Barking Dogs

Jalen leaned against a shaded brick wall near the backstreets of Seoul, hood up and headphones in, the early evening breeze carrying the scent of street food and the distant hum of traffic. He wasn't listening to music he was scanning. Waiting. He knew the timing. Around now, the God Dogs would make their move.

Johan Seong must be getting desperate, he thought, arms crossed. Sending his dogs sniffing for Daniel, Zack, and Vasco.

As expected, not far from the alleyway he stood in, noise erupted.

He turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing.

It was them.

A group of God Dogs had cornered Logan Lee in a side alley sneering, posturing, demanding answers.

"Where's Daniel Park?" one of them barked.

"Yeah? Or Zack Lee? We heard they walk with you sometimes, huh?"

Logan scoffed, unbothered. Then casually raised his middle finger with a smirk. "Why don't you ask your mom?"

They didn't take that well.

The fists came fast. Logan blocked the first few, gritting his teeth as he began to brawl back. He was tough, sure but this wasn't a fair fight.

Jalen sighed and pushed off the wall.

"I guess I'll handle this."

He appeared behind the group like smoke rising from nowhere.

Before any of them could turn, Jalen slipped his hoodie off, revealing the sleeveless compression shirt beneath and the toned body that didn't belong to a normal high school student.

"You boys sure are loud," he muttered calmly. "Let's keep this short."

They turned too late.

A blur. A snap of motion.

Ten seconds.

A God Dog flew into a trash bin.

Another hit the wall with a groan.

Two more crumpled mid-swing.

One tried to run only to eat a spinning heel kick.

Ten seconds flat. The alley was silent.

Logan blinked, bruised but still standing. His lip curled into a grin.

"Heh. Not bad, rich boy."

Jalen glanced at him. "Just helping you stretch."

Logan scoffed, but his eyes had a flicker of respect now. He'd been trying to measure this guy for a while, and now he got a glimpse.

Jalen brushed off his palms. "Tell Johan his dogs bark too much."

Then, without another word, he walked off into the fading light, hands in his pockets, already thinking about the bigger storm ahead.