Jeon Yi Jun

The night was freezing. It was so cold that Shin Myung Gil could see his own breath in the air. Even with his winter clothes, he was still shivering. But when he looked at the man beside him, wearing nothing but a black jacket, completely unfazed by the cold, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Hey, Captain, are you done yet?" he asked, his voice trembling. Why did they have to patrol on a night like this?

His captain didn't answer, still watching the scene below. Myung Gil's eyes drifted to the bright red number zero stitched on the back of his captain's jacket.

They were lying on the ground beside a building, peeking through a hole in the wall. After a while, the captain finally spoke.

"They're drug dealers." His voice was calm as ever. "Looks like they're getting ready to run."

Myung Gil sighed. "Ugh, what a hassle. Should we just call the police?"

Surprisingly, the captain nodded. "Yeah. Call them."

Myung Gil blinked in shock. "Wait, seriously? You never call the cops. You always take care of things yourself."

"I'm still going to." The captain's eyes glowed faintly in the dark.

Myung Gil stared at him: their leader, the infamous Viper No. Zero, always kept his identity hidden. Even as division captains of the Shadow Vipers, they had never seen his face. They only knew his codename.

"Then why bother calling the police?"

"Because I need them to clean up the drugs and handle the arrests." Viper No. Zero finally stood up. "You stay outside in case anyone tries to escape."

"Wait, what?! You're going in alone?" Myung Gil hissed. "Captain, are you blind? There are at least thirty guys in there! At least take me with you!"

"No need."

Viper No. Zero didn't hesitate. He walked straight to the building's front entrance, his steps calm and steady. Then, without a second thought,

BANG!

He kicked the door open. The metal hinges groaned as the heavy door snapped inward, slamming against the wall with a deafening crash. The impact sent dust and splinters flying into the dimly lit room.

The thirty men inside froze. Conversations died mid-sentence. Eyes widened. The drug dealers, seated around crates of contraband, turned toward the entrance. Some reached for weapons, others instinctively stepped back.

A single figure stood at the doorway, backlit by the flickering streetlights outside. His black jacket swayed slightly from the force of his kick.

Then, he stepped inside.

Silence.

Then,

"Who the hell-" one of the men started, but he never got to finish.

In a blink, Viper No. Zero moved.

The first man, standing closest to the door, didn't even see it coming. A fist smashed into his gut, lifting him off the ground before he crashed onto a crate, shattering it into pieces.

The room erupted into chaos.

Shouts filled the air as men scrambled for weapons, knives, bats, and even a few handguns. But it didn't matter.

Viper No. Zero was already among them.

A man swung a metal pipe at his head. Viper tilted slightly, letting it whistle past his ear. Before the attacker could recover, Viper grabbed his wrist and twisted: SNAP! The sickening crunch of bone breaking echoed through the room as the man howled in pain.

Another charged at him from behind with a knife. Viper didn't even turn, he spun on his heel, elbow striking the attacker's throat. The man choked, dropping the knife as he collapsed.

Two down.

A group of four lunged at him at once. One raised a pistol, Viper grabbed the nearest man and yanked him in front, using him as a human shield. The gun fired. The poor fool took the bullet instead. Before the shooter could react, Viper was already there, fingers wrapping around the gun barrel. He squeezed, CRACK! The metal bent like paper in his grip.

The shooter paled. "W-What the hell—?"

Viper's answer was a brutal punch to the jaw. The man spun midair before hitting the ground, unconscious before he landed.

Six down.

The rest of the gang hesitated. Some looked at each other, fear creeping into their expressions. This wasn't a fight. This was a massacre.

Viper No. Zero exhaled, his breath steady. His glowing eyes cut through the darkness, locking onto the remaining men.

"Come."

One word.

The dealers flinched, but fear mixed with desperation. If they didn't fight, they were dead anyway.

So they rushed him all at once.

Viper No. Zero smiled.

And then,

He vanished.

A blur of black cut through the room like a phantom. Shadows twisted. Screams echoed. Fists, elbows, knees, every movement was precise, brutal, unstoppable.

