I am Park Jae-Hyun
I had no idea that day would change my life.
It started like any normal morning. I woke up, went to school… and of course, as always, I was met with bullying and humiliation. The girl I liked, Ha-Eun, barely even looked at me. That hurt more than anything.
But that day, I decided to gather my courage.
I believed I needed to change I walked up to Ha-Eun and tried to talk to her. Since she was kind-hearted, she greeted me with a smile. I was so happy. We started walking around the school yard together, and I offered to buy her ice cream. She accepted.
But then…
I felt a violent aura behind me.
A hand grabbed the back of my neck and slammed me into a wall While Ha-Eun stood there in shock, the person who threw me was Alex Kwon He dragged me into the school bathroom Then he and five others started beating me Even now, as I write this, tears fill my eyes After a while, I was losing consciousness. Alex extinguished a cigarette on my body while laughing with his friends. I was weak… skinny… pathetic.
Maybe I deserved it.
I thought everything was over.
closed my eyes.
And at that moment—
The door exploded open.
---
Hwan-Hee: "Look at me, Alex. I'll bury you here. You were not supposed to touch that kid. I won't let you take out your frustration from losing to me in the tournament on innocent people."
Hwan-Hee was tall, muscular, with an earring in his right ear. His hair was half purple, half black. A boxer.
Alex Kwon: "Listen, fake boxer. That tournament was rigged—you know it. I'll tear you apart and finish my revenge. But first, let's kill this little bug."
Alex clenched his fist and was about to strike me while I lay on the ground covered in blood—
But suddenly he took a punch to the face so hard he flew toward the urinal.
At that moment, ten more of Alex's gang members rushed in and locked the bathroom door.
Hwan took his stance.
Right hook.
Left hook.
He started dropping people one by one.
He took a heavy blow to the shoulder but grabbed the attacker and smashed him into marble. Five people were already down. Hwan-Hee was breathing heavily, exhausted, but he glanced at me curled in the corner in fear and punched Alex in the stomach.
Suddenly five people grabbed him from behind.
Alex started raining punches on him.
Alex Kwon: "Ah, Hwan… Hwan… Look at the state you're in for that freak you know is a loser. You brought this on yourself."
Punch after punch.
Hwan spat blood.
Hwan-Hee: "Coward… You're afraid to come alone, aren't you? I'll destroy you… Let that kid go."
Alex smirked He pulled a knife from his back pocket Then slowly sliced Hwan's left eye.
Hwan screamed in pain Alex raised the knife toward his throat But suddenly a piece of marble struck him from behind.
He turned.
It was me.
Covered in blood.
Holding the marble fragment.
Hwan looked at me with fading consciousness.
I spoke.
"I… might be a coward… but I won't let someone who's willing to die to protect me… die."
I coughed blood.
"Alex… I challenge you."
The entire room burst into laughter.
Alex Kwon: "Oh? A bug is challenging me? Guys, do you hear something? I don't."
Hwan-Hee: "I'LL KILL YOU!"
With monstrous strength, Hwan broke free, smashed two heads together, and charged Alex like a beast.
But the knife pierced his abdomen.
Still…
Hwan smiled through blood.
"It's… over…"
His punch knocked Alex into the urinal, breaking his tooth.
Hwan grabbed the knife to stab him—
But one of the gang members hit Hwan from the side.
In that instant—
Alex drove the knife into Hwan's chest.
Hwan collapsed.
Alex, covered in blood, turned toward me with the knife.
I was shaking in terror.
Still, I raised the marble piece.
Then—
A figure grabbed Alex by the neck and lifted him into the air.
Daniel Choi: "That's enough clowning, Alex."
Alex attacked.
Daniel moved like lightning, deflected the punch, lightly covered his hand in flame
And punched.
The bathroom exploded Alex was sent flying outside the school Daniel picked up Hwan and Park Jae Hyun
And left.
---
Five Days Later
I woke up in a hospital room.
"Oppa!!"
My little sister Chloe hugged me, crying.
My mother Yuna held me tightly.
"You scared us so much. The principal said you fell down the stairs… but I have a strange feeling."
I smiled awkwardly.
"Did you… love me this much?"
Chloe smacked my head lightly.
"Idiot."
Then suddenly
Hwan's bloody smile flashed in my mind.
I jumped out of bed.
"Where's Hwan?! The boxer! Did he die?! Please tell me!"
My mother looked confused.
"Who?"
"No… no… that's impossible…"
I ran into the hospital corridors screaming his name.
No one knew him.
No one had seen him.
They sedated me.
A week later, I had recovered physically, but I didn't want to go back to school. I was tired of the bullying… but I couldn't tell my mother. I didn't want to look weak in her eyes She took me to eat Bulgogi in Busan's BIFF Square.
People stared.
Whispered.
My mother snapped at them angrily.
At that moment, I made a vow.
I would change my life.
I would become someone worthy of my family.
Then—
Ten men approached our table Piercings
Tattoos Gangsters One slammed his fist onto the table
" So you're the little pest causing all this trouble."
He leaned closer.
"Where do you know Daniel Choi from?"
My heart stopped.
"D… Daniel Choi?"
He smiled coldly.
"Yeah."
And that was the moment…
I realized my life was truly changing.