Ajin pov
An Urgent Call
The restricted call I received turned out to be from Jaeo.
"Hello...? Who-?" I answered, my voice tentative.
"IT'S ME! Couldn't you tell just by hearing my voice?" he exclaimed, standing outside a USED PHONE store.
"Jaeo...?" I replied, recognizing his voice now.
He sounded serious. "If you ever need me, just call me at this number. Yeah. Look, I bought a second-hand phone." He had a bruise under his eye.
"Um... that was all I had to say," he mumbled, about to hang up.
"I'll talk to you later then--"
"WAIT, JAEO. DON'T HANG UP. I... NEED YOU RIGHT NOW..." I pleaded, desperate.
He paused. "Ajin... Wait a minute... Ajin never would have picked up at this time of day..." He was surprised I answered. "Where are you right now?" he asked, clearly concerned.
The Confrontation at the Park
We met up later in a park as the sun began to set. I sat on a swing while Jaeo stood over me, clearly annoyed by the details of the fight with Seonghee.
"ARE YOU STUPID?! Why didn't you throw YOUR milk carton at her, OR KNEE HER IN THE STOMACH?!" he demanded.
"You have no problem standing your ground with me! Why did you let her get away with it?!"
I explained my reasons. "I didn't want to make any trouble... Plus, I didn't see a point in getting mixed up in that kind of incident as an honor roll student."
But the bullying was taking its toll. "But... I can't ignore her anymore."
A Dangerous Secret
I looked up at him, my eyes filled with tears. "Yeah. She already hates me, so... ...it won't be long until the entire school finds out... Everyone at school will be talking behind my back soon..."
My face was close to his. "I think Seonghee... ...knows about us."
Jaeo's eyes went wide with alarm. "WAIT, WHAT?! ARE YOU SAYING THAT SHE KNOWS YOU'RE THE REAL OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT BOOK?!"
The conversation ended abruptly. The final panels show a deep, dark image: a slow, soundless descent in the blackness—"DROP"—followed by a murky, black-and-white image of what looks like deep, tangled roots or tentacles reaching up from below, accompanied by the eerie sound effect "PSSSSS," suggesting a hidden, menacing element lurking beneath the surface of the story.
An Offer of Help
Jaeo, kneeling on the ground by my swing, looked at me with an intensity that cut through my tears. The dark, disturbing image from the last scene—the creeping "CRAWL" and the suggestion of tentacles—seemed to follow him.
"Ajin, stop crying and look at me," he urged. I was hiding my face in my hands, unable to deal with the public humiliation Seonghee had caused and the potential for greater trouble.
"You know how he is... There's no way he'd be able to handle a snake like Seonghee," I whispered, likely referring to the boy from the rooftop, Junseo. I added, "Listen, I just need someone to be here for me right now... That's all..."
In the darkness of my desperation, Jaeo's internal thoughts echoed a disturbing possessiveness: "AJIN NEEDS ME. IT HAS TO BE ME. I'M THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN HELP HER..."
He pressed the issue, his tone shifting from comforting to demanding. "You know I'm quick to catch onto things, right? You called me and told me you needed me. You're smart. You must have some kind of plan already. Tell me.
What can I do to help you?"
I finally looked up, the tears streaming down my face. "I'm not smart like you. I don't know what to do. So tell me what I need to do..." I was giving him control, which seemed to be exactly what he wanted.
"...to help you," he finished with a quiet resolve.
A Mysterious Visit
A white sedan with a TAXI sign on top screeched to a halt—"SQUEAAAK."
I had arrived somewhere. "Wow. I haven't been around here in a while."
The cab driver was paid generously: "KEEP THE CHANGE! CONSIDER IT TIP."
Then, a new character appeared: an older man, dressed in a brown jacket and carrying a bag. His expression was unsettling, a wide, eerie grin on his face.
