The Showdown

The schoolyard was alive with laughing and conversation, but in a nook near the playground, the mood was anything but cheerful. Soo-ah Park, an eight-year-old with keen eyes and even sharper passion  stood bravely in front of a terrified young boy named Minho, tears streaming down his face.The cause of his pain was obvious: a gang of recognized bullies led by the arrogant Jiwon, the son of one of the school's largest sponsors.

"Look at him, weeping like a baby!" Jiwon laughed, his arrogant grin spreading as his pals laughed mockingly. "No surprise his father left him! "Who would want a useless boy like him?"

Minho's cries grew stronger and Soo-ah's hands clutched at her sides. She could feel her blood boiling.

“That’s enough!” she shouted, stepping between Minho and the bullies. “Stop it right now!”

Jiwon smirked down at her, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Well, well, the little princess has arrived to play hero," he drawled. "What’s the matter, Soo-ah? Don’t like us messing with your boyfriend?"

Soo-ah’s eyes narrowed, but she stood her ground. "Believe whatever you want, but he’s not my boyfriend," she shot back. "And you’re not going to bully him anymore."

"Oh yeah?" one of Jiwon’s lackeys sneered, stepping closer. "And what exactly are you going to do about it? You don’t even have a mother—why don’t you go cry somewhere else?"

The mention of her mother struck a nerve, but Soo-ah's resolve grew stronger. Her mom passed away when she was a baby, and people's ignorance about her family didn't affect her—unless they exploited it to harm others.

"I don't need a mom to beat the shit out of you," she said with anger. "Did you assume you're tough because this minions following you around? I have dealt with worse than you.

Her comments definitely touched a nerve, and Jiwon's smirk weakened. "Oh yeah?" So, we'll see how tough you are after this.

In an instant, he lunged at her, his fists raised. But Soo-ah was faster. With the precision and grace her grandfather had taught her, she dodged his punch with ease. Her foot swept out, catching Jiwon off balance and sending him sprawling onto the ground.

His friends gasped in shock, frozen in place as Soo-ah stood over Jiwon, her gaze sharp and unyielding. The confidence he had just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

"Get up," she said, her voice calm but laced with authority. "Weren’t you the one looking for a fight?"

Jiwon scrambled to his feet, his face flushed with both humiliation and rage. He couldn’t believe what had just happened—Soo-ah, of all people, had taken him down in front of everyone. Fueled by wounded pride, he lunged at her again, this time with more force.

But Soo-ah was quicker. She sidestepped effortlessly, catching his wrist mid-swing and twisting his arm behind his back in one fluid motion. A sharp gasp escaped Jiwon's lips as she forced him onto his knees.

“Say you’re sorry to Minho,” she commanded, tightening her hold on his arm.

Jiwon gritted his teeth, struggling against her grip. “Let go of me!” he spat, his voice betraying his frustration.

“Not until you apologize,” Soo-ah responded coolly. “You don’t get to hurt people and walk away like it means nothing.”

The other bullies exchanged nervous glances, their bravado fading. No one had ever put Jiwon in his place like this before. Some of them shifted uncomfortably, debating whether to step in, but none dared.

Before anyone could make a move, a sharp voice cut through the tension. “What is going on here?”

Heads snapped toward the approaching teachers, their stern faces assessing the situation. The sight of Jiwon on his knees, Soo-ah gripping his arm in a firm hold, and Minho standing wide-eyed in the background told them everything they needed to know.

Within minutes, the entire group was ushered into the principal’s office, the weight of their actions hanging over them like a storm cloud.

Soo-ah raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed as she leaned back in her chair. The entitled rage from Jiwon’s parents was nothing new to her. She had seen this exact scene play out too many times—the rich throwing their weight around, expecting the world to bow at their feet. But Soo-ah had never been the type to kneel, especially not to people like them.

Minho sat beside her, his hands clenched into fists on his lap. He looked down, shoulders stiff, as if expecting her to give in to the principal’s demand.

Jiwon, still rubbing his sore wrist, smirked despite his bruised pride. He leaned back in his chair with a smug look, waiting for Soo-ah to crack under pressure. His parents had always been able to buy their way out of any situation, and this would be no different.

