you risking the lives of our future adults."

Moon Ji-hun expressed courageously.

Mindlessly watching as Ji-hun reached for the door handle, Sun-hwa rolled her shoulders back, as if the silence that followed after Ji-hun's sentence, caused her to crash back down to reality. There was a corner to her mouth that was slightly morphed half-way across her cheek. Her satisfaction, over the exchange between Ji-hun and the president, was evident across her face as her expression was brightened heavily and only grew over the last sentence that Moon Ji-hun declared.

Clearing her throat quietly, she spun on her heels, letting her wonder filled eyes land on her tall statured colleague, who was half-way out of the door, "Moon Ji-hunssi."

Pausing, with half his leg out of the doorway, upon hearing his name on the tongue of Park Sun-hwa, all tension that resided within every length of his muscles, Ji-hun let go of his breath, "hm?" Humming in response, he was unable to formulate proper words without his voice being laced with irritation, due to the raging storm that stirred within his mind, and Ji-hun didn't plan on using that tone on Park Sun-hwa.

"Where are you headed to?" Half of her knew what his destination was going to be, but nonetheless, she still persisted. A warm smile laid behind the stern expression that illustrated her features, "the police should be here soon."

There wasn't a hesitancy to Ji-hun's next words, "to defy."

He was to talk to Moon Eun-Byeol, and defy Shakespeare's quote, about words being far from actions. He was to prove that his cowardice no longer overpowered him.

Park Sun-hwa didn't stop him, but instead, she nodded slowly as a farewell. She wanted to extend the conversation further, to give him some more words of encouragement, only if she knew that her inclining her head was more impactful than words. Her gesture alone, signified her appreciation. Her appreciation over how Moon Ji-hun was taking her previous words of advice further. Park Sun-hwa didn't bother to keep things professional, she didn't care if it looked like she was taking Moon Ji-hun's side, because she truly did, as a gentle grin morphed across her sunset orange lips.

"You should have called me before calling an ambulance Park Sun-hwassi . . ."

Moon Ji-hun could still hear the president's damned, impertinent voice, echo faintly around the hallways as he trudged down the stairs. A severe and riveting feeling seared his chest, as he entered the hallways that were busied with students on their lunch break, it was the sense of great . . . joy? The events that had occurred, poured into the deeper crevices of his mind once again. Thus, causing a winning smile to dance on the very surface of his lips.

He had felt the victorious feeling of courage- and Moon Ji-hun admired that feeling.

But how was he to maintain that?

The infirmary came into focus when Ji-hun found his shoes shuffling towards the entrance of it, he lowered his hand that held Eun-Byeol's guitar case and rucksack. The familiar warm yellow walls, diluted the sprightly feeling he had within him. It pulled him back to reality, and, in a blink, it felt as though he never grasped onto that feeling of courage. What if she doesn't want to see me? She's probably angry-

Repositioning himself, Moon Ji-hun tossed those apprehensive notions aside by sliding his tie tighter around his neck, with both palms he brushed out the creases on his shirt and knocked on the door cautiously.

Boom, ba-boom-

The soft sound of knuckles against hard-wood caught the student in a deep green sweater vest, that was perched over Eun-Byeol, off guard, their body jerking upwards as they faced the source of the noise.

"Moonseon . . . Moonseonsaengnim! . . ."

The overly cheery voice belonged to a student that could easily blend in with his classmates, but his history with the Moon's caused him to be everything but a regular student of Moon Ji-hun. The student pulled the hem of his cottony, dark olive green, sweater vest downwards, as though he were trying to recompose himself. He pulled both sides of his lips upwards, almost too forcibly, causing his expression to appear, almost eery . . . as his eyes did not match the smile he held. Written within his enlarged pupils, could almost be interpreted as alarm, shock even, from the entrance of Moon Ji-hun.

Moon Ji-hun tilted his head towards the side briefly, with an index finger scratching gently at the back of his head, as if he was contemplating about the peculiar reaction that Jang Wu-Jin had. Nevertheless, Ji-hun let an amiable grin take ahold of his lips, "oh Wu-Jin, is Eun-Byeol okay? Can I see her?"

Once again, the awkward grin that etched across Wu-Jin's face teetered, as he let out an airy chuckle, one that was extended for a little too long, "oh! Huh . . . well . . ."

"Well?"

"Well . . ."

Ji-hun was left perplexed, but he kept that to himself, only chortling alongside his unusual amount of laughter that Wu-Jin was doing. This only encouraged Wu-Jin to continue, for he unable to think of how to reply to Ji-hun's question. Until, eventually, Moon Ji-hun's puzzled chuckles halted sharply, his eyebrows pulled together, "why are we laughing, is my desire to speak to Eun-Byeol so amusing?"

Never letting a side of his lips fall into a frown, the question almost caused Wu-Jin's mouth to droop, but he drove the corners of his mouth back upwards, and it twitched minutely as he did so. Well yes, because you didn't even know Eun-Byeol was missing until the next morning. If you picked up my phone or Eun-Byeol's phone this would have never happened, Jang Wu-Jin wanted to bellow those words, but he swallowed that notion, and shook his head firmly, "no, no, no Moonseongsaengnim. I'd never laugh at that, never," to emphasis this, Wu-Jin consistently waved his hands in front of him in an 'x' sign.

