## Chapter 182 – The Future Chosen by Human Yu in-Yeong (1)
***
Modern South Korea is known as one of the most academically driven countries,
especially with many parents placing high expectations on their children’s studies.
For instance, they might say, “We couldn’t fulfill our dreams of going to university because our family was poor when we were young, so study hard in this better society and achieve your dream of social mobility by going to university.”
Or, “We graduated from a decent university and succeeded socially, so our children, raised in that environment, should also have a corresponding level of academic achievement.”
Or even, “I can’t stand seeing my child fall behind the other kids,” driven by overzealous helicopter parenting.
There’s a reason why South Korea is called the kingdom of academic fervor and private education.
And the ones who become victims in that society are ultimately the children.
One such child was Yu In-yeong, the future S-class hero.
Thanks to being born to intelligent and capable parents, she grew up in affluence,
but in return, she had to endure a childhood that was like hell.
It was routine to be in cram school until late at night even after school ended,
and it was natural to study until dawn when exam periods approached.
“I’m home from school.”
Dragging her academically exhausted body home,
her always-busy mother would rush to greet her at the front door in her stockinged feet.
“You’re back? How was the test today? Did it go well, as you studied?”
What came out of her mother’s mouth wasn’t a word of comfort asking if she was tired,
but a question about whether her academic performance was satisfactory.
The reason she busily worked and even cut into her sleep to wait for In-yeong
was solely for the sake of the question about the ‘good grades’ In-yeong should receive.
“Ah… well….”
In-yeong’s academic performance was actually excellent, thanks to inheriting her bright parents’ brains,
but it wasn’t like she could always get good grades and be happy about it.
But In-yeong couldn’t bring herself to say that the test was difficult and she didn’t do well,
or that there were problems she couldn’t solve and skipped because she was pressed for time.
“What’s wrong? Did you not do well on the test?”
Even when she hesitated to answer, she would be rebuked like this,
and she knew all too well what she would hear if she said she didn’t do well on the test.
“No, it’s just that I’m a little tired… I think I did okay on the test.”
In fact, until the results came out, she wouldn’t know what score she would get,
and it wasn’t like the score she had already received would change just because she poured emotions into it.
However, her beloved parents’ expressions would change drastically based on that one score,
and if the score was too low, she would have to endure humiliating words.
The best she could do was to gloss over it in order to hear even one less bad word.
She had no choice but to postpone the day she would receive insulting words and physical punishment.
“Since the test is ending today… don’t do any extra studying today and just sleep.”
Her mother made a suspicious expression at the words that she did ‘okay’ and not ‘well’ on the test,
but still forced an awkward smile since it was the day her daughter finished the test.
Perhaps it was because she had seen that awkward smile more than once or twice that she was already used to it,
and In-yeong was just happy that she could sleep without studying more in the early morning.
She had been forced to live a life bound to academics since the day she entered elementary school,
and it took a whopping 12 years for her to end that life herself.
Six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and three years of high school.
Her parents always said, “Just one more year, just one more year, just until you go to university,” and never stopped whipping her,
and In-yeong had to be worn down by the whipping for 12 years.
Barely holding on to her sanity, she took the college entrance exam as a senior in high school.
As the weather slowly started to get chilly, she wore a thick coat even though it wasn’t winter,
and In-yeong took the exam with a lunchbox specially prepared by her parents.
Perhaps it was thanks to enduring the journey of hell while shedding tears of blood for 12 years,
but In-yeong’s college entrance exam score was excellent, to the point where it could be measured on a national scale.
Her school grades were already excellent, so she could pick and choose which university she wanted to go to,
so whether she chose regular admission or early admission, she could definitely go to the university her parents wanted.
“With this score… you can go to any university…?!”
After the college entrance exam scores were released, her parents jumped around with joy holding the paper with the score printed on it,
and In-yeong also showed a smile that was rarely seen, as if she was happy that she had received a good score.
“That’s right. Good job, our daughter!”
“Yes. I’m happy too because Mom and Dad are happy.”
