These days, Zhou Kai kept meeting Juri.
Coincidentally.
But not really.
Almost every evening when Juri finished work and headed home, Zhou Kai would appear somewhere along the way.
Leaning against a wall.
Standing near a streetlight.
Walking from the opposite direction like it just happened naturally.
Juri noticed.
He always noticed.
"You again?" Juri would say lightly.
"Road belongs to everyone," Zhou Kai would shrug.
And they would walk together.
Side by side.
Not too close.
Not too far.
The group that once blocked their way no longer appeared regularly.
The street felt quieter now.
But sometimes—
Only the leader showed up.
Alone.
Like an ordinary passerby.
Except he wasn't ordinary.
His eyes always followed Juri.
Slow.
Dirty.
Possessive.
Zhou Kai saw it every time.
And every time, irritation rose inside him like heat under his skin.
One evening, the sky was dark already when it happened again.
The man stood near a closed shop, cigarette between his fingers.
Watching.
Not hiding it.
Zhou Kai's expression turned cold.
He was about to step forward—
When Juri suddenly grabbed his arm.
Firm.
"Let's go," Juri said quietly.
Zhou Kai didn't move.
Across the street, the man smirked.
That look.
Zhou Kai couldn't tolerate it anymore.
He gently removed Juri's hand and walked straight toward the man.
"Zhou Kai—" Juri's voice trembled slightly.
Too late.
Zhou Kai stopped in front of him.
"What's your problem with my friend?" he asked calmly.
The man chuckled.
"It's between us. You're the outsider."
His eyes slid toward Juri again.
"This boy is mine. So you get out."
Before Zhou Kai could react, the man swung his fist.
But Zhou Kai caught it mid-air.
His grip tightened instantly.
"You're drunk," Zhou Kai said coldly.
The smell of alcohol was strong.
The man tried to swing again, but Zhou Kai pushed him back hard.
The fight started.
But it wasn't equal.
The man was drunk and unstable.
Zhou Kai was steady, sharp, controlled.
Each punch was clean.
Precise.
The man stumbled, barely able to defend himself.
Juri stood frozen a few steps away.
His hands were trembling.
His heart was pounding so loud he could hear it in his ears.
He hated this.
He hated violence.
But he couldn't look away.
The man fell to the ground after a final hit.
Breathing heavily.
Zhou Kai stood over him.
Eyes dark.
Voice colder than before.
"He's not yours."
Then he turned away.
He grabbed Juri's wrist and pulled him along.
"Let's go."
Juri followed.
Silent.
Still shaking.
They walked for a while before Zhou Kai finally stopped.
He turned around and saw Juri's pale face.
His trembling hands.
Zhou Kai's expression softened immediately.
Without saying anything, he pulled Juri into a hug.
"It's okay," he murmured. "I'm here."
Juri froze for a second.
Then something inside him broke.
He grabbed Zhou Kai's shirt tightly.
And tears started falling.
Zhou Kai stiffened.
"…Why are you crying?"
He didn't understand.
He thought Juri was just scared of the fight.
So he kept holding him.
One hand on the back of his head.
The other steady on his back.
"It's over," Zhou Kai said softly. "He won't bother you again."
Juri buried his face in his chest.
His thoughts were a mess.
I think I fell for this bastard…
Who is already in love with our professor.
The thought hurt more than the fight.
More than the fear.
More than that man's disgusting gaze.
He cried quietly.
Zhou Kai didn't know why.
But he didn't ask again.
He just stayed there.
Holding him.
Letting him calm down.
After a while, Juri's breathing steadied.
He slowly let go.
"I'm fine now," he said, though his eyes were still red.
Zhou Kai looked at him seriously.
"Since when?"
Juri hesitated.
"…About a month."
Zhou Kai's expression hardened.
"He started following me. Not every day. But often."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Juri forced a small smile.
"He didn't do anything, i thought he would go away some time later."
"But his gaze…" Juri swallowed. "It was uncomfortable. Nauseating."
Zhou Kai's jaw tightened.
"I was scared," Juri admitted quietly. "He's a gangster. I didn't want trouble. I didn't want to drag anyone into it."
Zhou Kai looked at him for a long moment.
"You're stupid."
Juri blinked.
"You think you're alone?"
His voice wasn't angry.
Just firm.
"If something like this happens again, you tell me."
Juri's chest felt tight again.
He nodded slowly.
Zhou Kai sighed and gently tapped his head.
"Let's go. I'll send you home."
They walked again.
This time, closer.
Zhou Kai stayed slightly ahead, as if shielding him from something invisible.
When they reached Juri's house, Zhou Kai didn't leave immediately.
"Go inside," he said.
Juri looked at him.
For a second, he wanted to say something.
But he didn't.
Instead, he nodded and walked toward the door.
Before entering, he glanced back.
Zhou Kai was still standing there.
Watching.
Making sure.
Juri's heart ached.
I really fell for you…
And you don't even know.
He went inside.
Zhou Kai waited until the door closed.
Then he finally turned around.
His expression no longer calm.
If that man showed his face again—
It wouldn't end so easily next time.