Cruelty
"Ten seconds until the game starts, starting with Class A. Ready? Ten! Nine, eight, seven... six, five, four, three, two, one! Ding! Game. Start!!"
Drae’s excited voice echoed through the auditorium. The sudden, rapid-fire countdown left the students scrambling in confusion, and before they could even look at one another to gauge the situation, a full minute had already passed.
"No one answered! Alright then, I'll pick at random!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Exactly three people collapsed. As the others scattered in every direction, screaming, Drae’s cold, emotionless voice cut through the air.
"Now, Class B! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... Start!"
Class B was no different; they, too, failed to answer.
Was it stupidity that kept them from confessing their sins, or was it a form of "wisdom"—the fear of death weighed against the desperate desire to protect their reputations for a future that might never come?
One thing was certain: three people from Class B were about to die.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Gulp.
The principal, standing behind, swallowed hard. The reload was incredibly fast. There was no opening. With movements that reminded one of a professional—no, movements that surpassed even that—Drae swapped the magazine in mere seconds and shouted.
"Next, Class C! We keep going!"
When he reached ten, nine, eight, seven, six...
"I-I sent the malicious emails because Shin Jin-pae told me to!"
"M-me too!"
"I was told by Kang Gu-han...!"
"I can hear you all just fine, so feel free to speak at once."
A moment later, a minute had passed.
"Alright. Who are the three biggest liars~? Point them out!!"
The students looked at each other and pointed at three classmates who usually held little standing in the class. Those three opened their mouths in shock, and then...
Rat-tat-tat!
Without mercy, they were all killed. The students of Class 3 stood dazed as the people they had pointed out were truly dead, but Drae, not even sparing them a glance, said,
"Next, Class D!!"
Gulp.
The students in the auditorium all swallowed hard. Remembering how Class 3 had "sung in a chorus" of confessions, they chose the same strategy. Of course, it wasn't as if there weren't those trying to break the situation. The classes waiting their turn were busy deciding on topics, and some were frantically racking their brains to find a way out of this game. And then, there were the exceptionally bright ones... who simply stared with unfocused eyes, trembling, mindlessly following the others. Despite being clearly superior to the rest, they seemed to have no intention of using their wits.
They knew.
This game was merely a matter of who died first and who died later.
After all, Yeodre hadn't explained how the game would end, and he had kept his mouth shut about the finer rules. Rules that could change at any moment. A gun that could kill them at any time. In this situation, it would be better for everyone to rush Yeodre at once, but there was no way he didn't know that. He must have prepared for it. Even without the gun, they couldn't even fathom how to subdue a bastard who could kill two people with his bare hands in an instant.
Above all, Drae was watching them with the eyes of a hawk, pretending not to. Whoever started the incitement would be the first to die. They had considered using their foolish classmates to get things done, but looking into those eyes, it seemed he had already grasped and mastered every variable in this situation.
It was checkmate.
By now, their anger wasn't rising toward Drae, but toward others. It was toward Shin Jin-pae and Kang Gu-han. If those pieces of trash hadn't threatened them, they wouldn't have done such scummy things themselves. If it weren't for those bastards, the guy who was usually quiet would never have burned with such vengeance...
...Burning with vengeance?
At that moment, Leaband, who had been assimilating into the memories, snapped out of it. Is Yeodre really burning with vengeance right now? Really? ...Isn't he just enjoying this?
Just then, the smart male student Leaband had been watching intently came to his senses and looked around. Fingers were pointing at him. While he had been racking his brain, it had become Class F's turn.
"H-hey. T-this isn't it. This isn't right! I! I!! I tried to stop it! I did! Unlike you guys, I resisted and tried to stop it!"
That was why he didn't get along with his classmates. He had eventually joined in, but he had a conscience, and that was why... it was unfair.
Rat-tat-tat!
"Argh."
"Ugh."
"Gah...!"
Two of the pointed-out students died, and then one who hadn't been pointed out died. It wasn't the smart student, but someone else who had died.
Click.
As everyone stared with blank, "Why?" expressions, Drae laughed.
"Because that friend told the truth more than anyone else, and I felt like you all were lying as a group. But... why?"
Several students who were about to have a seizure, asking how that could be, shut their mouths tight when they saw Drae’s chilling eyes.
"Do you have a problem, you fucking assholes?"
"......"
"......"
Now, the rules had changed. It wasn't just about pointing fingers anymore.
