He stared, breath shallow. Heejun was on top, raining blows down on Chulgyu. What the hell am I supposed to do? he thought. Don't overthink it.
He moved before he could talk himself out of it. I don't have any other choice I won't let this bastard win.
Jinsu kicked out, slamming his foot into Heejun chest. Heejun rolled backward down toward the stairs. For a moment everything seemed to slow: Heejun body tumbling, Chulgyu gasping as he sat up.
Chulgyu blinked, then looked straight at Jinsu. "What the hell are you doing, dumbass? What would you do if he died?"
Jinsu's face went white. "N-no this isn't how it was supposed to go…" he stammered, panic in his voice. This isn't how it was supposed to go.
Heejun scrambled to his feet, fury replacing windedness. "You..." he snarled, and lunged straight at Jinsu. In a blur, Heejun fist connected hard with Jinsu's stomach.
"Gahh!" Jinsu doubled over, choking, clutching his midsection. Pain flared and then a hot, ringing shock hit his ear he cupped it and swore, feeling blood. Did my ear just tear? he thought, dizzy.
Heejun spat, voice shaking with rage. "Did you just kick me down the stairs?! You psycho-"
Chulgyu shoved past, hands ready. Heejun hardly had a moment; a heavy fist from behind slammed into him and he crumpled back to the ground.
Chulgyu loomed over Heejun, cold. "Why crawl back? Want another punch?" Heejun tried to scramble up, face twisted.
Jinsu, still bent over and furious, saw Heejun moving and snapped. He launched himself forward and began kicking Heejun repeatedly, each booted strike slamming into him. "Do I look like a pushover to you?!" Jinsu shouted between breaths. "Just because I kept quiet you think I'm a joke? Do I look funny to you?!"
The blows landed hard. Heejun groaned and curled
Heejun slumped against the wall, breathing hard. His left shoulder was stained dark with blood, and he cupped his ear with the same hand, which was sticky with it. The streetlamp threw a jaundiced pool of light over the three of them, making the shadows long and mean.
Chulgyu leaned back, calm as if nothing had happened, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He inhaled, exhaled, then looked down at Heejun with a slow, dangerous smile.
"Hey, you son of a bitch," he said, voice flat. "Try acting tough again just once. I'll gouge your eyes out for real."
Heejun spat through gritted teeth. "You're the idiot. You're the one who needs to start living with some damn sense."
Chulgyu didn't flinch. He spat again this time the saliva landed on Heejun bloodied hand. Heejun clenched his jaw, rage and pain warring on his face.
"Screw you," Chulgyu said. "Tell those Naguk bastards if they want a beatdown, they better come out and show themselves."
He shrugged, planted a hand on Yang Jinsu's shoulder, and started to walk off. After a few steps he paused, turned, and threw one last barb over his shoulder, smirking. "Oh and don't be scared. Even if you hand your girl over to me, I wouldn't take her. Lol."
Yang Jinsu laughed, a short, cruel sound. "Look at him acting all tough in front of his girl."
"Heh, what a dumbass,"
Heejun watched their backs recede, chest heaving, anger and humiliation cutting him deeper than the bruises.
The next day at school cafeteria, I'm seated beside Seolhyo, Irina, and Jinkyung in front of us. The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter, but at our table, the atmosphere was oddly calm.
Irina glanced at me over her drink. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your little gang?"
I shrugged, chewing as I spoke. "Nothing."
She raised a brow. "Something must've happened. Did you guys fight or what?"
I sighed, picking at another piece of food. "I told you, it's nothing. I just didn't see them, so here I am."
Seol Hyorim, who'd been quietly eating, looked up. "Didn't see them? Aren't you in the same class?"
I froze mid-bite and coughed, trying to laugh it off. "Ah-well…"
The girls exchanged a glance. Neither said anything, but their expressions said it all.
something must've happened.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the school
Park Dong was stretched out on top of the lockers, staring blankly at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted. What a dumbass... he screws up, then makes that pitiful face like he's the victim. It's uncomfortable just looking at him.
