Chapter 1: Thunder Cracker
Screams could be heard from the hallway.
It was a clash of blunt objects and fists.
It was a clash between the West Han High School and North Bak High School.
I like many who were conscripted to the West Han High School’s War Committee.
“HEY, JUNE GET UP!”
“SH-IT”
(THUNK!)
My friend B-Young was just smacked down with a hockey stick.
It was quite funny to see.
I wanted to move but my body was too bruised.
I could taste the blood that dripped from my nose.
I looked over the battlefield(hallway) and I could see our War Committee Chair, they called him Thunder Cracker.
As the name implies, he was an explosive individual.
At a first glance, he looked average at best.
Not overly strong or fast, he had maybe 2 friends at best.
But he was insane when it came to combat.
For some reason he had a set of steel knuckles in his backpack.
He wasn’t some blackbelt user or anything rather his spirit was unmatched.
He would get hit and bruises like me, but he would dish it back out ten fold.
Honestly it’s pretty terrifying what he does.
The term thunder cracker refers to him beating the shit out of a person with the steel knuckles.
Until you could hear the flesh give out, and only the fracturing and breaking of the bones remain.
Even now he was surrounded by five guys.
But he didn’t care, he continually was beating the shit out of the guy on the floor.
(BAK!) (BAK!) (BAK!)
The five boys from North Bak High could’ve easily pounced on our committee chair with ease.
But they instinctually feared him.
(DINGG DONGGGG~)
The school bell… guess lunchtime is over.
The boys from Bak High left with their wounded.
Finally it’s over…
Chapter 2: Ensure Equality Act
Like many, I was recovering in the school hospital.
It appears I got off with only brushes and a broken nose.
My friend B-Young was still unconscious, but from what I’ve seen it doesn’t seem any of his wounds are detrimental as well.
As I lay in my recovery bed, I took a deep breath.
(SIGH~)
“For what’s it's worth, it's a lot more comfy here than on the hallway floor”
“For what it's worth? I broke an arm, dammit look!”
My neighbor showed his cast on his left arm.
He was a grunt like me.
Ordered to defend Han High, while the juniors and seniors went out on the offensive.
“Hell, why are we even fighting, Thunder Cracker alone could have fought them all alone and won!”
“They say it’s to help build… ‘character’”
“Maybe I should get a bat or something for the next fight”
There were 5 of us in the medical ward.
Me and my friend B-Young
My bed neighbor Sung, Kim a cynical, and Boshik a guy with some actual muscle in that order.
We for the most part were all conscripted into the War Committee around the same time.
I don’t know the full details but from what I know-
Several years ago, South Korea was in a dire state, their sucide rates was 50% of their entire High School male students; 40% for the females.
The government, realizing this was unsustainable, contributed to the horror by enacting a horrendous act: Ensure Equality Act (Otherwise known as the EEA)
Ideally it was a communists wet dream.
Rather than individual success which contributed to the suffering of a lot of students.
The EEA would punish/flunk an entire high school.
But there was a catch. This flunking of a entire highschool was only applied to the lowest scoring highschool within the district*
Confusion and panic ensued.
While students tried to attend the most prestigious schools to ensure they move onto the next grade.
Others had a more nefarious idea.
A student by the name of Cho, went to one of the other High Schools in the district and started to beat the shit out of all the students.
That High School flunked that year.
Cho himself was never seen again, but his legacy continuous.
Soon, something called War Committees were formed in every school.
The rest is history now.
“Hey June? You awake?”
“Ah, B-Young, wats up?”
“Last bell rang, come on, let's go home.”
“Heh, ight lets go.”
Chapter 3: My Home
I open the door to my apartment.
“I’m Home~”
There is no response.
Three months ago I would’ve heard at least a ‘welcome back’ from my little sister.
But she practically quit school, and now is a neet.
She went to an all female Junior High School in the same district.
It was called the Goso Junior High.
They Flunked
It shook her to her core.
She was practically petrified the entire week after it happened.
