Chapter 24: Righteous Deed

In the basement of S.M. Company, the atmosphere becomes unusually heavy and oppressive at the end of each month, making it hard to breathe.

With the monthly exam approaching, everyone is actively preparing, training every second they can. Those who have won first place twice in a row are hoping to win one more time to advance to a higher class.

After nearly a month of intense training, Li Yunzai can now perform a complete set of simple Breaking handstand moves, and they are not shoddy. Through targeted improvements to his dance moves, Li Yunzai is no longer the Breaking beginner he was a month ago.

By the end of October, the weather gradually cooled down, and the summer heat began to dissipate. Autumn was approaching.

October 30th, Friday, sunny.

Li Yunzai sat by the window, gazing at the clear sky outside, somewhat lost in thought. The teacher was giving the last class of the day, and since it was Friday, many students were not paying attention, instead thinking about how to spend the weekend. Li Yunzai, however, was not thinking about the weekend; he was looking forward to the monthly exam the next day. The thought of the exam made his heart race, and he was eager for time to pass quickly.

Ding... Dong...

Finally, the school bell rang, and the previously quiet playground instantly became noisy. Countless students with backpacks rushed out of their classrooms and toward the school gate as if the first one out would receive a reward.

To the surprise of his classmates, Li Yunzai did not rush out first. Instead, he calmly tidied up his desk, put on his backpack, and walked out the back door, turning left toward the higher-grade classrooms.

Li Yunzai was in Class 5-1, and there were four other fifth-grade classes next to his. Beyond them were the sixth-grade classes. He was heading to the sixth grade because today, Bora, a student known as the "ghost" in the sixth grade, had come to school for the first time in a while.

Considering the negative impact of her frequent absences, Bora would come to school every so often to give an account to the school. However, since her academic performance consistently ranked in the top twenty out of 300 students in the entire grade, the school turned a blind eye to her absences.

Li Yunzai waited at the door of Class 6-2 for a while and then saw Bora come out of the classroom with her backpack.

"Hehe, Bora-ssi, I've never seen you with a backpack and in your school uniform... You really look like a student in this outfit!"

Li Yunzai was most familiar with Bora wearing loose pants and a T-shirt, often sweating. This was the first time he had seen her in a school uniform, looking like a good girl.

Bora swung her arm and threw her backpack to Li Yunzai, who instinctively caught it. Bora then said, "Wait for me a moment, I still have to do my cleaning duties!"

Li Yunzai had no choice but to wait at the door. However, after a few minutes, he could not bear the strange looks from the students coming out of the classroom, as if they were saying, "How does this guy know the ghost student?" or "Are they siblings... or in a relationship?"

In this era, dating was not uncommon; some people even had their first love in kindergarten. Even now, outside the school gate, you could see some bold couples holding hands and walking home together.

Feeling uncomfortable, Li Yunzai turned around and leaned on the concrete railing of the balcony. After ten minutes, most of the students had left, and the crowd at the school gate had dispersed.

"Alright, let's go!" Bora appeared behind Li Yunzai, patted his shoulder, and took back her backpack.

The two walked down the stairs together, and other students passed by them from time to time. Bora glanced at Li Yunzai and asked, "Yunzai, you'll be participating in tomorrow's monthly exam, right?"

Hearing the words "monthly exam," Li Yunzai would smile even in his sleep.

Why?

It's simple. Li Yunzai had been in the basement of S.M. Company for three and a half months and had taken three monthly exams. In the past, he had not learned much, so although he had some desire to compete with the others and gain recognition from Lee Soo-man, Yoo Young-jin, and Kim Sung-soo, he lacked the ability. Now, after three and a half months of training, he had gained some confidence in his singing and instrument skills compared to the other students in Class C. Moreover, after a month of intensive training in October, he had gained some confidence in his previously weak dance skills and felt ready to stand on stage.

Once a person gains some skills, they are eager to showcase them and gain recognition from others. Li Yunzai was no exception, especially since he was only ten years old, or eleven by Korean age. Gaining recognition from adults was the greatest encouragement for him.

"Sure, I didn't go on stage for the first three monthly exams because I wasn't capable. Now, after three and a half months of training, I have gained some skills and can compete with them on stage. The teacher has already told me to go on stage for the monthly exam on the 31st," Li Yunzai said with a smile.

"Great! Then we can perform on the same stage!" Bora said happily.

