The Dragon and the Alley
Alright. There's something I need to clear up here first.
I've mentioned this before — about how good-looking Ha-yan and I are.
In my case, I was a dragon blessed with every possible gift from the start, so that part's a given. But Ha-yan had clearly inherited the genetic jackpot from her mother and father too. She was famous for her looks at school and all around our neighborhood.
Idol and entertainment scouts from all over the country had tried countless times to snatch her away.
Which meant that people coming up to hit on us or pick a fight were never just one or two. Not for me, and definitely not for Ha-yan.
These days those types had been thoroughly wiped out, at least in the area where we lived. Other regions were a different story, though. Part of it was laziness on my end — I hadn't bothered managing them — and part of it was Ha-yan's mother constantly asking me to live without relying on magic as much as possible.
Of course, the second Ha-yan was actually in danger, that "request" became completely meaningless.
And after a long while, that exact situation was unfolding right in front of my eyes.
Ah, what happened in the past, you ask?
Hmm. How should I put it.
It was back when we were in our second year of middle school, I think.
In elementary school everyone was just cute in their own way, so nobody said much. But once we hit middle school and secondary sexual characteristics started kicking in, things changed a little.
I'd already known for a while that some pretty ugly looks kept flying Ha-yan's way.
Then one day it happened.
Middle schoolers finished classes around three or four, and since neither of us went to any cram schools, we headed straight home together.
"Mom said she's making beef bulgogi today!"
Ha-yan back then was still adorable — a little rounder than she is now — and she said it while tightly holding my hand, her long, sleek black hair fluttering behind her.
I still had some baby fat left in my slightly round face as I answered her.
"Beef bulgogi? She made duck jjimulak yesterday."
"Mm? Dunno. She just said this is the age when we need to eat meat and grow!"
"I feel like she's giving us a little too much..."
Back then Ha-yan's mother was completely obsessed with making sure we got every nutrient imaginable. We lived with the constant feeling of fat packing onto our bodies in real time.
The only silver lining was that it all went into height and other useful places. If it had gone somewhere else, we probably would have suffered for it once high school hit.
We walked down the street chatting about nothing important — school, home, the usual. Even then I could have teleported us, but there was no reason to, and walking home with Ha-yan like this was fun.
Then, at some point, a man called out to us — more precisely, to Ha-yan — as we walked the same street as always.
"Yo. You that Lee Ha-yan bitch?"
The second I heard that crude way of talking, I knew exactly what we were dealing with.
Blond hair, multicolored piercings, tattoos covering an entire arm. The group of delinquents who'd been rumored to hang around the school lately stepped out and blocked our path.
"Holy shit, look at that face. If she grew a little more she'd be totally my type."
"Just like the rumors, right? Insane. I thought it was all bullshit."
The delinquents exchanged filthy conversation while casually herding us deeper into a side alley.
"S-Siu..."
Startled by their appearance, Ha-yan clutched my hand tighter and spoke in a voice thick with tears.
"..."
I stayed silent and simply glared at them while letting myself be pushed further into the alley the way they wanted.
They clearly thought both of us were terrified. Some of the underlings quietly sealed off the entrance and exit while the blond guy who looked like the leader — he was wearing a school uniform, so yeah, a student — walked up to the trembling Ha-yan and the expressionless me.
"Hmm. Pretty, sure. But is she pretty enough for all this? Hey, brats. You two ever mess with someone who has a real nasty temper?"
"..."
"Yeah, I get that you're scared, but I'm getting paid for this job. So cut me some slack, yeah?"
"..."
That was all I needed to understand the situation.
These guys had come after us on purpose, no question about it.
Before this, I'd once taught a lesson to some kids at our school who liked playing "delinquent." Apparently they came from money. The way this guy was talking about payment made that pretty clear.
In that case, there was no reason for me to go easy either.
Ha-yan was still just a soft, girlish little kid with a delicate personality.
I, on the other hand, had already finished growing mentally by the time I graduated elementary school. When it came to thinking on my feet, I was no different from any adult. On top of that, by then my company had already grown beyond Korea into a global corporation.
Having power and money and just taking it?
That's what we call a sucker.
