Shadows of Danger

The school bell had rung five minutes ago. Hana and I had just stepped out of the school building, intending to go straight home. I still had an hour to rest at home before switching shifts with my mom to watch over the convenience store. That was counting from the moment I left the school gate.

Earlier, Hana had invited me to go to a karaoke bar with her and her popular friends from a prestigious school in Seoul. Of course, I refused, knowing that someone like me would never fit in with them.

You might wonder, why?

Just imagine—they weren’t ordinary girls. At the very least, they were daughters of wealthy and famous businessmen, gathering in one circle. Being friends with just one of them was already a blessing for me—Hana. Another reason was that I had no time to waste, especially after the warning I received from my homeroom teacher earlier.

"Are you sure you don’t want to come?" Hana asked again, frowning, perhaps a little disappointed with my refusal. She clung to my left arm, trying to persuade me with her cute antics, still hoping I would change my mind.

"Sorry, Hana. I really can’t go." I gave her a firm look, making sure she understood that she was wasting her time trying to convince me.

"Hm. Fine. But if you get bored at home, you have to call me, and I’ll pick you up immediately, understand?!" She straightened up, emphasizing that I had to listen to her.

"Hm." I nodded, flashing her a sweet smile.

"Alright then, I’m off. Ummmaahhh." Hana suddenly planted a kiss on my cheek before dashing toward the school gate.

"Hanaaa!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. We were close, but that was a bit too much for me. My whole body shivered. Ugh… my poor cheek!

As usual, she showed no remorse whatsoever, just grinning mischievously while waving and occasionally glancing back. I could only rub my cheek while watching her disappear past the school gate.

Forget it. No point in dwelling on it. No matter how many times I warned her, she would never listen.

I slowly left the school grounds and headed for the bus stop. At this hour, the streets were bustling, and the bus stop was already crowded with passengers waiting for the same route as mine. I had to stand a bit farther from the designated area since there was no more space.

As I stood there, the teacher’s warning replayed in my mind. What did I do wrong? As far as I remembered, I always reviewed my notes and books whenever I had time. But thinking about it again, I had been losing focus in class lately. My energy was running low, making it hard to concentrate. I kept dozing off and missing important explanations.

What should I do?!

I reached into my bag and pulled out a sheet of paper showing a comparison of my grades from the first semester to now. I stared at it intently, trying to figure out a way to fix my situation without involving anyone else.

"What are you looking at?" a voice suddenly spoke beside me. I turned to see someone leaning in to peek at my paper. Startled, I quickly stuffed it back into my bag. He straightened up again.

When I turned my head, I saw that it was him—the troublemaker. Good grief, this guy was everywhere. And what was he doing here? According to the rumors, wasn’t he rich? Then why was he waiting for the bus?

"Am I not allowed to be here?" he said, as if reading my mind.

"I never said that."

"But your eyes are basically cursing me for standing here. Like… ‘Ugh, why is this crazy guy always around me?’" he teased, making it sound like a joke.

"Think whatever you want." I refused to entertain him any further.

Not long after, the bus arrived and stopped in front of us. I stepped forward, squeezing through the crowd to get in. I approached the payment machine and tapped my T-Money card.

To my surprise, the troublemaker actually got on the bus too. Without warning, his hand grabbed my bag, stopping me in my tracks.

"Pay for me too!" he said with a bright smile.

"Why should I?"

"Pleaaase," he pleaded, making an exaggerated puppy-eyed expression. I was completely fed up. And yet… I paid for him.

"What kind of rich guy are you?"

---

The evening sky dimmed as Do Hwan and I got off the bus. He walked a few steps ahead, but I paid him no mind. He had his own business, after all. As long as he wasn’t following or bothering me, I had no problem.

My head was already filled with thoughts of my grade report, and in less than 40 minutes, my shift at the convenience store would begin. But just as I turned toward my house, I noticed Do Hwan stopping in front of a narrow alley.

There, three guys were waiting. One of them stood out—tall, slightly long-haired, with a sharp gaze. The other two looked like typical sidekicks, ready to jump in at any moment.

"You finally showed up," the leader said coldly.

I frowned. I had no intention of interfering, but my steps unconsciously slowed.

Do Hwan faced him without any expression. "I came to explain, not to start a fight."

The guy scoffed. "Explain? After messing with Hye Mi? You think I’d believe anything you say?"

The mention of that name made everything click. Hye Mi—the girl who had been interested in Do Hwan but got rejected yesterday. So she had someone backing her up and twisting the story.

Do Hwan sighed. "I never messed with anyone. I just told her I wasn’t interested. She misunderstood."

But clearly, this guy didn’t care. Without warning, he swung a punch at Do Hwan.

THUD!

Do Hwan dodged, but the other two jumped in immediately. He blocked one hit, but another landed on his shoulder.

I was stunned. I thought this would just be an argument, not a full-on attack!

But before I could react, one of them turned toward me.

"Who’s she? You brought a witness?"

"How sneaky," the other sneered.

Do Hwan gritted his teeth. "She has nothing to do with this. Let her go."

A chill ran down my spine. How did I get caught up in this?

But the leader just smirked. "Too late. She’s already here."

Do Hwan kicked one of them and whispered, "Run."

But it was too late. I was too focused on him to notice someone reaching for me. In a panic, I yanked my arm away and sprinted. Do Hwan threw another punch before dashing after me.

Our footsteps pounded against the pavement, our breaths ragged. The streets were getting darker, lit only by dim streetlights. We could be caught at any moment! But we kept running, zigzagging through narrow alleys, the sound of our pursuers still close behind.

Then, another sound joined in.

VROOOOM!

I glanced back, and my heart dropped. One of them had hopped onto a motorcycle and revved the engine.

"Damn it!" Do Hwan tightened his grip on my wrist. "We need to hide!"

He pulled me along, making a sharp turn into another alley. I nearly tripped, but he yanked me up before I could fall.

Our pace quickened, but the motorcycle roared closer. At the alley’s end, Do Hwan suddenly stopped in front of a short metal fence. He glanced at me before quickly climbing over.

"Hurry!" he whispered, offering his hand.

I had no choice. With the last of my strength, I grabbed his hand and climbed. Just as we jumped over, the motorcycle’s engine roared even louder. We ducked behind a stack of wooden crates in the backyard of an abandoned building.

Silence.

The motorcycle came to a stop at the alley’s entrance.

"Where the hell did they go?" one of them growled.

I held my breath, my heart pounding wildly. Beside me, Do Hwan tensed, his eyes carefully watching through the gaps between the crates.

Seconds passed.

"Search around! They can’t be far!"

Footsteps approached. I pressed my back against the crates, making myself as small as possible.

Do Hwan gently touched my arm, as if signaling me to stay calm.

We could only hope they left before they found our hiding spot.

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