Chapter 6 – Crimson Souls (2)
The afternoon air seemed to hold its breath.
The street in front of the school gate, usually noisy and crowded, had turned into a stage for battle. Ji Hoon stood frozen, face pale, watching as Jae Hwan dropped his bag, ready to take on the five members of Crimson Souls.
"Don't be afraid. Watch closely, Ji Hoon," Jae Hwan said coldly, his low voice filled with confidence. "I'll show you… how a real boxer fights."
The Fight Begins
One of the Crimson Souls stepped forward, throwing a straight punch toward Jae Hwan's face.
Slow motion: Jae Hwan tilted his head, the punch cutting through air. In a split second, his shoulder rotated—BAM! A right hook smashed into the opponent's jaw, teeth nearly flying out.
"Ughhhk!" The boy's body was flung to the side, crashing against the wall.
"What the hell… he's so fast!" one of the others shouted.
Two more attacked at once, from left and right. Ji Hoon held his breath, eyes widening.
Slow motion: A right fist came from the left. Jae Hwan ducked, knees bending slightly, then—THUD!—an uppercut slammed into the opponent's gut.
The other swung a kick toward Jae Hwan's ribs, but Jae Hwan twisted his body, blocking with his elbow—CRACK!—then instantly countered with a lightning-fast straight punch to the nose. Blood sprayed.
Both attackers collapsed almost simultaneously.
Flashback
As Jae Hwan shook his hand loose, a memory flashed. The roar of an international audience echoed in his ears.
The world boxing arena. Bright spotlights. A younger Jae Hwan stood in the ring, drenched in sweat.
Before him: Lee Jun Young, a rising boxing prodigy with an aggressive style.
"I still remember… that fight," Jae Hwan thought.
Flashback fight:
Lee Jun Young's fists blurred with speed. Thud! Thud! Thud! A barrage of hooks rained on Jae Hwan's body. Every attempt Jae Hwan made to counter was broken apart by Jun Young's overwhelming speed.
"He's so fast… I can't even see where the punches are coming from!" Jae Hwan's mind screamed.
Then came the finishing blow—a perfect straight that smashed into his chin. BAM! His body flew back, the world spinning.
"Down!" the referee shouted.
The roar of the crowd thundered, but all Jae Hwan could hear was the pounding of his own heartbeat.
Back to the present.
Jae Hwan's eyes sharpened, breath ragged. "I lost that time. But now… I won't lose to trash like you."
The Fight Continues
The last two Crimson Souls rushed forward. One carried a short metal rod. Ji Hoon shouted, panicked, "Jae Hwan! Watch out!"
Jae Hwan only scoffed.
The metal rod swung—he caught the attacker's wrist, twisting hard until CRACK! Bones popped. The boy screamed in pain. Without pause, Jae Hwan slammed his shoulder into the boy's chest, sending him flying back.
The final one tried to run, but Jae Hwan lunged forward—WHAM! His knee rammed into the boy's stomach, folding him over before he collapsed.
Silence.
All five Crimson Souls lay sprawled on the ground, wheezing, their faces bruised, bodies battered.
Ji Hoon stood paralyzed, mouth slightly open. "That fast… that strong… I couldn't even blink."
Deep inside, he unconsciously memorized every movement—every hook, every dodge, every footstep Jae Hwan made.
Jae Hwan straightened his jacket, face calm though his breathing was steady but heavy. He turned to Ji Hoon.
"Be careful, Ji Hoon. Crimson Souls won't stay quiet. They'll come after you."
Ji Hoon could only nod stiffly.
"T-thank you…" he whispered.
Without a word, Jae Hwan walked away, leaving cold footsteps behind.
Ji Hoon's Thoughts
On his way home, Ji Hoon kept his head low, not wanting any more stares. His mind spun.
"Why did Jae Hwan help me? Why even warn me? Crimson Souls… they're after me now. Can I never escape this? Even in this new body… I'm still a target. I still feel fear."
