章 5: Second Year
'Today's the first day of twelfth grade.' Dowan thought as he stood on the sidewalk, looking ahead at the school building. A month had passed, and now a new school year had started.
'I have to get to school before anyone else, to handle an important task.'
'And that is... setting up the game shuttles!' Dowan now hurried down the hallway, carrying a bunch of phone holders for gaming stands, making his way to his new classroom.
'Let's see, my seat is...' He scanned the seating chart taped to the classroom door, found his name, and walked inside.
'Woah, someone got here before me?' Dowan thought, surprised to see someone already in the room, their head resting on the desk. He didn't expect anyone to arrive this early.
'I need to set up the optimal gaming arrangement.' He moved to his seat, dropping the phone stands onto his desk with a loud thud.
'Ack! Was that too loud?!' Dowan flinched at the sound, immediately regretting it. He whispered nervously, "S-Sorry!" to the person who appeared to be sleeping.
"Huh?" His eyes caught the student ID card on the desk of the person. 'Han Eunseong?'
'That name sounds familiar...' Dowan tried to recall. 'Ah, from the meeting!' He remembered the tense moment during the meeting, when someone interrupted the group's unsettling move on Goo. The guy with glasses had called him Eunseong.
It was clear from everyone's reaction at the time...
'This guy is probably the most dangerous one from that meeting.' Dowan thought nervously. 'And considering his position...'
"You're here." Eunseong muttered, sitting up. "No need to be scared. You're the bully council's rep now." he said, noticing Dowan's anxious expression. "But now that I think about it..." Eunseong stood and grabbed Dowan by the collar, lifting him off the ground as he glared down at him. "It might be best to take care of you right now."
'Already a boss fight?!' Dowan panicked. He knew he had no chance if it came to a fight.
"W-Wait! I-I'm part of the bully council too!" Dowan stammered. "Same side, right? We shouldn't fight, right?"
"Same side?" Eunseong's cold eyes fixed on him. "Even though you're Boramae-Dong's rep now, there's a rule that doesn't change. And that is..." He lifted Dowan higher. "Bully council members can fight each other." Dowan grunted in pain. "Ranking by power is essential in this world. That's why it's allowed." Eunseong raised his fist, ready to strike. "This is for messing with Silim fearlessly."
"Oi, bastard." A voice interrupted Eunseong, freezing him in place. "What do you think you're doing to my friend?"
Dowan opened his eyes slowly, recognizing the voice.
'Goo?' He was shocked to see Goo's head leaning on Eunseong's shoulder, his head slightly turned, gazing at Eunseong with a blank expression. 'Saved...' Dowan felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Eunseong's body tensed at the voice, feeling the weight on his shoulder. He knew who it belonged to, the dangerous guy from the meeting, Goo Kim. He turned his head to the side, locking eyes with Goo, and a chill ran down his spine, though he tried to keep his composure.
"Nothing serious." Eunseong replied, loosening his grip on Dowan's shirt, allowing him to drop back to the floor. He turned around to face Goo but was surprised by Goo's height, forcing him to look up. "I have no issue with Dowan, especially since he's on our side now."
"Buddy." Goo's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Did you say, since Dowan is on your side?" The air grew heavy as Goo's tone became colder. "So, if Dowan wasn't on your side, you would've continued with what you were doing?"
Eunseong flinched as Goo tilted his head slightly upwards, his gaze still locked onto him. "You've got it wrong if you think Dowan's the lucky one. If you'd gone through with it..." Goo's voice dropped to a lethal tone. "I would've taken your arm."
'He's serious...' Dowan thought, stunned and anxious. Goo wasn't acting like his usual laid back self. Dowan had expected him to go back to being casual once Eunseong explained himself, but Goo was clearly annoyed.
"Not at all." Eunseong denied quickly, not wanting a confrontation with Goo. "Even if Dowan wasn't on our side, attacking him is pointless, especially since he's your friend."
