“School bag? Since you woke up in the middle of the night and put this stuff in your schoolbag, you don’t want me to see it. I don’t know what you’re hiding from me. I’ll ask you again tomorrow!” He Jin’s mother was furious. She stood up and screamed, “go to sleep! Hurry!” Afterward, she took He Jin’s helmet and went out...
He Jin was stupefied entirely by his mother. He fell into an inexplicable panic. He was so scared, yet he couldn’t chase his mother now and ask for his helmet back. It would only make his mother ask even more seriously what the hell it was for, and urge him to say why he had to have this helmet. They might as well get into a serious argument. At this hour, it’s very likely that they’d wake everyone up.
So, all He Jin could do was to endure his anger and fear. He was sitting on his bed, stunned, helpless, he wanted to yell and shout, and he wanted to hit someone.
Then, his bracelet vibrated, and He Jin seemed to have found his savior, he lifted his wrist, and it was Fire’s message, “what’s up?”
He Jin almost cried, and he hurriedly replied, “my mother found out about the helmet, and she took it away. What should I do?”
In the face of He Jin’s help, Qin Yu didn’t reply, “how come your mother still manages you like a kid?” Since it would be a stupid question. For He Jin, that person is not his mother, but his biggest enemy, also their BOSS.
Fire, “aside from taking away the helmet, what did she do?”
Fire, “did she hit you or scold you?”
At this moment, He Jin was like a frightened child, he was secretly confiding to his only trusted person, “she scolded me, but she didn’t hit me.”
Fire, “then it’s ok. Don’t overthink. Don’t be afraid.”
Ah Jin, “but she took the helmet away. What should I do if she doesn’t return it to me?”
It’s still okay if she didn’t return it to him. What He Jin was worried is that – if he showed too much that he cared about the helmet, his mother might make use of his weakness to destroy it, just to make him stop thinking about it. It’d be just like eight years ago! He Jin felt petrified by the fear and helplessness. He trembled, as if all the memory suddenly flushed in, and the fragments of the memories were all rushing toward him...
......
“I’ve had a hard time raising you and send you to school. I’ve been giving you the best. See what you’ve been doing! You’ve been playing online games and not studying!” His mother poked his forehead with her fingers and groaned.
Eight years ago, He Jin was shivering, “it will not affect my study. I promise...I will only get online one hour every week, is that ok...”
His mother, instead of trying to understand He Jin, slapped him on the face, “look at your last exam results! How dare you said that it doesn’t affect your study!”
“Only this time, it won’t happen again...”
“You are still suggesting conditions to me! What qualifications do you have to talk to me about the conditions!” The woman was so angry that she went to find the feather duster, and when she returned, she slammed it on him.
“Mom, I won’t play anymore.” He was so afraid. He couldn’t help but plead to his mother, “please just let me go online and tell my friends, that I am not getting online anymore...”
This woman didn’t even listen to him. She took the feather duster and madly hit him, and repeatedly said, “you didn’t listen to me...what sort of online game is that...you’re so young and you even dared to get married to someone in the game...don’t you have self-esteem? Don’t you know what shame is? See if I’ll hit you to death...”
It turned out that her mother knew about everything, and He Jin didn’t even know how she found out.
He didn’t dare to say anything, and he didn’t dare to explain further. He could only guarantee again and again that he’d never get online again...
He had suffered from pain since he was a child, yet he rarely cried. But that night, he was crying very hard. He felt so painful and thought that it’d be better to die.
His mother forced him to swear, that he should not to lie, and he should not hide anything. Before he did anything, he had to let his parents know.
He Jin did not remember how long he had to be educated by his mother afterward. After that incident, he hadn’t talked to anyone for a long time. Whether he’s awake or asleep, his mother’s words were all over his head, that he’s shameless, that he didn’t have self-respect. In turn, even though he did well at school, and his results were always outstanding, he felt inferior, and he didn’t have any confidence.
But his mother apologized to him, and promised not to beat him again. She explained that she’s too angry and had lost self-control. She even applied medicine on him while crying, and repeatedly said, “although I hit you, it’s me who feels painful,” and “all I’ve been doing is for your own good, you have to understand my intentions...”
He forgave his mother, but he knew clearly that something had changed.
He got more mature in one night. He had opened up his defense and got stronger. Although he maintained a perfect façade, his real personality had stayed at the age of fifteen, just like lost in years.
Recalling that experience, He Jin couldn’t help but tremble – not only he started playing again, he even lied to his mother...
There were three messages from Fire on the bracelet.
Fire, “it’s fine even if she doesn’t return you the helmet. It’s just a helmet after all. I’ll buy you a new one.”
Fire, “don’t argue with her for a helmet, and don’t let yourself suffer.”
Fire, “are you there? Do you want me to make a voice call with you?”
Before He Jin replied, Fire made the call, and HE Jin quickly removed the wireless Bluetooth earbuds on the bracelet and stuffed them into one of his ears. He wrapped himself inside his blanket.
Fire, “Ah Jin, can you hear me?”
When he heard the voice of Fire –