"Reckless"

Continuation: The Truth Begins to Unravel

Inside Ancheon Boys' High School, a group of students gathered with serious expressions. They were discussing last night's events, and the atmosphere in the room was tense.

Seung Woo stood in the middle of them, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"We need to talk about what happened yesterday," he said firmly. "We all saw how Tae Min's guys tried to ambush Ji Hwan and Ji Yeon. Then Joo Hyuk and I were attacked separately. This isn't a coincidence."

His classmates exchanged uneasy glances. Some leaned against the desks, while others sat with their arms crossed.

One of them, who had been sitting on the window ledge, hopped down and stepped into the center of the group. "Forget that for a second. Do you all remember the student who committed suicide last week at this school?" His voice was calm but sharp.

The moment that tragedy was mentioned, the atmosphere shifted. A heavy silence filled the room.

"You think this has something to do with Tae Min?" Seung Woo asked, frowning.

"Of course!" the student replied, his eyes burning with conviction. "Everyone knows that kid was always forced to do things. And who made him do it? Kyung Ho and Min Soo. And those two? They always obey Tae Min."

"Tae Min..." one of the students muttered under his breath.

A realization began to settle among them.

"Think about it," another student added. "That kid was always being pushed around—sent to buy food, forced to carry their stuff, even made to take the blame whenever they got into trouble. If he really killed himself, maybe he was just too overwhelmed..."

"Or maybe," Seung Woo interrupted, "he didn't actually kill himself."

Silence.

They looked at each other, processing the possibility. Could this be more than just bullying? Was there something darker behind all of this?

Elsewhere: The Teachers' Office – Meeting Canceled

Meanwhile, in the teachers' office, the tension was for a different reason. The parent-teacher meeting scheduled to discuss Tae Min's gang problem had suddenly been canceled without explanation.

Mr. Park, their homeroom teacher, stood frozen, staring at the paper in his hands. His eyes scanned the words over and over again, as if hoping he had read them wrong.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the parent-teacher meeting for Class 2-B

scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience."

"This… doesn't make sense," he muttered.

He turned to the other teachers gathered in the room. "Who approved this? This meeting was called for a serious issue. Why was it suddenly canceled?"

One of the senior teachers, Mr. Choi, adjusted his glasses and sighed. "I don't know either. The directive came from above. The administration sent the notice this morning. There's nothing we can do."

"Nothing we can do?" Mr. Park's tone turned frustrated. "This isn't just any meeting. We're dealing with a gang problem in the school. Our students are in danger. We need this meeting!"

Another teacher, Ms. Jung, leaned forward. "Do you think someone deliberately got it canceled?"

Mr. Park clenched his fists. "If I had to guess, someone doesn't want this issue to be discussed. And I think we all know who that someone is."

The room fell silent.

They all knew the truth: someone—most likely Tae Min's family—had used their influence to shut down the meeting before the problem could be addressed.

And that could only mean one thing—the situation was far worse than they had imagined.

Outside the classroom, five guys were standing, waiting for someone. They didn't look like students from Ancheon Boys' High School—their uniforms belonged to a technical school infamous for its delinquent students. Their sharp gazes made other students uneasy.

Ji Hwan, spotting them from the window, rushed downstairs in a hurry.

When he reached the ground floor, the situation took an unexpectedly amusing turn.

Ji Hwan hurried over to them and whispered urgently, "What the hell are you guys doing here?! Are you looking for trouble?!"

One of them, a tall guy with slightly messy hair, smirked. "We're just dropping by. Chill, man."

Ji Hwan let out a deep sigh and immediately gestured for them to hide behind a nearby wall. "Seriously, if the teachers or students here see you, I'm screwed."

While crouching behind the wall, one of them glanced around and scoffed. "Tch. Even the school building looks fancy. The people here must be stuck-up."

Another one chimed in, "Yeah. Total losers."

They all turned to Ji Hwan with scrutinizing eyes. "So, this is your school, huh?"

Ji Hwan scratched his head, looking slightly awkward. "Uh… yeah. But seriously, you guys need to leave before anyone notices."

One of them suddenly spoke up. "Yesterday, you got chased by that thug Tae Min, didn't you?"

Ji Hwan paused for a moment. Of course, they had heard about what happened last night.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from behind. One of Ji Hwan's classmates appeared, holding a wooden stick in his hands. His expression was tense, ready for a fight.

"Get ready! They're definitely here to cause trouble!" he shouted, raising the stick.

