Bully 1

The private gym reeked of iron, sweat, and blood. The clang of weights echoed against the concrete walls, but the air inside was heavy — not just from the humidity, but from the sheer weight the boy was lifting.

He stood shirtless in the middle of the room, a monstrous barbell in one hand — easily over 400 kilograms. His tall, lean frame flexed under the strain, but his expression remained utterly calm, as if he were lifting a bag of rice. Beads of sweat rolled down his bare skin, evaporating mid-air from the heat his body was generating. His height, around 185 cm, made his already imposing presence look godlike, and his black messy hair stuck to his face, slightly covering his piercing green eyes — eyes that burned with concentration.

With a bored grunt, he casually put the weight down with a heavy thud, cracking the floor slightly. Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone from the nearby bench, swiping it open. His thumb flicked across the screen — a betting app notification popped up.

[Lost your bet — Amount: $20,000,000]

"Again?" he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I swear these horses are rigged…" Another 20 million down the drain. It didn't even sting anymore. Gambling was his drug, after all. Without even bothering to think about it, he grabbed his water bottle and raised it to his lips.

But before he could take a sip — snatch!

His phone was yanked away from his hand.

"Did you block my number, asshole?" a sharp, pissed-off voice came from in front of him.

Toji didn't even flinch. His tired green eyes simply flicked upward to see a short-statured girl standing there — dark, jet-black hair with straight bangs covering her eyebrows, black eyes that were blazing with anger, and her lips curled in a frown. Joy.

She looked pissed, very pissed. She stood there, wearing a sleeveless white crop top with high-waisted ripped jeans, her perfectly manicured fingers gripping his phone like she was about to smash it.

He ignored her. Instead, he casually leaned down, grabbed his water bottle from the ground, and began drinking.

"Oi! Are you deaf now or what?" she barked, stepping closer. "Why the hell did you block my number, Toji?"

Still no response. He gulped down the water, his Adam's apple bobbing as his jaw flexed. "Tch." He finally spoke, his voice deep and uninterested. "Didn't even realize I did."

"Bullshit!" she hissed. "You literally went MIA for a week after I told you I wanted to visit my brother's school! You ghosted me after that!"

Toji wiped his mouth, still not making eye contact. "Yeah… and?"

That did it. Her face flushed red in anger. Without thinking, she attempted to kick his water bottle out of his hand, aiming for his wrist —

Whoosh!

Before she could even process what happened, his hand snapped like lightning, catching her ankle mid-air.

"The fuck?" she gasped, losing her balance.

Her face burned bright red as she realized how effortlessly he was holding her — her entire body slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. His touch felt like cold steel; unnaturally strong, and completely unbothered by her struggling.

"Put me down, you freak!" she yelled, thrashing her fists against his back.

"No," he said bluntly.

"I'm serious—! I swear to god, Toji, I'll kill you—!"

"Go ahead," he yawned,

"You're such a goddamn asshole, Toji!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he muttered, already walking toward the open bath area in the corner of the gym.

Joy's eyes widened slightly. "W-Wait, what are you—"

Without a care in the world, he peeled off his sweat-drenched pants and tossed them aside. His absurdly muscular body, now completely exposed except for his black boxers, was enough to make any regular person feel intimidated. His back muscles rippled like iron cords, his veins still pumping from the insane

The water immediately cascaded down his broad shoulders, washing off the layer of sweat. His black hair slicked back, exposing his sharp jawline.

"Y-you shameless freak…!" she muttered, quickly averting her gaze. Her face turned a deeper shade of red. "At least take a towel or something!"

"Why?" he said, turning the cold water knob. "You've seen me naked before, right?"

"Shut up! That's different!" she barked, her eyes fixed on the opposite wall.

Cold water blasted down his head, his messy black hair slicking back as he ran his fingers through it. His body, still generating insane heat from his workout, caused steam to rise around him. He didn't flinch.

"Why'd you wanna meet me anyway?" Toji finally asked, his voice casual. "Your brother's school or some shit?"

She hesitated before finally responding. "…I wanna go to school."

Toji's hand froze under the water for a split second before he burst out laughing.

"Pfft—"

The sheer absurdity of her words made his gut hurt. He turned around, his wet hair sticking to his forehead as he grinned.

"School? You? What the fuck for?"

Her jaw clenched. "I'm serious."

"To do what? Learn math? Make friends?" he snickered. "Your daddy owns half of Korea. You think anyone's gonna treat you like a normal person?"

She glared at him. "I don't wanna be known for my dad's money. I wanna do something for myself — like fashion or design."

Toji rolled his eyes. "You rich kids are something else, man…"

She clenched her fists. "Why are you like this?"

"Like what?"

"Don't mock me, Toji!"

"Nah, I'm just impressed. You wanna get into a random high school just to avoid your family business. That's some spoiled-rich-girl syndrome shit," he smirked.

"It's not like that!" she snapped. "I just want something that's my own! Not something handed down by my dad!"

