Diamond Dust — Chapter 5

KWON JUHAN, XX YEARS OLD.

I GOT INTO A WELL-KNOWN ART SCHOOL'S PAINTING PROGRAM, JUST LIKE MY PARENTS WANTED...

...BUT I ENDED UP GETTING OBSESSED WITH PUNK ROCK AND JOINED AN UNDERGROUND BAND.

SO, I MOVED OUT AND STARTED LIVING AT THE BAND'S PRACTICE STUDIO.

BUT HONESTLY, THE REAL REASON I LEFT HOME WASN'T BECAUSE OF THE BAND.

MY EX, WHO KEPT BEGGING ME TO GET BACK TOGETHER...

...STARTED STALKING ME, AND EVENTUALLY SENT PHOTOS AND A LETTER TO MY PARENTS.

WE LET IT SLIDE WHEN YOU STOPPED GOING TO THAT SCHOOL YOU BARELY GOT INTO, AND EVEN LOOKED THE OTHER WAY WHEN YOU STARTED MESSING AROUND WITH THAT BAND STUFF, BUT NOW THIS?!

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND...?!

"I JUST SLEPT WITH SOMEONE I WAS DATING. THAT'S NOT WRONG."

Your son is a perverted homo who gets off on violating and abusing older men. He ruined my life. Please don't let the victims.

THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO TELL THEM, BUT...

AS IF BEING GAY WASN'T ENOUGH!

YOU'RE NO SON OF MINE, YOU PERVERTED FUCK!!

...NOTHING I SAID REACHED THEM.

SO, I ATE AND SLEPT IN THE PRACTICE ROOM AND SCRAPED BY ON PART-TIME JOBS.

AND EVERY NIGHT, I'D THINK...

I DATED HIM BECAUSE HE HAD THAT "OLDER-BUT-EMOTIONALLY-UNSTABLE" VIBE, AND HE PULLS SOMETHING LIKE THIS...?

I SHOULD'VE DEALT WITH HIM WHEN HE STARTED STALKING ME. I WENT TOO EASY ON HIM.

THEN AGAIN, NO MATTER HOW MUCH HE BEGGED, I NEVER GAVE IN.

I GUESS HE FINALLY LOST IT.

LIKE HELL! HE'S JUST A PSYCHO!

EVEN IF IT LANDS ME IN JAIL, I'LL GET MY REVENGE!!

THAT'S THE PUNK SPIRIT!

THOSE SHOES WERE JUST SOLD.

I ASKED YOU TO HOLD THEM FOR ME UNTIL I GOT MY PAYCHECK!

YOU KNOW WE CAN'T HOLD THEM FOREVER.

BUT I DECIDED THAT I'D GET MY REVENGE ONCE I BOUGHT THOSE BOOTS! WHYYYYY?!

DO YOU HAVE THE BUYER'S CONTACT INFO?

GIVE ME THEIR NUMBER AND I'LL HANDLE IT. I'LL BEG! I'LL PAY EXTRA IF I HAVE TO!

UH...

WELL...

?

HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE TALKING?

HACRED BENJAMIN

AND THAT...

...IS HOW WE MET.

WHY ARE YOU TELLING HIM YOUR WHOLE LIFE STORY?

HE SAID HE WAS CURIOUS.

HE JUST ASKED ABOUT WHEN WE FIRST MET.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD'VE BEEN AT PHANTOM.

OH, NO. YUNI INTRODUCED ME TO PHANTOM.

I CALLED HIM BECAUSE WE WERE IN A PINCH...

IT'S STILL A MYSTERY WHY MR. LIU HIRED HIM.

IT WAS BECAUSE HE LOVED MY STYLE!

SO, WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC...

...WANNA JOIN THE TEAM?

WHAT...?

"WHILE WE’RE ON THE TOPIC?!"

AGH!

WHAT?! IT WAS A NATURAL SEGUE, WASN’T IT?!

WELL...

...IT’S TRUE THAT WE ASKED YOU TO MEET SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS.

WE'VE BEEN SAYING WE NEED MORE STAFF FOR A WHILE...

BUT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON IS A JOB IN ITSELF, SO WE KEEP PUTTING IF OFF.

AFTER WORKING WITH YOU, IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE A GOOD FIT. WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE YOU INTERESTED?

