REBORN : The Case Unsolved
YOUTH
DISCLAIMER :
This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, institutions, organizations, and incidents portrayed in this story are the product of the narrator's imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance or similarity to actual persons, living or deceased, or to real-life events, places or entities is purely coincidental and unintentional.
The narrative is crafted solely for the purpose of storytelling and entertainment.
No part of this work is intended to reflect or represent any real individual or situation.
These pages explore themes of life, loss, healing, second chances, but they are not reflections of anyone’s
personal truth.
Readers are advised to interpret the content as a creative piece with no factual basis.
South Korea was slowly recovering from the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The economy was hit hard and 1999 was a year of austerity, layoffs and bankruptcy. Many citizens lost trust in big corporations(chaebols) and government institutions. The job market was tough.
Families in rural areas often depended on farming or factory jobs. Rural Korea (countryside towns and villages) remained traditional, often overlooked by rapid modernization. Many villages had shrinking populations as youth moved to cities.
Old superstitious and local gossip still held power.....but secrets traveled fast.
Narrator
[present]
Haeweong is a countryside village in South Korea which was often overlooked. It is connected to the town but was very rural and underdeveloped. A place which connected those 7 boys. Their childhood, youth, even the happiest days were buried there. Somehow those boys felt some kind of familiarity to that place even though their lives were completely changed as if they were reborn,, but they felt something was unsolved......still.
Narrator
[year 1999]
in the early dawn, the melodious chirping of birds fills the air as the harabojis and halmonis commence their day in the lush of paddy fields. There is a serene absence of chaos.
Narrator
The school is situated close to the neighbouring town to which the village is connected.There are few children in haewong so they study at that school .The village doesn't have any means of building a school . It is a coed school.
Namjoon
[engrossed in a book while making his way to school]
Yoongi
[half asleep...with his headphones on....almost like her was sleepwalking]
Hoseok
[with a cheerful face, although it was confusing if sun was brighter or his face....exclaims] wait....hyung!where are you going?watch yourself
yoongi narrowly avoids colliding with a tree.
Hoseok
[observes yoongi with the familiarity of a daily occurance]
Yoongi
ohh...thank you ...[back again to his own world]
Hoseok
hyung!!!wait for me...[follows yoongi]
Narrator
jimin and jungkook are neighbors so they come school together
Jimin
"why are you growing so tall !" what did you have for breakfast?
Jungkook
I'm not telling you!
Jimin
(-_-)...why do you always copy me?
Jungkook
[looks at his own shoes....pretends he didn't understand] "they were a gift for my birthday"
Jimin
ohh really?but your birthday is in sept.....
Jungkook
oh..Taehyung hyung!....and ran away
Jimin
this child....[laughs]
Taehyung
jiminaa! wait for me!
photos are sourced from online platforms.
THE BULLY AT SCHOOL
Narrator
There was a bully in the school who used to pick on students he considered inferior, tormenting them for no reason other than his own twisted sense of entertainment.
Narrator
Namjoon was one of his victims. However, the bullying abruptly stopped when the bully discovered that Namjoon was the grandson of the school's newly appointed principal.
Narrator
[After that incident happen]
Namjoon's grandfather had sensed something was wrong when Namjoon's mother informed him when namjoon started coming home with bruises and cuts.
Narrator
Determined to protect his only grandson, he transferred himself another branch of the school system to this one as the principal.
Narrator
Hoseok who was also in the same class as namjoon, was rarely present in school. He was always busy practicing dance, so he never became the victim nor the witness to any of the bullying.
Namjoon is a studious, introverted boy who focuses solely on studying. He doesn't have any friends, but everyone is envious of him because if his IQ.
Narrator
He looked nerd but if he ever cares about his looks, he is good-looking.
The bully happened to be in the same class as him.
Narrator
sound of loud laughter and irritating chaos was coming from back benches of the class.
Namjoon usually never paid attention to it.But he couldn’t help today as he forgot to bring his earphones.
It was his only friends after books with which he spends the most time .
The noise was disturbing and unbearable to him.He couldn’t help but shout.
Namjoon
Stop!....it's irritating[mumers]
Bully's friend 1
What......he does have a mouth.
Bully's friend 1
sure he does....now what will happen to him....[stands up]
Bully's friend 1
grabs Namjoon by the collar and drags him onto the floor, throwing punches.
