Unveiled Potential

Air was still. Too still. It is the kind of silence that makes every nerve turn on. Jiro noticed it the moment he opened the school gates. But this was different from sideward glances, whispers or fake attempts at subtlety.

No one was staring at him. No one whispered his name.

Instead, they all stared at someone else.

He felt the presence before he saw it. It was like a shift in gravity, a weight pressing on his Perception Field. Students moved aside like waves parting before a ship. Step by step, the pressure grew heavier.

He's here.

Standing right at the center of it all was a boy almost his height, but there was something about him that felt bigger. Broad shoulders, sharp eyes, and a presence so heavy it felt like he was carrying the weight of the entire school on his back. He wore his uniform loose, hands in his pockets, and walked with the kind of confidence you didn't fake.

Jang Hyun-Seok.

He was surrounded by three others, each one a known "name" in the underground scene. But they weren't leading. They weren't protecting him. They were following him.

His eyes scanned the crowd lazily, as if none of them were worth his time. His gaze stopped for a second when he spotted Jiro. He didn't smile. He didn't scowl. He just looked.

Their eyes met.

Sharp. Cold. Calculating.

For a split second, the Perception Field around Jiro wavered like video static.

This one's different.

"Jiro, bro, you got a look at him right?" Min-Jun's frantic voice cracked out from over by Jiro's elbow, eyes darting furiously back and forth like he was trapped in a rodent maze. "Hyun-Seok is really here.

"I saw," Jiro replied, his eyes straight ahead. His voice was flat, but inside, his mind was anything but calm.

"You gotta be careful, man. He's not like the others," Min-Jun said softly, as if they were being watched. "Jang Hyun-Seok ain't just a fighter. He's a hunter. You know what they call him at Jong-Il, right?"

Jiro didn't say a word, but he already knew.

The Butcher of Jong-Il.

It wasn't just a nickname. Hyun-Seok was known for breaking his opponents — not just defeating them but *humiliating* them. Broken bones, shattered pride, and rumors of underground matches where he'd left his opponents too afraid to fight again.

"Doesn't matter," Jiro said, his eyes locked on the hallway ahead. "If he's here for me, I'll handle it."

Min-Jun grasped his arm, eyes frantic. "No, you don't get it, bro. This isn't like Woo-Sik or Kyung-Ho. Hyun-Seok isn't here for 'respect.' He's here to prove something. If you fight him, he's not just gonna win — he's gonna end you. "

Jiro's gaze narrowed. His Perception Field buzzed with static again, but he breathed slowly, steadying it.

I don't care who he is. If he comes for me, I'll see him before he moves.

He pulled his arm free from Min-Jun's grip. "Relax. I'm not running."

Min-Jun didn't look reassured.

It was a silent rooftop. No one ever went up here except for Jiro and a few others who wanted to avoid the world. Today, it was just him. The wind blew softly, carrying with it the distant sounds of the school courtyard below.

Jiro sat on the edge, knees up, arms resting on them. His eyes were half-closed, not asleep but in focus. His Perception Field stretched out as far as it could go, scanning every movement. Steps on the stairs. Shifting bodies on the floors below. Birds flying by.

Nothing out of place.

Until it was.

One set of footsteps.

Steady. Unhurried. Climbing the stairs.

He didn't have to guess.

Hyun-Seok.

The footsteps ceased. The rooftop door groaned open, and out stepped the "Butcher" himself. No entourage. No crowd. Just him.

"Didn't think I'd find you up here," Hyun-Seok said nonchalantly, his hands stuffed into pockets. His eyes scanned the horizon, taking in the empty space and clear blue sky. "Nice view."

Jiro didn't budge. His eyes remained glued to the horizon, his Perception Field tracking Hyun-Seok's every move: the weight of his steps, the shift of his shoulders, even the small inhale before he spoke again.

"You're quieter than I expected," Hyun-Seok said, taking a step forward. His footsteps echoed off the concrete. "Most people start talking tough when they see me. You're not like them, huh?"

Jiro tilted his head a little. "You here to talk or to fight?"

Hyun-Seok laughed. Not loudly. Not forced. It was a real laugh, one that echoed with genuine amusement.

Straight to the point," Hyun-Seok said, moving closer until he was just a few feet away. "I like that."

He sat across from Jiro on the ledge, still with hands in his pockets. He leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees.

"They're all talking about you, you know," Hyun-Seok said, his eyes sharp and steady. "Kyung-Ho. Woo-Sik. Even guys outside this school. Word gets around fast."

Jiro didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

"I'm not here on Kyung-Ho's orders," Hyun-Seok continued, his gaze never leaving Jiro. "I came because I was curious."

"Curious?"

"Yeah," Hyun-Seok's smile grew just a little. "Curious if the rumors were true. They say you've got eyes like a ghost. Like you see things before they happen."

Jiro looked at him for the first time, his eyes keen and bright. "You believe in ghosts, Hyun-Seok?"

He sat in silence. Then, another small laugh from Hyun-Seok.

"Not really," Hyun-Seok said, slowly standing up, his eyes still fixed on Jiro. "But I believe in predators."

He took one step forward. Jiro's Perception Field buzzed.

Heavy. Focused. No wasted movement.

"You can see everything, huh?" Hyun-Seok asked, taking another step. His eyes narrowed, sharp as a knife's edge. "Then you already know how this ends."

Jiro stood, his eyes fixed on Hyun-Seok's. No words. No retreat.

"I do," Jiro said. His fingers flexed, coiled. Deep breath. Clear mind.

Hyun-Seok took another step. This time, it was not slow.

Quick.

Jiro's body reacted before his mind could. His Perception Field screamed at him, and he ducked just as Hyun-Seok's foot swished past his head.

He's faster than anyone I've fought.

The rooftop echoed with the sharp crack of Hyun-Seok's foot hitting the ledge behind him. His follow-up came instantly — a spinning elbow aimed at Jiro's ribs.

Jiro stepped back, just a second too late. The edge of the elbow grazed his side. His ribs throbbed with pain.

He's not guessing. He's reading me.

Jiro's eyes focused. No mistakes now.

Hyun-Seok grinned, eyes wild with excitement. "Not bad. Not bad at all." He rolled his shoulders, loosening them up like he was just getting started.

"Looks like I'll have to try a little harder," Hyun-Seok said, his grin sharp as a blade. "Don't disappoint me, Ghost-Eyes."

They faced each other, two predators standing at the edge of a rooftop with the whole school below.

Jiro's breath was calm. Steady. His Perception Field expanded to its fullest, covering everything within reach. Every movement, every shift in balance, every ounce of intent.

Hyun-Seok crouched low, ready to pounce.

"Come on," Jiro muttered, his eyes focused like a hawk's. "I'm right here."