Chapter 40:

Lee Bon Won is an orphan who lives with his uncle in Guanzu Town. His uncle owns a gym called Gungho Gym, and Bon Won has a small room at the back that he calls his own.

Bon Won had a hard life, and all he had was his training in the gym. He likes what it does to his body and the feeling of superiority he feels as he grows stronger.

His early days can be summed up as going to school, eating, sleeping, and then training in the gym, after he cleaned it, of course.

His curly, long hair hid the fire in his eyes as he observed his surroundings. People often mistake him for slow because he always takes his time when ordered to do something and sometimes needs several attempts to tell him what to do. It was simply his way to rebel against authority, which is mostly his uncle.

But his eyes hid away a street-smart boy who knew how to survive the hardships of life, especially in the hermit kingdom.

When he first saw the weird boy named Jung Hee, Bon Won dismissed him as nothing more than another hobbyist. Hobbyists never last in gyms like his uncles, especially in this particular gym since the regulars take their training rather seriously.

One of the regulars' favorite pastimes is to subtlety intimidate the hobbyist trainees without his uncle or any of the other instructors finding out. They even have a betting pool sometimes. Nothing serious, of course, just simple tricks like staring menacingly at the newcomer as he works out, deliberately bumping their shoulders, breathing down the back of their necks, or simply occupying their personal spaces. Naturally, little Jung was the new, fresh target.

And Bon Won was one of the frequent instigators of bullying. Since they are in the same age group, his uncle or the other instructors normally pair them together in most of the practice exercises. And in the guise of intensity, he often intentionally gets rough with his partner. An unnecessary pull there, a jab here, an accidental elbow here—he made every exercise a living hell for the boy. He has so much money riding that the boy won't last a week after all.

But Jung Hee, whether the boy is just too dim or simply doesn't care, always stands back up and continues to do every exercise with energy. After the third week of bruising and foul play, the rest of the regulars gave the weird boy grudging respect for lasting that long, especially since the boy is keeping up with the intense pro training program.

Bon Won is the one who could see the steady, almost unbelievable improvements the little runt is making with their three-times-a-week meetings. At first, Jung Hee fell from every takedown and became hopeless once he is down. But then his defenses became more and more compact and gradually he started overpowering his opponents with strength and wit until, by the end of the first month, it became almost impossible to pin the boy down.

That was only his ground game. As time went by, his jab became legendary. Quick and solid with a deceptive reach, his punches sting. And as he learned how to lower his head with the other hand protecting the side of his face, it became impossible to counter.

One afternoon, the two of them remained since they are the juniors and, as always, became responsible for cleaning the gym after the rest of the regulars had already left.

They never really spoke that much, and Bon Won liked it that way. The boy Jung Hee tried several times to get to know him, but after too many rebuffs, he got the hint, and they both stayed silent as they cleaned the place up.

Suddenly, the entrance door of the gym burst open and 5 guys entered the room as if they owned the place.

Jung heard Bon Won say under his breath, "Shit."

The group spread inside the gym like locusts. They weren't exactly disruptive, but somehow their very presence is polluting the gym that he just cleaned up, and Jung felt a sudden annoyance he never felt before.

"Jae Kyung," Bon Won said in a weary voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Where is my money, Bon Won?" the other guy asked bluntly.

"It's coming. I still have a few days, remember?"

The guy named Jae Kyung smiled and scratched his small beard as he approached them. The boy was in his late teens, probably 19 or early twenties. He was dressed in a flamboyant, loud red Hawaiian shirt under a black jacket and black pants. His shoes looked expensive, and his hair was in a greasy brush-up style. All his friends behind him had the same ensemble, as if they were wearing uniforms.

"Now, you see, I don't believe you. If you’re getting my money then you should be out there working your ass off. But a little bird tell me that you've been spending all your time in this awful smelling gym instead."

Bon Won didn't say anything. He just glared at him.

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"So," the older boy continued. "Just to be sure you remember that you owe me 250,000 won, I'll just break a few ribs of yours as a reminder."

Then the boy named Jae Kyung turned his gaze at Jung Hee. "And just in case that is not enough of a reminder, then I'll break your little friend's knee for good measure."

Jung stared back at him, unafraid. Then the boy smiled, and a moment later, Jung calmly walked toward the makeshift barbell section of the gym.

One of the minions, the tall one on the far left of Jae Kyung laughed at Jung. "Boss, I think he is trying to escape stealthily."

"Bring him back here," the leader ordered the fattest member of his group. "I want Bon Won to see how we beat him up."

The goon quickly moved to intercept the boy, but Jung ignored him until he reached one of the very few actual dumbbells in the gym. The one Jung chose was a small ten-pounder.

The fat teen was 3 feet away from Jung when Jung turned to him with a smile and raised the dumbbell over his head as if he were doing an exercise. The goon automatically stared at the raised dumbbell, not sure what was happening.

That is why he was completely caught by surprise when the kick hit him right in the balls. He gave out this loud, unintelligent wail as he bent over in his agony. Everyone else winced when they saw the impact of Jung's kick. It only lasted for a moment, though when Jung's dumbbell smashed at the back of his head.

The fat goon dropped like a sack of potatoes right in front of Jung. Bon Won took an involuntary step back, shocked by the sudden violence.

"You son of a bitch! Get him!" Jae Kyung growled as he and the rest of his followers surged forward.

But Jung simply flipped the unconscious goon over his back, and then, on his knees, he raised the dumbbell once more. This time his aim was clearly the face of the defenseless, fat goon.

"Wait! You bastard, what are you doing?!" Jae Kyung screamed as he and the rest of his group staggered to a halt. He didn't even notice when he raised his hand in a stopping motion when he realized what Jung was planning to do.

