It's Hell Out There
Subduing the kids wasn't difficult.
All it took was a fist bump.
Though it was slightly different from the usual way.
Dojin used his fist, and the kids used their solar plexuses.
"Ugh!"
"Blegh!"
"Ack!"
"Argh!"
Even though he had adjusted his strength for their age and size, the single blow brought them all to their knees.
Dojin was actually the one who felt taken aback by this.
"What? You can't even handle a greeting like this? You guys are pretty weak for my juniors."
Dojin turned his head to look at the kid he had greeted first.
Since he was the oldest and the leader of the pack, Dojin thought he might be a bit different.
But the kid's state was even more pathetic than the other four.
Unable to bear the pain, he was throwing up.
"You put on such a tough act when you're this weak?"
Dojin was genuinely bewildered by the unexpected reaction.
Not that it was something to boast about, but back when he was a troubled youth, this level of contact was literally just a greeting.
Fists would fly the moment eyes met, and he never hesitated even if the opponent was stronger than him.
Because that was what it meant to be a rebel who hated society!
Since when did rebels pick and choose their targets based on who they could beat?
It seemed rebellion these days wasn't what it used to be.
"W-Wait a minute... I can't breathe..."
"W-Why are you doing this to us..."
"W-We're minors. We're middle schoolers. Is it okay for an adult to beat up middle schoolers?"
"I-I'm a protected minor."
What did he mean by that?
The thought crossed Dojin's mind, but he simply ignored it.
He probably wants me to go easy on him.
Normally, he would have done so without being asked.
But he couldn't do that for this kid.
According to Hye-min, this little punk was the worst of the bunch.
He's a sly one. He acts completely innocent in front of people stronger than him.
And yet, he was the most notorious troublemaker around the orphanage.
Hadn't he been in and out of the police station nineteen times this year alone?
School violence, blackmail, assault, theft, and even fraud.
The only reason a kid with such a colorful record hadn't been locked up was because he was a protected minor.
He was using his age as both a weapon and a shield.
He brought up being a protected minor just now because it worked for him in the past.
Being an orphan and a protected minor was enough to get him all kinds of leniency.
But while that might work on ordinary people, it didn't mean a thing to Dojin.
"So what if you're a protected minor? Does that mean you don't need discipline? The younger you are, the stricter your discipline should be."
Dojin threw another punch as he spoke.
An extra serving of discipline for the most troublesome one.
"Ack!"
"Stop exaggerating. Keep acting, and I'll really make your eyes roll back," Dojin warned coldly.
If there was one thing he was confident in, it was controlling his strength.
Seeing the kid play dumb and exaggerate in front of him only made him more annoying.
Just then, the high schooler, who had finally regained his senses, screamed at Dojin.
His bloodshot eyes, perhaps from throwing up, looked quite vicious.
"W-Who the hell are you? What's your problem?!"
"Me? I told you. I'm your senior. We even greeted each other earlier, don't you remember? My junior is not only weak but also has a bad memory, huh?"
"Bullshit! Why are you my senior? You crazy old bastard! You think you'll get away with—"
Thud!
The high schooler, who had been growling as if he were about to tear Dojin apart, shut his mouth tight like a clam.
A stone thrown by Dojin had embedded itself in the tree right next to him.
"Oops, my hand slipped."
He had clearly thrown it with all his might, yet he claimed it was a slip?
But the high schooler didn't dare to get angry.
He felt that if he did, the next stone would fly at him instead of the tree.
The tree, which was as thick as his thigh, was still trembling.
Gulp.
Meeting Dojin's eyes, the high schooler swallowed hard.
W-What kind of eyes are those...
He had truly never seen anyone with eyes like that.
The looks he had experienced in his life were usually one of two things:
Pity or disgust.
But he felt absolutely nothing from Dojin's eyes.
It was literally emotionless.
And that made Dojin even more terrifying.
He looked like the type who could beat someone to death while maintaining that exact same expression.
