The muffled sound of footsteps echoed through the old school building's hallways as Jin and Leon moved away from the main crowd. The air was thick with the scent of chalk and old wood, and the tension between the two was almost palpable.
Leon stopped near a broken window, arms crossed. Jin leaned against the frame beside him, face serious.
— We're not gonna beat them in a clean brawl… not yet, — Leon started, locking eyes with Jin. — Those seniors are older, more experienced, and got more people. If we go head-on, it turns into a gang war and leaves us in the hospital… or worse.
Jin kept a calm expression, the corner of his lips curving slightly.
— So what do you have in mind?
Leon smirked.
— A plan to isolate them and take them down one by one. And forget that "quick, quiet attack" crap. We'll isolate the bastard, and then you go all in. Real fight.
Jin let out a faint grin, approving.
— Alright, talk.
Leon pulled a folded paper from his pocket, a makeshift map of the school scribbled with red marks.
— I got info on where each leader usually hangs out during breaks, after class, and when school's out. Some stick to the old court, others by the storage sheds, and one even hides out smoking on the rooftop. I also listed who their most loyal guys are… and the ones who've been complaining.
He pointed at the marks on the paper.
— First, we create distractions. A few of our guys start fights in other parts of the school to scatter their underlings. Another group spreads rumors that inspectors are roaming the halls. That'll force the veterans to split up and get paranoid.
Jin chuckled lightly.
— Those bastards already started moving against us. Time to hit back.
Leon nodded.
— After that, we pick the most reckless or dumb one. I've got a guy nobody pays attention to… or we could use Baek. He's still off their radar after what happened, so he makes a good decoy. He lures the veteran somewhere with no cameras and no witnesses. Like the storage area or the old back court.
Jin stared out the window, mentally mapping the routes.
— And then?
Leon grinned with a cold gleam in his eyes.
— Then you go all in. Forget quick fights. It's you and him, until one of you's left standing. No witnesses. No holding back.
Jin clenched his fist and let a small smile slip.
— That's what I wanted to hear.
Leon went on:
— Once you're done, we either hide the body or make it look like the guy skipped school. Then we drop an anonymous note to the other veterans: "Your ally ran away like a rat." That'll make them paranoid. They'll start thinking there's a traitor in their ranks or someone's hunting them.
Jin nodded.
— Divide and conquer.
— Exactly. And with each veteran down, the others get more nervous. We'll adapt as we go. One goes down through threats, another through ambition, another fooled by a fake promise. But always with you beating the hell out of them first.
Leon folded the paper and slid it back into his pocket.
— We start today. I already set up the distractions. As soon as the last bell rings, we move.
Jin cracked his knuckles.
— Tell me who's first.
— The brute on the old court. Reckless, dumb, and thinks he's untouchable. He's about to learn the hard way.
The bell rang.
Leon slapped Jin on the shoulder.
— Go get him.
Both disappeared down the hallway, and the first brutal fight was about to begin.