𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬 | 𝐊. 𝐆𝐖 - 𝐯. 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟

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Geon-woo had only ever felt such fear twice in his life. The first was when he discovered his mother, trembling before his alcoholic and enraged father. The second was the sharp shrill of his mother’s voice, the terror lodged in her throat when she informed him that a bunch of strange men had entered the cafe. 

At just the age of twenty-five, nine years after his parents divorced and his abusive father was officially barred from their lives, Geon-woo had done everything to keep his mother afloat. His mother, who could not stand the mere sound nor sight of violence. Always feeling a burden to her son, who would sacrifice his life for her, could not bare the shroud of brutality. 

So Geon-woo ran. 

He ran with the nauseating panic that sieged his muscles, imploring them to pump faster when the distressed sound of his name richotte’d in his ears. 

He ripped his mask from his face as rounded the corner. The café coming into view and horror paralysed his body. The windows were shattered, shards of crystal glass left jiggered holes that peered into the shop making room for the upturned furniture, broken dishware and revealing the plethora of armed men loitering within and around the block. 

 His heart dropped to his stomach when his shaken pupils landed on his mother, opposite him a man with pin straight posture and an aura of arrogance. But then he glanced behind them and to his absolute horror he made eye contact with the last person he ever thought he’d see.

Byun Nari.

Her nose was caked in blood, one eye slightly shut and two burly men gripping her arms as she tried to keep herself from sagging to the floor. But there was one emotion he didn’t miss in her brown eyes. Pure and utter, relief.

It was as if a switch went off inside of him. There was a reason he was rookie champion and within seconds all the men outside were on the ground.

Nari watched in awe at how fluid he moved. The way his eyes narrowed, and he plunged himself into focus mode. He was unstoppable. When the last man dropped to the ground, groaning and clutching his face, Geon-woo rushed up the stairs and through the broken window to his mother. The man scampered back, surprise written across his face at the sight of the boy and Nari would’ve laughed in other situations.

“Mom, mom, are you alright?” Geon-woo asked in a breath as he gathered his quivering mother in his arms. He lifted her up and backed away from the men.

”Let her go” Geon-woo ordered, his tone flat and unwavering as he glared at the two men holding Nari. They paused, glancing at each other with hesitance and uncertainty, to their supervisor and finally the bodies still writhing on the ground. Nari took note of their hesitance. Driving her foot into the one of her right’s shin as he let out a gasp, his leg raising and grip slipping. Her right arm tore itself from his hold, and slamming into the one on her left’s jaw. Their surprise allowed her to throw herself forward where Geon-woo let his mother go and caught her before she crashed into the tables.

“Nari” he said softly, his arms entwined around her as she stumbled. Ms Yoon quickly approached them, holding onto Nari who nodded in reassurance, lifting the back of her hand to her nose as Geon-woo placed his hands on her lower back protectively.

Nari nodded subtly when his concerned eyes flickered to her face. While his mother remained unhurt but afraid, Nari didn’t look as good. A feeling of anger coursed through his veins. Nari took a step back allowing him to depart from their side as she took over Geon-woo’s position and gathered a sobbing Ms Yoon in her arms. She tucked the older woman’s head in the crook of her neck, the other hand cupping her ear as Geon-woo slammed the man with the glasses into the wall. His tone was furious.

“Who are you?” he growled, bundling his suit in his hands as he pressed him further up the wall. ” How dare you do this to our café! How dare you lay a hand on her!” he spat as the man clawed at Geon-woo. ” I asked who you are?”

Nari pulled back when they heard footsteps. The men outside had begun climbing to their feet and the man in Geon-woo’s grasp released a smirk. Geon-woo was quick to let the man go, sensing this new guy must be the boss and noticing the very large, very scary brunt of man behind him. His face was concealed with a bucket hat. He seemed more beast than man. 

Geon-woo rushed to their side, standing in front of them as Ms Yoon cuddled deeper into Nari.

“Calm down kids” he said, his arms folded behind his back, hair neatly styled and a sinister smile on his face. “Your mother borrowed some money from our company ” he said with a contemptuous sneer. 

Ms Yoon shook in Nari’s grasp, shaking her head feverishly as Geon-woo glanced behind him. Nari hushed the older woman, reassuring her it was okay before turning back to the man.

“What do you want?” Geon-woo asked.

“Pay back what you owe” he said as if it was obvious. They had no option.

“Pay for the damages to our café first.” Geon-woo fired back. 