Ji Hwan quickly stepped in between them, blocking his friend. "They're not bad guys! I know them!"

His classmate hesitated. "But they're from that technical school…"

Ji Hwan glanced at their uniforms—there was no denying that their presence stood out like a sore thumb among the Ancheon Boys' High School students.

Still holding his classmate back, Ji Hwan subtly signaled the five guys to leave while keeping his voice casual.

"Relax, they're just passing through," Ji Hwan said smoothly, hoping to diffuse the tension before things got worse.

Meanwhile, at the campus Kang Ryun, Ji Hwan and Ji Yeon's uncle, sat in the university library, flipping through a textbook. His sharp eyes scanned the pages, but his mind drifted elsewhere. He had been thinking about his nephew's reckless behavior lately. That kid… he's too much like his father. He sighed, closing the book.

Back to Ji Hwan During lunch break, the entire class stormed into the cafeteria like a pack of wild animals. Their loud chatter and laughter filled the room as they fought over seats and food.

Ji Hwan, as usual, was being obnoxious, teasing his friends and cutting the line. "Move it, slowpokes! I'm starving!"

Joo Hyuk, clearly annoyed, groaned. "God, you're so irritating! Can't you act normal for once?!"

Ji Yeon, already exasperated, rolled her eyes. "Ah, bichinna! I swear, if you don't shut up, I'll shove this spoon down your throat."

Meanwhile, Seung Min ignored all the chaos, calmly eating his food without a care in the world.

At the same time, Tae Min Somewhere else in the school, Tae Min sat alone, quietly sipping his drink. His expression was unreadable, his mind calculating his next move. The meeting with his father was still fresh in his head, and he needed to come up with a plan before things spiraled out of control.

In the Principal's Office Ms. Lee stood firmly in front of the principal's desk, her expression serious. "Sir, I need to report something. The parents' meeting that was supposed to take place tomorrow… has been canceled."

The principal, a middle-aged man with a sly smile, leaned back in his chair and clasped his fingers together on the desk. "Oh? Is that so… interesting."

Ms. Lee nodded. "Yes, and I don't think this is a coincidence. Someone must be working behind the scenes to get it canceled."

The principal smirked, his eyes gleaming with calculation. "Come on, let's just wait and see. Sometimes, these games are more entertaining when we let them think they're winning."

Ms. Lee sighed, slightly frustrated by the principal's habit of playing mind games instead of taking immediate action. But she kept her expression neutral. "Alright, I just wanted to inform you."

The principal waved his hand dismissively. "Keep an eye on them. If anything suspicious happens, we'll strike at the right moment."

Ms. Lee walked out of the office with a sense of unease. She knew this school was full of schemes, but she hadn't expected the principal himself to enjoy the game so much.

Not long after, the principal picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Elsewhere, Jung Ha Joon sat in his club's lounge, sipping his drink while staring at his phone vibrating on the table. Seeing the name on the screen, his expression darkened slightly before he finally answered.

"Principal?" Ha Joon's voice was calm, but there was a hint of suspicion in it.

From the other end of the line, the principal spoke in a sly tone. "Ha Joon… I assume you already know that the parents' meeting has been canceled?"

Ha Joon smirked slightly, leaning back in his chair. "Of course. I made sure of it."

The principal chuckled. "You're always efficient. But tell me… what exactly are you planning? The school won't stay silent forever."

Ha Joon tapped his fingers on the table in a slow rhythm. "That's none of your business, sir. Remember our deal. You handle the school, I handle everything outside. We wouldn't want any… unnecessary conflicts, would we?"

The principal laughed softly. "Of course not. But don't let your brother ruin everything. Tae Min is getting reckless."

Ha Joon's smirk faded slightly. "I'll handle him."

"Good. Then let's just sit back and watch how things unfold."

The call ended. Ha Joon stared at his phone for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. He knew Tae Min was becoming a problem, but for now, there were more important matters to deal with.

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, Ji Hwan and his classmates were still eating. As usual, the atmosphere was noisy with conversations and jokes flying around.

Ji Hwan leaned back in his chair, still annoyed. "Seriously, this school is getting crazier by the day."

Joo Hyuk scoffed. "The only crazy one here is you, idiot."

Ji Yeon sighed, stabbing at her food. "Ugh, I'm so tired. Why do we always get dragged into trouble?"

Seung Woo, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke. "It's not our fault. If only Tae Min and his gang weren't around, things would be a lot calmer."

Ji Hwan smirked. "You mean more boring?"

