GANGBUSTER CHAPTER FIVE: MENACE II SOCIETY

The atmosphere at Bloody-Knuckles Gym was thick with intensity, the air vibrating with the anticipation of a new beginning. Jae-Sun stood imposing, arms crossed, his gaze sharp and focused on his new disciple.

"Disciple," he announced, his voice booming, "today begins your first day in hell!"

Rafiel shifted uncomfortably, raising an eyebrow. "Uh… Mr. Lee? Aren't you being a little too extreme?"

Without warning, Jae-sun grabbed Rafiel and flipped him effortlessly, sending him crashing to the mat. 

"Fucking Oww~! What the hell?!" Rafiel exclaimed, his indignation quickly replaced by pain.

Jae-Sun loomed over him, a fierce grin on his face. "Summer break has begun. For most kids your age, that means having fun, going to concerts, bars, and all that shit. But for you, that means pushing your body to its limit every day." He extended a hand, helping Rafiel back to his feet. "But since you're so weak, let's start small. Throw a punch at me. Full strength. I need to see for myself how much work we need to do."

Rafiel hesitated, his mind racing. (I should aim for the chin, right?) With determination, he threw a punch aimed at Jae-Sun's chin. The impact landed, but to Rafiel's shock, Jae-Sun barely flinched.

"That was it?" Jae-Sun scoffed. "No wonder that bitch boy was able to take a hit to the chin. Here I was thinking he was just stronger than he looks, but it's your fists that are weak."

"My fists are weak?" Rafiel echoed, disbelief creeping into his voice.

Jae-Sun handed him some weighted pads. "Put these on." 

As Rafiel strapped on the weighted wrist and ankle bands, he felt the gravity of the situation. Jae-Sun rolled out a mannequin, the challenge now fully revealed. 

"Okay, all I want you to do is punch this mannequin for thirty minutes. Feel free to take small breaks if you get tired; I'll resume the timer when you continue. Then do fifty push-ups—since you're weak, you can do the girl version just for today. After that, take a twenty-minute jog around the gym. We'll take a thirty-minute break at noon so you can eat and rest, and then we'll repeat the process over and over until the day is finished."

Rafiel thought to himself, (I mean, it sounds hard, yeah, but that doesn't sound too difficult.)

He began to punch the mannequin, but his strikes resembled little more than love taps. "Huh?" he murmured, frustration mounting. (My punch… even I could tell that it was weak! Idiot! The weights! They may not feel heavy by themselves, but once I start exerting energy... oh no.)

Jae-Sun's voice cut through his thoughts. "Those weights weigh 7kg each. Like I said, welcome to hell…"

Eight hours later, Rafiel collapsed on a mat, his body a wreck. 

"Heavy breathing My limbs feel like they're on fire! Aren't you supposed to take it easy on the first day?!" he gasped.

"Not in my gym," Jae-Sun replied, unyielding. "Ji-Ho is still running around out there. If I was him, I would be fully focused on getting revenge on you for embarrassing me."

Jae-Sun's expression hardened. "I've met his type before. His ego rules every decision he makes. If you want to make sure he's never a threat to you or Park Hana ever again, then you need to get strong fast. That means I'm not letting you through the tutorial on easy mode!"

Rafiel couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. (Again with the video game references.) "Whatever, we're done for the day, right?"

"I am, but you aren't," Jae-Sun replied flatly.

"Huh?"

"I agreed to train you, but not so I can make you a better fighter. I'm training you so you can become an absolute menace to society. Right now, you're a level one loser. But I'm gonna make you grind every day until you become a level one-hundred badass!" He handed Rafiel a piece of paper. "These foods are no longer a part of your diet. Focus on chicken, fish, and dairy predominantly."

"What?!" Rafiel exclaimed, aghast. "So I can't eat any of this stuff? What the hell, Mr. Lee?!"

"Follow my instructions to the letter, and come the end of this month, you won't even recognize yourself," Jae-Sun stated, his tone final.

Rafiel stared at the list, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Still sad, reading the list, "I can't even eat hotteok? This better be worth it."

Back at the Park/De La Cruz household, Rafiel stood before the mirror, analyzing his reflection. In the future, I'm not gonna lie, I was in pretty bad shape. Only twenty-nine, and I was overweight, balding, and had missing teeth from cavities. "Hmmm…" He flexed his arms, the muscles beneath his skin taut and defined.

(Wow. I was actually in fairly decent shape back in the day.)

Getting closer to the glass, he analyzed his face. (And I actually wasn't half bad looking either. Enjoy these boyish good looks while you can, kid. Time is a thief.)

