《Pulse vicious cycle》


 Prologue

    The bell rang, sharp and unforgiving, echoing through the grounds of Kosei High. For most, it was the start of another ordinary school day. But for Jin Tae-Hyun, it marked the beginning of another battle¡ªa war he fought silently, every day, against the world around him.


    Jin shuffled through the school gates, shoulders hunched and eyes glued to the ground. The crowd around him seemed to part, not out of respect, but disgust. He was the stain they pretended not to see, the target of cruel whispers and mocking stares.


    "That''s Jin Tae-Hyun, right?"


    "Yeah, the punching bag."


    "Haruki had him crying last week. Pathetic."


    The words cut deep, even though he pretended not to hear them. Jin¡¯s fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He didn¡¯t stop walking. Stopping meant acknowledging them. Acknowledging them meant giving them power. And Jin refused to give them that satisfaction, even if every step felt like dragging chains across concrete.


    Class offered no sanctuary. It never did.


    Jin sat in the farthest corner of the room, hoping the shadows might swallow him whole. The teacher¡¯s voice droned on, but it was drowned out by the snickers and whispers of his classmates. Then came a paper ball, landing squarely on his desk. He ignored it. Another followed, and then another.


    ¡°Hey, Jin,¡± came a voice from behind¡ªRiku Aoki, Haruki¡¯s ever-loyal lapdog. ¡°Why don¡¯t you solve that problem on the board? Or are you too scared your knees will give out?¡±


    Laughter rippled through the room. Jin stared down at his notebook, gripping his pencil so tightly it nearly snapped.


    ¡°Enough!¡± the teacher barked, her sharp tone silencing the room. But the damage was done. The smirks, the sideways glances¡ªthey lingered, a reminder that he was always under their spotlight, always the joke.


    When the bell rang for lunch, Jin slipped out of the classroom as quickly as he could. He moved like a ghost, silent and unnoticed, hoping to avoid any more attention. But fate had other plans.


    As he turned a corner near the stairwell, a rough hand grabbed his arm and yanked him into the boys¡¯ bathroom. The smell of stale smoke and urine hit him instantly.


    ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t our favorite loser,¡± Haruki sneered, leaning casually against the sink with a cigarette between his fingers. His gang¡ªRiku, Sho, and Kenta¡ªstood around him, their expressions a mix of amusement and malice.


    Jin¡¯s stomach sank. He tried to pull away, but Riku shoved him forward, causing him to stumble and hit the edge of the sink.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Riku taunted. ¡°We¡¯re not done with you yet.¡±


    Haruki exhaled a cloud of smoke, the acrid scent making Jin¡¯s eyes water. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking extra pathetic lately, Jin. It¡¯s almost impressive how low you can sink.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Jin muttered, his voice barely audible. ¡°I just want to be left alone.¡±


    Haruki¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll leave you alone¡­ after we¡¯ve had our fun.¡±


    Before Jin could react, Sho grabbed him by the collar and shoved him to the floor. His knees hit the filthy tiles with a sickening thud.


    ¡°Lick the floor,¡± Haruki ordered, his tone dripping with sadistic glee.


    Jin¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± Haruki said, blowing smoke in Jin¡¯s face. ¡°Get that tongue of yours on the floor. Now.¡±


    The gang erupted into laughter as Jin froze, his mind racing. He wanted to resist, to stand up for himself, but the memory of past beatings held him back. He knew how this would end if he disobeyed.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Riku snapped, kicking Jin in the side. The impact sent pain shooting through his ribs, and he doubled over, gasping for air.


    Trembling, Jin lowered his face to the grimy floor. The cold, sticky surface made his stomach churn, but he stuck out his tongue, praying it would be over quickly. The gang¡¯s laughter grew louder as they watched, their voices echoing off the tiled walls.


