"Oppa! Oppa, wake up!" Jia screamed at the top of her lungs.
Jaeho felt small hands shaking his shoulder, and opened one eye to see Jia's face hovering inches from his, her smile so wide it could light up the entire apartment.
"I'm up, I'm up," Jaeho mumbled as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The alarm on his phone had been going off for the past ten minutes, but exhaustion had knocked him out completely.
"We're ready!" Serin announced from the doorway, spinning in a little circle to show off her outfit. The light blue dress he'd bought her last week. It was secondhand, but clean and without any tears. Jia wore a matching yellow one, both of them looking fresh and bright despite the cramped, worn down apartment around them.
"You both look beautiful," he said while standing and stretching. His back ached from the late shift at the convenience store, but he pushed the feeling down.
"Did you eat breakfast?" Jaeho quickly asked.
"Yes! The rice balls you made yesterday!" Jia responded, bouncing on her toes.
"Can we go now? I want to show Teacher Kim my new dress!" Jia added.
"Give oppa a few minutes to get ready, okay?" Jaeho knew he couldn't take them to school looking like this.
He splashed cold water on his face, threw on his school uniform. It was wrinkled but clean enough before grabbing their small backpacks. Jia and Serin stood by the door, practically vibrating with excitement. They had no idea. No idea how close they'd come to losing this place last month. No idea about the debt. No idea that their mother had abandoned them a year ago as Jaeho simply told them she was working overseas.
"Alright, let's go." Jaeho responded. He was ready in less than ten minutes.
-
The walk to their kindergarten was fifteen minutes in the opposite direction of his high school. Jaeho held both their hands as they chattered away, Jia asking a million questions about everything they passed and Serin occasionally tugging his sleeve to point out a bird or a flower.
They were the complete opposite of one another despite looking the exact same.
"Oppa, do you think Teacher Kim will like my drawing?" Jia asked, swinging his arm.
"She is going to love it," Jaeho said, squeezing her hand.
"You're the best artist in your class." Jaeho added to make sure her confidence stayed high.
"Serin is better," Jia shot him down right away.
"But I'm louder!" Jia bragged. Jaeho had no idea what she meant by this but he had no plans of squashing her excitement.
Serin giggled softly, and Jaeho couldn't help but smile.
When they reached the kindergarten gates, both girls hugged him tight, then kissed him on each cheek. Jia on the left, Serin on the right. It was their routine. Their good luck ritual.
"Be good today, okay?" Jaeho crouched down to their level.
"Listen to your teacher. And if anyone's mean to you….?" Jaeho paused, waiting for them to complete the sentence.
"Tell Teacher Kim," they said in unison, nodding with a serious expression on their faces.
"That's right." Jaeho smiled while ruffling their hair.
"Remember, oppa loves you both," Jaeho made sure to let them know every chance they got, maybe he could fill in for the love they wouldn't be able to receive from their parents.
"We love you too, oppa!" They both screamed at the top of their lungs, drawing attention towards themselves.
He watched them run inside, their laughter echoing in the courtyard, before he checked his phone.
It was 7:54 AM and school started at 8:00 AM..
"Shit!" Jaeho cussed under his breath right before he took off sprinting.
His lungs burned by the time he hit the third block. Sweat poured down his face, soaking through his uniform shirt. His legs screamed at him to stop, but he pushed harder. This was his cardio. This was how he stayed in shape without a gym membership he couldn't afford.
But also an excuse for the bus pass he couldn't afford as he allocated that money to make sure his sisters got home safely.
He rounded the corner and saw the school gates still open, barely. A few stragglers were rushing in ahead of him.
He made it through just as the bell rang. He was able to make it in time due to him running a minute before the gates were closed.
Jaeho doubled over in the hallway, gasping for air. His shirt clung to his back, drenched in sweat. His hair was a mess. He probably smelled like a locker room. He didn't have the luxury of caring. The refreshed air from the conditioners in the building was a lifesaver.
He straightened up and headed toward his classroom, slipping inside just as the teacher's footsteps echoed down the hall behind him.
He slid into his seat in the back corner, the one farthest from everyone else, and tried to catch his breath quietly. But he felt uneasy right away.
Because he could sense it, the usual eyes on him, judging him.
Park Minho sat two rows ahead, half turned in his seat with that smug, lazy grin plastered across his face. He was the ringleader. Tall, good-looking, and rich enough that his family donated to the school every year. His uniform was always pristine, his hair perfectly styled with expensive products. He had that effortless confidence that came from never having to worry about anything in his life.
"Yo, Han," Minho whispered, loud enough for the people around him to hear.
"Did you sprint here from the sewer? You smell like shit." He mocked him.
A few students snickered as the whispers got louder..
Choi Jiwon sat directly in front of Jaeho, close enough that he could see the brand name stitched into the back of his blazer. Jiwon was Minho's right hand but was shorter, stockier, with a mean streak that ran deep. He turned around, wrinkling his nose dramatically.
"Dude, seriously. Did you even shower this morning?" Jiwon fanned his hand in front of his face. "This is a health hazard. Someone call the nurse." He looked so proud of himself after saying this as the laughter from others validated him..
The third one, Kwon Daeho, sat across the aisle. He was quieter than the other two, but that made him worse. Daeho had this way of looking at people like they were insects.
Small, insignificant, worth stepping on. He didn't say anything now, just stared at Jaeho with his cold eyes, a faint smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.
Jaeho kept his head down, pulling out his notebook and pretending he didn't hear them.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," Minho hissed.
"You deaf or just stupid?" He was clearly trying his best to antagonize him.
Jaeho's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond. He knew they couldn't touch him in class especially with the teacher seconds from entering.
"Probably both," Jiwon muttered, turning back around.
"Charity case can't even afford deodorant," he added.
"You know, Han, if you need money that badly, I could always lend you some." He paused, his smirk widening. "With interest, of course," Daeho finally spoke, his voice low and lifeless.
The three of them laughed quietly at his situation but why wouldn't they? They couldn't possibly hope to relate to it.
Jaeho gripped his pen so hard his knuckles turned white but snapped out of it almost immediately.
The classroom door opened, and their homeroom teacher, Ms. Ahn, walked in, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. The room fell silent instantly.
She was in her early thirties, and easily the most attractive teacher at the school. Her black hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, complementing her sharp cheekbones and full lips that always seemed to rest in a natural pout.
She wore a fitted white blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt that hugged her curves, the top button of her shirt undone just enough to hint at her large chest. Her figure was the kind that made students, boys and girls alike, glance twice, though she carried herself with such professional grace that no one dared say anything inappropriate to her face.
She set her leather bag down on the desk and surveyed the classroom to make sure all her students were present.
"Good morning, everyone," she greeted.
Minho turned back around, but not before shooting Jaeho one last look to hint that this wasn't over. Jaeho exhaled slowly, forcing his heartbeat to steady.
"Just get through the day. Just get through the day."