Midtown high, a sanctuary for the growing mind, a shining light for sports and academics. Where kids can be themselves and develop into their full potentials, to adapt and ready themselves for their professions of choice. This was what the school had advertised in their marketing and one of the many reasons Hyun-ki Chul had transferred to the institute in the first place. Right from the jump, he should have known that such a glowing endorsement was nothing but hyped up malarkey.


    The only thing the school offered was a safe haven for the common folk and the like minded. While making good on its promise to be a refuge, it neglected to inform those who enrolled of one small piece of information, one tiny detail that most would probably like to know.


    A good portion of the student body despised and maliciously bullied those who were pegged as different.


    Midtown High had a dark underbelly, one cleverly hidden and maintained by those who called themselves HighRise, a sort of wannabe gang who preyed on the weak and the helpless. While having only been active for around three years, they had completely ensnared the entirety of MidTown in a vicious grip, so much so that even those who knew about it couldn''t protest due to how much authority the gang possessed. Some teachers knew about HighRise and had taken action against them, only to be beaten back into place in some dark alleyway, each and every time, further driving home the fact that little could fully be done.


    Especially given that each and every member wore a mask to cover their faces.


    Hyun was aware of this personally since he was now in the midst of squaring off with them, having caught him in the middle of a relaxing nap.


    Wiping the blood from his upper lip, the black haired youth raised his hands, purple hues flicking in multiple directions, surveying the newly developed situation and how it had even less to that point.


    Every afternoon, during lunch, Hyun would take the time to slip away from the lunchroom, and his class altogether, for a quick nap. Normally the adolescent would opt for the back of the school, in a small section of the building that not even the seniors who snuck out for a smoke knew about. However, since he had heard word from the proverbial grapevine that HighRise was planning to strike against one of the students in his class, he switched up locations and allocated to the gym instead. It had been closed for weeks due to ongoing renovations and he figured he''d be fine as long as it was for a quick little shut-eye. Before he had left the class, he made absolutely sure that no one knew where he was going and that he hadn''t been followed.


    (("Why the hell are they on my ass then?")) Hyun questioned, shifting to the left, making sure the group of delinquents didn''t surround him. Every single one of them held a weapon of some sort from bats to pipes and he had no desire to get within their range. (("They should me mucking it up in some other part of the school."))Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Well, well, well," A distorted voice spoke up from the back as yet another masked member joined the fray, rounding the number of goons up to a whopping thirteen. "Would you look what the dilapidated cat dragged in. Never thought I''d catch you in these parts Humpty."


    This arrival looked almost identical to the others, a black outfit with blue lining the edges on both the pants and the shirt, blue skull masks covering their faces. What set the speaker apart from the rest of the unwanted entourage was the mask which was a blood red, a shade that completely clashed with the outfit the man currently had on. Hyun had a sudden urge to talk about it the moment he saw the mismatch color scheme until he remembered where he was and what was just about to go down. The last thing he needed to worry about was someone else''s inability to dress themselves correctly. Nevertheless, that wasn''t gonna stop him from flaming the opposing man''s idiotic decision.


    "It''s pronounced Hyoon-Key," Hyun corrected, addressing the intentional misuse of his name. "Not that I''d expect anyone of your intellect to get it right, Barney."


    "Am I supposed to be impressed?" Barnett asked, a condescending tone in his disguised voice. "Marley told you who I was didn''t you? Or was it the sombrero wearing leprechaun?"


    "No, you''re just the only one in HighRise whose mom still has to dress them up," Hyun-Ki rebutted sharply. " You''d have been better off wearing pajamas."


    "My mom''s dead," Barnett morbidly stated. "Don''t you dare sully her name."


    "You''re right. I gave her too much credit."


    The moment the words flowed from Hyun''s mouth, one of the masked men took it as a cue to rush in, a meter long metallic pipe swinging downwards. It was no doubt meant to be a surprise attack, but the black haired youth neatly sidestepped the blow, letting it strike naught but air. Time seemed to slow down as Hyun glanced into his attackers eyes, purple hues meeting pitch black ones.


    "Ooh, think you missed that one there buddy," Hyun remarked, glancing at the pipe. "Should try swinging a bit faster."


    Recovering quickly, the attacker struck upwards, attempting to use the close distance to his advantage but was once again denied.


    "Ooh, that one was pretty close. Nice form. Could use a little work though."


    Grunting in frustration, the assailant seemed to take the advice to heart, swinging his weapon in smooth arcs in rapid succession. Each hit was aimed for what would have been a vulnerable spot on Hyun''s body. Elbows, knees, head, liver, a coordinated chain of unrelenting attacks meant to incapacitate or knockout. Still, even with the increase in speed and striking power, the pipe continued to hit everything except the black haired youth. It was only when a second member of HighRise decided to join the brawl that the masked man almost managed to make some contact.


    "Oi, wait your turn." Hyun remarked, amusement in his voice. He reached out and caught the newcomers wooden bat, stopping it midswing. "It''s impolite to butt in to someone else''s conversation."


    Yanking the bat away from the HighRise member, Hyun-Ki twirled the bat in his hand and swung it around, cracking the first man in the side of the leg, sending him into a kneel. Without missing a beat he quickly smacked the weapon into the man''s temple, laying him out flat onto the polished wood of the gymnasium. Shifting his attention to the other man, he swiftly dodged a flurry of punches and got in close, bringing his knee up whilst dragging the assailants head down. It was over just as quickly as the first, the guy crumpling unconscious in mere moments, blood pouring from his nose.


    "Alright," Hyun sighed, dusting off his clothes, large jacket hanging off his comparatively small frame. "Now, whose next."