Hands Off

As Jay stood quietly at the bus stop, waiting for her ride home, a sudden force yanked her from behind—she was being dragged away.

Jay found herself roughly pinned against the wall, flanked by two boys whose expressions oozed arrogance and menace. Behind them stood the same junior girls she had confronted earlier, smirking with satisfaction.

One of the boys leaned in, his voice low and threatening.

"You really thought you'd slap them and we'd just let it go?"

The other added with a sneer, "We made this plan just for you… to teach you a lesson."

Jay, though her heartbeat quickened, didn't let it show. With a sharp smile and biting sarcasm, she looked them in the eye.

"If you'd used that brain for studying," she said coolly, "maybe you would've topped the class instead of topping the idiot charts."

The girls stepped forward, their voices sharp with spite.

"Don't listen to her, oppa," one of them sneered. "Just hit her so hard she forgets she ever slapped anyone!"

They laughed cruelly, egging the boys on with twisted satisfaction, while Jay stood her ground, eyes fierce, lips set in defiance.

As one of the guys lunged toward her, fist clenched and ready, Jay moved swiftly. With all her strength, she kicked him hard between the legs.

He let out a strangled cry and collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

The other guy, enraged, stormed forward and grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the wall. Jay gasped, struggling under his grip, but her glare didn't waver.

Just as the pressure on Jay's throat tightened, a cold, commanding voice sliced through the tension.

"What's going on here?"

The guy froze.

Everyone turned.

Standing at the edge of the alleyway, bathed in the low amber glow of the streetlight, was none other than Lee Soo-Ho—hands in his pockets, eyes sharp as blades, expression unreadable.

His presence alone made the air shift.

The guy immediately released his grip on Jay, who stumbled back, coughing and gasping for breath. Her hand clutched her throat, eyes watering as she tried to steady herself.

Lee Soo-Ho stepped forward, slow but purposeful, his gaze burning through each one of them.

"Bullying is fun, huh?" he said, voice low and trembling with fury.

"Then come on… bully me."

No one moved.

His eyes darkened, jaw clenched.

"I said, come on!" he shouted, voice echoing down the empty street like a crack of thunder.

The bullies looked down, avoiding his gaze, suddenly small and pathetic under the weight of his glare.

Lee Soo-Ho narrowed his eyes, voice calm but cold.

"Or should I show you how to bully?"

He took a step toward the girls. They instantly backed away, panic written across their faces.

"Should I?" he repeated, inching closer.

One of the girls trembled. "W-We're sorry…"

"We didn't mean to—"

"Please don't…"

"If you're sorry," Lee Soo-Ho interrupted sharply, "then apologize to her. Right now."

He pointed toward Jay.

The group turned hastily to her, bowing their heads.

"We're sorry…"

"Please forgive us…"

Jay, still catching her breath, looked at them, her voice cool.

"It's fine. Just don't do it again to anyone."

Lee Soo-Ho glared at them one final time.

"Next time you try anything like this, it won't end with just words. Got it?"

They nodded frantically and scrambled away.

Jay stood quietly, brushing dust off her sleeves.

Lee Soo-Ho turned to her, his expression softening just a little.

Lee Soo-Ho looked at her, concern flickering in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

Jay coughed lightly, then straightened her posture, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, then added with a hint of sarcasm,

"Even if you hadn't shown up, I would've handled it. But… whatever. Thanks, I guess."

Lee Soo-Ho raised an eyebrow at her tone, but said nothing.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he replied,

"Tch. You're welcome... I guess."

They stood in silence for a second, the tension fading as the afternoon breeze passed gently by.

Lee Soo-Ho glanced down the road and then back at Jay.

"You must've missed your bus," he said calmly. "Where do you live? I'll take you home."

Jay shook her head quickly, forcing a smile.

"It's okay. I can go on my own," she replied, brushing the dust off her sleeves.

Lee Soo-Ho narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You just got attacked and you're still acting tough."

Jay scoffed.

"That's not called acting tough. That's called being used to saving myself."

He didn't say anything for a moment, just looked at her.

"Fine," he finally said.

As they reached the main road, Jay noticed Lee Soo-Ho turning toward a familiar lane. She blinked in surprise.

"Wait… you live here?" she asked, pointing toward the row of houses.

Lee Soo-Ho gave a slight nod.

"Yeah. My house is just around the corner."

Jay crossed her arms, raising a brow.

"So you live this close to the school and the bus stop and you never told anyone? That's suspicious."

He looked at her sideways, expression calm.

"I never hid it," he said simply. "It's just… no one ever bothered asking."

Jay blinked, caught off guard by the honesty.

"Well," she muttered, trying to mask her surprise, "now someone has."

Lee Soo-Ho just gave a small shrug and walked ahead, hands in his pockets.

Jay hopped onto another bus and left, still a little shaken but holding her composure as always.

Meanwhile, Lee Soo-Ho entered his house—quiet, spotless, and bathed in warm afternoon light. He slipped off his shoes, walked to the living room, and sank into the sofa with a soft sigh. The moment he closed his eyes, his phone rang.

The caller ID flashed: Doona.

He answered.

"Yeah, Doona. What is it?"

Her voice came through the speaker, warm but firm.

"Did you think about it?"

There was a pause. Lee Soo-Ho looked up at the ceiling, then replied steadily,

"Yes. I'm coming to the U.S."

There was a beat of silence before she responded,

"Good. We're going next month then."

He hung up quietly, leaning back against the sofa, lost in thought.