No More Thug Life, I’m Playing Music

Episode 42. The Madman Above the Runner (4)

Poonggwang High Auditorium, Second Floor.
At the end of the hallway overlooking the first floor stood a small room.
Once used by Choo Minji as a private practice space, it was now my room.
Because of the school policy requiring all arts students to remain on campus during school hours, I had to spend a certain amount of time here every day.

Knock, knock.
Someone rapped on the door. Judging by the time, it was Kim Bom.

“Come i—”

Before I could finish, the door swung open.
Wearing a plain black T-shirt instead of her uniform, Kim Bom strode in and claimed the spot in front of the air conditioner.

“It’s scorching out there.”

She tugged on the hem of her shirt, flashing her navel.

“Tsk, tsk. A young lady like you should have some shame.”

“You just called me a horse, didn’t you?”

The scent of fabric softener wafted as she approached, lightly slapping my arm before grabbing the barley tea from my desk and guzzling it.

“I drank from that.”

“So?”

“Just saying.”

Sometimes I wondered what exactly I was to her.

“Let’s grab lunch. Baek Junsoo said he’d come down once we’re there.”

“Hold on. Let me finish this.”

I gestured at the tablet on my desk. A video of last year’s autumn student music festival played on the screen.

The student music festival was a major event where orchestras and music clubs from high schools nationwide participated. This year, our school was joining as well.

“Are you really taking those troublemakers there?”

“I made a promise, and I’ll keep it.”

“The principal practically worships you. Do you really need to?”

“A man doesn’t go back on his word. Besides, using the auditorium like this was part of the deal.”

“The auditorium… fair enough. So you’ll keep meeting Han Yeoreum until the performance?”

“Yeah, she even offered to perform on stage with us.”

“What? Really?”

Kim Bom’s surprise was understandable, given Han Yeoreum’s fame.

“She’s genuinely a great person.”

“Oh… should I help out, too?”

“What? Didn’t you say you’d never touch a violin again?”

“I’ll help out briefly before the performance. Just like I sometimes appear in No Redemption shoots.”

“Oh, that’d be great.”

Her sudden change of heart was odd, but I didn’t dwell on it.

“If you’re grateful, let’s talk later tonight about something—”

“Wait.”

I cut her off, removing my headset.
That’s when I finally noticed the faint commotion outside.

The vibrations of the air conditioner, Kim Bom’s heartbeat, and… the sound of a scuffle outside.

“What are they up to now…?”

With half worry and half annoyance, I stepped into the hallway.
From the vantage point overlooking the first floor, I saw chaos.

Scattered across the floor were members of the orchestra club. In the middle of it all, a brawl was underway.
To my surprise, one person was holding his own against the rest.

Taking a closer look, I recognized the face.
A manly appearance, tall build—this must be the transfer student the prefect teacher had mentioned.

Eom Deokgu.
The one I’d been specifically asked to guide without violence.
The one whose father was a high-ranking official.

“Oh?”

Kim Bom, who had followed me, pointed at the boy.

“It’s him. The guy from the parking lot yesterday.”

“Really?”

Now it made sense why Baek Junsoo’s low kick hadn’t worked on him.
This wasn’t your average street brawler. He’d been trained professionally.

“Tsk, they act so tough but can’t put up a real fight.”

The self-proclaimed bullies couldn’t even resist properly.
Eom Deokgu sent them tumbling with sharp, precise kicks, like leaves in the wind.

Clicking my tongue, I slowly descended the stairs.
Careful not to interfere, I took a seat in a good spot to observe.

“Oh…”

“You’re not going to help them?”

“They’ll be fine. They deserve a good lesson anyway.”

Compared to the suffering they’d inflicted on others, this was nothing.

“But that guy’s something else…”

His movements, rhythmic and deliberate, were almost impressive.
In another time, I might have coveted someone like him.

If Choi Pilwook was raw power, this kid was pure skill.
He was born for this.

 Thud!

At that moment, Eom Deokgu drove his fist into the stomach of the last standing student.
The boy doubled over, and Deokgu casually shoved him aside, brushing back his disheveled hair with a satisfied expression.

I suddenly recalled what Ducheol had said the night before:
“That kid reminds me of you when you were younger, Hyung.”

Now, I understood what he meant.

“Talent…”

“Huh? What?”

“Nothing.”

With the fight seemingly over, I stood and approached.

“Hey, student.”