“Geon-woo” Nari’s voice was soft, catching the attention of the two men before her. Nari wasn’t sure at first. She had hoped and prayed she was wrong the second Ms Yoon told her she had a solution. But when it registered who the man with the glasses was and then the man before her. Nari knew. Before her stood the CEO of Smile Capital, Kim Myeong-gil. The man who had killed her mother.

Myeong-gil frowned, an ooze of familiarity tickling his thoughts at the sight of the girl.

Nari shook her head, panic seizing her throat. She knew what he was capable of, he ripped her family apart and her mother was killed in the process. Nari wasn’t about to let it happen to another family, much less to a family she cared about.

Myeong- gil stared her down, the gears clinking in his head as Geon-woo suddenly stepped forward, shielding her from his prying eyes. Myeong- gil shifted his stare to Geon-woo’s, a small huff leaving his lips before he uttered a name and the large man stalked forward.

“No” Nari breathed out as she went to grab Geon-woo’s jumper sleeve but the boy gently clasped his hand over hers and lowered it, his eyes holding nothing but reassurance. Whether it was to reassure her or him, she wasn’t so sure. 

Geon-woo threw the first punch. First at his gut then his face. Geon-woo froze in surprise, his swings were always enough to send anyone to the ground with one blow but Beom stood still as ever. In fact, it only seemed to anger him further. Boem let out a guttural growl. Geon-woo reeled back, before slamming is fist into his face, again and again and again. Nari’s fear spiked until Geon-woo manged to subdue him long enough to make him stumble.

A lump formed in her throat when Beom stomached each of Geon-woo’s unrelenting attacks. A choked sound left her lips when Beom grabbed his arm and threw him into the glass display. Ms Yoon screamed as Nari tightened her hold on her as Geon-woo blocked his punches.

Nari’s panic only intensified when Beom pried Geon-woo’s arms away from his face, headbutting him until his lip slip open and blood pooled in his mouth and down his chin. Nari couldn’t sit back any longer. She gently peeled Ms Yoon away from her, her fingers cupping her cheek to look at her and not her son. ” Ms Yoon” she said softly. “Don’t look okay” she said, Ms Yoon crying as she clutched onto her. ” It’ll be okay” with those departing words Nari grabbed a broken chair leg and slammed it into Beom’s back just as Geon-woo crashed to the floor.

Nari bit down harshly on her lip as Beom turned slowly. She called out to Geon-woo who laid motionless on the floor. Her eyes flickered to his limp body before readying her makeshift weapon, her fingers gripping it so tight her knuckles grew paper white. She took a deep breath and swung. It collided with his side, Nari ducking swiftly as his arm careened over her head. She dropped to her knee, and with the sharp edge of the wooden leg, lodged it into his foot.

Beom roared in pain as Nari scrambled back. Her eyes widened as he dislodged the chair leg, throwing it to the side where it splintered against the wall. Blood seeped onto the floor. His eyes narrowed menacingly, his foot limping as he stalked towards her but before he could reach her. Geon-woo threw himself between them, His fist delivering an uppercut to Beom that sent him staggering.

Nari quickly rushed to his aid, slinging its arm over her shoulder as she hoisted him to his feet. The two heavily panting as Beom removed his hand from his mouth. His eyes burning with hatred as he spat his discarded teeth into his hand before throwing it to the floor.

‘”Oh god” Nari cursed as he came barrelling at the pair. Geon-woo glanced at her and in once swift motion he pushed her to the side just as Beom crashed into him and slammed him into the mirror. The glass shattered on impact as he let out a pained yell. Nari slammed into a table, the two flipping over as glass shard embedded into her skin.

Her cries were drowned out by Geon-woo’s mother as Beom’s fist drove into Geon-woo’s face. Ms Yoon cupped her hands to her mouth as the man, who she now remembered as Kim Jun- min held her back from aiding her son or Nari.

Nari staggered to her feet with a cry of protest. She threw herself into Beom, her hands circling around his shirt as she threw her weight back. Beom didn’t stagger, instead he let Geon-woo collapse to the floor in a heap where Myeong-gil decided to finally stand from his chair, kicked him over before hovering over the wounded boy.

Nari’s legs trembled as she held onto the table for support, Beom towering over her before he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to the floor. Shards of glass embedded in her skin, cutting her knees before her chest  met the floor. She let out a whimper when Beom’s foot planted itself onto her back.

“Stop, stop Myeong-gil!” Nari suddenly said, her words coming out in breathy wheezes as he hovered over Geon-woo with a knife he secured to his pant leg. 

”How did you? ” Myeong-gil titled his head in confusion before Jun- min stepped forward.

”I knew there was something familiar about you” he said as she growled, Beom’s foot driving deeper into her back. ” You’re Jung Areum’s daughter” he pointed out, his lip curling in a sneer.

