Chapter 2. New Problems

Chapter 2. New Problems

“Name?” asked a man in a police uniform sitting across from me.

I told him my name. The officer wrote it down on the paper in his hand.

“Age?” he asked.

“Fifteen,” I answered briefly.

“Home address?” he asked again.

“In the capital, sir,” I said.

“So you’re not from around here, huh?” he asked.

I nodded once and explained why I’d come to this island. I was here to go to school and live in a dormitory so I could learn to be independent. It wasn’t my idea. It was all my father’s order. More precisely, it was forced on me. My father arranged everything. If I didn’t obey him, he wouldn’t acknowledge me as his son anymore. I wouldn’t have a place to live or any money. Having no money was a terrifying thought for me. So whether I liked it or not, I had no choice.

After the whole thing with Mia asking me to be her boyfriend ended, I continued on my way. My destination was the dormitory where I’d be sleeping. Honestly, I was already exhausted, and sleepiness was starting to hit me hard. I wandered around with no sense of direction. I was lost. I had no idea where I was. I was beginning to feel desperate and thought about spending the night at a hotel or some kind of inn, but I didn’t see any buildings that looked like one. The feeling of despair started to haunt me. I even considered sleeping outside, even though I really didn’t want to. When I passed an intersection, I spotted a police post not far from where I was standing. I picked up my pace and headed straight for it. And that was how I ended up here—being questioned.

The officer listened carefully to my story without interrupting. The room grew quiet, the only sound the ticking of the wall clock inside the police post. He raised one eyebrow and set his pen down on the desk.

“So what you’re saying is, you’re a new resident of that dormitory?” he asked, giving me a sharp look.

“That’s right,” I answered briefly.

Bang. Suddenly the officer slammed his hand on the desk. The force made the pen he’d just set down jump and fall to the floor, and papers flew everywhere. His face twisted with anger.

“I don’t have time for your nonsense, kid. Give me a serious answer,” he said in a harsh tone.

“I am being serious,” I replied, because everything I’d said was the truth.

“Listen, kid. I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never set foot off this island, but I know every corner of this place like the back of my own house. So give me a real answer,” the officer said.

“Everything I told you is true,” I answered.

The officer slammed the desk again and shot up from his chair so fast that the chair toppled over.

“Listen, kid. That dormitory you’re talking about is no place for someone like you,” he said, pointing his index finger at me.

I raised one eyebrow, confused by his words.

“What do you mean, sir?” I asked.

“The dormitory you mean is…” the officer started to answer, but he was cut off when someone appeared in the doorway of the police post.

“Excuse me,” said the person standing in the doorway.

The officer immediately left me and went over to the person at the door.

I saw a grown woman wearing a black T-shirt and red pants talking to the officer. She had long hair that reached her back, and it looked dyed because it was a deep red color. She seemed to be somewhere in her twenties or thirties. The woman kept talking with the officer. I couldn’t hear their conversation because their voices were low and they were standing too far away. Before long their talk ended. The officer came back over to me.

“You can go,” he said.

“Oh? Why can I go?” I asked.

“Your guardian already explained your situation,” he answered, glancing toward the woman.

I looked at the woman who claimed to be my guardian. She stood there quietly watching me. A moment later she waved, calling me over. I stood up and walked toward her without saying much.

“Sorry for the trouble. We’ll be on our way now,” the woman said to the officer.

“Yeah, be careful on the road,” the officer replied.

The two of us left the police post. Parked right in front of the entrance was a red two-door sports car that looked like a rose. The woman pressed the key fob as she walked toward the driver’s side door, which slowly lifted open.

“Get in,” she said before climbing into the car.

I nodded once and walked around to the passenger door. As I approached the car, I noticed a black horse emblem on the front of the hood. Then I sat down inside. The door automatically lowered and sealed shut. The woman told me to put on my seat belt. I stayed quiet and did as she said. Once my seat belt was on, she started the engine. Without waiting for it to warm up, she immediately drove away from the place.

