The tall, lean man grabbed Taehyun's arm with a firm grip.
"Not so fast," he said through clenched teeth.
Another one of them had already moved to block the door. The air in the room thickened instantly with tension. Seohun and Nau Rin felt the danger, but both forced themselves to stay composed.
"What do you think you're doing to us?" Seohun asked, his voice low but resolute.
"Well… just thinking," the man in the white shirt replied nonchalantly.
Seohun added, The one blocking the door added,
"I already have some plans."
Suddenly, Nau Rin let out a sharp, mocking laugh. Everyone turned toward her, startled.
The man in the white shirt frowned.
"What are you laughing at?"
Nau Rin smiled lightly.
"You're really ridiculous," she said.
Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the half-dazed Taehyun, whose arm had been held tightly, and shoved him free with all her strength.
The man who had been holding him stumbled sideways to regain balance—and that was when Nau Rin acted. She pivoted on her left foot, swung her right leg around with deadly precision, and struck the man directly in the stomach. The hard impact of her shin pressed deep against his torso, and the unexpected blow forced the air from his lungs. His face contorted in pain, and he doubled over, clutching his midsection as he collapsed to his knees.
The man in the white shirt immediately dashed to his friend, who lay sprawled on the floor, panic flashing across his face as he knelt beside him.
On the other side, Seohun stood there hesitating, unable to bring himself to just drop the nearly unconscious Minho. His uncertainty froze him in place.
At that moment, the man blocking the door began advancing slowly toward him. Tall, imposing, and exuding raw strength, he looked capable of knocking Seohun down with a single shove.
Without warning, the man grabbed Seohun by his shirt. Seohun struggled, trying to free his arm, but it was no use. During the scuffle, the hand Seohun had been using to support Minho slipped, and with gritted teeth, he managed to gently lower Minho to the floor.
The instant Minho's body hit the ground, Seohun clenched his fists and swung at the man's face.
The blow staggered the man slightly, but he didn't fall. He massaged his jaw, if nothing had happened, and returned his full, furious gaze to Seohun. There was an edge of anger in his eyes that made them sharper, more menacing.
Seohun's panic grew. The punch had drained nearly all his strength. When they grappled again, Seohun was overpowered and slammed hard to the ground, landing flat on his back.
The man pressed down from above, striking his face and choking him. Seohun's breathing became strained, darkness creeping into his vision—until a sudden crash cut through the chaos. Glass shattered, fragments spraying in all directions.
The man who had been pinning Seohun down let out a shout as he stumbled sideways. Seohun looked up to see Nau Rin standing there, holding a shard of a broken beer bottle, her face pale but determined.
Seohun drew in a deep breath, quickly stood, and snatched the glass from her hand, tossing it far away before rushing to Minho. Nau Rin hurried to help Taehyun, who was lying sprawled on the floor, and together they bolted for the door. Fortunately, no one pursued them. Once outside, they hailed the first taxi they came across and piled in.
Seohun glared at her. "Are you insane? Why did you do that? What if you'd actually killed him?" he demanded, exasperated.
Nau Rin didn't look at him, her gaze fixed straight ahead. In a quiet voice, she replied, "The glass wasn't thick enough to be fatal."
Seohun couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Nau Rin sat there, staring straight ahead. He let out a heavy sigh and didn't say another word.
During the ride, everyone else quickly fell asleep in the taxi. Only Nau Rin remained alert, eyes wide open. When the taxi stopped, she checked the meter and pulled out her wallet—but had nearly exhausted all the cash. She went around, collecting money from each of her friends' pockets, and gave it to the driver. The driver counted it, nodded once satisfied, and they all got out.
Nau Rin led the group, calling out their names, but no one stirred. Left with no choice, she asked the driver for help, and though he gave her a wary look, he helped them sit on the playground bench.
"Thank you," Nau Rin said, bowing slightly. The driver gave a short, gruff reply, scolding them, "Little kids drinking alcohol… what a mess," before driving off.
Looking from one to the other, Nau Rin let out a sigh. She used a discarded newspaper to cover their heads before walking over to the swings and taking a seat.
Soon, Seohun stirred and sat beside her. Nau Rin handed him some water while having her sandwich. Seohun drank half of the water in one gulp.
After a moment of silence, he asked,
"Do you think they're okay?"
Nau Rin chewed thoughtfully.
"Yes. They seem fine… just drunk."
Seohun sipped again.
"How do you know?"
"Well, think about it. They didn't do anything to poison or drug us. If they wanted to, it wouldn't have been inside their university club. Most likely, they just spiked the drinks with alcohol," she explained.
"I guess that makes sense," Seohun murmured, glancing at the sandwich in her lap and reached for it.
"Can I have that?"
Nau Rin took the sandwich and pulled it slightly away.
"No," she said firmly.
Seohun withdrew his hand, muttering,
"Rude…"
She took out a banana from her bag and offered it to him. They ate in silence, waiting for the others to wake up.
Each time the swing beneath them drifted gently through the air, the thin, worn iron chains let out a faint creak, barely disturbing the stillness of the afternoon. The sound was soft but persistent, as though the old metal carried memories of countless summers past.
The sun had begun its slow descent, slanting low across the sky. Its languid light filtered through the branches overhead, spilling in fractured beams that shimmered against the ground. Though the heat of the day still lingered, heavy and unmoving, an occasional cool breeze would wander through the trees. It brushed against their skin and slipped into their lungs, eased the tension in their tired minds, even if only a little.