"MMM... SMELLS LIKE MONEY," he muttered as he handled the bag. He looked at the viewer and gave a final, ominous message: "JUST YOU WAIT, AJIN. DADDY'S COMING TO SEE YOU."
This suggests the man is Ajin's father and his arrival is tied to the current events.
Dating News Spreads
The news of the confession quickly made its way through the classroom. Two other girls were sitting with the girl who confessed to Junseo, whose name is Seonghee.
"Wait, you and Junseo are dating?!" one girl asked, clearly surprised.
"Really?" the other echoed.
Seonghee, looking defiant, adjusted her ponytail. "What's with your faces...? What's wrong with me dating him?"
"Oh, it's just rather sudden, that's all," the first girl replied, then hesitantly added, "But he knows you poured milk all over Ajin, right? And he STILL wants to date you?"
Seonghee immediately corrected her. "I didn't pour it on her! I poured it on her lunch. There's a difference, okay?" She then shut down the conversation abruptly, her anger rising. "Ugh, whatever. Just don't talk about Ajin around me ever again, okay?"
Junseo's Warning
The scene shifts to a tense private conversation between Junseo and Seonghee, likely about the milk incident and Ajin.
Junseo, whose words are not shown, seemed to be confronting Seonghee about her bullying. Seonghee, looking upset, spoke of Junseo's connection to me.
"As you probably know, Ajin and I've been friends for a long time," she asserted.
She relayed a message from him: "If you really care for me, please don't bother Ajin... ...at least while we're seeing each other."
However, her internal thoughts betrayed a much deeper malice: "If I had my way, I'd tell EVERYONE that AJIN IS THE REAL LOANSHARK.... and make sure she gets expelled, but..."
She then turned away from the thought, conceding for now. "...FOR NOW, I'M GONNA LET IT GO. COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY, AJIN. IF IT WEREN'T FOR JUNSEO, YOUR LIFE WOULD BE A LIVING HELL RIGHT NOW."
Seonghee then faced the two other girls in her class again, her patience completely gone. "JUST SHUT UP ABOUT HER. OKAY?!"
My Return
Meanwhile, I quietly returned to school. A silent panel showed my feet in slippers sliding across the floor—"SLIDE." I appeared at the doorway, likely the school entrance or classroom. The final image is a close-up of my profile, my expression unnervingly calm, suggesting I am ready to face the music or, more likely, begin my own twisted plan.
It appears the story is structured to show contrasting perspectives and the beginning of a manipulative plan. I will continue the expansion using the first-person perspective, "I," for the character Ajin.
Junseo's Date Invitation
The bell rang, signaling LUNCH TIME—"DING DONG DING DONG."
I returned to class after my dramatic exit and confrontation with Jaeo. I saw the two girls who were talking to Seonghee earlier. One of them, a friend of Seonghee, spoke to me.
"Hey, can I see... your homework?"
I gave her an unconcerned look. "I didn't do mine because I was busy texting Junseo all night,"
I lied easily, then added with a smirk, "Nope, not for free!" I was already leveraging my new relationship for social currency.
Seonghee's friend turned to her. "HA HA! Yeah! Let's go to the school convenience store at lunch. You're buying, Seonghee!"
Seonghee shot me a glare, then answered her friends. "WHAT?! NO! I'M EATING LUNCH WITH JUNSEO! YOU TWO GO AHEAD."
The friends groaned. "OH, MY GOD, YOU LOVE BIRDS! UGH, GROSS!"
Seonghee angrily shot back, "SHUT UP! I'M STILL GONNA EAT LUNCH WITH HIM EVEN IF YOU TWO MAKE FUN OF ME."
Later, as I was sitting with Junseo, he pulled out his phone. He looked at me nervously and asked, "A musical...? Yeah, are you free this weekend?"
My heart thumped. Is he asking me out on a date? OH MY GOD, HE TOTALLY IS! IT'S OUR FIRST DATE...!
