Amidst the bustling atmosphere of the shopping mall, the melodious sound of a violin suddenly echoed from the main stage, capturing everyone’s attention. In the middle of the crowd, the young violinist stood out like a beacon, spellbinding the audience with his enchanting tune. As the piece came to an end, a brief silence gave way to thunderous applause.
From the crowd, a lively little boy ran up to the musician, pulling his father along. Tugging at the violinist's jacket, the boy asked eagerly:
"Can you play with my daddy? My daddy is super good at playing music too!"
"Felix, don't bother the gentleman," Hy said with an apologetic smile.
Looking at the father and son, the young violinist smiled warmly:
"It's completely fine. Your son seems to admire you a lot... Besides, playing here alone gets a bit lonely."
"Please, Daddy..." Felix pleaded.
"But I don't think there's a piano here..." Hy hesitated.
"There's one at the coffee shop nearby. If you don't mind..."
With Hy's gentle nod, Felix’s face lit up with joy. The three walked over to the nearby cafe. Hy approached the upright piano in the corner, gently brushing his fingers across the keys. The initial notes resonated beautifully through the room. Raising his violin to his shoulder, the young musician joined in. As the patrons clapped in delight, the harmonious duet of violin and piano wrapped the cozy coffee shop in warmth.
In the golden glow of an autumn sunset, University T stood magnificent and vibrant. Inside a spacious lecture hall, a tall man with long hair tied neatly over his shoulder, a refined face, and intelligent eyes behind glasses stepped up to the podium. All the students stood up in unison:
"Good evening, Professor!"
"Good evening. Please take your seats... Do we have a new student today?" The professor pointed toward Hy, a look of undisguised excitement lighting up his face.
After class, the two stood along the breezy balcony overlooking the beautiful campus.
"You're already a Professor? Becoming a professor at such a young age is truly remarkable..." Hy remarked.
"Isn't it all thanks to you?" The professor smiled softly.
"Thanks to me? What do you mean?"
"Don't you recognize me? I may be older than you... but I could never forget the person who risked everything to save my life on March 21st, even when the whole world turned its back on you afterward."
The tragedy of Hy’s life began in his childhood. The arrival of an intruder shattered his family, driving his parents into bitter conflicts that ended in divorce. To support her two children, Hy's mother worked multiple grueling jobs until she collapsed from sheer exhaustion and passed away.
Their warm home was reduced to just Hy and his elder sister. Yet fate showed no mercy. Hy fell gravely ill, requiring an expensive surgery. Driven into a corner, his sister had no choice but to enter the sex trade to earn money for his medical bills. Tragedy compounded when she was brutally assaulted by a group of men during a host job, contracting an incurable disease.
Living in a crime-ridden slum and knowing his sister was powerless, local thugs began targeting Hy. With his delicate features and slender frame, Hy was frequently mistaken for a young girl, becoming a target for vicious predators.
When Hy was twelve years old, while his sister was away, a group of teenage thugs broke into their home. Pinning Hy against the wall, the leader stroked his pale neck and aggressively unbuttoned his shirt. Noticing dark bruises covering Hy’s body, the thugs froze in disbelief:
"Damn! I thought he was clean, but someone already got to him?"
Another thug sneered:
"I heard moaning from this room the other day. Thought his sister was hosting clients, but turns out the siblings were taking care of each other!"
The leader shoved Hy's chin up in disgust:
"His sister has HIV, and there isn't a single condom in this dump. This kid is probably infected too!"
That overwhelming humiliation sparked something inside Hy. Summoning every ounce of strength, Hy broke free from the thugs, bit his own tongue until it bled, and violently forced a kiss onto the leader's mouth, shoving blood down the attacker's throat.
Terrified, the leader shoved Hy away, spitting blood and cursing in horror before fleeing with his crew. The very illness that destroyed Hy’s family had, in the cruelest twist of fate, saved his life that night. The bruises on his body had been self-inflicted all along to ward off predators.
Later, under pressure from public gossip, Hy's father stepped back into his life and took him in. It was then that Hy's dream of becoming a doctor took root. While others yearned to return to the innocence of childhood, Hy's youth was defined only by blood, filth, and disgust.
Then came the fateful day of March 21st. While en route with an emergency team, Hy prioritized saving a critically injured young man from a car accident (now the Professor) over a high-profile figure who arrived later. The celebrity's surgery failed, and the full weight of public rage was pinned on Hy. Overnight, the brilliant doctor's reputation was reduced to ashes...
