One hour later, at the nearest hospital—

"Elbow contusion. Don’t move it. Here’s painkillers…" The ER nurse wrapped Tanglingxue’s arm in bandages and set a splint. Tanglingxue sat on the bed, face tight with pain. A dull burn throbbed in her elbow, unrelieved even by the pills.

Yumo sat beside her, having peeled an apple he offered. She hadn’t touched it.

He stole glances at her from the corner of his eye.

Her hair was messy. Cold sweat streaked her dirt-smeared face. She wore stylish but filthy leather pants and jacket, scuffed motorcycle boots. Even disheveled, she was striking—like a disgraced heiress with a quirky grace. *Maybe she really is some rich girl? That bike of hers wasn’t cheap.*

"Ahem. Tanglingxue."

"...Hmm?"

"Just confirming—you were harassed by a street racer, right?"

"Yes..."

"He made disgusting demands. You underestimated him, accepted a race, and then—"

"I didn’t underestimate him!—*hiss!*"

She jerked upright to protest, but the movement sent sharp pain shooting through her arm. She slumped back, defeated.

"...Fine. I admit it. I underestimated him." Her voice was reluctant.

"Frankly? You deserved it." Yumo felt no sympathy. No comfort came.

"I *know* I deserved it! But even so—"

"And you’re part of a street racing gang? A public nuisance?"

"I·am·not! I have a legal license! My bike’s unmodified! I never break traffic laws—not even when riding for fun! This was a one-time thing! Do I look stupid to you?"

"Losing because you underestimated him. Does that sound stupid?"

"......................."

Tanglingxue fell silent. She couldn’t take it out on Yumo. She forced her expression to stay composed—not just against the pain, but the undiluted regret and shame churning inside.

*(How did it come to this...?)*

She’d lost the bet. Fled. Got injured. And the boy she cared about saw her like this. She wished she could vanish from Yumo’s sight.

Then, worse arrived.

Dafly and A-Jin led a group of street racers into the ward. Their motorcycle gear clashed violently with the sterile hospital air.

"You okay, Ling Xue?" Dafly frowned.

"I’m... fine."

"Seriously, running away over a debt? Count yourself lucky it’s just a minor injury."

"Lucky? Hardly..."

"Tsk tsk, poor thing," A-Jin pushed past Dafly, ignoring Yumo completely. He loomed over her bed with theatrical pity. "My girlfriend gets hospitalized right after we start dating? All my plans for tonight—ruined."

He reached for her injured elbow with mock concern—but she slapped his hand away with her good arm.

"Don’t touch me!"

"Since when does a girlfriend refuse her boyfriend?"

"I’m not your girlfriend!"

"Denying it? Dafly-ge, isn’t she mine?"

"...She is. It was agreed. Everyone witnessed it."

"But I refuse!" Tanglingxue snapped.

"Trying to back out?"

"Race me again! A rematch!"

"Even if you say that—"

A-Jin turned to the trembling nurse with a sneer:

"Doc, can she ride a bike soon?"

"She... might manage normal driving after a few days’ rest. But high-intensity racing? Bone injuries take a hundred days to heal! Young people, don’t be reckless—"

"I don’t care! I—" Tanglingxue tried to stand, only to gasp as pain lanced through her arm.

"So, Ling Xue-chan, will you stop making trouble~~?"

"Tch..............."

"I’ll be watching you. *Literally* watching you. Don’t think ignoring the bet will save you. Fairness. Honor. If you still refuse—"

"What honor do scum like you have?"

Yumo’s icy voice cut through the room.

"........................Huh?"

A-Jin finally noticed him.

"...What did you say?"

"Honor? Fairness? Do gutter trash like you even qualify to discuss them?—Ah, don’t take it personally."

Yumo’s gaze swept over A-Jin, Dafly, and the entire group. His eyes held only contempt.

"I mean every single one of you—is scum."

"Hah!?" "You little—!" "Looking for a fight?" "Bold words!"

"Am I wrong?"

Yumo coldly adjusted his glasses. The ER was busy—patients, nurses, doctors everywhere. They wouldn’t dare start trouble here. So he spoke freely.

"Overgrown brats on million-dollar modified bikes. Racing illegally on public roads at night. You call that youth? Romance? Passion? You’re public hazards dressing up murder as thrill-seeking. The only difference between you and killers is intent. You’re less useful than lab waste."

"...Friend, I advise against judging what you don’t understand. We’re just speed enthusiasts. Your words are excessive."

Dafly stepped forward, trying to project authority. It slid off Yumo like water.

"I understand your kind perfectly. I’m qualified to judge."

"Oh? Are you one of us?"

"My mother was killed by a street racer’s bike. I was ten."

"............................................"

"Look me in the eyes, maggots. If I had trimethylsilyl magnesium chloride handy, I’d pour it straight into your nostrils. Understand?"

Dafly didn’t know the chemical name—but Yumo’s eyes promised violence. *This guy’s unhinged. Better avoid him.*

"Anything else? No? Then get out."

The racers shifted uncomfortably under Yumo’s glare. But—

"Your mom’s death is tragic. So what?"

Only A-Jin stood firm.

"We came for Ling Xue. Not you. Who even are you to her? Your tragedy means nothing to us."

"It means everything. Because..."

Yumo stepped between them and Tanglingxue. He adjusted his glasses again, his stare glacial.

"I’m her boyfriend. Want her? Get through me first."

"!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Tanglingxue nearly spat out her medicine.

*Since when?!*