"Hmm, is that so?" Goo suddenly smirked, and the tension in the room evaporated. "I'm impressed you understand the greatness of the one and only Goo Kim." He nodded smugly, appreciating the acknowledgement.
"Uh, sure..." Eunseong responded awkwardly, watching as Goo switched back to his carefree demeanor, praising himself as the tension dissipated.
"By the way, Dowan." Goo grinned as he walked over to him, pulling out his phone. "Check this out." He held the screen out for Dowan to see. "Tell me what rank I reached in the game."
Dowan, hearing something about games, immediately focused. He glanced at the screen, noticing the rank.
"Rank fifty?" Dowan was surprised. For someone like Goo, who was terrible at games, this was actually impressive progress.
"Yep! I've been grinding lately." Goo smiled. "I'm still not on your level, but next time, we'll have more fun playing against each other." Before the game wouldn't last for five minutes, losing against Dowan easily, but now it would be different as he was sure he'll at least make Dowan try against him.
"Dowan." Eunseong interrupted, drawing both their attention. He looked at Dowan seriously. "I'll tell the others in Silim-Dong to leave you alone from now on."
"Phew." Eunseong exhaled as he walked down the hallway after leaving the classroom.
'Goo Kim...' The name lingered in his mind. There was no need to question if Goo was serious about what he had said earlier. Eunseong knew without a doubt, Goo would've followed through. Dangerous wasn't even the right word to describe him. Goo Kim was... a lunatic.
Back in the classroom, Goo stood in front of Dowan with a look of disappointment.
"Once again, Dowan, you're disappointing me," Goo said, shaking his head.
"Huh? What? Why?" Dowan was stunned. He had no idea what he did wrong.
"You're asking why?" Goo palmed his forehead in disbelief. "Why didn't you do anything? Why did you just let him do whatever he wanted to you?"
"B-But he's stronger than me... I would've gotten beaten up." Dowan said hesitantly.
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Goo snapped, causing Dowan to flinch. His irritation was clear. "So what if he's stronger than you? So what if he beats you up? Are you telling me you're scared of a little pain? Scared of bleeding?" Goo's questions came sharp and direct. Dowan hesitated but nodded slightly.
"Ughh." Goo sighed in frustration. "Dowan, at least stand up for yourself, even if you get hurt. How do you expect to build character if you just fold like that?" Goo's eyes shifted to Dowan's desk, cluttered with phone stands. "And what the hell is all that?"
"Uh..." Dowan followed Goo's gaze. "That's my gaming shuttle set-"
"Dowan." Goo interrupted, grabbing both of Dowan's shoulders. "That gaming shuttle stuff is for the old you, not the person you're trying to be now." Dowan's eyes widened at those words. "You came to me asking how to get strong before, right? It was obvious you wanted to change. So start now, throw that stuff away." Goo released his grip and took a step back. "I had high hopes for your change, but you've been holding yourself back."
'He's right.' Dowan thought, unable to argue. Goo was telling the truth. Dowan had wanted to change, but he was still clinging to his past self. 'He had expectations for me.' Dowan's expression saddened, feeling like he had let Goo down, the only one who truly believed in him.
"But..." Goo's voice broke Dowan's thoughts. He looked up to see Goo smiling. "I can't say I'm not impressed." Goo continued with a knowing look. "You actually followed the training I gave you." Dowan was stunned. "I can tell." Goo's eyes scanned Dowan's body. "You've grown a bit taller, and your muscles are more developed." He smirked. "Even though it's clear you only did about a quarter of what I told you to do, you still did it." Goo wrapped his arm around Dowan's neck. "Good job, Dowan."
Dowan was speechless. He didn't expect Goo to notice his efforts. It was true that he had followed Goo's training, though he could only manage a fraction of it. Still, he did what he could, and it felt good to be recognized for it. Every time he wanted to give up, he remembered Goo's words, it was his choice to change.
