I'll Show You How Scary a Dog Can Be!
I'll show you how scary a dog can be! You son of a bitch!
"Hyah! Hahaha—wha?!"
The new student crawling around with a senior on his back finally collapsed.
"Hah! Hah! Hah! I-I'm sorry...!"
The new student apologized to the senior, his face drenched in sweat.
"Hey! You punk! How dare you fake an illness like that!"
The senior climbed down from his back and scolded the sprawled-out new student on the dirt floor.
"Can't even neigh like a horse properly—how do you plan to survive academy life?!"
"J-Just... a little... a little break... hah, hah... I'll rest...!"
"You punk?! Get up right now!"
This was my chance.
"What about me?!"
I dashed over to my panting classmate and dropped to all fours beside him. I arched my back, toned from consistent training, for the senior to see.
"A thousand-ri horse that covers a thousand ri in a day! Kim Si-jin, reporting for duty!"
"Er, uh, hmm! Ahem! My, my throat's getting a bit dry."
"Senior?"
"Y-You there, Viscount. That's enough. Ahem. Hm."
The senior acted like the collapsed new student didn't exist. He deliberately avoided even glancing at him and started walking toward Cheong-un-dang.
I watched his retreating back as he hurried away, then looked down at my exhausted classmate. He, too, had been watching the senior, but now turned grateful eyes toward me.
"Hah, hah... Th-thank you...!"
"I didn't do it expecting thanks."
"Y-You're so humble...!"
Not humble—it's the truth. This was an order from King Sejong the Great himself. The secret report on the hazing rituals. I didn't have to experience it personally to file the report. Just witnessing and documenting it all, then sending it to Hanyang, would suffice.
But this was an order straight from King Sejong—no one else. He'd even written the secret decree right in front of me. I couldn't just follow such a command without experiencing it firsthand.
"Hey! Don't move!"
The next target caught my eye. A senior drawing on a new student's chest on the large wooden veranda. I jumped up and rushed over, kicking off my shoes as I stepped onto the veranda and shouted at the artist senior.
"Senior! I want you to etch your masterpiece on my chest too!"
I flung open my robes to show him. Not as burly as my father-in-law or Jeong Hyeon-beom, but my steady workouts had given me a smooth, taut chest.
"Kyaa!"
"How impressive!"
"Hohoho!"
The reactions came first from the gisaengs. The young women in their late teens and early twenties let out intrigued gasps, heating my face.
"I'm ready, Senior! Go ahead!"
But following King Sejong's order—to leave no room for shame—I fully untied my top. The 王 character embedded in the tiger's forehead from my tiger-slaying days was etched on my stomach too.
"Master! Can I draw it?"
"I'll do the next one!"
"I-I just want to touch it a little...!"
Wait, what? That's not it.
It wasn't the senior—the gisaengs watching from around him sparkled with interest and rushed over.
"Me too, just once... "
Even Cheong-yeon, who'd been quietly by my side, joined in.
"Urk, grrk!"
As I drew the gisaengs' attention, the senior scowled in frustration. His face flushed for a different reason as he slammed down his brush. Ignoring the ink on his hands, he pointed at the liquor table.
"E-Enough! The mood's ruined! Pour some drinks!"
"Yes, Senior!"
"N-No, not you!"
I ignored his waving hands and bolted to the liquor table. Of course, to escape the gisaengs' hands. As I fixed my clothes and hurried over, I spotted the next target.
"Hoo! Impressive! Think you can outdrink me, Jeonju's infamous booze whale?"
"I-I'll give it my all—hic!"
Seniors in a drinking contest against one new student. I approached with an empty cup and sat beside my classmate, who was too drunk to even stand.
"Seniors! Pour me one too!"
"Er, um... "
"Ahem, b-booze, huh... "
I could see the heated atmosphere cool instantly with my own eyes. The watching seniors scattered, feigning disinterest, while the one mid-contest stared at me with trembling eyes.
"Y-You wanna drink too?"
This scene—I'd seen it before in modern times. Exactly like when my brother, back from military service, approached freshmen after reenrolling.
"H-Here, have a cup...!"
The senior—not with one hand, but both—picked up the bottle and poured for me. Clatter-clatter! His hands shook nonstop. The bottle kept clinking against the cup, making an odd sound.
"Thank you, Senior! I'll drink up!"
I downed the slightly overflowing shot in one go.
"Kuh!"
The high proof wrinkled my face involuntarily. My insides burned like fire, but I set down the cup and held out both hands to the senior.
"Senior! Let me pour you one!"
"N-No, no. I'm pretty wasted today."
He set down the bottle and left with surprisingly steady steps for a drunk. Now, only my heavily intoxicated classmate remained beside me.
"Hey, you okay?"
Instead of seeking the next target, I checked on him. His face beet-red, hiccuping wildly, barely able to control his body. Swaying like a reed even while seated—it furrowed my brows.
How do you get someone this trashed? One wrong move and they could die.
Making them crawl with someone on their back. Abuse and assault.
Drawing on bare skin in front of gisaengs. Humiliation and sexual harassment.
Forcing distilled soju shots. Coercion, intimidation, attempted murder.
I methodically listed the charges for the report in my head.
"Cheong-yeon, can you help him rest?"
"Yes, my lord."
Cheong-yeon, who'd been silent except when trying to touch me, nodded and went to fetch someone to assist him. In the meantime, I surveyed the chaos in Cheong-un-dang.
"Hahaha! Hyah! Hyah!"
"Hoo, a masterpiece!"
They'd only paused their bullying briefly. The moment I moved, the seniors resumed tormenting the new students.
