Undercover High School

Chapter 7: Shadows in the Corridor

The evening sky hung gray, peeking through the lazily swaying leaves stirred by the wind. Alister walked alone through the back corridor of the school, a path rarely taken by other students. He only wanted peace, a moment away from the crowd and the noise.

But his steps came to a halt when he heard a loud voice—forceful, not just a shout, but more like... a threat.

Narrowing his eyes, Alister peeked from behind the wall. His gaze instantly locked on three male students surrounding a frightened girl. She trembled slightly, clutching her bag tightly as one of the boys pointed threateningly at her.

"Hand over your money! Or I'll just take your bag!"

"P-Please... don't..." the girl whispered, her voice shaking.

Alister was about to walk away. It wasn’t his business. He’d seen this kind of nonsense too many times. And he was never one to get involved. But just as he turned, another voice rang out—loud, clear, and unmistakably familiar.

"Let her go. Now!"

The voice was firm. Steady. And very familiar.

Alister quickly turned toward the source of the voice. Standing not far from the group was Yoona.

She stood tall, her brown eyes blazing with courage—a sight that genuinely surprised Alister.

One of the boys scoffed.

"Heh, who do you think you are? Trying to play the hero?"

Yoona didn’t flinch. "Touch her again, and I’ll report you to the principal. Trust me, your name will disappear off the graduation list real fast."

The boys exchanged glances, hesitating. Maybe they didn’t expect a girl—especially a transfer student—to stand up to them.

But instead of leaving, they burst out laughing, mocking her.

"Heh, you're that popular new girl, right? Trying to be a hero now? You have no idea who you're messing with!" they sneered.

"And who exactly are you? Just a bunch of bullies with no manners," Yoona snapped.

One of them stepped forward, grinning smugly. "Feisty, huh? But guess what? Being feisty won’t scare us."

Yoona didn’t move. Her eyes were sharp, her breathing steady. Though her heart pounded in her chest, she knew she couldn’t back down now. She had already made her stand.

"Whether you’re scared or not is your problem," she said calmly. "But I won’t just stand by and watch you hurt someone."

One of the boys clenched his fists. "You loudmouthed girl—"

Yoona braced herself, leaning back slightly in preparation to dodge if needed. But before the punch could land, another voice rang out—cold, sharp, and slicing through the air like a blade.

"Touch her, and I promise you’ll regret it."

All heads turned at once. There stood Alister, casually leaning against the wall, his dark eyes locked on the bully with a deadly glare.

"A-Alister?" one of them stammered, voice suddenly dry.

Their mocking smirks vanished, replaced by fear and unease. They knew who Alister was—and everyone in school knew he wasn’t someone to mess with.

He didn’t have to move. His presence alone was enough to make them tremble.

One of the bullies swallowed hard, quickly grabbing his friend’s arm. "Forget it! He’s not worth the trouble. Let’s get out of here!"

Within seconds, the three of them bolted, running away from the back of the school building. Silence fell over the area, broken only by the frightened girl’s ragged breathing.

Yoona turned to Alister. “You? What are you doing here? Were you following me?” she accused.

Alister didn’t answer. He simply walked toward the girl, who was still seated on the ground, and placed a bottle of water from his bag beside her feet without saying a word. Then he turned to leave.

Before he could walk too far, Yoona’s voice called out again.

"You saw everything, didn’t you?"

Alister paused.

Yoona gave a small smile. “Why didn’t you step in earlier?”

He glanced over his shoulder briefly. “You didn’t need help.”

Yoona gave a soft laugh, not expecting that kind of answer. “But… thanks.”

Alister didn’t reply. He just continued walking, this time for real.

And for the second time that day, Yoona found herself staring at Alister’s back as he walked away… with a growing sense of curiosity tightening in her chest.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked the girl gently, helping her to her feet. The girl was still crying, her body trembling.

Yoona carefully supported her, letting the girl lean on her shoulder. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes red and puffy from tears that hadn’t yet stopped.

“It’s okay now. You’re safe,” Yoona said softly, handing over the water bottle Alister had left. “Here, drink this.”

The girl took it with shaking hands. “Thank you... thank you so much… I didn’t know they could be that cruel…”

Yoona nodded, gently patting her back. “Next time, don’t go behind the building alone, okay? If anything happens, tell a teacher or the security guard right away.”

“I… I just wanted to grab a book I left in the nurse’s office…” her voice was barely audible, still processing what had just happened.

Yoona guided the girl slowly back toward the main building. But in her mind, Alister’s image lingered. Not just because of his sudden appearance—but the way he observed everything from afar, stepped in at the right moment, and then disappeared without seeking praise or recognition.

He knew exactly when to show up… and when to vanish.

Alister stepped out of the school building, holding his black helmet in one hand. As always, he said nothing, calculating and silent.

The low rumble of his motorcycle purred as he started the engine. His sleek, jet-black sports bike rolled out of the school grounds, slicing through the streets at a steady pace. The wind brushed against his visor-covered face, carrying the silence he so loved.

But the peace didn’t last.

Minutes after leaving the busy area, another engine's roar grew louder—rough, aggressive, and intentionally disruptive. Alister checked his side mirror.

One… two… three… four… five motorbikes.

All of them were sports models, their riders wearing full helmets and black jackets.

Alister’s eyes sharpened behind the visor. He didn’t slow down, but his instincts went on high alert.

As the road narrowed into a quieter stretch lined by trees and dim streetlights, the sound of the exhausts drew closer. Within seconds, the five bikes surged ahead, surrounding him—one in front, two flanking either side, and two more closing in from behind.

They had boxed him in.

Alister hit the brakes hard. His tires screeched against the rough asphalt, but he stayed calm. His engine still running, his body didn’t flinch.

One of the riders removed his helmet, revealing a young man’s face twisted into a smug grin.

“Long time no see, Alister. Thought you could disappear just like that?”

Alister didn’t answer. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes cold and locked onto the speaker through his visor.

Tension filled the air. The wind rustled dry leaves along the roadside. The growl of the engines was like a ticking clock—counting down to the chaos about to erupt.

***