"Thanks, Goo." Dowan said, smiling. It was the first time someone had praised him for his efforts, and he was glad that person was Goo.
"No problem." Goo grinned, noticing Dowan's happy expression. "But..." Dowan's smile faded a bit, anticipating something tough. "It's still not enough. I'll be training you from here on out, both physically and mentally."
"Bu-" Dowan started to protest, feeling like Goo had already done enough for him.
[Accept Goo's teaching.]
Before he could finish, the system issued him a task, he had to accept Goo's training to move forward.
"Okay, I'll count on you, Goo." Dowan agreed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to train under someone as strong as Goo, especially since even the system acknowledged the value of his training.
"Great. When I'm done with you, you'll be my greatest masterpiece." Goo said with a wide grin, clearly excited to see how far Dowan could go.
"But man, it's hard to believe we're second-year students now." Goo said with a touch of nostalgia. "Time sure flies."
"Yeah, it does," Dowan agreed. Time had passed quickly.
'Come to think of it...' Dowan looked at Goo. 'Isn't he taller than before?' Dowan could tell Goo had grown, he was easily around 190 cm now. It was hard to notice before, but now, it was obvious. 'What kind of growth spurt is that?' Dowan wondered. Growing that much in just a month was no small feat.
"Welp, let's take our seats," Goo said as more students began filing into the classroom. His seat was directly in front of Dowan's.
Dowan sat down, feeling relieved that Goo was in the same class and sitting right in front of him.
As time passed, something strange began to bother Dowan.
'Why...?'
By the second-period break, the third-period break, and even by lunchtime, something was off.
'Why hasn't anyone come up to me to ask me to play games?' Dowan was genuinely confused. Normally, students would have approached him by now, asking him to game with them, given his reputation as the gaming shuttle. But no one did. Even so they did, he'll refuse.
'And the strangest part...' Dowan looked around the classroom. 'The class is so... peaceful.'
It didn't make sense. Usually, at the start of a new semester, the bullies would gather and start picking on the easiest target in class. If there were rivals, they would fight to determine who held authority. School at this time was like a battleground where the law of the jungle ruled.
"What are you thinking about, Dowan?" Goo asked, noticing Dowan in a daze.
"Nothing, but..." Dowan looked around the classroom again. "Don't you think the class is unusually peaceful?"
"Peaceful?" Goo repeated. Dowan nodded. "Isn't it obvious?" Goo smiled at Dowan, who looked confused. "It's because of you."
"Me?" Dowan was stunned, pointing at himself. He had no idea how the peaceful atmosphere had anything to do with him.
"Did you forget your current status?" Goo hinted.
'My current status?' Dowan thought. 'What status?' The only status he remembered was being the gaming shuttle, but that didn't explain it.
'Wait a second.' His eyes widened as he pieced it together. The unusual calm in the classroom, the lack of conflict... It was because he was now Boramae-Dong's representative?
"Looks like you figured it out," Goo said, noticing the realization in Dowan's eyes. "Your position as the rep of the Boramo something gang must've spread through the school."
"So now, you're like the top dog around here." Goo smirked, clearly enjoying the stunned look on Dowan's face.
"Hehe." Dowan let out a nervous laugh. Should he be glad that he joined the Boramae-Dong gang? 'At least no bullies will mess with me... hopefully.' But even if they did, he had Goo by his side.
'No, wait.' Dowan's expression shifted to one of determination. He couldn't keep relying on Goo. If he was truly going to change, he'd have to handle things himself. 'If anyone wants to fight me, they'll have to catch these hands.'
Goo, seeing Dowan's newfound resolve, smirked, impressed by his friend's determination.
"Well, come on, let's hit the restroom." Goo said, getting up. Dowan followed him as they made their way to the toilet.
Upon entering the restroom, they were greeted by a voice.
"Dowan Ha?"
Both Goo and Dowan turned to see a yellow-haired guy, vaping in the corner. Dowan immediately recognized him.
