“L.Joe, this isn’t the last of us. Watch your back.”

“Tonight, your boys will be broken. From limb to limb. In the streets.”

“Got that? We’re not letting you go this time.”

Byunghun lowered his gaze, made a mental note at the back of his head, clicking his phone shut. His brows were furrowed; knuckles were frosted white having to listen in to the phone-call. To some degree - his temper had gotten the best out of him. He found himself resisting the urge to kick his study desk. He bottled his feelings, containing it inside his heart. He will have to wait till tonight, to let it go. The damage will only be made after dark. Diamonds were out to get back at him. They will do whatever it takes to destroy his gang members. He released a breathless sigh, picking up his half-written essay and made his way to the front of the classroom.

“Two paragraphs? You’re not leaving the class, Lee Byunghun.” The teacher inspected his work, projecting her voice to Byunghun who had slung his backpack, ready to leave the classroom. He picked up his books, throwing back a half-smirk expression. Darkness shrouded half of his face as he instinctively walked to the exit.

“Are you listening to me!” she yelled, looking straight into Byunghun’s eyes. “Remember Lee Byunghun, you’re accepted into Seoul High. If you need reminding of, Seoul High is a prestigious school. This third-rate attitude is unacceptable. Go back to your seat. Finish up the essay before I make a call to your parents.”

“How about sending me straight to the disciplinary?” Byunghun said with a smirk. “It will make your job run easier, won’t it?”

The teacher widened her eyes, straining effort before blowing up in all proportions. She was this close to losing it. She stumbled on her black heels, moving close to the blonde hair figure, breaking the barriers. Her voice came out shaky. She hadn't given up. She wasn’t giving up on her student. “Are you a juvenile?”

“How could you say such a thing about your student?” he hissed back, a step close to leaving the place. Silence casted on the dark haired woman having to be slapped back with her student’s verbal attack.

“Do your job right,” Byunghun said. "Or act like it."

“Lee Byunghun!”

A chorus of voices rose in the classroom. In-Na looked towards his way, coldly. Her brown irises crinkled from her seat, silently reminding him to not take it too far. He rolled his eyes, marched out of the classroom, not giving a care that the teacher was cursing in between her threats. He crushed his ‘rejected essay’ to the ground, lost of his direction.

“Niel, they are out to get us!"

Byunghun dialed Niel’s number. Worried. Anxious. Afraid. These emotions he couldn’t explain. Byunghun knew that Teen Top needed better control. It was their own fault that they have been battling Diamonds without proper planning. They thrashed. They fought. They did wrong, unaware that their fights were pushed to the limit. There were these monsters living inside of them that gobbled for power and greed.

“G-Dragon Hyung, when is he coming back?” Niel questioned. Anxiety coursed through Byunghun’s veins. He silently cursed, thinking about the consequences of their actions.

“I don’t know,” Byunghun said, a hint of frustration in his voice. “He wouldn’t trust us anymore if he knows.”

“He needs to know!”

“Diamonds are using us as baits. ing tiny fish baits. Once they’ve removed us, once they are done destroying our gang, he will get to G-Dragon Hyung. We must not let them take over the streets. We have our pride. We are no delicate bunch of sissys. Prepare our weapons!" Byunghun yelled into the phone, finding a way out of the school. Niel replied with a grunt, trying to think of ways to solve this tangled mess.

“You’re injured. I’m ing injured.” Niel hissed over the phone. “How the hell are we supposed to fight Diamonds men tonight? You’re digging up your own damn grave.”
 

Byunghun’s hand lined with bruises. He ended the conversation, finding his eyes travelling to his route of escape. He was barely able to move because of his injured arm. His hope of climbing up the tall-wired wall that In-Na has showed him earlier on, slipped away just like that. He tried to numb the pain, stacking his foot in between the walls. The wire grazed his skin, tore open his healing wound – raw and fresh.

Byunghun fell to the ground.

“Pretty boy!”

His heart jolted. He wasn’t ready to meet her again. She was the last person he would want to chance upon. It was as though Byunghun had jumped into a sinking ship and Park In-Na was the only one who was there to pull him back up. Her eyes were fixed on him.

“Are you all right?” She searched his eyes, grabbing his arm. “That was stupid of you, pretty boy. Look… oh god, idiot! You’re bleeding again.” She mumbled those words, slight guilt attached to her voice, eyes fixated to his figure. “You’re injured. If you want to make an escape, there are other ways.”

Byunghun avoided her eyes, wriggling his trapped arm off her touch.

“Were their roads meant to be connected? Why did she appear in his time of need?" He thought to himself, trying to get up from his falling position. In-Na watched him sank to the ground slowly, blood running from his arm. He was weak. He was frail. His ego took over him. She pulled him back up gently, afraid to cause further damage to his skin. Her hand quivered, holding on to him.

“I’ll send you home,” In-Na said, fixing her look from worried to stern. “We can get those bruises fixed. The faster we get it fixed-”

“No,” Byunghun hissed. “Go play with your dolls.” Byunghun unglued himself from the floor, pulling away from her grasp.

“You’re ing messed up!” In-Na yelled, seeing his figure fled. A frown marred her face, on the verge of throwing the tree branch to his retreating figure. “Don’t let me see you ever again in the streets, pretty boy. With your lipstick!”

"I'll find out on what you have been up to!"

Her voice rang in his head. She wasn't a quitter.