Some time later, Byeoto was sitting at a small street stall, surrounded by smoke and dim lights.
He ordered steaming tteokbokki and some mandu. The spicy sauce burned his tongue in a good way, and the rising steam blurred his vision for a second. He ate eagerly, savoring every Korean bite as if it were a small victory.
This stall was the one he visited most often; he had already gotten used to this food.
When he finished, he picked up a toothpick, cleaned his teeth with it, and kept walking down the sidewalk, the toothpick between his lips as a habitual gesture. The city air hit his face.
He reached the park and headed for the pull-up bar. He started his reps—up and down, again and again.
While still hanging from the bar, he noticed some people sitting on the benches. They looked suspicious, dark clothes, tight jackets, tattoos peeking out, gazes that didn't fit the calm of the park. They talked on the phone but kept glancing his way.
Byeoto frowned, feeling a slight tension. He let go of the bar, stopped exercising, and walked away with measured steps, though the unease didn't leave him.
He walked through the streets. With each step, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. He had to stop when two men stepped in front of him, blocking his path. They were big, hands in their pockets, and smirked smugly.
Byeoto frowned and said, not too shaken, "Do I know you?"
The men exchanged a glance, and without warning, more figures emerged from the shadows.
Those in the back stepped aside to make way for someone, a guy who walked with slow, confident steps, an eye patch gleaming in the dim streetlight. He touched the patch with a cruel smile.
"Finally found you," said the leader in a low voice, touching his patch. "Idiot, look what you did. I've been looking for you for doing this to me. Now… now you'll pay for it."
Behind him, the rest of the gang formed a semicircle, watching with disdain, some lighting cigarettes, others crossing their arms.
Byeoto held his gaze for a moment and replied coldly, "How funny, thinking I have to fight guys like you again. Though honestly, I have no idea who you are."
Then he looked around at the thugs surrounding him and added, "But are you sure you want to do this?"
The leader let out a short laugh.
"Kid, you think I don't recognize the bastard who's been running around beating up gangs in this area? I was one of your victims too. But don't worry, I've prepared something. After all, you don't think we're stupid enough to repeat what happened last time, do you?"
He lit a cigarette slowly, exhaled, and let the smoke form a cloud between them. Then one of the big thugs, with tattoos running down his arms like black roots, stepped forward and smiled cruelly.
"You paid me to take care of this bitch," the guy said, approaching with a sinister grin.
The leader nodded sharply. "Just do your part."
The thug charged forward brutally. Byeoto waited for the right moment and twisted his body slightly to the side, just inches, letting the attacker pass by his shoulder.
Using the momentum, Byeoto pivoted on one foot and launched a spinning kick straight into the thug's liver. The impact echoed, clean and precise.
But the thug only let out a pained growl.
He tried to grab him, but Byeoto twisted his torso and ducked, slipping under the man's arms. With a quick move, he threw an elbow straight into the thug's ribs hard enough to make his eyes widen from the pain.
The man staggered back a few steps, face twisted with fury and pain.
Byeoto took a deep breath, focusing as he watched the thug in front of him.
But before he could exhale, the thug, furious, lunged again, faster this time.
Byeoto crossed his arms to block, taking the hit directly on his forearms. But the blow was just a feint. The thug used the contact to grab his arm and, with brutal strength, lifted him with one hand.
Byeoto's body slammed against the ground with a hard, gritty thud. The air rushed out of his lungs, and before he could react, the giant tried to lift him again.
Desperately, Byeoto raised a leg and kicked him straight in the stomach. The hit made the thug release him, stepping back with a grunt.
Quickly getting up, a bit shaky, Byeoto wiped the blood running down his lips with the back of his hand. He crouched low and charged again.
He struck with a hard kick to the thigh. The thug bent slightly. Byeoto took the chance and hit him with an elbow to the solar plexus. The man doubled over in pain, gasping for air, and Byeoto, without hesitation, jammed his thumb into one of his eyes.
The thug screamed, clutching his face. Blood gushed out instantly, but blinded by rage, he gritted his teeth and grabbed Byeoto by the waist. With brutal strength, he lifted him and hurled him backward.
Byeoto tried to roll to reduce the impact but still hit the ground hard. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead.
"Boss… this isn't looking good," said one of the subordinates, watching the scene.
The one-eyed leader, with a grim expression, lit another cigarette and whispered something to his partner, who nodded and hurried off to call someone else.
Meanwhile, the thug stood there panting, one hand over his bloody eye, the other trembling with rage. "You bastard… I'm gonna kill you," he spat.
He removed his hand from his face. His left eye was shut, and blood streamed down his cheek.
Byeoto stood up with difficulty. His face was smeared with red, his breathing ragged, and he rubbed the back of his neck. That suplex hurt more than he expected.