Li Yunzai's face darkened. "Bora-ssi... You are much more capable than me. Before joining the company, you already had a foundation. After joining, you had professional teachers and a higher training load. With your hard work, you are probably the top student in Class B. If you win first place in the monthly exam in November, you will be the fastest trainee to advance to Class A in the company!"

"Don't be discouraged. You've only been training for three and a half months. If you keep working hard, with your talent, you should be able to enter Class A by this time next year!" Bora comforted him.

Li Yunzai shrugged. Who could predict the future? He could only take one step at a time toward Class A. But he knew the road ahead would not be smooth; he would have to overcome many obstacles.

As they talked, they unknowingly reached the school gate and continued left toward the bus stop.

On the way, Bora noticed Li Yunzai's hesitant expression and asked, "What's wrong? If you have something to say, just say it. Don't be so hesitant!"

Li Yunzai was startled, his heart pounding.

"Still not saying it?" Bora hated this feeling. It was clear he had something to say but was holding it in.

Li Yunzai hesitated for a few seconds and then said, "Bora-ssi... Is it true about the rumors with senior Yoo Myung-dragon?"

Upon hearing this, Bora instinctively stopped and stared at Li Yunzai, her face turning pale and then red.

"Sorry, Bora-ssi, I shouldn't have asked. Just pretend you didn't hear it!" Li Yunzai was startled by Bora's reaction.

"Actually... he has indirectly expressed his feelings to me... but I haven't been able to make a decision!" After a long pause, Bora finally spoke.

Li Yunzai's face changed, and he clenched his teeth. "Bora-ssi, Yoo Myung-dragon is not a good person. You must not like him!"

Bora's face changed, surprised by Li Yunzai's intense reaction and annoyed by his "slander" of Yoo Myung-dragon. Yoo Myung-dragon always appeared humble and polite in front of her and was very considerate.

"Really, Bora-ssi! He has bullied me before..." Li Yunzai blurted out, seeing the doubt on Bora's face.

Bora's face darkened, and she stopped. "Yunzai, how can you hold a grudge like this! Yoo Myung-dragon oppa told me about this. It was you who disrespected your senior first. It was your fault! I even spoke up for you to Yoo Myung-dragon oppa, and now you're slandering him! You've disappointed me! Hmph... I'm leaving!"

Li Yunzai stood there, stunned, watching Bora's retreating back, unsure of what to do. He wanted to chase after her but couldn't move.

Anger surged from his feet to his heart. Li Yunzai had never been so angry.

He was not angry because Yoo Myung-dragon had twisted the facts in front of Bora, but because Bora chose to believe Yoo Myung-dragon over him. Instantly, a mix of委屈, anger, and other negative emotions flooded his heart, and his small fists clenched tightly, leaving deep marks on his palms.

Sigh...

A few minutes later, Li Yunzai took a deep breath, expelling all the pent-up anger. By then, the bus carrying Bora was long gone, and he felt a sense of emptiness.

Feeling as if he had trained for hours, Li Yunzai sat on the edge of a flower bed by the roadside. The heart-wrenching feeling made him uncomfortable, especially Bora's last words, "You've disappointed me," which felt like a slap in the face. Thinking about the time he had spent with Bora, he realized he had not earned her trust. A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

As the sky grew darker, the night came quickly. By 5 PM, it was already dark, and the streetlights were on. Li Yunzai stood up, sighed, and decided to go back to training...

Just as he was about to take a step forward, he saw two boys harassing a little girl in a corner across the street. He recognized them as the two troublemakers from his neighboring class who often bullied others.

At that moment, Li Yunzai was full of anger and frustration. Seeing the two troublemakers bullying a younger girl, he could not contain his anger. Although he could not see the girl's face clearly, he could tell she was a girl by her height and hair length.

There were few people around the school, and cars were passing on the road. Li Yunzai carefully crossed the street and ran toward the corner. He could faintly hear, "Give us the money!" and "If you don't give us the money, we'll search you ourselves."

Li Yunzai clenched his teeth and thought, Damn, they are extorting a little girl, probably a first or second grader. You two scumbags...

As Li Yunzai approached, he heard a weak sob, "I don't have any money... I really don't have any money..."

"You're lying... You look like a rich kid, how can you not have money? Just give us the money, or we'll hit you!" the shorter boy said menacingly.

"Hmph, I've seen many rich kids like you. They all say they don't have money at first, but after we beat them up, they obediently give us the money. Do you want us to beat you up too?"

