tragedy
1107 Words
A teenage boy, standing around 175 centimeters tall, was busy scrubbing dried paint stains off the tiled floor of a half-finished building.
His name was Archen (pronounced Ar-seen).
He was only eighteen years old. His lean physique, along with naturally defined abdominal muscles shaped by years of hard labor, made him look remarkably well-built.
His vacant gaze and his habit of speaking only when necessary made it difficult for most people to get close to him. Even so, there were also those who envied Archen's unwavering determination and incredible work ethic at such a young age.
Among all the construction workers, Archen took on the most jobs. He worked up to twenty hours a day, covering shifts for workers who were on sick leave or unable to come for other reasons.
That was why the foreman held him in such high regard.
"Archen."
The foreman called out. He usually visited the construction site three times a week to inspect the progress.
Archen paused for a moment before walking over to where the foreman was standing not far away.
"Yes, sir?"
"It's already past working hours. It's time to take a break," the foreman reminded him.
Archen glanced at the wristwatch wrapped around his left wrist before giving a small nod.
"I'll finish this first," he replied.
The foreman let out a quiet sigh before nodding.
"Very well, if that's your decision."
With that, he walked away together with several workers who were heading off for lunch.
Meanwhile, Archen returned to the task that was nearly finished.
Archen worked construction every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On the remaining days, he worked at different places for relatively decent pay because he always accepted overtime jobs.
He had been working hard ever since he began living on his own.
You could say... from the very beginning.
Back then, he had only been a sickly orphan whose fragile health made adoption nearly impossible. Because of that, he became the child who stayed at the orphanage longer than anyone else.
Eventually, Archen decided to leave the orphanage and take charge of his own future. He didn't want to become a burden to the orphanage director any longer.
He grew up surviving on the streets.
He fought for himself.
Earned money simply to stay alive.
Never became involved in anything illegal.
And always tried not to be easily influenced by others.
Yet just when his life had finally found peace...
He died a miserable death because of nothing more than an unfortunate accident.
His life had always been difficult.
But after enduring so much hardship...
After surviving through blood, tears, sweat, and pain...
After growing up alone in such a cruel environment...
Shouldn't God have shown him at least a little kindness?
---
Within the subconscious.
"Big Brother... Mom is sick. We need money for the hospital," said a boy who looked to be around twelve years old.
Since early that morning, he had been waiting desperately beneath the stairs in the alley, hoping for his older brother to come home.
His brother rarely returned because he was always busy with work.
After what felt like forever, his brother finally came back.
But the moment he saw that expression...
He couldn't help wondering,
What happened?
"How much... do you need?" the older man asked.
"Seven million. Is that too much?" the younger brother asked nervously.
The man shook his head.
"No."
"I'll find the money."
"Just wait for me at home a little longer."
The younger brother nodded before walking away, leaving his older brother behind.
Dean.
That was the man's name.
Unlike his younger brother, who attended school and received a proper education, Dean was just an ordinary young man who worked solely for the sake of his family.
He worked as a debt collector.
He committed cruel acts simply to earn enough money to support his younger brother and their mother.
Even so...
He never regretted it.
He refused to gamble away his brother's future.
After obtaining the money, Dean should have gone straight home.
Instead, he received a message from an unknown number.
Attached was a photograph of Sean—
His younger brother.
Kidnapped.
The message read:
"If you don't come to xxxx immediately, your little brother will lose one of his hands."
The moment he finished reading it, Dean rushed toward the location.
He left in a hurry.
But on the way there...
He was involved in an accident.
A car deliberately struck him.
As his consciousness slowly faded, Dean stared ahead.
Through his blurry vision, he saw his younger brother being dragged out of a vehicle before being thrown toward him.
A harmonious family...
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the air.
---
[This is the second male lead, not the main male lead.]
Inside a minimalist room with a simple yet tidy interior, a young man dressed in a school uniform sat tied to a wooden chair.
Both of his hands were stained with blood.
One of his legs was wrapped in bandages.
Sean.
Dean's unfortunate younger brother.
Only a few hours earlier, he had watched his older brother get hit by a car and then shot right before his eyes.
After that...
He was taken away.
Sold to a gangster whose twisted obsession eventually led him to break Sean's leg.
Sean couldn't stop crying.
He cried for his brother.
He cried for his mother, who still needed to be taken to the hospital.
But what could he possibly do?
Escaping this place was impossible.
Footsteps slowly approached.
Sean instinctively lowered his head even further.
His body reacted on its own.
Horrifying memories flooded his mind, tightening around his throat until his entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
The door opened.
A tall man with a broad, muscular build walked toward him.
"P-Please... let me go!"
Sean begged, shouting through his fear.
Images of himself being murdered flashed through his mind.
The moment the man reached out toward him, Sean instinctively jerked backward, nearly toppling over with the chair.
Fortunately, the man reacted quickly enough to catch the back of the chair before it could fall.
Otherwise...
Sean would have crashed onto the floor.
Sean trembled even harder.
His breathing became labored.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples.
His entire body shook violently.
The sounds around him gradually became distant.
Seeing Sean's condition, the man let out a quiet sigh.
He grabbed Sean by the back of his hair, forcing him to tilt his head upward.
Then he pressed his lips against Sean's...
Giving him rescue breaths.
Sean's eyes widened in shock.
But little by little...
He could breathe again.
Before long...
Everything went black, and Sean lost consciousness.
- Writer
