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

The pain never really left.Minjae's body ached from the second day of training, his arms sore, his legs burning, but he dragged himself to school anyway.

He wasn't running anymore.He was hunting now.

The whispers followed him as he walked through the halls.

"That's the kid… the one whose mom…"

"Did you hear? He's been training with Hyunwoo. Crazy."

"Think he's really gonna fight the debt crews?"

At lunch, he sat with Hyunwoo and Jisoo like always, but the air between them had changed.

Hyunwoo tossed him a protein bar. "Eat. You're not gonna get stronger on cup noodles alone."

Jisoo flicked a small notebook toward him, her usual lazy glare sharp for once. "That's the list."

Minjae picked it up. Inside were names. Names of students who'd been cornered by the same debt crews — kids being blackmailed, beaten, or used to collect money.

"This isn't just about you anymore," Jisoo said, popping gum into her mouth. "This is everywhere. These bastards have been crawling around our school for years."

Minjae's jaw tightened. "Then we go after them. One by one."

Hyunwoo grinned. "Sounds like you've finally grown a spine."

Minjae glanced at the first name on the list — a small first-year who'd borrowed from a loan shark to buy a new phone. Now, he was being shaken down by debt runners every day after class.

Minjae stood, his hands steady for the first time in weeks."I'll handle it."

That afternoon, behind the school gym, Minjae found the first-year cornered by three older students.

"Hey." Minjae's voice cut through the alley like a blade.

The debt runners turned, sneering. "Look who it is. Little hero's here."

"You don't belong here, debt boy."

Minjae cracked his knuckles. His legs still shook a little. His ribs still hurt. But his eyes didn't waver.

"Yeah? I'm making it my business."

The fight wasn't pretty. Minjae still fought sloppy. His punches were wide. His blocks were late. But he didn't back down.

Until his knuckles split. Until the debt runners stopped laughing. Until they realized this wasn't some scared kid anymore.

When the last one ran off, dragging his friend behind him, Minjae dropped to one knee, breathing hard.

The first-year stared at him, wide-eyed. "W-Why did you help me?"

Minjae wiped the blood from his chin."Because no one helped me."

That night, back at the court, Hyunwoo watched Minjae struggle through his footwork drills.

"You really wanna take down the whole debt crew, huh?"

Hyunwoo cracked a rare, proud smile. "Then you better get faster."

Not just to survive.Not just for revenge.But to break the chain.

Minjae wasn't running from the debt crews anymore.He was hunting them.

Debt Hunter Begins