"Sniff... I really don't have any money..." the little girl cried.

"What are you doing? You two are from Class 5-2, right? I can't believe you're extorting younger students. Do you have any shame?" Li Yunzai shouted.

Seeing Li Yunzai, who was angry and had his fists clenched, the two troublemakers exchanged glances and gritted their teeth. The taller one said, "Hmph, I wondered who it was. It's that weirdo from Class 5-1. Perfect timing!"

With that, the two rushed at Li Yunzai.

After his recent training, Li Yunzai had become more agile. Although he was not a skilled fighter, his agility was far superior to that of most his age. He quickly dodged between the two and stood in front of the little girl.

"Run... I can't hold them off for long!" Li Yunzai whispered, hoping she would take the opportunity to escape. If a real fight broke out, he would not be able to protect her.

"Give us the money, and we'll let you go!" the shorter boy said viciously.

Li Yunzai ignored him, staring straight at him. The little girl stopped crying and looked at the back of the person protecting her. She bit her lip, got up, and ran away.

"Hey... Don't let her escape!"

Before the two troublemakers could react, Li Yunzai lunged forward, his right fist striking hard, fueled by his frustration and anger. However, he missed and stumbled.

"Haha... You think you can fight! Today, we'll teach you what real fighting is!"

Clearly, Li Yunzai had the spirit and strength but lacked the skills to use them effectively. It was his first time fighting, and he did not know how to land his punches, only swinging wildly.

Soon, Li Yunzai's school uniform was covered in footprints, and his face was dirty. Despite his lack of fighting skills, he managed to hold his own against two opponents, which was already impressive.

Seizing an opportunity, Li Yunzai punched one of them in the stomach and was pushed to the ground. As he fell, his hand hit the ground, and a sharp pain shot through it, probably from a cut.

Damn... I'll fight you to the end...

With a deep breath, Li Yunzai stood up and charged forward, throwing punches and kicks wildly. Although he took a few more hits, he managed to inflict some damage on his opponents.

"Damn... This weirdo is crazy... Forget it, we're unlucky today... Let's not fight him!"

The two troublemakers glared at Li Yunzai and then left. Li Yunzai sat on the ground, panting. He had not expected his first fight to be so frustrating, mainly due to a lack of "real combat" experience. His hand was throbbing, and in the dark, he could not see what had cut it.

"Are... Are you okay?" a weak voice came from behind him. Li Yunzai turned to see the little girl approaching in the darkness.

"Why haven't you left?" Li Yunzai asked, somewhat annoyed.

The little girl seemed hesitant and said nervously, "I ran halfway and thought I couldn't just leave you, so I came back."

Li Yunzai rolled his eyes and was speechless. "It's fine now... Go home quickly. If you go home earlier, you won't run into them again!" He stood up and gave her a few more instructions.

The little girl ran to Li Yunzai's side and held his hand. "Are you hurt?"

"Ouch... I'm fine... Let go and go home. I need to leave too!" Li Yunzai winced and said, pulling his hand away. He patted the dust off his clothes and walked toward the bus stop. The little girl watched him for a while before leaving. A few steps later, she felt something under her foot and picked it up. It was a school badge that read, "Chungdam Elementary School, Class 5-2, Li Yunzai."

......

"Yunzai, what happened to your hand!" When Li Yunzai entered the practice room, Teacher An was shocked, especially by the blood on his hand.

The wound was not deep, and Li Yunzai had wrapped it with a handkerchief, which had stopped the bleeding. However, the red color still caught Teacher An's attention.

Reluctantly, Li Yunzai explained his "righteous deed." Although his right palm was cut by glass, it would affect his performance the next day, but fortunately, it was not too serious.

Teacher An did not say much, as Li Yunzai had acted bravely. He took Li Yunzai to the infirmary, disinfected the wound, applied some medicine, and bandaged it...

At the same time, in a residential area in Cheongdam-dong.

"Mom, I'm home!"

"Yoo, Seo Joo-hyun, why are you so late? And you're injured? Why is there blood on your hand? I've told you many times to take care of your hands; they are for playing the piano..."

Seo Joo-hyun was stunned by the blood on her hand. Her mother took her to the kitchen to clean it and said, puzzled, "Strange, you're not injured. Did you get paint on your hands while playing somewhere?"

"It's not paint, it's real blood... but it's not mine... it's his..." Seo Joo-hyun muttered, dazed.

No more words, another 10,000-word update today! Please follow and recommend!

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