"Huh?" Dowan blinked in surprise. It was Jaemin Shin. He had completely forgotten about him.
"Pfft." Goo grinned creepily, immediately recognizing Jaemin. "I remember you. You were at the karaoke night."
'Shit!' Jaemin panicked internally, realizing Dowan wasn't alone. He was with that blond-haired monster. Goo had destroyed not only Manchoon but Manok and several others that night. A complete madman.
"How's piggy doing?" Goo asked casually as he walked over to Jaemin, stopping infront of him, towering over the trembling boy. "Is he till mad about me almost ending his family jewels?"
"Uh, hehe... o-of course not," Jaemin stammered, looking up at Goo nervously. 'Was this guy always this tall?' he cried internally. He was on the verge of wetting himself, fearing for his life in front of someone like Goo.
"Hmm, is that so?" Goo leaned in, peering into Jaemin's eyes, who was sweating bullets. After a few agonizing seconds, Goo burst out laughing and walked toward one of the stalls.
"Phew..." Jaemin sighed in relief as Goo let him go. He then turned to Dowan.
"Dowan Ha." he said, approaching Dowan, though Dowan stood firm this time, his face expressionless as he tried to imitate Goo's intimidating aura.
"What is it?" Dowan asked coolly.
"Uhh." Jaemin hesitated, thrown off by Dowan's change in demeanor, but he quickly plastered on a smile and cupped Dowan's hand. "Congrats! I heard you became Boramae-Dong's rep!"
'What?' Dowan was stunned by Jaemin's overly friendly behavior. He expected Jaemin to try to start something, especially since he had knocked him out cold at the karaoke place. But this?
"You even seem close to Eunseong!" Jaemin continued, shaking Dowan's hand. "We're kind of the same, don't you think?" He laughed nervously.
'What's with this guy?' Dowan thought, confused by Jaemin's sudden shift in behavior.
"Wait... aren't you acting a bit too different from before?" Dowan pulled his hand away, glaring at Jaemin.
"Dang! Look at the time!" Jaemin glanced at his wrist, where there was no watch. "Time for me to work on my worksheet."
'You don't even have a watch...' Dowan thought as he watched Jaemin try to play it off.
"I'll get going, Dowan! Say something good about me to Eunseong, okay?" Jaemin called out as he bolted out of the restroom.
'Did I hit his head too hard?' Dowan wondered, watching Jaemin leave. Could it be that Jaemin was afraid of him now because of his new status as Boramae-Dong's rep? Even so, Jaemin's extreme behavior was strange.
"Nope, Dowan." Goo's voice came from the stall as he exited. "He's not afraid of you."
"Huh?" Dowan looked at Goo, confused. "Then who-?"
"Eunseong." Goo explained as he washed his hands. "He's scared of Eunseong."
'Eunseong?' Dowan thought. Now that he remembered, Jaemin had mentioned Eunseong. It seemed like Jaemin was more afraid of and possibly even worshipped him.
"Stop thinking too much and go." Goo said, and Dowan nodded, heading into the stall.
Back in the classroom, Dowan found himself lost in thought, replaying the events of the day, while Goo was absorbed in playing a game on his phone.
'Damn, this game gets harder with each level.' Goo thought, sweat forming on his forehead as he focused intensely. 'How does Dowan find this easy?' Goo was struggling. Dowan really had a knack for games. If Goo had to describe him, a Gaming Genius seemed the most accurate.
"It seems you're the only one playing games today."
The sudden voice startled Goo, and he looked up from his phone. Standing in front of him was a girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and striking blue eyes. She held out a small gift wrapped box toward him.
"Who are you?" Goo asked, slightly confused.
"The name's Ahrin. Don't you remember me?" she asked with a smile, noticing Goo's puzzled look.
"Oh, wait. Aren't you the one who rejected me back then?" Goo smiled, suddenly recalling the girl from their first year who had turned down his offer for a date.
