Subjugating the Bully Girl (5)
"You're dead, asshole."
Kim Tae-yang stood at the front of the pack, sneering like he already had Choi Sun-woo in the bag.
Dong-hyun didn't spare him a glance. His eyes went straight past Tae-yang to Han Su-yeon, standing behind him. She wore an indifferent look, paying Dong-hyun no attention at all — or perhaps she simply wasn't thrilled about harassing Choi Sun-woo. Beside her, Kim Se-bin was glaring at him the same way her brother was, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. The spot where Dong-hyun had punched her earlier that day was still swollen, and she clearly harbored even more resentment because of it. Like brother, like sister.
"Enough talk. Let's get started. I didn't think you'd come alone. Han Su-yeon showing up, though — that was a surprise."
Dong-hyun made a point of singling her out. Han Su-yeon had been looking elsewhere; only when her name was called did she turn toward him. It was nothing more than a glance. She looked away again just as quickly.
"You really lost your mind, huh? Get ready to get beaten like a dog. And this time, pissing yourself three times won't get you off the hook."
"You gonna make the first move? Why are you talking so big up front?"
Dong-hyun took a step toward Kim Tae-yang. Tae-yang flinched and backed away, and the four men standing behind him stepped forward to fill the gap.
"So you're Choi Sun-woo? Heard you've been talking a lot of shit lately."
"A Kim Tae-yang ass-kisser puffing his chest out? Just come at me. You all jumping in together?"
Dong-hyun provoked the man right back.
"Ha? Look at this asshole. I'll finish you myself."
The provocation worked. The man walked out slowly, and Dong-hyun studied him with care. This wasn't a typical striking stance — his center of gravity sat low. He had his guard up, but his chin was tucked even lower.
Grappler, huh?
Dong-hyun stepped his left foot forward and snapped out a jab. The man reacted, dropping even lower to slip the punch, then exploded forward into a tackle.
CRUNCH!!
The jab had been a feint. Dong-hyun pulled his left foot back, dragged his right knee up, and drove a knee strike straight into the man's face as he shot in. It landed flush. A fountain of blood erupted from the man's face as he crumpled forward. Dong-hyun had read the movement and put him down in a single shot.
"Next."
At Dong-hyun's word, the next man stepped forward. His footwork looked light — a striker, at least. This time the opponent attacked first. Not a punch — a kick. It was something between a roundhouse and a front kick. Sloppy, in a word.
What the hell gave this guy the confidence to show up here?
It was weak enough that Dong-hyun could just eat it. He dropped his left guard to block, then came over the top with an overhand hook. The punch sent blood streaming from the man's nose as he staggered back.
Among the swaggering types, there were always plenty who had nothing but bluster and no actual skill. Guys who couldn't actually fight, who picked on anyone who looked weaker just to climb the pecking order. If they'd just stopped there, fine. But after enough time tormenting weaker kids and feeling superior, some of them started believing they could actually fight. This guy was one of them. Whatever he'd learned, wherever he'd learned it — that sloppy attack came right back at him.
Two men down in an instant. A gleam flickered through Han Su-yeon's eyes. She'd heard from Kim Tae-yang that Choi Sun-woo had attacked him, but this was the first time she'd seen him fight.
He's changed a lot.
The indifference on her face began to give way to genuine interest. His movements, at least, weren't sloppy. They had the look of something properly trained.
"What are you doing?! Beat him already!"
With two men down, it was Kim Tae-yang who started to panic. He urged the two remaining men in front of him. They glanced at each other, then came forward together instead of one at a time. They weren't better fighters than the ones already on the ground. Watching Dong-hyun dispatch two men in seconds, they realized this wasn't the time for pride.
But it was already too late. Dong-hyun's skill was the kind that two-on-one wouldn't be enough to overcome.
He spun and launched a spinning back kick at the man in front. The man threw both arms up to block the sudden attack, but the force was so great it lifted him off his feet and sent him flying backward. Dong-hyun didn't stop there. He sprang at the other man and threw a punch — a Superman punch. The remaining man, still stunned from watching his partner get launched, couldn't react in time and ate the unorthodox strike.
Once that punch landed, the fight was over. As the man frantically raised his guard, Dong-hyun calmly drove a fist into the exposed abdomen, forcing the guard down, then smashed him in the face and dropped him. The one who'd taken the spinning back kick staggered back to his feet, saw that all his allies were down, and fled in a panic.
"Ugh! Those useless pieces of shit!"
Kim Se-bin exploded at the sight. They'd swaggered in front of her, going on about how they could fight — and now they were getting wrecked by the weakling Choi Sun-woo. It infuriated her.
"Su-yeon. I need you to step in."
