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Weak hero class yandere

The Velvet Leash and the Lion’s Den

The taxi ride to the Yeongdeungpo Time Square mall was, in [Name]’s opinion, a total vibe. She sat in the middle of the backseat, flanked by Yeon Si-eun on her left and Ahn Su-ho on her right. In the front seat, Park Hu-min was practically vibrating with a mix of leftover adrenaline and hunger, while Go Hyun-tak followed closely behind them in a separate cab with a disgruntled Seo Jun-tae and a surprisingly silent Oh Beom-seok.

"Si-eun, look at this! If I get the charms for my phone, we should get matching ones," [Name] chirped, shoving her glowing screen inches from Si-eun’s face. "They have little kittens and little notebooks. The notebook is so you!"

Si-eun’s eyes didn't drift to the screen. They remained fixed on the side mirror, watching the black sedan that had been trailing them since they left the school gates. His jaw was set tight. The encounter with Geum Seong-je had left a bitter, metallic taste in his mouth. The way that psychopath had touched her chin—it felt like a stain he needed to scrub away.

"I don't need a charm," Si-eun said, his voice clipped. However, his hand subtly moved, gripping the edge of [Name]’s blazer sleeve, anchoring her to him.

"Don't be a buzzkill, Si-eun," Su-ho interjected, leaning his head back against the headrest. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, scanning every person they passed on the street. He reached over [Name]’s lap to grab a stray shopping bag she had already filled earlier. "If she wants to buy you a kitten, you take the kitten. Right, [Name]?"

"Exactly! Su-ho gets it," she giggled, leaning her head briefly on Su-ho’s shoulder.

Su-ho’s breath hitched. For a second, the legendary fighter of Eunjang felt his heart skip a beat, a sensation far more terrifying than any punch he’d ever taken. He shifted closer, his large frame shielding her from the window. He liked the way she smelled—like expensive strawberries and something warm. He wanted to wrap her in his jacket and hide her in his apartment where the rest of the world couldn't see how brightly she shone.

When they arrived at the mall, the group was a sight to behold. [Name] led the way, skipping toward the entrance of a high-end boutique, while a literal squad of the most dangerous teenagers in Seoul followed her like a grim, silent security detail.

"Oh my god, look at those boots!" [Name] squealed, rushing toward a display.

As she marveled at the footwear, the boys formed a loose perimeter around her. Hu-min stood by the door, his arms crossed, his sheer bulk intimidating the store clerk into silence. Hyun-tak and Jun-tae hovered near the racks, pretending to look at clothes but actually watching every male shopper who dared to glance in [Name]’s direction.

"Did you see that guy?" Hyun-tak whispered harshly to Jun-tae, nodding toward a college student by the escalator. "He looked at her for more than three seconds. I should go over there."

"Wait, Hyun-tak, don't make a scene," Jun-tae muttered, though his fingers were flying across his phone screen. He was already pulling up the mall’s security camera feed—a little trick he’d learned to keep a 'digital eye' on her movements. "I’ve flagged his face. If he follows us to the next store, we’ll handle it in the parking lot."

In the back of the group, Oh Beom-seok stood perfectly still. He wasn't looking at the clothes or the other shoppers. He was looking at the way Su-ho was laughing at something [Name] said. A dark, cold jealousy coiled in his stomach like a snake. He pulled out his phone and took a photo of [Name] while she was distracted. He had a hidden folder with hundreds of them. In his mind, he wasn't just a friend; he was the only one who truly understood her. The others just wanted to protect her because she was pretty, but Beom-seok... he wanted to *own* her safety.

"Beom-seok! Come here!" [Name] called out, waving him over. "Which color? The 'Midnight Rose' or the 'Sunset Peach'?"

Beom-seok hurried to her side, his expression instantly shifting into a shy, helpful smile. "The rose. It matches the color of your cheeks when you laugh."

[Name] beamed, clapping her hands. "You’re so poetic! Okay, I’m getting both."

"I’ll pay," Si-eun said suddenly, stepping forward.

"No, I’ve got it!" Hu-min yelled from across the store, sprinting over. "I won a bet yesterday, I’m loaded!"

"I already have my card out," Si-eun countered, his voice dropping to that dangerous, low frequency that usually preceded a hospital visit for someone else.

[Name] laughed, oblivious to the fact that they were essentially fighting over who got to provide for her. "You guys are so silly! I’ll just use my dad’s card, he says it builds my character to spend his money. But you can carry the bags!"

The tension broke, but only slightly. As they moved from store to store, the pile of bags in Hu-min and Hyun-tak’s arms grew. [Name] was in her element, chatting incessantly about trends, gossip, and her dreams of becoming a famous influencer. To her, this was just a fun afternoon with her new "besties." To the boys, this was a high-stakes mission.

They were heading toward the food court when the atmosphere shifted. The air felt heavy, and the usual mall chatter died down as a group of older boys in matching black windbreakers blocked the path.

"Well, well," a voice drawled. "The Eunjang dogs are out on a leash."

The boys immediately moved into a formation. [Name] found herself pushed behind the broad shoulders of Su-ho and Hu-min. Si-eun stepped to the front, his eyes cold and analytical, already scanning the environment for improvised weapons.

It was a group from the Union, led by a tall, sneering boy with a jagged scar across his eyebrow.

"We heard there was a new mascot at Eunjang," the leader said, his eyes trying to peer over Su-ho’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of [Name]. "Na Baek-jin wants to see what all the fuss is about. Hand her over, and maybe we won't break your legs today."

