The Price of Arrogance
"Why are you only telling me this now!" Yoon-gi’s roar erupted from within his room. Won-hee shrank back, his voice barely a whisper as he replied, "Well, you see... Jin-soo told me not to say anything..."
"You should have told me anyway! I’ve been flying back and forth to Japan without a clue, thinking everything was fine!"
It was a beautiful April. Yoon-gi, Jin-soo, and Won-hee had all managed to enter Gyeonggi High School, just as they had promised long ago. In truth, admission itself wasn't particularly difficult; the high school equalization policy had already been implemented back in the 70s. When Yoon-gi had spoken of "effort" to get into Gyeonggi High, he meant cultivating the kind of capability that would have been worthy of the school back in its elite, pre-equalization days. Of course, they weren't all in the same class like in the old days. Gyeonggi High had maintained its reputation as a prestigious institution even after the policy change, meaning it was filled with the children of powerful figures. The school also had too much pride to let anyone—even Yoon-gi—simply pull strings to change things. While he had managed to get permission to come and go freely, accepting the penalties on his attendance record, Yoon-gi hadn't paid much attention to his school life, assuming that as long as he handled the attendance issue, there would be no problems.
Consequently, Yoon-gi had barely focused on school, and on the days he did show up, he often left early for business, which meant he hadn't been keeping a close eye on Won-hee and Jin-soo. He had assumed that since the two of them had been doing well on their own, everything was fine. But hearing the news that Jin-soo was being bullied made his blood boil with an uncontrollable rage.
"Which bastard is it?!"
"A guy named Kim Jong-soo. But... it’s not going to be easy."
"Why? What’s the problem?"
Won-hee spoke with genuine concern to the furious Yoon-gi. "His dad is a member of the National Assembly..."
"So what!" Yoon-gi didn't care in the slightest.
"Ah, even so, messing with a congressman's son is..."
"What does a congressman matter? He’s bullying my friend! Come to my house early tomorrow morning. Got it?"
"Uh... okay..."
"And how exactly has that bastard been bullying Jin-soo?"
Since Jin-soo had confided his grievances to Won-hee, Won-hee began to summarize what he had heard. "At first, he would bring Jin-soo up in front of others and make him the butt of his jokes. Jin-soo thought it was just a joke at first. You know how it is, right? Sometimes someone gets singled out and the whole class laughs? So Jin-soo didn't pay it much mind."
"And then?"
"After that, he started acting friendly, approaching him and then starting to shove him around. At first, Jin-soo thought it was just friends messing around, but the intensity kept increasing, and eventually, some guys who were actually strong joined in."
"Jin-soo isn't exactly weak, is he?"
"The guy is stronger than Jin-soo. I wanted to intervene, but I’m not exactly a powerhouse, and Jin-soo told me not to because he didn't want me to get hurt... When I suggested telling you, he said you were too busy and we shouldn't bother you."
"Damn it..." Yoon-gi held back his curses, but the boiling rage in his eyes made it clear to Won-hee just how furious he was.
"After that, he’s basically been pushed around the whole class. He said that last time he opened his lunchbox, it was filled with nothing but dirt... Should I stop talking...?"
It was a cautious suggestion as Yoon-gi’s anger burned like an active volcano, but Yoon-gi shook his head. "Keep talking!"
By the time Won-hee finished his long, harrowing story, Yoon-gi sent him home and couldn't focus on work for the rest of the day, his mind consumed by rage. Following the final clicking of Choi Deok-bae’s tongue, not a single word was spoken in Yoon-gi’s room until morning.
***
"Y-Yoon-gi..." Seeing Jin-soo so completely dejected made Yoon-gi’s irritation spike even further. It was very early in the morning. Having heard the heads-up from Won-hee, Jin-soo had arrived at school extremely early, and thanks to that, the three of them were able to gather in Jin-soo’s classroom.
Jin-soo’s seat was right in front of the window in the very back row. The seat at the very back was, naturally, Kim Jong-soo’s. Yoon-gi sat in that very seat, looking at Jin-soo with warm eyes—even though his insides were burning with suppressed fury.
"Jin-soo, we’re friends. Right?"
"Huh? Y-yeah..."
"When something like this happens, you have to trust me and tell me. Why wouldn't you tell me? Did it look like my ability was only that much?"
"No... I just thought you were busy... I just..."
"Jin-soo!" At Yoon-gi’s low, sharp call, Jin-soo looked at him, startled.
"I work hard for the sake of the people around me. I’m building the foundation for you guys to start your lives brilliantly after you graduate. But if you disappear from the picture, what would be the point of all that?"
"Yoon-gi..." As Jin-soo teared up with a voice full of emotion, Yoon-gi suddenly flicked him on the forehead.
"Ouch!"
"If you ever suffer alone like this again, I’m not going to care about being friends—I’ll just tear everything down."
"O-okay..."
"Answer me properly! Why are you so dejected? You’re not the Jin-soo I know."
"N-no. I really won't hide anything from now on..."
The lingering sense of intimidation was still there. Yoon-gi knew better than anyone that there was only one way to resolve this.
'Damn it.'
Eventually, the three of them waited in the classroom until the other students arrived. As time passed, the other students naturally began to arrive. They whispered while looking at Yoon-gi, who wasn't even in their class, but they didn't dare approach the area where he was sitting.
Because of that declaration, Jin-soo couldn't even properly speak to his classmates. He was Kim Jong-soo’s toy, the son of a congressman. That was how the other kids perceived Jin-soo, and they only glanced at Yoon-gi, not daring to approach because of Jin-soo.
And how much time had passed? Finally, Kim Jong-soo appeared.