Soo-ah, however, had other plans.

She tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Apologize? For what exactly?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

The principal cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "For the… altercation. Let’s be reasonable, Miss Park. Surely, you understand that violence is not the answer—"

"You're right," Soo-ah interrupted smoothly, her voice calm but unwavering. "Violence isn’t the answer. But self-defense? That’s a different story."

Jiwon's father scoffed. "Self-defense? You expect us to believe that? You’re just a delinquent and how dare you speak to me like that, you little—” He lunged forward, his hand outstretched, as if to grab her.

In an instant, Soo-ah’s foot slammed against the chair, pushing herself up to meet his gaze with fierce defiance. “Touch me, and you’ll regret it,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. Her grandfather’s training had taught her far more than just martial arts—it had taught her to stand her ground, no matter who was on the other side.

Jiwon’s father paused, momentarily taken aback by the steely resolve in her eyes. But the rage quickly returned. “You think you’re above us, don’t you? You’re just a little girl with no mother, no one to—”

"Careful," Soo-ah cut in, her tone sharp. "Words have consequences. Especially when there are witnesses."

Minho hesitated, then slowly lifted his gaze. "She’s telling the truth," he said quietly but firmly. "Jiwon and his friends cornered me. They were beating me up, and she stopped them. If she hadn't stepped in, who knows what they would have done?"

Jiwon flinched, his smirk disappearing. His parents, however, weren’t deterred.

"Ridiculous," his mother snapped. "My son would never—"

"Are you sure??" a new voice entered the conversation, cutting her off.

All heads turned toward the doorway, where seojin stood holding a small USB drive. He was not just a manager of Jinwoo but also one of the school’s major shareholder just like Jiwon's father, and his expression was unreadable as he stepped into the room.

"We checked the security footage," he announced, placing the USB drive on the principal’s desk. "And it confirms everything Minho just said."

Jiwon's parents visibly stiffened.

"Sir why do you support her, she is just a nobody...?"Jiwons father eagerly asked him.

"Nobody?? How dare you look down on the young lady of the Park family, it seems like your asking for some beetings?'

"young lady of Park family..."

He continued, glancing at Soo-ah. "She didn’t attack first. She merely defended herself and Minho. In fact, if anything, she showed remarkable restraint. Given the circumstances, I’d say she handled it far better than most would."

The principal, who had been ready to cave to Jiwon’s parents, suddenly looked trapped. He knew he couldn’t ignore anymore.

Jiwon's father clenched his fists. "This is unacceptable—"

"What’s unacceptable," Soo-ah interrupted, her voice carrying a dangerous edge, "is that people like you think you can cover up your children’s mistakes with money and threats."

Jiwon’s mother gasped. "You insolent—!"

Soo-ah stood up, slowly and deliberately, her chair scraping against the floor. She locked eyes with Jiwon’s father. "Your son isn’t a victim. He’s a bully. If you actually cared about him, you’d hold him accountable instead of trying to buy his way out of trouble."

Jiwon's father’s face darkened, but before he could retort, the principal cleared his throat loudly.

"Given the evidence," he said, his voice regaining some authority, "Soo-ah will not be punished. In fact, I believe the ones who owe an apology here are Jiwon and his friends."

" Or you can just wait for the consequences" Seojin smirked

Jiwon's parents looked outraged, but before they could argue, Jiwon himself spoke up. His voice was low, barely audible.

"I’m… sorry," he muttered.

His parents whipped around to look at him in shock, but Jiwon just kept his gaze down, his fists clenched at his sides. He wasn’t just apologizing because he had to—he had lost. And worse, he knew it.

Soo-ah didn’t smile, didn’t gloat. She just nodded. "Good. Next time, don’t start fights you can’t win."

With that, she turned to Minho. "Come on, let’s go."

Minho hesitated before standing up as well. He cast one last glance at Jiwon before following Soo-ah out of the office.

As they walked down the hallway, Minho finally let out a breath he’d been holding. "I can’t believe you did that," he said in awe.

Soo-ah smirked. "You should start believing it."

Minho chuckled. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

She simply shrugged. "Just don’t be an idiot like them."

And with that, they walked away, leaving behind the chaos they had just dismantled.

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