Chapter 4: I feel like I´m losing my mind
After enduring the harsh interaction with his classmate Brian, Ree-an left the classroom, ignoring the gazes upon him, and headed to the school cafeteria.
Though the tears had long stopped, the traces on the uniform were still vivid.
Although Ree-an wasn't sure where the academy's cafeteria was located, he did know that each grade had its own lounge, each offering different servings.
Orienting himself using the school signs made the search easier.
Arriving at the cafeteria building, which was plainly right next to the class building, he rushed inside.
The lounge, unlike any regular school's, was the epitome of luxury. High ceilings with intricately designed chandeliers hung overhead, casting a soft, golden light across the room. Instead of the usual plastic tables and benches, the furniture was made of polished mahogany with cushions draped in lush velvet. On each table stood a vase, within which fresh flowers—roses, lilies, and orchids—released a gentle, calming fragrance.
The walls were adorned with elegant paintings, some capturing scenic views of landscapes, others portraying influential figures of history. It was like dining in an art gallery. The soft hum of classical music played in the background, enhancing the sophisticated ambiance.
Instead of a typical serving counter, students approached an array of gourmet stations. There were chefs in pristine white uniforms, attentively preparing dishes from various global cuisines. Sushi bars stood beside Italian pasta stations; French patisserie counters showcased delicate pastries next to an area dedicated to exotic fruits and cheeses from around the world.
Students, impeccably dressed in their school uniforms, engaged in hushed conversations, their table manners mirroring that of high society. The clinking of silverware against porcelain was more audible than any voice, a testament to the decorum maintained in this elite setting.
Ree-an, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the grandeur, took a moment to absorb his surroundings. The opulence was almost disorienting, a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil he had just experienced. Taking a deep breath, he approached one of the gourmet stations, attempting to blend in with the privileged peers.
Perusing the menu, Ree-an couldn't help but express his amazement.
Given its upscale offerings, the prices were unexpectedly reasonable.
"Almas caviar stuffed blue lobster with white truffle and Saffron Risotto, all for just 45 points?" he murmured in astonishment.
´Wait, what should I buy?´ He found himself momentarily indecisive, with Brian's face flashing in his mind. He wondered about his bully's culinary preferences.
´Eh, whatever´
Shrugging off the thought, Ree-an eventually settled for a simple cheese roll and a small packet of milk, tucking them neatly into a petite paper bag.
With his purchase in hand, Ree-an then headed towards the school's main gate.
✒
As Ree-an approached the school campus gate, its impressive design became increasingly evident. The entrance was robust and well-defined, flanked on either side by tall, brick pillars. Their red hue, matured by the passage of time, carried an understated elegance.
Above the pillars, a sturdy iron arch extended, bearing the academy's name in polished, bold letters that caught the sunlight just right, making them gleam. The academy's emblem, a tasteful combination of a shield and a book, was engraved in the center of the arch, symbolizing both defense and knowledge.
The gates themselves were made of black wrought iron, with bars close enough to ensure security but spaced to allow one to view the manicured school grounds. Patches of greenery, benches, and strategically placed trees added to the serene ambience inside.
Beside the entrance was a small security booth.
A guard, dressed in a crisp uniform, sat within, occasionally greeting students by name or offering a nod of acknowledgment.
Ree-an, taking a moment, admired the entrance. The gate was a constant reminder of the academy's commitment to excellence and the privileged education it offered.
Leaning against one of the bars, Ree-an waited with a mixture of anticipation and impatience for the impending meeting.
"Figures he'd make me wait," he murmured, glancing at the time displayed on his school device.
Turning it completely off, he put it in his pocket.
*Grumble*
A deep, rumbling growl from his stomach unexpectedly interrupted his train of thought, taking him by surprise.
"I really haven't eaten since yesterday, have I?" he mused to himself.
He shook his head slightly and glanced at his paper bag, letting out a resigned sigh.
"Eh, whatever."
