POISONED YOUTH: TWISTED

CHAPTER 18

For someone who had spent his entire life denying the existence of soulmates, Lee Donghyuck was starting to realize that denying the bond didn't mean he could deny the instincts that came with it.

He could ignore her, push her away, and could tell himself that she was nothing more than a complication fate had thrown into his life. But the moment he heard her voice trembling inside his head, fear and pain bleeding through their connection, something inside him snapped.

Before he could even think about it, his body had already chosen to protect her.

"Step the hell away, boy." The man scoffed, gritting his teeth as he eyed the unmasked stranger standing in front of him.

Haechan's expression remained cold. "How pathetic."

Before the man could react, Haechan kicked him hard enough to send him stumbling to the ground. The small knife slipped from his hand and landed at Yeoreum's feet.

She stared at it for a second, frozen. Then Haechan stepped in front of her.

He pulled her behind him before crouching down and grabbing the man's collar. His fist slammed into the man's face.

Then again.

And again.

For a reason he couldn't explain, his body had reacted on its own.

Haechan couldn't stop. The voices in his head kept repeating the same thing.

"How."

His fist struck again.

"Dare."

Another blow.

"You."

His knuckles clenched around the man's collar.

"Touch."

Another punch.

"Her?"

Behind him, Yeoreum trembled.

A few feet away, Jisung watched the entire thing with wide eyes. Then he glanced at Chenle.

"Should we stop him before he actually kills the guy?"

But Chenle looked amused, as though he were watching a free action movie.

"Ah, why?"

"Because he's going to kill him for his soulmate." Jisung answered as if it was the most obvious answer. Because it is.

Chenle dismissed the thought. "Oh, come on. It's not every day that we get to see the Lee Donghyuck act like– AH!" He yelped when Jisung suddenly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him toward the scene.

"Come on!"

"Why me?!"

"Because you're closer!"

"That's not a reason!"

"Hyuck, stop." Yeoreum's voice trembled as she carefully reached forward and tugged on the back of his shirt.

Haechan didn't move.

"Hyuck, please."

The man's face was already bruised, his breathing uneven beneath Haechan's grip.