We didn’t say a word to each other during the ride. No one started a conversation. After a while I forced myself to try talking to her.

“Thank you for helping me,” I said, looking her way.

No reply. The woman completely ignored me. A sharp, stabbing pain appeared in my chest. It was the same kind of pain I’d felt so often in the past. But that was before. The me of now was different from the me of then. I already had a girlfriend. I wasn’t the same person anymore. I took a deep breath, then let it out before trying to talk to the woman driving beside me again. I introduced myself. Her reaction stayed the same. Refusing to give up, I tried once more.

“Excuse me, I…” I hadn’t even finished when the woman snapped at me.

“Are you blind? Can’t you see I’m driving? Shut up!” she barked without looking at me.

I immediately closed my mouth and turned my gaze out the window. The atmosphere grew tense. My emotions were boiling. I clenched my fists.

“What kind of treatment is this? I just wanted to thank her and she yells at me. What a damn woman!” I grumbled to myself.

I held my temper the whole way. I kept cursing her in my head until, without realizing it, we had arrived at my destination.

“Get out,” the woman said.

I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the car without a word. In front of me stood a building that looked like a three-story structure. I glanced up at the second-floor windows because I felt like someone had been watching me ever since I got out of the car. All the windows looked dark, and some even had their curtains drawn.

“Is it just my imagination?” I muttered to myself, still staring at the second-floor windows.

I lowered my gaze from the windows and looked around to make sure this was really the place I’d been searching for. To the right of the entrance, a large nameplate was fixed to the wall.

“Saint Lily School Student Dormitory,” I read silently to myself.

While I was busy reading the sign, someone suddenly tapped my right shoulder. I turned around to see who it was and got a cold stare from the culprit. It was the same woman I’d been cursing in my head.

“Go inside. Don’t just stand there,” she said, showing no guilt about what she’d just done.

She walked past me, opened the door, and went into the dormitory. Feeling annoyed, I followed her inside. Once we were in, I stopped where I stood and looked around. A long hallway with doors facing each other on both sides. The place was completely silent, as if no one lived there. Near the entrance I saw a large antique clock standing against the wall, and next to it a fire extinguisher. The clock hands showed twenty past ten at night.

“Here!” the woman said, tossing something at me.

I caught it on reflex with both hands, then opened them to see what I’d caught. A key with the number 13 and the letter A beside it.

“Your room is on the second floor,” she said, pointing upward. Then she left me and went into the room right next to me on the right, closing the door behind her. A nameplate on the door read “Staff Room.”

“Looks like she’s the dorm supervisor,” I muttered to myself.

I let out a breath and started walking down the hallway toward the stairs at the far end of this floor. I’d only taken a few steps when I heard the staff room door behind me open again. The woman stuck her head out and said something to me.

“Don’t cause any trouble,” she said, then closed the door. I heard the lock click afterward.

I sighed and continued toward the stairs. When I reached the upper floor, it still felt completely lifeless. Every door was shut and the hallway was empty. I walked along looking for my room. Finally I found it. My room was pretty far down, almost at the end of the corridor. I unlocked the door slowly so I wouldn’t disturb anyone else. Once it was open I stepped inside and quietly closed it behind me. I set my backpack on the floor and felt along the wall for the light switch. Click. The sound of the switch I pressed. The room lit up from the ceiling light. Cardboard boxes were scattered all over the floor. Every box was filled with my stuff. Before I moved here, my father had already sent all my daily necessities. He’d arranged everything. He was doing all this so I would learn what effort really meant. The effort he meant was how a person struggles from hardship until they succeed. My father had grown up with almost nothing, but through hard work, determination, and intelligence he had become one of the richest people in the world. He’d even been featured in a famous American magazine because the company he founded was known across every continent. Even the leader of Greater Britannia used his products. My father’s company covered every field—food, drinks, clothing, electronics, medicine, and more. You could say I was a rich kid. But all of that would stay nothing more than a dream if I failed to meet the conditions my father had set. Before I came here, he’d given me a challenge. If I succeeded, I would inherit his business, which meant all his wealth would become mine. There was only one condition: I must not tarnish the family name during the three years I lived on this island. If I failed, it would be like death. I wouldn’t get the inheritance and my name would be crossed off the family register—kicked out. Being kicked out wouldn’t really bother me, but not getting the inheritance was another story. Having no money was the same as dying as far as I was concerned. Because of the condition my father set, I had no choice but to do this. Without that condition, I’d probably still be living the easy life, throwing around my twelve-digit allowance without a care. Right now my account only held two hundred million, and for me that was nowhere near enough for even one month. Things were looking bad for me.