A man was lifted off his feet by a kick to the ribs. Another was slammed into the ground so hard the floor cracked beneath him. A third was thrown into a stack of crates, the weight burying him instantly.

More gunfire erupted. But the bullets never reached him. Viper twisted between them, closing the distance before the shooters could react. One received a punch straight to the ribs: his body bent unnaturally before he crumpled. Another was lifted by the collar and hurled into a wall, the impact knocking him out cold.

Bodies hit the floor one after another. The gang's numbers vanished.

And when it was over, when the last man standing realized he was alone he dropped his weapon, hands trembling. His knees buckled, and he fell onto the cold, bloodstained floor.

Viper No. Zero stood in the center of the wreckage, his breath calm, his jacket untouched. Not a single drop of blood stained him.

His glowing eyes flickered toward the last man.

"The police will be here soon," he said, voice as steady as ever. "Stay down."

The man didn't dare move.

Outside, Shin Myung Gil had been listening. He let out a long sigh.

"Seriously…" he muttered, shaking his head. "He never needed backup in the first place."

This was Myung Gil's first two-man squad mission with Viper No. Zero. He had seen Viper fight before. But he had never seen him take down this many men.

Viper usually worked alone or with Seo Yul, the Second Division's vice-captain. But this time, he chose Myung Gil over Seo Yul. At first, Myung Gil was shocked. But deep down, he was excited, even tho he didn't show it.

And now, after watching the fight, he finally understood. This wasn't just some gang leader.

This was a monster.

Viper stared at the last surviving dealer, whose trembling in fear. And thought it was time to disappear.

But,

BANG!

A bullet zipped past, missing by mere inches.

The one of the unconscious before now gained consciousness and had fired in panic.

And in that split second, Viper turned his head, just slightly.

A moment of distraction. A moment too long.

CLANG!

Another dealer, one of the unconscious ones, had forced himself up and swung a metal bat at Viper's head.

The impact was loud. But the result was terrifying.

The bat stopped mid-swing.

Viper had caught it. With his bare hand.

Fingers tightening around the steel, his grip was terrifyingly strong. The dealer's face turned pale.

That was when Shin Myung Gil's voice broke the tension.

"Yeesh, Captain. You really like showing off, huh?"

Viper didn't respond. He ripped the bat from the dealer's hand and tossed it aside like trash.

Myung Gil leaned against the doorway; arms crossed. "Seo Yul still thinks he should've come instead of me, y'know. But guess what? Unlike him, I actually follow orders."

It seems like in the middle of the chaos, the last dealer took the chance to run.

But before he could escape, Myung Gil stuck out a leg.

THUD!

The man tripped, face-planting onto the concrete.

"Yeah, nah. You're not going anywhere," Myung Gil sighed, shaking his head. Sirens echoed in the distance. The police were almost here.

"Our work ends here Gyung Mil." Said Viper.

Shin Myung Gil snapped.

"It's Myung Gil y'know!"

*************************************

Kim Jun snapped awake the moment someone yelled his name. But because he was still half-stuck in his dream about Shin Myung Gil, his mind hadn't caught up yet.

"Yeah, Gyung Mil?!" he blurted out without thinking.

The classroom fell silent for a second.

Then exploded into laughter.

The teacher, who had been marking attendance, gave him a deadly glare. "Is that how you address your teachers?" he asked, voice sharp.

"Huh?" Kim Jun blinked, still groggy. A few students whispered among themselves. "The new guy's insane. He actually called that karate freak by his first name."

Kim Jun was still confused until it finally hit him.

He really had called Shin Myung Gil's name out loud… but

Wait. Hold on. Don't tell me that, this guy's name is Gyung Mil for real?!

Park Yun Do, who was sitting front of his seat tried to hide his laughter so hard. Or at least he pretended like that. 

"You little brats really don't know any manners, huh?!" the teacher shouted, slamming his books onto the desk. He stomped toward Jun, eyes burning with anger.

