Street Fighting

She ran home to him the next day.

Even skipping her last class so that she made it in time to have lunch with him.

Her Ahjussi.

But as she briskly walked along the quiet middle class neighborhood, her scooter left behind at the Ahjussi's since four nights ago, six men stopped her.

Two with knives and one with a plank of wood.

And started attacking her.

From all angles.

Unfortunately for them, she fought back.

-----

She did not visit him for four straight days.

He waited for her daily calls and when they were not forthcoming, he himself called Choi-Appa, to make sure she was safe at home.

< I'll send her home to you soon. >

Home? Did she consider his apartment her home. Or only Choi-Appa.

But he did buy the apartment with her in mind. That much was true.

So, four days he waited.

For her to cheerfully come through the shop door or the apartment's.

He did not pine for her, he denied.

Or maybe I do, Tae-sik thought. Or maybe I'm just worried for her safety. Since she has called him to tell him of her whereabouts and state of well being.

But Choi-Appa said she was fine.

Why am I calling him Choi-Appa. Like he was my father, Tae-sik shook his head.

Aish... I should go out to Dalseo's for a drink this evening, or something.

But that drinking session did not happen.

Because the sight that greeted him as he turned around the corner from the apartment to The Junc Shop, made his heart drop.

But only for a mere split of a second.

Before he roared furiously and sprang into action.

Four men was surrounding one mere slip of a girl.

Two men were already on the ground.

One clutching a bloody eye and the other totally unconscious.

So-Mi was fighting for her life with her bare hands.

Her arms as a protective shield and her feet in a alert stance.

Before Tae-sik jumped in to help.

Together, they fought the assailants. Like lovers.

Back to back they punched and kicked their opponents.

And the opponents had no chance.

With him to help her, the fight did not even last 10 minutes.

Despite the goons being armed.

Never did they think that a beautiful young girl and a lean ahjussi of a man could fight them off easily like a walk in the park.

And in mere minutes, the fight ended with three fleeing the scene and one joining the first two already on the pavement floor.

It was in broad daylight and in front of the other shops.

Yet the fight went on like it was a scene from some remote abandoned oil field.

Tae-sik went to So-Mi while at the same time dialing Kim Chi-gon's number.

"Kwenchana? Who are they?" He asked her. "Did they try to steal anything?"

"They made a grab for my bag, before I fought back."

"But there's six of them, doesn't make sense."

"No, I don't think so either."

"You're bleeding!"

Tae-sik said in alarm, as he checked her out. An action normal amongst comrades after combat.

"Eh? Oh?!"

"Chi-gon...!" as the call went through and Tae-sik gave a brief detail of what happened.

While waiting for help to arrive, Tae-sik went the three goons on the floor.

With two expert slices of his hand on the side of their necks, he rendered two of them temporarily unconscious. One already down, courtesy of one young miss.

Leaving him safe to tend to the bleeding So-Mi.

 -----

"We're taking them to the station for questioning," Detective Kim updated them in the aftermath of the attack.

So-Mi and Tae-sik had taken refuge in The Junc Shop as the police officers took care of the remaining street attackers.

"So-Mi, kwenchana? You are bleeding."

"Neh."

Her hand was temporarily swathed with a clean towel Tae-sik had grabbed from the shop.

"I'm taking her to the hospital."

"No. No need, Ahjussi. It's not so bad."

Looking at the pale faced So-Mi and distraught Tae-sik, Kim said, "Go home, you two. Take a rest. The questioning with the two of you, can be done later."

He looked at So-Mi's wound under the makeshift bandage.

"I think you can take care of the cut yourself, Tae-sik," Kim nodded at his friend.

"Rest well, dear girl. You did good today," Kim smiled at So-Mi, before getting up from his crouched position in front of her.

"Thank you for helping out, Chi-gon-ahjussi."

"Tsskk... regardless of the fact that this man acts possessive towards you all the time," Chi-gon nodded towards Tae-sik. "You are our child too."

And with a fatherly ruffle of So-Mi's hair, he left for the station.