Before he realized, he had reached his small, modest rented house.
That night, Ji Hoon prepared a simple dinner. But a knock at the door stopped him.
Standing outside was a young delivery man—handsome, almost idol-like, smiling warmly.
"Package for Park Ji Hoon!"
"Oh, yeah… the shoes." Ji Hoon accepted the package.
"Uh… excuse me. Could I have some water? Haven't had a drink all day," the courier asked politely, sweat dripping.
Ji Hoon nodded, poured him a glass. As the man gulped it down, his eyes spotted Ji Hoon's school uniform on the chair.
"You… you go to that school, right?" he pointed.
Ji Hoon nodded.
The courier grinned wide, suddenly grabbing Ji Hoon's hand to shake. "I'm Kang Dae Yeon! Nice to meet you!"
"H-huh?" Ji Hoon blinked in confusion.
"I'm also a student there. But… maybe you haven't seen me yet. You're new, right?"
"Yeah… I'm Ji Hoon," he replied.
Just then, Kang Dae Yeon's phone buzzed. He checked the list of deliveries, panicked. "Crap! I still have so many packages left! I gotta go!"
In a flurry, he hopped on his motorbike, waving dramatically. "See you, Ji Hoon! Don't forget my name, okay!"
Ji Hoon just stared blankly. "Weird guy… but friendly."
Crimson Souls' Hideout
Meanwhile, Crimson Souls' hideout burned with rage.
Tae Joon kicked over a table, his face red with fury.
"You got beaten… by Jae Hwan?!"
His five battered subordinates cowered, explaining what happened.
Chae Min, the gang's number three, only watched coldly.
Tae Joon roared, "Useless trash! Jae Hwan should've been finished! And now he's protecting that new kid?! Park Ji Hoon… damn it, I'll make them both regret it!"
The room boiled with anger.
The Next Morning
It was almost 9 a.m.—Ji Hoon was late, oversleeping after staying up all night searching for answers about his mysterious body.
He rushed out, taking a shortcut through a narrow alley—the one rumored to be dangerous. But being late, he had no choice.
As Ji Hoon hurried down the alley, he froze.
Seven Crimson Souls stood ahead, blocking his way—including the same five from yesterday and two new faces. Both bigger, one of them a tattooed brute.
"Took you long enough to show up, pretty boy," one of them mocked.
Ji Hoon swallowed hard, his heart pounding. One of the new faces… looked exactly like Tae Jin, his old bully. The trauma crashed back.
Flashback: fists, taunts, blood, Tae Jin's cruel laughter.
"Your face is pale, Ji Hoon. Are you scared?!" one of them shoved his face close.
Ji Hoon stepped back—but two more blocked the exit from behind.
"Where you running, huh?"
The insults rained down.
"Yesterday you acted tough!"
"You're just a pretty face, you trash!"
They grabbed Ji Hoon, pinning his head in a lock, fists slamming into his face and stomach one after another—laughing, mocking.
"This is what you get for acting tough!"
Their combined blow sent Ji Hoon collapsing to his knees.
Yet, despite the beating, his face wasn't mangled—only minor cuts. His new body's durability was far above normal.
Ji Hoon's hands trembled. "Why? Why am I still like this? Even with this new body… I'm still a coward…"
Suddenly, the one who looked like Tae Jin grabbed Ji Hoon's collar, fist cocked for an uppercut. Ji Hoon shut his eyes tight, bracing.
But—instinct struck. Ji Hoon ducked, slamming the back of his head into the attacker's face. BAM! The boy fell to the ground.
Shock rippled through the group.
Ji Hoon's face bled, but his gaze shifted.
His black eyes turned cold, expression hollow. His stance rose firm.
Like a black wolf ready to devour its prey.
"W-what the hell is that aura?!" one of them shivered.
Another shouted, "Don't be scared! He's just one guy! There's nine of us—CRUSH HIM!"
All of them charged, fists flying—
To Be Continued…