"Ah..." At Jin-soo’s short, low gasp, Yoon-gi immediately identified who Kim Jong-soo was, but for the moment, he stayed still.
"Hey, lackey! You didn't come to my house today, did you? Do you have any idea how close Dae-chan’s shoulder came to popping out because he had to carry my bag for you? You need a beating today, don't you?"
The guy next to Kim Jong-soo was named Park Dae-chan. He was a giant, over 190 centimeters tall and weighing over 100 kilograms, a muscular brute who looked like he had nothing to do with studying. But with the high school equalization policy, how hard could it be to get into Gyeonggi High? Kim Jong-soo had succeeded in getting Park Dae-chan into the same school, and as a result, he wielded absolute, unchecked power in the class.
"But, who the hell are you? Why are you sitting in my seat? You want to die?"
Yoon-gi looked at Kim Jong-soo, who was growling at him, and asked with a blank face, "Did you bully my friend?"
"What the, this loser had a friend? Come to think of it, some scrawny guy from another class came looking for him once, so you’re the friend who looks like that?"
Kim Jong-soo, looking as if something displeased him, frowned and turned his head toward Park Dae-chan. "Dae-chan, give him a little taste."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Park Dae-chan reached out to grab Yoon-gi by the collar. Park Dae-chan, who attended a local judo gym, had enough skill to be a regional representative, if not a national one. But tragically, in just one second, Park Dae-chan’s entire body stiffened.
"Guaaaaaaah..."
A long, low, and mournful scream. Park Dae-chan clutched his crotch with both hands, foaming at the mouth, and collapsed onto the classroom floor. *Thud!* Because he hit his chin first, the sound was even more jarring, and Yoon-gi lowered his knee in rhythm with the sound.
"Hey." Yoon-gi’s voice was low. At the same time, he grabbed Kim Jong-soo by the collar. "Who do you think you are to touch my friend?"
Thinking that this had only happened because Park Dae-chan had been hit in a vital spot, Kim Jong-soo let out a mocking laugh. "You cowardly bastard... Fine, good. I’ll tell you specifically. Was it that annoying to make one commoner lackey?"
"Commoner lackey? What makes you so special?"
"Obviously I’m special. I can live this life because I put in the effort. Can’t someone who works hard boss around a bastard who doesn't? By the way, Jin-soo, you’re a real piece of work. You couldn't solve it yourself, so you brought a friend? Wow... I’m going to have to call the company your father works at. I need to teach them what happens when you raise your kids wrong."
Kim Jong-soo’s arrogant, insufferable attitude, acting as if Yoon-gi were a non-entity, was the behavior of someone who had never experienced failure—or rather, pain. Yoon-gi decided to teach him exactly what pain was.
"Do you have any idea who I am?"
It was a kind of ultimatum. But Kim Jong-soo was busy sneering. "Why would I care about that? Ah, I guess I have to know now. Because I’m going to crush you and everyone around you."
"I’ve decided."
"Decided what?"
For a moment, Kim Jong-soo felt as if gravity had betrayed him. His body suddenly floated into the air. Yoon-gi had delivered a kick with his toes pointed directly at Kim Jong-soo’s solar plexus. Thanks to that, Kim Jong-soo flew toward the classroom door, gasping for air, and slammed into it.
"Khee-ack!"
A truly grotesque scream. But Yoon-gi’s actions didn't end there. Although he wasn't seeing red like he would if someone had insulted his parents, Yoon-gi’s cold, rational way of beating someone was even more terrifying, and no one dared to think of intervening.
"Oh my god... I’ve never seen anything like that in my life..."
Yoon-gi, exuding a chilling aura and destroying Kim Jong-soo without a single change in his expression, was the very definition of terror. Even Won-hee and Jin-soo were struck with fear at the sight.
"Guaaaaah!"
Kim Jong-soo, who would now be living a life where he couldn't hold a pencil for at least several months, screamed, but no one helped him—no one could. There were a few guys who were under Kim Jong-soo’s thumb, but they had already seen what happened to Park Dae-chan. How could they possibly oppose Yoon-gi, who had sent a man flying from the window seat to the classroom door with a single kick?
...In the classroom where not a single breath could be heard, the only sounds were the sickening cracks of Kim Jong-soo’s bones breaking. And outside the classroom door, onlookers gathered. Kim Jong-soo, who couldn't even scream anymore, was finally rescued thanks to the student advisor who appeared after seeing the crowd of students.
"W-what is this! Ugh! J-Jong-soo!"
As befitted the son of a congressman, the student advisor recognized Kim Jong-soo immediately, and Yoon-gi stopped stomping at that moment.
"T-this is a disaster! Hey! Run to the faculty office and call an ambulance!"
The designated student council member ran toward the faculty office, and soon other teachers swarmed in, sending Kim Jong-soo to the hospital.
"Yoon-gi! What on earth, w-what have you done!"
At the student advisor’s words, sounding like he was about to cry, Yoon-gi pointed at Park Dae-chan with a blank face. "Is he not a concern?"
"Forget that, just tell me what happened!"
The severity was different, but one was put in an ambulance and sent to the hospital while the other was just left behind. Although Park Dae-chan was indeed trash, it was a dog-like treatment if you didn't know the context, so Yoon-gi sighed inwardly and spoke to the student advisor. "Just... convey the situation to Kim Jong-soo’s father. I’ll handle the rest."
With that, Yoon-gi returned to his classroom. The student advisor, not knowing what to do, eventually left Park Dae-chan abandoned and headed for the faculty office. After all, conveying the situation to Kim Jong-soo’s father was the priority.