GIJS

Chapter 189 Fluorescent Pants Gang

Gunja was fundamentally a gentle person.

Even while living with his strong-willed colleagues, he had never once had a conflict, and he had developed a habit of bowing politely if it seemed like he might clash with someone.

However, he was not always so compliant with those who crossed the line.

This was true even before he crossed eras. The place where Gunja learned to play the gayageum was a haven for bullies.

While Gunja and the courtesans tolerated a certain amount of meanness, there were always trashy individuals who treated the courtesans as less than objects. These were typically the uneducated children of middle-class yangban families.

Gunja did not tolerate their tyranny. Whenever he witnessed such unjust behavior, he would unhesitatingly don his mask and beat them up.

Smack, smack—.

"Oh no—."

"Ahhh—!!"

"This, this bastard... Huh—."

Once rumors spread about the ghost in the mask, the bullies stopped coming to the learning center. Though Gunja aspired to live according to the teachings of the Confucian classics, sometimes a punch proved more effective than the words of Confucius and Mencius.

The fluorescent pants gang consisted of three members. They were quite intimidating in size, but Gunja was not particularly afraid of them. He had no hesitation in grappling with yangban wearing daggers, so ordinary, overweight thugs were nothing to him.

Clomp, clomp—.

Gunja's steps were resolute. The fluorescent pants gang seemed to recognize his presence and turned their heads.

"What's that?"

"Another courtesan? Damn, is this a brothel?"

At that moment, someone blocked Gunja's path. It was Assistant Director Han Jihyeon from 'Restaurant Maker'.

"Gunja, we'll take care of this."

"But..."

"We're already grateful for your help, but we can't ask you to do more. Please leave it to us."

With a firm tone, Assistant Director Han Jihyeon stopped Gunja's involvement and took a deep breath as she turned towards the fluorescent pants gang. PD Yang Hong-seok was still confronting them, but the diminutive PD seemed to pose no threat to them.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Sir? I haven't been to school, so what's this about being a sir?"

"What's this auntie's business?"

"Please leave. Do you not understand that we're in the middle of filming?"

"We're just trying to get some food. Is it a crime to look for food in a restaurant?"

"Sorry, but lunch service is over. Please leave."

"What are you talking about? It says until 3 o'clock over there. Are you deceiving customers? Do you think we're fools?"

"Just leave quickly. Okay?"

As she spoke, Han Jihyeon reached out towards the fluorescent pants gang.

"Damn it, don't touch me!"

Smack—.

One of the fluorescent pants gang members slapped Han Jihyeon's hand away, causing her arm to jerk painfully back.

"Ahhh—!!"

"Ha ha, what a drama queen."

Seeing this, Gunja's eyes flared with anger.

It was a situation reminiscent of his time in the learning center when he wore a mask. These guys had crossed the line.

Gunja resumed his steps, which had stopped because of Assistant Director Han Jihyeon. Now, with PD Yang Hong-seok, Assistant Director Han Jihyeon, and Gunja standing before them, the fluorescent pants gang was confronted by three determined individuals.

"You've drawn a carp on your arm."

"What? What's with the sudden..."

"A carp symbolizes success and advancement, but with your character, you'll end up a village fool rather than succeed."

"Ha ha, this guy's concept is unique. Did you eat something weird?"

"I'm giving you a chance. If you repent now and quietly disappear..."

"Damn it, just give me the food!"

Before Gunja's words were finished, the thug who had slapped Han Jihyeon grabbed Gunja by the back of the neck.

"...!"

Since crossing into the modern era, no one had treated Gunja like that. Grabbing the back of his neck and slamming him to the ground was a technique used by his uncle, Yu Hyung-won.

Whenever young Gunja did something displeasing, his uncle would grab him by the neck and slam him to the ground, yelling in a beastly voice.

It was not a pleasant memory for Gunja. Naturally, it was a terrible recollection.

Although he had forgotten it due to building good memories in the modern era, the physical contact with the fluorescent pants gang triggered a sudden recollection of past trauma.

After that, his body moved on its own.

The primary target of punishment was the thug who grabbed his neck. Swiftly snatching the hand that grabbed him, Gunja spun the thug's body in mid-air with a powerful grip.

Wham—!!

The thug fell on his back, unable to make a sound from the pain.

"Damn it, what's this bastard!"

"Let's see you die, you bastard."

The remaining two fluorescent pants gang members, spouting curses, assumed a fighting stance, but it was futile.

Whoosh—.

The oversized fluorescent pants thug's punches cut through the air uselessly.

Whoosh, whoosh—!!

After dodging the second and third punches, Gunja's strong grip caught the thug's wrist and shoulder.

Crack—.

The grip was so intense that escape was impossible. The second thug was thrown into a pile of junk in the corner of the filming area without a chance to scream.

Crash, bang—!!

The sound of the heavy body rolling filled the filming area. Without throwing a single punch, Gunja had already succeeded in subduing two members of the fluorescent pants gang.

"Damn it, what's this bastard—!!"

The remaining fluorescent pants thug looked thoroughly frightened. His face, which had been red with shock, was now pale.

He seemed to have lost the will to fight. Yet, Gunja was still not calm.

Pant, pant—...

Breathing heavily, Gunja approached the last fluorescent pants thug. The traumatic memories triggered by grabbing his neck still lingered in his mind.

