Sivilla Private school. That name in itself brought nostalgic memories back, albeit not always good ones.
...
"There's no such thing as good and evil," Do Jiwoon said. At the same time, the man bandaged Lee Dojin's hands. It was hard to tell where the two of them were, as the shadows obscured their image. "It used to be much worse before, you know?" At first glance, this stranger appeared amicable, almost reassuring, but Dojin knew the truth. Short black hair, a tall figure, and blue irises, deep and unfathomable as the ocean. He was another monster, just like Allita had been.
"If this is peptalk, you're doing a bad job at it." Lee Dojin looked at his fists. "Now piss off."
"Relax." Do Jiwoon grabbed Lee Dojin's face. He stared at him, his eyes forming into half-moons. "I was just like you, you know. Just an ordinary student at Sivilla. So eager to prove myself. I do believe it is instinctive in men to prove themselves, almost like it's in our genes." He laughed, but quickly turned serious. "Still, you have to realize the world does not give a fuck about you. It owes you nothing. And at one point, life's gonna take your buttons away, and the boys that can't deal with that, inevitably offer their life too." He placed his hand on Lee Dojin's shoulder. "The sooner you understand, the better."
"If I wanted a life lesson, I'd have gone to a priest." Lee Dojin put on the boxing gloves. He took the loose lace into his mouth and tightened them with a bite. "It's not like this is the first time for me."
Do Jiwoons smile faltered a little. "Sure. I just wanted you to know." He walked away. "It used to be much worse than this."
Lee Dojin stood up. The headlight shone upon him. He had a bruised face, with one eye completely black. His lips had several splits that spurted blood, and his nose was crooked to the side. In front of him, there were several students, much older and bigger than him—and also wearing boxing gloves. They all had the same hateful expression of wrath, envy, and greed. Sharp eyes, with a tired expression. As if anger was the only thing that guided them. Like junkies in need of a fix, only instead of coke, they needed violence to release their dopamine. Even now, Lee Dojin remembered their faces. And he had made his mind, even if the world was to end, he'd never make the same disgusting faces like them.
"It's not going to end the way you want," Lee Dojin muttered, his face serene. He wiped the blood off his forehead. It was obscuring his vision. A grin appeared on his face, as he licked his crimson lips. "I assure you that."
...
"Hey, Dojin, are you listening?" Kim Taewon tilted his head.
He responded quickly, his old memories disappearing. "Ah, yes, I was lost in thoughts, sorry."
"No worries. Where was I?" Taewon asked himself, and stuffed a pickled radish into his mouth. As he chewed, he remembered, "Oh right, Sivilla private school. Do you know it?"
Lee Dojin rubbed his chin. "I suppose I do." Though he wasn't sure how different that place was in comparison to his original world. Well, it didn't matter to him now anyway. All the problems f his past life seemed rather negligible in the face of destruction. "Why do you ask?"
"Hmm, how do I start?" Kim Taewon scratched his head, wondering what words he should use."
"Tsk, you're an idiot. I will do it," Yoo Dahee chimed in. She cleaned her mouth with a napkin and asked Lee Dojin a question. "Do you know the meaning of the black ring?"
Lee Dojin almost laughed as he heard that name. Naturally, as a denizen of that private school, he held great knowledge about the way it was run. The 'black ring' brought back man fond memories by itself. Still, he could not show that to the couple. Not only would it be suspicious, it was all around weird for him to know the intricacies of a school he held no connection to. Thus, he replied, "I've heard of the school, but I'm unsure what you are talking about."
Yoo Dahee continued, "It's understandable, really. They are very secretive of their teaching regiment." She sighed. "Well, to explain, you first have to understand the nature of Sivilla." The woman then looked at her boyfriend, waiting for him to explain.
Kim Taewon picked the clue and began narrating. "Well, I'm not sure how to start, since I've never really seen that school from inside." He placed his cigarette down. It was no time for smoking. "Still from the little snippets I gathered, that place is hell."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Lee Dojin couldn't help comment. Truthfully speaking, from all the experiences he had in his life, this was one of the better ones. How sad would he appear if one of his better memories was associated with the underworld itself? "I mean, at least they still get an education with a certificate that is valid, right?"
