The night air was crisp, and the faint hum of the city buzzed in the distance as Seojoon walked Azalea to her apartment. She had calmed down, but her occasional glances over her shoulder betrayed lingering fear.
"Do you live far?" Seojoon asked, breaking the silence.
"Just a few blocks away," Azalea replied, her voice still a bit shaky. "Thank you... again. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up."
Seojoon shrugged. "It's nothing. You were in trouble. Anyone would've done the same."
Azalea gave him a skeptical look. "Not everyone would take on two grown men in an alley."
Seojoon chuckled softly. "Maybe not."
They reached an old apartment complex, the peeling paint and flickering lights giving it a tired, forgotten look. Azalea stopped in front of the gate, hesitating.
"This is me," she said, gesturing toward the building.
"Alright," Seojoon said, glancing around. The area felt... off. Too quiet, too many shadows. "Do you need me to walk you all the way up?"
Azalea shook her head. "No, I'll be fine from here. You've done enough."
Seojoon nodded, though something about leaving her here didn't sit right. "Okay. Take care of yourself, Azalea."
She smiled faintly. "I will. Goodnight, Seojoon."
He waited until she disappeared into the building before turning to leave. The streets were quieter now, the faint glow of streetlights illuminating the empty sidewalks. As he walked, his thoughts drifted to the events of the day—the fight, Hana and Minjun, and now Azalea.
A faint noise snapped him out of his reverie. Footsteps.
They were too heavy to be casual, too deliberate to be random. Seojoon's instincts kicked in as he slowed his pace, his ears straining to pinpoint the source.
"Nice moves back there," a gruff voice called out from the shadows.
Seojoon turned, his eyes narrowing as three figures emerged from an alleyway behind him.
It was Taehwan and two of his lackeys. Their faces were etched with malice, the bruises from the earlier fight still fresh.
"What do you want?" Seojoon asked, his tone steady but cold.
Taehwan sneered. "Payback. You humiliated us in front of the whole school."
"And you think ambushing me at night is going to fix that?" Seojoon shot back, his stance shifting slightly.
"Shut up!" one of the lackeys snapped, stepping forward. "You don't get to talk tough after what you pulled."
Taehwan raised a hand, stopping his friend. "No, let him talk. I want to see how much fight he's got left after this."
Seojoon's fists clenched. He had hoped the earlier fight would be the end of it, but it seemed Taehwan wasn't the type to let things go.
"You really want to do this here?" Seojoon asked, his voice low.
Taehwan smirked. "Oh, we're doing this. And no teachers to save you this time."
The first punch came fast, but Seojoon was faster. He sidestepped, letting the lackey's momentum carry him forward, and countered with a sharp jab to the ribs.
The second lackey lunged at him, swinging wildly. Seojoon ducked, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it behind his back before shoving him to the ground.
Taehwan snarled, charging at Seojoon with surprising speed. Their fists collided in a flurry of strikes and blocks, the sound of impact echoing in the empty street. Taehwan was stronger than Seojoon had anticipated, but his movements were sloppy, fueled by rage rather than skill.
"You're not so tough without backup, huh?" Taehwan taunted, his lip bleeding but his eyes wild with determination.
Seojoon didn't respond. He focused on the fight, on every opening and every mistake Taehwan made. A well-placed kick sent Taehwan staggering backward, his balance faltering.
Before the bullies could regroup, a shout broke through the tension.
"Hey! What's going on here?"
The voice belonged to a middle-aged man carrying a flashlight, likely a resident disturbed by the commotion.
Taehwan cursed under his breath. "This isn't over, Seojoon," he spat before signaling his friends to retreat.
Seojoon watched them disappear into the shadows, his adrenaline still pumping.
"Are you okay, kid?" the man asked, his flashlight beam sweeping over Seojoon.
"Yeah," Seojoon replied, catching his breath. "Thanks for stepping in."
The man nodded, muttering something about troublemakers as he walked away.
Seojoon stood there for a moment, the quiet settling around him once more. He knew this wouldn't be the last time Taehwan came after him, but for now, the night was his again.
As he resumed his walk home, his mind wandered back to Azalea. Something about her felt unfinished, like their paths had crossed for a reason.
For the first time in a long while, Seojoon felt that his life was only just beginning.