At that moment.
Unlike Kim Hyunsung’s class, Park Mincheol’s group still hadn’t left the classroom as it hadn’t ended yet.
“Everyone, remember this. The content of today’s lesson will be on the upcoming midterm exam…”
The Korean language teacher, Park Chanhoo, was still taking class.
The teacher, who seemed to not know when to stop once he started talking, stubbornly continued the class even after the bell rang. For the lackeys of Park Mincheol’s, it was impossible not to feel frustrated. They had planned to trample on Kim Hyunsung as soon as class ended, but as the class dragged on for what seemed like eternity, they began to get irritated.
“This bastard Korean teacher. So annoying.”
“Exactly. They get annoyed when we’re too late, but they can’t stick to the class schedule.”
At the back of the classroom.
Park Mincheol’s lackeys were grumbling.
Jung Minho glanced at the clock hanging on the classroom wall. Recalling Kim Hyunsung’s appearance, he couldn’t help but speak up.
“But Kim Hyunsung, that guy, is he high on something or what? I thought things would be resolved smoothly, but he rushed at us like a headless chicken. Did someone leak the information?”
“That’s impossible.”
Joo Eungtuk shook his head.
The conflict between Park Mincheol and Kim Hyunsung.
It wasn’t a coincidence.
It was true that Kim Hyunsung was the one to start the confrontation with Park Mincheol, but Park Mincheol’s gang had originally intended to trample on Kim Hyunsung by putting Park Mincheol forward. However, Kim Hyunsung reacted differently than expected. Normally, he should have lowered his gaze and submitted under the pressure of their numbers, but even when Gang Changsuk approached, he showed no signs of backing down.
It was unexpected.
His calculations were proven wrong.
Jung Minho showed a fierce look as he thought back on what Kim Hyunsung did.
“No matter what the reason, Kim Hyunsung ignored us in front of everyone. If we just let that kind of attitude slide, the others will start disrespecting us too. So whether it was a favor or not, let’s just crush him for good. Let’s make sure Kim Hyunsung never looks at us with those arrogant eyes again.”
“Of course. I’ll kill that son of a b*tch.”
It was Gang Changsuk.
For him, who had almost clashed with Kim Hyunsung, his mind was now filled with the thought of crushing Kim Hyunsung under his feet.
The boring class finally came to an end.
“Then I’ll end the class with this.”
They didn’t rush.
As the Korean language teacher walked out, Park Mincheol’s group calmly stood up from their desks and headed out with a leisurely pace.
“Let’s go.”
There was nowhere to run.
The school is a confined space.
In order to fulfill his obligations as a diligent student, Kim Hyunsung wouldn’t be able to escape anywhere.
Park Mincheol’s gang was in class 8.
Kim Hyunsung was in class 1.
As they walked slowly down the hallway, Jung Minho’s gaze caught sight of a group of students gathering around Class 1. An ominous feeling slowly crept up on him. The thought that Park Mincheol might be in danger flashed through his mind. Jung Minho’s expression twisted in anger, and he immediately rushed ahead.
“F*ck, you son of a b*tch!”
“Run!”
They ran.
As soon as they arrived at Class 1, Park Mincheol’s group couldn’t help but freeze at the sight before them.
“You’re late.”
Their eyes widened in horror.
Park Mincheol, covered in blood, was hanging limp as his collar was gripped tightly by Kim Hyunsung.
* * *
There was nothing more they could do.
Before they had time to grasp the situation, the hot-headed Gang Changsuk suddenly charged forward.
“You son of a b*tch.”
Thud.
It was fast.
At the sight of Gang Changsuk’s huge figure charging at him, familiar memories resurfaced in Kim Hyunsung’s mind.
The past ten years.
In a vegetative state, he imagined countless times how he was going to take his revenge.
Park Mincheol had never been much of an issue.
The real problem was Gang Changsuk.
No matter how Kim Hyunsung managed to take down Park Mincheol, the group led by Gang Changsuk was not something that could be handled with just any method. Even though Kim Hyunsung was good at fighting, he wasn’t at a level where he could overcome a one-on-many opponents. If he had been that strong, he wouldn’t have been tormented by Park Mincheol’s gang for three years.