No, come to think of it, it was obvious from the start. Yeodre had risen in anger because his friends had been unfairly victimized. Those who had maintained a relatively better conscience than the other students in this incident began to realize they had an advantage. At the same time, they realized that the people standing next to them weren't friends, but enemies.
'This is bad.'
Even while thinking that, the smart student who had narrowly escaped death had no choice but to follow. Even knowing it, he had no choice. This method Yeodre had devised was perfect for making them hate each other, not the enemy, Yeodre.
"Next, Class G!!"
Leaband swallowed hard as she watched, thinking again. Is Yeodre angry right now? ...Or has he been "unleashed"?
Perhaps, this guy is actually just...
"Leaband."
"...!"
At Kaits's low call, she shook her head.
"If it's too much, get out of this memory."
"N-no. Captain."
She had to see it to the end. If it was curiosity at first, and anger a moment ago, now it was a sense of duty. If Yeodre was the "type" of human she thought he was...
'It's dangerous.'
Perhaps a new enemy might emerge. A new and powerful enemy that had never existed in the timelines Kaits had experienced.
However, Kaits, the person who should have been the most anxious, showed no reaction. He simply watched, motionless. In a way, he looked like a machine without emotions. Meanwhile, Class G's turn ended, and Drae shouted.
"Class G again!!"
A moment of murmuring arose, followed immediately by backlash.
"W-what?!"
"Why...!"
Hahaha! The laughter of Drae, the tyrant of the game, echoed through the auditorium.
"Hey. It's unfair if we only go in order. I'll also cut the time limit by 10 seconds. Think carefully about your answers~"
There was no time to be angry at the absurdity. The words they frantically squeezed out were like this:
"I, I sent malicious texts to Han Si-young..."
"Y-yes. I sent malicious texts to Seong Si-hyun..."
"M-me too..."
"Hmm~"
Drae tilted his head as if dissatisfied, then nodded.
"It's the same content as before, but that's fine. We have to enjoy the game, so let's be flexible. However, from the next class on, confessions via text or phone are forbidden~"
Class 7 let out a sigh of relief, and naturally, three more were pointed out and died. How many times had it gone around like that? Drae forbade certain topics every time the turn came around. And the students, who had numbered over two hundred, had already been halved. Topics they could all use had long since been exhausted, and the one-minute time limit was now down to 30 seconds. The choices of the students, who had developed deep distrust for one another, were... ugly.
"You! You were the one who said to beat up Seong Si-hyun?!"
"So did I beat her? Did I? It fizzled out! You're the one who took photos of Han Si-young's boyfriend and sent them to the kids!"
"I know all you bastards who slashed and hid Seo Ye-rin's indoor shoes, bag, and gym clothes!"
"Hey, you Class C bastards! You guys even took photos of their every move and reported it! Isn't that right?!"
"What about you guys! You're the ones who ran to Shin Jin-pae like dogs and told him they were gathering at the dojo!"
Turns had disappeared. Now, only a battle of annihilation remained, where they tore each other apart, and Drae wore a face that looked completely drained. Drae muttered.
"People are easier to break than I thought..."
It was a mutter that sounded both troubled and completely uninterested. Then, he gripped the muzzle of his gun. It was time.
"Still, I have to kill them."
Leaband felt goosebumps rise at his words, and immediately after, the scenery changed.
"Ugh...!"
What now? The first thing visible in the changed scenery was a luxurious black car. The car was parked a little way from the auditorium.
And not far away, Shin Jin-pae was trying to examine the situation inside the auditorium. He looked at the car parked in front of another entrance far away, made a face as if wondering what that was, and then headed toward a nearby exit.
Since there were no windows, he seemed to be thinking of peeking through the door gap. A secretary with an aged but strong impression, who assisted Shin Jin-pae, followed him silently. And then, he opened the door slightly. It seemed Drae’s lie that this door was locked was true. In the gap he saw through the door...
"Hi."
"......!"
At the voice they didn't want to hear, not only Shin Jin-pae but even Leaband froze. Drae was standing right next to the entrance, staring at Shin Jin-pae. How on earth did he know and wait at the entrance?
Shin Jin-pae, whose neck was grabbed immediately, was dragged into the auditorium, and the secretary groaned and raised his fist.
'You're finished!'
Shin Jin-pae had been horrified, but he soon felt relieved and wore a smile of triumph. The butler who came with him wasn't an ordinary man. He was a veteran who had survived all sorts of battlefields and was a professional at murder above all else...