The room had two beds, two study desks, and one bathroom. I stepped over the scattered boxes and lay down on the bed closest to the bathroom. My body felt worn out from everything that had happened today. Sleepiness was already creeping in. I closed my eyes, and before long I drifted into a dream.

Night turned into morning. Birdsong began to fill the air and sunlight started filtering through the window of the main character’s room. Slowly, the protagonist of this novel opened his eyes. Hearing the birds and seeing the sunlight slipping past the curtain made him get out of bed.

“It’s morning already,” I said, reaching into my pocket for my phone.

My eyes went wide with shock when I saw the time—half past six. I scrambled out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. I showered as fast as I could. The moment I finished I started tearing open the boxes scattered across the floor, searching for my new school uniform.

“Where is it? Which box has my school uniform?” I muttered while digging through them.

I finally found the uniform after tearing through the eleventh box on the floor. I put it on right away and checked myself in the mirror by the right wall near the window. Once I looked neat enough, I grabbed the backpack I’d left on the floor and left the room. I made sure to turn off the light and lock the door before heading out. I raced down the stairs and ran for the exit. My hand was already on the doorknob when I froze. A new problem hit me. I had no idea where the school was.

“This is bad! What now? I can’t be late on my first day of school,” I thought, still gripping the handle.

Cold sweat started dripping from my face onto the floor. I was terrified this would ruin my reputation and somehow reach my father’s ears. No money for me. Kicked out of the family. Ending up living on the streets like a beggar.

“No!” I screamed inside my head while ruffling my hair in frustration.

“It’s barely morning and you’re already making noise. Keep it down!” came a woman’s voice from behind me.

I spun around toward the source. Standing in front of me was the woman who claimed to be my guardian. Suddenly an idea flashed through my mind. It gave me a shred of hope if it worked, but the price would be my dignity if I went through with it.

“Whatever. It’s only my pride,” I muttered to myself while looking at her.

“What are you staring at?” the woman asked sharply, clearly uncomfortable with me watching her.

Annoyance started rising, but I ignored it. I dropped to my knees in front of her and pressed my forehead to the cold floor, both palms flat against it.

“W-what?” the woman asked, startled by what I was doing.

“Please take me to school in your car,” I answered.

“No way!” she shot back immediately.

“I’m begging you, please help me,” I pleaded.

“Forget it!” she replied in a cold tone.

“Damn woman! Don’t you feel even a little pity seeing me on my knees begging like this?!” I cursed inside my head.

I felt incredibly frustrated hearing her answer after I’d already gone this far and thrown away my pride just to get her help. I lifted my head and looked at her. She stared back at me coldly, left hand on her hip.

“What are you looking at?” she said arrogantly.

I really wanted to punch that face, but I was afraid doing so would tarnish the family name. Not only that—I’d be labeled a criminal and end up dead for the rest of my life. Looking at her arrogant expression made me smile. A crazy idea formed in my head.

“Why are you grinning like that?” she asked because I was smiling at her.

“You’re so pretty, big sister,” I answered.

“Huh?” she said, looking confused by my reply.

“Your face still looks beautiful even when you’re angry,” I said.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, suddenly taking a step back.