Kim Tae-yang had no one left to rely on but Han Su-yeon. Those words finally put Dong-hyun on edge. Unlike these losers, Han Su-yeon was the real deal.
Dong-hyun looked at her. She looked back.
"I'm out. You made this mess. You deal with it."
Han Su-yeon held his gaze for a moment, then turned and walked away.
"What? Hey! Are you insane? You can't just leave!"
Kim Tae-yang screamed after her.
THWACK!!
Dong-hyun drove a kick into Kim Tae-yang's midsection.
"Guh!"
"What's wrong? Not even gonna put your guard up?"
Dong-hyun had no idea why Han Su-yeon had walked away instead of fighting him, but he figured the opportunity was now. He closed in on Kim Tae-yang, raising his fist. Tae-yang's face filled with fear as he threw his guard up.
CRACK!
Dong-hyun's low kick slammed into the gap between Kim Tae-yang's thigh and knee.
"Ghk!! You touch me and my family won't let this go."
CRACK!!
"Aaagh..."
Another low kick dropped Kim Tae-yang to his knees.
"And then your phone goes straight to the police, right?"
"What...?"
Dong-hyun soccer-kicked him in the face as he knelt there, still trying to answer.
"GHK—!!"
The kick landed flush. Blood poured from his nose as he clutched his face.
"Get up."
Even at Dong-hyun's command, Kim Tae-yang just clutched his face, in no state to listen. Then Dong-hyun's kick drove into his stomach.
"Khhurk!!"
The kick to the gut left Kim Tae-yang gasping, choking as he struggled to breathe. Watching him, Dong-hyun turned and walked toward Kim Se-bin.
"D-don't come any closer..."
"Why? Your hands were working just fine last time. Want to try again?"
"I'm sorry... I won't do it again..."
Kim Se-bin looked like she was about to burst into tears. For all her earlier swagger as a chaebol heiress, she looked thoroughly terrified now.
"Get down."
"What?"
"I said get in push-up position. Or do you want me to make you?"
"N-no! I'll do it."
Kim Se-bin hurriedly dropped to the ground, planting her arms and stretching out prone. Dong-hyun turned his attention back to Kim Tae-yang, who was still clutching his stomach, struggling to breathe. He nudged Tae-yang's face with his foot.
"Hey. You too. Push-up position."
"O-okay."
Kim Tae-yang got down into the same position. With both of them face-down on the ground, Dong-hyun glanced around and spotted a wooden plank. He walked behind Kim Tae-yang and brought it down across his ass.
"GYAAAH!!"
Kim Tae-yang collapsed, clutching his ass with both hands.
"Oh? Not holding the position?"
"N-no... I'll do it."
He scrambled back into place.
"Unlike you people, I don't mess with anyone who does what they're told. But if you don't listen, I can be a worse devil than any of you. Got it?"
"Y-yeah. Got it."
"That was pretty quiet."
"Got it!!"
Kim Tae-yang shouted it this time.
"You two did me wrong. That's a fact, right?"
"Y-yeah. That's right."
"Then you should take a punishment, yeah? How many hits do you think you deserve?"
"What...?"
Kim Tae-yang echoed it back, thrown.
"You did something wrong, so you take a punishment. That's how it works, isn't it? Or did you not do anything wrong? Should I just decide for myself?"
"N-no... f-five?"
Kim Tae-yang offered a number that sounded reasonable. In truth, he'd done more than enough to deserve dozens of hits, but Dong-hyun didn't care. He'd end up taking more anyway once they got going.
"Fine. Starting now."
THWACK!!
"Nnnghh!"
"You're supposed to count them."
"Okay..."
THWACK!!
"Nngh... two..."
"The hell was that? Start over from the beginning."
"Th-that's how it...?"
"What? You don't like it?"
"N-no... hhngh..."
Tears streamed down Kim Tae-yang's face. A guy who'd never been hit by anyone in his life, now taking a beating this savage — it was enough to make him feel sorry for himself. But Dong-hyun's hand was not light. He couldn't count properly. His form broke. His voice was too quiet. He even said the last number. Dong-hyun found every excuse to keep beating Kim Tae-yang's ass.
Kim Tae-yang's pants had gone dark red. It looked like the skin had split. Beside him, Kim Se-bin just trembled.
"Ha... you can't even take a beating right? Kim Tae-yang. Get up."
He got up immediately. After taking that much violence, he'd already submitted to the beating.
"Take your clothes off."
"What...?"
When Kim Tae-yang questioned him again, Dong-hyun answered by slamming the plank into the ground.
"F-fine... I'll do it..."
After dozens of hits, Kim Tae-yang's head couldn't hold a coherent thought. On top of that, the men who'd come with him had already fled. There was no one left here to protect him. In the end, he started taking his clothes off one piece at a time, crying as he did.