Boom!
Before his thought could even finish, his head was blown off. While Shin Jin-pae stood with his mouth agape at the death of the man who had served him for so long, Yeodre spread his arms and shouted.
"Everyone!!"
Those who had been shouting and fighting each other flinched at Drae's words and turned their attention to him. And then they discovered Shin Jin-pae.
"Here is the mastermind behind why you all had to suffer like this!"
Shin Jin-pae saw it. The classmates who had acted like lambs in front of him and Kang Gu-han. The eyes of those he had considered weak stones to be kicked aside were turning blood-red. He felt that malice and murderous intent with his own body. Injured body and wounded spirit. None of that mattered now.
'I have to run.'
If he didn't, he was sure he would die here. He would be torn to shreds, leaving no trace behind.
Why was Yeodre here in the first place? How could he come back after pulling off such a stunt? Had he not even considered the possibility of being caught by the police or by them? Or... was he confident he could overcome anything?
Shin Jin-pae fell into confusion.
"Alright!"
Drae, who had placed his hands on Shin Jin-pae's shoulders, ignored his violent flinching and continued.
"Let's change the game rules. Tell us the things this friend made you do and your thoughts on them! The first person to run out of topics gets a bang!"
There was not a moment's hesitation in their answers. They shouted as if screaming in agony.
"SHIN JIN-PAE!!!!!"
"You pretty-boy-looking idiot!!"
"You! You fix everything, you fucking asshole!"
"That bastard made a site and tried to spread photos of Seo Ye-rin and Han Si-young!"
"He threatened us into doing all sorts of hidden filming!"
"He made us ruin that guy's reputation at the academy Seong Si-hyun attends!"
"W-we! He was especially persistent in bullying us to betray Si-young!"
"You piece of trash who beats people up with your lackeys every chance you get!"
"Hey, can you hear me? Everything turned out like this because of you!"
"Die! If you're even a little sorry, die in our place, you fucking asshole!!!"
Shin Jin-pae.
He had never once in his life faced the malice of a crowd. Even on the internet, Shin Jin-seung would impose sanctions, saying he couldn't stand his blood being insulted by such trash, so being pelted by the malice of a crowd was something he was experiencing for the first time.
Feeling the crisis of being killed at any moment by a hundred people filled with murderous intent right in front of his eyes, and being cursed at—even for someone who had lived his whole life as a member of the upper class, a descendant of rulers—was enough to make him wet his pants.
Drip...
"Oh? Hey. That bastard peed himself!"
"Stupid bastard, acting all high and mighty, he was a coward after all, lololol!"
"Piss-pants!"
"Kill him! Kill him!"
"If only you hadn't made us do that kind of stuff...!"
Shin Jin-pae looked around with eyes begging for help. As he avoided the hostile gazes from all sides, he made eye contact with the principal. A glow appeared on the young boy's face. He believed that the principal, who held great fear of Shin Jin-seung, would help him somehow. However, the principal simply trembled in fear and looked away.
Shin Jin-pae understood him. Even if Shin Jin-seung was far away, he was a more fearful existence than anyone close by, but this guy behind him was different.
Drae was a far more terrifying existence than Shin Jin-seung, who was far away.
"Jin-pae."
"......"
"How is it?"
Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!
As the chorus echoed through the auditorium, Drae said with satisfaction.
"I think this is the emotion my friend-like friends must have felt."
"......"
"Isn't it cool?"
"Ugh, ugh... ugh... ah..."
Yeodre, who was close by, was so terrifying that he made Shin Jin-seung, who was far away, seem like nothing. And that absolute ruler of fear raised his voice.
"Hey kids~"
Even at Drae's voice, the students didn't stop their chorus. They seemed to have completely forgotten about what they had done themselves and only leveled raw criticism at Shin Jin-pae, and soon Drae opened fire. A few fell, and only then did the children scream and back away.
"I told you to play truth or dare, not to curse, didn't I?"
A moment of silence. And then, anger.
"...You. You fucking asshole!"
"Who started this hopeless game, and you dare say that?!"
The murderous male students finally harbored killing intent toward Drae. Truly, only then. They thought of joining forces to attack Drae. At the piercing murderous intent from all sides, Drae groaned, "Ah..."
"Now that's better."
The spirit of the few who had lost their minds was becoming contagious. Nearly a hundred lives were filled with malice and murderous intent. In a state where they had become beasts who had lost their sense of self, where even death couldn't overcome their anger, Drae laughed joyfully.