Hu-min let out a bark of a laugh, though there was no humor in it. He dropped the shopping bags carefully—making sure not to crush [Name]'s new shoes—and cracked his knuckles.

"You want her?" Hu-min asked, his eyes burning with a terrifying light. "You’ll have to go through me. And trust me, I’m in a really bad mood because I haven't had my burger yet."

"Guys, what's happening?" [Name] asked, trying to peek out from behind Su-ho. "Is he a fan? Does he want a selfie?"

Su-ho reached back, his hand finding hers and squeezing it tight. "Stay back, [Name]. This isn't for you."

"But he looks so grumpy! Maybe he just needs some lip balm?" she suggested, reaching into her purse.

The Union boys looked confused for a split second, and that was all the opening Si-eun needed. He moved like a blur, grabbing a heavy decorative vase from a nearby display and smashing it over the head of the closest thug.

The mall erupted into chaos.

"Hyun-tak, Beom-seok, get her out of here!" Su-ho shouted as he threw a devastating hook that sent the leader sprawling.

Hyun-tak grabbed [Name]’s waist, practically lifting her off the ground. "Come on, Princess! Time to go!"

"Wait! My bags! The Sunset Peach lipstick is in there!" [Name] cried out as she was whisked away.

Beom-seok followed close behind, his eyes darting around frantically. He wasn't afraid of the fight; he was afraid of losing her in the crowd. He grabbed the hem of her skirt to keep her close, his grip white-knuckled.

They ducked into a service hallway, the sounds of the brawl fading behind them. Hyun-tak finally set her down, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. His heart was hammering against his ribs—not from the exertion, but from the proximity to her.

"Are you okay? Did they touch you?" Hyun-tak asked, his hands hovering over her shoulders, checking for injuries with a frantic intensity.

"I’m fine, but my hair is a mess now," [Name] pouted, pulling out a small mirror. "That was so intense! It was like a movie. Are the others going to be okay? Si-eun looked really mad."

"They'll be fine," Beom-seok said, his voice trembling. He stepped closer, crowding her into the corner of the hallway. "But you see? This is why you shouldn't go out. It's dangerous. You should stay with me. I can keep you safe. I can buy you whatever you want so you never have to leave the house."

[Name] blinked, looking at Beom-seok’s wide, pleading eyes. "Aww, Beom-seok, you’re so sweet! But I’d get so bored. Plus, how would I show off my outfits?"

She patted his cheek, completely missing the dark, obsessive swirl in his pupils. To her, he was just being a "protective brother type."

The door to the service hallway swung open, and Si-eun walked in. His knuckles were bruised, and there was a small splash of blood on his cheek that wasn't his. He looked like a vengeful spirit until his eyes landed on [Name]. Immediately, the tension left his shoulders, replaced by a quiet, simmering possessiveness.

He walked up to her, ignoring the other two boys. He took a silk handkerchief from his pocket—one she had given him earlier because it "matched his eyes"—and wiped her forehead, though there was no dirt there.

"We’re leaving," Si-eun said.

"Did you get my bags?" [Name] asked hopefully.

Su-ho and Hu-min appeared behind Si-eun, looking slightly disheveled but triumphant. Hu-min was triumphantly holding the shopping bags aloft.

"Not a single scratch on the Sunset Peach," Hu-min grinned, though his lip was bleeding.

"You guys are literally my heroes!" [Name] cheered, throwing her arms around Hu-min’s neck in a sudden hug.

Hu-min froze, his face turning a shade of red that rivaled the blood on his lip. The other boys glared at him with such murderous intent that the hallway felt like it might spontaneously combust.

"Okay, okay, let’s go before more of them show up," Su-ho grumbled, pulling [Name] away from Hu-min and tucking her under his own arm.

As they walked out of the mall and toward the parking lot, the boys fell into their usual formation around her. They were bruised, tired, and had just declared war on a major gang, but as they listened to [Name] ramble about which fast-food place had the best fries, they felt a strange sense of peace.

They were her protectors. Her knights. Her captors who hadn't yet realized they were the ones in a cage.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" [Name] stopped in her tracks, turning to look at all of them. "Since you guys were so brave, I’m going to give you all a makeover tomorrow at lunch!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

"A... makeover?" Hyun-tak stammered.

"Yes! Skincare, maybe a little concealer for those bruises, and I have the perfect hair wax for Si-eun," she said decisively. "You’re all going to look so pretty!"

Si-eun looked at the ground. Su-ho rubbed the back of his neck. Hu-min grinned sheepishly. None of them wanted a makeover, but none of them could say no to her.

"Fine," Si-eun muttered.

"Whatever you want, Sparkles," Hu-min added.

As they piled into a large van they’d called, [Name] sat in the middle, already planning her "Eunjang Glow-up" project. She didn't notice the way the boys watched her in the dim light of the van—the way their eyes lingered on her neck, the way they mentally mapped out every person who had looked at her today to "deal with" later.

She was their sun, and they were the shadows that would swallow anyone who tried to step into her light.

"Today was so much fun," [Name] yawned, her head lolling onto Si-eun’s shoulder as she drifted off to sleep. "We should do this every day..."

Si-eun sat perfectly still, his heart racing. He reached out, his fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw.

"Every day," he whispered, his voice a promise and a threat all at once. "I'll make sure of it."

The van drove off into the neon-lit streets of Seoul, carrying a sleeping girl and seven of the city's most dangerous boys, all of whom were now hopelessly, violently, and silently hers.