Protection

The darkroom was quiet, save for the faint hum of the red safety light above. The air smelled of chemicals, sharp and sterile, mixing with the lingering scent of old film. It was a place of stillness, of patience… a stark contrast to the thoughts racing through Eunsung's head.

He sat on a metal stool, fingers tapping idly against the table as he watched Kijin work carefully developing photos under the dim glow. 

"Are you gonna say what's on your mind, or are we just going to sit in silence all night?" Kijin finally asked, his tone more amused than impatient.

Eunsung didn't answer immediately. He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple before leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"Seokyoung was looking into the Sunshine Foundation," he murmured. "And HQ sent someone to stop him."

Kijin's brows furrowed slightly. "Your point?"

"I was suspicious when he started poking around, but then he suddenly gets into a fight at a half-finished construction site?" Eunsung shook his head. "I don't believe in coincidences."

The photographer glanced up briefly from his work but said nothing, letting the conversation unfold as he continued handling the film.

"Seokyoung's strong," Eunsung continued, his fingers now tapping against his knee. "Not invincible, but strong. And from what I saw in that photo, Dowan hit him once in the end, and he was done."

Kijin hummed. "Maybe Dowan's stronger than we thought."

That was the problem.

Dowan had never been weak, but strong enough to take down Seokyoung in one blow? That didn't add up. Seokyoung might not have been a trained fighter, but he'd never needed to be. His physical abilities were unnatural… overwhelming. The kind of raw power that turned fights into one-sided massacres. And yet…

"He took a hit to the gut and just collapsed?" Eunsung muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "That's not like him."

Kijin tilted his head. "Could've just been a lucky shot."

Eunsung wasn't convinced. He knew how fights worked, how power dynamics played out. And Seokyoung… Seokyoung wasn't the type to go down like that. He'd at least get back up, throw a few more punches, make the fight messy. Instead, he had gone still, knees hitting the ground.

And then there was the USB.

Eunsung had seen the footage. Dowan had reached into Seokyoung's pocket and taken it. A clean, deliberate motion, as if Seokyoung wasn't even trying to stop him.

That was what bothered him the most.

"If HQ really sent someone," Kijin mused, "then what happened at the construction site… was it actually a fight?"

Eunsung's jaw tightened. "No. It was planned."

But for who?

For Seokyoung, telling him to back off? Or for Dowan, warning him about what he'd just stepped into?

Either way, it wasn't over.

Midterms were coming up, and as much as Eunsung hated it, he had to focus on those first. But after?

He was going to get some answers.

***

I sneezed.

Jihan sighed, pausing mid-scribble. "Bless you… for the ninth time." He capped his pen, giving me a flat stare. "Maybe we should call it a day."

I sniffled. "Because I sneezed?"

"Because you keep on sneezing. I'd rather not catch whatever medieval plague you've contracted. But also, you've been through the entire topic already. No point going through it again right now. Besides, don't you need to do your hundredth workout of the day or something?"

I scowled, ready to argue, but then remembered my current situation and immediately switched tactics. With the speed and precision of a seasoned manipulator, I widened my eyes, letting them shimmer with just the right amount of desperation. I clasped my hands together, tilting my head slightly for maximum effect.

"But Jihan…" I pleaded, voice trembling with carefully calculated helplessness. "How can I pass my tests without you?"

Jihan didn't even blink. "By studying," he deadpanned, flipping over his mock test paper.

Damn. That usually worked.

Every single high-school fighting webtoon somehow forgot that its characters were still students. That no matter how many street fights, gang takeovers, or life-or-death battles they got into, they still had to take midterms. They still had to suffer through math problems and memorize history dates.

I had homework.

Tests.

A very real possibility of failing, despite all my absurd fights and system-given abilities.

Strangely enough, the workload was lighter than I'd expected. In fact, it seemed like high school was easier than middle school. At first, I'd thought I was imagining things, but after a bit of research, I realized it wasn't just me… it was by design.

The answer? The Gangism phenomenon.

Yeah, that was the actual name. Some professor somewhere had apparently thought it sounded smart.

Essentially, high school students across the country had started treating school like a lawless battleground… faction wars, turf fights, full-blown criminal enterprises, you name it. Teachers and administrators had tried to stop it, but traditional punishments didn't work. Expulsions just meant more recruits for local gangs, and police crackdowns only made things messier.

So, in a move that could only be described as "if you can't beat them, at least make sure they graduate," the government adjusted the system.

Less homework.

Fewer restrictions.

A strong emphasis on just getting students through school without major incidents.

The logic? If students weren't drowning in assignments or forced to follow strict rules, they'd be less likely to rebel violently.

Did it work?

…Sort of.

It kept things manageable. Instead of schools being outright war zones, they were more like controlled battlefields. Students still fought, but as long as no one died, no one really cared. It was just part of the culture at this point. High school wasn't just about grades… it was about survival, reputation, and dominance.

So yeah.

That's why no one batted an eye when teenagers beat the crap out of each other in broad daylight. That's why school was less about actual education and more about who you were, what you could do, and how many people would back you up.

It wasn't even just in Korea. It was practically worldwide. I'd read that America had it particularly bad, with basically every other student coming into school with a gun. 

This world was ridiculous, I decided.

And then I promptly proceeded to fall off my chair as a Quest Window popped up to my side just as I turned.

Jihan smiled, clearly amused at my plight and I scowled properly this time, dusting off my shoulders.

New Side Quest!

Protect Jihan during the Exam period [ ] 

Rewards: 1 Diamond card

Silence.

I held my breath. Diamond.

If it wasn't Copy Cloud then I'd eat my sock. I needed Copy Cloud so badly, I had way too many ideas on how to save money using it.

The fact that I was actually getting one as a reward meant that everything was finally progressing. I remembered how Jihan would get basically kidnapped by his middle school friend… I'd completely forgotten his name.

It was a pretty easy battle for Dowan from my memory, considering I'd beaten Seokyoung then I'd have it pretty easy too, no?

But then again, this battle was less about being a challenge for Dowan and more about being the crisis point for Jihan. This was where he confronted his trauma face to face. 

This was where he became that God-tier fighter I remembered.

And this was also where he started genuinely becoming happy.

A small smile appeared on my face as I swiped the Quest Window away. I'd help Jihan, and I'd beat those guys up. The middle-school friend would end up sending the Mad Brothers after us wouldn't they…?

"I'll see you tomorrow then Jihan." I called out. 

Jihan smiled genuinely, a sight that was beginning to get more common day by day. "Yeah, coming to school early again?"

"Obviously, when else can I sleep?"

He laughed and I left the room, quickly making my way down the house's ridiculous number of stairs and then waving goodbye to the housekeeper.

The fact that I'd practically already gotten used to the mansion was also ridiculous.

Weird life.

Walking home, I quickly put in my earphones, stuffing my phone deep into my jacket pocket and then stuffing my hands into my pockets too.

I pondered.

The problem with Jihan getting kidnapped was the fact that I'd have to actually find him… couldn't I just ask Jihan to constantly share his location with me? There was that app right? The only downside I could think of was that they might switch Jihan's phone off, or that he'd think I was a stalker.

Which I wasn't, obviously.

Or maybe I could just toss a tracker on him.

I hummed, kicking a rock down the street. 

Oh wells, it'd all work out in the end.

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