The Dog Pound headquarters was alive with whispers.
Men who once sneered at Seong Min now lowered their gazes when he walked past. Some bent the knee outright, heads bowed, their voices hushed with awe.
"He fought Jinyong Go injured.""And it wasn't a loss. A draw. Against a King.""Jinyong's yesterday. Our boss is tomorrow."
The underworld didn't need official announcements. It thrived on rumors, fear, and momentum. And right now, every rumor carried Seong Min's name.
At the long oak table, Seong Min sat at the head. His ribs were bound tightly beneath his jacket, and a faint bruise still bloomed across his jaw from the fight. Pain licked through him whenever he shifted, but his face betrayed nothing.
In front of him lay the Dog Pound's ledgers. Names. Territories. Protection fees. Drug cuts. Gambling dens. All of it flowing into his hands now.
The once-rowdy room of lieutenants had gone silent as he flipped through the pages, their confidence shrinking under the weight of his violet gaze.
Finally, he snapped the book shut. The sharp sound cut through the silence.
"Loyalty buys survival," Seong Min said coldly. His voice carried like a blade across glass. "Betrayal buys graves."
A shiver ran through the men. No one dared speak.
They had mocked him once. Now their heads bowed. His rise was no longer speculation. It was reality.
Outside the HQ, rumors spread like wildfire. A draw with Jinyong Go. Injured. Still standing. Still unbowed.
The underworld whispered a new truth:Jinyong Go was the past. Park Seong Min was the future.
J High had a Whispers of a Different Kind,
At J High, Daniel Park was living through his own whispers.
The PTJ scandal still buzzed across campus—half-truths, rumors, exaggerated stories. Some claimed idols had been caught in dirty deals, others swore Daniel had been there himself. Nobody knew the truth, but everyone had an opinion.
And now, after the Stalker's arrest, students watched him with fresh curiosity.
"Hey, Daniel, is it true that girl was following you?""They say she got arrested. What happened?""Man, you've got the weirdest luck."
Daniel forced a smile, brushing past them. His perfect body didn't tremble, but his heart did.
The classes around him were shifting, changing. Duke had made it to Class B. Oliver had debuted. Lasol still sat in Class A. Everyone else was moving forward.
But Daniel couldn't shake her voice.
Pathetic. Weak. You're nothing like him.
Crystal's words echoed in his skull louder than the gossip. Louder than the laughter.
He clenched his fists under the desk, but the shame didn't fade.
at the time at Charles Choi's Office
In a glass-walled office overlooking Seoul, Crystal stood before her father.
Charles Choi listened quietly as she spoke.
"The Stalker has been dealt with. Arrested. She won't trouble him again."
"And Daniel?" Charles asked, his voice smooth, probing.
Crystal's gaze sharpened, her tone cold. "Fragile. Hiding behind masks. Not worth worrying about."
She didn't mention the notebook that the stalker had draw. She didn't mention his two bodies. To her, Daniel wasn't worth the breath.
Charles smiled faintly, swirling the wine in his glass. "Good. Don't get distracted."
Behind him, smoke curled upward.
Gun leaned casually against the wall, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. He smirked at Crystal's back.
"She's not distracted," Gun said, amusement coloring his tone. "She's looking elsewhere."
Charles raised a brow. "your brother?"
Gun's grin widened. "The boy doesn't wear masks. That's why she's drawn to him. He's honest about his hunger. Dangerous. Real."
Crystal's jaw tightened, but she said nothing.
Charles sipped his wine, the faintest smirk on his lips. "Dangerous can be useful."
Gun exhaled smoke, eyes gleaming. "Or uncontrollable."
The weight of his words lingered.
Elsewhere, in another office, Sera Shin dropped a report onto the table.
"A draw with Jinyong Go," she said, her tone clipped. "Injured. Still managed it yet again."
Tom Lee leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes narrowing with amusement.
"That kid's not playing at being strong. He's the real thing," Tom said. "Heal him up, and he won't just rival Kings—he'll make new ones."
Sera smirked faintly. "And you think you can keep that under control?"
Tom's grin curved, sharp and knowing. "Let's see how long before the leash snaps."
The game board of Seoul was shifting. And everyone could feel it.