After the college entrance exam scores came out, her parents never made her do anything,
and just waited with bated breath until the admission results came out.
Naturally, acceptance messages came from all the universities she had applied to,
and she chose what could be said to be the best university in South Korea, according to her parents’ wishes.
But the incident occurred in March, when she was supposed to start her university life.
“I’m not going to university. You don’t have to pay the tuition.”
After studying so hard and getting into the best university in South Korea,
In-yeong’s bombshell statement that she would kick it away herself.
“Withdrawal! What are you talking about! Don’t say such nonsense and cancel it right now.”
“That’s right. It doesn’t make sense to withdraw from university as soon as you enter.”
Her parents naturally dismissed it as a joke or nonsense and told her to cancel it,
but In-yeong seriously argued that she would not go to school.
“I’ve lived my life doing everything Mom and Dad told me to do without complaining.
Originally, children should trust and follow the choices of adults.
But now I’m twenty years old… and it’s time for me to choose my own path in life.
So now I’m going to do what I want.”
From the time she started her studies at the age of eight to the time she finished them at the age of nineteen,
In-yeong lived buried in studying, only following her parents’ wishes.
It wasn’t something In-yeong wanted to do at all,
and even the university and department she went to were the ones her parents wanted.
But now that she was an adult, she would make her own choices,
and that meant not going to the university that was her parents’ choice.
“You don’t know what I was thinking during the winter when I saw you so happy that my college entrance exam scores came out, after tormenting me like that for 12 years.”
The teenage years are when there are many things you can do besides studying.
Also, the teenage years are when you can have fun with friends and make memories.
Her golden years that would never come back were taken away by her parents,
so it was a strong revenge to take away the moment they were most happy about from those parents.
“Are you… talking back to your mom and dad right now? Don’t you know the grace of raising you until now…!”
– Slapㅡ
Hearing In-yeong’s words, her father, filled with anger and betrayal, slapped her cheek.
Of course, compared to the words and physical punishment she had received when her test scores weren’t good,
being slapped on the cheek once was something she could bear and move on from.
But the problem was that her parents’ anger didn’t stop with that one slap.
“Mom! Dad!!! What are you doing!! Open the door right now!!”
The parents’ sense of betrayal towards their daughter, who had abandoned the most important thing, university, reached its peak,
and they intended not to open the door until she withdrew her decision.
Not only did they cut off the internet so she couldn’t contact the outside world,
but they also took away all the objects she could use as a means of communication.
As if they were planning to starve her to death if she didn’t change her mind,
they didn’t allow her even a sip of water, let alone food.
“Don’t knock on the door! You don’t even deserve to be my daughter.
I won’t open it until you say you’ll go to university right away.”
No matter how much she knocked on the door, she couldn’t hear a voice of concern from the outside,
but rather, she could only hear the sharp anger of her parents scolding her every time she desperately called out.
“How can you do this to me….”
If she gave up on going to university like this, they would never open the door again,
and if she chose to go to university, it felt like she would have to do what she had been doing for 12 years for the rest of her life.
‘I hate it… I hate it… I hate it…!’
It was clear that whatever choice she made, only regret and pain would remain for her.
Her stomach, which hadn’t eaten for several days, was rumbling non-stop,
and her mind was completely exhausted as she imagined a future filled with despair.
‘I have to… somehow get out….’
As survival instincts began to take precedence over despair about the future after another day passed,
In-yeong began to break the door using everything in the room.
But she, who had been starving for more than three days, didn’t have the strength to break the door.
‘I hate it… I hate it… I hate it… I hate it… I hate it… I hate it…!’
At that moment, when she was endlessly knocking and knocking on the door with powerless hands until they bled.
‘Something… suddenly… I feel something strange…?!’
Suddenly, an unknown force began to swirl around her body as if responding to In-yeong’s voice.
That force responded to In-yeong’s ‘desire to escape from her desperate future’…,
– Kwaaaaaaaangㅡ!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And shattered the entire building where In-yeong’s family lived into pieces.
