Through the windows, the sun was sinking low, washing the sky in orange. In the corner of an empty classroom came the sharp thuds of fists, feet, and bodies hitting the floor. Only three people were there. One lay curled on the ground. The other two were the ones putting him there.
"Hah! How does it feel to be kicked, loser?" one of them jeered.
The boy on the floor stayed silent, his arms and legs tucked tight around himself.
"You don't respond? Well, that's to be expected, no one wants to hear your voice anyway!" the other boy sneered.
They kept at it for several more minutes before their breathing grew heavy. One of them bent over, hands on his knees. "Seriously… this guy barely makes a peep! He's such a loser; how do girls find him attractive?"
They stared at him a moment longer, scoffed, and walked off.
The truth was, he had made sounds — more than once — but the noise of their taunts and the way he'd tucked into himself drowned them out.
Tears welled and slid down his cheeks. He slammed a fist into the floor, frustration burning through the pain. Fresh bruises and cuts marked his skin, and there was a good chance some bones were fractured.
Slowly, he got up, slung his bag over one shoulder, and headed for the door. A figure darted past, landing a punch square on his nose before bolting away.
He didn't swing back. He couldn't. His mother had forbidden it, and breaking her rule would mean breaking a promise he'd made to her. On top of that, his grades were already hovering too close to the line; a suspension could end with him being expelled.
On his way home, he stopped at a market for bandages and ice packs, a small ritual to keep his mother from worrying. As soon as he stepped through the door, a rich, sweet aroma hit him.
Beef bulgogi. He knew it instantly — the caramelized edges, the hint of garlic, the warmth that seemed to wrap the whole room.
He set his bag in his room, then came out to the table.
"Ooh," he said, smiling faintly. "My favorite dish, thank you mom!"
She returned the smile. "I figured you needed it. You've seemed a little exhausted and stressed lately."
They ate together, but she kept watching him. "So, why do you keep coming home with new bandages almost every day?"
He hesitated, then forced a small laugh. "Ah, we uh… keep playing hard sports in PE. You know how unathletic I am, I keep falling all over the place and stumbling."
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't press further. "Well, as long as you're not getting into fights. But be more careful, please! Now, go wash up and study! The school keeps calling me about how you're falling behind the curve!"
"Yes yes, mom."
After dinner, he cleaned up and went to his room. Picking up a book, he opened it and began to read.
"There's an important distinction between strength and power," he muttered. "In this world, power isn't just measured in muscle or skills — it's measured in how many people are willing to stand behind you when someone is out for you. The weak learn this last. The strong, learn it first…"
Wait, pause! Let's go further into who this boy is.
Noah Park was a few months shy of seventeen. He stood tall (6'3 / 190.5cm), the kind of height that made people do a double-take. The girls at school thought he was extremely attractive but that didn't help much; he was all angles and long limbs, too thin for his frame, and lacked confidence. Because he is an introvert, he kept to himself, never saying more than he had to, which only made him stick out more. The other boys noticed the way the girls looked at him, and they didn't like it. They made sure he knew it, and made him pay for their own shortcomings.
If you asked him, he'd say he wasn't athletic at all. But that was a lie — maybe one he even believed. When he was younger, before he started worrying about how people saw him, he could run faster, jump higher, and throw farther than just about anyone. His bedroom was once a showcase of athletic triumphs, with shelves and walls adorned by trophies and medals from a wide range of sports: baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and even swimming.
(A/N: For the record, his mom doesn't believe his reasoning because of this reason!)
Growing up, he had lost his father from a very young age, and had lived with his mother in the lower-middle class. Naturally, something like this didn't help his confidence at all and even became something he was targeted about.
His father had died in an incident where he got into a fight with an intoxicated stranger who stabbed him in the lungs. Because of that, his mother made him promise her that regardless of the circumstance unless his life is at risk, that he may never fight back and should run.
(A/N: More of his backstory will be progressively revealed over time, but expect a vast majority of his backstory and other characters to be in Volume 0, the prologues)
Growing up, he had lost his father from a very young age, and had lived with his mother in the lower-middle class. Naturally, something like this didn't help his confidence at all and even became something he was targeted about.
His father had died in an incident where he got into a fight with an intoxicated stranger who stabbed him in the lungs. Because of that, his mother made him promise her that regardless of the circumstance unless his life is at risk, that he may never fight back and should run.
(A/N: More of his backstory will be progressively revealed over time, but expect a vast majority of his backstory and other characters to be in Volume 0, the prologues)
Now, moving back on to the present, what is he reading, you may ask? Well, he's reading the official book published by Baek Mu-heon himself! Baek Mu-heon, although now dead, was once the strongest man in all of Asia. He had his own organization that later turned into a technology business in the 1990s known as Korea Technology Innovations, one of the top businesses in Korea.
Not only did he have a vast amount of strength, but he also had influence, loyal men, money, and purpose. All of these things are what Noah wants to pursue, but in his eyes, is not something he can realistically achieve.
Noah closed the book and studied for an hour or two before going to sleep, not aware of what was awaiting him tomorrow...