Chapter 156: Purge Operation (6)

The situation was utterly hopeless.

The teachers stood by, indifferent. The crowd pressed in from all sides. There was no hope.

No matter how hard Choi Myung-hoon fought, the outcome had already been decided. But surrendering was never an option for him.

“You damn bastards.”

**Whoosh.**

**Smack!**

He landed a solid punch on someone’s face, caving it in and drawing blood, but Choi Myung-hoon didn’t blink. He continued knocking down opponent after opponent, feeling the deep bitterness of the situation. It was infuriating. They had all committed the same crimes, but only he and Jo Min-seok were being thrown under the bus. Just a few days ago, these same people had been begging him to save them, and now they were turning on him to save themselves. It made him sick.

**Thud.**

**Wham!**

A fist connected with his face.

He retaliated immediately, taking the attacker down, but more fists were flying at him from all directions. His head snapped back and forth with each hit.

With only one functional arm, it was overwhelming. Every attack left him vulnerable to counterattacks, and defending was just as difficult.

“Die!”

**Smack!**

“Kghh…”

He raised his broken arm, still in a cast, to block the blow. The hard cast absorbed the impact, but the jolt still sent pain shooting through his body, forcing him to grit his teeth.

Bodies crashed into each other in the chaotic brawl. Even though Choi Myung-hoon was an S+ rank fighter, there was only so much he could do in his weakened state, outnumbered by so many. His face was covered in blood, and although he had already taken down more than ten people, he was barely holding on. In a fit of rage, he knocked out another opponent and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Damn it, you idiots! Do you really think Kim Hyunsung will leave you alone after this? You’re all screwed! The moment you turned on me to save yourselves, any future you hoped for is gone!”

“So what?”

It was a younger student, shouting back with defiance.

“What are we supposed to do? The Golden Circle isn’t looking out for us anymore! Whether it’s Kim Hyunsung or the Golden Circle, we’re dead either way! So let us survive, damn it! Just fall already!”

**Whoosh.**

The student darted in.

Choi Myung-hoon’s punch missed. He had been a split second too slow after knocking out his last opponent.

**Wham!**

“Ugh!”

His head snapped back violently as a punch connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling. The younger student didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Die, you bastard!”

**Thud!**

Another punch landed squarely on his face.

—

**Thump.**

Choi Myung-hoon collapsed to the ground.

The group surrounding him was panting, exhausted from the relentless fight. Even in his final moments of defiance, Choi Myung-hoon had left a lasting impression. The students looked down at his battered body with pale faces.

**Shuffle.**

The crowd parted as Kim Hyunsung approached.

He crouched down beside Choi Myung-hoon, who was barely conscious, and spoke in a slow, deliberate voice.

“You know, the day the Golden Circle abandoned Jin Kyung-hee and Jang Won-gi, they also abandoned you. If they hadn’t, there’s no way they would have sent you back to school without any preparation. They knew exactly what I was doing to the teachers, but they didn’t give you any warnings about the danger. Why do you think that is? Why didn’t they bother to protect you?”

“…Ghh.”

Choi Myung-hoon groaned in pain but didn’t look away from Kim Hyunsung, refusing to back down.

“Because you’re not worth it. You’re just disposable to them. It wasn’t worth the effort to save you.”

Kim Hyunsung’s words were cruel but true. For over a decade, the Golden Circle had carried out numerous assignments and discarded countless people. Yet, no one had ever dared to oppose them. It was always the same—those who became entangled with the Golden Circle were just high school students, while the Golden Circle was a massive, unstoppable force.

A power that controlled wealth and influence throughout South Korea.

Seeing the seemingly limitless power of the Golden Circle made people feel pride in their association with it.

At the same time, it instilled deep fear.

The commands from this untouchable organization weighed heavily on those who followed, leaving them with no choice but to comply. That was why things had turned out like this.