At my call, Eom Deokgu sharply turned his head, scanning me from head to toe with narrowed eyes.

“Jung Seojoon?”

“That’s right.”

“What the hell? Everyone made such a big deal about you. You’re nothing special.”

“Ha-ha.”

I can’t deny his reaction.
While I am tall and well-built, my muscle mass stubbornly refuses to grow no matter how much I work out.
There’s a clear limit to how much weight training can do for me. Add to that the lack of outdoor activity due to my music practice, and my pale skin makes me stand out even more.

Women’s gazes on me often feel sharp, but my ideal image of masculinity feels a bit lacking.
Sometimes, I even envy Ducheol for his rugged, manly presence.

“Calm down, and let’s talk—”

“Long hair, a pretty face… You look like a chick. Do you even have a dick?”

“……”

****

“Ah, we’re screwed.”

Kim Bom muttered to herself, while a few orchestra club members who had collapsed on the floor stared in shock.
Words like pretty boy or anything with a similar nuance were forbidden at Poonggwang High—or rather, strictly avoided in front of Jung Seojoon.

This unwritten rule stemmed from an incident during Jung Seojoon’s efforts to recruit members for the orchestra club.
As he visited students on the prefect’s list, the so-called delinquents weren’t eager to join. Some, unaware of the infamous Choi Pilwook incident, judged Jung Seojoon by his appearance and challenged him to fights.

Most of the time, he handled them lightly.
But there were two exceptions.

“You’re like a girl.”
“Hey, do you even have balls?”

That day, the two students were beaten to within an inch of their lives within a wall formed by student council members locking arms.
The incident was reported to the school as a fight between the two students.

Since then, rumors spread that the usually easygoing, laughter-filled Jung Seojoon turned into a different person when hearing those kinds of remarks.

Now, that rumor was proving to be true.

Thud.

Jung Seojoon stomped the ground.
His face hardened, and a cold light filled his eyes. It was the expression he wore when genuinely angry.

“Damn…”

Eom Deokgu flinched, startled by the sudden surge of oppressive energy.
However, he was a natural-born fighter.
He quickly composed himself and stepped back, angling his body diagonally.

Raising his fists to eye level, he tucked his head behind a high guard. His left knee bent slightly forward.
It was a textbook Muay Thai stance.

In this position, he waited for Seojoon’s attack.

Boxing?

Seojoon’s posture resembled boxing. The first move appeared to be a right hook.
Deokgu formed a plan in his mind: block the punch with his left arm and counter with a right elbow.
He intended to end the fight quickly and decisively.

“Sss.”

Deokgu inhaled sharply, keeping time with Seojoon’s steps.

One.
Seojoon’s leading foot extended.

Two.
His right shoulder subtly tilted back.

Three.

Deokgu lunged forward, aiming to deny Seojoon the proper striking distance.

In that moment—

Thwack!

“Aaagh!”

Deokgu screamed as his right knee buckled to the side.
Seojoon’s true attack wasn’t the feinted right hook; it was a calf kick, a low strike targeting the legs.

Deokgu realized too late that Seojoon had perfectly hit the sore spot Junsoo had targeted the day before.

“Urgh…”

As Deokgu groaned in pain, Seojoon slapped him across the face.

Smack!

The blow sent Deokgu sprawling onto the floor, too stunned to cry out.
From above, Seojoon’s voice reached his ears.

“Your scream sounds so girly. Do you even have balls?”

“Ugh… damn… you…”

“Congratulations. You’re now the face of No Redemption.”

Seojoon’s grin stretched wide, his lips curling into a smirk.

****

A Few Days Later.

Before filming for No Redemption, the auditorium was bustling with orchestra members preparing for the event. Amid the commotion, the doors swung open violently, and two men entered.

“Let me go, damn it!”

“Shut up.”

Seojoon dragged Eom Deokgu by the collar, pulling him inside.

In stark contrast to Seojoon’s neat appearance, Deokgu looked disheveled, as if he’d been rolling on the ground.

“You thought I wouldn’t find you if you hid there?”

“I’m not joining your damn orchestra!”

“Ha-ha, Deokgu.”

Seojoon’s calm tone seemed to infuriate Deokgu even more.

“Damn it! Stop calling me like I’m some pet—ugh!”

Seojoon smacked the back of Deokgu’s head.

“From now on, you’ll get hit every time you curse.”

