Shadows

Chapter 7: A Step Too Far

The next day at school, the tension that had been building between Joong, his brothers, and Dunk’s family reached its breaking point. It was a normal lunch hour—students milling around, laughing, and chatting—but the heavy air around Joong and his brothers felt almost unbearable.

They were sitting at their usual corner, trying to ignore the stares and whispers, but they weren’t alone for long. A group of upperclassmen, most of them members of the more popular cliques, had been eyeing them from the other side of the cafeteria. Joong wasn’t surprised when one of them—Krit, a particularly arrogant senior—got up from his seat and walked over to their table.

“Hey, rich boys,” Krit said with a sneer, his friends flanking him. His gaze lingered on Pond, then Joong. “I hear you’re the new servants around here. What’s it like being so... beneath them?” He didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “Must be tough, huh?”

Joong immediately stiffened, but he held his ground, looking straight at Krit. “We’re not here for your entertainment,” Joong said coldly, trying to suppress the rising anger in his chest.

But Pond, ever the more reserved and shy one, visibly tensed beside him. Joong could see the unease in Pond’s expression, and for a moment, he could feel the weight of the situation threatening to break them. Pond wasn’t good with confrontations, and Joong could tell he was already starting to withdraw into himself.

Krit smirked, clearly sensing the discomfort. He leaned in closer, his voice low and mocking. “What’s the matter, Pond? Too scared to speak up for yourself?” Before Pond could respond, Krit’s hand shot out, grabbing a cup of water from the table beside them.

Time seemed to slow as Joong watched in horror. Without warning, Krit tossed the entire cup of water right onto Pond and Joong’s heads. The cold water splashed across their faces, soaking their uniforms and dripping down their shirts. Pond froze instantly, his body going stiff and pale, his eyes wide in shock.

Joong blinked, a surge of heat rushing to his face. He wiped his wet hair out of his eyes, furious but trying to keep his composure. Pond didn’t move, his expression blank as if the shock had completely paralyzed him. Joong’s heart twisted as he watched his brother struggle to recover, his usual confident and poised demeanor shattered.

“Pond?” Joong whispered, his voice tight with concern. But Pond didn’t respond. He simply stared ahead, his body rigid.

Joong stood up, his fists clenching at his sides. He was about to say something—anything—to retaliate when Fourth, who had been watching quietly from his seat, suddenly shot up from the table with a dangerous look in his eyes.

Without warning, Fourth stormed toward Krit. The cafeteria seemed to fall silent for a split second before the sound of a fist hitting flesh echoed through the room. Fourth’s punch landed squarely on Krit’s jaw, sending the senior stumbling back in shock.

“You don’t get to mess with my brothers,” Fourth snarled, his voice low and menacing. His fists were clenched, his whole body shaking with anger.

Krit, now holding his jaw, staggered back. His friends immediately stepped forward, but they hesitated. It was clear that Fourth wasn’t someone they wanted to tangle with. He was smaller than some of them, but there was a fire in his eyes that made them hesitate.

“You’re gonna pay for that, you little—” one of Krit’s friends began, but he was cut off when a figure stepped forward from the edge of the cafeteria.

Dunk.

Dunk’s cold, calculating eyes swept over the scene. His presence alone seemed to silence the room. He was dressed in his school uniform, his posture relaxed but commanding, and his gaze was fixed on Krit and his friends with an expression that could freeze anyone in their tracks.

“What’s going on here?” Dunk’s voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the authority behind it.

Krit, clearly rattled but not willing to back down completely, looked at Dunk with defiance. “This little brat hit me first,” he said, motioning to Fourth, his voice still tinged with arrogance despite the situation. “They were making fun of us, so we decided to show them who’s boss.”

Dunk’s gaze flicked briefly to Joong, then to Pond, who was still frozen in place, his hands trembling slightly. Joong felt a pang of guilt for not being able to protect Pond in that moment, but he couldn’t focus on that now. He had to figure out what Dunk was going to do.

“Get out,” Dunk said, his voice suddenly cold. It wasn’t a suggestion—it was an order. “You’ll regret it if you keep pushing.”

Krit opened his mouth to argue, but the menacing glare from Dunk made him think twice. He and his friends exchanged uncomfortable glances, and one by one, they slowly backed away.

“We’re leaving,” Krit muttered under his breath, motioning for his friends to follow. They slunk away, the tension in the air thick and palpable.

Once they were gone, the room seemed to exhale, and Dunk turned his gaze toward Joong and his brothers. Joong couldn’t quite decipher the look on Dunk’s face, but it wasn’t anger. It was... something else. Something unreadable.

Fourth didn’t say anything, but his fists were still clenched, and Joong could tell he was still buzzing with adrenaline.

Joong, his hair dripping wet, took a deep breath and finally stepped closer to Pond, who was still frozen in place, his gaze distant. Pond had always been the more sensitive of the three brothers, and the incident had clearly shaken him.

“Pond,” Joong said softly, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Pond blinked, his body shuddering as if he were just coming back to himself. Slowly, he turned to Joong, his expression fragile, and nodded. “I-I’m fine… Just... surprised, I guess.” His voice was barely above a whisper, his usual confidence nowhere to be found.

Joong felt a deep sympathy for his brother, but he knew this wasn’t over. The more they tried to keep their heads down, the more they were dragged into this world of tension and power struggles.

Dunk had intervened, but that didn’t mean things would get easier. In fact, Joong had the nagging feeling that it was only the beginning.

As they walked back to class, Joong couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding that had settled over him. Something was shifting. It wasn’t just the bullying or the tension at school. There was something darker looming on the horizon, something he wasn’t sure they could escape from.

And Dunk and his brothers? They were part of it—whether Joong liked it or not.