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SEVEN DAYS HAD CRAWLED BY SINCE THE DAY Y/N TOOK THAT TEST—and that last brutal assault. The same day her attackers were suspended, and today was their grand re-entry into the school. Along with them? A certain troublemaker who'd beaten them to a pulp. The rest of the week had actually gone smoothly, much to her surprise. Some students, having seen what happened, rallied around her in a protective squad. They were even growing on her now that she knew them a bit better.

Meanwhile, Yoo-mi, previously untouchable, was now on the receiving end of student mockery. Her former minions had turned, firing paper wads at her from across the room, chuckling at her discomfort. y/n would've felt bad, normally. But knowing all she'd done? Nope, that girl deserved every bit of it. Apparently, Yoo-mi wasn't just a bully—she was a cheater, too. On who, y/n didn't know, but it sounded like a scandal that rocked her reputation hard.

In the middle of the chaos, Kevin—the New Orleans transfer—rigged a makeshift slingshot with a rubber band and a couple of pens, aiming straight at Yoo-mi. Only, it backfired, whirling straight toward his own girlfriend, smacking her with a solid thwack. The class collectively gasped, then erupted into laughter as she whipped it right back at him, hitting him dead in the nose.

"QUIET DOWN, YOU PUNKS!" the teacher roared, his voice barely above a wheeze. But before he could dole out one of his dreaded cleaning sessions as punishment, the final bell echoed through the classroom, signalling their freedom.

Everyone scrambled to pack up, practically tripping over each other to escape. y/n joined the throng, weaving through the mess, trying her best to ignore Kwon as she brushed past him. She was so done trying with him. But this time, he didn't let her off that easy. "Hold up," he said, grabbing her backpack strap and yanking her back.

"What do you want?" she hissed, barely masking her irritation.

He gave her a slow once-over, eyes lingering a little too long on the bandages across her nose. "Just checking if you're still in one piece, princess," he said, his tone casual but taunting as he tilted her chin up. His thumb brushed against her cheek, checking for bruises like he actually cared. She was still sporting that ridiculous cow-print bandage, and Kwon had the audacity to raise an eyebrow, snickering under his breath.

Y/n huffed, pulling her face out of his grasp. "Yeah, yeah. My nose is broken, not my pride. You can take your faux-concern and shove it."

Kwon's smirk only widened, his eyes glinting with an amused spark. "Oh, so you actually think I care?" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a taunting whisper. "Cute."

"Careful, Kwon. Touch me again, and I might have to drag your insufferable ass to court." She shot him a cold, pointed look that was entirely undercut by the glimmer of challenge in her eyes.

He chuckled, holding up his hands as if surrendering. "Save it for your tormentors, Rambo. I just wanted to make sure you're not getting beaten up without me around to finish the job."

"You wish, wannabe Jackie Chan," she snapped, tossing her bag over her shoulder. "You'd be lucky if I don't break your face next time."

Kwon leaned back, still watching her with that infuriatingly smug grin, eyes flicking from her bandages to her annoyed glare. "Whatever makes you sleep at night, y/n/n. You're still here, so you must need me for something."

She rolled her eyes. "You are delusional."

Before Kwon could respond, the janitor ambled in, his eyes narrowing at the pair still lingering in the room. "Ain't you got somewhere to be? School's over," he grumbled, jerking his thumb toward the door.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going," Kwon muttered, waving him off dismissively before turning back to y/n. "So, how'd you do on that test?"

"Pretty well, considering I didn't cheat off someone like a certain someone did," she taunted just to earn a reaction, finally relenting as they walked out of the room together.

Kwon scoffed. "I didn't cheat. I aced it fair and square." He flashed a crumpled paper with a proud 73% scrawled across the top, clearly expecting some level of praise.

She snorted. "Congrats, Einstein. But considering how much work we put into your dumb study sessions, you should've hit at least 80."

"73's not bad," he replied, shrugging. "Besides, I had my doubts about some of those questions."

Rolling her eyes, the girl nudged his arm with her elbow. "Library. Now. We're reviewing the ones you bombed."

As they descended the staircase, she hesitated, glancing sidelong at him. "Thanks."

He raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "For what?"

She kept her gaze steady but didn't elaborate, instead letting her eyes drift toward Jae-chul, who shuffled down the hall with his head down, his usual arrogance nowhere in sight. A hint of a smile ghosted over her lips as she took in his deflated demeanor.

Kwon's expression turned cold, as if realizing what she meant. "Don't get any ideas. I didn't do it for you, sweetheart. I just like a good fight."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," she replied, giving him a look that said she didn't buy it for a second. "Right, you 'just like fighting.' Real noble of you."

Kwon rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the hint of a smirk. "Believe what you want. I'm not your knight in shining armor."

"Wouldn't want you to be," she shot back. "Pretty sure your 'armor' is about as dented as your ego."

After a moment of silence, he spoke up again, almost as if to himself. "I did finally get that Geum baeji, though."

A grin tugged at her lips. "So you're actually proud of something that doesn't involve breaking someone's face?"

Kwon shrugged, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Hey, I'm not a complete delinquent."

They bantered back and forth until they reached the library, but instead of studying, they got lost in conversation about the whirlwind of changes since their last fight. Kwon regaled her with stories of his dojang, sidestepping any mention of the fight he used to get the Geum Baeji itself. And y/n found herself laughing more than she'd expected, realizing how strange yet... nice it was to just talk.

Hours later, she checked the time and cursed. "Damn, it's late. Just give me your paper, and I'll rework it at home. We can go over it tomorrow."

He handed it over without protest, and they started toward his karate class, chatting idly. Kwon changed into his gi in the school's locker room, emerging with his new badge, the one he'd innocently "stolen" from Yoon, proudly displayed on his chest.

As they headed out, y/n eyed the dark woods suspiciously. "You sure this 'shortcut' isn't just some horror movie setup?"

Kwon rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. "Relax. Just take a left at the gate, and you'll be home in ten minutes. Or are you scared of the dark?" he teased.

"You wish," she shot back, her eyes narrowing with mock suspicion.

He took a step closer, lowering his voice. "I could walk you home if you're that nervous. Feel free to cling tight if the leaves get too scary," he taunted, eyes glinting.

She didn't skip a beat. "Already looking for excuses to touch me, huh?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Keep dreaming, princess. If I wanted to, I would've done it already."

She raised a brow, testing him. "Without my consent?"

He paused, pretending to consider it. "Depends. Would you?"

She blinked, caught off guard by the question. "What... What do you mean depends?" she choked on her saliva, coughing, trying to keep her cool. "What if I said no?"

"Then I don't." He shrugged, looking entirely unfazed.

She felt her pulse quicken as she went for the bait, pushing just a little. "And if I said yes?"

Kwon's gaze darkened, his lips twitching as he leaned in, towering over her y/h frame, barely a breath between them. "Guess that depends too... Would you say yes?"

The intensity lingered until he suddenly laughed, breaking the tension as he straightened up, his usual cocky grin back in place. "Well, hate to keep you up wondering, but I gotta go now."

She let out a laugh, brushing it off with a wave as she turned to leave. "Goodbye, Kwon."

As she walked down the path he'd pointed out, she pushed away the moment's tension, though a chill crept in with the shadows. Somewhere in the thicket, hidden eyes watched her, unblinking and intense, waiting for the perfect moment to make themselves known. Hidden in the shadows, Kreese's eyes narrowed, a dark gleam in his gaze. y/n l/n. The True Queen Cobra. The student who had once held the raw brutality that even Kwon Jae-sung could only aspire to. His fingers drummed against his thigh as he observed her, the faintest of smirks twisting his lips.

She's returned, he thought, a dark thrill coursing through him. His finest, most lethal student, one he'd lost far too soon. She was like a ghost, slipping away before he could shape her into the weapon he envisioned. With y/n back on his radar, he saw the Sekai Taikai within reach—a perfect arena for her raw power and merciless edge. If he could sway her once more... he'd forge her into something unstoppable, something even deadlier. Together, alongside Master Kim, they'd be invincible, bound by purpose and destruction. She just had to see it. The woods swallowed him whole, a cobra receding into the abyss. 

This was just the beginning...

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