"Im Si-woo's big brother," he said.
"Big brother?" Dae-hyun muttered, a sneer twisting his lips.
"Didn't I tell you? Watch your mouth if you don't want a beating. And now you've brought big brother to our hideout to start something?"
"Oh, no! I didn't say anything," Park Jin-ho protested.
"Tsk, you're a fool," Dae-hyun said, his eyes locked on Park Jin-ho. "You and your big brother are both done for."
Though Dae-hyun kept his expression flat, he saw a flicker of fear in Park Jin-ho's eyes.
Haha, what a loser. Scared over nothing, he thought.
He had half-expected some resistance, but it seemed he'd overestimated the kid.
Well, it's too early to judge, Dae-hyun thought, his gaze shifting to the other guy.
He listened for footsteps but heard nothing. It seemed they'd only sent two.
Is this guy even worth the effort? Dae-hyun wondered.
He’d fought plenty of opponents in his life as a gangster, many of them smaller than Park Si-woo.
But underestimating someone based on their size was a rookie mistake. I need to see what this guy can do, Dae-hyun thought.
He gave a subtle signal to his friends, who nodded and stepped forward with him.
"Well, well, well. What a day to be alive," one of the guys crowed. "Someone actually has the balls to confront Dae-hyun?"
"Your big brother's supposed to be a tough guy, right?" another added with a sneer. "If you're so confident, how about you take on all three of us?"
Despite their threatening posture, Park Jin-ho showed no fear.
Looks like he's got some guts, Dae-hyun thought. Let's see what he's made of.
They were close enough to strike. Dae-hyun was ready to see what Park Jin-ho could do.
I love a good fight, he mused as the tension thickened, especially when it's between scrappy underdogs.
Suddenly, Park Jin-ho lunged, landing a clean, unexpected blow.
"Argh, you bastard!" one of Dae-hyun's friends yelled, swinging a wild punch.
But Park Jin-ho was too fast. He weaved past the punch and slammed another fist into the first guy, knocking him to the ground.
The other two rushed forward, but Park Jin-ho was a blur of motion, dodging and striking with lightning speed.
Damn it, he's good, Dae-hyun thought, watching his friends get dismantled one by one.
They had come looking for a fight, but Dae-hyun realized with a jolt that they were no match for this kid.
In moments, all three of them were on the ground, groaning.
Lee Dae-hyun’s eyebrows drew together like a taut bowstring.
He had wondered how well someone so small and lanky could fight. Now he had his answer.
The kid's boxing form was decent enough, but to Lee Dae-hyun, who had a background in the sport, it was nothing special.
"Hey, Si-woo's brother," Lee Dae-hyun said, walking past his fallen crew. "Where'd you learn to box?"
"Looks like they never taught you what a difference weight classes make."
Park Jin-ho looked up as Lee Dae-hyun came to a stop in front of him.
Lee Dae-hyun stood at 185cm with a sturdy build, while Park Jin-ho was a fragile-looking 165cm.
The physical disparity was a chasm. Anyone could have predicted the outcome of a fight between them without even watching.
To Lee Dae-hyun's surprise, however, Park Jin-ho didn't seem the least bit discouraged.
"Looks like you don't watch the news either, do you?"
Kang Min-ho clicked his tongue, a sound of pity that made a vein bulge on Lee Dae-hyun's forehead.
"What news, you little shit?!"
Frustrated, Lee Dae-hyun threw a sucker punch. Park Jin-ho dodged it with a slight turn of his head.
Most people would have been staggered by the blow, but Park Jin-ho had avoided it effortlessly.
Lee Dae-hyun unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, trying to land a single hit, but to no avail.
He had hoped to gain an advantage by striking first, but things weren't going according to plan.
"If you watched the news, you'd know you can't just rush a player like me."
Park Jin-ho casually sidestepped another of Lee Dae-hyun's attacks, then countered with a precise punch.
The blow landed squarely on Lee Dae-hyun's face. He staggered but managed to stay on his feet.
"Humph! Was that a mosquito bite? Didn't even tickle!"
Park Jin-ho ignored the taunt and connected with another punch.
Dae-hyun's nose felt numb.
He swung with deadly force, but his fist met only air.
After a few more blows, it was clear Park Jin-ho wasn't even listening to him anymore.
His anger was a cold, focused thing.
Park Jin-ho relentlessly targeted Dae-hyun's face.
Even with weakened strength, a punch to the face was bound to do damage.
As proof, Dae-hyun felt the cartilage in his nose give way as his lips split, filling his mouth with the taste of blood.
In a one-sided beating like this, strength and skill didn't matter.
Fuck, just one hit. Just one and I'll—
Despite the beating, Dae-hyun refused to give up.
He couldn't admit defeat to someone like this.
This isn't the time for pride.
Park Jin-ho's fist struck Dae-hyun's face again.
Hit again, damn it!
He'd lost count of the blows.
Now, he couldn't feel the pain in his face anymore. It was just a dull, throbbing numbness.
Park Jin-ho's movements were so clean and efficient that his earlier display against the others seemed like a clumsy fake-out.
But Park Jin-ho dodged it and jammed his fist into Dae-hyun's chin.
For a moment, Dae-hyun's vision blurred. Through the haze, he saw another fist coming at him.
As much as he hated to admit it, attacking wasn't working.
He instinctively lifted a hand to block, but—
Instead of hitting his guard, Park Jin-ho caught his outstretched fingers.
Dae-hyun screamed as Park Jin-ho bent them back with a grotesque crack.
As he doubled over, a knee slammed into his face.
Before he could process the agony, Park Jin-ho had grabbed his other hand.
"Ahhhh! It hurts! It hurts!"
"Stop it! Please! I beg you!"
But Park Jin-ho mercilessly twisted all ten of Dae-hyun's fingers, snapping them.
Park Jin-ho spoke again, his tone chilling.
"If you touch my little brother, you'll regret it."
"Don't you have anything to say?"
"Y-yes, I-I get it. I won't… I won't touch him."
Tears streamed down Lee Dae-hyun's ruined face as he nodded weakly. But it wasn't over.
Park Jin-ho grabbed one of Lee Dae-hyun's arms.
"What are you planning to do?" Lee Dae-hyun protested.
"I need to make sure you won't change your mind later," Park Jin-ho replied sternly.
"Please don't do this! Please!" Lee Dae-hyun begged, struggling to free himself.
Despite Lee Dae-hyun's resistance, Park Jin-ho twisted his arm at an unnatural angle. There was a sharp snap.
"Aaahhh!" Lee Dae-hyun screamed, the sound swallowed by the alley.
"If you try to seek revenge or report me to the police, I'll find you no matter where you hide," Park Jin-ho threatened, his voice dripping with malice. "And it won't just be a broken arm."
At that moment, for the very first time in his life, a deep-seated fear took root in Lee Dae-hyun's mind.