"Uh, yeah, sorry about that." Ahrin said awkwardly, clearly not expecting him to bring that up.
'Did he misunderstand?' Ahrin thought, remembering the moment. She hadn't meant to reject him. She was just caught off guard by his sudden proposal and didn't know how to respond at the time. It wasn't a clear rejection, she was just on the edge to decide.
"Well, let's see what you've got here." Goo said, taking the small box from her. He assumed it was some cookies or a treat. A little dessert wouldn't be bad right now.
"You see, I felt bad about that time." Ahrin explained as she sat down in the empty seat in front of him. "It's not much, but I wanted to give you a small apology." She didn't want to correct Goo's misunderstanding, afraid he might think she was toying with him.
'Is she serious?' Goo thought, a bit surprised. He could tell she was referring to that moment of rejection, but he hadn't expected her to think about it after all this time. 'This girl is too kind.' Goo looked at Ahrin, impressed. Girls like her weren't common.
"Well, thanks." Goo said with an appreciative smile, glancing at Ahrin. This was the first time someone had given him a gift, and it made him feel genuinely grateful.
Ahrin smiled back warmly as Goo began opening the box. He was expecting cookies or something sweet, but when he looked inside...
'Huh?' Goo's expression changed from curiosity to shock as he saw what was inside. A small, live octopus, wriggling around.
"Uhh, Ahrin?" Goo asked, his voice laced with nervousness.
"Yes?" Ahrin responded cheerfully, clearly not sensing the problem.
"Are you... sure about eating this?" Goo stammered, sweat starting to form on his forehead. It was probably the first time in his life he felt so out of his depth.
"Yeah! I felt bad about what happened before." Ahrin explained, looking a bit apologetic before breaking into a smile. "Live octopus is great for stamina and health recovery, so I thought it'd be perfect for you."
"O-Oh, wow. Thanks," Goo replied, forcing a smile. "Just looking at it makes me... excited to eat it." His gaze remained fixed on the squirming octopus, trying to hold it together.
"Really? That's great to hear!" Ahrin beamed, pleased that he was appreciative of her gift.
"Eat it, Goo." Ahrin encouraged, leaning forward with anticipation. "Apparently, it's best eaten alive."
"Right now?" Goo was sweating even more, completely lost on how to handle this situation. Eating a live octopus? He panicked internally, unsure of how to refuse without coming off as rude. It was absurd, he had never felt this kind of pressure in the past.
"Hey."
A voice cut through the tension in Goo's mind. He looked up to see a guy with dark pink hair and black eyes standing beside him, speaking calmly. The guy was Soh Sung-Woo.
"Play games for me." Sung-Woo said flatly, placing his phone on the desk in front of Goo before casually heading back to his seat at the back of the room.
"Hmm, do you know him, Goo?" Ahrin asked, her eyes following Sung-Woo.
But Goo didn't answer. His expression had gone blank as he stared at the phone that Sung-Woo had just handed him.
In a dimly lit editing room, red light bathed the walls, and shelves were filled with stacked cameras. The silence was broken by a voice.
"You're working with another guy?"
The voice came from Kim Gi-Jin, a purple haired guy with brown eyes, wearing protective glasses as he carefully handled photos, dipping them in chemicals. He was speaking to Eunseong, who was sitting on a couch, flipping through some photos of his own.
"Curious as to why?" Eunseong replied with a smirk.
"Nope. You must have your reasons." Gi-Jin responded, focused on his work.
"In that one on one situation, I thought Dowan would do something." Eunseong said, recalling the encounter where he had tested Dowan. "But instead of fighting or defending himself, he shrank even further."
"So, it's one of two things." Gi-Jin mused. "Either he gave up out of fear, or he's pretending to be scared to make you lower your guard."
"It wasn't either." Eunseong replied, confident in his assessment. "His body was definitely shaking with fear. But his eyes... they were looking at something else."
