With his mind occupied by the earlier event, Jihoon walked down the narrow alleyway, his feet dragging over the jagged ground.
His shoulders were tense, weighed down by a mix of frustration and discomfort. The distant noise of the city seemed to blurred into the background as his thoughts spiraled.
He was continuing down the path when a sudden gust of wind tore through the alley, whipping dust and stray debris into the air. Jihoon squinted against the sting in his eyes and reached up his fingers to brush his bangs aside--
Suddenly, a hand shot out and yanked his arm violently to the side.
His body slammed into the cold brick wall with a painful thud, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. A heavy pressure settled on his chest as a firm arm pressed him into the wall, pinning him in place.
"What th- "
He coughed, gasping for air as his eyes darted upward and a pair of dark, burning eyes stared back at him.
"You're really looking down on me, aren't you?" Hyunwoo's voice was low and laced with malice. Jihoon coughed again as the man's arm pressed harder against his chest, cutting off his breath.
"I-I don't know what you mean. Let go. You're clearly drunk." Jihoon narrowed his eyes as the faint smell of leather and alcohol drifted over him.
Hyunwoo's lips curled into a lazy smile, showing no sign of backing off.
"Heh... Am I right, my sweet junior?"
"Ugh-Please think straight, Sunbae."
Jihoon pushed against the arm blocking him, but it was like trying to shove a wall.
'Shit.Whyishesostrong?'
"Jihoon-ah… are you really going to be like this? I'm trying to be nice here. Isn't this too much?" Hyunwoo chuckled as his face leaned closer, his breath ghosting over Jihoon's face.
"Are you crazy?!"
Jihoon hissed, his fingers digging into Hyunwoo's wrist.
The senior's smile darkened and his hand slid upward, fingers brushing Jihoon's face before curling around his cheek.
"What's with the way you're speaking to your senior?" His grip tightened as his mouth hovered near Jihoon's ear. "Do you want to be punished?"
Jihoon's breath hitched painfully and a shiver ran down his spine.
"Aww… look at how cute you look."
Hyunwoo's fingers pressed harder into the pale skin. Jihoon's muscles strained as he pushed back, but the man's strength didn't falter, and his struggles only seemed to amuse him.
'Why?What'swiththisweirdobsessionwithme?'
Jihoon's thoughts raced. It had been like this since last year, ever since they first met at the freshmen celebration.
Although Hyunwoo was the same age as Jihoon, he was already a senior since Jihoon had enlisted for military service right after high school and started university later. They were never close from the beginning. Hyunwoo's attention toward Jihoon had always felt unnervingly intense, growing more disturbing over time.
"Get off!" Jihoon snapped as he shoved his hand into the drunkard's face, pushing hard. "Your breath stinks!"
Hyunwoo's eyes narrowed and his hand fell away--and a moment later, an intense blow smashed into Jihoon's stomach.
"Aghhh!!"
Jihoon doubled over, clutching his stomach as pain exploded through his core. His knees buckled and his hand instinctively gripped his stomach as he gasped for air. Due to the impact, his bag slipped from his shoulder and hit the ground with a dull thud.
"You never seem to listen, huh?"
Hyunwoo's hand gripped Jihoon's jaw again, forcing him to straighten his head and look directly at him.
Jihoon coughed weakly, his body trembling from the pain.
"…I-I've been mean…ing to ask you… sunbae…" Jihoon's breath hitched but his eyes seemed to sharpened despite the pain. "Do you… perhaps like guys?"
Hyunwoo's expression froze, and a dangerous glint crossed his eyes. His hand pulled away from Jihoon's face--and then another blow crashed into his stomach.
"Ugkhh!"
Jihoon's body curled in on itself, his breath ripping from his throat.
'Shit.It'sinthesamespot.'
"So what? What's it to you who I like? It's none of your business."
"I have no interest in you or who you like. Just leave me the fuck alone."
"Ooh… feisty." Hyunwoo's hand tightened on Jihoon's face, his lips curling into a sinister smile as he dipped his head closer. "I like it."
Alarms blared in Jihoon's head and he tried to turn his head away, but the firm grip locked him in place. His heart slammed in his chest as he pushed the man away with all his strength...
….and then the pressure disappeared in an instant.
A loud crack echoed through the alley, followed by a muffled grunt.
The drunkard stumbled and hit the ground hard, clutching his wrist. His mouth twisted in pain and his head snapped up.
"What the fuck?!"
A tall figure loomed over him, illuminated by the faint glow of the streetlight.
"Harassment is a criminal offense under Article 298 of the Criminal Code." Ryul said nonchalantly. "It carries a punishment of up to ten years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 15 million won."
Hyunwoo's mouth curled into a sneer. "Hah! What the fuck do you know?! Who are you to disturb us?"
Ryul didn't bother to respond and turned toward Jihoon, who was still gasping for breath.
"Are you okay?"
Jihoon's gaze lifted toward the man in front, but his vision was hazy from pain….gradually, Ryul's face sharpened into focus but before he could answer-
"Fuck! Are you looking down on me?!"
The furious bark cut through the tension. Hyunwoo pushed himself to his feet and charged forward with his fist raised.
But in one fluid motion, Ryul's leg shot out.
A sharp kick drove into Hyunwoo's side. His body twisted mid-air as the impact lifted him off the ground. Ryul's long hair whipped through the air, catching the light as he followed through with perfect balance.
Hyunwoo hit the ground hard, coughing and clutching his ribs. His jaw tightened as the realization dawned on him that the difference in their strength was overwhelming.
"Tch… I'm leaving you for today since I'm...not sober… otherwise, I would've taught you a lesson."
He forced himself to his feet and stumbled back, shooting a final glare at the two figures before disappearing into the shadows.
"…"
"..."