Ever since the start of the Korean economic development, a single company holds the highest ranking with its continuous growth. It has finally established itself in the international market as a world-class company. That company is Shin-Hwa.
From electronics, oil refining and automobiles, to delivery, and telecommunications, even if you're a Korean who doesn't even know the President's name, it would be difficult for you not to have come across the words "Shin-Hwa". It is a massive empire; a model Korean conglomerate.
One day when Shin-Hwa achieved a $10B export for the first time in its history, its founder said this when he was invited to the Blue House instead of accepting a medal of honor: "Mr. President, please let me build a school for my grandchildren." Incorporated Association, Shin-hwa Academy.
For this school, which is unprecedented in Korean education history, the President – at a time when economic development was more important than equal opportunities for education – spared no effort even allowing special laws to be passed.
Now there is even a saying that a family won't get anywhere without a Shin-Hwa graduate, Shin Hwa is a base built by the top 1% of Korean society, for the top 1% of society. Beginning with Shin Hwa Kindergarten, which most upper class kids are unable to enroll even if they were registered immediately after they were born, once they enroll, they can be educated at Shin Hwa from elementary, middle and high school all the way to university.
For all the Korean students and parents frustrated by the college entrance exams, Shin Hwa is both the object of their jealousy and dreams. However, this school for the chosen sons and daughters of God, something beyond anyone's imagination is happening…
In the school of Shin-Hwa, a girl wearing a messy school uniform -a ruffled plaid skirt, a stained dress shirt under a wrinkled jacket, and her shoes were missing, leaving her socks vulnerable- walked down a hallway. Her curly brown hair covered her face as she hung her head in despair, but she was not alone, other students also in their cleaner and neater uniform watched from the sides, clearing the way as she continued forward. Small whispers and giggles could be heard coming from them, but they made no move to approach her. The girl acted as if she were the only person there.
Meanwhile in a small restaurant simply named 'Sweets' at the front and a 'Sorry we are CLOSED ' sign at the door, three teenage boys sat a booth, watching the television up on the wall.
One was named Song Woo-Bin. He had on a red sweater vest over his light blue dress shirt, and navy blue slacks, his short hair was neatly combed to sweep to the left. With a professional air to him, he crossed his arms and took note of the weather reports to see if they affect him later in the week.
The one who sat next to him was So Yi-Jung, he wore a plain, red t-shirt, regular blue jeans, and a blue bike helmet strapped to his head making his black hair stick out awkwardly underneath. He'd frown in concern and hum sadly at the mention of a fire, a flood, war, or even a cat stuck in a tree.
The third one on the other side was Goo Jun-Pyo, a tall boy wearing a black beanie that covered the majority of his hair, a blue hoodie, and faded jeans. He'd shake his head or furrow his eyebrows whenever the news would talk about a troubled celebrity.
"Shin Hwa Group was selected as the biggest sponsor for the 2012 London Olympics. In the middle of the global financial crisis…"
"Turn that junk off, we have a delivery!" Another teenager walked in from the entrance abruptly, swinging the door open. His hair had a bed head look, and he wore a blue denim jacket, dark jeans with a couple of holes, and the air of a stereotypical rebel. It was Yoon Ji-Hoo.
Goo Jun-Pyo sighed as he turned off the TV and got out of his seat.
"Why do we have to go now?" So Yi-Jung whined as he slouched in his chair.
"It's probably best not to question it. " Song Woo-Bin advised as he gave the helmeted boy a pat on the back, Yi-Jung frowned childishly as he followed the other three out the door.
Then, the four boys piled into an old, red car; Jun-Pyo in the passenger seat, Woo-Bin and Yi-Jung in the back and Ji-Hoo in driver's seat as he started the car before they drove away from the restaurant.
"So, what's the plan, again?" Goo Jun-Pyo asked after a few moments of silence. Groans of annoyance from the backseat came as a result.
"Seriously? We've been working on this for two weeks!" Ji-Hoo turned his head to the passenger seat and poked the other's head, "Were you even listening?"
"Hey, eyes on the road!"
"Both hands on the wheel!"
The car slightly swerved in the street before returning back to its original place.
Back at the school, the same girl could be seen walking outside. Her socks now had a couple holes in them and were covered in dirt; she didn't seem to notice as her head still hung.
The only difference this time is that now there were a crowd of students following her as they laughed and shouted sarcastic remarks. Some had their camera phones out.
