Suwon, Kang Hyuk, and Im Yongjin were walking toward the park when they caught sight of a familiar figure ahead.
"Seol Hyorim!" Suwon called out.
She turned, her hair catching the pale streetlight, her expression taut with worry. "What are you doing here?"
Suwon slowed, slightly out of breath. "We're looking for Park Dong and the others. They've been acting weird since class. How about you?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm following Seojin."
The answer was sharp, quick enough that the two exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them asked more. They simply nodded, and the four moved together, their steps fast, their silence heavy.
When they reached the edge of the park, faint sounds of groaning, the dull smack of fist meeting flesh, and the uneven crunch of someone stumbling. Their pace broke into a sprint.
Then Seolhyo froze, her eyes going wide. Through the scattered shadows at the back of the park, she saw me Seojin towering over Chulgyu, fists rising and falling, his body crumpling under each blow.
Seol Hyorim stepped toward me, arms crossed tight against her chest.Seeing her, I let go of Chulgyu. His body hit the ground like a sack of wet mud no strength left in him.
I tried to sound calm."What are you doing here?"
She stared at me for a moment… then her eyes moved.
First to Park Dong slumped, nose bloodied.Then to Daegyu cheek swollen, lip cut.Then Jisung barely sitting upright.
And finally, her gaze landed on Yang Jinsu.
He immediately flinched and looked away, shoulders jerking like he'd been caught stealing.
Then her eyes returned to me cold, cutting.
"What am I doing here?" she said slowly. "What are you doing here?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but before a sound came out-
Her voice snapped like a whip.
"Is this your classroom? Is this how you sleep now beating people up?"
The words hit harder than any punch today.
I froze.
Her eyes locked with mine just a secondand in that second I saw it.
Disappointment.
She turned her back.
My chest tightened. Without thinking, I grabbed my long-sleeved uniform from where I'd thrown it and hurried after her.
Behind me, Park Dong and the others watched me go stunned at how casually I came and went like all this was nothing.
Kang Hyuk stepped forward, glaring at Yang Jinsu first, then down at Chulgyu's crumpled form.
"Jung Chulgyu," he muttered, "if you dropped out, you should've stayed quiet."
He glanced over the beaten-up wreck on the ground.
"Hm. Looks like you already learned your lesson."
Im Yongjin turned toward Park Dong and cackled. "HAHA why's your face messed up like that? Damn."
Daegyu and Jisung leaned against the park fence, trying to catch their breath. Daegyu's phone vibrated he answered weakly.
"Oh, Heejun…"
"WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN PICKING UP YOUR PHONE?! Where are you?!"
Meanwhile, Yongjin crouched beside Chulgyu.
"This bastard got wrecked so hard… hahaha. We came to teach you a lesson, but I guess someone else did it better."
His grin faded. "You know what kind of mess you caused? Huh?"
—
Earlier, on the hallway of Sangji High:
Jinwoo walked ahead, Kang Hyuk and Im Yongjin beside him, and the rest of their guys trailing behind like a small army.
"Ugh, your breath smells like shit,"
"Bro, we ate the same thing why's yours acting special?"
Jinwoo phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and raised it to his ear.
A voice deep, slow, dangerous came from the other end.
"Hello. You Choi Jinwoo?"
"[…Who's this?]"
"I'm Lee Changbeom. Second year. Gudal Technical High."
Jinwoo step faltered. Even Kang Hyuk glanced over, sensing the shift.
"Didn't someone from your school mess with one of ours?" Changbeom continued. "I heard his name was Yang Jinsu. That bastard and his friend jumped our underclassman."
Jinwoo stayed silent, confused but listening.
"Our junior got beat up by someone in your school," Changbeom said, voice colder. "We can't just let that slide."
A beat of silence.
"So tell me, Are you gonna handle it?" "Or should I step in myself?"
**********
Kang Hyuk glared at Yang Jinsu, his voice low but razor-sharp."Didn't I tell you not to hang around this guy? I said it nicely and you treat it like a joke?"
Jinsu froze.
The usual easygoing Kang Hyuk was gone this version of him felt colder, heavier. Jinsu's mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to explain, but nothing came out. He just lowered his head like a kid caught doing something unforgivable.
Im Yongjin dusted off his hands and exhaled. "Well, looks like it's already settled anyway. Let's just take a picture and said we took care of it send a pic they'll believe it, Heh"
He took out his phone, leaned down, and snapped a picture of Chulgyu collapsed on the ground, blood smeared across his lip, one or two teeth missing, both hands covering his face like he wanted to disappear. Chulgyu didn't even flinch at the camera flash he was too far gone.
