Rage in the Dark

The alley was cold and damp, the rain from earlier leaving the ground slick with puddles. The dim glow of a flickering streetlamp barely reached the narrow passage, casting eerie shadows against the brick walls.

Minji swallowed hard, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack as she tried to walk faster, her heart pounding. She should've taken the main road, but she'd been in a hurry to get home.

Too late now.

"So, skipping out on us, Minji?" So-mi's voice was sickly sweet, dripping with mockery. Minji barely had time to turn before she was shoved backward, her back hitting the cold wall. Mina leaned in with a smirk, her arms crossed as if she had all the time in the world.

"You think you're better than us, don't you?" Mina sneered.

Minji clenched her fists, but her voice wavered. "Just let me go, I don't want any trouble."

So-mi scoffed, rolling her eyes before grabbing Minji's collar, yanking her forward. "But we do."

A harsh slap landed across Minji's cheek, the sound echoing off the walls. Pain bloomed across her face, stinging in the cold air.

And then—

A voice like thunder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The air turned electric with tension.

The moment So-mi and Mina turned, a shadow moved at the alley's entrance—Kyung-jun.

His dark eyes blazed with unrestrained fury, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful. His fists were curled at his sides, veins prominent along his arms as he stormed toward them, his presence swallowing the narrow space whole.

Minji had never seen him this mad before.

Mina instinctively stepped back, her confidence wavering for the first time. "Kyung-jun, this isn't your—"

She never got to finish.

Before she could react, Kyung-jun grabbed So-mi by the wrist, yanking her hand away from Minji's shirt with such force that she stumbled back. His strength was undeniable, his movements sharp and controlled—dangerous.

His voice was ice, slicing through the tension. "You think you're tough?" His glare could've burned holes through them. "You think ganging up on her makes you powerful?"

Mina opened her mouth, but Kyung-jun's glare was lethal. "Shut the hell up before I make you regret ever breathing in her direction."

The weight of his fury crashed down on them, suffocating, unrelenting. His reputation preceded him—Kyung-jun wasn't just feared at school; he was untouchable. No one dared to cross him.

And now, they had.

So-mi and Mina exchanged panicked glances. This wasn't just some schoolboy getting defensive over a girl—this was Kyung-jun barely restraining himself from ripping them apart.

Minji saw the way his hands shook, the way his breath came in ragged heaves—he was barely holding himself back.

"Get lost." His voice was low, deadly. "Before I lose my patience."

So-mi and Mina didn't wait for him to say it twice. They ran.

Silence.

Kyung-jun stood there for a moment, his hands still curled into fists, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. The rage in his eyes didn't fade immediately. It lingered, simmering just beneath the surface.

Then he turned to Minji.

His entire demeanor shifted the moment he saw her bruised cheek. His hands twitched before he reached out gently, his thumb barely grazing her skin. His touch, so careful, so soft, it nearly broke her.

"Did they hurt you?" His voice was quieter now, but thick with emotion—anger, worry, something deeper.

Minji shook her head, even though her cheek still burned. "I-I'm fine."

Kyung-jun's jaw tightened. "No, you're not."

For a second, neither of them spoke. The distant sound of cars passing by the main road was the only reminder that the world was still moving, still spinning, when Minji felt frozen in place.

Then, without warning, Kyung-jun pulled her into his chest.

His arms locked around her like a shield, his warmth surrounding her completely. "I should've been there," he whispered against her hair, his voice raw. "I won't let them touch you again. Ever."

Minji didn't realize she was trembling until she felt his grip tighten. She let herself sink into him, her fingers clutching the fabric of his jacket.

For the first time that night, she felt safe.

And Kyung-jun?

He was already planning how to make sure So-mi and Mina never even dared to look at Minji again.

Kyung-jun's grip on Minji didn't loosen, even as her trembling subsided. His heart was still racing—not from fear, but from the pure, uncontrollable rage still burning inside him. The image of Minji cornered, her face bruised, their hands on her—it was eating him alive.

His fingers brushed over her cheek again, as if trying to erase the pain they had left behind. "Minji," he murmured, his voice still rough, still shaken. "Did this happen before?"

Minji hesitated, her hands gripping his jacket tighter. She didn't want to tell him—because she knew Kyung-jun. She knew what he was capable of when he was this mad.

"Minji," he pressed, his other hand resting against the back of her head, keeping her close. "Tell me the truth."

She exhaled shakily. "They've been bothering me for a while..."

Kyung-jun's entire body stiffened. A while? His teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. How long had this been happening? How many times had she suffered alone while he had no idea?

His mind raced, images flashing through his head of every time Minji had smiled like nothing was wrong—when she had been hiding this from him.

They were going to pay.

Kyung-jun slowly pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his thumb still stroking her bruised cheek. His gaze softened for her, but his voice was edged with something dark. "You should've told me sooner."

Minji swallowed, her fingers playing with the zipper of his jacket nervously. "I didn't want to make things worse..."

Kyung-jun let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Worse?" His eyes darkened again. "No, Minji. They made things worse the second they laid a hand on you."

She could see it in his expression—the barely controlled storm raging behind his usual composed front. Minji knew he was this close to snapping completely.

Her hand moved up to his face, fingers brushing against his sharp jawline in a soothing gesture. It was the only thing that ever calmed him down.

"Kyung-jun," she whispered, watching his expression soften just slightly under her touch. "Please don't do anything reckless."

He inhaled deeply, trying to keep his fury in check, for her sake. "Reckless?" he repeated, a dark smirk tugging at his lips. "Minji, I'm way past that."

She frowned, sensing the storm brewing inside him. "Please..."

Kyung-jun exhaled slowly, his forehead dropping against hers for a moment. "I won't do anything tonight," he promised, but there was something in his voice that told her this wasn't over.

And Minji knew, deep in her heart, that So-mi and Mina had no idea what was coming for them.