Foreign Pavement – A New Arrival
That same night, a different set of footsteps echoed—not in Seoul, but on foreign pavement.
The airport was quiet, save for the rolling wheels of suitcases and the soft chatter of late travelers.
From the crowd, a figure emerged.
Broad. Heavyset. A face that once inspired dread in classrooms and alleys alike.
Logan Lee.
He adjusted his jacket, the corners of his mouth curling upward. His eyes scanned the city skyline beyond the glass doors.
Bigger. Meaner. His body screamed power now—more than it ever had before.
He breathed in, his smirk widening.
Logan His voice dripped with menace. "I've got unfinished business."
But before he could take a single step further—
Whistle.
"Damn. Didn't think you'd actually crawl back here."
Logan froze. His grin faltered, eyes narrowing.
From the shadow of a streetlamp, Goo strolled forward, hands buried in his pockets, his lazy grin plastered across his face.
"You." Logan's voice was low, seething.
"Me." Goo tilted his head, eyes glinting with mischief. "You really thought you could run around this city without saying hi? That's cute."
Logan snarled, clenching his fists. "Out of my way."
Goo's smile widened. "Make me."
The next moment was a blur of motion. Logan charged, his bulk crashing forward like a freight train. Goo barely shifted, hands still in his pockets, his body twisting just enough to avoid the blow.
"Whoa." He whistled again, ducking under a wild hook. "You hit hard. Real hard."
Logan's fist slammed into a wall, concrete cracking, dust spilling to the ground. He pulled back, unshaken. His defense was like steel, his stance solid, his grin returning.
But Goo's eyes only lit up brighter.
"Thick skin, huh? Defense like a damn tank. I like it."
He darted forward then, his foot lashing out, slamming into Logan's ribs. The sound cracked the air—but Logan didn't stumble. He stood there, unmoved, grinning wider.
"Not bad," Logan spat, wiping blood from his lip. "But you're not breaking me."
Goo chuckled, finally pulling his hands from his pockets. His shoulders rolled, his grin sharp.
"Oh, I'm not trying to break you. Just playing."
He blurred again, faster this time, landing three sharp blows to Logan's chest, chin, and gut—each enough to drop a normal fighter cold. Logan staggered, but his feet dug in, refusing to fall.
The grin on his face only widened.
Goo stepped back, eyes glinting with both amusement and calculation. "You'll do. Can't believe you're still standing."
Logan's breath heaved, but his voice came steady, cruel. "I told you. I'm not done."
The tension thickened, the Seoul air heavy with their clash.
But Goo suddenly chuckled, turning away with a careless wave of his hand.
"I've had my fun. If you're serious about being back… let's see how long you last before someone eats you alive."
His voice dropped lower, his grin sharp as ever. "This city's changed. And you're not the only monster anymore."
Logan's eyes burned, his fists clenched, his grin refusing to fade.
"I don't care who's here. I'll crush them all."
The city lights gleamed in his gaze.
After Goo disappeared into the night, leaving only his mocking laughter behind, Logan stood alone beneath the Seoul lights. His fists trembled with adrenaline, but his grin remained sharp.
I don't care how strong they are. I'll carve my place back into this city. Piece by piece.
The next morning, Logan pushed open the office door of his old school.
The teachers froze when they saw him—eyes widening, faces tightening. Whispers darted between them.
"He's back?""I thought he left the …""Why is he here again?"
Logan stepped inside, his broad frame filling the room. His grin didn't fade as he dropped his bag onto the desk with a thud.
"Transfer me," he said flatly.
The teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Logan, we can't just—" one began.
"You want me gone." Logan's eyes narrowed, his grin twisting cruel. "Don't bother lying. I'm not stupid. You're all scared I'll break this place again."
Silence. No one argued.
Logan leaned forward, his hands pressing hard against the desk. "So here's your chance. Get me out. Find me a new school. I don't care where. Just do it."
The head teacher swallowed, relief flickering across his face. "We… we'll see what we can arrange."
Logan straightened, his shadow heavy across the office. His grin widened, sharp as a knife.
"Good." He turned toward the door, his voice dropping low.
"Wherever I go next… they better be ready."
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the teachers pale and shaken.
Logan Lee was back. And no school in Seoul would be the same once he arrived.
✨ End of Chapter 60 ✨