Lookism: Fight Club

"Huff... huff... fuck... that's weirdly exciting..." A smile crept across Adam Shin's face as he wiped the blood from his lips.

He didn't know if it was the influence of the body's previous owner or just something within himself, but his blood was boiling—a strange, palpable sensation coursing through his body.

'Is this what they call the inner beast? My inner beast?' he wondered, quickly shaking his head as he realized his thoughts were spiraling out of control.

He glanced around, taking in the scene. The onlookers were frozen in shock, their faces pale with fear. More than that, they seemed ready to call the police. Well, considering the sight—a bloodied young man standing atop a pile of unconscious high schoolers—it was only natural.

Blood dripped from his wounds, trickling down from his forehead to his lips. His clothes were in tatters, barely clinging to his battered frame. That fight had pushed him to his absolute limit. But amidst the chaos, he had gained clarity, understanding things he hadn't before.

'I'm exhausted… I should go home… but I can't move,' Adam Shin thought, forcing his trembling body to take a step forward.

Nearby, the frail elderly woman struggled to her feet. Gratitude shone in her eyes, but when she noticed the onlookers' judgmental stares, her expression hardened.

She raised her voice as she glared at the crowd.

"All of you, shoo! Now you want to call the police after it's already over? You're all a bunch of cowards—leave the poor kid alone!"

The crowd was embarrassed, as they hurried to leave seeing there was nothing to see anymore.

The elderly woman walked toward him, the anger on her face softening into a gentle smile. "Thank you so much, young man. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me. Kids these days... I just don't know anymore."

"Don't sweat it, Grandma," Adam Shin replied with a faint smile.

After the fight, the crowd thinned out, leaving only a few curious onlookers behind. Among them, Adam spotted some of his classmates and other students from his high school. Seeing them, he sighed. 

'My peaceful high school days are gone,' he sighed inwardly, shaking his head. His eyes fell on the tteokbokki scattered across the ground. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he muttered, "Those kids… what a waste of food."

The elderly woman said. "How about you follow me home, young man? No, I can't just call you that. What's your name?"

"Adam Shin," he replied. Then, as if struck by a thought, he added, "By the way, Grandma, I've been curious about something…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Why didn't you just give them some money? I'm not questioning your way of handling it. I just thought… maybe if you gave them money, they'd leave you alone," Adam said cautiously.

A photo at her stall had caught his attention earlier. It showed the elderly woman surrounded by four large, smiling men—likely her sons or grandsons. Judging by their sturdy builds, they looked more than capable of handling those high school thugs.

He couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't simply given them money and then asked her family for help. If she had, this whole situation might have been avoided. Still, Adam understood that everyone had their reasons. Perhaps the grandma had hers, and his curiosity was just that—curiosity.

The elderly woman didn't respond. Instead, she bent down to pick up the broken photo from the ground. She carefully brushed off the dust and wiped away the sauce smeared across it. Without a word, she began walking away.

Adam hesitated but decided to follow her. Neither of them said anything for a while.

"Actually…"

Before long, they found themselves standing in front of a certain building.

"This…" Adam's eyes widened in surprise as he looked ahead. "Grandma, do you live here?"

"Yes. Since I lost all my sons, life has been hard for me…" she said with a sigh.

Adam glanced at her, his expression growing more complicated. "You really live here, Grandma?"

What stood before them was an abandoned warehouse. Adam couldn't believe a frail, elderly woman lived in such a place. What would happen if something went wrong? If she needed help, no one would know she was here.

The woman chuckled at his reaction. "Yes…"

"Really?"

"No, I'm joking, joking," she said with a light laugh as she led him to her actual home, a small single-story house beside the warehouse. The secluded house, though modest, seemed sufficient for one person.

"That warehouse used to belong to my sons," the grandma explained as they entered. "When I was bedridden and couldn't walk, my sons bought this land and built a house beside their workplace so they could take care of me. I was lucky to have such thoughtful sons."