Narrator
Namjoon tries to fight back and in the struggle, he misses a punch
Bully's friend 1
what a jerk.....this song of a bitch really does have a death wish?!
Bully
Walks over and taps him on the shoulder
Bully's friend 1
understands and moves aside
Bully
[without saying anything, he starts landing punch after punch.]
Narrator
His fists were too fast for namjoon to defend against. Namjoon's forehead...whole face was bruised, and his lips were bleeding.
Namjoon
[counter reacts]….huh...bash...ha..mmm...bash...
Narrator
[sounds of grunts and impacts]
Bully's friend 2
[dragged him into the bathroom]
Narrator
They continued assaulting him...only when the bell rang the bully stopped
Bully
Bring money tomorrow....or I'll tell everyone you like guys.
Namjoon
.....................................
Narrator
Though the bully was making false claims but for Namjoon it was true , he was looking for the love he never found from his father......and he couldn’t argue.
Bully
ohhh....so it is true
Bully
that you like guys...I was just saying as I heard those rumours...but the way you react now makes me totally believe in it.....let's see tomorrow what you have got[ teases him with filthy intentions] let's go boys!
Bully's friend 1
[laughs] bye!
Narrator
After school, Namjoon returned home covered in bruises. His injuries clearly weren't the result of a simple fall, but his mother chose to believe him anyway.....she had her own battles.
Narrator
He pitied his mother. She lived in a patriarchal household where her husband, namjoon's father would beat her every night drunk and violent.
Narrator
Namjoon's father is a failed businessman, a broken man.But Namjoon's grandfather is the chairman of south korea's most prestigious school.
Narrator
Because of his father's disgraceful behaviour,Namjoon's grandfather had forced the family to dissappear from the city and live in the countryside for the sake of his reputation. Still,he loved his only grandson dearly .He had wanted Namjoon to stay in the city, but Namjoon had insisted on leaving with his parents just to stay close to his mother.He wanted to protect her.
Namjoon
when he looked at his mother's face he realised....it started again
Narrator
That day namjoon's father came home heavily drunk because of some fight with his co workers and started beating his mother.......[why it had to be that day]
Namjoon
Eomma! What is this?! It's happening again?[furious,walks towards his father]
Namjoon's Mother
Don't go.....He's not in a good mood.
Namjoon
[with tears in his eyes,staring at his mother's wounds] After all this......you're still worried about that man?!!
Namjoon's Mother
Namjoon![slaps him] He is your father! [breaks down in tears]
Namjoon
[ ignores the slap ].....
Narrator
It meant nothing compared to his mother's suffering....the reason had come to this miserable place....only to protect his mother .
Namjoon
[approaching his father] Appa! Do you even realize what you're doing?!
Namjoon's Father
[clinking soju bottles] what...why are you shouting, you damn brat....
Namjoon
You failed in life....and still haven't learned a single thing from those mistakes.
Narrator
Hearing that his father stood up and began beating his wife again.
Namjoon's Father
what a witch....good for nothing...you gave birth to this ungrateful son of bitch!
Namjoon's Mother
Yeobo.....please stop...it hurts.
Namjoon's Father
It hurts?! It should! You bitch! This brat needs to understand who he's dealing with!
Narrator
Namjoon couldn't take it anymore. He shoved his father in rage. But slipped and fell onto empty soju bottles. The broken glass stabbed into his abdomen and sides. He was badly injured and was bleeding.
Namjoon's Mother
Namjoon!!
Namjoon
Eomma.....gwenchana...I'm fine...[He collapses unconscious]
Narrator
He was rushed to the hospital .It was an emergency and was Immediately taken to the OT. He had to undergo immediate surgery.
Outside the operation theater:
Namjoon's Mother
God!...oh God! Help my child....Give him strength....take my life instead...[crying uncontrollably]
Namjoon's Father
[He stood in silence.He was in deep gulit that those hours felt like an eternity.....his wife's unbearable crying which was different from the way she cried when he beat her...felt like he'll to him. He couldn’t bear it]
Narrator
The doctor came out of the OT.
Namjoon's Mother
[runs to him] sir!..Doctor!My son...?[sobbing]
Doctor
Don't worry eommoni. The surgery was successful. We'll keep him under observation in the ICU. Once he regains consciousness, we'll move him to the ward...please don't worry.
