The rain had stopped hours ago, but the streets of District 12 still gleamed, neon lights fractured across wet asphalt like shards of glass.
Seo Jaekyung moved without sound. Each step measured, precise. His black jacket clung to his bruised frame. Dried blood outlined the map of last night's humiliation.
His eyes, however, were empty. Cold. Calm. Calculating.
Across the street, Min Jisoo's gang lingered. Two near the convenience store, one by the dumpsters, and the one who had laughed the loudest in yesterday's viral clip strolling past a graffiti-covered wall. That would be the first.
Seo didn't move yet. He observed:
Footsteps. Timing.
Positions. Who looked over their shoulder, who ignored everything.
Escape routes. Blind spots.
Every detail cataloged. Every movement memorized.
From the shadows, he noticed her again—the girl from the alley.
Black hair plastered to her face, eyes wide. Body tense. Fear. Curiosity. Something else.
She didn't move. Didn't blink.
Seo didn't acknowledge her. Not yet. He only noted her presence. Useful, or an obstacle. Time would tell.
The target passed the dumpster, laughing with a friend.
Seo slipped along the wall, brick in hand.
Every step was silent.
Every breath calculated.
A sudden footstep behind a trashcan made him freeze. Heart steady. Muscles ready.
The target glanced over—too late.
A knee strike. Crunch.
A twist of the wrist.
A head slammed into wet concrete.
Efficient. Silent. Deadly.
The girl in the doorway flinched, but didn't run. Another female appeared near the convenience store, covering her mouth with trembling hands. Eyes wide.
Seo cataloged them both. Future allies, potential betrayers. Every detail etched in memory.
She stepped forward, voice trembling.
"Why… why are you doing this?"
Seo didn't answer. His gaze alone was warning enough.
Fear. Fascination. Respect. Curiosity.
All registered.
Each female would react differently. Some would fear him. Some would admire. Some would try to manipulate. He cataloged all possibilities silently. Emotionless. Aware.
Footsteps echoed along the alley wall.
A shadow moved deliberately. Careful. Intentional.
Seo knew immediately: someone had tipped them off.
Perhaps from yesterday's viral clip.
Perhaps a rival gang scout.
Perhaps one of the girls.
He didn't panic. He adjusted. Shadow by shadow. Step by step. Angle by angle. Every weakness noted, every advantage calculated.
By the time he disappeared into the night, the rumor had already begun to spread.
"Did you see him?"
"That crying kid… he's different now."
"Someone just took out Jisoo's man. Silent. Efficient."
Small victories. Big effect. Every move amplified his reputation.
Fear spread faster than blood.
Hours later, he returned home.
The girl from the alley was outside his window, silent, unmoving. Watching.
Seo's eyes flicked to hers. Cold. Calm. Calculating.
"You memorized everything," she whispered, voice barely audible over traffic.
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
One look. One pause. And she understood.
He knew. He saw. He calculated.
She could be useful. Or disposable.
Inside his room, Seo replayed the ambush.
The knee strike.
The twist of the wrist.
The head smashed into concrete.
Timing. Spacing. Reaction speed.
Every detail logged. Every potential flaw noted.
He thought of Min Jisoo. Park Taehyun. Lee Dongmin. Choi Sangho. Kim Junseok.
And the girls. Curious, watching, waiting.
Who would betray him first? Who would remain loyal?
Every move, every interaction, every decision mattered.
Outside, neon signs flickered. Sirens wailed far away.
Seo leaned back in his chair. Eyes narrowed.
The girl's figure outside didn't move. Neither did his expression.
He whispered to himself:
"Tomorrow… someone dies. And they won't see me coming."
The city waited.
The streets pulsed with reputation, rumor, and fear.
The girl stepped closer to the window, voice soft.
"If you go after them… do you even care about anyone?"
Seo's hand tightened around a knife lying on his desk.
He didn't answer.
The night stretched long. Silent. Watching. Expectant.