ａｓｙｍｐｔｏｔｅ // guanho

Third

"H-Hey, leave him alone!" Seon Ho exclaimed at the top of his lung. He did not know how he got the courage but he knew better than to be a mere bystander.

His words got the attention of the guys and that was his original intent but when pierced by their gaze, he could not help but grow timid. It may have been a bad move at his part.

He is definitely taller than them yet he felt as though they were much more gigantic in size when their eyes were on him. As though they were towering over him and wanted to kill him with their stares, eyes so sharp that it stabbed him everywhere.

"Mind your own goddamn business, kid." One of them snarled, scaring Seon Ho who then tried his best to stand tall and firm. He knows showing his weakness now would only make them contented, and he doesn't want that.

He can't leave the other guy in a lurch as well even if he doesn't know him, other than his face.

"Isn't he from the same school as this punk here?"

As soon as those words came out, Seon Ho heard his heart beat drumming against his eardrums, so loudly that it hurts. His heart raced, guts punched. Their stare on him became fiercer, he realised.

He doesn't have a good feeling and felt as though he was going to faint.

He shifted his gaze to the mysterious guy to avoid the strong burning looks. His face has an ever indifferent expression across his features, looking as though he already gave up on everything, including himself—like his bag that was discarded aside on the ground with a basketball not far off from it— and a hint of something else unreadable for Seon Ho.

Is he mad at me for meddling?

While he was busily staring at the other guy, Seon Ho failed to notice those brutes advancing towards him, one so close that he was too late to back away, not knowing what to do when the other yanked his shirt's collar, pulling him down to meet eye level. Seon Ho forgot to breathe at that instance.

"Look, your friend over there offended us and thinks giving a half-ass apology is enough to make up for it," The man started with a gruff voice, finger pointing at the other tall boy who is still ever emotionless. "Well, we were about to teach him a lesson but you interrupted us..."

Seon Ho gulped, beads of sweat running down his face. His legs started to wobble but strained his every muscle to support himself before he could fall. Falling now will only mean defeat, and would encourage those gangsters of their doing so no matter how sore his legs were getting, he stayed in the awkward position he was brought to with minimal movement.

"So we were thinking, why don't you be a good friend and receive his punishment instead? It's a pretty great deal; you get to be a loyal friend after it and he gets away unscathed. If not," He snapped his finger and the next moment the tall boy arched his back as though he was bowing to the man in front, clutching onto his solar plexus as he coughed vehemently.

He did not show much expression while at it, seeming as if he was too used to it before he looked up at the person who hit him with tired eyes.

"This will happen, and you'll get away without any wounds, but a broken friendship."

Unlike what the man mentioned, they are far from being friends but that doesn't change the fact that he wants to help because no matter how it is going to turn out for himself, he dislikes the sight of someone suffering.

Even if the offer is a lose-lose situation.

"Sure. I'll take up the punishment in his stead." Seon Ho firmly declared but was on the verge of shaking in fear.