Systemism

Myul and his crew (1)

The past two months... had not been kind to the crew.

More and more, it seemed like people were picking fights with them. Every day was a new struggle, a fresh battle. And now, to top it all off, they had caught the attention of a nearby high school union—a group much larger and more organized than any they had dealt with before.

Mujuk: "This isn't skibidi."

Bong, leaning against the wall, let out a deep sigh, his eyes glancing at the chaos around them.

Bong: "We're cooked."

Mujuk, ever the joker, shot back.

Mujuk: "Not as cooked as Ken though!"

Bong couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head.

Bong: "We could never be cooked that bad."

Poor Ken had once again humiliated himself in their last run-in with the union. The memory still stung—Ken, wedged in a doorway, being used as a makeshift doorstop while the rest of the crew scrambled to escape. It wasn't even the first time he'd been caught in some ridiculous situation. Just the week before, Jin Na had accidentally mistaken Ken for a punching bag during training.

Things were looking bad, getting worse by the day.

Until they joined...

The classroom buzzed with chatter as Jin Na settled into his seat. His mind was still racing from the events of the past few days, the tension from the fights, the mounting pressure on the crew, and now—this. He barely had time to catch his breath when a boy with a bowl cut and thick black glasses slid into the chair beside him, his notebook already open, scribbling notes without even looking at Jin Na.

???: "You're in a crew now, Jin Na?"

The question caught Jin Na off guard. He turned sharply toward the boy, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Jin Na: "What do you mean by that?"

The boy, without lifting his head, smirked. His pen stopped mid-scribble as if pausing for dramatic effect. He finally met Jin Na's gaze, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a sly grin.

???: "Don't play dumb with me. I know you, man."

Jin Na felt a cold prickle of unease crawls up his spine. How did JJJ-in know? The crew wasn't exactly a well-kept secret, but they'd been careful, hadn't they? His mind raced, but before he could even form a response, the boy leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

???: "I even know about your crush~"

The words hit Jin Na like a freight train. His heart skipped a beat, and then another, before hammering hard in his chest. His face flushed, heat rushing to his cheeks in a wave of mortification.

Jin Na: "M-my what?!"

His voice cracked, and he cursed himself internally for the obvious panic. But the boy—Jamjaejeong-in, or "JJJ-in" as they called him—was relentless. His grin only widened as he sensed Jin Na's discomfort like a predator savouring its prey's fear.

JJJ-in: "That girl from our school. You know, the scary one."

Jin Na blinked rapidly, his mind going blank. He tried to play it off, but his voice betrayed him, trembling as he stammered.

Jin Na: "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

JJJ-in wasn't buying it. He raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mock innocence.

JJJ-in: "C'mon. Grace, right?"

The name hit Jin Na like a cold splash of water. His body reacted before his brain caught up, his head whipping around wildly as he scanned the room for any sign of her. Panic coursed through him as his eyes darted from one corner of the classroom to the next.

Jin Na: "W-where?!"

The classroom was normal, with the usual hustle and bustle of students going about their day. But Grace... Grace wasn't anywhere to be seen.

And that's when JJJ-in burst out laughing, slapping his knee in amusement.

JJJ-in: "See? I pulled a sneaky on ya."

Jin Na's face burned with embarrassment, but that quickly morphed into irritation. His hands balled into fists as he stood, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Without a second thought, he grabbed JJJ-in by the collar, yanking him closer with a sharp tug.

Jin Na (angrily): "No respect for your teacher... Jamjaejeong-in."

JJJ-in didn't flinch. If anything, his smirk grew even wider, as if being held by the collar of his shirt was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

JJJ-in: "Oh no... I'm about to get beaten up by a g-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Jin Na's glare intensified.

Jin Na: "Shut."

The words came out low and cold, and JJJ-in knew better than to push further. He rolled his eyes, letting out an exaggerated sigh as Jin Na released his grip. Straightening his shirt, JJJ-in shrugged with an air of indifference, still wearing that infuriating smirk as if the whole situation was just a game to him.

As they continued walking down the hallway, JJJ-in acted as if nothing had happened, cracking jokes and making light of the situation. He couldn't resist bringing up Jin Na's "crush" again, poking and prodding at his insecurities with a playful, teasing tone.

JJJ-in: "You know, you should just confess. Maybe she likes guys who can handle a fight."

Jin Na's patience was wearing thin. He could feel the irritation bubbling up inside him, every word from JJJ-in like a needle in his side. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep his cool, but when JJJ-in made yet another snide remark about "Grace and her scary eyes," Jin Na snapped.

In one swift motion, he turned and delivered a perfectly timed <Pure Counter> to JJJ-in's solar plexus. The strike was precise, just enough to knock the wind out of him but not enough to cause any lasting damage. JJJ-in doubled over, gasping for breath, his smirk wiped clean from his face for the first time.

Jin Na: "You talk too much."

JJJ-in wheezed, clutching his stomach, but even through the pain, he managed to grin, still the same unshakable smartass.

JJJ-in: "Guess I... deserved that."

Jin Na shook his head, exasperated. Despite everything, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of responsibility for the boy. It reminded him of Hyeonwoo—how he had always looked out for the younger ones, taking care of them no matter how annoying or troublesome they were. It was a trait that had somehow rubbed off on Jin Na, even if he wasn't entirely aware of it yet.

As they walked on in silence, JJJ-in finally recovered enough to straighten up, still grinning but a little quieter now.

JJJ-in: "You hit hard for a guy with a crush."

Jin Na rolled his eyes, but this time, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Maybe he was more like Hyeonwoo than he thought.