"Oh, poor little Oh Min-Ji!"
"Where are your shoes?"
"Why are your clothes so dirty?"
She ignored their yelling and continued on.
"You got it now?"
"Yeah."
By now, the old, red car the four boys rode in was parked outside of Shin-Hwa campus. They exited the vehicle and peeked around the corner to see the security guard that allowed access into the school.
"And even if you don't know, all you have to do is stand there and not look suspicious." Ji-Hoo explained as he reached into the trunk and brought out four dry-cleaned sweats covered in plastic and handed each of his associate one.
"Alright, we're gonna need the least suspecting one out of all of us to talk to the guy…" Ji-Hoo looked between each of them before Woo-Bin spoke up.
"I'll go. If I had to choose between tall, dark, and clueless Jun-Pyo, bipolar Ji-Hoo, or clumsy Yi-Jung… I'd choose myself."
"The geeky Woo-Bin?" Ji-Hoo glared at Woo-Bin
"No, "Woo-Bin sighed, "the one who isn't dressed like a hoodlum."
"Uhm, let's just make the 'delivery' before we kill each first…" Jun-Pyo interrupted as he stood between the tense pair.
"I agree with Jun-Pyo!" Yi-Jung quickly agreed.
"Whatever."
"Fine."
Walking side-by-side, Woo-Bin looked calmly at the wary security guard, "We're here with a delivery from Woo-Bin's Cleaners."
The four of them held up their wrapped clothing with innocent smiles on their faces. The security guard looked at the four for a couple more seconds before pressing a button and saying, "Go ahead."
They all nodded and said, "Thank you." Before passing through.
Once they were out of the man's hearing, Ji-Hoo chuckled and looked at Woo-Bin, "Woo-Bin's Cleaners? What kind of name is that?"
"It was in the moment, and we got through, didn't we?"
"I'm just surprised that he let four strange teenagers into the school." Yi-Jung looked back at the booth the man was in.
"He's a security guard, they're all idiots."
"Who cares, let's just get in, take what we need, and get out." Jun-Pyo looked anxiously around for teachers, students, or more guards.
"Yes, dear."
Now searching through the entire school wasn't easy for them. It was a large school, and there were only four of them. The fact that they had no idea where to find what they needed didn't help.
"Where is it?" Yi-Jung asked, looking at the buildings, but they all seemed the same.
"We should've planned this out better." Ji-Hoo frowned, regretting not have thought of mapping out the school beforehand.
"That might've been wise…" Woo-Bin sighed and shook his head as Jun-Pyo facepalmed himself.
"Let's try looking in that building." Ji-Hoo pointed at a random building, a couple students could be seen walking out.
"We might as well."
Right when they walked in, they were hit the smell of delicious food. Even though they just ate, the scent managed to make their stomachs growl. Not only was that, but the inside of the room gorgeous.
Climbing down the stairs, entranced, they were amazed by the sight of the stone walls, the smooth, wooden tables where students enjoyed their rich food, the flat screen TV where you could watch as you ate, and the small garden in the middle of the room. The entire room was like a nice restaurant instead of a cafeteria.
Teens talked and joked around while drinking out of their glasses nonchalantly. They ordered their food from real chefs as if this were a normal thing, which for them it probably was. This was real food. It's not just some kind of mystery meatloaf, but well-prepared caviar and fried fish along with all types of foods the four boys couldn't eat everyday like these guys.
Swallowing, Jun-Pyo said, "This can't be a school…"
Quick steps down the stairs interrupted their admiring as a boy yelled behind them, "Hey, Oh Min-Ji is up on the rooftop!"
The rich kids all stopped what they were doing and followed the boy outside in a mob, bumping into the four guys who had no idea what was going on. Then, the cafeteria was empty with some trays unfinished. The chefs in the kitchen seemed to have had ignored what just happened and began to clean up already.
The four guys looked at each other, confused.
"W-what just happened?" Yi-Jung questioned as he got back up after being pushed to the ground previously.
"I… am not sure, but whoever this Oh Min-Ji is must be popular…" Woo-Bin, still a bit shaken, straightened his clothes and hair.
Goo Jun-Pyo, after a couple moments of silence between them, spoke, "…Let's go check it out."
The other three looked at him as if he were crazy, "What?!"