My mother and father who would come home at around 8pm would try to comfort her but nothing worked.
Both my parents, like most, were shocked about the Ensure Equality Act, they tried to transfer both my and my sister to our cousins who live in Busan.
Nothing ever came of it, or rather it was the same everywhere in Korea.
She would occasionally crawl out of her room before our parents would come home and plunder the fridge.
It was strange to see her at her lowest point.
Although she had a hoodie, you could see tangled hair peeking out.
Her movement was sluggish as if she was an old man.
It didn’t help that none of her friends tried to come to comfort her, but perhaps they share the same fate.
As for me I haven’t been flunked yet. (Luckily)
But, guess I shouldn’t really be bragging.
I go to my room and put my stuff down.
I ate some cup ramen with B-Young on my way home at the convenience store, so I’m not really that hungry.
Hmmm, I guess I will play some video games!
Chapter 4: Battle Lines
There are 6 periods in a school schedule.
Along with break time and lunch time.
Pretty much all schools in the district launched their attack during lunch time as it was the longest.
But that wasn’t a rule* set in stone.
In fact, South Gung High School played a totally different kind of game.
They played hella dirty.
They would have pockets full of dirt, to blind their opponents, perfect for offensive and defensive measures.
They would gang up on lone individuals from other High Schools after school if they had a chance.
But the worst part was the humiliation they would inflict if you got captured.
They would strip you down naked and beat you up, and would send a video of it to demoralize the High School they went to.
Some times, the people from South Gung High would purposefully launch a attack at the broad casting room and play the audio file of the torture.
You could hear the student being forced to say their identity, followed by a scream of pain.
Nobody dared to stand up against them, they wielded that much fear and terror.
But if the War Committee orders you to march, you have no choice but to march.
My school, West Han High, was ordered to march in 1 week against South Gung High.
It was supposed to be a surprise attack during the midterms week.
The tension was high.
I heard a senior say that this was quite possibly the largest operation of West Han High.
All the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors were to participate in this.
Although the freshmans tried to reason with Thunder Cracker, our committee chair, nothing came of it.
There are in total 4 committee chairs, one for each grade.
Thunder Cracker himself was just the chair of the freshmans, due to his strange and yet relentless resolve.
I was in my 3rd period class, it was history.
Barely anyone took notes.
Some of the more studious tried to write, but I could see their hands shaking.
I think one of them is even writing a dying will.
Maybe I should write one as well.
Out the window, I could see the PE class doing a lap around the yard.
It looked like around 30 students.
Only one of them stood out however.
It was Thunder Cracker, our committee chair.
He was sitting on the benches watching the people run.
He was a part of that PE class, but never participated in it.
He would always have a doctor's note to skip PE.
His classmates probably thought it was quite unfair, they would be right.
But no one dared confronting Thunder Cracker about it.
(DINGG DONGGGG~)
The bell rang and I could see people start to get ready to leav-
(BEEEEEEEEE)
“Hmm?”
“That’s the announcements”
One kid mermers.
“Attention, this is the Senior War Committee Chair speaking, there appears to be a spy in our midst.”
“All classes are to hold and ordered to stay in your classes until further notice.”
(BEEEEEEEEE)
“Soo… what the hell do we do now?”
“Ah, dammit”
“Hey, have you seen this?”
The classroom returns to their normal behavior.
But out of the blue one student walks over to the door.
Another kid who notices this yells out, “Hey! Where are you going?”
The kid tilts his head just enough so that we can see his mouth.
“I’m going to my next class.”
The class froze.
Suspicion rose, and soon 2 of the students approached the guy next to the door.
“Didn’t you hear the announcements? The War Committee Chair said to stay put.”
The kid rebutted, “Do you really think that was a Committee Chair?”
“Wh-at?”
“The Senior Committee Chair doesn’t make announcements, he doesn’t have the time for such a thing.”
“Besides, if it was really a spy, why would he even alert the spy in the first place?”
“So what are you saying? This some kind of ploy?”
