Demonic || Seventeen

Demonic 14

Seokmin had been waiting, but when his name was finally called, his heart stopped.

"Lee Seokmin. Kang Yunmin. Step forward."

A chill ran down his spine.

Murmurs erupted from the other recruits as heads turned toward him. Seokmin felt his friends’ gazes on him, but he ignored them, inhaling deeply before rising to his feet.

Across the sparring ground, Yunmin was already smirking.

"Well, well," Yunmin drawled, standing up and stretching. "Looks like it’s finally my turn to play with you."

Seokmin clenched his fists. He knew this was coming.

Yunmin had been waiting for this.

The two recruits stepped onto the dirt-covered sparring court, standing a few meters apart.

Jeonghan, Joshua, and the other captains and lieutenants watched silently.

"Whenever you’re ready." Wonwoo spoke, standing at the side of the court. "Begin."

Silence.

Yunmin took a casual step forward, rolling his shoulders. "You know, Seokmin, I really thought you'd quit after the first month."

Seokmin didn’t react.

"All that struggling, all that exhaustion yet here you are." Yunmin chuckled. "Still trying so hard. It’s cute, really."

Seokmin stayed calm. Months ago, those words might’ve made him hesitate. Might’ve hurt him.

Not anymore.

He had trained with Joshua and Jeonghan for months. He had learned not to let words distract him.

Yunmin took another step closer, tilting his head. "What? No response? I was hoping you’d at least beg me to go easy on you."

Seokmin exhaled.

"Are you going to fight or just keep talking?"

Yunmin's smirk widened.

"Woah, fine." he said. "Let’s see if you’ve actually gotten stronger, or if you’re still the same weakling I beat on the first week."

And then Yunmin attacked.

Seokmin saw the punch coming, but he was too slow.

Yunmin’s fist slammed into his ribs, knocking the breath from his lungs.

A second hit struck his jaw, sending him stumbling back.

The recruits watching began to lose interest. Just another one-sided match.

Seokmin gritted his teeth, his vision shaking for a moment.

He could hear his friends shifting uncomfortably behind him.

"Come on, Seok!" Seungkwan muttered under his breath. "You can’t let that jerk win so easily."

Another punch.

Then a kick.

Seokmin barely managed to block the next strike before Yunmin’s foot slammed into his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground.

Dirt filled his mouth as he coughed, his arms trembling from the impact.

Yunmin laughed.

"This is boring." he said. "I expected more from you after all these months."

Seokmin’s head was spinning. The pain was real, but something else was bothering him. He needed to focus.

Seokmin let his body relax for just a second.