Yoo Dahee shook her head. "It's easy to say when you've never been there." She shuddered. "I don't know how that place is still running. I'd rather off myself than spent a month in that hellhole. They take you, strip you naked, delete your beliefs and turn you into a robot without feelings."
"...Oh, okay." Lee Dojin felt a little disheartened after hearing that. Did he really lead such a miserable life? There's no way. right? Right?
However, his little hope shattered as Yoo Dahee explained her thoughts. "See, there's one thing Sivilla does well. I think it was founded by an army general who fought in the 6.25, and tried to integrate its values into the school. You can imagine how that worked out. The first thing they learn upon entering Sivilla is to trust no one. The students are pitted against each other. The first night, you are stripped of your belongings, including your hair and clothes. If someone did not agree with their rules, they'd be put in a time out and stuffed into a locker with no ventilation. Every night, they hold a therapy session which is nothing more than a glorified hate session. You write down who angered you the most and scream at them for 2 minutes. The person could not react during that time. Participation was mandatory."
Lee Dojin did not react. He only continued listening to their story with great interest.
Kim Taewon took the conversation over. "And in within that group, there's a place reserved for the greatest troublemakers. The place is known as the 'black ring'." He took another shot of soju. "Well, the school calls it a sports program, but everyone knows that it's just a makeshift torture chamber. They send you in a boxing ring, gloves on, and have you spar in the ring. At first, they start 1 on 1, and if you manage to beat the first person, another one enters, full of vigor, ready to beat you down. And then another, and another, until it would not be only one person at a time. This continued until you are unable to lift your hands anymore. And they'd make sure that any rebellion within you remained stifled for the rest of your school term, pummeling you into the ground until even your ego vanished."
"Oho." Lee Dojin ate more food. He wasn't that hungry, but he wanted to fill his stomach since he had the chance. At the same time, he was surprised by the couple's knowledge. It was exactly as they said. They recounted his experience as if they had been part of it themselves. "So, what's the problem here?"
"Have you ever heard of the name Do Jiwoon?"
A bolt as strong as lightning ran through Lee Dojin. How could he not know the name of that man? He almost wished to say yes, but wisely held his mouth. "No, what's with him?"
"Well, usually, the black ring is made to break you down, but he overturned the idea. With strength alone, he beat every challenger himself." Kim Taewon held his head. "Can you believe that? He took on around fifty people by himself and beat them to the ground. It's inhuman."
"That bastard." Lee Dojin bit his nail. He thought about the Do Jiwoon of his previous life. In there, he had never appeared as the fighting type. Instead, Lee Dojin took the role of crushing the black ring, and later on even the school itself—though deep down, he knew that guy was hiding way more than he let on. "But what I don't understand is what it has to do with you. Are you an alumnus of that place or something?"
"No, it's nothing like that." Yoo Dahee shook her head. "They are interfering with business. I'm sure you know by now what people we are. We can't help ourselves getting involved in other people's affairs. However, they have turned it from a simple children squabble into something that involves the underground itself. Taewon here knows best, since due to his father, he's still intimately involved in that branch after all."
"Wait you guys work together?"
"Oh my, didn't I tell you?" The woman laughed coyly. "I'm that idiot's boss."
Lee Dojin's eyes opened wide. He was at a loss for words. "Honestly, that's the biggest shock I've received all day."
"Well, you are in for a treat yet," she said and proudly stuck her chest out. "The two of us are full of surprises."
Kim Taewon coughed twice, to redirect the conversation back to Sivilla Highschool. "Anyway, to conclude, Do Jiwoon has been dealing around in the underworld, and he has gotten involved with a person from your school. You do go to Baek Majin High, right? That rich people school." "The person they are in contact with is called Il Chunghoo. You don't have to answer, but I only wanted to ask, do you know anything about that guy?"
"Sorry, never heard of him." Well, it was only natural, since he hadn't been part of the school for that long. "However, I think I may know someone who does."
His mind drifted to Kim Jyejin. Surely, she must have some info that could help. And more importantly, he was interested in what that bastard Do Jiwoon had been up to in this world.