Toji didn't respond. He turned the shower off, shaking his wet hair like a dog. Water droplets flew everywhere, making Joy flinch. He casually walked out of the shower, grabbing his towel from the bench.

"Tch… whatever. Do what you want." He slicked his hair back, his green eyes burning with disinterest. "I'll drop you there if you pay for my lost bet."

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"Lost another 20 million in horse race," he muttered, grabbing his phone from the bench.

"I'M NOT PAYING FOR YOUR GAMBLING ADDICTION, DUMBASS!"

"Tch. Figures." He began putting his clothes back on.

Joy stared at him for a few seconds, her brows furrowing. "…Why do you even gamble that much, Toji?"

Toji paused, mid-way through putting on his shirt. His expression darkened.

"I dunno. Makes me feel alive, I guess."

Joy swallowed hard. She didn't miss the flash of something in his eyes — something hollow, like a man constantly trying to chase a thrill that could never satisfy him.

"You're gonna destroy yourself one day."

Toji smirked, buttoning up his shirt. "Yeah… but I'll make a shit ton of money before that happens."

"…Come with me," she suddenly said.

Toji froze mid-wash. "…Huh?"

"Come to school with me."

Toji burst into laughter again. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm serious." She stepped closer, clutching her hands. "Kids like us shouldn't go around gambling, fighting, and living like we have nothing to lose."

Toji's laughter died instantly. His green eyes locked onto hers, but his expression was cold. "…You don't get it, do you?"

"…What?"

"You read too many documentaries and articles. You think business is all handshakes and documents." His tone shifted dangerously. "Your dad," he smirked, "the 'saint' of a father you think he is — yeah, he ain't. You just haven't seen it yet. You think H Group reached the top with 'hard work and dedication'?"

"You've got a lot to learn, princess. And I doubt any school's gonna teach you that."

"…Then why don't you come with me and show me?" she suddenly blurted.

Toji exhaled loudly. "…I'm not going."

"Why?"

"…Pay off my gambling debt and I'll think about it." He smirked.

"…20 million?" she deadpanned.

"Yup."

She hesitated, biting her lip. "…I-I'll do it if you promise you'll come."

Toji looked at her for a moment smirking, walking toward her with nothing but his towel around his waist. His green eyes glowed mischievously.

"Actually…" he suddenly smirked, untying his towel slightly. "How about you do something else for me?"

Her throat dried instantly. "…W-what?"

Toji leaned dangerously close, his lips inches from hers. His voice dropped to a whisper.

"…Kiss me."

Her heart exploded. "W-WHAT—"

"C'mon…" he whispered against her ear, his sharp canine teeth brushing her skin. "If you really want me to come… do it."

She stood frozen, her face bright red. "…You're sick."

Toji just grinned darkly. "Yup."

Seconds passed. Her body refused to move… until she finally gave in. She grabbed his face and kissed him — hard. Toji didn't move, letting her do it. But when she pulled away, his smile widened.

"…Fine," he finally said. "I'll come with you."

"…Really?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Toji shrugged, his back turned to her "And by the way…" he paused, his smirk widening, "…you can't kiss for shit."

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

He chuckled lowly, not even bothering to turn around. "You heard me, princess. Stiff. Awkward. Zero passion. Thought you'd be better than that."

Her face burned. "Y-you— ASSHOLE!"

Toji grinned, slicking his wet hair back as he headed toward the locker room.

 she shrieked, face now beet red. "YOU—YOU SHAMELESS DOG!"

Toji just snickered. "Yeah, yeah… keep yelling. Won't change the fact that you still suck at kissing."

She grabbed the nearest dumbbell and hurled it toward him. "FUCK YOU, TOJI!"

He caught the dumbbell effortlessly, not even flinching. Turning around, he grinned, his emerald eyes flashing with amusement. "Careful, princess. Start throwing stuff at me, and I might just throw you next."

Her throat dried. "…You wouldn't dare."

Toji raised a brow, stepping toward her with a slow, predatory pace. "Oh yeah?"

Her heart hammered. "D-don't come close!"

He smirked. "And why not?"

"B-because—!"

In a flash, he grabbed her waist, yanked her close, and tilted her chin up with his thumb. Their faces were inches apart — her breath hitched, his was calm.

"You still owe me 20 million," Toji whispered, his voice dangerously low. "…Or something else."

Her eyes widened. "…S-something else?"

He leaned closer, his nose brushing against hers. "Yeah…" his lips barely grazed her ear. "…Maybe a few practice sessions. You know — to fix that terrible kissing skill of yours."

Her knees buckled. "Y-you're shameless…"

"And you're blushing," he grinned, pulling back. "Guess we're even."

"GO TO HELL!" she screamed.

Toji chuckled, grabbing his spare shirt and shorts from the locker. "Already there, princess."

"…And stop calling me princess!"

He waved dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. See you at school, princess."

She stomped her foot in frustration, watching him leave with that stupid, infuriating grin plastered on his face.

"…Fucking asshole…" she muttered.

But her heart was still pounding — and she hated it.