There were 18,247 people watching when I started begging.
The number climbed faster than I could blink.
18,309… 18,412…
The comments blurred together:
"Hit him again!"
"Make him crawl!"
"Viral boy crying LOL."
The camera shook in the hand of Min Jisoo, the leader of District 12's top gang.
I could see myself on the cracked phone screen.
Blood on my lip.
My left eye swollen shut.
Kneeling in the wet alley.
Rain mixed with blood. Spit. Humiliation.
"Say it louder," Jisoo whispered, grabbing my hair and yanking my head up.
Behind him, neon signs flickered:
"D12 OWNS THIS BLOCK"
I tasted iron.
"Say what?" I croaked.
The chat erupted:
"LOUDER!"
"HE CAN'T EVEN TALK!"
"WORTHLESS!"
Another shadow appeared in the alley—a girl watching from the doorway.
Her black hair was plastered to her face. Wide eyes. Fear. Curiosity. Something else.
She didn't move. Didn't flinch.
Her presence felt… like she was waiting.
Jisoo's fist smashed into my cheek. Head hit concrete.
Five of them. All black jackets, District 12 insignia stitched inside the collar.
They filmed me. Broadcast me. My pain became entertainment.
"Say you're nothing. Say you'll never touch our territory again."
The viewer count hit 19,002.
My throat tightened.
If I didn't say it… more pain.
If I did say it… shame forever.
"I'm… nothing," I whispered.
Laughter. Applause in the chat.
Someone kicked my ribs. Pain exploded.
"Louder!"
"I'm nothing!"
My forehead hit wet concrete.
The girl in the doorway flinched, but didn't leave. She watched.
Min Jisoo leaned close, whispering in my ear:
"You'll always be this."
The stream cut. Silence.
They left me kneeling. Rain falling. Neon buzzing. My breath uneven.
Two hours later, I was home.
Father didn't look up from the couch. TV flickered across his scarred leg. Didn't ask why I was bleeding. Never does.
I went into my room. Closed the door. Opened my phone.
The clip was everywhere:
"D12 Humiliates Crying Kid"
23,000 views. Rising.
I watched it. Once. Twice. Three times.
Paused the moment I bowed.
Zoomed in on faces:
Min Jisoo… Park Taehyun… Lee Dongmin… Choi Sangho… Kim Junseok.
I memorized their expressions.
Then I noticed the girl again. She was in one of the corner shots. Standing slightly behind the crowd, half-hidden.
Her expression wasn't laughter. Curiosity. Fascination. Fear. Something else.
I smiled. Not because it was funny. Not because it hurt.
Because now I understood something.
They weren't stronger than me.
They were louder.
There's a difference.
I leaned back. Pulled up her social media profile. Public. Tagging locations, friends, routines.
Predictable. Vulnerable. Observant.
I made a note.
She could be useful.
Scrolling through D12's posts, I noticed a message from an unknown account:
"He's crying again? Easy pick tonight. Don't let him hide."
It was subtle. Too casual. But I recognized one of the nicknames from earlier.
Someone already wanted me gone. Not just beaten. Exposed.
I closed the clip again. Paused on the moment Jisoo whispered:
"You'll always be this."
Memorized every detail.
Every movement. Every laugh. Every smug glance.
Then whispered:
"Let's see how you look on camera tomorrow."