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Chapter 6.1: Bullies? (2)
As quick as lightning, Kang Chan pounced on the guy with the iron pipe.
Pow. Pow. Pow.
He jabbed his thumb into his target’s neck, abdomen, and ribs. Taking advantage of the jump’s velocity, he then forcefully kneed the boy in the thigh.
“Cough.”
The iron pipe was already in Kang Chan’s hand.
“If you go around carrying this…”
Boong. Pow!
With all his strength, he then smashed the center of the boy’s bent knee with the iron pipe.
“Aghhhhhh!”
Next, Kang Chan struck the shoulder of the boy, who was now rolling on the ground and holding his knee.
Boong–– Pow.
“Gahhhhh!”
Boong–– Pow.
Thud.
Not wanting to break his promise to Kang Dae-Kyung that he wouldn’t kill another person, Kang Chan held himself back when he hit the boy in the neck. Nevertheless, the boy fell to the ground as if he was dead.
“These bastards.”
Kang Chan tossed the iron pipe aside and glared at the boy with the fillet knife.
“At the very least, if you want to carry a knife with you—”
“Die!”
The boy screamed and lunged with his knife toward him.
Woosh!
Kang Chan swiftly grabbed his wrist, yanked it, and forcefully slammed his right elbow against the guy’s face.
Thump.
Kang Chan twisted the boy’s left hand, forcing him to hold the fillet knife up. He then grabbed the knife with his right hand and held it in a reverse grip.
Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.
Kang Chan struck both of his shoulders and both sides of his waist.
“Gaahhh!”
The boy’s entire body was now completely drenched with blood, but Kang Chan didn’t let go of him.
Pow.
Kang Chan struck his nape hard with the fillet knife’s handle.
Thud.
The boy fell flat on his face and became as quiet as a corpse. The guy holding the nail bat took a step back.
Kang Chan looked at him, tilting his head to one side.
“You have one hell of an advantage. My weapon is shorter than yours, no?”
“You motherfucker!”
Right as the boy cursed at him, Kang Chan bent his index and middle fingers and jabbed him in the eyes.
Jab. Jab. Jab.
It all happened in an instant. Kang Chan thrust his fingers into his opponent’s right elbow and both shoulders in an instant, rendering the guy incapable of combat for at least two months.
Everything after that happened at the speed of lightning. With the students dispirited, Kang Chan could give them a break. Except for Lee Ho-Jun and the boy with the nail bat, he struck each of the students’ right elbow and both shoulders with the knife.
“Euhhh!”
A cry of pain resounded. In reality, muscles would only sting before they started throbbing if they were poked. It wouldn’t hurt this excessively.
“Lee Ho-Jun.”
Lee Ho-Jun backed away from Kang Chan.
“You’re the only ones left. I’m going to dig out your eye. Decide which side you want to keep before I make a hole in your fucking body. Otherwise, I’ll just dig both out.”
Lee Ho-Jun was utterly terrified, and he couldn’t run away in his condition. Things would’ve been better if Kang Chan had done this during their first encounter. Kang Chan now realized the importance of wrapping things up properly, but he still had business to take care of. He walked straight toward the guy with the nail bat.
“Ugh! Fuck!”
Boong.
Kang Chan ran toward the nail bat coming at him and flung its wielder’s right arm over his left shoulder before twisting his elbow in the opposite direction.
Crack.
“Gaaah! Gahhhh!”
“Be quiet, motherfucker.”
If Kang Chan cut them some slack, then something like this would happen again. Hence, he clamped the boy’s broken arm between his legs and bent it even more.
Crack.
As Kang Chan twisted the boy’s arm violently, the sounds of bones breaking resounded from his shoulder.
“Hoo!”
Kang Chan let go of the arm and picked up the nail bat that had fallen to the ground. There were more than ten nine-inch nails embedded in it.
“Bicycle chains were popular back in my day.”
Kang Chan stood facing the guy that was now drooling and sobbing.
Whoosh. Pow!
Kang Chan struck him hard in the neck. Not wanting to kill him, he used the bottom part of the nail bat, breaking it just below the nails as he pounded the boy onto the ground. The boy soon stopped moving, just like the others.
“Lee Ho-Jun, have you come to a decision?”
The guys that hadn’t lost consciousness looked more startled than Lee Ho-Jun. Kang Chan thought about what to do for a moment. Lee Ho-Jun couldn’t attack again because he was already utterly discouraged.
‘Do I have to teach him a lesson?’
“Bring me a cigarette first.”
Lee Ho-Jun couldn’t even move.
“Don’t make me say it twice, motherfucker! It’s annoying!”
Lee Ho-Jun hurriedly walked over in response, handing him a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the pocket of his pants.
Chik chik.
“Hoo.”
