CHAPTER 34: YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO FIGHT ALL OF THEM. (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

Time seemed to slow down. Leo didn’t think; he just reacted fast... He turned around and punched the guy hard in the face...

The crack of his knuckles hitting the man’s jaw was loud in the big and open lobby. Blood instantly started running from the man’s nose...

The guy stumbled back, clutching his face in shock and pain. "What the hell?!" he shouted, glaring at Leo with pure hatred...

His friends immediately moved forward, their fists clenched.

"You fucking bastard!" one of them yelled, rushing at Leo.

Sarah gasped and reached for Leo’s arm, but Himari grabbed her, pulling her back and out of the way. Rika scrambled backward, her face pale as she pressed herself against the wall...

But Leo was already moving...

The first guy swung wildly. Leo ducked under the clumsy punches and countered with a swift, precise elbow to his gut. The man doubled over, gasping for air, and Leo shoved him aside without a second thought...

The second man charged at him. Leo sidestepped neatly and slammed his knee hard into the man’s ribs. The guy crumpled down in pain, clutching his side...

A third man managed to grab Leo from behind, locking his arms around Leo’s chest, hugging him tightly...

Leo drove his head back, but the man held on. Twisting his body, Leo threw his elbow back sharply, connecting with the man’s jaw...

The grip loosened just enough for Leo to spin around and grab the front of the man’s shirt, and slam him backward into the wall. The man’s head hit the pillars with a dull thud.

One more came at him, throwing a punch aimed at his head.

Leo blocked it with his forearm, the impact jarring him. He improvised, using the man’s momentum against him, and landed a clean, powerful punch across his cheek. The man staggered back, his eyes dazed, and tripped over a couch, crashing down on the floor...

In a matter of minutes, it was over. Leo stood in the middle of the lobby, breathing fast, his knuckles already starting to ache.

Four men were groaning on the floor around him as security guards came running, shouting.

"Hey! That’s enough!" Their sharp voice cut through the tension.

Security had arrived, but it was too late to stop the fight; it had already happened...

Leo slowly raised his hands. His knuckles were red and starting to swell, but his expression was calm and composed...

Sarah ran to his side, grabbing his arm. "Babe... are you okay?" Her eyes were watery.

He didn’t say anything at first, just looked at her, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath...

"Yeah," he finally said, his voice low. He managed a small smile and gently pinched her cheek, not seeming to notice the blood on his hand...

She nodded, a tear finally dripped and rolled down her face...

"You’re done," a hotel staff member said firmly. "Out. All of you. Now."

The group of men hesitated, grumbling under their breath, but started backing away toward the exit...

Everyone stood still for a moment. Sarah looked shaken but held tightly to Leo’s arm. He didn’t move, his jaw tight as he glared at them leaving...

The hotel manager, a calm-looking man in a suit, approached Rika. "Are you all alright, Miss Rika?"

Rika nodded, finding her voice. "One of them assaulted her. Leo reacted. It was self-defense."

The manager gave a short, professional nod. "Understood. We’ll file a report. You’re safe now."

Leo finally let out a long breath, his shoulders slumping slightly as he lowered his guard. He looked at Sarah, who gave him a small, silent nod of understanding...

Then, without another word, they all headed for the elevator.

The doors closed shut, and it was completely silent inside.

Leo’s hands were scraped, with blood drying on one knuckle. He just stared down at them.

Sarah stood next to him, her eyes still watery as she gently squeezed his hand...

She couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d just fought off four guys by himself. She knew Leo had taken boxing lessons with his dad since he was a kid...

His parents thought it would be a good idea for their quiet son to learn self-defense...but seeing it in person was something else entirely...

Rika let out a slow breath. "That escalated fast. But... I’m glad you were there, Leo."

Himari nodded in agreement. "They were creeps from the start."

Yuto stood at the back, his hands shoved in his pockets. He hadn’t said a word since the fight started. A part of him was impressed, and maybe even a little intimidated. He’d always seen Leo as the quiet one. Now he wasn’t so sure...

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened...

They walked down the quiet hallway, the tension from the lobby still clinging to them, until they reached their room. Sarah waited as Leo slid the key card and pushed the door open...

Once inside, he dropped his phone on the table and went straight to the bathroom. Sarah stood by the door for a moment, just watching him. She followed slowly and leaned against the wall in the doorway while he rinsed his hands under the tap.

The blood washed away, but his knuckles were already starting to look bruised and swollen...

"Babe, you okay?" she asked softly, for the second time.

Leo didn’t look at her right away. He grabbed a towel, dried his hands carefully, and finally met her eyes in the mirror...

"Yeah," he said. "You?"

Sarah nodded. "I’m fine." She paused. "Babe, thank you... for what you did."

Leo turned around, his expression calm but serious. "I didn’t even think about it. I just knew I had to hit him for doing that to you."

Sarah’s chest felt tight. She stepped closer to him. "You didn’t have to fight all of them. It could’ve gotten so much worse."

"I know," he said. "But I wasn’t going to just stand there."

He walked out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Sarah joined him.

After a moment, she reached out and gently touched his bruised knuckles...

"Does it hurt?"

He looked down at her hand on his. "Not really."

She didn’t say anything else. Instead, she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. Leo didn’t move. He just let her stay there, quiet and close. Minutes passed. The silence felt necessary to calm them down...

"I was scared," Sarah finally whispered. "Not just because of them... but I was scared you’d get hurt."

Leo turned his head slightly, just enough to look at her.

"I’m fine, really," he said softly.

She managed to smile a little bit. "You sure?"

"Yes."

They stayed like that for a long time, just the two of them, until eventually, they fell asleep...