Chapter 1

20 Years Ago

Lee Hanbin was a 8-year-old boy growing up in a poor city in South Korea.

He lived with his single mother and struggled to adjust to the difficult living conditions. Despite his young age, he was already aware of the limitations imposed by his family's financial situation, and it weighed heavily on him.

He was envious of his friends who had the freedom to enjoy expensive meals and wear stylish clothes, and this only heightened his dissatisfaction with his own life.

The poverty that surrounded him left Hanbin feeling frustrated and hopeless, and he longed for a different existence.

Hanbin is sitting in a cramped and dingy one-room house. The tiny space is cluttered and in disarray, with dirty dishes and clutter covering every surface.

The kitchen and bathroom are combined into one small area, making the already limited space even more cramped.

Hanbin is feeling hungry, and he looks around the room, searching for anything to eat. However, there is little to be found in the cluttered and disorganized kitchen.

Hanbin's mother enters the small and dirty one-room house, visibly drunk. Hanbin looks up at her, hoping for some comfort and a meal to ease his hunger. However, instead of providing him with food, Hanbin's mother lashes out at him.

In her drunken state, she accuses Hanbin of destroying her life and slaps him across the face. Hanbin recoils in shock and pain, feeling hurt and confused by his mother's behavior. The situation is a far cry from what Hanbin had hoped for, and he is left feeling alone and vulnerable in the small and dirty house.

The slapping only adds to the physical discomfort he already felt from hunger.

Hanbin has retreated to the bathroom in an attempt to escape from his abusive mother.

The bathroom is small and cramped, with barely enough space for one person to move around comfortably. Hanbin has locked the door behind him, seeking a moment of safety and peace.

He leans against the wall, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

The physical and emotional abuse from his mother has taken a toll on him, and he is struggling to cope.

He tries to quiet his racing thoughts, taking deep breaths and reminding himself that he is safe, at least for the moment.

As he stands in the bathroom, Hanbin feels a mix of emotions.

He is scared of his mother and the violence she is capable of, but he also feels a deep sadness for the relationship that has been lost.

He longs for a sense of normalcy and stability, but in this moment, he can only find refuge in the bathroom.

Hanbin fall asleep in the cramped bathroom but woke up when he hears the sound of men entering. He freezes, wondering who could be coming into his home and what their intentions are.

He hears the men talking and moving around the room, but he can't make out what they're saying.

Suddenly, everything goes silent, and Hanbin can hear the sound of a scuffle taking place outside the bathroom door.

He feels his heart racing, imagining the worst possible scenarios. He realizes that he's in a dangerous situation and he doesn't know who these men are or what they want.

A feeling of fear and panic washes over him, and Hanbin wonders if he should try to escape or if it's safer to stay hidden in the bathroom.

He feels trapped and helpless, with no way of knowing what's going on outside the bathroom door.

The house remains silent for what seems like an eternity, and Hanbin begins to fear the worst. He can hear his own breathing, fast and shallow, and he tries to calm himself down. He feels like he's trapped in a nightmare, and he doesn't know how he's going to get out of it.

As the minutes pass, Hanbin begins to feel more and more hopeless. He has no way of knowing what is happening outside the bathroom, and he feels completely isolated and alone.

The silence is deafening, and Hanbin can only wait and hope for the best.

As the morning sun rises, Hanbin slowly emerges from the bathroom, still feeling shaken from the events of the previous night. He cautiously makes his way out of the bathroom and into the one-room house, looking for any signs of his mother.

His heart races as he realizes that something might be wrong.

The silence that had filled the house the previous night still hangs heavy in the air, and Hanbin's anxiety increases with each step he takes. As he approaches his mother's sleeping area, he feels a tight knot form in the pit of his stomach, and his hands begin to shake.

He knows that he's about to confront something terrible, but he doesn't know what.

When he finally sees his mother lying on the ground, her lifeless body still and cold, he feels a wave of shock and horror wash over him.

He drops to his knees beside her, gaze fixed on her face, yet he experiences a twisted sense of satisfaction knowing that she can no longer physically harm him and breaks into laughter.

Hanbin stayed with his mother's lifeless body for two days until the police came to his rescue.