    ¡°Look at him!¡± Kenta jeered. ¡°What a freakin¡¯ dog!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Haruki said, though his tone was anything but merciful. He grabbed Jin by the hair and yanked him to his feet, forcing him to look into his mocking eyes. ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, Jin. You don¡¯t even deserve to breathe the same air as us.¡±


    He shoved Jin back against the wall, and before Jin could brace himself, Haruki flicked the cigarette in his hand, the burning ember hitting Jin¡¯s cheek. Jin cried out in pain, clutching his face as the gang roared with laughter.


    ¡°You scream like a little girl,¡± Sho said, lighting another cigarette. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can handle this.¡±


    The next moments blurred together in a haze of humiliation and pain. The gang pinned Jin to the floor, their laughter echoing as they unzipped their pants.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Jin whispered, his voice trembling. ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Warm liquid hit his face, his uniform, soaking him in humiliation. They were urinating on him, their taunts and laughter ringing in his ears. Jin squeezed his eyes shut, his body trembling with rage and despair.


    When they finally stepped back, Haruki crouched down beside him, a cruel smirk on his face. ¡°You¡¯re lucky we¡¯re feeling generous today. Clean yourself up, loser.¡±


    The gang left the bathroom, their laughter fading into the distance. Jin lay there for a moment, drenched and broken, his chest heaving with silent sobs.


    He stumbled to his feet, his movements slow and shaky. His reflection in the cracked mirror showed a boy who barely looked human¡ªhis face pale, his hair matted, his uniform ruined. He avoided his own gaze as he splashed cold water on his face, the icy sting doing little to numb the pain inside.


    By the time the closing bell rang, Jin was a shell of himself. He limped home, his bruises hidden beneath his uniform, his head bowed low.


    When he reached the tiny apartment he shared with Yumi, she was waiting at the door. Her cheerful smile faltered the moment she saw him.


    ¡°Jin¡­¡± she whispered, her voice trembling. ¡°Did they¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Jin replied, forcing a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Just some idiots messing around.¡±


    Yumi wasn¡¯t convinced. She grabbed the first aid kit and guided him to the couch, her hands gentle but firm as she cleaned his wounds.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep letting them do this to you,¡± she said, her voice thick with emotion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you report them? The school? The police? Or should I come to school with you?¡±


    Jin shook his head, his gaze distant. ¡°It only makes things worse.¡±


    Her hands stilled, and for a moment, the room was silent.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to go through this,¡± she whispered.


    Jin wanted to tell her that it wasn¡¯t just the bullying¡ªthe relentless torment of school all felt like chains dragging him down. But he didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t.


    Instead, he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± knowing it was a lie.


    That night, as Jin lay in bed staring at the ceiling, a thought crept into his mind.


    How much longer could he endure this?


    He clenched his fists, the echoes of laughter and fists still fresh in his mind.


    Someday, he vowed. Someday, this would all change. They wouldn¡¯t laugh forever. And when that day came, he wouldn¡¯t let anyone experience what he was enduring.


    For now, he was just Jin, the weakling, the punching bag.


    But storms always start silently. And Jin¡¯s was brewing.

 breath of violenve

    The morning sun peeked timidly over the horizon, casting long shadows that seemed to mirror Jin''s existence¡ªdim, overshadowed, and forgotten. He trudged to school, his bag slung over his shoulder, eyes fixed on the ground. The weight of despair had become so routine he hardly noticed it anymore. Each day blurred into the next, a monotonous cycle of torment and humiliation.


    As he approached the school gates, a chill ran down his spine. The sight of Haruki and his gang lounging near the entrance made his stomach churn. They were like predators lying in wait, their eyes lighting up at the sight of him.


    "Morning, Jin," Haruki called out, his voice dripping with mockery. "Ready for your daily workout?"


    Jin ignored him, keeping his head down. He knew better than to respond¡ªit only made things worse. Haruki smirked, falling in step beside him, while his gang flanked him like a pack of wolves surrounding their prey.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you," Haruki said, his tone sharp. He grabbed Jin''s shoulder, yanking him back. "What, too good to answer me now?"


    Jin froze, his heart pounding. The other students walking past glanced at the scene but quickly averted their eyes. No one would step in¡ªnot for someone like him.