Then.
What should he do?
In the process of failing countless times, Kim Hyunsung came up with a method that his past self wouldn’t have been able to do.
The method was simple.
Thwack.
Thwack.
“Aargh!”
Gang Changsuk let out a scream.
When Gang Changsuk lunged to tackle Kim Hyunsung, the latter grabbed a lock from the locker that he had already identified and smashed the metal part straight onto his head. Being upright and just? That didn’t matter at all. Kim Hyunsung would use any means necessary to exact revenge. The moment he saw Gang Changsuk stagger, he grabbed his hair and repeatedly slammed the lock onto his temple.
Smack.
Smack, smack.
Smack.
His vision blurred.
No matter how much Gang Changsuk had trained his body, there was no way to withstand a blow to his vital point with a solid metal lock.
And then,
Crack.
Kim Hyunsung grabbed his head, dragged him toward his leg and smashed his face on his knee.
Blood splattered as Gang Changsuk’s massive body toppled backward. The two who had been about to charge after him felt a momentary freeze, as if time had stopped. In reality, it was just a split second. Having quickly subdued Gang Changsuk, Kim Hyunsung rushed toward the two, not giving his opponent a chance to react.
‘Now’s the only chance.’
The target was Joo Eungtuk.
By the time the small-framed Joo Eungtuk realized the situation, Kim Hyunsung had already tackled him down.
‘If I hit him with my weight, Joo Eungtuk won’t be able to withstand it. Behind him is the school hallway. If he is slammed to the floor, he’ll never be able to respond to a follow-up attack.’
Bam.
Thud!
It was a thoroughly calculated move.
As he replayed countless scenarios of revenge in his mind, Kim Hyunsung found the most effective way to deal with Park Mincheol’s gang. As expected, Joo Eungtuk, who got knocked to the ground, couldn’t regain his senses. While he was dawdling, Kim Hyunsung relentlessly struck his face. He tried to fight back by flailing his hands, but Kim Hyunsung mounted on his chest and struck him down as if intending to kill him.
Jung Minho?
He didn’t care.
Whether he was being targeted from behind or not, he had to make sure to finish off Joo Eungtuk and Gang Changsuk.
That was the only way.
He had to ensure he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in numbers.
Kim Hyunsung’s eyes turned red in revenge, but he did not cease throwing punches, even when Joo Eungtuk’s resistance began to wane.
Thwack!
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Blood spurted out.
His hands were slowly stained with blood.
After hitting him for a while, Kim Hyunsung withdrew from his assault when his opponent couldn’t resist anymore, before exhaling roughly.
“Haa, haa.”
It was physically exhausting.
Although he had meticulously prepared for the fight in his mind, Kim Hyunsung’s body, a first-year high school student, couldn’t handle the intensity of the moment. However, he couldn’t stop now. Kim Hyunsung forced himself to suppress the breath rising in his chest, stood up, and looked behind him.
Still.
There was one more left.
When he looked behind him, he saw Jung Minho’s expression stained with shock, and behind him, a crowd of other students gathered like a background.
* * *
Jung Minho was shocked beyond words.
Like his trembling eyes, he couldn’t process the situation where his friends had fallen so quickly.
‘….Kim Hyunsung is this strong?’
In high school.
It might seem like a childish game to adults, but for the first-year male students, it was a way to establish their hierarchy through fighting. Kim Hyunsung was also part of that process. With his image as a diligent and honest student, he had clashed with the bullies a few times, and by proving himself at that time, he was able to distance himself from being a target of bullying.
However.
It was never to this extent.
It should have been impossible to subdue someone like Gang Changsuk, yet Kim Hyunsung appeared almost like the devil.
“Hic, hiccup.”
He hiccupped.
He was surprised.
When Kim Hyunsung stood up and looked at him, deep down, he wanted nothing more than to run away right then and there.
‘I can’t win against him.’
This series of events.
Proved that he was a monster.
