Jin walked out of the principal’s office, the voices of Haruki and the others being expelled fading behind him. As he made his way down the hallway, the weight of the confrontation still lingered, though a twisted satisfaction simmered beneath the surface.
Before he could leave the school, a voice called out to him. "Jin, wait!"
Turning, Jin saw Kenta running toward him, a look of desperation plastered on his face.
“What do you want?” Jin asked, his tone icy.
Kenta stood awkwardly in front of Jin, his eyes darting around nervously. Finally, he stammered, “Th-thank you very much for stopping…”
Jin frowned, his sharp gaze pinning Kenta in place. “Instead of this chit-chat, get straight to the point,” he said curtly.
Kenta swallowed hard. “Oh—okay.” He took a deep breath and started, “Tae-Hyun… Bullying you, using force against you… Everything I did was wrong. It was due to my lack of maturity. I failed to consider how much pain we caused you. But… after thinking about it, I’ve decided to accept the verdict of the disciplinary committee.”
Jin crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
Kenta continued quickly, as if afraid to lose his courage. “And I promise I won’t do anything like that in the future. So… can you please let it slide just this once? I talked with the teacher, and they said if you agreed, I could avoid being expelled. Although Haruki and Riku dragged their parents into this and did irreparable damage… he said he could at least bail us others out.”
Kenta’s voice cracked as he pleaded, “Can you please just give us a chance? If we get expelled, our lives will be ruined.” He hesitated before reaching out, placing a trembling hand on Jin’s arm. “Please, just let it go. Please. I’ll do anything.whether running errands or becoming a shuttle.”
Jin stared at Kenta, his mind racing.
(The news of expulsion must have been shocking for him…) Jin thought to himself.
“Please!” Kenta begged again, his voice desperate.
Jin’s eyes narrowed, still silent. (Even after all he’s done, he’s still barely 17. Just a high schooler with an unstable life…)
Before Jin could respond, Kenta took another shaky breath and leaned closer. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I know I’ll be chased after for telling you this, but… we were ordered to bully you because you couldn’t afford the operation expenses.”
Jin’s jaw tightened.
“The person that ordered us to bully you… it’s Hajun. He’s a third-year,” Kenta confessed, his words tumbling out in a rush.
Jin finally spoke, his tone icy. “You want me to forgive you, right?”
Kenta nodded furiously. “Y-yes!”
Jin’s mind flashed with memories: the broken bones, the humiliation, being forced to lick the floor, the countless acts of cruelty he had endured.
(Forgiveness? Repentance? Fuck that.)
Jin stepped closer, his voice like steel. “First, wire 10 million won to me. Right now.”
Kenta froze, his eyes widening in shock. “T-ten million won? That’s…” His voice trailed off, but he could see the unwavering resolve in Jin’s expression. Gritting his teeth, he nodded. “I’ll send it.”
A few tense moments later, Jin’s phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced at it, confirming the transfer.
Before Kenta could say another word, Jin grabbed him by the collar. Kenta barely had time to react before Jin delivered a series of sharp jabs to his face.
“Ugh!” Kenta groaned, stumbling backward. His hands flew up to shield himself, but Jin’s strikes were relentless.
“You think money erases everything?” Jin spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You think a few words can undo the shit I went through because of you?!”
“I’m sorry! Please!” Kenta cried, blood dripping from his nose.
Jin released him with a shove, letting him crumple to the ground. Kenta looked up at him, trembling, his face pale and bloodied.
“Sorry?” Jin said, his tone mocking. “You’re only sorry because you got caught. And now you want me to save you?”
Kenta clutched his stomach, his voice barely a whisper. “I… I told you about Hajun…”
Jin’s glare burned into him. “That doesn’t make you innocent.”
Kenta’s sobs echoed in the empty hallway as Jin turned and walked away, his fists clenched tightly. (They’ll all pay. Every single one of them.)
When Jin entered his classroom, a tense silence fell over the room. Students whispered among themselves, their eyes darting toward him before quickly looking away.
“Did you hear about the fight?” one student murmured.
“He used a weapon,” another whispered. “Did you see all that blood? What happened to him?”
“He wasn’t like this before. Why did he suddenly turn into some kind of anti-hero?”
The classroom door creaked open, and Jin stepped inside. Conversations immediately ceased as everyone turned to look at him. Ignoring their stares, Jin walked to his seat.
A boy cautiously approached him. “Jin…”
Jin glanced at him, recognizing the boy as one of the students who used to get bullied.
“Thank you,” the boy said quietly. “Because of you, Haruki and his gang are getting expelled. You… you gave us hope.”
Jin’s eyes narrowed. “You’re thanking me?” His voice was sharp and laced with venom.
The boy flinched.
“Don’t forget you testified against me, you bastard. You’re just as bad as the rest of them. I don’t care what happens to you or your thanks. Get out of my sight.”
The boy’s face fell as he turned and walked away, and the other students quickly returned to their seats, pretending not to have witnessed the exchange.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Hajun and his crew lounged around, smoking and laughing. The scent of tobacco mixed with the cold air as they discussed their next move.
One of Hajun’s lackeys spoke up. “What are we gonna do now, boss? Haruki and his boys are getting expelled. We won’t be able to make our daily money anymore. Our whole plan could fall apart.”
Hajun exhaled a puff of smoke, his sharp eyes narrowing. “Call Kenta.”
Minutes later, Kenta stood before Hajun, trembling as he recounted what had happened. “We didn’t expect it. He just attacked us out of nowhere… and now the principal is siding with him.”
Before Kenta could say more, Hajun’s fist slammed into his face. Blood splattered across the rooftop as Kenta collapsed, groaning in pain.
“Pathetic,” Hajun sneered. “Now, get me the leader of the first-years.”
Back in the classroom, Jin sat at his desk, his mind racing. Why did I become a victim in the first place? I don’t have money, is that why and what the hell is operation expense?
He shook his head. No, I can’t act on assumptions. I need to prepare for whatever’s coming next.
Later that day, Jin found himself standing in front of an MMA gym. The sign above the door read “Team Blaze MMA.”
Stepping inside, Jin was greeted by a middle-aged man with a solid build and sharp eyes.
“Are you here to register?” the man asked.
“Yes,” Jin replied. “I want to learn how to fight.”
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