"With any request that's sent in, White Tiger Job Centre has never failed once. Good work while I wasn't here, Manager Kim," Tom Lee said with sunglasses on as he walked in.
"Fate is the rock lobbed in front of yew and they call death the rock that's thrown from behind yew. Yew can avoid fate if ya try, but I'm sayin' ya can't dodge death no matter how much ya try. Taking Hostel is death, y'see. No matter how much ya flounder around, ya can't avoid death. Yew guys worked hard. Who'd have known ya guys would make us work like this. But what doesn't work, won't work. Eli, this Ajusshi came here to beat ya too," Tom Lee said with a smile.
Olly Wang grinned. "Ajusshi, does being old mean being too talkative?"
Tom Lee laughed. "Hoho~ This friend, I have heard about yew. Will ya let me see ya'r dangler?"
Olly Wang scratched his head. "What do—"
Suddenly Tom rushed at Olly and slashed at him. Olly was too late to react. A massive claw mark appeared on his torso. He murmured, "Huh? What's this—" Tom grabbed him and slammed him on the ground repeatedly. At one point, Olly slipped out of his hand.
Olly, who was already badly bruised, looked even more beaten, but his grin didn't leave. "Haha, what's this? Old man, were you perhaps trying to kill me?"
Tom Lee smiled. "Hoho~ So yew really don't feel pain? How about ya let me test ya?"
Olly grinned and was about to say something, but Eli stopped him and stood before him. "Hostel... Leave them. I will go with you."
Both Warren and Olly were shocked. "E-ELI JANG!"
Olly looked at Eli with confusion. "Why are you doing this? Me, you and Warren can fight. So why are you giving up?"
Warren added, "That's right, Eli. We can do it."
Tom Lee laughed. "Hoho~ what comrades!"
Eli shook his head. "The man standing before us is a monster we can't fight now. I can't put you guys at risk."
Olly Wang laughed. "Hahaha. What makes you think we will go out without a fight?"
Warren was about to join when Manager Kim stopped him. "Don't be foolish, Warren! That man is none other than the Director of White Tiger Job Centre. Even I am not sure if I can defeat that monster."
The whole atmosphere was tense. Eli was solemn. Warren was hesitant. But Olly? He stood in front of Tom Lee with no fear. His broken arm slumped to the side, blood flowing out constantly, but he had no fear in his eyes. After all, he couldn't feel fear.
Olly jumped at Tom Lee.
Tom Lee's grin widened as Olly launched himself forward, his good arm pulled back for a strike. "Hoho~ That's the spirit!"
Olly's fist came down toward Tom's head. The old man didn't even flinch. His hand shot up, catching Olly's wrist with crushing force.
"Nice," Tom said casually, then twisted.
The crack of bone echoed through the room. Olly's good arm bent the wrong way, but his grin never left. Instead, he spun, his leg swinging around toward Tom's head.
Tom let go and leaned back—just a little. The kick missed his face by inches. Before Olly could recover, Tom's palm shot forward, slamming into Olly's chest.
The hit sent Olly flying backward, crashing through a desk. Wood exploded everywhere.
"ELI! OLLY!" Warren shouted, trying to move forward, but Manager Kim held him back.
Olly pulled himself from the broken desk, both arms now hanging useless at his sides. Blood poured from his mouth, but he was laughing. "Hahaha! Is that all, old man?"
He charged again, moving wild and crazy—no plan, just attack. A headbutt aimed at Tom's nose, then a knee aimed at his gut.
Tom's eyes gleamed. His hand shot out, fingers bent like claws, and slashed across Olly's face. Four deep cuts opened from his forehead to his jaw, blood spraying out.
"Ya got guts, I'll give ya that," Tom said, his voice dark. "But guts without power? That's just meat."
Olly stumbled but kept moving, trying to use Tom's weight against him as the old man came closer. His feet moved perfectly despite his broken body, trying to throw Tom off balance.
But Tom's knee drove up into Olly's ribs like a hammer. The sound of breaking bones filled the room.
Olly coughed blood but tried to swing his head again, going for another headbutt. Tom caught him by the throat, lifting him off the ground with one hand.
"Ya see, kid," Tom said calmly, as Olly struggled in his grip, "pain tells ya when to stop. Without it?" He slammed Olly into the ground. "Ya just don't know when ya'r already broken."
Olly tried to get up. Tom's foot pressed down on his chest, holding him down.
"OLLY!" Eli's voice broke.
Eli stared at Olly's broken body, then at Tom Lee. His jaw tightened. "I said I'll go with you. Keep your word—leave them alone."
Tom Lee laughed. "Hoho~ Of course, of course. I keep my word."
Just then—
"Phew... What's this? Why do every time you guys get into mess just when I take my eyes off you guys?" Seongji Yuk walked in while eating a dango.
Then he turned to Tom Lee. "Why?"
Tom Lee laughed. "Hoho~ what why?"
Seongji stood face to face against Tom Lee. "Why do you guys meddle in kids affairs? It's sad to see bunch of old men bullying kids."
Tom Lee laughed. "Hoho~ it's my job after all."
Seongji Yuk shook his head. "Your jobs to fight kids? Then what can I say... My jobs to protect these kids."