Eight Years Later
A restaurant buzzed with quiet conversation.
Bowls clinked against wooden tables while the aroma of freshly cooked noodles drifted through the air. Seated alone near the window, a young man calmly finished the last bite of his meal. He took a cloth and wiped the food from his mouth, then he put some money on the table.
"...Thank you for the meal."
He rose from his seat and stepped outside. The streets were as lively as ever. Merchants called out to passing customers, children chased one another through the crowds and travelers hurried past with packs slung over their shoulders.
The young man stood silently, watching the people go about their ordinary lives.
His expression never changed.
That's until a gentle feminine voice reached his ears.
"Excuse me."
He turned his head and he was met with a young woman who was standing a little way off, giving a sorry sort of smile.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you while you were eating, but I just couldn't help noticing, and I had to say something - it was really catching my attention, and I couldn't look away."
She laughed softly, slightly embarrassed.
"You remind me of someone. And... you have a very handsome face."
The young man just stared at her, not uttering a single word, his silence speaking volumes in that moment.
A warm and cheerful smile spread across the young woman's face, and it was the kind of smile that could light up even the gloomiest of days.
"May I ask your name?"
The young man just stood there, not saying a word. It was like he hadn't even heard her. But then, after what felt like forever, he finally spoke up.
"Sun Yunso."
The woman's eyes lit up.
She said the name "Sun Yunso" out loud to herself, then a smile spread across her face.
"It's really pretty, and also fits you perfectly."
She bowed her head slightly.
"My name is Guo Yuxuan. It's nice to—"
"Guo Yuxuan!"
A loud voice suddenly interrupted her. A group of men appeared from across the street, their faces stern. One young man in particular stood out, his face scrunched up in annoyance.
He stepped forward, his eyes scanning Yunso from head to toe, his gaze lingering on her as he sized her up. The men formed a semi-circle around them, their presence making the air feel thick with tension. The young man's eyes narrowed, his irritation palpable as he took in every detail of Sun Yunso's appearance.
"What is going on here, why are you even speaking to this person?"
Guo Yuxuan frowned immediately.
"That's none of your business."
The man clicked his tongue.
"None of my business? I've been looking all over for you, and I find you talking to some nobody on the street?"
Guo Yuxuan just ignored him and turned around to face Yunso again, looking a bit flustered.
"I'm sorry about that."
Sun Yunso didn't say a word, he just got up from his seat, gathered his stuff, and stood there. The young guy, who seemed pretty full of himself, scowled.
"Hey."
Sun Yunso walked past him as if he didn't exist. For some reason, that silence angered the man more than any insult ever could.
"Did you just ignore me?"
People stood still, watching Sun Yunso as he kept walking, his footsteps echoing through the silence.
The crowd didn't make a sound, they just quietly observed the young man as he disappeared into the distance.
The young guy's eyes followed Sun Yunso as she walked away, and the annoyance on his face quickly turned to anger.
"Where do you think you are off to, exactly?"
Sun Yunso just kept walking, not saying a word. His face was all scrunched up, like he was really upset about something.
"How dare you, take one step closer and you're dead, I'm not kidding, I'll do it right here, don't think I won't."
Sun Yunso's footsteps slowed.
"Kill me?"
He said the words again, softly, like he was trying to see how they felt when he said them out loud. He walked on, a brief silence hanging in the air, and didn't want to deal with the issue that was coming his way.
The young man's patience finally snapped.
"Bastard!"
He quickly moved forward, grabbing Sun Yunso's shoulder. But in that instant, an elbow shot back, hitting the man right in the ribs. It happened so fast that the man's followers didn't even notice until their leader stumbled back, holding his side in pain.
The whole thing was over in a split second, and by the time anyone realized what was going on, the man was already struggling to catch his breath.
Sun Yunso's reaction had been swift and precise, leaving the man reeling. The followers, caught off guard, were slow to respond, giving Yunso a brief moment of advantage.
"Ghk...!"
Sun Yunso slowly brushed off the dust from his shoulder, then turned around, his face still as calm as ever, without a hint of emotion.
"Sorry, I thought a bug had landed on me, must have been my imagination"
The street fell silent.
The leader was on his knees, his hands clasped over his nose as blood trickled out, and his followers couldn't help but stare at him in shock.
"B-Boss!"
The people in the nearby town were shocked too. They all slowly turned to look at the young man who was wearing black clothes. Whispers began spreading through the crowd.
"Did you see that?"
"He moved."
"No... I didn't even see him attack."
Sun Yunso's face fell into a faint scowl. Suddenly, he was the center of attention, with dozens of strange eyes staring at him all at once - it was something that made him extremely uncomfortable. He didn't even bother to give the fallen man another look, instead turning to walk away.
"Wait!"
The young woman quickly caught up to him, falling into step beside him with a slightly awkward smile on her face.
"Your name is Sun Yunso, right?"
Sun Yunso gave a small nod.
"And... yours is Guo Yuxuan."
Her eyes lit up.
"You remembered!"
Sun Yunso glanced at her for just a second, then started talking in his normal, calm tone.
"Will you do something for me?
"What is it?"
"Please stop talking to me."
The smile on her face froze.
"I don't like attracting attention."
He looked over at the people, who were all still watching them.
"Talking to me will just get you into more trouble."
His eyes turned to the man on the ground, who was hurt and bleeding.
"You should go back. The person calling for you seems far more interested in your company."
And with that, Sun Yunso turned and walked away, leaving everything else unspoken. Guo Yuxuan remained standing there, blinking in confusion.
"Huh?"
She tilted her head.
"I think I just got turned down, but the weird thing is, I never even told him how I feel."