"The people I despise the most are those who look down on others for having nothing and being orphans. But there's a group I hate even more."
Crack.
Dojin cracked his neck, making an eerie sound.
It was just a simple stretch.
But to the kids, who were already completely intimidated, it sounded incredibly menacing.
Dojin looked back at them and said,
"The bastards who exploit the fact that they're penniless orphans. I find those people the most pathetic and disgusting in the world."
"..."
"I'd like to believe none of my juniors are that kind of trash, but what do you guys think?"
The kids desperately avoided Dojin's gaze.
But Dojin wasn't someone they could avoid just by looking away.
"Hey, junior over there. What are you doing? Come over here and line up with them."
"...Yes."
After a moment of hesitation, the high schooler quickly walked over to the other kids.
He didn't have the courage to defy Dojin.
Dojin looked over the gathered kids, pulled out his phone, and made a call.
"Oh! Look who it is. Isn't this Baek Dojin? You're still alive and kicking?"
"I'm calling because I'm alive. Let's skip the small talk and get straight to the point."
"Right, typical you. What's up? Did you cause some trouble?"
"I didn't, but your brother might have. I heard Beom-su is still living like that?"
At the mention of Beom-su's name, the high schooler flinched. He looked at Dojin, wondering how he knew that name.
Regardless, Dojin focused on the call. He didn't hold back even though he was criticizing his friend's brother.
"Is he still acting like a thug downtown?"
"*Sigh*, you heard? Man, he's a headache for me too. I've been so busy living my own life that I don't even know what he's up to these days."
"Really? Then you probably don't know that Beom-su has been putting ideas into these kids' heads."
"...What do you mean by that?"
The playfulness in Geun-su's voice vanished instantly, replaced by a cold tone.
Satisfied with the reaction, Dojin looked at the kids and said, "Some kids from the orphanage came to visit where I live. But according to Teacher Hye-min, Beom-su has been calling them out regularly. A whole range of ages, from elementary to middle and high schoolers."
Even after Dojin finished speaking, there was silence on the other end.
But Dojin didn't press him. He knew his friend would react on his own.
And just as Dojin expected, a shout erupted from the phone.
"...That crazy bastard! Has he lost his mind?!"
The shout was so loud that Dojin had to pull the phone away from his ear.
"*Sigh*... I'm sorry. What do you want me to do?"
After venting his anger for a while, Geun-su finally calmed down and asked.
Dojin brought the phone back and said calmly, "Well, nothing major. Just draw a clear line for him. I'll let it slide this time."
"*Sigh*, are those kids near you right now?"
"Yeah, they're right here. They can hear you."
A deep sigh came through the phone.
But it was only momentary.
Soon, a cold voice reached the kids through the speaker.
"I'm Shin Geun-su, Shin Beom-su's older brother. That punk Beom-su won't be contacting you guys ever again. So don't expect anything from him and just live your own lives. Oh, and don't go acting tough downtown. If I ever catch you in my sight, I'll tear you to pieces."
"..."
"Aren't you going to answer?!"
"Y-Yes!"
"Understood!"
The kids answered in a panic. Hearing the words of Beom-su's older brother—someone they couldn't even dare to look at—they couldn't think of any other response.
Dojin smirked. Seeing them tremble at Geun-su's words was amusing.
They're definitely misunderstanding.
In reality, unlike Beom-su, Geun-su was just an ordinary office worker. He wasn't in a position to actually hurt anyone.
But Dojin didn't bother clearing up their misunderstanding.
It was better for the kids to believe it, and besides, Geun-su's words weren't entirely empty.
Even if Geun-su can't do anything personally, he has more than enough connections to teach these kids a lesson.
Although the orphanage was located in a city, it was a small one. It was the kind of place where you could find a mutual connection with anyone through just a few phone calls.
Furthermore, Geun-su was a friend who had gone through his wild, rebellious years right alongside Dojin.
He was now living as a normal office worker thanks to Dojin helping him clean up his act, but his old connections were still very much alive.
