checkmate. | pi hanwool

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CHECKMATE
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The basement was filled with the sound of fists connecting, bodies crashing, and the sharp, pained grunts of men struggling to stay on their feet.

Gaeun had no time to think—only react.

One of the thugs lunged at her with a wooden bat, swinging wildly.

She ducked.

The air whistled as the weapon missed her by inches, but before the man could recover, she twisted her body and slammed her knee into his stomach.

He gasped, stumbling back.

But she didn’t stop there.

With a sharp exhale, she followed up with a kick to his ribs, sending him crashing to the ground.

Another one rushed at her from the side.

She caught the movement from the corner of her eye and immediately raised her arms to block his incoming punch. The force sent her skidding back slightly, but she gritted her teeth and pushed forward, using the momentum to shove him off balance.

He staggered—just enough for her to land a solid hit to his face.

The man’s head snapped to the side, his body collapsing onto the cold, hard ground.

She barely had a second to catch her breath before she heard a sharp gasp from behind her.

"Ms. Lee!"

Gaeun turned her head just in time to see one of the thugs advancing toward Ms. Lee, who was still too weak to properly defend herself.

Without hesitation, Gaeun lunged forward, shoving Ms. Lee behind her and raising her fists in a defensive stance.

"You're not touching her," she spat, eyes locked onto the man in front of her.

The thug sneered. "And what are you going to do about it?"

He barely got the words out before Gaeun rushed him.

She feinted to the right, drawing his attention, before quickly shifting left and slamming her fist into his stomach.

The man let out a strangled grunt, doubling over.

Gaeun wasted no time.

She grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the side, sending him crashing against a parked car.

Ms. Lee gripped her arm weakly. "Gaeun..."

"Stay behind me," she said firmly. "I’ll handle this."

But in the chaos of the fight, Gaeun failed to notice something. One of the men she had knocked down was back on his feet.

And this time, he wasn’t coming at her with his fists. He had a steel bar in his grip.

And he was raising it—Aiming straight for her back. Gaeun was too focused on keeping Ms. Lee safe to see it coming.

But someone else did.

A sudden blur of movement.

A sharp clang of metal against flesh.

The next thing Gaeun knew, the thug was on the floor again, groaning in pain.

She spun around, her breath catching slightly. The guy in the Yusung windbreaker was standing beside her, his fists still clenched, his breathing heavy.

He had intervened.

Her eyes flickered between the thug on the ground and the guy standing next to her.