I squeezed the hand of the trembling Ha-yan and fixed the blond thug with a sharp look.
"Who sent you? If you're going to drag us off anyway, you might as well tell us who ordered you to do this."
"Whoa~~ look at this? Talking down to me on first meeting? You've got some guts, huh? Too bad for you — I'm not even a little scared. Hahahahaha!!"
I'd expected a reaction like that.
But when the guy started tapping my head with his finger, I finally lost my patience and released my mana.
"U-uhh? S-Siu? Isn't this a little too strong...?"
Feeling the massive surge of mana pouring out, Ha-yan looked up at me with round eyes. I just smiled and answered.
"They touched us first. You saw it too, right, Ha-yan? When we tell your mom later, make sure you say they threw the first punch."
"Mm..."
"Whoa~ what the hell is this punk even saying? First punch? Aigoo? I can't even—"
The blond thug, who didn't know the first thing about mana, looked incredulous at my words. That only lasted so long.
"You're all dead."
And from that day on, they say you couldn't find a single "delinquent" left in the whole area where Ha-yan and I lived.
"...That's what happened. Hey. You. You're the one who was blocking the alley entrance back then, right? You were just a lackey at the time."
"..."
"Hey! You gonna talk or what?"
"Y-y-y-y-y-yes, sir!!!!"
In less than a minute the man had witnessed something completely impossible right in front of his eyes. He was shaking hard and had his forehead pressed to the ground.
Of course, the second I flicked my fingers he started stammering out answers as fast as he could.
Still trembling in front of me, he lifted his head just long enough to scan the surroundings with terrified eyes before slamming it back down again.
Hmm. Is it really that scary? I at least didn't kill anyone.
Ha-yan, who had been sitting in the camping chair I'd pulled out and waiting for this whole mess to end, must have read that thought on my face. She let out a deep sigh and spoke to me.
"You embedded one guy's upper body in a wall, stuck another guy's lower half into the concrete floor, used magic to keep them from dying, and then split people into two pieces... and you're saying you 'at least' didn't kill them? If anyone else had just seen this, they would have lost their minds."
I shrugged at her words.
"Everything looks mosaic-censored to you right now anyway, doesn't it? That's why even you, who can't handle blood or anything gross, are sitting there so calmly."
"Well, yeah, but... ugh. Just finish it already. We have to head home soon."
"Got it."
At Ha-yan's urging I walked over to the only one still conscious and whispered in a low voice.
"Alright. This is already your second time. Everyone else ended up crippled and you alone slipped away clean. Pretty lucky, huh?"
"Th-th-that's right! Y-y-yes!! I was born under a lucky star!!"
The guy nodded so hard and so fast he looked like a rock singer as he answered.
I rested a hand on his shoulder, patted it gently, and delivered one last warning.
"You should have taken the hint when I warned you last time. Right?"
"I-I-I told them too, but... I'm not that high up around here either..."
"Ah, is that so? Then this should do it."
An idea popped into my head and I cast it immediately.
Something like glittering dust sank into the body of the man whose eyes were practically popping out of his head. Feeling the sudden change in his condition, he stared at me in shock.
I smiled and told him,
"I just gave you the physical ability and skills of a decent UFC fighter and a world boxing champion. You won't lose to any ordinary punk. Use that to clean up the kids in this area yourself. Got it? I've helped you this much. If something like this happens again..."
With just two fingers resting on his shoulder, I tore his shirt open in one motion from shoulder all the way down to the opposite hip and finished,
"I'll split your body in half along this exact line. Understood?"
Nod-nod-nod-nod-nod.... sliiiide... thud.
Still nodding at absurd speed, the man finally showed the whites of his eyes and collapsed on the spot.
I dusted my hands off, stood up, and spoke to Ha-yan in my usual bright voice.
"Let's hurry back! We're late!!"
"Ugh. I really can't live like this."
Ha-yan sighed deeply, but the smile on her face mixed with relief that the situation had somehow been resolved. She linked her arm through mine again.
And a few days later.
Through Rhea, word reached me that the delinquents around that area had suddenly been completely wiped out by some man who appeared out of nowhere.
Magic really does work wonders.