I tried to keep my composure. "OH, I'M NOT SURE... I'LL LET YOU KNOW. SHOULD WE GRAB DINNER AND GET COFFEE AFTER THE SHOW WHILE WE'RE AT IT?"
Junseo smiled. "SURE. DO YOU WANT TO BUY THE TICKETS SINCE I'M NOT SURE WHEN YOU'LL BE FREE? I'M FREE ALL WEEKEND, SO I CAN WORK AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE. WE CAN FIGURE EVERYTHING ELSE OUT ON THE DAY OF."
He wants ME to buy the tickets?? I scoffed internally at the request, but replied with a nonchalant, "OKAY?" I was willing to overlook the minor inconvenience for the sake of the date.
The Root of the Problem
Unbeknownst to Junseo, a quick text message exchange was circulating among the students, indicating the real source of the escalating conflict.
"lol WTF seriously?" the text read.
"she's the one that's been b*tching about Ajin..."
"right?"
"ugh whatever, lol!"
The story, now titled "Dear X" by VANZIUN, is clearly revealing that the conflict goes far beyond a simple lunchroom fight. While Junseo and I go on our first date, the drama surrounding me, Seonghee, and the secrets I share with Jaeo—secrets like the "real loanshark" business—continues to simmer.
My ultimate goal remains to make my mother's death "somewhat meaningful" by rising "on the backs of others," and my new relationship with Junseo is clearly my first step in this dark and manipulative journey.
"WHAT? I THOUGHT YOU HATED AJIN. YEAH, WHAT'S GOING ON?"
The story is building toward the moment when the truth about the "account book" and the "real loanshark" is exposed. What do you think will happen when the school finds out I'm the one behind it all?
An Unsettling Date
The conversation about the date continued with Junseo.
"SURE. DO YOU WANT TO BUY THE TICKETS SINCE I'M NOT SURE WHEN YOU'LL BE FREE? I'M FREE ALL WEEKEND, SO I CAN WORK AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE. WE CAN FIGURE EVERYTHING ELSE OUT ON THE DAY OF".
I was internally annoyed, thinking, "He wants ME to buy the tickets??". But I just said, "OKAY?".
Later, while walking down the school hallway, someone stopped me. It was a girl with short hair who looked distressed.
"Ajin... are you really dating Junseo?" she asked, her voice trembling.
I stared at her, unblinking. "Yeah, I am. What about it?".
She seemed both sad and angry. "Even though you know Seonghee likes him?".
I simply responded, "I don't care. Do you have a problem with it?".
She looked down, fidgeting with her hands, then blurted out, "...No... I don't have a problem with it. I was just... surprised. I heard she's already causing trouble for you. I'm worried about you...".
I cut her off, my face remaining perfectly calm, though a hint of my cold nature showed through. "I appreciate your concern, but you should just worry about yourself. I have everything under control. I'll be going now".
I walked away, leaving the girl with the weight of my words.
The Teacher's Regret
As I walked off, a girl, who seemed to be a different person than the one I had just spoken to, was talking to another friend about me.
"Agh... I wish she would just be honest with herself!" one friend exclaimed.
"Yeah. She clearly likes Junseo, but she's going about it the wrong way. Why is she trying to use Ajin to get to Junseo?" the other friend asked.
The scene shifted to the art teacher who I had lied to about my wrist. He sat alone, looking troubled.
If I hadn't given Ajin a passing mark... he thought, covering his face. If I had just expelled her, maybe....
He stood up, resolving to do something. "No, that's not right. She's just a student. It's my responsibility to help her...".
He looked determined. "I have to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else. Not with that book. That account book... I have to take it away from her."
It seems the art teacher knows the secret behind the loan shark operation and is preparing to confront me, setting up a major conflict. What do you think the art teacher will do with the account book once he takes it?
An Unexpected Visitor
I walked back into my house, the day's events—the date planning, the encounter with the worried classmate—spinning in my mind.