Even though they knew something was wrong, even though they knew it was dangerous, they couldn’t escape. They showed up at school, hoping to hold out until the Golden Circle provided some guidance.

If they had just thought it through rationally, they would’ve realized it was already over.

But fear had clouded their judgment.

**Grab.**

“Choi Myung-hoon.”

“Ghh…”

Kim Hyunsung grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced him to look into his eyes, filled with fear.

“There’s only one way for you to survive now. Go to the teachers and tell them you want to drop out. Then confess. Admit all your wrongdoings, cry if you have to, do whatever it takes. Get yourself sent to juvenile detention. I’ll give you ten days. If, after those ten days, you’re still out here walking around free…”

**Clench.**

Kim Hyunsung tightened his grip, making Choi Myung-hoon’s scalp burn with pain.

“Then you’ll meet me again.”

—

First period ended.

Just as Kim Hyunsung had said, no one had come looking for them. After class, Choi Myung-hoon and Jo Min-seok dragged themselves to the faculty office.

And then—

“…We want to drop out.”

They followed Kim Hyunsung’s orders.

There was no hope left for them here. As long as Kim Hyunsung remained, they knew they’d continue to suffer, and it wasn’t certain that the Golden Circle would ever extend a hand to help. Dropping out seemed like their only option. Jo Min-seok couldn’t even lift his head, his face a bruised and swollen mess. Choi Myung-hoon was furious about the situation but swallowed his anger.

“Alright,” said the teacher.

“…Is that it?” Choi Myung-hoon asked in disbelief.

“You said you wanted to drop out, right?”

Choi Myung-hoon was stunned.

Sure, he intended to drop out, but this wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

“Aren’t you, as our homeroom teacher, supposed to ask why we want to drop out? Look at us! Can’t you tell we’ve been beaten up? Aren’t you even going to ask why we’re like this?”

If they had looked normal, he might have understood the teacher’s lack of concern. But this wasn’t normal. Jo Min-seok was in critical need of medical attention, and Choi Myung-hoon was covered in blood, with torn clothes. Anyone could see they had been victims of school violence. A normal teacher would at least ask what had happened before considering their request to drop out.

But the teacher avoided eye contact and spoke calmly while preparing the materials for the next class.

“You know you’ll need your parents’ consent to drop out, right? I’ll prepare the necessary documents, so just bring them back signed. You’re making the right decision. Better to find something more valuable than a high school diploma, especially if all you’re going to do is fight every day.”

“Teacher, what are you—”

“Just go. I’ll take care of the paperwork.”

Their eyes met.

The teacher’s gaze was blank, as if completely detached from the situation. He clearly understood what was going on, yet he pretended not to see the truth.

He didn’t ask why they were in this state.

He didn’t ask who had hurt them.

None of that mattered to him.

‘…So this is what he meant.’

Kim Hyunsung’s words came back to Choi Myung-hoon.

“This isn’t the school you once knew.”

Now it made sense.

Faced with this overwhelming malevolence, Choi Myung-hoon felt like he couldn’t breathe.

‘What the hell did Kim Hyunsung do to this school?’

It was clear.

Daesung Future High School was no longer the place he once knew. The school he had attended was no longer a place where he could stay.

—

In the classroom, Kim Hyunsung stood by the window, watching as Choi Myung-hoon left the school grounds. His eyes were cold and heavy.

‘Is that your choice?’

A little earlier, Kim Hyunsung had heard from the others that Choi Myung-hoon had gone to the teacher to ask to drop out.

At a glance, it seemed like he had followed Kim Hyunsung’s warning, choosing to drop out and potentially turn himself in to juvenile detention.

But Kim Hyunsung was certain.

Choi Myung-hoon wouldn’t go to juvenile detention.

‘For a minor, the idea of turning themselves in is terrifying. Even if going to juvenile detention wouldn’t ruin his life, choosing to confess on his own is a difficult decision. If he thinks he can just run away… or somehow get rid of me, he’ll probably convince himself he can make the problem disappear.’