“Ye, something like that.”
“Look out the window, there was a PE class, but they’ve seemingly disappeared.”
It was true, I was observing them just a moment ago, but both Thunder Cracker and the entire PE class are no longer in sight.
“What gives you authority? Or rather who do you think you are? If you leave and you're wrong, this entire class gets punished, you know.”
The guy by the door scratches his neck, and turns fully to the entire class.
“I’m a Senior”
Chapter 5: Line Breaker
“A-A Senior? Wtf”
“Like hell you are, this is a freshmen class.”
“Well, I’ more like a sophomore, I flunked 1 times, hehe”
“Shit, I don’t think you should be joking like that mate.”
As I observed from my seat, I couldn’t figure out if he was lying or not.
I figured people would gradually get more back bone, as they move up a grade.
From what I’ve seen only Juniors and Seniors seem to be ones with confidence.
But this guy seems too relaxed.
“W-Well it doesn’t matter if you’ve flunked or not, you're here and you will be here with us, that's all that matters.”
This gesture seemed to irritate the sophomore.
His relaxed pose changed slightly.
His eyes locked onto the guy who said that.
“Y-you think I-I wana be here with you faggots?”
He pulled his hands out of his pockets.
“LOOK AT ALL OF YOU DOGS! SITTING HERE JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE TOLD TO!”
“THIS IS HIGH SCHOOL NOT SOME DETENTION FACILITY! THE LAST THING I WANT IS TO BE HERE STUCK WITH RETARDS LIKE YOU!”
(Click)
The classroom door opened.
Behind it was Thunder Cracker.
It was obvious that the sophomore's rant could’ve been heard throughout the hallway.
But Thunder Cracker ignored it and replied to the class, “We are in the clear, go to your next class.”
The flunked sophomore snarled as he walked past Thunder Cracker.
“You guys should head over to your classes too.”
Chapter 6: Lunch Time
Couple spies from various High Schools could be seen loitering on the outside premise of West Han High School.
Our school didn’t launch any attacks during today's lunch break, so we had in essence the entire school’s manpower to defend the school with.
And it seems that has deterred any attacks for now.
I met my friend B-Young in the cafeteria.
“Sup, June-”
“Sup-”
“Surprised there is no attacks, in fact I think I will get myself some bulgogi(Beef)”
“Heh, must be nice, I’m feeling for something spicy.”
“By the way, B-Young, have you joined any clubs yet?”
“Huh? Why would I wanna join a club? Just more work if you ask me.”
“Why? Are you planning on joining one?”
“Something like that.”
“Heh, ha, hahaha could it be because of your last fight?”
“Hm?”
“That fight with the boys from North Bak High, you fought against that fat kid and lost! Hahaha”
“He was a heavy weight alright, it was totally a bad match up.”
“Ya, he knocked you down real quick.”
“At least I didn’t get beaten down from behind with a stick.”
We both smiled, “HAHAAHA” (2x) and we both laughed.
It’s days like these I always seem to have the most fun.
“So what club are you gonna join?”
“Hmm, Oh.. I don’t know.”
Practically all the clubs have gotten a new makeover, they were more to train you for combat than actual club related activity.
The most popular ones were wrestling, boxing, judo, and karate.
There were indeed some remnants of a regular club like chess club, or baseball, but those were more recreational than anything.
“Weren’t you in a club in Junior High, B-Young?”
“Ye, it was some Esports club.”
“How was it?”
“Pretty cringe, I think it fell apart after a couple months.”
“Not… very motivational”
“What? Was I supposed to inspire you?”
“Hmm, I don’t know”
“Oh! How about we create our own club?”
“Ahhh, yes because that's such a good idea.”
“Nah nah, check it, how about we make it like a ninja club.”
“Like sabotage and stuff, doesn’t that shit sound cool?!”
“HAHAHA, that sounds retarded June, but I’m listening.”
We both laughed at the thought, but we continued to talk till lunch was over.
(DINGG DONGGGG~)
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