THE HUNTER SCREWED ME OVER

KBS Senior High was dumping grounds for kids that would rather off be dead. Well of course it wasn't all that shity since you'll probably make it into a good college if you graduate from KBS. The school was very influential and hard to get into, people on the outside knew it as paradise why those on the inside knew it as the devil's kitchen. A lot of rich families would send their good-for-nothing offsprings here. At the very least it was better than jail or rehab.

... 

July 2023. Yet again I came out with good grades, not the best though I wasn't trying to draw unnecessary attention. Sure every other person thinks it's easy as a neutral but it's really not. Some neutrals stock with predators for a higher chance of survival an others stuck with each other. Well it was a 50/50 chance of survival so they were just fine. Meanwhile there was the minority who sympathized with the preys. Buttom line... Every neutral struggles for a chance at survival as well so I just picked the better option. The best way to survive in this shit hole is to stay out of sight and that's why I didn't need friends. My plan was to breeze my way through the last years of high School unnoticed, silent, stealth is a neutral's ultimate weapon.

"Ahhh.... It's that kid".

"Yeah what's his name again?".

"I don't know, Soohyun? Something like that".

"It's Yoon Seojun. He's the first runner-up in our class this term" she sighed "I'm jealous".

"But his life is kind of sad isn't it? No friends, no foes. He doesn't even have a favourite spot. Sometimes he's everywhere but most times he's nowhere".

"Yeah if not for his name tag he would literally be invisible."

"Should we ask him? ".

"Okay, try"

"Hey! Yoon Seojun!" Jimin hesitated "would you like to grab dinner with us. My grandmom just opened a fried chicken shop. Dinner is free if you'll come with"

Lee Jimin, Oh Hana and Lim Jaebeom how considerate. Look at them pitying me. The audacity.

Jimin was brought here after his parents died. The school had promised to fund his education until he graduates from college. Oh Hana was sent off to KBS because of her addiction to drugs. They say her parents would rather have her sent off to rehab but KBS was the last ounce of love and consideration they had for her. At least if she lives long enough she'll get into a standard University. Lim Jaebeom isn't quite the brainer but he made it into the school's athletic team. Bunch of losers sticking together and this is what they term survival? Pffttt give me a break. "Status?"

"Neutral... we're all neutrals"

"Then I'll pass" I passed off a quick smile that looked more hippocritic than I had intended it to be and went my way. 

"What's his problem!"

"Hana just let it be. It's not like no one anticipated that that would happen" He continued "I think he's just smug because his parents are rich "

"Jaebeom's parents are rich too so?"

That day I went to the school's basketball court, two teams were playing. There wasn't too many spectators just a few rooting girls. It was refreshing to watch all those boys still have fun amidst all this mess. Even some predator and prey settled scores on the court. 

Someone from the right corner gave an elbow to the jaw of his opponent while trying to make a dunk and denied it.

"Hey! Jeon Ji-soo you pr*ck! You wanna take out my jaw? Do you have a death wish?!"

"I didn't hit you! I didn't even touch you so stop moaning like a b*tch".

Other team members were trying to calm them down but they weren't having any of it. Junghoon picked up the ball and threw it at Ji-soo but the bastard dodged. I remember watching the back of Ji-soo's head as he dodged the ball. I watched as the ball kept growing bigger as it flew across the room and in less than a second I was on the floor. My head was ringing with a bad headache, everywhere was stretching. I felt like I was under the influence of some drug. I managed to sit up after a while. My left eye was completely shut so I looked beside me with the other good eye and it was the basketball from earlier. That son of a b**** could've taken my eye out and the other idiot just had to dodge.

"Here you go" the girl beside me handed me pain relief patch "so it doesn't swell "

"Thanks" I spoke slowly trying hard to keep my composure.

"Seojun, haha I guess today is not your day"

"How'd you know my name" judging from the way she carries a pain-relief patch around, she's obviously a prey.

"I know you are Yoon Seojun from grade 11 class C. We're classmates" since I didn't say anything she just continued "people can see you you know, you're not invisible. At least I see you" she smiled broadly. 

I put the patch on my eye "I'd prefer you didn't".

"Does it hurt? " Park Hyunwoo from Junghoon's team came over with Jeonghoon lingering behind.

"What do you think?"

"Here" he offered me a bottle of water

"I'm in pain... Not dehydrated" I kept my angry but clear gaze fixated at Junghoon who was hiding behind his teammates. It was funny though for a 6-footer he sure was cowardly.

"Look man... I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hit you um... umm... Who are you anyways?"

"His name is Seojun" she declared with a hinge of pride. 

"Oh I guess you don't attend our school then"

"Are you kidding me? He's literally wearing the school's uniform"

"Oh yeah right... You must be a junior then"

"Idiot. Where all in the same class, he's first runner-up in our class. Class C". It was at this point I wished the ball had hit her mouth and not my eye. 

"Oh really?! My bad then. It's just I've never seen you before. My name is Kim Jeonghoon from class A" he sat beside me. 

After long Hyunwoo had gone his way. It was just us three. Ever since then Junghoon and Mi-rae were always there. 

... 

His face was unfazed I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I couldn't tell what I was thinking, was I even thinking? what in the world was going on. 

Junghoon collapsed to his knees, arms dangling like a corpse's, eyes wide staring at the gory remains of his best friend, brows raised and mouth agape. 

"S-S-Seojun.... how? Mi-rae" he raised his gaze to lock eyes with me "you freaking sicko! Fucking son of a.... " He grabbed me by the collar and sent me crashing down to my right side with a big right hand. 

Still too stunned to say a word I just looked at everyone. It was like someone had scattered the pieces on my chess board. That son of a bitch screwed me over he didn't even have to pick up a piece to change the game. He just upturned the board of a game I've so preciously played defence for two years. 

Junghoon yanked me the second time and just in time for strike two a teacher came rushing in. "Oh my God!" The expression on the teacher's face was priceless "you little... do you know how much it will take to cover this up? All of you home now!".

Sooner than later the fight ended. I was instructed to go home and report to the vice principal's office the next day. Before I left school that day I met Junghoon in an empty classroom.

"I swear I didn't do it! The hunter guy did"

"You're full of crap you know that? You're a psychopath that can't stop obsessing with the Hunter. I always thought you were just curious but you turned out to be a maniac"

"Why the f*ck don't you believe me?"

"Why should I? You were caught red-handed and you're asking me to believe you? Why? Because we're friends? You never considered me a friend so why should I?"

"I.... thoug... "

"The only reason I tried so hard to stay around you, to understand you was because Mi-rae wanted to. She never wanted you to be alone"

"I saw him I swear"

"If you wanted to play Hunter and target with mutherf*cker then you could have just gotten his attention some other way. You could have become a predator without having to.... " He clenched his teeth and tightened his fist as tears streamed down his face "it'd be worthless hunting you down now"

"Junghoon... "

"So go on, you can climb those ranks for all I care. But once you're eventually worth something. I'll be the one to hunt you down myself".

Just like that, the 24th of April came to an end.