"You made a mistake."

Jin staggered, groaning as he wiped his bloody lip. His breathing was uneven, his back pressed against the cold, cracked wall of the abandoned school building.

Jae stood a few steps away, his knuckles bruised and splattered with Jin’s blood.

The dim, flickering light above them cast long shadows, making Jae look almost inhuman. His usual cocky smirk? Gone.

His eyes burned with something darker—rage.

Possessiveness.

Jin spat blood onto the floor, his glare sharp. "You think this is going to make her like you?"

Jae tilted his head, rolling his shoulders back. "Who said this is about making her like me?"

Silence.

Then—

Jae moved.

Faster than Jin could react, Jae grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

Jin gasped, pain shooting through his spine.

Jae’s face was inches from his, voice low and lethal.

"This is about keeping you away."

Jin’s breath hitched.

Jae’s grip tightened. "You really thought you could just walk up to her and ask her out in front of everyone?"

Jin gritted his teeth. "She can decide for herself—"

Another punch.

Jin barely managed to stay standing. His vision blurred, his cheek throbbing.

Jae let out a slow, dangerous chuckle. "You don’t get it, do you?"

His voice dropped to a whisper, sending ice down Jin’s spine.

"Ava isn’t yours to want."

Jin didn’t respond.

Because deep down, he knew—

Jae wasn’t bluffing.

After a long silence, Jae finally stepped back, exhaling sharply as he flexed his bloody fingers. "Be smart, Jin. Don’t make me do this again."

Jin didn’t say another word.

Jae took that as his cue to leave, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he walked out of the abandoned building—leaving behind nothing but bloodstains and a lesson Jin would never forget.

Back at School…

Ava immediately knew something was off.

Jae walked into class late, his hair messy, his hand wrapped in a bandage.

And the moment she saw it, her stomach dropped.

"What did you do?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

Jae smirked, sliding into his seat like nothing had happened. "Missed me, princess?"

Ava ignored his teasing, grabbing his wrist and examining his bandaged knuckles. "Jae."

Jae just chuckled. "Relax, Sunshine. Just handled some… unfinished business."

Ava narrowed her eyes, suspicious.

She knew Jae too well.

And something told her—

This wasn’t over.