"Kill him!"
"What can he do if we all rush him at once!"
"Take the gun!"
Spirit is contagious. Especially anger and excitement spread even faster. The angry crowd's energy grew increasingly intense, and more than half of the 100 people began to rush at Drae.
Five minutes later.
Everyone lay scattered on the floor as corpses, without exception. Drae threw away the gun, which had run out of ammunition, carelessly. The butt of the gun was covered in blood and flesh. The kitchen knife in his other hand was even worse.
"I can't use this anymore."
He didn't throw away the kitchen knife, which had become more like a saw as the blade had worn down, but tucked it into his clothes. What remained were those who hadn't rushed at Drae during that time. In other words, the good, or the cowards.
Drae approached those who were clearly cowards among them. It was Han Si-young's group. There was something he wanted to ask them, whom he had left behind on purpose.
'The crimes committed by these bastards scattered in the auditorium are quite disgusting. It's beyond what I imagined.'
'The reason Ye-rin was always looking at her phone was mostly because of malicious emails.'
'Si-hyun didn't talk much about the academy because Kang Gu-han's influence reached there, making things painful in many ways.'
'Then what did these things do to Si-young?'
Drae's monologue was modulated into a distorted voice. It reminded Leaband of an unrecognizable monster, and she was afraid. Right now. Yeodre in his boyhood. The boy, who would have had strength no different from a bug compared to Leaband, was scary.
"Hello, kids."
"......"
"...Ah, ahh."
"Ughhh...!"
The trio all had beautiful appearances, fitting for Han Si-young's group, which was objectively pretty and flashy enough to rival models. In this era of lookism, appearance is power and strength. No, in any era, appearance was always an excellent stat. So they ignored and looked down on the unadorned Drae. They would curse him behind his back for being close to Han Si-young. Now, they looked at him not with contempt, but with eyes full of fear.
"I have something to ask."
At Drae's words, the pupils of the three shook.
"......Wh-what."
"We just did everything Shin Jin-pae told us to do...! Right? Ha-min?"
"......"
Ha-min didn't nod. Was she not in her right mind? Or...
The other two glared at her viciously.
"Lee Ga-eun. Lee Su-young."
"......"
He knew their names? As they widened their eyes like startled rabbits, Drae held up a phone, and the two eyes of Shin Jin-pae, who had been sitting down, grew as large as lanterns.
That was his, Shin Jin-pae's phone. The one with all sorts of information recorded on it...
He understood now. How that guy knew to find the club, and how he got the weapons. It was all due to his own carelessness. If Shin Jin-seung found out about this...?
No, before that, could he escape from this guy...?
He was conscious of the pistol he had secretly brought in his clothes. Could he escape with this...?
"Ugh...!"
Leaband, who had almost been assimilated into the memories again, groaned. It was convenient that his inner thoughts flowed directly into her head, but she felt dizzy at the danger of losing her self. Kaits didn't even give Shin Jin-pae a glance. He was staring intently. Very intently at Yeodre.
As if this part was important.
"...You guys were Si-young's friends, right?"
Lee Ga-eun and Lee Su-young exchanged glances and spoke quickly.
"Y-yeah. That's right."
"Since we were Si-young's friends, we didn't want to do it either, but we had no choice, so... please, j-just let us go..."
Seeing them unable to even make eye contact, Drae said quietly.
"Then why. Why did you do things Shin Jin-pae didn't even tell you to do?"
"...What?"
It was Yoon Ha-min who made the dazed sound.
"Why? Weren't you friends?"
"......"
Ha-min looked at the two as if she didn't know, and Su-young avoided her eyes. Ga-eun's face was turning beet red as if emotions were welling up.
"Weren't friends supposed to be precious? But why..."
That appearance of Drae. It was the quiet and gloomy him as usual. It was impossible to think of him as the human who had been carrying out a massacre just a moment ago. Maybe that was why. Or maybe she had lost her mind due to a situation that exceeded her standards. Anyway, Lee Ga-eun regained her usual self. As a high-nosed, strong-willed female student.
"Cut the bullshit, you loser!"
"......"
"Why, why you ask? Because that bitch was annoying! She acted all high and mighty just because she was a little pretty, ignored people, s-so. It's okay to bully her a little, right! But isn't this too much!! Hitting people! Threatening! Killing! You pervert! You pervert!"
Drae, who was blinking while hearing the pervert chants, suddenly grinned.