"Never?" Ji-hun's tone rose, feeling doubtful over Wu-Jin's response.

"Mhm. I mean it, never, never, never." There it was again, the forced smile.

"You want to say something else, don't you?" Finding Jang Wu-Jin's show quite amusing, Ji-hun leant an arm against the door, his fore-finger touching the arch of his eyebrow and made himself comfortable. Moon Ji-hun wanted to see how long Wu-Jin was going to hide whatever he wanted to say, inside.

With his bottom lip hanging open, his frame tense, Wu-Jin's eyes swayed towards the side, "no," puffing out his lips, Wu-Jin stretched out his palms and got ready to leave, as if Ji-hun would let go of the conversation at that note. But he didn't. "Heh," finding the silence unbearable, Wu-Jin let out a small chuckle, his internal thoughts begging for this exchange to blow over.

"I know you're fibbing. I've known you for more than a decade now," crossing his arms on top of each other, checking his wristwatch in the meantime, it told him that it was nearly lunch break. "Your father does the exact same thing as you when he fibs."

Wanting to sink to the ground, Wu-Jin let go of his act, and decided to bottle up the aggravated feelings he had towards Ji-hun, pressing his lips robustly together, he motioned towards where Eun-Byeol rested. "You may see Eun-Byeol."

"Thank you, sergeant." A grin spread across Ji-hun's lips at this, for it was humorous how he needed Wu-Jin, his student, to give him permission to see his daughter.

"Ser- Sergeant?" Repeating those words under his breath, baffled, Wu-Jin guarded the doorway, as though he really was a sergeant, his toned arms were kept to his side, his feet spread slightly apart, ready to rush forwards if Eun-Byeol awoke once more.

"You can get back to class now, it's lunch isn't it? Aren't you hungry?" Ji-hun's voice grew far, as he strode deeper into the infirmary.

"Bu-"

Moon Ji-hun knew that the strong-willed boy would persist, "go, I can take care of her, plus when the ambulance comes they'll need a parent or anyone in relation to her to accompany her."

So suddenly, Wu-Jin had a vigorous hatred for that necessity, for that meant he had no way of being by the Moon girl's side. Being so used to his own opinions being looked over, Wu-Jin let his pale, cottony pink lips display an understandable smile, he needed to let Ji-hun talk to Eun-Byeol, for he recalled a time where Eun-Byeol mentioned that she wished her own father would converse with her more. "Okay," his tone fell tinily flat.

"I can stop by here after school, if you want, so you can visit the hospital too?"

At the suggestion, Wu-Jin's mouth turned into a genuine smile, his cheeks glowing a pastel pink, "sure, thank you Moonseonsaengnim, we can stop by at Hyosan Strawberry Bakery after, for dinner too, if you'd like," he chirped, "I'll leave you to it then." With that, he walked out of the infirmary, ever so slowly.

The daunting feeling of being courage-less filled his entirety once more as Ji-hun shook off Eun-Byeol's belongings from his shoulders, creating a booming sound to resound around the walls. Welling up within Ji-hun's eyes were miniature puddles of fresh tears, he had to clench his teeth onto the inner skin of his right cheek, to prevent the tears from trailing down his face.

Moon Ji-hun let his palm hover above the fainted, merlot splattered pattern across Eun-Byeol's cheek. But he gingerly repelled his hand, in fear, that if he went any nearer, he could complicate the matters more. There was a dampened cloth beside the bed, one that was swimming around within a bowl of crimson-pink dyed water. It seemed that Jang Wu-Jin had already cleaned the injuries that tainted Eun-Byeol's skin- injuries, that were garnished by the hands of Moon Ji-hun's cowardice.

Moon Ji-hun began to wish that he'd never shamefully taken the evening away home, to drink his worries away- he was constantly trying to escape from his abode, for everything within it reminded him of her. Jeong Areum.

Moon Ji-hun needed courage now.

Moon Ji-hun needed courage like Prometheus, who defied the Gods, so that he could mend everything he created between Eun-Byeol and himself, and even Hae-Bom too . . . oh Hae-Bom, who took her to school today? He froze.

Moon Ji-hun needed courage now.

DEAR ALL,

Waaaa not sure about this one, but I enjoyed
writing it! I hope everything made sense too!
Also thank you for those who are reading this
you guys are the best and I honestly wish I
could hug every single one of you >~<

I'm trying to write quicker, but of course, not
too quickly or it'll turn out terrible, so that I
can update more frequently. Hope my updates
aren't too slow? Plus, Moon Hae-Bom won't
be written until a little later since that's how
I want to fit her in with the plot of the show!
You'll see, it'll make more sense when you read
her point of view/chapter. Not going to lie, I miss
writing about her T-T

Love you all so, so, so much, have a good day,
keep being epic n all that c:

WITH LOVE, SYLVIA