Ji Sung was half dead. His body was limping on sewage in a narrow alley. Yet his eyes and ears worked perfectly. His consciousness was there at the moment.
He was lucky. Those Jok-Pok soldiers riveted on a mysterious man that shadowed them all from the end of the alley.
Ji Sung had never met the mysterious man before, but he thanked him a lot, yet, worried that he would become the next victim of these brutal Jok-Pok men.
With his remaining strength, Ji Sung's lips trembled. He tried to say, "Please run. Call the Police."
"Call the Police?" The mysterious man laughed. "I rather call a girl than call them in."
His dark blue un-button coat almost touched the ground. One Of his hands hid in his pocket as the other pulled a cigarette from his lips. He puffed a haze screen on the red empyrean of Seoul. He continued. "At least a girl would warm me at night."
Ji Sung noticed he used the same bracelet, yet, it shone golden. "Wh—who are you? Run, call for help."
"Shut your crap, Brat!" One Jok-Pok soldier put his shoes on Ji Sung's back while eyeing the mysterious athletic man. "Who are you? Stay away. It is not your business. Run now before we change our mind."
The Mysterious man put his dwarf cigarette between his lips. The bliss covered his gaunt face as he got serious. "I count into three, scrambled."
"Pfft, what?" One burly man laughed as the other followed him. "What are you going to do? Do the math?"
"One…"
"Hey guys, it looks like he tried to be a hero. Should we give him applause?" Jok Pok member laughing.
His diamond face was darker as his black hair covered his black eyes. "Two…"
"Three!" The Bulky man laughed. "Now, scram! Before we beat you to the dead!"
"Three." The mysterious cast away his cigarette butt, and his shoe squashed it. As he squinted at them, the sweet small mole beneath his dark eyes was exposed.
The Jok-Pok staggered for a while, then they laughed. "Let me help you, stranger. After three, it grew. It's bloody four. Hey, it's already four. What you were going to do, now, Math teacher—"
Just before he could end his sentence, the mysterious man dashed, beamed him in the belly and crooked the man. With a solid yet nimble punch, he made him faint instantly.
"What the heck?!" beside him, another Jok-Pok soldier swung his bat, yet, with the swing of his feet, shattered the bat. With the same feet, he trust the man's abdomen, pushing him back. Still with his feet, the Mysterious man was smothering Jok-Pok's shoulders, forcing him down.
"The fuck!" Third Jok-Pok hammered the mysterious man, yet, it was blocked by an arm that made his bat shattered.
The mysterious man pulled him closer, butted him hard, making a cracking sound, throwing him against the wall, and landed his feet on his chest.
"I said scrap. Why are you guys so stupid?" Slowly he pulled his feet, and the Jok-Pok on the wall slowly went down.
"Don't get cocky, Bastard!"
Three, three more. But, before they could attack the mysterious man, the police siren echoed from far away, blue and red colored the alley. It looked like someone was calling them.
"You are lucky, bastard!" One Jok-Pok helped Butian up and limped off.
The mysterious man tackled one Jok-Pok, who tried to escape. "Don't you leave your shit here? Bring them with you, shrimp!" He means those three Jok-Pok soldiers that he beat alone.
They carried their friends and left. Yet, the steps on the mud become louder. The police probably would arrest Ji Sung and the Mysterious man for questioning.
He carried Ji Sung on his shoulder and kicked the lid below.
"There are police. Let them help us," Ji Sung almost whispered with his paith voice.
"Can't do. I was allergic near the Police. They make me itch. Watch your head." He threw Ji Sung into a sewer system. "Watch out, make way for me, will ya?"
He slid into the hole and pulled the lid. With a small bang, the lid closes thickly. He jumped down.
The tud of his land echoed. "Come on, kid, we have a long way to go." he pulled Ji Sung on his shoulder. They strode away on the sidepath.
Ji Sung's head was like being stepped on by an elephant while trying to get back on his feet. It hurt a lot, but he gathered his strength and returned to normal. Everything was dark until he regained his vision and his ear back to work at total capacity.
Slowly his ears caching ripple water as a foul scent forced him to cover his nose. Thanks to the automatic lamp wall giving him some light, he realized he was in an underground sewer system.
"Who, who are you?" Ji Sung asked.
"Heh? Me? Kang Seok Jin. Call me Jin."
"Who are you? And thanks for helping me."
He smirks mysteriously as he peeks at Ji Sung from the sweet mole under his right eye. "I came to your house, yet, you are not home. You live with your girlfriend?"
"Kind of. Let me go. I can walk alone."
"Nah, you can't." The mysterious man said.
"I can!"
He pushed Ji Sung away, and yes, his sponged legs were not yet recovered, and he went down to the river.
He tried to catch anything, to return on the path, yet the current of the water dragged it away.
"Help, help!"
"See, I told you, you are not yet ready to walk alone, Kiddo. Now, who is at fault?"
"Mine! Help! I can't swim!'
"Ah, great! Now, learn, Kiddo." He strolled casually, following Ji Sung.
"Help me, Jin!" his head was sinking and emerging. Water entered his mouth from his nostril.
"Wait a moment, please. I think you should pass away." He lit the cigarette while letting the current water drag him away.
"Bastard!"