Myeong-gil frowned before a spark of recognition hit him “Jung Areum” he breathed.

”You don’t get to say her name” Nari writhed.

“No wonder you seemed familiar, you look just like her”.

A growl ripped through Nari.

“It’s such a shame really. She was a lovely woman”. his tone was nothing short of jarring. 

Geon-woo blinked, dazed.

“So you remember what happens when you don’t keep your promises” Myeong-gil drawled as Nari winced as she felt something in her chest break. Her ribs perhaps?

“Stop it, please. Just leave them alone!” Nari cried as Myeong- gil ripped the blade from its holster. Nari clawed at the wood before her. Her eyes wide as Ms Yoon’s screams were muffled by Jun- min’s hand.

“No, no, please. He has nothing to do with this” Nari cried.

” The thing is sweet girl. You both have grit and I like that.” He said, his thumb hovering over Geon-woo’s cheek who’s breath came out in short pants, blood smearing his face and down his neck to his white shirt.” Guys with grit can get anything done. So how about you work for me?”

“Are you insane!’ Nari shouted before Beom’s foot left her back, a rush of air entering her lungs before she felt the scruff of her sweater being picked up. Nari felt her feet leave the floor, her hands reaching to the back of her head and onto his arms as her legs kicked before her. “Let me go you son of a bitch!” she growled as Geon-woo’s head titled, his eyes half lidden seemed to widen as Ms Yoon’s muffled cries reached her ears.

Myeong-gil forced Geon-woo’s head back. The boy gurgle blood in his mouth and spat it straight into his face before coughs racked his body. A smirk threatened to overtake her lips as Myeong-gil wiped it off with the sleeve of his blazer.

Panic blossomed when Myeong-gil suddenly placed his leg onto Geon-woo’s chest, the boy’s pained groans echoing off the walls of the café.

”Get the hell off him!”  Nari spat as Myeong-gil pressed down harder. ”Please Myeong-gil, I’m begging you. They’ll find the money just don’t hurt them” she begged. “You already ruined one family, I won’t let you ruin another!” She yelled, tears pouring down her cheeks.

“You know better to not get involved” Myeong-gil dismissed. “I need to get the message across on what happens when you don’t read the fine print” he said as she gasped.

“No no!” she screamed as Myeong-gil gripped Geon-woo’s face, tilting it the side before the blade carved into his skin. Geon-woo’s cries of anguish bounced in her ears, his mother’s wails of agony drowning it out as the blade sunk deeper into his flesh. Blood overflowing onto the wooden flooring and pooling around his head.

”Stop!” Nari screamed.

When the blade eased. Myeong-gil shot Beom a look and Nari couldn’t have braced herself fast enough when suddenly his arm was yanked back and her body went sailing into the wall. A sicking thud had her body crashing onto the wall to a table that splintered upon her weight. Nari groaned, her eyes screwed shut and shots of pain rocketed through her body.

“We’ll see each other again Byun Nari” she heard before the sound of engines reviving and then silence.

”Geon-woo, Nari” Ms Yoon cried. She was trembling by the window. Her hands shaking as she cupped it below her chin, tears streaming down her cheeks as she glanced between her son and someone, she considered a daughter. 

“Ms Yoon’ Nari blinked, her vision bleary as her voice came out in shaky whispers, pain coating her tongue as she tried to push herself to her feet.

“Ms Yoon call an ambulance” she ordered, her words slurring.  Nari stumbled to her feet. Her hand griped the wall, the other holding her ribs delicately as she dragged her feet to Geon-woo. Her foot slipped, her arm caching her fall as she lowered herself beside him with a grunt.

She could vaguely hear Ms Yoon on the phone, her hiccups were evident enough as she conversed with the paramedics. But Nari’s attention was solely on the boy in front of her.

”Geon-woo, can you hear me?” she said as his bleary eyes turned to her. Her hands shakily reached the bottom of her sweater, ripping off a piece before bundling it and placing it over his cheek.
“I’m so sorry” she whispered as he blinked, his mouth parting but Nari just shook her head in protest. “You’re going to be okay. It’s going to be okay” she said.

 Nari didn’t notice at first, the wail of sirens catching her attention, but a hand slipped into hers. She had forgotten her hand had been placed on his chest for stability. Now his bloodied hands, knuckles raw and angry and hers twinged with pink were entwined across his chest. Nari blinked at their enclosed hands, something stirring in her heart before she glanced up again. Geon-woo’s eyes were shut but she felt his hand gently squeeze hers before paramedics swarmed into the café and tore the two apart. 

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