UH...

OH! PHANTOM TREATS ITS PEOPLE REALLY WELL! THE BOSS IS REALLY SUPPORTIVE, TOO.

I APPRECIATE THE OFFER, BUT...WOULDN'T MR. LIU DISAPPROVE?

HUH? OH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM.

HE CALLED DIRECTOR HAN AFTER THE EVENT THAT NIGHT...

...AND ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU.

HE WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT IF HE HATED YOU.

HE ASKED ABOUT ME?

BUT MS. HAN ASKED ME TO WORK AS A LIVE-IN HELPER AT HER HOUSE...

SO I DON'T THINK I CAN GIVE YOU AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW.

AT DIRECTOR HAN'S HOUSE?

MAKES SENSE. YOU WERE REALLY GOOD AT ORGANIZING WHEN YOU WORKED WITH US.

HER HOUSE IS A TOTAL MESS.

YOU OPEN A CABINET AND STUFF JUST FALLS OUT.

SHE'S SUPER STRICT AT WORK, BUT TOTALLY HELPLESS AT HOME.

IT'S AN UNEXPECTED SIDE TO OUR PERFECT DIRECTOR. JUST MAKES HER ALL THE MORE CHARMING.

ANYWAY, FORGET ABOUT HER! COME WORK WITH US!

ARE YOU JEALOUS THAT HE MIGHT MOVE INTO DIRECTOR HAN'S HOUSE?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

SO, DID YOU GET YOUR REVENGE?

HIS PLAN WAS KINDA HALF-BAKED, SO I STEPPED IN AND HELPED.

EYE FOR AN EYE...

...SOCIAL RUIN FOR SOCIAL RUIN!

I SENT EVERY PHOTO AND MESSAGE HE EVER SENT ME STRAIGHT TO HIS WORKPLACE.

HE WAS MY ART TEACHER WHEN I WAS PREPPING FOR MY COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM.

THAT EVIDENCE MAY HAVE BEEN JUHAN'S SUPPOSED DOWNFALL, BUT SAME GOES FOR THE OTHER GUY.

WORD TRAVELS FAST IN THE CRAM SCHOOL WORLD, SO I BET HIS LIFE GOT A LOT HARDER.

GOODNESS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AH, SO IT WAS A NICE, CLEAN ENDING.

HONESTLY, YOU LOOK LIKE THE GENTLE TYPE, BUT YOU'RE SURPRISINGLY COLD-BLOODED.

MY PARENTS WERE AGAINST ME MAJORING IN ART, SO I LEFT HOME AND PRETTY MUCH CUT TIES.

GALLERY WORK IS BRUTAL AND THE PAY SUCKS...

AROUND THE TIME I WAS STARTING TO FEEL JADED ABOUT THE INDUSTRY...

...I MET MR. LIU, AND FINALLY BEGAN ENJOYING MYSELF WHEN I STARTED AT PHANTOM.

SO WHEN I SAW JUHAN STRUGGLING, I WANTED TO HELP.

MEETING ME BACK THEN WAS YOUR GOOD KARMA.

IT WAS DESTINY, I TELL YOU. DESTINY!

MAYBE IT'S WRONG TO THINK THIS WAY...

...BUT KNOWING THAT EVEN PEOPLE WHO SHINE LIKE THESE TWO...

Play with

...HAVE BEEN THROUGH DARK TIMES...

...MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I CAN BE BRAVE TOO.

RIGHT. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE STRUGGLING.

EVEN THE PERSON WHO SEEMS TO HAVE IT ALL...

THOUGH IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE MR. LIU BEING VULNERABLE.

THIS STOP IS D-MART RIVERSIDE BRANCH.

THE NEXT STOP IS...

STOP

EVERAGE

MS. HAN SAID I DIDN'T NEED TO BUY GROCERIES...

...BUT IF SHE KEEPS SOME STUFF ON HAND, SHE MIGHT REMEMBER TO EAT.

FOOD THAT DOESN'T TAKE TOO LONG TO MAKE...

Surprise Cranberry

OH, ORIENTAL MELONS ARE ALREADY IN SEASON.

IF I PEEL THEM, THEY'LL BE EASIER FOR HER TO EAT.

I'LL DO THAT.

IS SHE NOT HOME YET...?

AH...!