The cafeteria buzzed with whispers, a low roar of speculation crackling like static.
Mary Kim's entrance had cut the air heavy, her presence sharp enough to make the room tighten. But the first to speak wasn't her.
It was Vin Jin.
He slammed his tray onto the nearest table, forcing a laugh that came out cracked. "Pfft—so this is it, huh? Everyone staring like he's some kind of monster?" He jabbed a finger toward Seong Min, his sunglasses slipping down his bruised nose. "You all don't even know if he's the one who took out Dog Pound. What if it was me, huh?"
The room chuckled nervously. Even his own crew looked away.
Vin Jin's grin twitched. His pride burned hotter.
"Fine! If you're so curious—let's test him right now!"
Gasps spread instantly.
He stormed toward Seong Min's table, shoulders squared, voice louder than his courage. "Get up, pretty boy. Let's see if those rumors mean anything."
Seong Min didn't move.
He just sat there, pen still tapping against the tabletop, eyes half-lidded.
That calm only made Vin Jin shout louder. "Don't ignore me!"
He swung—wild, desperate, wide.
Seong Min rose in one smooth motion. His chair screeched back. His hand shot up.
CRACK.
The sound of knuckles breaking against an immovable wall echoed through the cafeteria.
Vin Jin's fist had slammed into Seong Min's palm—and stopped cold.
Students gasped.
"W-what the…?""He caught it? With one hand?""No way…"
Vin Jin's face twisted with pain, but before he could even yelp, Seong Min twisted his wrist and stepped forward.
A foot hooked behind Vin Jin's ankle.
And with the same casual precision one might use to brush dust off a table—
THUD.
Vin Jin hit the floor face-first. His sunglasses snapped under him with a crack. His crew didn't move.
The cafeteria erupted into laughter.
"Pathetic!""That's Vin Jin for you.""Can't even land one punch…"
Vin Jin groaned, clutching his face, pride in tatters.
But another voice cut through the noise.
"Tch."
Zack Lee pushed back from his table. His grin was sharp, but his eyes burned serious.
"You think that proves anything?" His voice carried across the room. "Vin Jin's trash. Anyone can drop him."
The laughter died instantly.
Zack's grin widened as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "You want people to believe you're strong? Prove it against me."
The cafeteria hushed.
This was different. Zack wasn't a joke. Zack was J High's muscle. The guy who fought anyone, anytime, without fear.
"Z-Zack, are you serious?" someone whispered."If it really was him who wrecked Dog Pound—""Then Zack's dead meat…"
Daniel's stomach knotted. His fists shook under the table. "Stop… don't do it…"
But Zack was already stepping into the cleared space, shoulders loose, eyes locked on Seong Min.
Seong Min finally looked up.
And when his violet gaze locked on Zack, the air shifted.
Zack's grin faltered—just slightly—before he barked louder, "Don't look at me like that! Let's go!"
He lunged, fist slicing through the air.
Seong Min moved like water.
One step aside, weight perfectly shifted. His hand snapped up, catching Zack's wrist mid-swing.
The crowd roared in shock.
"What the—he caught Zack's punch too?""No one can do that!""Holy shit—"
Before Zack could react, Seong Min twisted his wrist. Sharp, efficient.
Zack hissed through his teeth, dropping to one knee as pain jolted through his arm.
But he didn't quit. His other fist came flying.
Seong Min tilted his head. The punch missed by a hair, slicing through empty air.
And Seong Min's knee buried itself into Zack's gut.
WHUMP.
The sound was dull but brutal.
Zack's body folded forward, air blasting from his lungs. His eyes bulged, spit flying.
Gasps rippled again.
"Zack—?!""He got him!""No way… Zack—"
But Zack didn't collapse. Not yet. His pride burned too hot.
He staggered backward, clutching his stomach, sweat dripping from his forehead.
He snarled, forcing a grin through clenched teeth. "Not… done yet…"
He lunged again, throwing wild hooks, his movements desperate but furious.
Seong Min stepped back once, twice, letting Zack swing into the air. Each miss drove the crowd wilder.
Then—
CRACK.
Seong Min's elbow slammed into Zack's jaw mid-swing. The brawler's head snapped sideways, his body stumbling.
Before he could recover, Seong Min's foot swept his legs clean out from under him.
THUD.
Zack hit the floor hard, skidding across the tiles.
The cafeteria was silent.
Nobody laughed. Nobody cheered.
They just stared.
Zack Lee—the brawler of J High—lay groaning on the floor, clutching his stomach and jaw.
And Seong Min stood over him, calm, violet eyes unreadable, smirk faint but sharp.
Zoe's grin froze, eyes wide with hunger.Yui's hand trembled around her tray, knuckles white.Crystal's fork bent against porcelain, her mask cracking just slightly.And Mary Kim…
She hadn't moved. Her arms stayed folded, her gaze locked on Seong Min.
Not flirty. Not fearful. Just sharp.
Predator recognizing predator.
And for the first time that day, Seong Min's smirk faded into something colder.
Interest.
End of Chapter 22 – Sparks on the Surface