His phone suddenly buzzed. He flipped it open and squinted at the message from Woori.
"I haven't heard anything from Heejun oppa yet ToT, is something wrong?"
Clicking his tongue, he jumped down from the lockers, walked to the window, and hid behind the curtain as he called Heejun.
The call connected after a few rings.
"...Heejoon?"
A tired voice came from the other side. "...Yeah."
"What's up, man? Your wife texted me says you're not answering her."
"…I see."
"What's with that tone? Why're you acting all cool and quiet? Did you two fight or something?"
"…Yeah. We fought."
Park Dong smirked. "Well, that's good. I support you."
"…No," Heejun voice dropped, slow and heavy. "Not with her… I fought someone else."
**********
Park Dong didn't even think twice after hanging up. He told Heejun to meet him, grabbed his bag, and ran.
By the time he reached the park, he was out of breath. Heejun sat alone on a bench, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke drifting upward.
"You came," Heejun said without looking up.
Park Dong walked closer and froze.The sight was worse than anything he'd expected.Bruises spread dark across Heejun cheek, his left eye swollen and taped, bandages clinging to his ear, his knuckles, even his knee.
"What the hell happened to you? You didn't look like this when we hung out yesterday."
Heejun exhaled slowly, a thin stream of smoke leaving his lips. "It's exactly what it looks like. But aren't you supposed to be at night study? You ditching now?"
"Stop dodging it," Park Dong said, dropping beside him on the bench. "Who did you fight with?"
"…"
"Was it Chulgyu?" His voice hardened. "It was him, right?"
Heejun flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his heel. "After I sent my girlfriend home last night… turns out they were waiting. I guess he was still pissed about what I said on the rooftop."
Park Dong frowned. "You're not the type to just take a beating. Did that bastard get hurt bad too?"
Heejun waved a hand dismissively. "Probably not. But my hand's fractured from hitting him."
"Damn…" Park Dong muttered. "You don't usually end up this wrecked from a one-on-one fight. What happened to your ear?"
"Got it stitched," Heejun said casually. "Fell down the stairs after he kicked me. Not a big deal they said I can go back to school tomorrow."
"St-stairs?" Park Dong asked, disbelief written all over his face.
Park Dong stared at him for a long moment, then looked straight ahead."…Yang Jinsu was there too, wasn't he?"
Park Dong's face twisted with dread."Those insane bastards… Don't tell me they ganged up on you?!"
Heejun voice wavered, rough around the edges almost breaking."Woori said she's glad I stopped hanging out with a guy like him… but…" He swallowed hard, his eyes glistening. "I still feel bad for what I said on the rooftop."
Park Dong tensed, saying nothing.
Heejun let out a shaky breath, his tone soft but bitter."It just… left a bad taste in my mouth, y'know? I kept thinking maybe if we'd stayed close, things wouldn't have turned out like this. But I don't think he ever felt the same way. When he saw me bleeding, he didn't even look sorry."
He looked away, shoulders trembling slightly as he tried to hold himself together."Damn… all through middle school, I really thought that bastard was my closest friend." He let out a hollow laugh. "Guess I was just being stupid."
Later that night, Park Dong sat quietly at the back of the bus
Park Dong pulled out his phone and dialed without thinking. He pressed it to his ear, staring blankly out the bus window as the call rang.
"Daegyu."
In the classroom, Daegyu answered, his phone resting against his ear, voice low so the teacher wouldn't notice."What's with the call during study hours… Did you skip again?"
Park Dong's tone was flat but heavy."Heejun got beat up."
Daegyu expression straightened."He got beaten up?"
The line went quiet for a moment only the soft hum of the bus filled the space. Park Dong's reflection in the glass looked colder than usual.
"Are we really just gonna let this go?" he muttered, voice tightening.
He leaned his head back against the seat, the phone still to his ear as his thoughts churned.I thought handling things peacefully was the right call... but now it just feels like I've been a fool.