Kang Hyuk straightened his back, slid both hands into his pockets, and looked around the hallway as if assessing how much trouble this scene could still cause.
His voice came out steady, commanding no room for argument.
"Clean up this mess. And get out of here before someone shows up. We don't need another fight blowing up in our faces. "He paused, eyes flicking from Jinsu to the unconscious Chulgyu. "This ends today."
Yongjin looked at Yang Jinsu and jerked his chin. "Yang Jinsu, get over here. Brace yourself I should beat you too."
Jinsu stiffened, but before he could move, Kang Hyuk stepped in front of him.
"Forget it," Kang Hyuk said. "He still goes to the same school as us. Remember?"
Yongjin clicked his tongue, annoyed, but he grabbed Jinsu's face anyway pressing a hand against his cheek and squeezing it hard. "You're lucky you actually show up to school. That's the only reason you're still standing. Got it?"
"Y-yeah… okay…"
Yongjin released him and turned to Park Dong and his group. "And you guys, Park Dong you guys making trouble outside the school now?"
Kang Hyuk gave Park Dong a light smack on the shoulder. "Seriously. We're high schoolers now. Act like it. And quit smoking you stink like a dumpster fire."
Park Dong stared at the ground."…Yeah."
Yongjin and Kang Hyuk finally turned to leave. Kang Hyuk glanced at Suwon. "Suwon, aren't you heading back in?"
"Ah… I'll go with them," Suwon said, scratching his head awkwardly.
Yongjin looked down at Chulgyu's unmoving body and snorted, "HAHAHA damn, is he dead?"
Kang Hyuk exhaled sharply. "Alright then. We're heading out."
Just as they walked off, Heejun came running panting, confused. He froze when Yongjin and Kang Hyuk passed by him, their presence so heavy it felt like gravity itself thickened around them.
Heejun eyes widened. What the hell…? Those guys… are they seriously just high schoolers?
Heejun arrived, breathless, and froze when he saw the scene:Park Dong, Daegyu, and Jisung bruised and dirt-stained…Yang Jinsu standing stiff and pale near Chulgyu…And Chulgyu lying on the ground like a broken doll.
"What the hell happened?" Heejun demanded.
Park Dong rubbed eye which hit pretty badly."…Long story," he muttered, then explained everything.
Heejun listened quietly, jaw tightening.
Then he crouched beside Chulgyu and waited.Just waited.
A few minutes later, Chulgyu finally stirred.His eyes opened to find everyone crouched around him.
"You awake?" Heejun asked flatly.
Chulgyu blinked, wiped the blood leaking from his nose and lips, and grunted,"What, did you come here to get back at me?"
Heejun barked out a humorless laugh.
"Wow. What a fucking… That's the first thing that comes out of your mouth?"He stared at him disgusted, disappointed, tone."And even if I was here for revenge, there's nothing left to hit. Look at yourself before acting tough, you bastard."
Chulgyu spat blood onto the dirt. "Tch. Maybe I should call my boys from the other neighborhoods, then?"
Park Dong scoffed. "I doubt it. They wouldn't last ten seconds against Seojin. Kang Hyuk and Im Yongjin too they probably rank higher than them too. And if you mess with Seojin again, maybe he won't just left like earlier. It's enough you've already gone far enough."
Chulgyu lowered his head.Behind him, Yang Jinsu lowered his too, shame weighing on his shoulders.
Heejun sucked in a breath, then asked quietly:
"Just answer me one thing. That day… when you beat the shit out of me… were you not even a little sorry? After everything we did together?Your fucking pride mattered more than your friend?"
Chulgyu muttered, barely audible, "…you first…"
"What?" Heejun leaned forward. "Speak louder."
Chulgyu looked up.His face was a wreck dried blood, cut lip, two front teeth missing.He glared with a twisted mix of resentment and humiliation.
"You're the one who came at me with that attitude first."
Heejun, Park Dong, Daegyu, Jisung, even Suwonall of them stared at him in disbelief.
Then Heejun laughed. A cold, exhausted laugh. "HAHA… yeah. That's just like you.You piece of shit."
He stood up, leaned over and spat on Chulgyu's head. "I'll give it back exactly the way you gave it to me."
Chulgyu look up to him and glared.
Heejun looked down at him, his eyes angry and distant. "Next time you try anything… I'll put both you and that idiot behind you in the ground. No matter what it takes. Let's never see each other again."
Without another glance, Heejun turned and walked away.Park Dong, Daegyu, Jisung, and Suwon followed, leaving the two of them