I was completely thrown off when I saw a figure standing inside my home.
"Hello?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. The man, my father, turned, his expression unnervingly calm.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded, stepping back.
He merely smiled. "My home. I can be here if I want."
"It is NOT your home!" I shot back, the anger bubbling up instantly.
"Ajin, it's been a while," he said, taking a step toward me. He pointed to the back of the house, where a dark, cluttered pile sat. "Is that all the loan repayment money?"
"I told you NOT to call me Ajin," I snapped, using the name he had tried to give me. I knew the power the account book held, and I knew what he was really here for. "And... I'm not giving you the account book."
A Familiar Fight
My father's calm facade cracked. "I'm warning you. Don't cause trouble for me."
"I'm not causing trouble. YOU are," I retorted, shaking my head.
He seemed to lose patience. "Do you think I came all the way here for that little bit of money?"
"Then what is it?" I asked.
His face contorted in a dark smirk. "I think it's time you learned..."
The next moment, his hand lashed out, gripping the side of my head and forcefully slamming me against the wall with a sickening "THWACK." I could feel the sharp, blinding pain as my head hit the plaster, and I collapsed to the floor.
"It's time you learned how to behave," he hissed.
The Teacher Intervenes
A brief image appeared—my art teacher running urgently down a set of stairs. He had clearly heard the commotion or knew where to find me.
"Ajin!" he yelled as he burst through the door, witnessing my father towering over me.
My father turned to face him, his face now a mask of fury. "Who the hell are you?" he yelled, holding the account book in his hand.
The teacher didn't back down. "Give me that. You can't take it."
My father laughed, a chilling, humorless sound. "I think I'll take it. And you can't stop me."
The teacher, full of desperation, lunged forward. "I SAID GIVE IT TO ME!"
and the teacher's desperate, angry eyes, with the sound effect "THWACK!" indicating another blow has landed, likely on the teacher. My dark, complicated world has officially collided with my school life, and a teacher's life is now in danger because of the secret I hold.
My Father's Attack
The moment my art teacher burst into the room, everything escalated. I was still on the floor after being slammed against the wall by my father.
"Ajin!" the teacher shouted, seeing the scene.
My father, who was holding the account book, whirled around to face the teacher.
"Who the hell are you?" my father yelled.
The teacher didn't hesitate; he pointed directly at the book. "Give me that. You can't take it".
My father just laughed, a cruel sound that filled the air. "I think I'll take it. And you can't stop me".
The teacher lunged forward, desperation etched on his face. "I SAID GIVE IT TO ME!".
I watched, frozen, as the struggle began. My father didn't flinch.
"THWACK!" A sickening sound of a blow landing echoed in the room, and the teacher fell back against the wall. He slid down, his eyes wide with pain and surprise. My father merely smirked, his superiority confirmed.
A Desperate Plea and a Vile Threat
My father looked down at the teacher, who was clutching his midsection. "What were you saying?" he sneered.
The teacher pleaded, trying to appeal to his humanity. "You... you have to let go of the account book... It's going to ruin Ajin's life...".
My father's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me what to do with my daughter's business". He began to kick the teacher violently, the sounds of "KICK KICK KICK" filling the room.
"Agh!" the teacher cried out.
My father stopped the assault and delivered his final, terrifying ultimatum. "Listen carefully," he growled. "If you tell anyone what you saw... ...I'm going to tell your wife what you do here every day".
The teacher looked up, his face a mixture of shock and terror. He knew exactly what my father meant. "How...".
My father grinned, holding the account book out like a trophy. "I know everything," he bragged. "Just like I knew you'd be here... You're too easy to read".
He held a finger to his lips, a final sign of menace. "Shhh".
He then casually placed the account book inside his jacket and zipped it up. "I'll see you later," he said to the teacher, turning to leave.
My Father's Escape
I watched him walk out, still reeling from the events. He walked out of my life as easily as he walked in, leaving both the teacher and me battered and shaken. My dark gaze followed him. He had the book now, and I knew what that meant for my carefully laid plans.