“Looks like what I just said managed to shake that cold heart of hers a little. Good. Just a bit more,” I thought to myself after seeing her reaction.

“I’m only saying what’s in my heart. I’m completely captivated by your beauty. You look like an angel,” I answered.

“You…” she started to say something, but I cut her off and kept going.

“Big sister! I’ve fallen for you!” I declared loudly enough that my words echoed through the hallway.

The woman suddenly went silent. The only sound was the ticking of the clock near the dormitory exit. That ticking made me realize time was still moving. I pressed my forehead to the floor again and begged her. If this tactic failed, I was finished. The family name ruined, no inheritance, no money, and then death.

“Big sister, please take me to school,” I said, still pleading.

Silence returned. Only the ticking of the clock could be heard in the hallway.

“…Fine,” the woman said, suddenly breaking the quiet.

“Really? You’ll take me to school?” I asked, lifting my face from the floor and looking at her.

“What choice do I have? As your guardian I have to help you, even if I really don’t feel like it,” she answered without looking at me, brushing her hair aside with her right hand.

“Thank you, beautiful big sister. I’ll never forget your kindness,” I said, pressing my forehead to the floor once more.

“Enough already. Let’s go to the car!” she replied, walking past me and heading out of the dormitory.

I stood up and followed her outside. She was already inside the car, but the door was still open upward.

“What are you waiting for?! Get in!” she said when she saw me still standing in front of the car.

Without hesitation I climbed in and buckled my seat belt. The moment the door closed, she floored it and sped out of the dormitory grounds.

We didn’t speak at all during the drive because she was going so fast. I even had to brace both hands against the seat. The fear of crashing haunted me even though I was wearing a seat belt. The scenery outside the window turned into a blur. I saw the traffic light change from green to red. Instead of slowing down, she hit the gas even harder. The car was already almost at the crosswalk where the light was.

“Sis, sis, don’t speed! That’s a red light!” I said.

She ignored me and kept accelerating. I prayed silently when I saw the cars on the other side starting to move. Everyone who’d been crossing the zebra lines scrambled back to where they came from to avoid the raging car I was riding in. I started screaming because I didn’t want to die young.

“Mooooooom!” I yelled as we shot past the crosswalk and the vehicles moving in front of us at breakneck speed.

At the same time my scream echoed inside the car, the woman, with sharp reflexes, managed to dodge and weave through every obstacle until we finally made it to the other side. I kept screaming even after we’d escaped the terrifying situation.

“Shut up! You’re so noisy! What a country bumpkin!” she snapped without looking at me, eyes still fixed on the road.

I went quiet right away and swallowed hard after being yelled at. I patted myself down to make sure I wasn’t injured. Once I confirmed I was fine, I focused on steadying my breathing. I placed a hand on my chest and felt my heart pounding hard. Before I realized it, we had arrived at the school. We stopped in front of the school gate.

“We’re here,” the woman said, turning off the engine. She got out and walked toward the school gate.

I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the car. She was talking with the security guard on duty inside the gate. The guard looked over at me. I felt uncomfortable under his sharp stare. A moment later the woman waved me over. I walked up and stood beside her.

“He’s a new student at this school,” she said, pointing at me standing right next to her.

The guard looked me over from the top of my head down to the tips of my shoes. Suspicion was written all over his face.

“Are you sure he’s going to school here?” the guard asked.

“Yes, he is,” the woman beside me answered.

“But he’s…” the guard started to say something, but she cut him off.

“Enough! Just open the gate!” she snapped.

The guard looked resigned and did as she said. Creak. The sound of the gate being pushed open. The entrance finally stood wide. Before going in, I bowed toward the woman to thank her.

“Thank you for bringing me, sis,” I said.

“It’s nothing. Just go inside before you’re late,” she replied, waving her hand to shoo me off.

After thanking her, I stepped through the gate and immediately ran toward the school buildings. Faintly from behind I heard her say, “Study properly.” Without looking back, I kept running toward the school building ahead of me.