"So, it was just a fluke?" Gi-Jin asked, taking off his protective glasses.
"Maybe." Eunseong admitted. "But ever since the assembly, I've felt it. Dowan Ha has something special."
"So, that's why you're working with him? Because of that something?" Gi-Jin was intrigued.
"Not just that," Eunseong replied, setting the photos down beside him and leaning back on the couch.
"And what else?" Gi-Jin pressed, curious to know what else had piqued Eunseong's interest.
"His friend." Eunseong answered, his thoughts turning toward someone else. "Goo Kim."
"Goo Kim, huh?" Gi-Jin frowned. "The guy who caused that scene during the meeting?"
"Yeah." Eunseong confirmed. "I consider that guy an unstable factor."
"Why do you say that?" Gi-Jin was puzzled by such an assessment.
"It's my first time telling someone what I truly and honestly felt when Goo Kim gets serious." Eunseong said, his expression serious as Gi-Jin listened intently. "Do you believe me if I were to tell you, that he could easily dismantle the Boramae-Dong if he wanted to?"
"Eunseong, you're not joking right?" Gi-Jin was stunned hearing that kind of description from Eunseong. Wasn't this too much to say that someone could easily solve the Boramae-Dong by himself? But looking at the expression of Eunseong, he didn't question further.
"No, I'm not joking whatsoever." Eunseong said, he isn't someone that would deny something like that, why would he. After all he was sure of his feelings. "Goo Kim, if my feelings aren't wrong which hardly they are, could beat the members of the Boramae-Dong all together, including myself. With ease."
Gi-Jin was shocked hearing that, he didn't know what to say as Eunseong who ranks number one, just confirmed that Goo Kim could single handedly take the whole gang down.
"Enough talk." Eunseong smiled. "You'll understand once you see them both in action."
Back in the classroom.
"Goo?" Ahrin asked, noticing the strange shift in his demeanor.
"Just a second." Goo responded emotionlessly, standing up abruptly. His face was blank, almost robotic, a stark contrast to his usual playful self, which surprised Ahrin.
Dowan, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality when he saw Goo suddenly get up.
'Is that Ahrin?' Dowan thought, noticing her for the first time. 'And... is that a live octopus moving?' He blinked in disbelief, confused as to why it was even there.
But more than the octopus, Dowan noticed Goo's expression. 'Goo doesn't look happy.' Dowan thought, feeling uneasy as he watched Goo make his way to the back of the room.
Goo walked toward Sung-Woo's seat, stopping next to him.
"Hey, idiot. Get up." Goo said calmly, but there was a coldness in his voice that made the air heavy. Sung-Woo didn't react, so Goo continued, his voice now chillingly flat. "If you don't want to die, get up."
"What did you just say to me?" Slowly, Sung-Woo raised his head, glaring coldly at Goo.
Without a word, Goo placed Sung-Woo's phone on the desk in front of him.
"Hah? You bastard, didn't I tell you to play for-" Sung-Woo didn't get to finish his sentence as Goo suddenly grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the desk. The impact was so hard that the desk cracked, and Sung-Woo's head continued through it, his face slamming onto the floor with a resounding crash. The phone shattered in the process.
The loud noise startled the entire classroom. The students in the classroom turned to look, shocked by what they had just witnessed.
'Goo?' Ahrin was stunned. She had never expected such violent behavior from him. At first, she had found him funny and easygoing, but seeing him like this was like encountering a completely different person.
'Oh my god.' Dowan thought, his heart racing. 'He actually said that to Goo?' He now heard what Sung-Woo said about Goo playing, it wasn't hard to understand by what Sung-Woo meant. 'Did... did he mistake Goo for a game shuttle?' Dowan feared that things were about to escalate into something far more serious.
Goo crouched and grabbed Sung-Woo by the hair, yanking his head back. Sung-Woo's face was bruised, his nose bleeding, and his expression twisted in pain.
