CROWNWELL

Minjae is just another otaku — a quiet seventeen-year-old who finds comfort in anime, manga, and the safety of his small circle of friends. His days are filled with school, gaming marathons, and avoiding reality. But when his mother’s hidden debts catch up to them, Minjae’s peaceful world shatters overnight.

With loan sharks closing in and threats piling up, Minjae is forced into a brutal world of street fights, school gang wars, and underground politics — a world he’s painfully unprepared for.

Surrounded by danger, Minjae is never truly alone. His best friend Hyunwoo, a loyal gym rat with dreams of becoming a street wrestling legend, and Jisoo Han, a lazy but sharp-witted fighter known for her deadly kicks, stand by his side. Later, they’re joined by Tuah, a charming and unpredictable Malaysian senior whose elegant Silat flow hides his lethal potential.

But the streets aren’t forgiving. The four regional school representatives — Seok Jinwoo, Ryu Jaeho, Kang Dohyeon, and the legendary Choi Gyuhwan — dominate the city’s fight scene, and Minjae’s name is barely a whisper among giants.

As Minjae fights his way up from the bottom, he discovers his family’s buried legacy: Subaekgyeon, a forgotten martial art that could change everything.

Driven by guilt, friendship, and a desire to break free from his crushing fate, Minjae must rise — not as an anime hero, but as a street legend forged in real pain.

But in a city where debts, betrayal, and power rule, can Minjae survive long enough to write his own story?

Restart: Press Start to Fight

There weren't many people — just a few neighbors, some of his mother's coworkers, and his homeroom teacher who awkwardly handed him an envelope before leaving early.

Minjae sat alone on the wooden bench outside the funeral hall, staring at the cup of cold coffee in his hands. He hadn't touched it.

The sky was clear today. The air was fresh. It pissed him off.

How could the world still move when his had completely stopped?

Bro, where are you?You don't have to go through this alone.

Tch. Pick up. Idiot. I'll break your other hand if you keep ghosting us.

Minjae turned the phone face down on the bench. He didn't deserve them. He didn't deserve to be comforted.He was the reason she was gone.

His fists tightened until his nails dug into his palms.

The debt crew still existed. The man who swung the pipe was still out there. The one who smiled as his mother bled out was probably walking home like nothing happened.

His mother's last words rang over and over in his head.

"Promise me… you'll write your own."

What does that even mean?Write my own what? My own story?How can I do that now?

He clenched his jaw and slammed his fist against the bench, not caring about the sharp pain that shot up his arm.

If the world wanted to write him as a victim, then screw the world.

For the first time, Minjae's rage didn't paralyze him.It didn't suffocate him.It focused him.

Later that night, he went to the only place he could think of — the old outdoor basketball court where he used to hang out with Hyunwoo and Jisoo.

The court was empty. The only sound was the soft tap tap of his cheap sneakers against the wet concrete as he walked to the center.

He pulled out his phone and made a single call.

Hyunwoo answered instantly. "Bro—"

Hyunwoo was silent for a beat, then his voice dropped low. "You sure? You don't come back from this."

Hyunwoo let out a long breath. "Okay. Meet me tomorrow, 5 AM. Don't be late."

A second later, another message popped up.

You better not be doing anything stupid without me.

Minjae couldn't help but let out a soft, bitter laugh.Even now, they wouldn't let him drown alone.

He looked up at the sky.There were no stars tonight.That was fine.

He wasn't looking for a way out anymore.

His story — his real story — started now.

The First Night Without Her