The next day, after school hours, Eunyeon walked out of the school gate with cautious steps. He still felt uneasy since receiving the threat and the mysterious photo. However, before he could go any further, several mysterious men suddenly appeared and surrounded him. They were wearing dark clothes, with sharp gazes that made the atmosphere even more tense.
Among them, Eunyeon recognized the most striking figure—the man he had chased to the brink of confrontation a few days ago. His name was Seungho, a notoriously cunning and dangerous man, part of a network of gangsters that Eunyeon had worked with in the past.
"You've played enough hide-and-seek, Eunyeon," Seungho said in a cold tone. "Now come with us. You know it's inevitable."
Eunyeon instantly braced himself, not intending to give up so easily. "I'm out of your game. I'm not coming back!" he said firmly, though his heart was beating hard.
Some of them tried to get closer, but Eunyeon fought back with what courage he had left. He used every means to defend himself, fending off attack after attack. Yulhan, who happened to be near the school gate, saw the incident from a distance. His eyes widened when he realized that Eunyeon was in danger.
However, Eunyeon's resistance was finally stopped when one of them managed to knock him down. Quickly, Seungho gave the order, and they carried the now helpless Eunyeon into a black car parked nearby.
From a distance, a burly man with a firm jaw, who was also a gangster, watched the situation from inside his car. The man was Joonwoo, a former member of the same network as Seungho, but now with a different agenda. He knew Eunyeon from their past, and although his relationship with the gangster network was still murky, he seemed intent on protecting Eunyeon.
Without drawing attention, Joonwoo started his car and began following the vehicle carrying Eunyeon. His face was serious, focused, as if he had prepared himself for the worst.
Meanwhile, Yulhan, who witnessed the kidnapping, could only remain silent for a moment, but his mind was constantly working. He knew he had to act immediately. Quickly, he ran to the parking lot, picked up his motorcycle, and started following the black car from a distance. Even without a clear plan, Yulhan knew one thing: he would not let anything happen to Eunyeon without a fight.
After seeing the kidnapping, Yulhan sped up his motorcycle while keeping his distance to avoid being seen by the kidnappers. His gaze focused, his mind filled with one thing: saving Eunyeon. However, he knew that fighting them alone without a plan was not a wise decision.
Meanwhile, inside the black car, Eunyeon tried to fight back even though his body felt weak from the previous attack. He looked at Seungho hatefully. "What do you want from me? I'm done with this!" he exclaimed in a voice full of emotion.
Seungho just smiled coldly. "You think it's that easy? Once you enter our world, there's no way out, Eunyeon. You have unpaid debts, and now it's time to pay them back."
Eunyeon could only grit his teeth, realizing that there was no point in fighting them in this situation. He had to wait for the right opportunity.
Behind them, Joonwoo kept following at a distance in his car. He turned on his cell phone, contacting someone who seemed to be his secret ally. "I found Eunyeon. They're taking him towards the harbor. I'll try to stop them, but I need your help."
The call was disconnected, and Joonwoo sped up his car, determined to intervene before things got worse.
Arriving at an old warehouse near the harbor, the black car stopped. Seungho and his men pulled Eunyeon out forcefully. "Let's finish this here," Seungho said, holding Eunyeon's arm tightly.
However, before they could bring Eunyeon into the warehouse, the sound of a motorcycle engine could be heard approaching quickly. Yulhan suddenly appeared, stopping his motorcycle a few meters away from them. "Let him go!" he called out in a stern tone.
Seungho chuckled, not showing the slightest fear. "You think you can beat us alone, little boy? This is none of your business, so leave before you get hurt."
Yulhan tightened his grip on the helmet he carried, prepared for anything. "I'm not leaving without Eunyeon."
However, before the confrontation could escalate, another car suddenly pulled up near them. Joonwoo got out of his car, glaring at Seungho and his men. "Looks like you guys are taking things too far," Joonwoo said in a cold tone.
Seeing Joonwoo, Seungho's expression turned serious. "Joonwoo? What are you doing here? You have nothing to do with this."
Joonwoo just raised his eyebrows as he approached. "I'm here to make sure you don't touch him again. Let Eunyeon go, or I'll make you regret it."
The situation was heating up, with the tension feeling like a time bomb ready to explode. Eunyeon looked at Joonwoo with a mixture of relief and confusion. He knew Joonwoo wasn't someone to trust completely, but for now, he was his only hope.
The fight was inevitable. Seungho and his men launched the first attack. Joonwoo, with his muscular build, managed to fend off several of their strikes, buying time for Eunyeon to free himself from the grip of one of the men guarding him. Swiftly, Eunyeon jumped back, taking a defensive stance while catching his breath.
However, to everyone's surprise, Eunyeon didn't just defend himself. With strength and well-trained techniques, he began to counterattack. His punches and kicks were swift and precise, taking down Seungho's men one by one. Although his body had weakened earlier, adrenaline and the determination to break free made Eunyeon fight fearlessly.
Yulhan, who was fighting on another side, started to struggle against two men at once. One of them landed a hard punch on his shoulder, pushing him back and nearly making him fall. Seeing this, Eunyeon quickly moved to help. He knocked down one of his opponents with a spinning kick, then ran toward Yulhan.
"Yulhan, hold on!" Eunyeon shouted as he delivered a punch to the face of the man attacking Yulhan.
With Eunyeon's help, Yulhan finally managed to get back on his feet. The two of them stood back to back, protecting each other as they fought off the remaining men. Meanwhile, Joonwoo, who was facing Seungho directly, fought with intense focus. Their punches and blows exchanged in equal measure, showing that both were skilled fighters.
In a matter of minutes, Eunyeon and Yulhan succeeded in taking down the rest of Seungho's men. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, but their determination and teamwork proved to be an unshakable strength. Meanwhile, Joonwoo finally managed to overpower Seungho with a powerful strike that left the man sprawled on the ground.
Eunyeon approached Seungho, who was groaning in pain, his eyes filled with fury. "You will never force me back into that world. I'm out, and I'm staying out," he said firmly.
Joonwoo looked at Eunyeon with newfound respect. "You're incredibly strong, Eunyeon. But you need to be careful. Their world won't give up so easily."
Eunyeon nodded, his gaze shifting to Yulhan, who looked exhausted but still stood resolute. "Thank you for helping me," Eunyeon said, his voice trembling slightly.
"This isn't over," Yulhan replied, taking a deep breath. "But I'm here for you."
Eunyeon looked at Yulhan and Joonwoo with mixed emotions. Although the threat wasn't completely gone, for the first time, he felt he wasn't alone in facing his past.