The tension in the air thickened as Mr. Bark's eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint. Without warning, he lunged forward again, a predatory move that sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Ha-Joon tried to step back his nose red, but Mr. Bark's grip was like iron—tight and unyielding—as he roughly grabbed his collar, pulling him close with a sinister smirk that seemed almost too calculated.
His voice was low, but dripping with menace. "Don't think you're so powerful. I can break you with just one punch."
The words lingered ominously, a dark promise that chilled the air.
Mr. Bark's smirk twisted into something more unsettling as he turned his focus back on Ha-Joon, his hand tightening painfully around his collar.
"You can't fight for yourself... there is no one here that can save you" he muttered softly, almost mockingly, as Ha-Joon struggled, desperate to escape his grasp.
Suddenly, like a coiled spring, Mr. Bark's hand shot out, smacking Ha-Joon hard across the face.
The sound echoed unnaturally loud in the tense silence, and Ha-Joon's head snapped to the side.
The sting was sharp, but it was the cold, relentless look in Mr. Bark's eyes that made the moment truly unsettling.
Again, he struck, each slap more brutal than the last, his expression frozen in a disturbing smirk that made it seem like he enjoyed the pain he was causing.
In-Su's patience shattered.
Something primal ignited within him, and he charged forward with a roar of fury.
He leapt onto Mr. Bark, fists flying wildly, every punch fueled by a fierce protectiveness and rage. His voice was raw and trembling as he shouted,
"How dare you touch him? do you know his value? How dare you hurt others?!" His punches rained down on Mr. Bark's bleeding nose, which started to gush blood, adding a dark streak to the chaos.
Mr. Bark fought back instinctively, pushing and shoving In-Su away, but the younger man was relentless, driven by something darker than just anger, he is a vampire.
Ha-Joon, alarmed and desperate, managed to pull In-Su back, grabbing him from behind with trembling hands.
"In-Su—stop! Please, stop—" Ha-Joon begged, voice shaky, blood still trickling from his own injuries, but none of it seemed to matter to In-Su.
Fueled by an almost uncontrollable fury, In-Su kept punching, each strike harder, his entire body tense with rage.
His eyes glowed faintly, and the pattern on his skin flickered like a storm about to break. His fangs flashed in the dim light as he growled, low and threatening.
"You think you can threaten what's mine? You're nothing but an mortal you're just a prey." His words were laced with venom, and his last punch connected with Mr. Bark's jaw with a sickening crunch.
The force knocked him out cold, collapsing him to the ground like a broken puppet.
Silence fell over the scene—heavy, charged, and unsettling. Ha-Joon held In-Su tightly from behind, their breathing ragged, hearts pounding in unison.
The storm of violence had passed, but the shadows of fury still lingered, thick and ominous in the quiet aftermath.
In-Su turned to Ha-Joon, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with the aftershock of the fight. Ha-Joon gently held In-Su's hand, concern etched into his face.
"Are you okay? I won't let that man get away with this," In-Su said softly, his voice tense but caring.
Ha-Joon looked at him, trying to reassure.
"I'm fine. Just look at your hand. Why did you have to fight?" he asked, inspecting In-Su for any injuries, his eyes lingering on the faint bruises forming around his knuckles.
In-Su chuckled softly, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Oh my God, how can you be fine? Look at your face, he slapped not one once but twice" he murmured, gently holding Ha-Joon's cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing the bruised skin.
His eyes softened, a mixture of worry and something deeper flickering behind them.
"Stop acting like my mom, and stop being worried about me all the time" Ha-Joon said with a teasing smile, brushing off In-Su's hand and returning it with a small, reassuring smile.
Despite the chaos, there was a strange comfort in their quiet exchange.
In-Su glanced down at Mr. Bark's unconscious form, his gaze darkening slightly as he looked at the fallen man.
"Why do you guys let him bully you like that?" In-Su asked quietly, his voice edged with a hint of anger as he nodded toward Mr. Bark.
Ha-Joon shook his head, squeezing In-Su's hand.
Then, slowly, In-Su took Ha-Joon's wrist and gently led him away from the scene.
The nearby employees, drawn by the commotion, began to gather, whispering among themselves as they checked on the others in the kitchen.
A few of the staff murmured anxiously. "Is he dead?" one asked, eyes wide with concern.
Another whispered, "Who is that boy with the red eyes?"
Someone else added, "And who's the other boy? The one that looks like a grandpa."
A few whispers floated through the crowd, some hushed and curious, others more admiring.
"That red-eyed boy?... he's pretty attractive," a staff member muttered softly, eyes flickering with a mixture of intrigue and suspicion.
In-Su, pulling Ha-Joon's hands gently as they went out.
---------------------
Outside, as they stepped into the cool air, they encountered a tall, lean woman with long, flowing hair—pink and white, softly shimmering in the sunlight.
Her smile was warm but firm, and her eyes carried a gentle but commanding kindness. She was the owner of "Ai no Hitokuchi" and clearly the boss.
In-Su approached her confidently.
She looked down at him and offered a calm smile. "Oh, hi. I'm Mrs. Choi, the Owner of this café I was told a fight broke out between a boy and my manager," she said softly, her voice low but steady.
In-Su's eyes flickered with a mixture of frustration and protectiveness.
"Sorry, ma'am, but your manager mistreats your employees. Just look at what he did to Ha-Joon," he said, gesturing toward Ha-Joon with a mix of anger and concern.
Mrs. Choi nodded slowly, her expression unreadable for a moment before she spoke again. '' I'm sorry to hear That Ha-Joon''
" He's quitting," In-Su said quietly, almost matter-of-fact.
Mrs. Choi's eyes widened. "He did?" she spat out, disbelief evident in her voice.
Ha-Joon turned slightly, her gaze softening as she looked at In-Su.
"Did I quit?" he asked, his tone almost amused.
Ha-Joon blinked, confused. "Why am I quitting?" he asked again softly.
In-Su sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, why are you quitting, Ha-Joon? did you see what happened to you back there and you're asking me this?" he echoed, his voice tinged with a mixture of frustration and concern.
Ha-Joon looked between them, uncertainty clouding his face. "I... I don't know. I just—"
Mrs. Choi, still calm, studied both of them with a gentle but firm expression.
"Sometimes, standing up for yourself means making difficult choices," she said softly, her voice reassuring yet resolute. "Whatever happens, remember—you're stronger than you think."