Unveiled Potential

Days since Jiro's fight with Tae-Min, however, were not exactly smooth sailing. The fight has cemented his reputation well, but it also kicked up the ripples within the school's turbulent ranking system. Everyone now turned their attention to him—all of them, it seemed, out of curiosity as much as malice.

Jiro walked into the classroom, his bag slung over one shoulder. The usual chatter dies down as he enters and he can feel their eyes following him to his seat. Jin was already there waiting with his typical grin.

"You're like a magnet for drama, you know that?" Jin teased as Jiro sat down.

"Not my fault," Jiro mumbled, settling back in his chair. "People just don't know when to leave me alone."

Jin leaned in, his grin faltering. "Well, they won't. Word on the street is Hyun-Seok's crew is planning something big. You humiliated their leader, and they're not gonna let that slide."

Jiro rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of Jin's words. "What else is new?"

"Not just that," Jin added, his tone dropping to a whisper. "There's another group watching you—the Council."

Jiro's eyes narrowed. "The Council?"

"Yeah," Jin replied, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "They're the top dogs in the school, the ones who really pull the strings. You've been making too much noise, and now you're on their radar."

That afternoon, Jiro was cornered by Tae-Min outside the school gates. Even with the bruises he'd sustained from their last sparring match, Tae-Min seemed more amused than anything else.

"You're making waves, Han," Tae-Min said, crossing his arms. "Big ones. You should know what that means."

"I didn't ask for any of this," Jiro replied.

Doesn't matter," Tae-Min said with a shrug. "You're in the game now, whether you like it or not. And trust me, the people at the top don't take kindly to new players shaking things up."

"What do they want?

"Depends," Tae-Min replied, pressing into the wall. "Some of them will test you, like I did. Others. won't be so friendly. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself buried before you even realize what's happening."

Jiro fisted his hands and stiffened his jaw. "I'm not afraid of them.

"Good," Tae-Min replied, his grin returning. "You'll need that attitude. Just don't underestimate them. They didn't get to the top by being nice."

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room somewhere on campus, the Council convened. The group was small but powerful, each member representing a different faction within the school.

At the head of the table sat Min-Jae, a sharp-eyed senior with an air of authority that demanded respect. "Jiro Han," Min-Jae said, his voice calm but laced with intrigue. "The name's been coming up a lot lately." A girl with silver hair and a cold gaze nodded. "He took down Hyun-Seok and held his own against Tae-Min. That's not something we can ignore.

A gangly boy with glasses adjusted them thoughtfully. "He's an unknown. No background, no affiliations. It's like he came out of nowhere."

Min-Jae tapped his fingers on the table. "That makes him dangerous. But it also makes him interesting."

"What do you want to do?" the silver-haired girl asked.

"We'll watch for now," Min-Jae said, leaning back in his chair. "If he's as strong as they say, he could be useful. If not, we'll deal with him like we deal with all disruptions."

As the sun set below the horizon, Jiro walked home under the weight of the day. Tension hung in the air, and his Perception Field hummed faintly with the subtle shifts in the air.

He froze, turning to look over his shoulder. Shadows moved in the distance, too deliberate to be random.

You can come out," Jiro called, his voice steady.

From the darkness, a group of figures emerged, their faces hidden beneath hooded jackets.

"You're Jiro Han, right?" one of them said, his tone dripping with malice.

"And if I am?" Jiro replied, his stance shifting subtly into a defensive position.

The leader of the group chuckled as he stepped forward. "Hyun-Seok sends his regards. He wasn't too pleased with you and we're here to tell you that you got a message."

Jiro scowled. "You're here to do the dirty work for him because of what I did."

"Well, something like that, but don't think this is personal. Just business," the leader continued while cracking his knuckles.

The first punch was without warning. But Jiro prepared and ducked under it before countering with a fast jab to the rib. The thug staggered backward, clutching at his side.

Another rushed him, swinging a metal pipe. Jiro dodged to the side. And he grabbed the pipe with one hand, jerking it out of the hand of his opponent and in the same motion kick this thug in his chest.

The remaining thugs hesitated, realizing that this wasn't going to be as easy as they'd thought.

"Come on," Jiro said, his voice calm but firm. "Is that all you've got?"

They rushed him all at once, but Jiro's Perception Field guided his movements. He weaved through their attacks with precision, landing blows that sent them reeling.

Within minutes, it was all over. Thugs groaned on the floor, their confidence smashed to pieces.

Jiro towers over them, his expression impossible to read. "Tell Hyun-Seok if he wants to settle this, he should come himself."

The leader nods feebly, defeated.

As Jiro walked away, his adrenaline began to dissipate and he became exhausted. He knew this was not the end, if anything it was just the beginning.

The Council was watching, Hyun-Seok was planning, and it seemed as though the entire school waited to see what he was going to do next.

But Jiro wasn't afraid. He had been through worse, and he was certainly not going to back down now.