After finishing their meals, Junghwa leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "That hit the spot."
Daeho nodded in agreement, stretching his arms. "So, what's next? We've still got some time before we need to head home."
Renji finally spoke up, his voice calm. "We could walk around a bit, see if there's anything interesting in the shops."
Woojin's eyes lit up. "That sounds good! There's a new store that just opened up—I've been wanting to check it out."
As they left the food court and wandered through the mall, the group continued to chat and joke, exploring the various shops and occasionally stopping to try out something that caught their eye.
Eventually, they found themselves at the entrance of a small bookstore, its warm lighting and cozy atmosphere inviting them in.
"Let's take a look," Woojin suggested, stepping inside.
The others followed, and as they browsed through the shelves, the conversation naturally shifted to books and stories. Junghwa picked up a graphic novel, flipping through its pages with interest.
"This one's pretty popular," he said, showing it to the others.
Woojin leaned in to take a look. "I've heard of it—people say it's really good."
Renji, meanwhile, was scanning the titles in the fiction section. He picked up a book with a thoughtful expression, flipping it open to read the first few lines.
Daeho, on the other hand, wandered over to the section with martial arts manuals, a spark of interest in his eyes as he picked up a book on techniques.
As they each explored different parts of the store, the atmosphere was relaxed and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaotic and often stressful environment of their school lives.
Finally, after what felt like a brief eternity, Woojin glanced at his watch. "We should probably start heading back. It's getting late."
The others nodded in agreement, and they made their way out of the bookstore, stepping back into the bustling mall.
As they walked towards the exit, Woojin couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness that the day was coming to an end. But it was quickly replaced by a sense of contentment—today had been exactly what he needed.
"Let's do this again soon," Woojin said, smiling at the group.
Junghwa nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely. Today was a lot of fun."
Daeho grinned. "Next time, we'll go somewhere even better."
Renji, ever the quiet one, simply nodded in agreement, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.
However, before they could even bid farewell to each other, a group of guys approached them from afar. Beom Junghwa instinctively stepped closer to his friends, eyeing the approaching group nervously.
"I told you they were familiar!" one of the guys exclaimed. The guy beside him hissed in irritation, "I know!" Then his gaze dropped to Junghwa and Woojin.
He smirked. "We've been looking for you everywhere."
Kim Daeho, the most startled among them, instinctively hid behind Renji. "Who are they… Woojin, do you know them?"
Woojin's expression darkened as he recognized them. "They're the ones I encountered in the alley. They were bullying Junghwa that time."
The group of guys chuckled mockingly, their leader stepping forward. Kang Renji immediately placed himself in front of his friends, his towering presence shielding them. "What do you need?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
"Eh? And who are you? A bodyguard?" The group burst into laughter, but Renji remained emotionless, his eyes locked onto the leader's with a cold, unblinking stare. Bit by bit, the smirk faded from the leader's face, replaced by irritation as Renji continued to stare at him, completely unfazed.
"You got a problem?" the leader snapped, stepping closer to Renji, his fists clenched. "What, you think you're tough, huh?"
Renji didn't flinch, didn't even blink. "You should leave," he said quietly, his voice carrying an edge of warning.
The leader scoffed, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes now. "Oh yeah? Or what? You think you can take all of us on?"
Without another word, Renji moved. His fist shot out like lightning, connecting squarely with the leader's jaw. The impact sent the guy staggering backward, his friends' laughter abruptly silenced.
"Renji!" Woojin exclaimed, his eyes wide.
The leader regained his balance, wiping blood from his lip, his eyes blazing with anger. "You're dead!" he shouted, and his group surged forward, intent on overpowering Renji.
But Renji was ready. He moved with a precision and calm that came from years of training, each strike landing with calculated force. Junghwa and Daeho watched in a mix of fear and awe as Renji singlehandedly held off the attackers.
When Renji got the leader knocked out, the remaining attackers saw their leader fall, they hesitated, their fierceness quickly evaporating.
The group exchanged glances, their confidence shattered. One by one, they backed away, muttering curses under their breath as they retreated, dragging their unconscious leader with them.
As soon as the group was out of sight, the three friends could still feel the lingering nervousness in the pit of their stomachs. Meanwhile, Renji, who had just fought them off, stood there completely unfazed, his demeanor relaxed as if nothing had happened.
"I didn't know you could fight like that!" Junghwa exhaled deeply, giving Renji a thumbs up, though his voice still carried a hint of lingering anxiety.
Renji simply shook his head, remaining composed. "Let's get out of here before they come back with more."
The others quickly nodded in agreement, hastily gathering their belongings before making their way out of the mall.
__________________
"The hell happened to all of you?"
A man muttered harshly, his voice dripping with disdain as he surveyed the sorry state of his underlings. Their faces were marred with bruises, some with split lips and swollen eyes, the aftermath of what could only have been a brutal encounter. The group, normally loud and brash, now stood in silence, their gazes fixed on the floor in shame. Except for one—their leader—who, despite standing his ground, couldn't stop his legs from visibly shaking through his pants.
"Care to tell me what went down?" The man's glare intensified, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits as he looked each of them over.
The would-be leader of the group, a young man eager to prove himself, felt his resolve crumbling. Bowing his head in defeat, he stammered out his explanation. "T-There's this guy we fought... He's extremely skilled, s-so even though we outnumbered h-him... we l-lost to him." The words felt heavy on his tongue, and he could barely get them out before shutting his eyes tight, bracing for the inevitable.
And he wasn't wrong. The sound of a hard slap echoed through the room, followed by the sharp sting as it connected with his cheek. The force nearly knocked him off balance, but he managed to stay upright, though his body trembled even more.
"Who the hell has the guts to fight us?!" The man's voice rose to a furious shout, his rage barely contained. "We, the Berserk Gang, are the most feared gang around!" His fierce eyes drilled into the wannabe leader, who couldn't bear the intensity of his gaze and looked away, his courage drained.
The wannabe leader groaned as the man grabbed him by the collar, lifting him slightly off the ground. His feet scraped against the floor as he struggled to stay standing. "Tell me," the man hissed, his voice low and menacing, "who the hell is that guy?"
The young man could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, panic setting in. He could barely think straight, his mind racing. How the hell was he supposed to know? They hadn't even gotten his name, and now he was expected to explain how they had been so thoroughly defeated.
"I-I don't know!" The words burst out of him, desperate and terrified. "We didn't even get his name! He just... he just showed up, and before we knew it, he was taking us all down!" He could hear the whimper in his own voice, and it made him sick to his stomach, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The leader's grip on his collar tightened, and for a moment, the young man was sure he was about to be pummeled into the ground. But then, just as suddenly, the man let go, shoving him back roughly. The wannabe leader stumbled, catching himself on the edge of a nearby table, his heart pounding in his chest.
"You useless idiot," the man spat, turning away in disgust. "You couldn't even find out who he was? Pathetic. The Berserk Gang's reputation is on the line, and you come back here with nothing but excuses and bruises."
The underlings flinched at the harsh words, but none dared to speak.
"Think before I castrate you! You must know something about that guy or how to find him!"
The wannabe leader flinched. "Wait! I know someone in his group!" he blurted out before the man could hit him again.
"So he's with a group?"
"Y-Yeah... there were four of them when we met them. The other two were our targets, but he protected them. I'm pretty sure he's the only one who knows how to fight."
"Then you know where to find them, don't you?!" The man eyed him fiercely.
The wannabe leader nodded frantically. "I-I do! I'll find him for you… I swear!"
"You'd better, or else."