He began to pull out his hastily bought snacks, revealing their contents to the world. Without ceremony, he took a generous bite of the cheese roll, savoring its flavors. Following that, he unpacked the small packet of milk, punctured it with the accompanying straw, and took a long sip.
As he nourished himself, Ree-an's gaze drifted, taking in his surroundings. The college campus was teeming with activity, but his attention was drawn to the main class building. Standing alone against its imposing facade was a familiar face—the girl with the vividly dyed hair.
Studying her from a distance, Ree-an realized she was looking straight back at him. Despite the considerable distance between them, he silently thanked his optometrist for the glasses he wore, grateful they allowed him to discern her intense gaze.
Deciding to end the silent standoff, Ree-an lifted his hand in a friendly wave, continuing to sip his milk. To his surprise, however, the girl did not reciprocate. Instead, she abruptly turned and disappeared into the building.
'Seriously, what's her deal?!' he pondered with a hint of frustration.
✒
Just a few minutes later, the person Ree-an had been waiting for made his appearance.
Catching sight of Ree-an casually sipping milk and nibbling on snacks, Brian's face twisted into a look of malevolent confusion.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he barked, his voice resonating through the open space.
Distracted due to his focus being elsewhere, Ree-an was caught off guard and ended up choking on his drink.
*Cough* *Cough*
"Are you seriously eating my food?!" Brian's voice was laden with accusation and domineering tones, reminding Ree-an of their unsettling encounter in class.
Holding up a finger, Ree-an signaled for Brian to wait, still recovering from the surprise and his coughing fit. "You scared me," he managed rasped out.
Brian blinked in confusion, taken aback by the unexpected response and behavior.
"Alright, you joker," he retorted after a brief pause, annoyance evident in his tone.
He looked Ree-an up and down with disdain. "I thought I'd let you off easy today, but it looks like you need another lesson. Follow me." Pausing for emphasis, he added, "And don't think about running. Remember, we share a class. There's no escaping me."
A malicious grin spread across Brian's face, betraying his ill intent, as he turned and started to walk away.
With a resigned sigh, and finishing the last of his milk, Ree-an hesitated for a brief moment before reluctantly following Brian, curious about what was to come.
✒
As they delved deeper into more secluded parts of the campus, Ree-an couldn't help but notice the glaring absence of the usual security and surveillance cameras that were ubiquitous around the campus.
'Wow, didn't know places like this were a thing.' he thought, his eyes quickly scanning the numerous side passages branching off from their current path.
Each seemed to lead to darker and more forbidding alleys. The architecture suggested that this area was part of a dormitory, but it was distinctly isolated from the rest of the campus.
'Maybe these are like private dorms or something?' Ree-an wondered, noting that despite their apparent isolation, the buildings maintained an air of luxury—a sharp contrast to their secluded surroundings.
Leading the way, Brian veered into one of the side alleys. As they continued, the everyday sounds of the bustling campus gradually dissipated, leaving behind an eerie silence. The only companions they seemed to have now were their own elongated shadows, which danced ominously on the walls as they progressed.
Once Ree-an had polished off his snack, he slowed his pace, noticing that Brian had come to a stop ahead.
"Alright, Shitface. Time for a bit of discipline, don't you think?" Brian sneered, flexing his fists in preparation.
"All these arrogant fools, thinking they're above others. You're lucky I've decided you could be useful to me, but first, you need a bit of... adjustment. You're gonna be my dog." Brian's words dripped with malice.
Seeing Ree-an's trembling form, a malicious grin spread across Brian's face. "Did you think I was playing around? This is what you get for your cockiness."
Ree-an, struggling to find his words, finally managed to stutter,
"C-Can I remove my gla-glasses?"
Brian chuckled, a sound devoid of warmth. "Sure. Go on."
However, as Ree-an reached up to remove his glasses, Brian swiftly lunged forward, delivering a sharp punch to Ree-an's face.
The impact caused the glasses to fly from his grasp, clattering to the ground. Miraculously, they appeared intact.
Brian taunted, "Oops! My bad. Thought you were done."
