The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 9 - Lee Yoo-seong (2)

 

 

“Didn’t you hear me? I said get the manager!”

 

Her shrill voice jolted me out of my thoughts, and I looked up. The woman was causing quite the scene.

 

“Ma’am, please try to calm down—”

 

“How am I supposed to calm down?!”

 

As her voice climbed higher, she raised her hand toward the clerk.

 

That’s when Seo Do-hwan quickly stepped in.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

 

“Ma’am, please—there are a lot of people watching.”

 

He firmly grabbed her wrist, his expression darkening. His already sharp features looked even more intimidating when annoyed.

 

The woman flinched at his imposing presence—but only for a moment.

 

“Who do you think you are?! Do you even know who I am?! Let go before I call the police!”

 

“And why should I care who you are?”

 

“W-What?!”

 

Her face twisted in outrage, and it looked like she was really about to call the police. I stepped in just in time.

 

“That’s enough, Seo Do-hwan.”

 

Reluctantly, he let go of her wrist at my words. She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her wrist dramatically before turning to me.

 

“And who are you supposed to be?”

 

“Oh, just someone like this.”

 

I took a business card from my wallet and handed it to her.

 

It identified me as the CEO of T.U.

 

She examined it closely, then sneered.

 

“Wow, the world really has changed. Even club-hoppers can show up in places like this now.”

 

It was Seo Do-hwan who used to frequent clubs, not me.

 

Still, I kept my irritation in check and replied with a polite smile.

 

“I saw what happened from the start. I understand you’re saying there’s a problem with that bag—is that right?”

 

“So what? Are you offering a refund or something?”

 

“No. I’d like to buy it from you.”

 

She burst into laughter.

 

“You? Do you even know how much it costs?”

 

“It’s 3,470,000 won, isn’t it? Or am I mistaken?” I asked, glancing at the clerk.

 

“Y-Yes, that’s correct,” the clerk replied hesitantly.

 

The woman didn’t look too happy about that.

 

I smiled broadly.

 

“How about selling the bag to me? My nephew just started school, and apparently that bag is all the rage among his classmates. I heard it’s sold out everywhere.”

 

Seo Do-hwan stared at me, stunned. He knew I was an only child and had no cousins, let alone a nephew.

 

But the woman didn’t know that.

 

So I continued, weaving the lie without hesitation.

 

“I nearly embarrassed myself in front of my nephew, but what a relief—this might save me. Since the bag has a scratch, I’ll handle the repairs myself. It’s a rare item right now, so if you’re willing, I’ll pay double the price. Would you be willing to sell it?”

 

Seo Do-hwan leaned over and muttered, “Boss, are you out of your mind?”

 

I didn’t answer, just gave him a look telling him to play along.

 

“What’s with the look? It’s annoying,” he muttered again.

 

I wasn’t expecting much help from that guy anyway.

 

After clearing my throat, I turned back to the woman.

 

“So, what will it be?”

 

She made a face, then suddenly yanked the bag from the clerk.

 

“I’m not selling it! That damn pauper actually has good taste. Lee Yoo-seong! Quit standing there like an idiot and let’s go!”

 

“Y-Yes, Aunt.”

 

The boy gave us a quick bow, then turned to follow her. Just before exiting, he bowed once more to the clerk.

 

“Hurry up! Don’t just stand around!”

 

“Coming, coming!”

 

He hurried after her out of the store.

 

I quietly watched his retreating back, then turned to the clerk.

 

“Thank you very much, sir. The bag was past the return period, so we couldn’t really do anything…” the clerk said gratefully.

 

“No problem. By the way, does she come in often?”

 

“Pretty frequently, yes.”

 

The clerk let out a heavy sigh. I tilted my head.

 

“Doesn’t the department store keep a blacklist for customers like her? If she were on it, she wouldn’t be able to cause scenes like this.”

 

“We’ve filed multiple complaints, but… she spends a lot. Management refuses to blacklist her.”

 

“I see.”

 

I gave a slow, knowing smirk.

 

“That must make your job tough.”

 

“Not at all. Sorry for going on like that, sir.”

 

“No need to apologize. Here’s my card. Please charge the full amount.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

The total came out to about 10 million won.

 

Less than I expected. Though from the way Seo Do-hwan flinched at the receipt, you’d think it cost ten times more.

 

With that, we wrapped up our shopping and headed home.

 

“Did you say his name was Lee Yoo-seong?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“That kid.”

 

Crunch.

 

Seo Do-hwan bit into his candy.

 

Kid, huh?

 

“You’re calling him a kid, but you and Lee Yoo-seong aren’t that far apart, you know.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

He scoffed, then asked,

 

“Does that kid not have parents?”

 

“No. Both passed away. How’d you guess?”

 

“How couldn’t I?”

 

Seo Do-hwan snorted.

 

“Didn’t you see how that woman was dressed? Head-to-toe in flashy luxury brands—meanwhile, that kid’s uniform was worn-out and falling apart.”

 

He muttered with a frown,

 

“If his parents were alive, there’s no way they’d let him live like that.”

 

He wasn’t wrong.

 

“So, what now?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I mean Cheongha High School.”

 

He sounded more serious now.

 

“What exactly do you want me to do there?”

 

Looks like he was feeling sympathetic. Whatever the reason, it worked in my favor.

 

“For now, just keep an eye on him.”

 

“Watch who?”

 

“Lee Yoo-seong, of course.”

 

I gave a faint smile.

 

Time to fasten the second button.

 

***

 

Not long ago, Kim Jeong-hye had strutted through the department store like she owned the place. But the moment she stepped back into her penthouse, the yelling started all over again.

 

“Ugh, I’m so pissed! Ahjumma! Water!”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

The housekeeper rushed over with a glass of water. As Kim Jeong-hye tried to cool her temper—

 

“Um, Auntie…”

 

Lee Yoo-seong spoke up cautiously.

 

Clack!

 

With an irritated slam of her cup, Kim Jeong-hye shouted,

 

“What is it now?”

 

“Where should I put this?”

 

“Put it where it always goes! Do I have to teach you that too?!”

 

There was no “usual place” to put it.

 

As he stood frozen, unsure, his cousin burst into the room.

 

“Mom, I’m back! What about my bag? Did you get it exchanged?”

 

Kim Jeong-hye scowled.

 

“Just use it.”

 

“What? No way! Do you know how scratched up it is? You think I asked you to exchange it for nothing?!”

 

“Ugh, shut up! If it bothers you so much, go exchange it yourself! Do you even know how much that bag cost?!”

 

“How would I know?!”

 

Lee Yoo-seong silently recited the price in his head.

 

‘3.47 million won.’

 

An amount he couldn’t even imagine affording. Yet the people in front of him threw it around like it was pocket change, arguing over what to do with it.

 

“What’s with all the shouting?”

 

“Dad! Mom didn’t even exchange the bag! I told her to do it while she was out!”

 

Her husband, Lee Yoo-seong’s uncle, frowned at Kim Jeong-hye.

 

“You went to the department store again?”

 

“I just needed to relieve some stress.”

 

“Can’t you cut back? How many times have you gone this month?”

 

“Only five! You’re so stingy. Lee Jin-hyuk! If you don’t want the bag, just give it to Yoo-seong!”

 

“I don’t want to!”

 

“Then throw it away!”

 

“I don’t want that either!”

 

“Then what do you want me to do?!”

 

As the yelling escalated, Lee Yoo-seong quietly slipped away into his room.

 

It was a small space, converted from a storage closet.

 

That was Lee Yoo-seong’s room.

 

He closed the door softly behind him, then took off his school uniform and changed into a tracksuit.

 

His school uniform was one of the few pieces of clothing he made sure to keep neat. He wore it every time he went outside.

 

So he had to take good care of it.

 

While changing clothes, his old phone began to ring.

 

[Lee Jin-hyuk]

 

It was a call from his cousin, Lee Jin-hyuk—someone the same age as him. Lee Yoo-seong glanced at the screen, then turned his head away.

 

‘If it’s urgent, he’ll come to my room.’

 

But he probably wouldn’t. Lee Jin-hyuk never set foot in there—he always said it smelled like poverty.

 

The call ended. Then, almost immediately, the phone started ringing again. Lee Yoo-seong clenched his eyes shut. Eventually, it stopped once more.

 

He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes—

 

[Lee Jin-hyuk]: Do you want to die or something?

 

—and instantly regretted it.

 

He bit his lip hard as new messages lit up the screen one after another.

 

[Lee Jin-hyuk]: Get out to the playground. Right now. Every minute you’re late, that’s another hit.

[Lee Jin-hyuk]: Ignoring me? I’ll tell Mom and Dad to kick you out.