"Is that so."
Drae, who muttered as if he understood, pulled something from his waist. It was a knife. A sharp blade that couldn't even be compared to a kitchen knife.
"Ga-eun."
"...P-pervert. You pervert loser. Don't come. I told you not to co... Aaaahhh?!"
Ga-eun clutched her hand at the hot sensation. Looking closely, three or four of her fingers had been blown off.
"Aaaah! Aaaaaah!"
Ga-eun knelt down, shedding tears from the insane pain. She reached out to the two as if asking for help, but Su-young looked away and Ha-min trembled.
"You fucking bitches! Help me a little...!"
Drae, who had gently placed his hand on her head, muttered.
"Ga-eun."
Ga-eun, who had cut off her words, trembled.
"...I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for saying mean things...! I didn't mean it... R-really. Actually, you were my type, you know? You know, Si-young kept talking about you, so I was a little jealous... Y-yeah! I, I'm really good at that?"
"That?"
"Y-you know. S-sex. If it's you, I can do anything, whatever you want..."
"I'm looking forward to that."
"R-really? Thank goodness... ah, ahahaha..."
Lee Ga-eun's tear-stained face was quite ugly as her makeup had smeared. Drae pretended to vomit.
"But I don't want to do it with a bitch whose fingers are gone because it's disgusting. You pervert bitch?"
"...Wait!"
Crunch.
A knife piercing through her head from the chin up. The knife that split her head vertically headed toward Su-young this time.
"Eek! Eeeeeek!"
Lee Su-young pushed Yoon Ha-min forward to use her as a shield.
"What...! L-let go!!"
"Shut up!!"
When Yoon Ha-min resisted, Lee Su-young shouted at her to stay still, hitting her head repeatedly. And Drae, who had roughly cleared away that futile shield, stood in front of Lee Su-young.
"It's your turn to make excuses."
"N-no. I did everything because I was told to...!"
"You even had sex with Si-young's boyfriend... Yoo Jae-heon, was it?"
"...!"
"It seems you and Su-ryeon hit it off well? Seeing how you did it on your own even without her telling you. We call this Netorare in our professional jargon. You even filmed it? Were you planning to show it to Si-young later?"
Drae exposed Su-young's atrocities one by one in an indifferent tone.
"...No, th-that..."
"How did it feel? Did it feel good thinking about showing that act to Si-young later?"
"Th-that's not it, th-that..."
"Or. Did you just want to feel the sensation of being superior to Si-young, who is much prettier than you?"
"...N-no. No. I, I... everything, Su-ryeon made me..."
"The repertoire is..."
Drae, who muttered as if sighing, soon grinned and raised his voice.
"...Obvious, you fucking bitch!!!!!"
Crunch!
In one blow, the knife pierced her neck. Lee Su-young staggered, gurgling, and was then literally "dismantled." Ha-min, leaking water from every hole—urine, tears, snot—at the cruel sight. Soon, the grim reaper who had finished the dismantling looked at her, and she gasped, Eek!
And then.
"Ughhhhh?!"
Leaband felt herself being forcibly assimilated into the memories. Even Kaits didn't seem to be able to avoid this influence. What was happening?
It was the amplification of emotions. Drae's emotions.
'Kill.'
'Let's kill.'
'Aren't they the same bitch anyway?'
'How many people have you killed already, why are you hesitating now?'
'Let's kill them. You're crossing the line.'
Crossing the line. And. And...
Live a good life.
"......"
Drae's emotions calmed down. He looked down at Ha-min for a long time, then let out a sigh.
Don't worry, Dad. I'll keep the minimum line. Why, I kept quite a few of those Class D bastards alive, didn't I? I can be good, Dad. Maybe, I can still try.
Drae took a deep breath, then suddenly grinned.
'I've been a bit too much until now.'
'If I keep this up, I might cross the line.'
'So let's have the heavens test me.'
'If I can cut a bullet with a knife, I'll keep going, and if I can't, I'll stop.'
'Simple enough.'
The moment he turned around.
He saw Shin Jin-pae aiming a pistol with trembling hands.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out.
It felt like a small ting... sound had rung out as well.
"Ugh...! Argh...!"
Shin Jin-pae dropped the gun. A thrown knife was stuck deep in his forearm, and he shed tears from the pain.
"Guaaa...!!"
"Well now."
Lick. Licking the blood flowing from his forehead, Drae smiled with satisfaction.
"The heavens are still telling me to keep going."