The next morning, Yuri was surprised to find Seungmin and Minho already up and dressed, sitting quietly on the edge of their beds, prepared for the day ahead.
"Wow, you guys actually woke up on time," Yuri said, stretching as she rubbed her eyes. She glanced at her phone and raised an eyebrow. "It's not even 7:30 yet."
Minho shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah, well, no one wanted to deal with a pissed-off Yuri. You're terrifying when you're mad."
"Your anger's scarier than the mission," Seungmin mumbled under his breath, his eyes glued to his phone.
Yuri chuckled darkly, unbothered. "I'm not that bad."
"You are," Minho grinned. "But that's why we love you."
Yuri smirked and made her way to the bathroom. "Get ready. We've got work to do."
---
After a quick breakfast, the three of them sat in the van, parked discreetly a few blocks away from where their target was expected to show up. Minho pulled up the girl's details, scrolling through the profile with a focused look.
"So, today's girl is Soojin," he began. "Seventeen. She's not your typical target. This girl's been in and out of trouble—street fights, a few run-ins with the law. She's tough, might put up a fight."
Yuri, now tying her hair up in a tight ponytail, listened intently. "Good. I like a challenge."
Seungmin sighed from the back seat, half-distracted by his phone. "Great. More bruises to collect."
"Stop complaining," Yuri said sharply. "It'll be over before you know it."
Minho eyed Soojin's profile one more time before slipping his phone into his pocket. "She's been spotted around this area early in the mornings, usually alone. We grab her fast, no mistakes.
Seungmin, you're on distraction duty. Bump into her, make her drop something, whatever it takes to give us an opening."
Seungmin nodded, though his enthusiasm was lacking. "Got it."
---
They didn't have to wait long before they spotted Soojin walking down the street. She moved with a purpose, her hood pulled low over her head and her earbuds firmly in place. From the looks of it, she wasn't the type to scare easily.
"That's her," Yuri whispered, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto the girl. "Let's go."
Minho pulled the van a little further down the road, keeping out of sight as Seungmin got out and casually walked toward Soojin. He was good at playing the part, nonchalant, like just another passerby.
He timed his pace until he was right in front of her, then purposely bumped into her hard enough to knock one of her earbuds out and send her phone clattering to the ground.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Soojin snapped, her voice sharp as she bent down to grab her phone, glaring up at Seungmin.
Seungmin put on his most innocent expression, hands raised. "My bad, wasn't paying attention."
Soojin scoffed, clearly not buying it. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and went to walk past him, but that's when Minho and Yuri made their move.
Minho was the first to grab her, his hand clamping over her mouth in an instant.
But Soojin wasn't caught off guard. She fought like a wild animal, thrashing in Minho's arms, her muffled screams loud enough to cause a scene if they weren't careful.
"Hold still!" Minho growled, trying to get a better grip on her as she kicked out violently, her elbow jabbing into his ribs.
Yuri approached quickly, ready to assist, but Soojin was faster than she anticipated.
The girl twisted in Minho's grip and kicked out with surprising force, catching Yuri square in the stomach.
"Shit!" Yuri grunted, stumbling back a step as the air was knocked out of her.
Minho struggled to keep Soojin contained as she scratched at his hands, her nails digging deep into his skin. "Stop fighting!" he snarled through gritted teeth, but Soojin was relentless.
Yuri, recovering from the blow, felt the familiar rush of anger surge through her. No one touched her and got away with it. She darted forward, her eyes dark with fury, and grabbed Soojin by the hair, yanking her head back violently.
"You little bitch," Yuri spat, pulling Soojin down to the ground with a brutal tug.
Soojin let out a cry of pain but didn't stop fighting. Even with her hair being pulled, she reached up, clawing at Yuri's arm, leaving deep red scratches on her skin. But Yuri didn't let go.
"You think you're tough?" Yuri hissed, her voice cold and menacing. "You think you can fight us off?"
Soojin's breathing was ragged, but she still struggled, kicking out at Yuri again, this time catching her in the thigh. Yuri gritted her teeth, her anger boiling over.
"Enough!" Yuri yelled, tightening her grip on Soojin's hair. She leaned down close to the girl's ear, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Keep fighting, and I'll make sure you regret it. I'll make you wish you'd never even tried."
Soojin froze for a moment, her eyes wide with fear as Yuri's words sank in. But even then, she wasn't ready to give up. She swung her fist at Yuri, aiming for her face, but Yuri saw it coming.
She dodged the punch and retaliated with a sharp slap across Soojin's face, the sound echoing down the empty street.
Soojin's head snapped to the side, her cheek turning red from the impact. Tears welled up in her eyes, but Yuri didn't care. She was past the point of sympathy.
"Pathetic," Yuri sneered, grabbing Soojin by the collar and dragging her up to her feet. "You think you're tough because you've been in a few fights? You don't know what real fear is. But don't worry—I'll show you."
Minho, still recovering from the struggle, wiped the blood from his hands where Soojin's nails had scratched him. "Yuri, enough," he said, his tone calm but firm. "We've got her."
Yuri's eyes stayed locked on Soojin, her expression dark and unyielding. "No. She hasn't learned her lesson yet." She leaned in close, her voice low and dangerous. "You fight back again, and I'll make sure you never leave that warehouse alive. Do you understand me?"
Soojin's breathing was shallow, her chest heaving as the fear in her eyes grew. She nodded weakly, her body trembling.
Yuri finally released her, pushing her roughly toward Minho. "Get her in the van."
Minho grabbed Soojin's arms, pulling her toward the van as Seungmin opened the back doors. Soojin whimpered softly, her fight completely gone now as she was shoved into the back, bound with duct tape and tossed onto the floor like a rag doll.
Yuri, still fuming, wiped the blood from her split lip and climbed into the passenger seat. Her hands were trembling slightly from the adrenaline, but her expression remained cold and emotionless.
Minho climbed into the driver's seat beside her, glancing over at her bruised cheek and the scratches on her arms. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Yuri snapped, though the cut on her lip throbbed painfully.
