<10yrs later>

Kim Hwan returned home carrying pails of water after a day of hard work. He smiled seeing his son busy in studying.

"How's my Jinnie studying?" he ruffled the boy's soft hair.

"Dad! This problem is too difficult. No matter how much I try, the answer is wrong." Jin whined as soon as he saw his dad.

Hwan looked at the question once and went to doing the household chores.

"If I had been in your place, I would have used the multiplication table. Oh! And I have a surprise for you if you solve the remaining sums in fifteen minutes." Hwan commented casually while washing the dishes.

The beautiful pair of eyes shone in excitement on hearing 'surprise' and his brain immediately concentrated on solving the sums.

"Finished!" he exclaimed jubilantly after ten minutes.

"This means you have earned your surprise." Hwan smiled and took out a wrapped package from his bag.

Jin undid the wrapping excitedly and gave a squeal of joy as he unrevealed a brand-new book.

"I have been wanting this book for so long. Thank you dad." he hugged him.

"I hope this will make my clever son cleverer."

"Dad, if I'm so clever, why don't you let me go to school like the other kids?" he questioned, hoping that his dad would let him go out this time.

"What's the need of going to school when you are learning everything perfectly here? They don't teach properly there." Hwan answered.

"But you don't let me go to the village either. I don't even know our neighbors." Jin pointed.

"That's because they are not good people. It's better to stay away from harm's way. You can go wherever you like within our farm." Hwan explained.

"Can I got for a swim in the lake now?" he asked excitedly.

"Not now. The water may appear calm in the day but it is dangerous at night." Hwan warned.

"Didn't you say nature is our friend and doesn't hurt us?"

"Yes, but only if you know how to interact with it properly. Now, go to your room. I have loads of work to do." 

•·.·''·.·••

Mrs. Jeon did her work, ignoring the person standing behind her with a cry baby face.

"Kookie, even if you stand here the entire night, I'll not change my decision." she said.

"Why do I have to go to the city? I can complete my further studies from the local school too." Kookie aka Jungkook questioned.

"It was your father's dream." Mrs. Jeon reminded.

"It has been many years since he died. I can stay here and help you. Please mom, I don't want to go." he pleaded.

"I don't want to keep you away from me, but it is necessary for your bright future. I want no more discussions on this topic." Mrs. Jeon replied firmly and dismissed her son. Though he was the only one she had, she couldn't hold him down for her. She knew he had great potentiality which couldn't be put to proper use in their town.

•·.·''·.·••

Currently, the local priest and Hwan's childhood friend Bang Si-hyuk was paying a visit to him. He was the only other person who knew the true identity of Jin. They were having a chat about the town affairs over a hot cup of tea. After some time, their talk turned to Hwan's health.

"I can see that the condition of your heart is deteriorating. I think you should pay a visit to the city hospital once." the priest suggested.

"Nah! I'm fine. Moreover, I can't leave Jin alone." Hwan denied to go to the hospital as usual.

"You have to promise me that if your health worsens further, you will go to the city for your treatment." Si-hyuk wouldn't let the matter pass easily.

"I promise." Hwan knew it was no use arguing with his friend.

"That's better."

On the other hand, Jin was upstairs in his room. He was talking with his sole friend, Becky the snowy owl who was sitting outside on a tree near the window.

"Becky, will it be wrong if I disobey dad for once?" he asked.

Becky, nodded her head up and down as if she understood everything.

"What would you have done if you were in my place?" she questioned again.

Becky shook her head sideways this time and flew away, leaving Jin alone.

•·.·''·.·••

Hwan returned earlier that day and called out for Jin. Uncharacteristically, there was no reply. He called out again and was met with silence yet again. He ran to his room to find it empty. Jin was not in the farm either which made him extremely worried.

The missing boy had decided to sneak out while his dad was away and return before him. So, now he was walking happily in the village market. He couldn't help but look at everything and everyone curiously. It was a new world to him.

That's when he saw children gathered around an ice cream stall. They seemed to be enjoying whatever the man was selling and suddenly he wanted to have one too. But, unfortunately he didn't have money.  The ice cream seller noticed him standing at a distance and beckoned him forward.

"Do you want one?" he asked gently.

"I don't have money." he replied sadly.

"You don't need to pay. Which flavor do you like?" he said brightly.

"Chocolate!"

As he nibbled on her chocolate ice cream and wandered on the streets, he wondered why his father forbade him from coming to such a nice place. He was so wrong; people here were good too.

Exploring the market, he reached a bookstore. Books attracted him like a magnet, making him enter the store.

A book on the top shelf caught his interest. Jin stretched his body and lifted his hands to reach to it. In the process, his t-shirt got raised by a few centimeters, revealing his dainty waist and the birthmark.

He was unaware of the lady beside him, who did a double take when she spotted the mark. It took her a few seconds to register who he was.

"Curse! Bringer of death and bad luck.........he is here. Beware villagers." she shouted at the top of her voice, attracting everyone's attention while pointing at Jin.

Within a few minutes a crowd had gathered around the spot with eager and malicious eyes scanning and commenting on the clueless boy. The mothers hid their children, and someone yelled to maintain a safe distance from the boy. Jin couldn't understand what was happening and why others were staring at him if he was a sickening creature.

"The devil's son has not been destroyed. The curse has returned to our village." the lady, Aeri proclaimed.

"I.....I'm not a curse. I didn't do any......anything." Jin tried to defend himself, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill at any moment.

"Don't act. Everyone here knows the true face behind this innocent facade of yours. Even your mother couldn't bear a filth like you and died while giving birth to you." Aeri accused and grabbed his face harshly.

"Why is he here? What will happen now? Who will save our village now?" the villagers began murmuring. Some of them even began uttering the Almighty's name.

The terribly scared child knew he was in trouble and tried to escape but the Aeri had a tight grip on him. She slapped him hard, causing him to stumble and crash on the street.

"We can't let the whole village suffer because of him. The world will be better off without him, so why don't we finish him off once and for all and make sure he doesn't escape this time." she suggested with a malicious glint in her eyes.

"Yes! He must die! We must finish him!" the crowd supported.

Hurt and defenseless against so many grown-ups, Jin didn't know how to save himself from the impending doom. He began to cry and beg for mercy miserably.