Jung frowned at him. There is this aura that emanates from the young man. A dark bleak aura that everyone felt, and made sure that everyone in the gym knew, without any doubt, that the man is ready to do exactly what he planned to do. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked coldly. "I'm making sure he never gets back up again. I'm not exposing my back while I deal with all of you, just in case this fat bastard wakes up and attacks me from behind."

The leader's sneering, confident facade he showed moments ago is now gone as he looks at Jung with a disbelieving, horrified expression on his face. "He's already down, you coward!"

Jung blinked at him, honestly surprise. "You came here with 5 guys planning to beat up 1 or 2 boys, and your calling me a coward?" He said mockingly. "Just stay there for a moment. I'll get just rid of this one, and then we'll continue this fight, if you want."

"Mother fucker!" Jae Kyung snarled as he pulled out a switchblade from his hand. Before he could take a step forward, Jung's cold voice stopped him.

"Think very, very carefully before you act," Jung said. His eyes turned to Jae Kyung and the older kid could see the truth inside those brown, round eyes. "If you take another step forward with that blade,” Jung said.

“I will kill you."

Jung said it so simply without any drama or emphasis, but no one questions the truth of that statement, for everyone in the room can feel the reality of that statement in their bones. The boy will kill them.

He will kill them all.

Jae Kyung was frozen where he stood. Even if he intended to move forward, which he did not, his body won't let him. Slowly, ever so slowly, he took a step back. Then another. When he was away from Jung and his cold brown eyes, his voice returned to him. “You sonof-”

"Just leave, Jae. I'll return your money. I promised," Bon Won said. He didn't feel too good either, as evidenced by the sweat on his back.

"And what about Guang over there?" the leader squawks again. Bon Won realized that Jae Kyung didn't even notice that his voice changed to a bit more shriller version of his original voice due to the tension.

Jung blinked in surprise for the second time that day. He turned his gaze at the unconscious man under him and the dumbbell he still held up in his other hand. Jung almost forgot about the boy he was about to bash in. Jung slowly let his hand down and stepped away from the body, almost reluctantly. With a gesture of his head, two of Jae Kyung's followers wearily grabbed their comrade and dragged him away. Everyone still stared at Jung and the dumbbell he is holding.

Jae Kyung turned and glared at Bon Won. "You have two weeks to get my money, bastard! Otherwise, I'll be back! You hear me?!" Even he can feel how nonthreatening his words are when he feels the tremble in his own voice.

Then they all filed out of the room and left the two boys alone. The silence they left behind was palpable. It only lasted for several seconds, but Bon felt that it lasted for a lifetime.

"Whew! That was crazy intense!" Jung said suddenly in the void. He wiped an imaginary sweat off his forehead and laughed out loud. "Does this happen often in the gym?"

Bon Won stared in disbelief at the young boy. The changes in him were just too sudden for him to follow. Is this boy crazy or what? He thought to himself.

He can still remember the steely, cold eyes Jung emanated against that bastard Jae Kyung. But now he almost looks adorable with his happy, innocent smile. His thin physique and young age suddenly became obvious again.

But Bon Won never forgot the killer behind the happy smile.

Who the hell are you? Bon Won asked himself again. He'd been in a lot of scrapes like that one before. If it is not Jae Kyung, then it would be another lowlife in the underworld who would threaten him and beat him up. Bon Won just needed to endure it, pay the fee eventually, and continue on with his life. He'd been beaten and humiliated all his life, so another one is just another Tuesday to him.

But the killing intent that washed over them just a moment ago... Bon Won had never been shaken to the bone like that incident before, and now he had this unreasonable fear and weariness against the boy. The thought of bullying him again in the gym made him pale.

"I'm sorry you have to see that," Bon Won suddenly said awkwardly. "It was my affair and it should not have affected you. I'll try to make sure that it only happen outside the gym from now on, and-"

"Don't worry about that!" Jung said easily. "We're friends. Things like that always happen somehow."

Bon Won stared at Jung, who returned the dumbbell and continued cleaning the place again while humming. Freaking humming.

Friends? He thought incredulously. After what I did to you?

"Don't bother with cleaning that," Bon Won said. "I'll do it myself. I noticed you are always in a hurry after gym class. So you can go."

Jung smiled and gave him a dismissive wave. "Naah! It's my responsibility to clean this place up as a junior."

"No, I wanna repay your assistance back there, so let me clean this place up myself. Besides, I... aah, I want to be alone for a moment. Think about my life and poor decisions..."

Jung looked at him in silence for a moment, then sighed. "You sure?" Jung said. "I do need to get back home early since I still have a test tomorrow."

"Test?"

"Yeah, I go to Guanzu people's school in town. I'm in my 8th grade."

The look Bon Won gave him was complicated. "Oh, yeah," he said. And then added lamely, "So do I."

"Eh??! But... But I never see you in school!"

Bon Won felt a bit embarrassed, but the truth was he never bothered to go to school. He always thought that going to school was useless, and his only interest in school was shaking down the pipsqueaks for some lunch money. "Well, I never see you either."

"Well, If I see you, I'll say hi then!"

Bon looked at him for a long time. "Yeah, sure."

They talk for a while. To be honest, Bon Won was still not eager to get to know the weird kid, but he felt obligated to talk to him. Bon Won still hasn’t forgotten how he felt that killing aura emanating and surrounding the boy, and how he just stood there like a deer in a headlight.

"Listen, I'm good here. You really should go."

Jung watched him again for a moment and nodded to himself. "Alright," Jung said, with a sigh. "I'm going. And don't forget the windows."

He watched the boy skip out of the gym without any care in the world like he didn't just threaten a group of bullies with death. Despite himself, Bon Won shook his head in exasperation. That boy is a mystery.

With that, he continues to silently clean the rest of the gym.