Kang Chan returned the pack of cigarettes and lighter to Lee Ho-Jun, who couldn’t make eye contact with him.
“You got beaten up yesterday, so I’ll cut you some slack.”
Lee Ho-Jun doubted it, but he didn’t dare speak up.
Rattle.
“Ack!”
The door to the rooftop swung open and hit the guy that had been stabbed with a knife, making him scream. The teacher Kang Chan had met this morning came up to the roof and scanned the surroundings. He exhaled heavily.
Rattle.
He quickly closed the door.
“Are you not going to put out that cigarette?”
“Please read the room. Can’t you turn a blind eye just this once?”
Though dumbfounded for a moment, the teacher soon displayed a look of resignation.
“Give me one too.”
Lee Ho-Jun complied like a good student.
“Hoo.” Kang Chan and the teacher sat down on the floor as they smoked.
“None of them needs urgent medical attention, right?”
“I just made sure they won’t be able to fight for the next three or four months.”
The teacher nodded in response.
“Oh? They’re not from our school, huh?” The teacher turned his head toward the boy that had fallen flat on his face.
“I heard they’re Shimdeok bullies, is that right?”
Lee Ho-Jun quickly nodded in response to Kang Chan’s question.
“Don’t come to school anymore,” the teacher told Kang Chan.
“I was planning not to anyway.”
“Why? Are you thinking of becoming a gangster or something?”
“I’m going to France.”
The teacher’s face hardened upon hearing Kang Chan’s response. However, he shook his head lightly shortly after, snapping himself out of his thoughts.
“You’re very similar to someone I know.”
“Hahahaha.”
Kang Chan laughed so hard he wheezed.
“If you knew who I really am, you’d be very shocked.”
The teacher smiled after hearing his reply but didn’t respond further.
“Let’s go. We need to send those bastards to the hospital,” the teacher said.
“I’m going home.”
“Don’t fool around. Get back to class. You must tie up all loose ends properly before leaving the country. If you get charged with a crime, you’re doomed. Stay in school because I’m going to push for self-defense or standing up against violence angle. Wearing a school uniform will help the extenuating circumstances.”
The teacher got up and dusted off his pants.
“Can you get that bastard to make a statement in our favor?” The teacher asked Kang Chan while staring at Lee Ho-Jun.
Kang Chan slowly got up and looked at Lee Ho-Jun.
“Tell them these people were trying to seek revenge for the incident that happened a few days ago, and you were dragged here today to fight back. You didn’t bring any weapons with you, right?” The teacher asked.
“Why would I carry such a thing with me?”
“True.”
“Why’re you looking out for me?” Kang Chan asked just as the teacher turned around.
The teacher looked over his shoulder and gave him a meaningful smile.
“Because I’m grateful that you did what I couldn’t do,” the teacher replied, looking into Kang Chan’s eyes.
As he turned back to the rooftop door and opened it, he found a bunch of students standing in front of him.
“What are you doing standing here? Go back downstairs!” He yelled at the students.
“Ha, considering I have to file a report to the police and deal with them, things are nokay today.”
Kang Chan felt as though the whole world had stopped after hearing the words the teacher mumbled to himself.
“Hey, you. Stop.”
The teacher sighed so hard and loud that his upper body shook.
“Hey, brat! Are you acting like this just because we shared a cigarette together? You’re going to regret it if you take it too far.”
Kang Chan stared suspiciously at him.
“Who are you?”
“You’re getting smug because I’ve complimented you too much!”
The teacher approached Kang Chan. It seemed as though he couldn’t hold it in any longer. It was Kang Chan’s first time feeling this tense ever since he reincarnated, and it wasn’t tension from a simple fight. It was sharp, similar to what he felt on the battlefield, where he risked his life.
“I’ve barely made up my mind, so don’t kick up a big fuss, kid, but I had also been thinking about leaving everything behind and going to France.”
“Aren’t you too old?”
“Still! Be respectful when you speak to me from now on.”
The teacher’s ego seemed to have been bruised. It was as if he was more upset about Kang Chan’s comment about his age than about the fact that the kid was speaking to him informally.
The two locked glares without an inch of concession, seemingly about to pounce on each other at any given moment.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Hey! Kang Chan!”
“You knew my name all along, didn’t you?”
The teacher shook his head slightly without avoiding his gaze.
“You knew my name, right?”
After hearing the same question for the second time, the teacher nodded.
“I know that name.”
Could it be…?
Kang Chan looked straight into the teacher’s eyes.
“Who am I?”[1]
And then… he saw the teacher’s eyes tremble.
“Say the next line too,” the teacher replied, his voice emotional.
“God of…”
“Blackfield.” The teacher finished Kang Chan’s clearly articulated words.
It was a truly astounding moment.
1. This was spoken in English. ☜