Steam filled the communal showers, the sound of running water echoing off the tiled walls. Inmates stood under the streams, some casually chatting while others silently scrubbed themselves clean.
Jin had made himself at home, standing naked under the water as he ran soap along his arms. He leaned his head back slightly, letting the warm spray wash away the tension built up over the past few days.
A few minutes later, Gun walked in.
Jin noticed him immediately. The moment their eyes met, Gun maintained a neutral stare, but Jin's gaze drifted downward before shifting back to himself.
Then, with pure arrogance, Jin smirked.
Gun's eyes narrowed, his expression twitching ever so slightly into a frown. No words were exchanged, but the meaning was clear.
Jin looked away, still smiling to himself as he continued scrubbing.
The atmosphere shifted when two more figures entered the showers.
One was massive, tall, broad-shouldered, and built like a grown man despite being their age. His wet hair clung to his forehead, his permanent scowl making him look even more intimidating.
The other was shorter, about the same height as Jin and Gun. His lean physique was well-defined with a calm expression. He carried himself with an effortless confidence, one that spoke of experience.
The big one let out a low hum as he scanned the room. His gaze landed on a random inmate, and he turned to his smaller companion.
"Big brother." he rumbled, pointing. "Is this the one we need to take care of?"
The shorter one barely glanced at the inmate before shaking his head. "You're mistaken. It's the one with black sclera and white irises."
The bigger brother turned, following his sibling's line of sight. His scowl deepened as he focused on Gun.
The two approached, stopping in front of him.
Gun looked at the big brother first, meeting his calm gaze without flinching. Then, his head tilted upward to meet the intense eyes of the little brother.
The tension in the showers thickened. Other inmates fell silent, their conversations dying out as they watched.
Jin, still rinsing himself off, observed the scene with mild interest. 'So, it's starting.'
....
The air in the shower room was thick with heat and tension. Steam curled around the fighters, making the atmosphere hazy, but the intensity of their standoff cut through it like a blade.
Gun stood motionless, his breath slow and controlled as he locked eyes with the older, leaner brother. The younger, larger brother cracked his knuckles, his broad chest rising and falling with excitement.
The older brother, calm and analytical, tilted his head. "You feel stronger than I expected."
The younger one stomped his foot onto the wet tile, sending a vibration through the floor. "Big Bro, let's smash him."
Gun exhaled through his nose. His muscles tensed as he entered his Kyokushin Karate stance, feet firmly planted, fists up, body relaxed yet ready to explode.
Then, they moved.
The younger brother lunged first, his massive frame closing the distance instantly. His thick arms shot forward in a bull-like charge, aiming to overwhelm Gun with sheer force. Gun didn't move, waiting for the perfect moment before twisting his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the rush.
His counter came swift, a sharp Kyokushin kick to the ribs that cracked through the steam-filled air. The impact made the bigger brother stagger, but he planted his foot down with surprising agility for his size, twisting and launching a wide hook toward Gun's temple.
Gun leaned back just enough to evade, his white irises glinting under the shower's light. The older brother moved in next, his attacks fluid and unpredictable. His arms whipped out in precise strikes, each aimed at Gun's weak points, solar plexus, ribs, throat.
Gun blocked most, absorbing the hits on his forearms, but the speed of the older brother's movements was remarkable. Unlike his younger counterpart, whose strength was monstrous, this one fought with surgical precision, slipping through Gun's guard and landing a clean palm strike to his sternum. Gun skidded back slightly, adjusting his stance, his body already registering their combined strategy.
They weren't just fighting separately; their attacks flowed together. The younger brother pressured Gun with brute force, forcing him to react defensively, while the older brother exploited the openings, delivering precise, damaging strikes that slowly wore Gun down. It was an efficient style, one built entirely on synergy.
Gun, however, was unfazed. He adapted. A low sweep cut the younger brother's base, making him stumble forward. In the same motion, Gun rotated his body into a spinning elbow strike aimed at the older brother's jaw.