[Lee Jin-hyuk]: Or maybe I’ll just set your room on fire.

 

With Lee Jin-hyuk, that wasn’t an empty threat.

 

Lee Yoo-seong stared silently at the photo of his parents, then quietly stepped out of his room.

 

At the playground, Lee Jin-hyuk didn’t waste time. The moment he saw him, he kicked Lee Yoo-seong straight in the stomach.

 

“You little shit!”

 

Lee Yoo-seong collapsed to the ground, curling up as Lee Jin-hyuk kicked him again and again, seething with rage.

 

“You laughed at me earlier, didn’t you?! Huh?! You fucking laughed! I’m already pissed off, and now this?!”

 

Lee Yoo-seong curled tighter into a ball. Acting hurt like this was the fastest way to get it over with.

 

Some people had asked him before:

 

Why do you let Lee Jin-hyuk hit you like that?

 

He never answered. But in his mind, he always remembered—

 

“Yoo-seong, be nice to Jin-hyuk, okay? He’s family.”

 

“That’s right, son. Jin-hyuk’s your only cousin. You two need to get along—no fighting, okay?”

 

That’s what his late parents had told him.

 

So even though Lee Yoo-seong was strong enough to fight back, he endured it quietly.

 

Because the pain would pass.

 

“Hey! Stop that! If you break my chair, are you going to replace it?”

 

Someone tried to intervene, pulling Lee Jin-hyuk away.

 

“Fuck off! Let me go! That little shit laughed at me!!”

 

“Our Jin-hyuk’s all fired up~ Your noona’s scared~”

 

“Who the hell’s your sister?!”

 

“Damn, look at him lose it.”

 

“Oh no, so scary~”

 

Laughter and mockery echoed around the playground. Lee Yoo-seong shut his lips tight, pretending he couldn’t hear any of it.

 

“Anyway, did you hear? PE might be canceled.”

 

“PE?”

 

“Yeah. My mom’s head of the PTA. She said they’re thinking of relocating PE or something.”

 

“They should get rid of English instead.”

 

“For real.”

 

A lighter clicked. Someone lit a cigarette and blew smoke right into Lee Yoo-seong’s face.

 

“If English’s gone, Yoo-seong’ll have no reason to be here. Right, Yoo-seong?”

 

Again, Lee Yoo-seong said nothing.

 

He just wished…

 

That it would all end soon.

 

But the bullying continued the next day.

 

And the day after that.

 

In fact, it never stopped.

 

When Lee Yoo-seong arrived at school early the next morning, he found his indoor shoes filled with nails. He calmly crushed them underfoot and tossed them in the trash.

 

Lee Jin-hyuk and his gang would definitely be pissed.

 

But he didn’t care.

 

He’d just take a few punches and it’d be over.

 

And sure enough—

 

“You son of a bitch! Who did this?! Lee Yoo-seong! Was it you?!”

 

“Calm down. You think Yoo-seong’s got the strength to crush nails like that? Still annoying though.”

 

Whack!

 

Another kick.

 

Lee Yoo-seong toppled from his chair, quickly curling up again, pretending to be scared and shaken.

 

Just then—

 

“Everyone, to your seats!”

 

The Class 3-A homeroom teacher stormed into the classroom.

 

Disappointed, Lee Jin-hyuk and his friends reluctantly returned to their seats.

 

“Lee Yoo-seong! Why are you on the floor? Get back to your seat!”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Lee Yoo-seong struggled to his feet and quietly sat down.

 

Only then did the teacher speak again.

 

“Our co-homeroom teacher, Mr. Choi Kyo-bin, has taken a sudden leave of absence due to personal reasons.”

 

“Yesss!”

 

Lee Jin-hyuk and his gang cheered loudly.

 

“Who was that?! Who just cheered?!”

 

“Sorry, sir!”

 

Lee Jin-hyuk apologized, trying to hide his laugh. The teacher clicked his tongue, annoyed, then continued.

 

“Fortunately, we found someone to fill in right away. Please come in.”

 

At that, a tall, handsome young man stepped into Class 3-A. He walked up to the podium, gave a polite nod, and introduced himself with a calm, clear voice.

 

“Hello, everyone. I’ll be your assistant homeroom teacher and your English teacher for the time being. My name is Kwak Yoon-hoo. I look forward to working with you all.”

 

Lee Yoo-seong’s eyes widened in surprise.