"Look at me." Goo ordered, his eyes cold and emotionless as they fixed on Sung-Woo, who kept his eyes clenched shut, wincing in agony.
'Who the hell is this guy?' Sung-Woo wondered, forcing his eyes open. As soon as he met Goo's gaze, he felt a deep, unsettling fear crawl up his spine.
"I already know why this class is peaceful." Goo's voice was calm but carried an edge of danger. "It's because of you." Goo had fed Dowan a small lie before, saying Dowan was the reason the class had no troublemakers so he could feel more confident. But now, with this punk trying to test him, Goo's patience had run thin.
"But..." Goo's eyes darkened, his grip tightening as his voice dropped into something more menacing. "If you think that makes me a pushover, let me make one thing clear." His face leaned in dangerously close to Sung-Woo's, who began to tremble under the intensity of Goo's stare. "You're lucky we're in school right now. If you were to ever pull a stunt like that outside of here..." Goo's voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "You won't have a head left to regret it."
He released his grip, letting Sung-Woo collapse back onto the ground groaning in pain as Goo turned to leave, but his steps faltered when he saw Ahrin being pulled out of the room by a friend.
"Why do you keep sneaking into other classrooms?" the girl complained, dragging Ahrin away.
Goo sighed heavily. This day was turning into one ridiculous mess. He never thought some idiot would actually rile him up like that. Honestly, how did Dowan tolerate this for a whole year?
"Second-year students, please proceed to the cafeteria for lunch." The intercom announced.
Goo looked at the box containing the live octopus and closed it with a tired smirk. "She's cute, but I'm not eating that thing while it's still moving." He turned to Dowan, who'd been quiet the entire time. "Dowan, let's grab some lunch."
Dowan nodded, still processing what had just happened.
As they began walking, a voice stopped them.
"Goo Kim."
They turned to see a familiar face.
"Ji-Han?" Dowan recognized him as the guy from the karaoke night, the one Jaemin had used as a walking ATM.
"You were there that night too. What do you want?" Goo raised an eyebrow.
"I'm in class three, same as you two." Ji-Han explained. "But I came over to warn you, Goo."
"Warn me about what?" Goo frowned.
"The thing you just did to Sung-Woo," Ji-Han said nervously, sounding serious. "You don't know who you just messed with, do you?"
"Pink-haired guy, right? So what?" Goo scratched his head.
"Do you really not know about Sung-Woo?" Ji-Han was surprised hearing Goo not know about this guy.
"I don't know much about this school." Goo chuckled. "Since I rarely attended for the first year."
"But, what about him?" Goo asked not understanding what Ji-Han wanted to tell him.
"You see, Sung-Woo isn't like the other bullies. He doesn't bully others without reason, not does he care about the class hierarchy. He has a calm personality so he doesn't even get pissed from provocation." Ji-Han explained
"And, I still don't get it." Goo said still not understanding what was Ji-Han was telling him about Sung-Woo.
"But there is one thing." Ji-Han was nervous as he thought of the times where he saw Sung-Woo in action. "There's a moment where he flips completely. And that's when someone cuts infront of him."
"Sounds like a super weirdo." Goo chuckled as he never heard of a that kind of reason to flip out, he suddenly found Sung-Woo funny.
Both Dowan and Ji-Han gave looks at Goo that questioned who the real weirdo in the room was.
"But listen, Goo." Ji-Han's voice grew more urgent. "In your situation, Sung-Woo's not going to forget this. He's going to come after you, wherever you are. He doesn't let go of grudges easily."
"Oh no, a scary guy is after me. Whatever will I do?" Goo rolled his eyes, putting on an exaggerated sarcastic tone.
Ji-Han frowned but didn't press further.
"Anyway." Goo said with a grin. "Let's get to the cafeteria. You coming, Ji-Han?"
Ji-Han blinked in surprise at the unexpected invite but nodded, following them.