Without giving Ree-an a chance to react, another punch connected, this time landing squarely on his nose. Blood began to stream down, staining the front of Ree-an's uniform.
"Ugh, look what you made me do," Brian said with feigned sympathy. "Hurts me more than it hurts you." The sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable.
As he drew back for a third strike, aiming directly at Ree-an's face, time seemed to slow. In a split-second decision fueled by adrenaline, Ree-an tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the blow as Brian's fist whizzed violently past.
The surprise that flashed across Brian's face was clear as day. However, before he could even fully retract his arm, he felt a sharp sting on his cheek, quickly followed by another on the opposite side.
"Wha- What the h-hell?" he stammered, disoriented.
The rapid, precise punches from Ree-an had caught him off guard, and as he was trying to process what had just happened, a third, more powerful blow landed. The impact was so strong that it sent Brian tumbling to the ground, his face quickly swelling.
Gingerly touching his bruised face, he was still caught in a false bubble of security, not fully comprehending the situation he was in.
Ree-an, not wasting a second, advanced and threw himself onto Brian, pinning him down, their gazes locked in a dance of dread and domination.
The look in Ree-an's eyes was predatory, and Brian felt a chill run down his spine—not just from the physical pain, but from the realization of the dangerous force he was now at the mercy of.
"W-Wai—"
His plea was cut off abruptly as his head was slammed into the jagged stone beneath them. The punches that followed were relentless, each one more ruthless than the last.
Another. And another. And another..
Brian's voice, now a mere whimper, was drowned out by the sound of the blows landing on him. His pleas for mercy were cut short, one after another, as his world blurred into pain and terror.
"Pl—"
The back of his head bore the marks of being repeatedly thrust against the unforgiving ground, and blood was flowing freely from his nose and mouth, pooling around him in a gruesome halo.
"St—"
But the barrage continued, unending and brutal. Each hit was a chilling testament to Ree-an's rage.
Again. And again. And again.
"Bblg."
Brian's voice, now reduced to a gurgling rasp, tried to form words, but it was impossible. The punches kept coming, each one more terrifying, until his world was nothing but an echoing chamber of pain.
"STOP!" A voice, urgent and sharp, cut through the chaos, momentarily pulling Ree-an out of his frenzy.
Panting slightly, he looked down at Brian, who was now unconscious and battered, before straightening up and turning to the source of the voice. The intensity in his eyes faded slightly as he met the gaze of a girl with distinctly dyed blonde hair.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice edged with a cold hardness.
The girl looked at him, her eyes filled with concern that momentarily shifted to Brian's battered form.
"You went too far!" she exclaimed, her voice strong despite the shake in her words.
Ree-an's response was sharp, "Mind your own business."
"..."
She bit her lip, searching for words, but none came out.
His eyes lifted to the sky, observing the swift movement of the clouds as he took a deep, steadying breath. When his gaze returned to the girl, his expression was unreadable.
"If you can't handle how I do things, then leave," he told her, his tone unyielding.
"..." again, there was no reply.
"Seonh—" Ree-an began, but stopped himself.
"Yuna, never forget what these kinds of people did to us," he paused, his voice softer but still laced with a hard edge. "What they did to your sister."
Her eyes followed his earlier path to the sky, filling with unshed tears. Taking a shaky breath, flooded with memories, she looked back at Ree-an, determination replacing her earlier uncertainty.
"You're right," she conceded, her voice steadier now.
"If you're second-guessing our plan now, it's best you drop off."
She met his gaze fiercely. "No, I won't back down. I let my emotions get the better of me for a moment. They don't deserve our sympathy."
A slow, smile spread across Ree-an's face."Good."
He turned back to Brian, still unconscious on the ground. "You should leave now. You might not want to see what comes next."
She nodded, her face set in a slight frown. "Fine. Just...finish it quickly."
With that, Yuna turned on her heel, retreating the way she had come.
Watching her depart, Ree-an approached the nearby building wall. He leaned back, allowing the cold bricks to support him as he slid down to a seated position. Lost in thought, he closed his eyes as the weight of the past settled upon him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone