The abandoned building that served as Toman's headquarters was unusually lively that evening. Gang members filled the space with conversation, laughter, and arguments over things that seemed important only to them. Some lounged across old couches while others sat on motorcycles parked inside the warehouse-like structure. In the center of it all sat Mikey, balanced lazily on a stack of crates as Draken discussed something involving another gang.

At first glance, he appeared completely relaxed. Anyone who knew him well would have noticed the occasional glance toward the entrance. You were late. Not dramatically late, but enough for him to notice. Usually, by this time, you would have already stopped by the base after school. Ever since the rumor spread that you were dating Mikey, your routine had changed.

The boys who used to bother you kept their distance, but so did everyone else. Classmates who once asked for your help avoided your desk. Conversations stopped when you walked into a room. Even teachers seemed reluctant to approach you for longer than necessary, unwilling to involve themselves with someone connected to Toman's leader.

Ever since the two of you had started "dating," even if it was only an arrangement for appearances, it had become routine. The school itself had changed because of it. The harassment had stopped, but so had almost everything else. Some hesitated before calling on you in class.

Most days, it felt like the entire school had quietly decided it was safer to stay away. Ironically, the people who welcomed you most were the delinquents everyone feared. Still, despite how often you visited the base now, the hours continued slipping by without any sign of you.

When Draken pointed out that he seemed distracted, Mikey immediately dismissed it, claiming he simply wasn't interested in the conversation. Nobody believed him.

The loud atmosphere inside the base came to an abrupt halt when the door finally opened. Every head turned toward the entrance. For a moment, nobody spoke. Mikey was already on his feet before he fully processed what he was seeing.

You stood in the doorway looking exhausted and shaken, your clothes disheveled, and your condition making it painfully obvious that something had gone wrong. The room fell silent. Conversations died instantly. Even the people who had been joking moments earlier stared in stunned disbelief.

Mikey crossed the room in seconds, the easygoing expression that usually rested on his face gone completely. His dark eyes moved quickly over you, searching for answers, and for perhaps the first time that evening, genuine anger flickered across his features. Not the loud, reckless anger most people expected from delinquents, but something far colder. Something that made the entire room tense.

Around him, several Toman members exchanged uneasy looks, already sensing that whoever was responsible had made a catastrophic mistake. Mikey stopped directly in front of you, his gaze fixed on your face. For a brief moment, concern outweighed everything else. Then his jaw tightened. The air in the room seemed heavier than before.

"Who did this?"

he asked quietly. Somehow, the calmness in his voice was far more frightening than if he had shouted.