Minors are unpredictable.

A rational person would have admitted defeat, given up on the Golden Circle, and sought a new path forward. But Choi Myung-hoon wasn’t that rational person.

Kim Hyunsung was sure of one thing: Choi Myung-hoon wouldn’t simply confess or turn himself in. Instead, he would see this as a trap, convince himself that there had to be another way, and try to run. He might even delude himself into thinking that if he got rid of Kim Hyunsung, everything would go back to normal.

‘Running away is the only option for you now. If you disappear from my sight, maybe you’ll buy yourself a bit of time. But can you really make a rational decision after what’s happened today? Can you control your emotions enough to just quietly disappear?’

Dropping out was a survival move.

Now that he had left the school grounds, Choi Myung-hoon’s next likely step was to try to prepare for what would come in ten days. In his panic, he might act first, seeking out someone who could help him regain his footing. And there was only one place he could turn to.

The *Golden Circle*.

Without the power of the Golden Circle, Choi Myung-hoon couldn’t fight back against Kim Hyunsung. He would undoubtedly seek their help, desperate to find a way to strike back. That was exactly what Kim Hyunsung wanted. The Golden Circle would make their move soon, likely around the time of the upcoming midterms. And when they did, Kim Hyunsung had already set up the perfect trap to figure out their plans.

Choi Myung-hoon was still valuable to the Golden Circle. Despite his broken arm, his S+ rank made him a useful resource. And if Choi Myung-hoon wanted revenge, there was no way the Golden Circle would pass up the opportunity to use that power.

Once Choi Myung-hoon left the school grounds, someone would approach him. Over the next ten days, Kim Hyunsung was sure they would watch him closely, gathering any useful information to plan their next move.

**Creak.**

“Alright, everyone, take your seats.”

The teacher entered the room.

It was time for second period. Kim Hyunsung turned away from the window and shifted his focus back to the classroom. The midterms were approaching quickly, and he had more important things to think about.

—

As expected, Choi Myung-hoon didn’t leave school without a plan. As soon as he stepped off the school grounds, he turned to Jo Min-seok.

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Jo Min-seok replied, still looking dazed.

“Are you really planning to confess? That’s insane! You know exactly what Kim Hyunsung did at Cheonil. Why would we ruin our lives by confessing? I can’t do it. I *won’t* do it.”

“…I don’t have the guts to fight him anymore. I’m just going to leave Seoul. You do whatever you want.”

With that, Jo Min-seok turned and started walking away. His face was still swollen from the fight, and he clearly needed to go to the hospital. Choi Myung-hoon didn’t bother stopping him. He just watched him go, sneering in disgust.

“Coward.”

He was scared of Kim Hyunsung too, but he wasn’t about to just give up. If he did nothing, his life was over. Everyone who had gone up against Kim Hyunsung had either been broken or destroyed, just like the group that had been crushed by him at Cheonil. Even if he somehow survived the juvenile detention center, he knew that Kim Hyunsung would never stop coming after him.

The only solution was to deal with Kim Hyunsung first.

He took out his phone and dialed a number. The call didn’t go through, so he typed out a text message and sent it.

> [I’ll do anything to take care of Kim Hyunsung. Just give me a chance.]

After pacing around for a while, trying to figure out his next move, he finally got a response.

> [Are you really willing to do anything?]

Choi Myung-hoon immediately replied: “Yes.”

Moments later, another message came through.

> [Come to the office. We’ve got a plan in place.]

“Hell yeah, this is it,” Choi Myung-hoon muttered, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

Maybe he wasn’t as doomed as he thought. Maybe, just maybe, he could turn things around. He limped away, heading toward the meeting point with the Golden Circle.

Above him, dark clouds began to gather, ominous and foreboding. Under the same sky, two different evils were brewing, each preparing for a clash. And as both forces grew stronger, the midterms of the first semester were fast approaching.