"Get, get out! Damn it, get out!"

The last fluorescent pants thug, retreating, suddenly grabbed a metal club. It was a makeshift tripod used for setting up stationary cameras.

Whoosh—.

The tripod swung threateningly through the air, but Gunja's steps did not falter.

"...Damn it, what's this bastard really doing..."

As Gunja tightened his grip on his right hand, the fluorescent pants thug was cornered.

Suddenly, someone hugged Gunja from behind. It was Tae-woong and Yu-chan.

"Gunja, that's enough."

"...Gunja-hyung..."

The unexpected back hug made Gunja's eyes, filled with anger, waver slightly. In that moment, In-hyuk's large shadow covered the last fluorescent pants thug's body.

"Give it to me."

"Uh, yes, yes."

With a single command, In-hyuk took the tripod away and quietly pointed towards the door with his finger.

"Leave."

"Oh, understood!"

"Gather your friends."

"Yes, yes—!!"

The last of the fluorescent pants gang, who had regained his senses, quickly gathered his group and left the restaurant. As always, the sound of police sirens only became audible once the situation had settled down.

While PD Yang Hong-seok and Assistant Director Han Jihyeon were taking statements, the members gathered around Gunja.

"Gunja, are you okay?"

The members who had shared struggles with Gunja knew that something was definitely different about him. While Gunja was known for his determined attitude, he had never shown such a combative side before.

"Pant, pant—."

Gunja's breathing was still loud and rough, indicating that his mind hadn't fully calmed down. The members looked at him with worried eyes.

"...Breathe deeply."

"Yeah, take some deep breaths."

"It's okay, hyung, those guys are all gone now."

"Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths."

The members helped Gunja regulate his breathing, not by syncing choreography or harmonies, but by matching the timing of his inhales and exhales to help him calm down.

"Phew, phew—..."

"That's right, that's right."

"...Don't think about anything, just focus on breathing..."

Thanks to the support of his colleagues, Gunja gradually regained control of his breathing.

"Phew—."

Exhaling deeply, Gunja looked around with a more relaxed expression. His colleagues were still looking at him with concern.

"...I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I caused trouble again, just like at the servant quarters."

"Really, are you trying to make us feel bad again?"

"Why do you keep causing worry! You have a knack for making people feel troubled."

"Gunja, it's okay to rely on us when you're struggling."

"Haha, if we weren't helpful, that would be more upsetting~"

"Yeah, Si-woo's right. What's friendship about? It's about helping each other out in times like this. You're always trying to be the support, but you don't need to."

Although Tae-woong said this with a stern look, Gunja knew it was not irritation but genuine affection. His members were truly concerned for him.

"...Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't apologize, just say thank you. It sounds much better."

"I don't know what's going on, but let's discuss it later. It's too chaotic right now, and it would be hard to explain."

Gunja nodded at Hyun-su's considerate words.

As his trust in his colleagues deepened, Gunja wanted to reveal everything to them—where he came from and what mysterious existence he was with.

However, even if they became closer, he didn't think they would believe such things. In the end, Gunja had no choice but to lie to them.

Being able to open up everything and communicate sincerely was...

...Hmm...

Yes, for now, Chang is the only one.

The status window, seeming to soothe Gunja's startled heart, glowed and vibrated near his collarbone. Whether it was effective or not, his heartbeat seemed to stabilize slightly.

Once his heart had calmed down, Gunja looked for Assistant Director Han Jihyeon.

"Assistant Director, are you alright?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Didn't you get hit on the hand earlier?"

"Oh, that? I'm fine! Those guys were all talk and weak punches."

"Still, you should see a doctor."

"Yes! Thank you for your concern!"

Although it hurt a bit, Han Jihyeon felt her pain fade away thanks to Gunja's worry.

Usually, one would suggest seeing a doctor, but mentioning a clinic seemed quite particular. Yet, it didn't matter much. Gunja's radiant face made everything feel better.

Before the shoot, Han Jihyeon hadn't paid much attention to Gunja, but this moment made her a fan of his.

After the crisis was resolved, PD Yang Hong-seok approached the members and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry. I should have anticipated such an unexpected situation."

"No, we didn't expect such a disruptive incident either."

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, we're all fine."

"They might demand a settlement. We will cover all the costs..."

"No."

When the topic of settlement came up, In-hyuk spoke with a firm tone.

"What?"

"They won't be asking for a settlement."

"How can you be sure about that?"

"I can make it happen."

"...What?"

With a sense of intimidating confidence in In-hyuk's words, PD Yang Hong-seok and the members simply nodded.

"Well, if In-hyuk says so, then it must be true. Anyway, we should end today's shoot here. Given the unexpected situation, it's better for everyone to rest. We can probably get enough footage for an episode just from the morning and lunch scenes."

"Yes, PD."

"And from the scenes with the fluorescent pants gang, we've turned off the cameras. It wouldn't be beneficial for the broadcast and wouldn't leave a good memory for you either."

"Yes."

"Then let's wrap up today's filming and meet tomorrow."

"Yes, see you tomorrow!"

The incident with the fluorescent pants gang seemed to remain a secret known only to the 7IN members and the production team.

However, in the world of broadcasting, no secret stays hidden forever.