But then, the classroom door swung open.

A man stood in the doorway. Muscular. Bald. His shiny, hairless head almost glowed under the lights. He wore a black jacket with a white dragon embroidered on the back, giving off an intense, almost dangerous vibe.

The room fell silent.

"So, now what?" the teacher asked, clearing his throat.

The man barely reacted. His expression stayed cold. "School is calling a meeting. Go to the main hall. Now." His voice was flat but carried a weight that made everyone move immediately.

Even though it was a hassle, the students started heading out. Jun was about to go alone when he suddenly felt an arm drape over his shoulder.

It was Park Yun Do.

Usually, Yun Do stuck with his own group, but this time, he walked with Jun.

"Man, this school's about to change big time," Yun Do said, shaking his head. Jun looked at him curiously. This guy is Park Yun Do, a so-called bully in this school. But he didn't seem that bad. Today and yesterday too. He tried to stop the fight between Han Yeon Ji and Kim Ju Mi-Kim Jun.

As they made their way to the hall, both classes, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4 merged. Soon, students from 11th and 12th grade also joined in, the crowd growing larger by the second.

Something about this felt different like something big was about to happen.

The main hall buzzed with murmurs as students from different classes piled in, filling up every inch of space. Some looked curious, some annoyed, and others just tired from being dragged into another pointless school meeting.

Jun stood with Park Yun Do, glancing around at the faces from other classes. Park Yun Do introduce him a few troublemakers from 10-3 and 10-4, the so-called chaotic classes according to Yun Do. Meanwhile, the students from 10-1, the elite class, stood together, arms crossed, their expressions unreadable. Jun recognized Ju Mi and Yoon Seong standing together. And also, that ripped orange fruit.

At the front of the stage, the principal finally stepped up. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat before speaking into the mic.

"As of today, this school will be making some changes."

The hall fell silent.

"We've decided to shuffle all the tenth-grade classes. From now on, there will be no more separation between elites and the rest. All of you will be in the same classes."

The room exploded.

"Wait, what?!"

"That's insane!"

"We have to share a class with them?!"

The students from 10-1, who had always been at the top, looked pissed. Meanwhile, the students from the chaotic classes were either grinning or looking bored, as if this was just another mess they were being thrown into.

Jun felt Yun Do tighten his grip on his shoulder. "This just got interesting," Yun Do muttered, smirking.

And it wasn't just their grade. The 11th and 12th graders were being shuffled too.

"Hey, you know what, New Prince?" Yun Do said suddenly. Jun frowned. Why does he keep calling me that?

"You should drop out of this school."

"...Huh?"

What the hell is this bubblegum bastard talking about?!

Yun Do's gray eyes turned cold, almost freezing. It wasn't just indifference, there was something deeper. Something like hatred.

"This school is about to turn into a battlefield."

Jun narrowed his eyes. "Huh?"

"A flower-like boy like you won't fit in."

Flower-like?! Who the hell are you talking about, damn it!

Jun clenched his jaw, trying not to lose his temper. "What do you mean?" Yun Do sighed as if Jun was just too slow to understand.

"This school only stayed in one piece because Class 10-1 was kept separate from the rest. Now, that barrier is gone." He paused, his tone growing sharper. "No one will be able to study now."

Jun frowned. That doesn't make any sense. "But school exists to teach, right?" he argued. "Why would they do something like this if it doesn't benefit the school?"

Yun Do clicked his tongue. "Why do you think?" He let out a slow breath, then muttered: "Because that monster is back from his vacation."

"...Monster?"

Yun Do's lips curled into a humorless smirk, but his eyes held something darker.

"Jeon Yi Jun."

The name hung in the air like a blade, sharp and dangerous.

"The leader of the Big Dragon Gang."

Jun's heartbeat stuttered. The hall around them suddenly felt smaller. The noise of the crowd seemed to fade, leaving only those three words ringing in his ears.

Jeon Yi Jun.

Who the hell is that?

And why does that name feel so... dark?