Taking a deep breath, he removed his shirt. (Yeah, the more I look at it, it's subtle, but my body looks really toned. If I stayed around this size, I might actually get a girlfriend in this timeline.)

Hana stood in the kitchen, the savory aroma of budae jjigae wafting through the air as she stirred the pot. Her voice carried through the house, filled with warmth and cheer. "Rafi, dinner's almost done!"

Rafiel walked in, pulling a shirt over his head, the fabric brushing against his skin as he looked at her with a determined expression. "I'm skipping dinner tonight, Hana."

Hana's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"New diet Jae-Sun put me on," Rafiel replied, his voice firm. "No eating after a set time."

"But I made budae jjigae!" she argued, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You love budae jjigae, I made it just like dad makes it… What is this? Why are you so hellbent on working out all of a sudden? You're in perfectly fine shape."

Rafiel halted momentarily, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him. "When… when my mom died… I felt… I felt weak… helpless, powerless. And when we just went back to school after she died and I kept getting bullied, I felt even more weak." His voice trembled slightly as he continued, "Standing up to Ji-Ho, rescuing you, that made me feel… less weak. But I don't want to feel 'less weak.' I want to feel strong."

Hana's expression softened, though concern still lingered in her eyes. "So waking up at six every morning and starving yourself is supposed to make you stronger? Do you even know who this Jae-Sun guy is? Dad never once talked about him before, and don't you think it's suspicious he's choosing to do this for you for free? What does he get out of it?"

The next day, Rafiel found himself at the gym, anticipation and curiosity mingling in his chest. He spotted Jae-Sun, effortlessly balancing in a resting handstand.

"Mr. Lee?" Rafiel called out, trying to catch his attention.

Jae-Sun flipped back onto his feet, a grin spreading across his face. "What's up, kid?"

Rafiel took a deep breath, the question weighing heavily on him. "Why are you determined to help me?"

Jae-Sun paused, his expression turning contemplative. "Why do you ask?"

"Because people rarely just give out free help, especially to this degree," Rafiel replied, his eyes searching Jae-Sun's for answers.

"Has your stepfather ever once talked about me?" Jae-Sun inquired, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"Not as far as I remember," Rafiel admitted.

"Ha! Yeah, that makes sense. Him and I didn't leave off on great terms. I figured it had been years, and maybe it was finally time for us to come to a compromise."

Rafiel nodded, eager to know more. "Yeah, I know that much. So you guys got into a big fight, huh? What was it about?"

Jae-Sun's gaze turned distant as he recalled the past. "When me and Byung-Ho were young, we were the best of friends. Even as kids, we were planning to start our own business. We had big dreams to be millionaires! To be the men who were at the top of everything! We were little kids with big ideas, him and I. And we got close too. Around your age, we went into business, and to a lot of people's surprise, we were successful! We were making more money than we knew what to do with!"

He paused, a shadow crossing his features. "But one day, Byung-Ho and I had an argument. I was still holding onto the goal of making our organization as big and as lucrative as possible. But Byung-Ho was tired and wanted us to stop growing. After our fight, the next morning he was gone, never said a word, and I was too angry to look for him. Eventually, he proved he was right. The company grew too big too fast, and I couldn't run it all alone, and so… it fell just as quickly as it grew. My ego was so hurt that I blamed Byung-Ho for everything, and I left Seoul."

His voice softened, tinged with regret. "It was only recently that I realized how foolish I was and how that foolishness cost me my best friend. So I guess me helping you like I am is… well, it's my way of making things up to him. I'm sorry for using you to make up for my mistakes. I know it's pretty selfish."

Rafiel felt a wave of empathy wash over him. "No… it's fine. I think if Byung-Ho knew how much you've changed, I'm sure he would forgive you." He paused, admiration swelling within him. (It took a lot of guts for him to be aware of his mistake and try to make amends. I wish I had this much courage in the future.) "And as far as I'm concerned, you have my full respect. Sah Bum Nim."

Jae-Sun chuckled, the tension in the air lifting. "Ha ha. I appreciate that, my student." He placed a hand on Rafiel's shoulder, a gesture of camaraderie. "Let's take it easy for today!"

"Really?! Thank God!" Rafiel exclaimed, relief flooding through him.

"Yeah, just give me one hundred push-ups and complete fifty laps around the outside of the gym in the next hour, and you can head on home!" Jae-Sun declared with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"What?! Sir, that's totally not taking it easy!" Rafiel protested, his voice rising in disbelief.

"Stop complaining and get to it, disciple!" Jae-Sun commanded, a grin plastered on his face.

And with that, Rafiel knew his journey was just beginning, each challenge a step toward the strength he so desperately sought.