Before anyone could reply, the cafeteria doors suddenly burst open. A group of students walked in, and the atmosphere immediately shifted. They weren't from Ji Hwan's class, but everyone knew who they were—Tae Min's guys.

The room fell silent as they made their way toward Ji Hwan's table. Their leader, a tall guy with sharp eyes, crossed his arms over his chest. "Ji Hwan… we need to talk."

Ji Hwan leaned forward with a grin. "Oh? Thought you guys were too scared to show up."

The guy narrowed his eyes. "Shut up and listen. Tae Min wants to see you. Now."

Ji Hwan exchanged glances with his friends. This wasn't good. Tae Min wouldn't call for him without a reason.

Ji Yeon clicked her tongue. "Tsk, what does that bastard want now?"

Seung Woo wiped his mouth and stood up. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Joo Hyuk clenched his fists. "Want us to come with you?"

Ji Hwan chuckled, then stood up, dusting off his uniform. "Relax, guys. It's just a chat, right…?" His gaze challenged the student in front of him.

The guy smirked. "Depends on how you answer."

Without another word, Ji Hwan followed them out of the cafeteria. His friends could only watch warily. They knew this was about to turn into something big.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the break. Students returned to their seats, chatting casually or stretching before the next lesson.

However, more than an hour had passed, and Ji Hwan still hadn't returned. The classroom started to feel uneasy.

Seung Woo tapped his fingers on the desk. "Hey, it's been over an hour. Where the hell is that idiot?"

Joo Hyuk leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head. "Maybe he got jumped by Tae Min and his gang." His tone was casual, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes.

Ji Yeon clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tsk. If he got himself into trouble again, I'm not helping him this time!"

Then, one of their classmates sitting near the window suddenly stood up. "I can't just sit here. Let's go find him!"

Several others immediately agreed. "Yeah! If we leave him alone, who knows what might happen to him?"

Joo Hyuk let out a long sigh before standing up. "Alright, let's find him before he ends up as a corpse."

Without wasting any more time, they all rushed out of the classroom, determined to track down Ji Hwan.

Not long after they stepped out of the classroom and walked down the hallway, a sharp voice echoed behind them.

"Hey! Stop right there! Where do you all think you're going?"

It was Ms. Lee, their strict yet sharp-eyed teacher.

The entire group froze in place before slowly turning around, forcing awkward smiles.

A few minutes later, they were back in the classroom, receiving a ridiculous punishment—balancing books on their heads while writing an essay about discipline.

Joo Hyuk grumbled under his breath. "This is stupid. My neck hurts."

Seung Woo rolled his eyes. "If Ji Hwan doesn't show up soon, I swear I'm throwing this book at his face."

Just then, the classroom door creaked open.

Ji Hwan casually strolled in, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking completely unbothered.

But as soon as he took a step inside, he was startled by the sight of his entire class glaring at him.

"YAA!!" They all shouted in unison.

"This is all your fault!" One of them pointed at him accusingly.

Ji Hwan blinked in confusion. "Huh? What did I do?"

His classmates immediately erupted into a loud argument, blaming him for their punishment.

Ms. Lee, now even more annoyed, slammed a book onto her desk. "Enough! Stop the noise!"

Ji Hwan sighed and quietly made his way to his seat, still not entirely sure what just happened.

As the dismissal bell rang, instead of packing up, the entire class surrounded Ji Hwan, who was still lounging in his seat.

"Hey, why did you take so long?!" Joo Hyuk demanded.

"What were you even talking about?!" Seung Woo added.

Ji Yeon crossed her arms and shot him an annoyed look. "Don't tell me you ran away from something again."

Ji Hwan chuckled and leaned back in his chair with a smug expression. "It's nothing. I just... well, hid for a bit so certain people wouldn't find me."

The whole class sighed in unison, clearly exasperated by his antics.

"Coward," someone muttered from the back.

Ji Hwan shrugged. "Not a coward, it's called survival strategy."

Before he could defend himself any further, THUD!

One by one, his classmates started smacking him on the head with their books.

"Ouch! Hey! Take it easy!" Ji Hwan yelped, ducking and covering his head.

"That's your punishment for getting us scolded by Ms. Lee!" Seung Woo smirked.

Ji Yeon facepalmed and let out a deep sigh. "Why do I have to have a twin like this..."

Meanwhile, Ji Hwan could only grimace as he rubbed his now throbbing head. "Wow, instead of feeling sorry for me, you guys just gang up and hit me."