Just a few steps away, among the students heading to the Business Faculty, someone else heard the slap. It was Joo Min-hyeok, the guy who had dated Kwon Ji-a for two years in high school. When he saw Ji-a and her boyfriend, he paused for a second, his expression unreadable. Then he started walking straight toward them.

"I'll catch up later," he told his friends.

He moved with steady steps and stopped right between Kwon Ji-a and Han Yeonjun, standing firm like he belonged there.

"Is everything okay, Ji-a?"

Ji-a's face twisted in disgust at first, but then she turned to Yeonjun with a sharp look. It was the kind of look that said, "See? At least someone knows how to treat me right."

Yeonjun stared at him, clearly irritated.

"Why don't you mind your own business? This is between us."

Min-hyeok didn't flinch. He didn't look like he sympathized with Yeonjun at all. He just looked like he wanted to win.

"If it's really just between you two, maybe don't turn it into a public show."

Yeonjun looked down. He brought his hand up to his forehead and rubbed it like he had a headache. He let out a quiet breath, looking exhausted.

"It kind of felt like you were the one putting on the show here."

Just as the tension hit its peak among the small crowd of students gathering around, Kim Seojun was no longer just standing still. He had already started moving, getting closer than he should, his steps slow and steady, his eyes locked on Joo Min-hyeok.

Ji-hu called out from behind him, his voice tight with worry.

"Hyung, what are you doing?"

But Seojun didn't answer. He kept walking until he stood face to face with Min-hyeok.

Seojun stood there in ripped denim and leather, looking like a glitch in Min-hyeok's perfectly polished, expensive world and he was already wearing that smooth, almost too-friendly smile he used when he wanted things to stay calm on his terms.

"Hi. What's going on?"

Min-hyeok just grinned and said, "Hmph," and Seojun's smile only grew colder. The two of them looked like they were sharing an inside joke no one else could understand. As Min-hyeok spoke, his eyes drifted to Song Ji-hu for a moment.

"Who the hell are you to be asking that?"

"Just think of me as someone who can't ignore this," Seojun replied, his words dripping with fake sweetness.

Min-hyeok's grin didn't fade as he answered, his tone smooth and eyes still sliding back to Ji-hu from time to time.

"Then I guess I'm one too. A girl was being harassed, so I stepped in." 

The crowd around them fell silent, every pair of eyes locked on the two men.

"That's funny. From what I saw, the one who got slapped was the guy," Seojun said, their eyes locked like they were seconds from tearing each other apart.

Min-hyeok stood his ground, clearly determined to show he wasn't afraid.

"Either way, a girl was involved. Was I supposed to just walk away?"

That's when Ji-hu's voice came from behind, sudden and unexpected.

"That's rich coming from you. So you only care if it's a girl?"

Seojun turned to Ji-hu, looking at him for a second like he hadn't expected him to speak. Then he nodded slowly.

"Stay out of this, Ji-hu. It's okay."

Min-hyeok looked back and forth between Ji-hu and Ji-a before turning his full attention to Ji-a. His smile vanished in an instant.

"Wanna come with me? The vibe here is terrible."

Ji-a looked at Yeonjun with anger in her eyes, then she turned and walked away with Min-hyeok.

Yeonjun watched them go, surprised she actually left with Min-hyeok. At the same time, he felt a strange relief inside.

As they left, Seojun looked at Ji-hu, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Ya… What was that? Are you picking fights now?"

"No way, right?" Ji-hu said, then added, "He was talking nonsense. I couldn't just stay quiet."

Seojun laughed.

"I didn't even know you knew that guy." Then he turned to Yeonjun, his face warm and almost boyish, like he couldn't hide how much he cared. He rubbed the back of his neck, a little restless, before asking,

"Hey… are you okay? I'm really sorry you had to deal with that."

Yeonjun lifted his eyes for a moment before dropping them again.

"I'm fine," he said quietly, already walking away without looking back.

Once he was far enough, Seojun said softly, almost like he was hurting,

"At least you could've asked for my name."

Ji-hu chuckled quietly and shook his head.

"Ya, Seojun. You're serious about this?"

Seojun kept his eyes on Yeonjun as he moved further away, his voice low.

"Ya, how many points would you give that guy? Come on, tell me," he asked, eyes still on Yeonjun.

Ji-hu watched Yeonjun walk away, his eyes following him with quiet curiosity.

"Eight… okay, nine. He's really good-looking. But since he's straight, he's maybe a six at best," he said with a laugh.

"No," Seojun said. He looked back at his friend.

"Ji-hu, I'm dead serious. That guy is my Perfect Ten¹."

And just like that, all he wanted was to capture every part of him on canvas, because putting him there felt like it would make him his forever. But he didn't just want to paint him. He looked at Yeonjun like a prize he had already decided to win.

¹ In Olympic gymnastics and diving, a "Perfect Ten" is the top possible score, given for a flawless routine. The term became famous in 1976 when Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci earned the first-ever Perfect Ten in Olympic history. It's also used more broadly to describe someone or something seen as perfect.