The sharp wail of sirens pierced the night, growing louder by the second. The robber's eyes widened as he heard the approaching police, his bravado draining like water from a cracked cup.

Mo tightened his grip just a little, pressing the man's arm firmly against his back.

"Not much time until the police come," Mo said quietly, voice steady as ever.

I looked around. I had been frozen in shock-my face pale, but relieved.

The automatic door swung open, and two officers strode in, badges gleaming under the fluorescent lights. They took in the scene: one man restrained on the floor, another calm and composed, pinning his arm behind him.

"Is everyone okay?" one officer asked, already reaching for his cuffs.

Mo nodded without a word. "He tried to rob the store with a fruit knife."

The officers exchanged surprised glances, then quickly moved to secure the man.

One officer helped the robber to his feet as the other approached Mo.

"Thank you for your quick actions, sir. You were very brave tonight."

Mo gave a small nod, adjusting his glasses once again.

"It was necessary."

I stepped forward, still shaken but grateful.

"Do you... do you train? Or... how did you know what to do?"

Mo looked at me, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Taekwondo is part of who I am. But today, it was about protecting others."

The officers took our statements, and the store slowly returned to its quiet, everyday rhythm.

Outside, the flashing red and blue lights cast long shadows on the street.

And inside, the calm after the storm settled over the 7-Eleven.

Later, I found out that the guy-the robber-was actually the one who drove the truck that hit me. The same accident from the Mid-Autumn Festival.

That explained why he was robbing the store: he lost his job after losing control of the truck. It was a cruel coincidence that I happened to be there that night.

Curious, I asked an officer about what really happened that day on the road.

I'd been thinking about it for a long time but never brought it up-mostly because I had forgotten the driver's identity. I mean, he was the reason I ended up in the hospital. How could I have forgotten something so important?

The officer told me the man hadn't gone to jail for long. Just three days.

It wasn't the truck's fault. It was the driver-who, in a reckless moment, wasn't just glancing at his phone.

He was staring at himself in the rearview mirror the whole time, oblivious to the road ahead.

Talk about ego.

He nearly killed someone-me. And yet, he got off with barely any punishment.

Sometimes, some accidents leave scars no sentence can erase.

[Author's note]

The truck driver is really something else.

The man was literally admiring himself in the mirror while driving a truck-like he thought he was the main character in a cologne commercial or something. Ego level: final boss.😂

And then, to top it all off... ends up trying to rob a 7-Eleven with a fruit knife. That's not just reckless-it's tragic and ridiculous all at once.🤣😂🤣🤣🤣