The gates of J High buzzed with noise as students flooded in, shoulders bumping, laughter filling the air. A new year. A new shuffle. New classes meant new dynamics, new hierarchies.
Daniel Park adjusted his backpack, trying to ignore the glances that always seemed to follow him. The PTJ scandal had faded, but whispers lingered. And after the stalker incident, some classmates still stared at him with pity. Others with curiosity.
He forced himself to keep walking, his perfect body calm on the outside. But inside, he felt every gaze like a thorn in his skin.
In one classroom, silence fell the moment Seong Min stepped through the door.
He walked without hurry, violet eyes sweeping the room like a blade. Whispers erupted immediately.
"Isn't that… the Dog Pound boss?""They say he fought a gang boss.""No way. He looks our age."
The chatter rose—until another figure slipped in behind him.
Yui Kim. Her steps were light, her copper hair catching the light as she glided straight to Seong Min's side.
She clasped her hands in front of her, lowered her head slightly, and said it clearly.
"Good morning, Master."
The explosion of noise that followed nearly cracked the windows.
"She DID say master!""No fucking way!""Did you hear that? She called him MASTER!""She really… she really meant it…"
The first-years were stunned, some half-believing it was a prank. The second-years, though, barely blinked. They'd already seen it before.
For them, Yui's submission was no longer shocking—it was routine.
But the newcomers were losing their minds.
"Holy shit… so it's true… she actually serves him.""He's… he's really some kind of king…"
Through all of it, Seong Min didn't flinch. He slid into his usual seat by the window, Yui taking the desk beside him as though it had been reserved from the start.
His face betrayed nothing. No pride. No warmth. No interest
To him, her loyalty was just another piece on the board.
Across the room, Zoe Kim nearly dropped her phone.
"Master…?!" she hissed, staring. Her gaze flicked between Yui—smiling faintly, almost glowing in her submission—and Seong Min, who barely acknowledged her.
Jealousy sparked in Zoe's chest before she smothered it with a scoff. "We'll see about that."
The whispers around them didn't stop all morning.
In another class, Daniel sat quietly.
His ugly body fumbled with a stack of textbooks as students laughed nearby. Normally, he'd shrink back, let it pass. But this time, when a teacher asked for volunteers to distribute papers, Daniel raised his hand first.
He stumbled once, but kept going. He heard snickers, but forced himself to smile anyway.
It was nothing. Just a tiny step.
But for him, it was more than he'd managed before.
Crystal Choi sat two rows over, watching.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him.
He was trying. Pathetically, awkwardly—but trying.
For a moment, she wondered if that made him different.
Then her thoughts shifted to Seong Min.
The studio.
Blood on the floor. Aru trembling in her blanket. Men screaming as Seong Min dismantled them with surgical precision. Violet eyes unflinching, unpitying.
And then—That moment in White Tiger HQ.
When his hand had closed around her wrist. Firm. Cold. Like she wasn't Charles Choi's daughter at all, just another obstacle.
And then later, when he'd pressed his hand to her face, tilting her chin, his expression unreadable.
The memory made her chest tighten. Heat curled inside her before she forced it back down.
Crystal turned away, her lips curving faintly. Weakness was not appealing. Not when she had seen the real thing.
She remembered his violet eyes, the way he'd stood against a King even half-broken. His words echoed in her memory: "I'll be more."
Compared to that, Daniel's small efforts were meaningless.
Crystal turned away, her lips curving faintly. Weakness wasn't appealing. Not when she'd seen the real thing.
By lunchtime, the cafeteria was buzzing with fresh energy.
Before Duke's dramatic arrival, another pair entered.
Vin Jin swaggered through the doorway, his sunglasses tilted just enough to show the smirk plastered across his face. His chain clinked against his chest, his steps exaggerated like he was walking onto a stage.
"Yo, move it. The top high school rapper is here."
A chorus of groans rose immediately.
"High school rapper my ass…""Didn't he bomb his audition?""Yeah, but he won't shut up about it."
Vin clicked his tongue, ignoring them, flipping his hair like he was brushing off paparazzi.
Right behind him came Mary Kim, her presence the exact opposite. She didn't strut, didn't need to. Her sharp eyes and easy posture carried more weight than Vin's entire performance.
"Mary's here.""She's scary…""Way out of Vin's league."
Vin puffed out his chest anyway, flashing his grin. "They love me, Mary. They just don't admit it."
Mary sighed, already pulling out her phone, pretending she didn't know him.
And just as the noise started to die down—
The cafeteria doors slammed open.
"CLASS A, BABY!" Duke roared, arms spread wide, face shining with pride.
Instantly, every head turned away from Vin and Mary.
"Duke!""He made it into Class A!""No way, that's huge!"
The crowd swarmed him, cheers and shouts bouncing off the walls.
Vin's jaw dropped. "Hey—what the hell? I was talking here!"
Mary just smirked faintly, biting back a laugh.
Vasco sulked at his table, arms crossed. "They split us up. This isn't fair. My crew should be together."
Zoe plopped down beside Daniel, her grin sharp. "Hey, Daniel, did you hear? Yui is still calling Seong Min 'master.' Isn't that wild?"
Daniel choked on his juice. "W-what?"
Zoe leaned closer, smirking. "Don't tell me you're jealous."
Daniel flushed, stammering. Across the room, Crystal watched silently, expression unreadable.
The school was shifting. Alliances. Classes. Status.
And none of them knew the storm creeping closer.
That night, in a forgotten alley, a silhouette loomed.
Several delinquents lay groaning on the ground, their faces battered, blood pooling beneath them.
The figure flexed his fists, the muscles in his arms thick and coiled. His grin was wide. Cruel.
His eyes glinted with hunger.
"I will be back," the man muttered, his voice low and dangerous.
He stepped into the darkness, laughter echoing behind him.
The city was about to remember his name.
✨ End of Chapter 61 ✨