Hello, I'm Soo Hyun Joong. One of the few people who survived the Hierarchy game.
The Hierarchy is a computer game that automatically downloads on your phone as soon as you set foot in Yungsun High. Many students have gotten terribly hurt and some have lost their lives because of the hierarchy.
But the only rule is to never back out, or you'll be serving a great punishment on the daily.
You can't beat the game. But you can escape it.
Many have tried to beat the Hierarchy.
But they soon fell down like flies.
One by one...each of them lost their lives.
But let me explain the rules of the Hierarchy.
The game has specific rankings. Where rank A is extremely rare amongst the students. And rank F is extremely common:
Rank A: Untouchable. Privileges. Teachers protect you.
Rank B: Normal life, but still a few harsh punishments.
Rank C: No rights. Can be humiliated or punished by anyone above.
Rank D: Target. People can ruin your school life, steal from you, isolate you and hurt you.
Rank F: "The Fallen." Everyone is allowed to attack, record, expose, and destroy them. No rules. No mercy.
When I first set foot in Yungsun High. I received a notification on my phone. Telling me to start playing this Hierarchy game...
I ignored it at first but when I approached my locker, this weird dude came up to me. Warning me about The Hierarchy game. He told me that he had received rank F for several months now. He served great punishments like vomiting blood and breaking random bones at the most random times. And he had no idea how to beat the game, At all. He told me that if I were to ignore the Hierarchy... I'll die without consent. I asked him who the owner or owners of this Hierarchy game were and he walked away. Sweating. Trembling in fear.
What was this Hierarchy game all about?
I took my phone out of my pocket and opened the notification. Hoping I'd recieve a higher ranking than rank F... the app kicked an envelope out and I inquisitively clicked on it. Here's what it said:
[Hello, Soo Hyun Joong. I'm Mr. Hierarchy. The owner and creator of the Hierarchy game. You shall ask no questions and shall not speak bad about the Hierarchy game. It truly hurts my feelings, you know?...long story short. Here's your ranking:
(Rank C: the party pooper. You have no right to speak to anyone with a higher ranking. But you do have the right to punish anyone with a ranking lower than yours. Good luck.)
You shall obey me. If not, you lose everything. Your life. Your family and your soul. Have fun playing the Hierarchy game.
See you next month.]
So I was ranked as the party pooper...?
Does that mean I'll be spoiling the higher-ups mood?
Or am I just unwanted?
I had no idea what this whole party pooper thing meant so I just made my way to class.
When I got there the teacher looked me like she had seen a ghost...she asked me to introduce myself and I did so.
"Hey everyone, my name's Soo Hyun Joong. I am 16 years old and this is my first time here at Yungsun High, after transferring from Leedung High back in Gangnam city. I hope I enjoy my time here."
"Don't get your hopes up Soo Hyun." the teacher mumbled.
Okay...that was pretty weird, but I chose to ignore her and took a seat in the front row.
I sat next to the popular girl and a science freak...both of them seemed, horrified.
I could see some kind of bar above their head. Almost like a game bar showing how much time you left before...you know, you die. Both of their bars were very low. Even though both of them were ranked A. The science freak locked eyes with me and said, "Hello, I'm Mason' how bout you?"
"Hi... I'm Soo Hyun Joong."
"Sorry."
"What for?"
"For what I'm about to do."
He pulled me in closer and mind you. He was the hottest science freak I have ever seen.
I held my breath and closed my eyes.
Ready for my first kiss...
*Knife slicing*
"제정신이에요!" (Are you crazy!)
He slit my wrist with a dagger and started pulling my hair. Apologising as he was doing it. Stating that, "I have to do this...Mr. Hierarchy told me to."
I wasn't mad or anything. I understood his circumstances. He was low and needed to hurt someone in order to gain more energy.
He stopped and pushed me away, sending me flying over all the seats, landing right on my butt...okay, anger was starting to build up. But I couldn't do anything to the higher-ups. So I led out a loud sigh of frustration. Grabbing my bag and running to the bathroom like a raging bull who just saw red.
I put my arm underneath the running water.
Blood was dripping from my wrist and huge chunks of my hair was starting to fall out...
Just I had combed my hair and cleaned the wound. I heard a faint voice murmur behind me.
"It's not over yet."
But when I turned around...no one was there. I was legitimately freaked out at that point. The higher-ups were much more worse than I thought they would be. I walked out of the bathroom and went to the rooftop for some fresh air. Hoping I would see some lower ranked students. But when I got there...the popular girl from earlier was standing by the edge, resting on the railing.
I quietly turned back around, hoping that she hadn't seen me. But right as I opened the door---it creaked.
I could hear footsteps approaching me from behind. I held my breath once again--ready for another punishment. But the bar on her head was already charged...
"Don't worry, Soo Hyun. I won't hurt you." she said in the creepiest voice ever!
I looked her in the eyes, but something behind her caught my eye. It was our teacher! The popular girl had killed another rank A. So she gained alot of long lasting power. The teacher's lungs and kidneys were laying right next to her dead body...
I'm so glad that, that wasn't me. Well it could've been if I had arrived earlier. But the popular girl smiled and held my hand saying, "From now on, you're my friend. And I'll keep you safe from all the other higher-ups."
I found it hard to believe her but she seemed like a nice person, so I went along with it.
We walked down the staircase together.
We went to the cafeteria and drank some banana yakult.
She even dropped me off at my house in her fancy limbo.
But when she climbed into the car, she gave me the most eerie smile.
Chills ran down my spine as she drove off.
The Hierarchy game was still running. It never stops, even when you're not at school. It follows you everywhere you go. But I was running low so I had to kill something in order to gain more energy. I stepped into the house and my stomach rumbled...I made me some ramen noodles and sat on the couch. But just as I sat down, my cat jumped unto the couch and sat next to me. Just then, I received a notification---from Mr.Hierarchy.
[See that cat next to you?...kill it in order to gain 70% energy...Goodbye.]
I was supposed to kill my poor kitten!?.
I hesitated at first, but I had to do this in order to live.
It's either my cat or my life.
So I went to the kitchen and grabbed the butcher knife...
Sorry kitty...
Knife twisting*.