To compile the secret hazing report and give my classmates some relief, I started to stand.
"Ahem! Make way! The Dragon Lord's procession approaches!"
That is, until I heard the shout with "dragon" in it.
Four or five men in nothing but underwear entered the Cheong-un-dang courtyard through the side gate. Trailing them were men in flapping robes like flags. Striding arrogantly with hands behind their backs, they looked like owners walking their dogs—the near-naked men.
"Oh! You've arrived!"
"Hyah! Let's go greet them! Hyah!"
"We've been waiting!"
The seniors who'd been hazing new students until now rushed over to bow.
"Haha! Yes! All well while I was away?"
Among the followers, the man at the front exchanged greetings with the seniors. He seemed the highest-ranking among them, around twenty years old.
"...Huh?"
Why's So Ji-hu hyung over there? That explained why I'd only seen Jeong Hyeon-beom since arriving. So Ji-hu was among those parading in underwear.
"... "
Our eyes met, and So Ji-hu nodded with a smile—like it was fine, unavoidable, no big deal.
Unaware that this ignited a fire in my gut.
"Oh! Right! You're Kim Si-jin?"
The obvious ringleader of this nonsense bellowed my name. He approached with that typical smirk of arrogant punks.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Park Seon-ryung from Jeonju! Nickname Hyun-ryong, courtesy name Baek-ryong!"
Two dragons in his nickname and courtesy name? Total narcissistic prick.
Even if he pissed me off, I started to stand for now.
"Ah, yes. Kim Si-jin of the Kim Ga household from Pyeong-an."
"Hahaha! Sit, sit! I've heard all about you."
He grinned like a good guy and gestured for me to sit. He climbed onto the veranda, sat cross-legged facing me, and his cronies formed a screen behind him. Their downcast gazes flickered with schadenfreude and anticipation.
As if I'd finally met my match.
"Hey! Insolent fool!"
Slap!
My vision flashed, cheek stinging. Park Seon-ryung had slapped me.
"How dare a mere new student stare at your seniors' faces! Riding high on your fame—arrogant as hell!"
"My apologies, Senior."
I bowed my head first. From experience, I expected more slaps, but unexpectedly...
"Good! Knowing your wrong is enough! Raise your head!"
Already? His quick forgiveness threw me off. I cautiously lifted my head to check Park Seon-ryung's face. The twenty-something face bore a sleazy grin, while the seniors behind snickered in satisfaction.
They'd fled at my approach earlier—now this pathetic display.
"Surprised?"
Park Seon-ryung stroked his chin-length beard and smiled.
"Curious why I'm treating you so roughly?"
He picked up chopsticks from the table—voicing my exact question—and speared a piece of meat, eating it before continuing.
"No matter how famous you are, you're just a flunky. Think the Retired King's and Crown Prince's favor lasts forever?"
He scoffed dismissively.
"Politics is like the moon in the sky. Full, it lights the world—but in time, it wanes to new moon, lost in darkness."
Park Seon-ryung picked up another piece of meat. This time, he held it out to me in his opposite hand. Like feeding a dog.
"But I know your merits. For them, I'll treat you to this meat here—don't refuse."
The hazing I'd hoped for arrived. Thinking this was enough, I leaned forward toward his palm.
Just before my mouth reached the meat-topped hand, I grabbed the hand holding the chopsticks.
"Uh, wha—? You punk, what're you—?!"
Crunch!
"Aaaagh?! Aaaagh! Aaaaagh!"
I bit down on Park Seon-ryung's fingers. Index, middle, ring—three in total.
"L-Let go! Let—aaaagh! Don't chomp, chomp, chomp like that! Aaaagh!"
I sawed my jaw side to side like filing, gnawing his fingers. His thrashing worsened. His other hand was pinned by me, and even kicking me couldn't free them from my mouth.
The previously smug seniors recoiled in horror.
"Th-That psycho! How dare he bite a senior's hand!"
"Y-You go stop him! He'll get it chopped off!"
"How do you stop a maniac like that?! Club! Get a club!"
Not just the seniors—the gisaengs watching from the veranda screamed in shock.
I released only when my jaw ached. Saliva-slick fingers bore clear teeth marks.
"You crazy bastard!"
Park Seon-ryung trembled, staring at his marked hand, and yelled.
"Do you know who I am?! Know who my father is?!"
Didn't your mom tell you?
I snatched the chopsticks from his gripped hand and flung them away. Then I grabbed a handful of meat side dish from the table and smashed it into his face. Meat chunks and sauce splattered everywhere, causing another mess.
"Oops! Sorry, Senior! My hand slipped!"
I bowed without wiping the sauce from my hands. Licking my lips at the meat and sauce stuck to his face.
"Let me clean you up!"
I lunged to "clean" him the same way.
"Wha—what—aaaagh?! Aagh! Aaaagh! He-help! Somebody help meee!"
You treat people like dogs? I'll show you how scary a dog can be! You son of a bitch!
I pinned the fallen him, grabbing his topknot and collar. I bit relentlessly at his sauce-smeared nose, cheeks, ears. Not tearing flesh—just enough to leave teeth marks. Like a dog disciplining a naughty pup.
Kim Si-jin, you crazy bastard. How do you even think to bite someone's hand? Did I pick the wrong guy?
Should I bite him too? No. This is my chance. A guy this dense...
Get him drunk, and he might pounce without thinking. His wife's pregnant lately, so he's probably backed up.
Yeah. Go for it, So-yeon. How long you gonna live as a gisaeng in a pleasure house? Snag him as a concubine and live easy forever.
Right on. Kim Si-jin.