"Still… I can finish this." He knew his opponent was just as worn out, just a few good hits would drop him.
They both lunged at the same time.
Byeoto's fist landed square in the thug's chest. The next strike was a hook to the liver, sharp and violent.
The thug spat blood, his face twisted in pain, but before Byeoto could finish him, he grabbed him by the waist again, driven purely by fury.
He lifted him easily; Byeoto's feet left the ground. He felt the pressure tighten around his torso.
The thug twisted his body, ready to slam him down.
The ground was rushing up. Byeoto struggled desperately, to no avail. The pressure only increased.
Then, without thinking, he turned his head and bit the thug's nose in rage.
The scream was gut-wrenching. The grip broke instantly. The man let go and stumbled back, hands covering his face as blood poured down in streams.
"AAAHHH! My nose!" the thug roared, collapsing to the ground, writhing in pain and terror.
Byeoto landed on his knees, breathing heavily. His mouth was stained red. He braced his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
Suddenly, a sharp blow to the back of the neck. One of the leader's men had appeared from behind with a bat.
The pain was sharp and deep. Byeoto felt the world spin, his vision blur. The ground rose toward him, and that was the last thing he saw as blood stained the pavement.
The one-eyed leader burst into laughter.
"Finally… what did you expect, bastard? A fair fight?" he said mockingly as he walked closer through the haze of cigarette smoke.
He smiled viciously. "Come on, boys," he said. "That's why you always act smart. Now we should break something, he's got to learn a lesson. Where should we start, arms or legs? Pick him up!"
One of the thugs stepped forward and grabbed Byeoto by the waist, holding him up firmly by the torso.
While they held him aloft, barely conscious, memories flashed through Byeoto's mind, the bat on his neck again, that damn bat, the feeling of failure wrapped in humiliation. The fear and shame twisted into rage.
Veins bulged across his forehead. When he opened his eyes, the yellow turned to blood-red, blood seeped from them, running down his cheeks, and the veins in his arms popped out. With one hand, he grabbed his attacker's wrist and, with a sharp motion, twisted it upward. A dry crack echoed through the alley.
The thug screamed, pain shooting through his body as his arm bent in an impossible direction. He dropped to the ground, writhing, letting go of Byeoto.
Byeoto took the chance and slammed an elbow into his face. The blow sank deep, and the man fell, blood and teeth flying.
"What are you waiting for, attack him, bastards!" shouted the man with the patch.
Two thugs charged and landed punches on Byeoto's chest and side, but he didn't flinch. The hits seemed to have no effect.
He cracked his neck. Spitting blood, he said, "What an idiot… I already knew you weren't fair, but to pull this crap to win?" He glared at him with red eyes. "Now I'm really going to kill you, piece of shit."
With that, he turned to the two who had hit him and grabbed one by the hair, dragging him down and smashing his knee into his face. The man dropped instantly.
The other took a dry punch that drove him into the ground, the imprint of the hit visible on his face.
The leader watched the scene in fear and, desperate, shouted, "Take him down!"
The hired thug, with one eye shut and his nose gushing blood, thought Byeoto was weak and out of energy, so he charged.
But Byeoto sprinted forward, jumped, twisted his torso slightly, and with the edge of his hand, struck the big man's face.
The impact was devastating, his jaw sank in, teeth flew like fragments, and his body fell backward.
Byeoto didn't stop. He looked at the remaining ones, leaned forward, pushed off, and dashed. He grabbed one by the face and slammed him flat on his back against the ground. The next one took a knee to the solar plexus.
Then he jumped and kicked another straight in the face with both feet, leaving a clear mark. He crouched, grabbed one by the ankle, and threw him into another.
The assault was a storm of sharp, violent blows. After a while, the alley was filled with bodies, bruised, broken, many lying in twisted positions, their faces unrecognizable.
At the end, the one-eyed leader was on his knees, stammering apologies. "I'm sorry… please… let me go…"
Byeoto stepped closer and, without a word, grabbed his neck tightly.
"Shut up already, you talk too much," he said.
He lifted him and slammed a powerful punch into his face, driving it straight into the ground.
The blow was so strong that the leader bounced off the pavement and then lay still, his face bloody and disfigured.
Byeoto put a hand to his head and said through clenched teeth,
"It hurts… it hurts so much."
Pain ran through his body; slowly, the veins deflated, and his eyes returned to their usual yellow, though his vision stayed a bit blurry. He managed to prop himself against the wall, breathing heavily.
"I think I overdid it this time," he muttered, then looked at his hands. "I'm still too naive. I guess I'm gonna need more training."
With that, he started walking away, leaving behind the chaos and silence of the alley.