Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: I Caused Trouble (3)
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The first time Son Jin-hyuk saw Yoon Sung-dong, he knew there was no point in trying to reason with him.
'Bond or butane gas.'
Dull, bleached whites of the eyes with prominent bloodshot veins, and pupils that seemed properly dilated.
He had no idea how he knew even that much, but it was one of those things his insight picked up naturally. His rationality, senses, and even his intuition beyond the five senses helped him judge.
Plus, Jin-hyuk had spent plenty of time staring into the eyes of someone who habitually inhaled hallucinogens. It was his cousin Hwang Ga-yoon, his aunt's eldest daughter, who was seven years older than him.
'Good thing, actually.'
People really couldn't be fixed, could they? He'd even thought it was unreasonable to reprimand Yoon Sung-dong, who hadn't killed anyone yet, just because of Shin Woo-sung. But that feeling didn't last.
'I'm not the sentimental type.'
Jin-hyuk wasn't romantic enough to hope a guy who'd been going off the rails since childhood—relying on his nationwide gangster dad—would reform. And now, the situation forced him to confront what had already happened head-on.
And so...
Surrounded by seven third-years and first-year Park Yong-seok—eight in total—they headed to the auxiliary athletic field. Some were former wrestling club members who'd been expelled at the start of the semester.
Jin-hyuk looked at the guys encircling him, close enough to touch if he stretched out his arm, and thought.
'These bastards brought a whole crowd. Guess there's no beating a group mob?'
Gang-up? Dog-pile? He wasn't sure.
Neither term was something an upstanding guy like Son Jin-hyuk would use, so he didn't know the exact word. Not that it mattered right now.
As he furrowed his brow, pondering the wrong thing entirely, Yoon Sung-dong jabbed Jin-hyuk's forehead with his index finger.
"Hey, ugh—."
A foul stench wafted from Yoon Sung-dong's mouth—bond solvent? Booze? Actually, it was closer to the sour reek of partially metabolized acetaldehyde.
Jin-hyuk's face wrinkled involuntarily at the acrid stink.
Yoon Sung-dong, hands shoved deep in his pockets, spat on the ground and swaggered.
His legs trembled with practiced skill. Why did people even shake their legs like that?
"You little shit, no matter how hotshot you are, you can't mess with your seniors' sacred business."
Senior, my ass—your tongue's awfully slick for a guy scamming underclassmen. Jin-hyuk smirked inwardly and lifted one corner of his mouth, glaring at Yoon Sung-dong.
Yoon Sung-dong's leisurely expression twisted unpleasantly.
"This fucker's smiling?"
Ten-year-old punk, you're the one grinning while starting shit. Isn't this a free country? Did his serious pondering come off as a sneer?
Yoon Sung-dong sighed heavily and spoke in a softened, lecturing tone.
"This ain't some wuxia world. We all know the bullshit rumors about you."
What was this now? Oh, he must mean the wrestling club incident. Guys from that scene were right there, and he calls it rumors? Were their eyes dogshit?
The slurred speech and constant spitting made it all the more disgusting.
Jin-hyuk held back the urge to deck Yoon Sung-dong, who was about his height. He wanted to give him a chance, resolve it with words.
Suppressing his revulsion, he said quietly,
"I'll warn you once. Stop that shit."
It was unexpected. Yoon Sung-dong and his crew's faces hardened.
Yoon Sung-dong soon sneered, twisting his face comically.
"Warn me once-, and I'll stop that shit-."
Uhehehehehe—.
Yoon Sung-dong and the others giggled creepily, like zombies with loose screws.
Jin-hyuk sighed lightly.
'Done.'
His last attempt at talking it out went up in smoke.
Yoon Sung-dong, armed with a crooked grin, nudged Jin-hyuk's chest with his shoulder.
They had the numbers, and he and his friends had experience.
The kid in front of them had a tough vibe, but dealing with young punks was easy.
A mocking sneer to flip their guts, cold eyes, and one curse word.
If they lost it and charged first, it'd be doing him a favor.
As usual, Yoon Sung-dong loaded up his curse.
One line, and this first-year would break.
Just as the words left Yoon Sung-dong's mouth.
"You fucking bitch, your mom's a—."
Crack!
It happened in an instant.
No one saw Jin-hyuk twist like a tiger and smash his elbow into Yoon Sung-dong's jaw.
'How dare you!'
The price for saying what he absolutely shouldn't in front of Jin-hyuk was steep.
A fist slammed into Yoon Sung-dong's solar plexus. His body doubled over reflexively.
Jin-hyuk didn't give him a chance to fall—pounding his side, philtrum, and jaw with heavy blows. He felt ribs cave in, gums collapse, jawbone shatter through his knuckles. Finally, he smashed his elbow down on the bowed head.
Only then did Yoon Sung-dong flop face-first to the ground.
"Guhh—."
It was over in one breath.
Blood flowed from nose and mouth; broken and uprooted teeth rolled on the dirt.
Yoon Sung-dong writhed like a dying man, unable to even scream properly.
Jin-hyuk swept his hair back with his hand.
'Feels nothing, as expected.'
Even after such uncharacteristic violence, his breathing was steady, mind clear. It was like grabbing that fat real estate guy's collar.
'Confusing.'