She then shared her story. Her family had once been happy—she had four sons, and most of them had successful careers. But one day, tragedy struck their lives. Her eldest son's business suddenly went bankrupt. Desperate for money, he got involved with gangsters and eventually lost his life to violence. One by one, his three younger brothers followed the same dark path.

The grandmother didn't go into much detail, but there was a sense of nostalgia and deep pain in her voice as she spoke. She seemed to be fighting back tears, and out of respect, Adam Shin chose not to press her further.

"My sons were strong. I think… I remember they were part of some gang. What was it called again? Oh, yes—Garyong Fish or something…"

Hearing this, Adam's brows furrowed. "Garyong Fish? What an odd name?"

"Indeed." 

'Garyong Fish? What kind of man would name their gang that…? But strangely, why does it feel so familiar…?'

Slowly, realization began to dawn on him. His eyes lit up with a hint of recognition. Turning to the grandmother, he stared at her in disbelief.

"Your sons were members of Gapryong's Fist?"

Adam Shin, of course, knew about Gapryong's Fist. They were a legendary gang from the previous generation. If anyone asked who the strongest gang in Korea was, the answer would undoubtedly be them. Gapryong's Fist wasn't just the most influential gang of its time—they were also the most formidable. They had even defeated the Yamazaki Clan of Japan, one of the most powerful families in the underworld.

The gang had been filled with Korea's strongest fighters, especially its leader. Adam was still surprised to have randomly encountered the mother of its members, but that was all. Gapryong's Fist might have once been legendary, but their era had ended long ago.

Now, a new era has begun—the first generation.

This was the Generation of Kings, and Adam Shin was part of it. For him, this was the best time. He didn't care about becoming a King or building a reputation. Instead, he wanted to recruit the strongest fighters of this era into Fight Club and create an entirely new age. Not the era of Kings or Circles—but the Fight Club Generation.

"Hmmm… hmm…" Adam nodded thoughtfully. He liked the idea and couldn't wait to make it happen.

"Sit here and wait. I'll bring you some snacks," the grandma said.

Adam nodded and sat down. Minutes passed, but the grandma didn't return. He didn't think much of it, though. Lying back on the sofa, he decided to rest and recover his strength. He turned on the television to pass the time.

While watching, a sudden thought struck him. "Wait… why did I even follow her?"

He couldn't come up with an answer, so he shook his head. Unknowingly, his eyelids grew heavy, and the exhaustion from the day overwhelmed him. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep on the couch.

The light from the television flickered across the room, the only sound in the otherwise silent house. For a moment, everything seemed oddly peaceful—but something ominous lingered in the air.

...

Adam Shin opened his eyes with a yawn. Rubbing them, he glanced around.

"Ah, I fell asleep…" He turned to the window.

Night had already fallen. Outside was pitch black, illuminated only by the faint light spilling from the house.

He sighed. He was so exhausted today that he had unintentionally fallen asleep. Hopefully, he hadn't inconvenienced the old woman. Adam was about to stand up when his gaze landed on the table in front of him.

The table was empty. Aside from the remote, there was nothing on it. He paused for a moment before muttering, "Well… I should at least say goodbye before leaving."

"Grandma, I'm leaving now!" Adam called out as he stood by the door. He waited for a reply but heard nothing.

His expression slowly turned solemn as an uneasy feeling crept into him.

He walked toward the kitchen, calling out again. "Grandma?"

The kitchen was eerily quiet. As he stepped further inside, his eyes fell on a body lying on the floor. Shocked, he immediately crouched beside her to check if she was okay. Fortunately, she was still breathing.

"Grandma! Are you okay?"

The woman who had smiled warmly as she shared her story now lay motionless on the floor. Beside her was a knife, spilled tteokbokki, and sauce staining her hands.

Adam Shin grabbed the telephone and quickly dialed 119. After reporting the situation, he carefully lifted the elderly woman and placed her on the sofa.

He never imagined he'd find himself in a situation like this. Sitting beside her, he glanced at her pale face, his mind racing as he waited for the ambulance to arrive.