The bruises on Ichiro's face weren't even poetic anymore.
Just… sad.
He sat at the breakfast table, sunglasses on indoors, nursing a swollen lip and a bent nose.
Across from him, Jin scrolled through his phone like nothing happened.
"Morning," Jin said, voice flat.
[He'll try again today. I give it three hours max.]
Mother stirred her coffee with a trembling hand.
"Jin… what happened yesterday… Ichiro said you attacked him."
["Attacked"? Sure. He 'accidentally' slipped in the exact direction of my fist — repeatedly.]
"He threw a brick at me," Ichiro mumbled behind his broken teeth.
[That brick was part of the driveway. It was peaceful until you tried drugging my drink.]
---
Flashback – Yesterday
Ergouzi: "Warning. Ichiro added a crushed stimulant to your soda. Target effect: public outburst + mental breakdown accusations."
[Jeez. That's low effort. And predictable.]
"Hey bro," Ichiro had smiled, handing over the can. "Thought you looked thirsty."
[Heh. Thought you looked thirsty for an ass whooping.]
Jin crushed the can with one hand.
Then slammed it into Ichiro's temple.
Once.
Just once.
But it was enough to send him twirling like a ballerina down the courtyard steps.
---
Now
Father sighed. "Ichiro says he's willing to let it go…"
[Of course he is. He's the one who lost. Again.]
"Ichiro says he's scared to be around you," Su added softly.
Jin stood up slowly, pushing his chair back.
"You should be."
He left without another word.
---
In the group chat:
Lianhua: "He beat Ichiro again. But… can we even blame him? The soda was laced."
Xinyi: "Do you think he knows we can hear him?"
Meiyu: "No. He thinks we're just dumb."
Grandma Li: "He's not wrong."
Father Li: "His silence hurts more than shouting ever would."
---
Later that day…
Ergouzi buzzed in.
"New plan detected. Ichiro intends to fake a kidnapping attempt and blame you."
[Why is this dude speedrunning the villain route?]
[Fine. Last warning.]
---
At 4 p.m., Ichiro screamed for help in the parking garage.
Security rushed down.
Jin stood nearby, holding Ichiro by the collar, dragging him toward a wall.
"HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!" Ichiro shrieked.
Jin calmly dropped him.
"Check the CCTV."
Three minutes later, the footage rolled.
It showed Ichiro sneaking behind Jin with a needle. Jin turned, dodged, and lifted him off the ground with one hand.
Security stared.
"…This kid is bad at this."
---
Back at the mansion, Ichiro sat on the sofa with frozen peas on his eye.
Jin walked in, jacket still zipped.
"Get up."
Ichiro paled.
"…What?"
"I said. Get. Up."
"Jin!" Mother stood. "You've made your point!"
Jin stared her down. "He tries anything else? I'll really make my point."
[This is my final warning.]
---
That night, alone in his room, Jin sat by the window.
[He's not gonna stop.]
[But neither am I.]
Ergouzi chimed in.
"Next attempt involves framing you with fake text messages about assault threats."
[Jeez. Is he sponsored by a law firm or what?]
"I gotta admit," Ergouzi added, "your hands speak louder than words."
[Better tell him that.]
---
In the secret group chat:
Su: "…Ichiro's face is swollen like a steamed bun."
Xinyi: "Don't say that. I laughed."
Meiyu: "I mean… he deserved it."
Lianhua: "I'm starting to think Jin's actually protecting us from something worse."
Grandma Li: "He is."
---
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Chapter 16 – If You Push Me, I Push Back