Did power make you numb the more you used it? Jin-hyuk, with no prior experience wielding violence aggressively, was utterly bewildered.
"You fuck!"
"Argh! Gonna kill him!"
It had been a split-second affair, so Yoon Sung-dong's crew finally grasped it and charged. If they'd stayed back, maybe one would've escaped. Jin-hyuk had no interest in chasing.
'Fine, it's done. Come at me.'
Jin-hyuk crouched low, then one leg whipped back.
The guy swinging from behind took a jaw kick; his head snapped back with a clunk.
The one trying a bear hug got suplexed, crashing waist-first—no fall technique.
The front-kicker ate a low kick on his plant foot and headbutted the hard ground. A dull thud echoed.
The auxiliary field was uneven and hard, unmaintained.
But that wasn't Jin-hyuk's concern. The secondary impacts from the ground were theirs to bear.
He hadn't meant to break bones.
Yet he felt ribs distinctly crunch under his fists.
'I pulled my punches. Weird.'
This was wrong—he knew fear and pain better than anyone.
It's fine, they're growing boys; it'll heal quick.
Even as inner voices clashed, Jin-hyuk's fists and feet didn't stop.
As if vowing no one would stand before him, he toppled them all before halting.
Only one—Park Yong-seok, who'd collapsed on his own—was untouched by Jin-hyuk. His pupils dilated, jaw trembling like he'd seen a ghost.
Jin-hyuk scanned Yoon Sung-dong's gang. They writhed like maggots on the dirt, no fight left.
He stepped toward Park Yong-seok.
"You. Should've come when I called."
"Uh-uh-buh—. I-I'm s-sorry for messing up—."
What? Jin-hyuk's urge to smack him vanished with a sigh.
Tears streamed from Park Yong-seok's eyes. Fear reflexes were beyond control.
Whoosh—a deep sigh escaped.
Images of his parents and sister flashed by. The last spark of anger faded; reality sank in fully.
'This isn't why they sent me back.'
His heart ached; he rubbed his face irritably.
Teachers were running over from afar.
'Really fucked up now.'
Jin-hyuk's homeroom teacher, Kim Sun-sook, had a thin voice.
Close your eyes and it sounded like a child's. With her big marble-sized glasses during class, students chanted "Teacher's so cute."
Just two years out of teachers' college, she was inexperienced in many ways as a homeroom teacher, but thanks to class president Son Jin-hyuk, the kids didn't rebel or slack off. She was secretly grateful.
Wanting to be a friendly teacher, she constantly pondered and researched fun lessons. Class test scores were great too. She hummed happily.
"Ahem—. Shall we explain the principles of lightning in a fun way today?"
The kids were curious; she had a duty to teach.
As Kim Sun-sook prepared her lesson joyfully, lightning struck her.
"Teacher Kim Sun-sook! Your class president got into a brawl?"
"Wh-wha-what, what did you say?"
It was clearly Korean, but hard to comprehend.
Good thing she hadn't witnessed it. Hearing her top student—class president—was in a fight made her hands shake in shock.
"Wh-wha-what do I do?"
"Don't call home yet. Investigate first—."
"Y-yes, home—. Thank you."
A helpful colleague explaining her duties. Call home after investigating!
Deep breath. She dialed Jin-hyuk's house.
A woman—probably his mom—answered.
Kim Sun-sook's heart still raced.
"Ji-ji-ji-Jin-hyuk's house?"
Should say hello, but what do you say when it's bad news? Teachers' college didn't cover this.
-Where are you calling from?
Blessedly, the voice prompted her.
How grateful for someone steering the talk when words failed.
"S-school."
-Oh my—hello, Teacher. Your voice is so sweet, I thought it was a prank call. I should've greeted you properly but never visited.
Perfect.
"Now's our chance, Jin-hyuk's mom."
Oh no.
Was that how teachers talked? Self-loathing surged. Why was she so incompetent?
Tears burst unexpectedly.
"Sniff, Jin-hyuk. Jin-hyuk got into a fight—waaah—."
Lee Byung-se, who'd been listening silently, grimaced.
He snatched the phone irritably.
"Hel-lo? Your son's fine, but can you come to school—? Hello? Hello?"
Lee Byung-se sighed deeply.
Of course Jin-hyuk's mom was shocked too. Probably a huge misunderstanding. "Fight" might bring cops; Jin-hyuk's dad was a local heavyweight who even greeted the county chief and assemblyman.
"Haa—shit."
Cops at school meant reports to the education office, a shitstorm. Sighs piled up. Panic faded; reality settled. Natural questions arose.
'How the hell did one guy do that?'
No mop even at the scene. Jin-hyuk was bigger and more athletic than most high schoolers, but Yoon Sung-dong was untouchable thanks to his backup. Plus ex-wrestlers in the mix.
Lee Byung-se set down the receiver idly and called a young male teacher.
"How are those guys?"
"All carted to the hospital. Only Park Yong-seok here's fine."
"That's fine?"
Drooling like it?
Like a kid with hand-foot-mouth disease.
"Checked which hospital?"
Gotta go see.
Track team involved; can't ignore.
"Central Orthopedics."
"Ah, those money-grubbing quacks...... damn."
Nothing went right.
Lee Byung-se's face twisted again. He scratched his head in frustration.
It was the biggest incident since the school opened—clash of two bigwig sons.