Namjoon's Mother
[joining her hands]"Thank you....Thank you so much...[weeping]
Nurse
Are you patient's father?
Nurse
please come with us.There are some documents you need to sign.
♡♡Thank you reading ♡♡
stay tuned for the upcoming episode.
WILL HE BE MY FRIEND?
Narrator
After a long, dark night… a beautiful morning finally arrived.
A few days later, RM regained consciousness and began to recover steadily. It had been a week since he was admitted to the hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries and emotional stress, his recovery was taking time, but he didn’t waste a single moment. Even from his hospital bed, he resumed his studies.
Everyone around him was mesmerized by his brilliance and extraordinary IQ.
Narrator
He helped halmonis (grandmothers) read books and playfully debated political topics with harabojis (grandfathers). He kept the children entertained by challenging them with fun math problems.
In these simple interactions, RM found a sense of peace and joy. For a while, he forgot all about the harshness of school life. He barely even remembered the bully.
But the peaceful days were coming to an end, it was almost time for him to return to his usual life. Just one day remained before his discharge.
Jin
Hyung!....it's been days...why haven't you come home?
jin's brothers
It's been hectic at the hospital. I had to perform an emergency surgery, and then suddenly more patients started coming in. it's been pretty busy and I've had to monitor their recovery....and....
Jin
Okay!okay!stop! You repeat that every single time I ask. I've practically memorized it now.
jin's brothers
[laughs].... My little brother has really grown up now.[stretches Jin's cheeks, making him flustered]
Jin
stop, hyung!....that's embarrassing!
Nurse
Doctor, it's time for your rounds.
jin's brothers
Oh, yes! I'm coming.
Narrator
Jin lives with his brother in Haweong.
His brother is a brilliant scholar who graduated from one of the most prestigious medical colleges in South Korea.
He is an exceptional doctor, known for both his surgical expertise and his kind, compassionate nature. His patients admire and trust him deeply.
After their mother passed away, he returned to Haweong, his mother’s hometown. Unable to cope with the loss of Someone so dear, his grief began to affect his performance at the city hospital.
Seeking healing and peace, he decided to move to the countryside, to live surrounded by the memories of his mother. so he chose to settle here.
Narrator
His father was initially opposed to his decision. But in the end, he accepted it, especially after seeing that his other son, Jin, was also struggling with the trauma.
Jin had been a prodigy since childhood. He consistently ranked at the top of his class every year. When he entered middle school, he became even more determined to prove himself to his father and make him proud.
He immersed himself in studies. That was all he did.
After regular school hours, he would attend night classes, followed by personal tutoring sessions.
But in the midst of chasing excellence, he unintentionally began to neglect his mother.
Their mother had been suffering from a chronic illness that eventually left her bedridden.
Narrator
One evening, while Jin was attending his night classes, her condition suddenly worsened. She was rushed to the hospital, but tragically, she passed away on the way.
Jin didn’t even get to see her one last time.
The guilt consumed him and continued to haunt him deeply.
Narrator
After the incident, their father sent Jin abroad to study, believing that staying in the same house filled with memories of their mother, would prevent him from ever recovering.
But what he didn’t realize was that Jin’s mental health would only deteriorate further.
Every time Jin tried to study, he suffered from anxiety attacks and hallucinations. Books and paper became painful reminders of his guilt, of the belief that his mother died because of him.
The severe anxiety led him to rely heavily on medication. Eventually, over medication and dependency began to take a serious toll on his physical and mental health.
When his brother found out about Jin's condition, he was devasted. He pleaded with their father to bring Jin back home, assuring him that he would take full responsibility for his care and recovery.
When Jin was hospitalized due to his deteriorating health
jin's brothers
Appa!....why didn't you tell me about his condition?
Jin's father
I've had enough of a son who's good for nothing and doesn't care about his own father. I don't want to see another failed son. There's no one left who can truly make me proud.
jin's brothers
It was because of your toxic mindset that Mom died....and even now, you refuse to change!
Jin's father
[slaps him] watch your mouth.
Jin's father
He's recovering. I've provided him with the best doctors in the country. He'll be fine.
jin's brothers
......... I'm taking Jin with me. I'll take full responsibility of him.....Don't you dare lay a finger on my brother again...let him recover in peace.
jin's brothers
Don't wander around.Go straight home! I'll be back by evening.
jin's brothers
[looks at him suspiciously]
Jin
Ahh! Okay, okay! I'm going ...... Just come back soon.
