The Life Syndicate | TaeJin | 18+

1.

Seokjin gently ran his thumbs over the smooth surface of the polyvinyl bus card in his hands. He had just recharged it yesterday, but now he found himself questioning whether it was worth the expense. Lately, he had been spending too much money on trivial things, but he needed the card to ensure he arrived at school on time. Living all the way on the other side of Seoul made the commute a necessity. He wished there was some way he could contribute and be helpful.

After what felt like an eternity, the bus to the Yongsan district finally pulled up. He adjusted his backpack strap on his shoulder and stepped on board. Making his way to the back seat, he plugged in his headphones and rested his head against the window, closing his eyes to give them a much-needed break.

As the bus began its slow journey, his phone buzzed in the cozy pocket of his beloved hoodie. It was the same hoodie he had received for Christmas the previous year. Weary, he blinked his eyes open, intrigued by the ceaseless commotion. His hand slipped inside the pocket, and he carefully pulled out his phone.

A wave of frustration washed over him as he read the message on the screen.

"Why won't you pick up my calls?"

He let out a frustrated breath before slipping his phone back into his pocket. The idea of taking a nap suddenly lost its appeal. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the busy streets outside, watching as buildings and people flew by in the opposite direction of the bus.

When the bus reached his stop, Seokjin stepped onto the chilly street. He slid his hands into his hoodie pockets and hurried toward his destination.

He couldn't miss the big red hangul characters that spelled 'Yu-Ri's Fried Chicken,' and the mouthwatering scent of fried chicken wafted toward him even before he entered the place.

It was a Friday evening, and there was an excited buzz in the air with high school kids everywhere. Seokjin tried to suppress the urge to roll his eyes when a group of girls giggled as he walked past.

"Oppa!" A little girl called out. Seokjin smiled and crouched down to her level, opening his arms to welcome her into an embrace. After a brief hug, he gently moved her away to get a closer look at her.

"Yu-Ri-ah," he said, running his hand through her hair. "I have something special for you, but you have to promise not to tell your dad about it."

"Okay!" Yu-Ri replied eagerly. Seokjin reached into his pocket and pulled out a colourful swirl lollipop. "Thanks, Oppa!"

Ignoring her promise, Yu-Ri immediately ran to her father to show him what Seokjin had given her. Her father, not at all surprised, looked up from the counter and frowned at Seokjin.

"You know the rules, Seokjin," he scolded. "No sweets right before bedtime."

"It's just one, Hobi-hyung," Seokjin defended, grabbing one of the aprons from the rack. "She'll be fine."

"One or ten, it doesn't matter," Hoseok said, grabbing the apron from Seokjin's hands. "I don't want her thinking she can have whatever she wants whenever she wants. And you shouldn't be here anyway. Go work on your assignment or something."

"I don't have any assignments tonight," Seokjin replied, taking back the apron and starting to put it on.

"Then go study," Hoseok insisted.

"Just let me help out, Hobi-hyung."

"Hobi-hyung? Hyung?" Hoseok asked. "I'm not your brother, Jinnie."

Seokjin shrugged. "Calling you uncle feels a little weird to me."

Hoseok, being Seokjin's mother's younger brother and now responsible for him since her passing, remained silent for a moment.

"I've been thinking about taking a year off from school," Seokjin continued, hoping for a reaction from Hoseok.

Hoseok's eyes widened in disbelief, "Are you crazy? Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"You'll be able to save some money if I take a year off," Seokjin suggested.

"Did I ever say I was struggling?" Hoseok questioned.

"You didn't have to," Seokjin replied. "Yu-Ri isn't able to go to school because you used her lunch money to pay for my bus card."

"Yu-Ri still has time," Hoseok emphasized. "She's just a child. You, on the other hand, are in university and my top priority."

"I can assist at the restaurant for now," Seokjin proposed. "You know I'm a talented cook. We can even explore expanding our menu to include other food items. It'll only be for a year."

"No, Seokjin, I won't let you jeopardize your future," Hoseok firmly stated, shaking his head. "You have no business selling fried chicken."

Seokjin was about to argue when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He quickly took it out and saw an incoming call, but swiftly declined it. After putting his phone away, Hoseok asked, "Who was that?" Seokjin shook his head and replied, "Just someone I don't want to talk to."

"Is that idiot still bothering you?" Hoseok asked, concerned. "Why haven't you blocked his number? Should I tell him off for you?"

Seokjin sighed and shook his head again. "I can handle it, Hobi-hyung."

Hoseok raised an eyebrow. "Clearly, you can't if you haven't blocked him yet. Anyway, can you take the order for table 3? We have new customers there now."

***

I'll redo this chapter.