"Actually, this is for the best. I didn't like the way Beom-su was living anyway. I should take this opportunity to straighten him out."
"Well, that works out. It's much cleaner that way."
"I'll handle it on my end, so... please, take care of things there."
Geun-su's voice dropped significantly, almost to a whisper at the end. Dojin knew exactly why his friend was acting like this.
He's worried the Chairman might step in.
When Dojin was at the orphanage, none of the local thugs or gangsters dared to touch the orphans.
If they did, they had to deal with Dojin, who would run wild like a mad dog.
But what the gangsters feared even more than Dojin was Chairman Wang Hye-seok.
Any gang that crossed her would end up completely dismantled.
Even though Geun-su was now an ordinary office worker, he still feared the Chairman.
Dojin said to him, "I'll do my best to keep it quiet, but don't let your guard down too much."
This incident would likely reach the Chairman's ears soon anyway.
Even though Hye-min was close to Dojin, she was ultimately one of the Chairman's people.
Still, if they cleaned it up before the Chairman had to step in, Wang Hye-seok would probably refrain from taking further action.
"Thanks, man. Come over sometime. Let's grab a drink."
"Sure, I'll contact you soon. I still have some kids to educate right now."
"Got it. Good luck."
At the word "educate," Geun-su hung up without another word.
Silence fell over the hill once the call ended.
The kids didn't even dare to look at Dojin's face, keeping their heads buried in the dirt.
"Now! I'm about to begin educating my juniors. Any objections?"
Dojin's voice was cheerful, completely mismatched with the atmosphere, but none of the kids answered.
Satisfied, Dojin leaned down toward them and said, "Alright, I'll take that as a unanimous agreement. I look forward to working with you for the next month."
"...Huh?"
At the mention of "a month," confusion washed over the kids' faces.
They were supposed to leave tomorrow.
But Dojin's words were neither a lie nor a mistake.
The next day.
They couldn't board the bus they had arrived on.
Once all the vehicles left Sekki House, a man appeared in front of them.
It was the man who had been introduced as the security team leader yesterday.
However, his appearance was quite different from the day before.
Unlike yesterday, when he wore casual jeans, today he was dressed in full military gear.
Complete with sunglasses and a red cap.
"Nice to meet you. I am Hong Eun-seop, the drill instructor who will be training you for the next month. Any questions?"
"Excuse me..."
At Eun-seop's words, the elementary schooler raised his hand.
Eun-seop immediately roared.
"I do not take questions! From now on, the only words allowed to you are 'Yes!' and 'Understood!' Do you understand?!"
"...What?"
"Then why did he even ask..."
Baffled by Eun-seop's words, the kids began whispering among themselves.
But that was a grave mistake.
Before they knew it, security team members dressed similarly to Eun-seop surrounded them and began shouting.
"Get your heads in the game! Who said you could speak?! Your discipline is rotten to the core! Everyone, drop!"
"Drop, you punks!"
Terrified by the security team's fierce demeanor, which was completely different from yesterday, the kids quickly complied.
Eun-seop's commands rang out.
"On 'one,' go down and yell 'Discipline!' On 'two,' push up and yell 'Unity!' One!"
"Di-Discipline!"
"Two!"
"U-Unity!"
"You can't even do a single push-up properly?! Again, one!"
"Di-Discipline!"
Dojin, who had come out to walk Ttorang-i, smiled as he heard the groans and cries in the distance.
"When the body is comfortable, the mind starts to wander."
If you felt like you were about to die from physical exhaustion, you wouldn't have the luxury to complain about life or think about bullying others.
In that sense, Dojin planned to run them ragged for the next month.
It was a time-tested method of junior discipline he had used since his orphanage days.
"We'll worry about asking forgiveness from the kids they bullied after they return from their one-month trip to hell."
And this wasn't the end.
People didn't change that easily.
Unlike the other kids from the orphanage, these five would be visiting this place regularly to experience hell.
Until they completely straightened themselves out.