before he’s even born, seyoon is the second most hated person on earth -- at least in his father’s eyes anyway. his mother is the first. she only outranks him because it’s her fault he’s even alive. she’s also at fault for bringing the third most hated person into the world, seyoon’s older brother, who has known little but shouting and flying fists in his short life of six years. when seyoon’s birth is pushing five anniversaries, he goes to bed with bruises on his arms and with the taste of blood in his mouth. it is a typical way the child goes to sleep, tucked in by his mother who wraps the blankets around him so tightly that he can barely escape. it is a technique the woman uses to make her children feel safe. like this, nobody can take them away, she tells them. like this, not even the boogeyman can. of course, she’s never believed in such things as monsters that live under the bed, but seyoon does, and it’s the best way to keep him both out of danger and out of trouble. they already live with a monster. there’s no reason for him to be concerned about ones lurking in the darkness.
seyoon tries to sleep but can’t keep his eyes closed. at an age where he should be dreaming of toys and race cars and candy mountains, he only thinks of his father coming home smelling like hard liquor and vomit. he’d missed the part where he’d forced himself on his mother, but was there when his father ordered them to clean the house, which in his opinion was filthy. his father had grabbed him by the arms and shook him so hard that seyoon’s skin turned purple where the man’s fingers were. tomorrow, his brother will surely draw faces into them like he usually does, just to get a smile out of his little brother. tonight, seyoon wishes desperately to fall asleep, so he can experience another new day. hopefully, one that won’t be so painful.