"It might be something interesting…" before they could object, Jun-Pyo was already up the stairs.
"Wait, Goo Jun-Pyo!"
The three teenagers stared after their friend as he went to follow the crowd of students, not knowing what would happen.
"We should go, too."
"What? You too Ji-Hoo?" Yi-Jung shook the other's shoulders in hopes of snapping his friend of the trance.
"I agree with him. What's the worst that could happen, really?" Woo-Bin then went to catch up with Jun-Pyo with Ji-Hoo right behind him, leaving Yi-Jung by himself.
After a few seconds, he sighed sadly and trudged up the stairs, "I need new friends…"
By the time the helmeted teen caught up with his friends, they were already in the crowd, looking up at the roof. On the roof was a girl standing on the railing, trying to keep her balance and Goo Jun-Pyo a few feet away from her.
"I told you, she wouldn't survive four days."
"Three is close, though."
"Two and a half, really."
"Who's the dude, though?"
The three friends looked alarmed as they quickly ran to their companion, "Goo Jun-Pyo!"
Up on the roof, Oh Min-Ji looked down at the ground. It was a long way and would definitely kill her. She slightly turned back to the crowd of students with their camera phones and tried to ignore the random guy attempting to coax her out of this.
"Please stop this! You don't need to do it!" He looked at the group of teens who merely recorded the endangered girl and laughed.
'Laugh. That's all these kids do like everything is a joke.' Jun-Pyo thought, 'This isn't, though. This girl will not die today because of a bunch of wealthy hyenas with cameras.'
"Why?" the girl hiccupped, tears in her eyes, "This is what they want, right? I'm just doing what's necessary to please them."
Oh Min-Ji turned back to the open space in front of her that would soon lead to her death, kids on the ground joked and pointed and smirked at this moment of weakness. Soon, she would be rid of this cruelty. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to take her last step.
"Goo Jun-Pyo!"
"Oh Min-Ji!"
The new voices interrupted Oh Min-Ji's suicide; she turned back around again to see three more guys breathing hard. They had just ran all the way up here? She looked at them questionably, "Who are you people…?"
"Oh, um, I'm So Yi Jung…?"
"Goo Jun-Pyo.".
"Song Woo-Bin."
"Yoon Ji-Hoo. We, uh, are part of Woo-Bin's Cleaners, you owe us $40." He lied.
"Ji-Hoo!"
"He means $35." Woo-Bin also lied.
"Woo-Bin!"
The students on the roof laughed at this strange situation. Oh Min-Ji's mood didn't waver, and she didn't bother wiping away the tears. She was being charged right before she died?
"Settle it with my family." She spoke quietly as she turned back, "I'm about to die anyway."
The four boys panicked, "Wh-why?"
Woo-Bin thought this girl was insane, "But your school is amazing…"
"This is not a school!" She grinded her teeth with anger at this boy's foolishness, "This is hell."
"Bullsh*t." Ji-Hoo growled, "You know how bad public schools are? The real hell is out there."
"Besides, have you ever heard about the hell of college entrance? It's a real monster." Yi-Jung shook his head, even the thought tired him out.
"Ha, monster." She gave a dry chuckle at the word, "Have you ever heard of a girl named Geum Jan-Di? How about Chu Ga-Eul?"
"Who?"
"They're the ring leaders here. A couple of tyrants in their thrones that can point their magic scepters at someone and make them into… into something else. You'll automatically become everyone's enemy no matter who you are. Just like me."
Letting it sink in for a second, Goo Jun-Pyo tightened his fists, "So, they're all just blind creeps traveling in groups, ganging up on their classmates, their friends, even strangers?!"
"People like that deserve to be punished." Woo-Bin glared. Is that really how it is? All this power is given to wild children with no control whatsoever? That's chaos.
"By us." Ji-Hoo added coldly.
"You know, anybody would be lucky to have people like you around to protect them." Oh Min-Ji regretted ever treating anyone the way her classmates treated her. If Heaven is real, please let that be where she ends up.
Then, she jumped. People screamed.
Before Goo Jun-Pyo knew it, he was diving after her, but his hands almost slipped. Luckily, Yoon Ji-Hoo, Song Woo-Bin, So Yi-Jung had each grabbed the girl before he dropped her.
Next thing they know, they're all over the news.