In the hallway, Sung-Woo emerged from the restroom, having washed his bloodied, bruised face. His expression was cold, and his thoughts were singularly focused on Goo.
As he walked toward the cafeteria, other students instinctively cleared a path, whispering nervously.
Just as he was about to enter the cafeteria, a third-year student stepped in front of him.
"Hey, second-year." The older student sneered. "Let us seniors eat first."
Sung-Woo's gaze turned deadly.
"Hey second year, what the fuck is up with those eyes." The the third-year student angerly said as he looked at Sung-Woo who gave him an angry look. "Are you not okay with the sunbaes eating before you small little fucker?"
"Are you faster than me?" Sung-Woo's eyes narrowed, asking.
After a minute.
The third-year was on the floor, blood streaming from his nose, his face bruised as he was out cold.
"You're not even faster, and you thought you could cut in front of me?" Sung-Woo wiped the blood from his own knuckles, stepping over the fallen student.
"Damn, Sung-Woo really messed that guy up." Inside the cafeteria, Goo whistled as he watched the aftermath.
Dowan looked nervous, while Ji-Han gulped, both recognizing how easily Sung-Woo had taken down the older student.
"Dowan." Goo said casually, as if he didn't care at what just happened. "Why're you so jumpy? You could take him down if you wanted. You're just too hesitant. Once you get over that, you'll be fine."
'Take him down?' Dowan blinked, hearing Goo's words. But maybe Goo was right. Today, he had been overthinking things too much. He practically knew how to fight considering the skills the system had given him. He just needed to stop hesitating which is holding him back.
Later, after school, Goo was walking alone down a quiet street, Dowan and Ji-Han each went their own way.
From behind, someone had been following him since he'd left the school gates.
Goo smirked to himself, taking a sharp turn into a narrow alley.
His pursuer followed, only to stop dead when he saw Goo waiting for him, leaning against a wall with a smile.
"Well, you're one persistent bastard," Goo said, his voice laced with amusement as he faced the person following him, Sung-Woo.
"You bastard, last time you caught me off guard." Sung-Woo glared at Goo, his eyes full of malice as he stepped forward, stopping infront of him, tilting his head up to meet Goo's gaze. "I'll show you how fast I am."
"How fast you are?" Goo chuckled, looking down at Sung-Woo. "You might not realize it, but..." His grin widened. "You're already kinda dead."
"Huh? Are you joking right n-" Sung-Woo began, irritation bubbling up as Goo continued to mock him. But before he could finish, he froze. His eyes widened as he felt something cold trickling down his neck. His hand instinctively reached up, his fingers brushing against the sensation. When he pulled them back, his heart raced.
'Blood?' Sung-Woo stared in shock at the crimson on his fingers. A thin line, horizentely stretched across the front of his neck, blood slowly seeping from the shallow cut.
'What happened?' Panic set in. He hadn't seen Goo move. There was no sign, no warning. It all happened right after the words, "You're already dead." It had to be him. But how?
"What... what did you do?" Sung-Woo stepped back, his breathing unsteady, his heart pounding against his ribcage. Fear gripped him. Death felt terrifyingly close.
"Don't give up now." Goo's smile grew wider, an unsettling air surrounding him. "You followed me with the intention of teaching me a lesson, right?"
"So who am I not to return the favor?" Goo continued, his voice rising as his crazed grin spread. Sung-Woo felt his stomach twist in fear, nearly losing control of himself at the sight. "Don't scream, don't run, and don't beg, because you can't."
"You're fast, aren't you?" Goo's eyes gleamed with a manic light. "Then let's put that to the test, shall we?"
====
I think I wrote this chapter just for the interaction with Ahrin lol.
Note: I've decided to not add any characters for now. But maybe, just maybe, I'll take the suggestion of 'I_d0nt_kn0w' about adding YLAB characters, while the characters mostly being from Hanlim Gym. These characters will serve as antagonists, having no close, present relationship with Goo, but they do share a relation together from the past.
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