Narrator
Jin then encountered the senior nurse who had cared for him and treated him when he first came here. She had become like a mother figure to him during his stay .
Jin
Emmo!.. How are You ?[hugs her] Are you doing well? you look beautiful today!
senior nurse
Stop...buttering me up!
Jin
can I take a quick look around the hospital?
senior nurse
No, you can't. Your brother will scold me if he finds out.
Jin
Don't worry! I'll just visit that little girl and come right back.
Narrator
Hanuel is young girl suffering from chronic illness. She spends most of her time in the hospital. Her parents couldn’t afford treatment in the city hospital, so Jin's brother who had been her doctor there convinced them to bring her here, promising to take care of her personally.
senior nurse
She's probably at the Nature's Lobby on the terrace....but she's got a new friend now... I think she's forgotten about you.
senior nurse
She made a new friend. He's very intelligent and helps her with her studies. She seems to like him now.
Jin
......................
Narrator
The nurse realizes she accidentally brought up something....Jin has been avoiding due to his past trauma.
senior nurse
.....okay,okay! Go on, quickly...she should be upstairs.
senior nurse
[smiles back]
Jin
[winks at her ]....[ran away]
senior nurse
[shocked]...this brat..[laughs]
Narrator
[jin walks up to the terrace.He spots Hanuel sitting , scribbling in a notebook.]
Hanuel
[looks back] Oppa! [runs to him]
Jin
Have you eaten anything?what are you doing up here?
Hanuel
why didn’t you visit me lately...?! I missed you!
Jin
I knew you'd miss me....that's why I came.
Hanuel
I'm solving math problems.....Namjoon oppa is helping me .He's over there [points at a nearby bench]
jin looks in the direction she pointed, but the bench was empty
Narrator
[He walks toward it curiously. On the bench lie neatly arranged books, precisely organized notes, and solved worksheets. Something about the sight reminds him of himself. He takes a deep breath and flips through one of the notebooks.]
Jin
[startled ,turns around]
Namjoon stands there , observing him.
Namjoon
[mesmerized by jin's appearance]
Jin
sorry...I was just looking through the notes. They're really well organized.
Hanuel
[runs over] Namjoon oppa!
Narrator
The pause between them breaks .
Hanuel
This is Jin oppa, the one I told you about!
Namjoon
Oh, ... Hi!.nice to meet you.
Hanuel
Come on, lets all play together! [grabs Nampoon's hand]
Namjoon
it's okay, you go ahead. I need to study .
Hanuel
All he ever does is study.....he never palys with me.[pouts, nearly in tears]
Namjoon
Enough, enough! [smiles, picks her up] Don't cry, let's play.
Hanuel
Jin oppa, come too!
Narrator
[As Jin watches Namjoon play with Hanuel, he studies him quietly-how he moves, how he speaks.]
Jin
He seems so thoughtful, so kind... someone who balances both study and compassion. The kind of person I always wanted to be, Jin thinks.
A strange feeling of familiarity and quiet admiration begins to take root.
[Later, in the shared ward where Hanuel stays with a few elderly patients and Namjoon.]
Namjoon
Halmoni! Why haven't you eaten? If you don't, I won't help you read your book today!
Halmoni
Okay, okay... please don't be upset!
Namjoon
[grins and laughs softly]
Jin
[standing nearby, unconsciously smiles too, watching the interaction.]
Haraboji
Because of those chaebols, no one cares about this village anymore. No one even looks our way.
Namjoon
Chaebols aren't the real problem... it's the government. They're nothing but puppets to the rich. [frustrated as he watches the news]
Narrator
they talked and cutely argued for a while.
[As the sky begins to change color, the evening breeze sweeps in.]
Narrator
They continue playing together, laughter echoing through the terrace until the sun starts to set.
Jin
Oh no... I'm late! I have to go or my brother will scold me.
Hanuel
Okay... but promise you'll come tomorrow!
Jin
Bye, Hanuel. [turns, then glances back at Namjoon]
Namjoon
[looks back at him, silent]
♡♡Thank you for reading♡♡
stay tuned for upcoming episode.
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