The cradle of privilege education, Shin-Hwa High School; the one who saved the ostracized student was neither a son of a chaebol nor of honorable family, but four boys claiming to deliver laundry.
The news soon began to spread with negative reactions.
"The sons of God who are exempted from college entrance by money! If you guys have nothing to do like that, just take SAT!"
"If privilege is this much, it deserves capital punishment! Shin-Hwa group should bow itself up!"
"As a parent, I can't forgive them. From tomorrow, let's not go to Shin-Hwa Mart."
Soon, strikes and riots formed, "Shin-Hwa Group, give us an explanation! Give us an explanation! Give us an explanation! Abolish the special education system!"
Yi-Jung frowned at the words of the public. No one had done anything before, so why is now any different? It made no sense.
Right now, he is at the restaurant 'Sweets', cleaning the tables in a white apron now. His friends Jun-Pyo, Woo-Bin and Ji-Hoo were sitting at the same booth from earlier with similar reactions.
"I'm in the place where the public is demanding for finding the truth of the school bullying in Shin-Hwa High school and protesting against the special educational system." A woman on the news spoke in front of a rowdy with huge signs that said things about Shin-Hwa's treatment of the lower class and such, "Let's hear some opinions from the citizens. Hello, what brought you out to the streets with a candle?"
A regular teenage boy appeared with a lit flame in his hands, "My friend was also heavily bullied and he dropped out of school, we can say that it's because of the unbearable stress of the entrance exams, but they have no hardship whatsoever. Don't you think so?"
"Ah, mom, can you please turn that off?" Yi-Jung's mom looked at her son before turning off the television reluctantly. She looked a lot like her sons with her dark hair in a messy bun and her own white apron. Unlike the four other boys, she approved of this. Maybe this will give her son a chance to have a better future?
Behind the counter filled with various cakes and sweets, Yi-Jung's brother, So Il-Hyun, smirked, "Hey, do you guys know what they're calling you?"
The four boys looked at the older man, "They're calling you Common Heroes, The Justice Boys, you are modern-day Justice League. Though personally, I prefer Fantastic Four because there are four of you… Yi-Jung would be the girl."
"Would not!"
"Oh, and they're saying things like 'Send them to the Shin Hwa High School!' and stuff!"
Yi-Jung's mother squealed, "Oh yes! F4 fighting!"
The four boys sat/ stood there for a couple moments.
"…Cool."
"Also, those chicks, Geum JanDi and Chu GaEul, the Princesses of Korea? Are they really cute? If you really do end up at Shin Hwa, you think that you could put in a good word for me~?"
"Tch, Princesses?" Ji-Hoo scoffed, "Dictators' more like it."
A flash that blinded them broke their conversation. Walking outside, the F4 saw the paparazzi rushing to the restaurant.
"Jun-Pyo, please look over here!"
"Ji-Hoo, please say something!"
"Excuse me!"
"Look here!"
"Smile!"
The Fantastic Four looked between each other, slightly disoriented but considerate. Finally, they shrugged and gave the cameras a smile.
"Is that school for gifted people?" a man on TV asked the news lady back at the protests, "It's neither a science school nor a foreign language school. It's literally a school for the rich! I thought we pursue a fair society? That bourgeoisie school is-"
Click
The television turned off. A man sat a big desk by the window; his nametag was on the front of the desk: President Geum Il-Bong. Obviously displeased, he read the magazine in front of him, it talked about the Justice Boys and how they were such heroes to the commoners. A knock at the door took his attention.
A woman in clothes as professional as her walk and expression entered. Bowing, "I'm sorry, sir. The group PR department and related companies are trying their best to extinguish the public opinion."
"Extinguish? Do you think this is being extinguished? How do you let the reporters dare?!" he slammed his hand on the desk, "Dare to mention my daughter's name?"
The woman kept a calm poker face and bowed her head, "I'm deeply ashamed."
"Do you know why the public opinion is scary? Because it's ignorant. Once it goes berserk, it's unmanageable." The President's anger rose, "Reason and common sense doesn't work anymore. The one who set the fire should extinguish it."
A man entered the room and hands the President a cell phone, "Mister Chairman, the prime minister is on the line."
Taking a deep breath, the Chairman spoke into the phone, "Yes, sir… Yes, it's getting interesting."
ta da~! I hope you liked it. This is, like, 3,000 words, and we're still not halfway TT^TT
please enjoy and happy Holidays!