“Argh! I can’t take it anymore! Let’s settle this once and for all!”

Deokgu shoved Seojoon’s arm away, tearing off his shirt as he roared.

“One of us is going down today, damn it!”

“You first.”

Jung Seojoon launched a low kick, but Eom Deokgu dodged it with a backstep.
He countered with a front kick, extending his foot sharply.
However, Seojoon swiftly caught Deokgu’s ankle and pulled him forward.

“Ugh!”
Deokgu’s nose collided with Seojoon’s forehead.

“Damn it!”

“Another curse.”

Seojoon raised his right hand as if to slap him, but Deokgu quickly extended his palm forward.

“Wait!”

His hand perfectly blocked Seojoon’s field of vision.
As expected, Seojoon used his other hand to aim for Deokgu’s chest.

“Die!”

“You first.”

Seojoon blocked the attack with his left hand and struck Deokgu’s groin with his knee.

“Gah!”

 Ohhhh!

The orchestra club members watching the fight gasped in shock, wincing as if they felt the pain themselves.

“Ugh…”

Deokgu fell to his knees, his flushed face pressed against the floor as he groaned in agony.

“You cowardly bastard…”

“There’s no such thing as dirty in a fight. The winner takes it all.”

“Damn…”

“Another curse.”

Seojoon crouched down, raising his palm threateningly. Deokgu quickly stammered, “S-Sh…”

“What?”

“My shoelaces came undone… That’s why I lost…”

Hearing that, a few orchestra members burst out laughing. Seojoon chuckled softly and glanced around.

“Don’t mind this. Get back to what you were doing.”

“Yes, concertmaster!”

The auditorium returned to its bustling preparation.
On the second floor, Choo Minji and Han Yeoreum sat side by side.

“Who is that?”

“The tall one? He’s the new recruit.”

“Wow… This orchestra club keeps surprising me. But who knew Kevin had such intensity? So tough!”

“Didn’t you know, unnie? Seojoon’s practically a gangster. Mafia.”

With a playful smirk, Choo Minji recounted her first encounter with Seojoon.

“R-Really? Kevin?”

Han Yeoreum widened her eyes, staring at Seojoon.

“Just kidding.”

“Hey, Choo~ I believed you!”

The two continued gossiping about Seojoon.

“Anyway, thanks to you joining our collaboration, we’re raking it in.”

“Oh, congratulations.”

“By the way, unnie…”

“Hmm?”

“We’re really grateful, but do you think this might hurt your image?”

“Why?”

“Well, Seojoon’s still a high school student…”

“That’s okay. Handsome guys are all oppas.”

“Oh… true.”

Minji nodded in agreement.

Just then, Kim Bom appeared.

“What are you two scheming now?”

“Yo~ Bom~”

As Kim Bom glared at Han Yeoreum, the latter cheekily raised her middle finger and waved it side to side. Kim Bom ignored her and turned to Choo Minji.

“Minji unnie, don’t get me on camera too much.”

“Got it. But are you really picking up the violin again?”

“Just until the music festival.”

“Why?”

Han Yeoreum raised her hand.

“Because someone’s getting on my nerves.”

“Oops, I wonder who that could be?”

Han Yeoreum widened her eyes and covered her mouth dramatically.

“Who else? You.”

“Oh… I’m so sad…”

****

A short while later, forty people were seated in orchestra formation on the first floor of the auditorium.
After a group of university students arrived, Seo Sooji entered the hall, carrying a stack of A4 papers.

“Sorry I’m late. I had an urgent meeting.”

“It’s fine,” Seojoon replied curtly.

Sooji nodded at him.

“Anyway, your proposal has been approved.”

“That’s good news.”

“Alright, let’s hand these out.”

At her cue, a group of first-year students quickly stood up and distributed the papers on the music stands.

– Murmur, murmur.

A brief commotion followed, but it died down when Seojoon cleared his throat.

“The deadline is the end of this month. If you have any issues participating, come see me personally.”

Seated in a corner, Eom Deokgu also received a paper.
His brows furrowed as he read it.

“What the hell is this? A camp? Overnight training? Are you kidding me?”

As soon as Deokgu spoke up, the cameraman filming the rehearsal slowly approached him.

“What’s with the camera? Get that thing out of here!”

Deokgu’s outburst made Choo Minji, watching from a distance, grin from ear to ear.
Her expression clearly said: This is it!