    "Relax, Haruki," Riku said, chuckling. "He''s probably just scared stiff. Aren''t you, Jin?"


    Jin didn¡¯t respond, and Haruki¡¯s smirk widened. "Guess we¡¯ll have to loosen him up."


    Before Jin could react, Haruki¡¯s fist slammed into his gut. The air rushed out of his lungs, and he doubled over, clutching his stomach. The gang laughed as Haruki slapped him on the back, nearly making him collapse.


    "Better?" Haruki asked, feigning concern. "See? A little exercise does wonders."


    Jin staggered away, clutching his bag tightly. The laughter of his tormentors followed him all the way to class.


    The classroom was no sanctuary. As soon as Jin stepped inside, the mocking whispers started.


    "Here comes the punching bag," one student muttered, earning a round of snickers.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Think he¡¯ll cry today?" another added.


    Jin walked to his desk, only to find it covered in graffiti. Words like loser, trash, and worse were scrawled across the surface. He sighed, opening his bag to retrieve his notebook, only for a crumpled piece of paper to hit the back of his head.


    "Hey, Jin," Haruki called from the back of the room, his tone cheerful in that infuriatingly fake way. "Why don¡¯t you come over here? We could use some entertainment."


    Jin ignored him, focusing on his notes. But Haruki wasn¡¯t one to be ignored. He stood and sauntered over, his gang trailing behind. The classroom fell silent as everyone watched the unfolding spectacle.


    Haruki slammed a hand on Jin¡¯s desk, making him flinch. "C¡¯mon, Jin. Don¡¯t be rude. Crawl over here like the good little dog you are."


    The class erupted in laughter. Jin¡¯s face burned with humiliation, but he didn¡¯t move. His silence only seemed to amuse Haruki further.


    "Fine," Haruki said, grabbing Jin by the collar and yanking him out of his seat. "If you won¡¯t crawl, we¡¯ll make you."


    With a sharp shove, Haruki sent Jin sprawling onto the floor. His books scattered across the room, and his bag fell open. Haruki¡¯s eyes caught on a photograph poking out from the bag¡ªa picture of Jin and his sister, Yumi.


    "Well, well, what¡¯s this?" Haruki said, picking up the photo. "Is this your girlfriend?"


    Jin¡¯s eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet, panic flashing across his face. "Give that back!"


    Haruki held the photo out of reach, grinning.


    "Your sister, huh? She¡¯s kinda cute. Maybe I should pay her a visit sometime. What do you think, boys?"


    The gang burst into laughter, and Haruki stuck out his tongue, licking his lips exaggeratedly.


    "Think she¡¯d like me, Jin? I¡¯m pretty charming, don¡¯t you think?"


    Jin¡¯s fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. His whole body trembled with barely restrained fury. For a moment, Haruki paused, noticing the way Jin¡¯s knuckles whitened.


    "Oh, what¡¯s this?" Haruki taunted, his grin widening.


    "You mad? Gonna hit me? Go ahead, Jin. Try it."


    Jin¡¯s teeth ground together, but he stayed frozen. He knew it was pointless. Even if he fought back, they¡¯d only beat him harder.


    "Didn''t think so," Haruki sad, smirking .he turned and delivered a sharp back kick to jin''s stomach, sending him crashing into the desks. Jin gasped, water and bile rising up in his throat as he doubled over in pain.


    ''''Oops,'''' Haruki said, feigning ignorance. "Looks like i overdid it.''''


    The gang roared with laughter, and some of the girls in the class looked away in disgust. But no one moved to help.


    ''Clean this up," haruki said, grabbing jin by the hair and dragging him to a puddle of water that had spilled from someone''s bottle. he shoved


    jin''s face into it, holding him there for a moment. ''There you go. You look better like this on the ground, where u belong."


    The laughter grew louder, echoing in jin''s hear like a creul symphony. Tears prickled at his eyes, byt he refused to let them fall, He refused to give them the satisfaction.