Parking Lot, Alka Mall
Rows of cars and bikes lined up under the dim fluorescent lights. Engines roared and horns blared as vehicles shuffled in and out of slots.
Near a black Honda, three boys were huddled together. Their eyes were glued to a phone screen, grinning like they'd just won the lottery.
It was the same trio who had clashed with Rohit and Seo-yeon earlier. Now, their revenge tasted sweeter in numbers.
"Damn," Amar, 17, eyes widened in disbelief, "we actually crossed 4k views. And that's just in two hours. Imagine twenty-four..."
It was a big deal for them, as their all-time highest had only been 3.6k views.
Sohail, 18—the tallest one, still nursing his bruised cheek from Seo-yeon's slap, snorted. "Told you, man. Just putting 'Korean' in the tag made it blow up. Honestly, we should've followed them longer." His grin widened as he scrolled. "Look at these comments. Everyone's trashing that bitchy Korean girl."
"Yeah, and conveniently skipping the part where she tight slapped you," Manish, the third, shot back with a smirk.
Sohail's face darkened. He smacked the back of Manish's head. "Bastard. Ruining my mood.."
Manish shoved him off while putting his guard, "Fuck you man. You only act tough with people weaker than you."
"At least you admitted it, you shitshow." Sohail moved to retort, but Amar cut in, tugging at both their sleeves. His eyes were fixed ahead.
"Shut up, dumb fucks. Look. Over there."
At the mall entrance, Rohit stood fiddling with his phone, but in completely different attire, as if attending a party, with other packages in his hands, while glancing at parked cars.
Moments later, a Suzuki with big tag of Uber rolled up with a beep. Rohit checked the number, opened the door, and slid inside.
Sohail leaned forward, eyes glinting. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Amar's grin answered before his words did. As the one who owned the channel, the possibilities already raced through his head. "Damn right. That guy's the only lead we've got. And after seeing today's numbers? I'm not letting this chance slip."
Manish paled. "Wait!.. Are you serious? You wanna stalk.. for views?"
"No one asked your opinion," Sohail snapped, already swinging a leg over the bike.
Amar clapped a hand on Manish's shoulder, his voice syrupy. "Relax, bro. We're not doing anything illegal. Just… following for content. Big difference." He hopped on behind Sohail.
Sohail twisted the key in the ignition, sneering over his shoulder. "And in case you don't come, pay for your own ride back."
Manish groaned, knowing well about his empty pockets. "Oh, come on. Fine! Make some space, assholes." He climbed on and squeezed into the back.
"Atta boy." Sohail chuckled as the Uber pulled out of the lot. He started the bike as his eyes locked on the taillights.
With a roar, the Honda shot out of the parking lot, tailing the cab into the night.
Meanwhile, Rohit had no idea he was being followed. His mind was already weighed down with too much.
First, that messy but dangerously close intimate encounter with Seo-yeon in the ladies' washroom.
Then, the tense clash with her racist bodyguard. Add the school chaos on top of it, and now his mother's sudden invitation to Orion Tower for what she called a possible date.
From the sound of it, the evening wasn't just about a date—it carried hints of a business deal, an auction, an exhibition, and maybe something more calculated. A scheme.
The thought made him nervous, though there was a thrill buried in it too. 'A date is a date, after all, in the end.'
Wanting to distract himself, he pulled up Google and typed Orion Tower.
He learned that it was one of the rare skyscrapers in the capital city, its height capped at thirty-six floors. Tonight's gathering would take place high up, among the city lights.
At least he was dressed for the part. A fresh shirt, a well-fitted suit—enough to match the standards of the place.
He checked the time: 7:45 p.m. If everything went smoothly, he could even arrive fifteen minutes early.
But time slipped quicker than he thought. Twenty minutes passed before he knew it, and thanks to his driver who managed to cut through the traffic with a shortcut, saving nearly twenty five of those precious minutes.
When they finally pulled up before the glowing tower, Rohit settled the fare, offered the driver a genuine thanks, and stepped out.
The evening was about to begin.
**Scene change**
However, things didn't go as smoothly for the trio.
At first, they were thrilled to find out the location was Orion Tower, famous for its couple's nightclub. They thought for sure they'd catch sight of the Korean girl there. But their excitement vanished quickly when they weren't even allowed to park their bike inside the compound.
Tonight was different. Only a select few had passes. The tower was reserved exclusively for high-profile guests, and ordinary people weren't allowed beyond the gates.
Their jaws dropped when they saw Rohit stroll past security with ease—just a quick word, a flash of his card, and he was in. The guard explained that a private event was underway for influential figures and that most businesses in the tower were either shut down or restricted for safety. To the trio, it sounded absurd.
Amar ruffled his hair in frustration. "Just when I thought we had a lead, turns out the bastard's some loaded shit."
Sohail tried to calm him. "It's fine. We don't care about him. Our target is the girl. Once she comes out, we trail her, get her address, then figure it out."
Manish frowned. "Wait, how do you even know the girl's here?"
Sohail snapped, annoyed. "Think about it! Why else would that guy change clothes after the mall, right after their little escape? Obviously they're meeting at the top-floor nightclub."
Amar shook his head. "Doesn't matter. The tower's barred to regular people. That means they're not normal—they're powerful. Way out of our league. We should back off."
Manish chimed in reluctantly. "Yeah… and we don't even know if it's the same girl. Could be someone else entirely. Maybe she's just some cheap girl like us."
Sohail brightened. "Exactly! That's why we wait. Once they come out, we'll know."
Amar, however, was losing patience. His expression turned cold as he looked at Manish. "First you opposed me, now you're siding with him? Forget it. I'm done wasting my time playing detective with people beyond my reach." He got off the bike and started walking away.
Manish blinked, confused. "Eh? Weren't we supposed to track them? Now you're saying drop it?"
Sohail tried to stop him. "Wait, think about the content! What if the girl is normal? This could blow up!" He steadied the bike with one foot, but Amar didn't even look back.
"Figure it out yourself," Amar said flatly, walking off.
Sohail sighed, hoping at least Manish would stick around. "Fine. At least you'll stay, right? I can't trail alone."
Manish scratched his head. "Yeah, I need you to drop me home anyway… but how long do we wait?"
"As long as it takes, brother," Sohail said with a smug grin. "You're my real brother."
But Manish's eyes flicked between Amar disappearing into the distance and Sohail stubbornly sitting on the bike. Doubt crept in. "You know… maybe Amar's right. This is risky."
Sohail's face went pale. "No. You bastard, don't you dare—"
But Manish had already slipped off the bike and jogged after Amar. "Sorry, bro! You can handle it. Amar, wait up!"
Sohail slammed his fist against the fuel tank in rage. "Fucking traitors."
He had dreamed of revenge on that Korean girl for the slap, or at least digging up her whereabouts. But with his friends gone, his options had narrowed. Then, another idea struck him—an uglier one.
"All right… since they ditched me, I'll call the hotshots."
He meant the local goons, underworld contacts he'd kept at arm's length. He'd been reluctant before, knowing once they got involved, he'd lose control. To them, it wouldn't matter if it was some kid or a rich family heir—they'd rough him up, squeeze him for money, and walk away if it wasn't worth their time.
Still, anger clouded his judgment. To him, this felt like the only path left. And if luck played in his favor, maybe he'd even get another shot at humiliating that Korean girl—this time under their protection.
Her figure flashed in his mind, and his lips curled into a crooked grin. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a saved number.
"Kasim bhai," he said into the receiver, voice low and eager, "I need a few men. Got a lead—big one."