The day felt heavier than usual. The hum of the school's bell signaled the end of the day, but as Jin made his way out of the building, something felt wrong. Levi wasn't there, and for the first time in a while, Jin felt an unsettling emptiness. He waited by the school gates, glancing around, hoping his friend would appear, but he didn't. It was then that his phone buzzed an unfamiliar message.
"Come to the abandoned gymnasium. Come alone."
The message was short and direct. There was no name, but Jin had a feeling who it was from. Haruki.
Without a second thought, Jin began heading in that direction. He had a bad feeling, but his feet moved on their own. The gymnasium, long since abandoned and covered in graffiti, was eerily silent as Jin stepped inside. The dim light flickered above, and as his eyes adjusted, he saw it.
Levi, beaten and bloodied, was tied to a chair, his body slumped forward. His face was bruised, his clothes torn, but it was the look in his eyes that hit Jin the hardest. There was a spark of fear and... something else. Resignation.
A group of men, around twenty of them, surrounded him. The sound of their laughter echoed through the gymnasium, grating against Jin's nerves.
One guy, holding a metal bat, swung it with a mocking grin. "Is this the guy you were talking about? Haruki's little pet?" The man laughed, slamming the bat against the ground as though it were a toy. "Haruki said you'd come after him, but this guy's definitely weak. What a joke."
The others snickered. Then, one of them swung a bat at Jin, who effortlessly evaded the attack, his movements barely noticeable. In an instant, Jin was behind him, delivering a blow to the man's side. The punch was so fast and precise that no one had time to react. The man crumpled to the floor, gasping for air as his ribs cracked under the force.
The group paused for a moment, but none of them seemed surprised. They had probably underestimated Jin's strength something that had become all too common. They circled him, ready for their next attack.
But Jin wasn't worried. He pulled out his phone, dialing 112.
"112, what's your emergency?" the operator's voice came through the phone.
"I need you to send ambulance," Jin said, his voice steady. "To the abandoned gymnasium at kosei high. We've got about 1...2...3...4....5..20 guys here ."
The operator hesitated, unsure of the situation. "We will send someone immediately. Please stay on the line."
The group started whispering among themselves. "What the hell is this guy doing?" one of them muttered. "Why's he calling the cops?"
Before anyone could act, the guy who had attacked Jin earlier attempted to rise, shaking off the impact. But before he could stand, Jin was already on top of him, slamming his head into the floor with a sickening crack. The force of the blow created a crater in the ground beneath him.
Jin stood over him, taking the bat the guy had dropped. He turned to face the rest of them.
The battle began. The remaining nineteen men attacked all at once, and the gymnasium erupted into chaos.
The another guy charged at Jin with a wild swing of his bat. Jin ducked under the strike, his body moving fluidly, almost like a dance. As the bat swung past him, Jin's fist landed squarely in the guy's ribs, knocking the wind out of him. He dropped to the ground, gasping for air, unable to recover.
Another guy lunged from behind, but Jin was faster. He spun around, catching the man by the wrist, twisting it until the man cried out in pain. With a swift movement, Jin threw him into the nearest wall, sending him crashing to the ground. The impact left a dent in the brick, and the man didn't move.
Two more came at him. One swung his bat high, aiming for Jin's head. The other rushed in low, aiming for his legs. Jin sidestepped the first guy, dodging the swing with ease, and then, in one smooth motion, kicked the second man in the chest. The force of the kick sent the guy flying backward, crashing into a pile of broken equipment.
Jin's eyes scanned the rest of the group. They were beginning to circle him, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. But Jin wasn't worried. He had already seen their patterns, their weaknesses. They were uncoordinated. And he was faster.
The next guy swung his bat down, but Jin dodged and landed a punch right to the man's jaw. The sound of bone cracking echoed in the gymnasium, and the man stumbled back, clutching his face.
By now, the gym was filled with the sounds of groaning, collapsing bodies. But there were still more to fight.
One guy swung a bat, but Jin caught it mid-swing, yanking it from his hands and throwing it aside. Before the guy could react, Jin delivered a swift roundhouse kick to his head, knocking him unconscious.
Levi, still chained to the chair, watched in awe as Jin continued to take on the entire group. His bruised face twisted in confusion and admiration
As Jin's battle raged on, Levi's mind drifted back to his past, his thoughts clouded by a haze of memories.
When Levi was a child, he had been called a prodigy—gifted in every sport and martial art he had ever tried. His parents, wealthy and influential, had pushed him relentlessly, constantly telling him that he could be someone great. But what they really wanted was for him to follow in their footsteps, to run their business empire. They didn't care about his passion for sports or martial arts.
But Levi didn't care. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted to show everyone that he was more than just his family's wealth.
As a result, he trained harder than anyone. He became skilled in martial arts, in wrestling, in every discipline his parents could afford. But with skill came attention. Other kids at school began to pick on him—teasing him for his wealth, mocking him for his talents. They called him a "rich brat" and made fun of him for being so serious.
One day, it all came to a head. The bullying had gotten worse, and Levi had had enough. He confronted the group of bullies after school. They were bigger than him, but Levi's training had made him strong.
He fought them one by one, each fall harder than the last. He crippled one, sending him to the hospital in a critical condition. Four others were hospitalized. The principal was called. And Levi's reputation as a fighter only grew.
His grandfather had warned him. "Fighting isn't the way, Levi," he had said. "You must learn to control your anger. Peace is worth more than strength."
But Levi had refused to listen. Every time someone picked on him, every time someone pushed him too far, he fought back. He became a legend in school a terrifying figure that no one dared to cross.
Then, one day, his grandfather fell ill. Levi was devastated. He had no one left to guide him. The old man's final words to him were simple. "Don't fight. Find peace."
But Levi couldn't understand. He couldn't stop the anger.
After his grandfather passed away, Levi promised he would stop fighting. He swore to keep peace in his heart. But every day since then, people had picked on him. And every day, he had held back. Even when they hit him, called him names, and laughed at him. He never fought back.
He couldn't. Not anymore.