Kim Hyunsung did not hesitate to strike Gang Changsuk on the head with a lock, and even that was not enough, he continued to assault Joo Eungtuk until he fell to the ground and lost consciousness. There was no sense of moderation. The thought that he might end up in the same situation as his friends caused even Jung Minho, who was known to be good at fighting, to completely lose his will to fight.
“Let’s finish this.”
Kim Hyunsung approached.
At the sight of Kim Hyunsung covered in the blood of his friends, Jung Minho took a fighting stance, but his face was filled with fear.
A situation that was on the brink of disaster.
It was when.
“Hey, what are you doing over there?!”
A fierce voice interrupted them.
And a man with a large build appeared through the crowd.
Hearing the commotion, the homeroom teacher of Class 1, Kim Youngchul, rushed over.
* * *
It was an inevitable result.
Since the commotion wasn’t in the classroom but in the hallway, the teachers had no choice but to hear the noise.
Total chaos ensued.
The school was turned upside down.
This was a huge incident.
It wasn’t just ordinary school violence; there were three students who were left in a bloody mess because of Kim Hyunsung.
Kim Youngchul, who had already taken the victims to the hospital, showed a fierce expression as he faced Kim Hyunsung.
“Hey, Kim Hyunsung. Are you out of your mind? Even when guys fight, there’s a limit to it. Those kids were rushed to the ambulance with their faces covered in blood. This isn’t something that will end at school. I’ve been in the teaching profession for over ten years, this is the first time I’ve seen someone getting beaten so badly. Brace yourself. I’m going to call the parents of the kids you beat up, and you’ll have to face the consequences.”
The atmosphere was tense.
It didn’t matter at all what kind of student Kim Hyunsung was or what triggered the fight.
Look at the condition of the students who were injured.
In a situation where he, as the homeroom teacher, might have to take full responsibility for not handling things properly, Kim Youngchul firmly drew the line and confronted Kim Hyunsung with a threatening demeanor. His frustration was boiling over. He couldn’t understand why a student, who was usually well-behaved, caused such a mess and bothered him for no reason.
For now, at the very least.
This case would surely be reported to the school violence committee.
If they held Kim Hyunsung responsible at the school violence committee and made him face the consequences, it would prevent the sparks of the incident from reaching him.
However.
“Teacher. You don’t have to make such a fuss.”
“….What?”
Kim Youngchul doubted his ears.
This was a situation where Kim Hyunsung was supposed to apologize for his mistake.
He should already be on his knees, begging at him to let him go, but Kim Hyunsung looked up at Kim Youngchul with a cold face that showed no sign of guilt.
“Has school violence only happened once or twice? You’re good at it, Teacher. You know, not making a big deal out of things and brushing them under the rug. Please handle it the same way this time, so it doesn’t blow back on me.”
“This kid.”
Slap-!
His head snapped around.
At the sharp sound, the attention of the teachers in the staff room instantly turned toward them.
But they remained silent.
Even though school violence was happening in the staff room, the teachers only showed a grimace and turned their heads away, almost as if it were a natural consequence.
‘Yes, this is why I died.’
In his previous life.
He didn’t die just from bullying.
The bullying from Park Mincheol’s gang.
And the adults’ indifference.
Those were the things that choked Kim Hyunsung until he couldn’t breathe.
Especially in the case of Kim Youngchul, the homeroom teacher of Class 1, he was such a trash that he couldn’t even be considered a proper teacher.
He could remember it vividly.
Kim Hyunsung revealed his bloodstained teeth as he faced Kim Youngchul, who was about to slap him again.
At that moment, he thought about how Kim Youngchul had lived his life, hiding behind the guise of being a teacher.
“Stop it.”
“You little punk!”
“Teacher, please lower your voice. If you keep acting out like this, I might have no choice but to reveal that you’ve been taking money from the parents of those bastards. Especially from Jung Minho’s parents. I know you’ve been in very frequent contact with them, so should I also raise my voice and start talking about that? Even if it’s not about Jung Minho’s parents, there’s a lot I could reveal. For example, things like your affair with the English teacher.”
Kim Hyunsung laughed.
Looking at Kim Youngchul, who had frozen for a moment, Kim Hyunsung lowered his voice so that only he could hear.
“So, handle it properly, you f*cking punk.”