An Alliance is Born
I was still on the floor, bruised and shaken, watching my father disappear with the account book. The art teacher was struggling to stand up, his face pale with pain.
"Ajin, are you okay?" he gasped, finally managing to brace himself against the wall.
I stared at him, my mind racing. I was in a terrible position—my only leverage was gone, and this teacher was the only witness. I needed to know his intentions.
"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice flat.
"I told you, I wanted to take the account book away from you," he admitted, rubbing his sore arm.
I knew he thought he was protecting me, but I didn't need his pity. "But you're not a hero, are you?" I challenged him. I knew my father's threat about his wife was the real deterrent.
The teacher's expression faltered. "What do you mean?".
I pushed myself up, my movements slow and deliberate, and stared him right in the eye. "I'm going to ruin my father. I will not live or die like my mother. So, what are you going to do to help me?". I was not asking for help; I was offering a pact.
He looked shocked by my intensity. "Ruin him...?".
My New Plan
I grabbed the teacher's hand and pulled him closer, speaking with cold determination. "You said it yourself. You have to help me," I reminded him, my eyes hard. "If you had left me alone, none of this would have happened. So, this is your fault".
I was shifting the blame, binding him to me.
I looked at him, my stare unrelenting. "Do you still think I need therapy?".
He paused, a complicated expression crossing his face. "Ajin... I'm only here because... I think you are good at heart... and I wanted to protect you from the path you're taking".
I cut him off. "Then help me get the account book back!".
He was reluctant, looking completely defeated. "I'm sorry, I can't. Your father is dangerous. I don't want to get involved with him anymore".
"Then I'll do it myself," I hissed, leaving him in the wreckage of the room.
The teacher watched me go, his hand covering his face. "I'm so sorry, Ajin. I didn't mean to make things worse...". But it was too late. The gears of my next move were already grinding.
Back in Control
I was furious about my father's intrusion and the theft of the account book, but I had a date to prepare for. I was looking at myself in the mirror, applying lip color.
The teacher probably thought I'd be devastated that my father took the account book, I thought, touching my freshly colored lip. But he's wrong. I won't let my father ruin my life.
I stared at my reflection. I am not my mother. I wouldn't let myself be a victim, like her. I was ready to take control of the narrative, starting with my relationship with Junseo.
The Perfect Date
I was standing outside a theater, waiting for Junseo. I had bought the tickets for the musical we were going to see.
Junseo arrived, greeting me warmly. "I'm so glad you could make it," he said.
We walked into the theater, the excitement of the musical quickly pushing the chaos of my home life to the back of my mind.
As we watched the performance, Junseo leaned closer to me and whispered, "This is so much fun. I'm glad we came."
Later, sitting across from each other at a coffee shop, Junseo looked serious. "Look, I wanted to apologize again for Seonghee. I hope her actions didn't cause you too much trouble."
I offered him a gentle smile, playing the part of the victim. "It's fine. Really. I'm okay."
He smiled back, relieved. "Good. I'm glad you're enjoying our date."
A Twist in the Plan
I looked at him, feeling a strange mix of genuine affection and calculated manipulation.
He's so sweet, I thought. He really cares about me. But I also knew the power I held. I saw a simple way to further my goals using his feelings.
I gave him a coy look. "You know, I actually had a really fun time today, Junseo." I paused, letting my words sink in. "Maybe we can do this again sometime... if you help me with a little thing."
Junseo looked intrigued. "What is it? Anything you need."
I leaned forward, my voice dropping conspiratorially. "I need you to help me get back at Seonghee. It's only fair after what she did, and I have a great idea..."
The smooth operation of my first date had successfully transitioned into the first phase of my revenge plan. Now that I have Junseo completely charmed and willing to help me, what do you think my "great idea" for getting back at Seonghee will be?