The older one barely tilted his head in time, but the sheer force of the attack still grazed him, sending a fine spray of sweat into the air. Gun pressed forward, delivering a sequence of devastating body shots, his knuckles digging deep into the younger brother's stomach. The big guy grunted, taking the punishment but refusing to fall.
The fight moved wildly through the steam-filled showers, the sounds of flesh colliding with flesh echoing between the tiled walls. Gun's relentless attacks forced the brothers to switch their approach. The older brother, recognizing the danger, shouted a single command.
"Switch!"
The dynamic shifted instantly.
Now the younger brother was no longer the aggressor, he became the shield, his massive frame absorbing Gun's strikes while the older brother circled around. Gun threw a brutal kick into the bigger one's ribs, but this time, the older brother used the moment to slip behind him. In an instant, Gun felt the sharp sting of fingers striking his pressure points. His muscles tensed involuntarily as his movement became slightly sluggish.
The younger brother grinned. "Got you."
A fist like a wrecking ball slammed into Gun's stomach, lifting him off the ground for a second. The sheer impact forced a grunt out of him with a shockwave appearing behind his back.
But his mind remained active, he twisted midair, controlling his landing to avoid falling on his back. As soon as his feet touched the wet floor, another attack came, a powerful downward hammer fist from the big one. Gun crossed his arms to block, his feet sliding back from the impact.
The older brother's hands blurred as he delivered rapid, pinpoint strikes to Gun's limbs, aiming to weaken his ability to counter. Gun's breath became heavier as he acknowledged the strategy. These two weren't just strong, they had an understanding of rhythm, of pressure, of how to dismantle an opponent systematically. It was a level of coordination that even some adult fighters lacked.
Gun refused to retreat. He re-engaged, stepping into the younger brother's guard and driving his knee deep into his stomach. The big guy coughed violently, but instead of staggering, he wrapped his thick arms around Gun and lifted him effortlessly off the ground. The older brother capitalized on the moment, his fingers tracing Gun's collarbone before delivering a devastating palm strike right into his exposed sternum.
Gun felt the force ripple through his entire body. For the first time in the fight, he felt his control slipping. His back hit the wet tile as he crashed down hard, his breath momentarily knocked out of him.
The younger brother wasted no time, raising his massive fist high above his head, preparing to smash it down onto Gun's face like a sledgehammer and end him.
But just before impact, a blur of movement interrupted the attack.
BAM!
A sharp impact rang out as the younger brother's strike was suddenly redirected mid-air. His knuckles barely grazed Gun's face before his entire arm was knocked off-course, sending a ripple of shock through his body. He blinked, confused for a split second, until his eyes landed on the figure standing beside Gun.
Jin had appeared in a low crouch, his leg extended from the kick that had deflected the strike upwards. His foot slowly lowered back to the wet tiles as he casually crouched on Gun's side.
"Tch.." Jin clicked his tongue, looking at Gun like a loser. "You're just gonna lie there?"
Gun coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, before spitting onto the floor beside him. His white irises flickered under the dim lighting as he finally lifted his head. His gaze locked onto the brothers, but his eyes held something different now. A deep, unsettling will.
Jin grinned slightly as he straightened up, standing beside Gun as he got up, like he belonged there. His posture was relaxed, shoulders loose, as if this entire fight was nothing more than a passing moment of entertainment.
Gun, however, didn't acknowledge him. His stance shifted subtly, weight balanced, body lowering into a stance. Blood dripped from his lips, but his expression remained empty, void of emotion, yet filled with something far more dangerous.
The younger brother scowled, stepping back instinctively. "Tsk… what's with those eyes?"
His older brother, who had remained still until now, narrowed his gaze. He could feel it. The change in Gun's presence. The shift in his breathing, his posture, it was the unmistakable sign of someone who had stopped holding back.