"Don't chase speed or try to be fast," Kang Dae continued. "Control."
"Control is the key."
Seo Jin nodded slightly.
For the next few minutes, the gym was quiet except for the sound of Seo Jin moving the weights.
Kang Dae did not interrupt; he just watched.
Eventually, Seo Jin lowered the weight carefully and placed it down.
His arms were still trembling, but he did not collapse.
Kang Dae turned slightly. "Good enough for today," he said, then walked out through the exit.
Seo Jin stood there for a moment, breathing hard, obviously tired.
"Tomorrow again," he muttered. This time, he wasn't complaining.
He left the gym sore like yesterday. His plan was to take another warm bath.
Seo Jin got in front of his door, about to push it open as his hand touched the handle.
"Don't go in."
He stopped, turning slightly.
So Jeo was standing there, leaning against the wall like he had been waiting for a long time.
Same blank expression. Seo Jin couldn't help but wonder what he would look like if he smiled.
He straightened a little.
"I just finished training," he said, hoping to use that as an excuse.
So Jeo's expression remained the same, but Seo Jin could already guess he knew.
"I know."
A pause.
"Follow me," he ordered.
That was all. No explanation.
But who was he to question anything?
Without hesitation, Seo Jin followed So Jeo. They walked out of the mansion. A black car was already parked, clearly waiting for them.
The driver rushed to open the door for So Jeo.
So Jeo slipped in without wasting time, while Seo Jin entered from the other side.
The door closed, and the engine started. The car zoomed off.
Seo Jin leaned back slightly, trying to ease the fatigue still in his body, his eyes drifting to the window.
After a few minutes, his habit of not staying quiet and speaking his mind took over.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"A place," So Jeo replied without looking at him.
Seo Jin blinked twice, waiting for more, because that was not an answer to him.
"That's not an answer," he said bluntly.
"It's enough."
Silence fell again.
Seo Jin sighed quietly, looking away.
A moment passed.
Then—
"What about my mother?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.
So Jeo did not respond immediately. The car continued moving.
Then finally, after a few minutes, he spoke. "She is still where she is."
Seo Jin's jaw tightened. He wasn't going to let this go like the previous question.
"That's not the answer I expected."
The driver in the front raised a brow at what Seo Jin said.
So Jeo's gaze did not change.
"You already know the answer."
He didn't like the response, even though it was exactly what he expected. It wasn't false, but it meant nothing had changed.
He hated that—and he couldn't do anything about it.
The car slowed down, then stopped.
"We are here," the driver said.
So Jeo didn't wait for the driver. He pushed the door open and stepped out.
Seo Jin followed.
The air outside felt strange.
It wasn't quiet or empty. The place had people—but not regular people.
Men stood around the perimeter, all dressed in black.
Some leaned against parked vehicles while others stood still.
All of them reacted immediately when they spotted So Jeo.
Respect or fear?
Maybe both.
Seo Jin noticed it in their movements and their gaze.
So Jeo walked forward without waiting. "Follow," he said.
Seo Jin quickly did.
They entered a warehouse. The moment Seo Jin stepped in, the atmosphere changed completely—cold and tense.
Boxes were stacked neatly in rows. A few men stood in the center of the space, already waiting.
One of them stepped forward nervously.
"Boss…"
So Jeo raised a hand slightly. The man stopped talking immediately.
Seo Jin raised a brow. No words were needed—just a gesture.
So Jeo turned to him slightly. "You will watch."
Seo Jin frowned. "Watch what?"
So Jeo didn't answer.
Instead, he walked forward.
The men parted immediately as he passed.
A chair was brought forward, and he sat. Then the negotiation started.
Seo Jin stood behind him, watching.
A man was dragged in front of So Jeo. The man started speaking quickly—explaining, then defending, then apologizing.
He was too fast for Seo Jin to fully understand, but the tone was clear—fear.
The man kept bowing slightly as he spoke.
So Jeo listened without moving.
When the man stopped talking, So Jeo leaned forward slightly.
"That's not what we agreed on."
The man froze.
"No… no…" he shook his head anxiously. "No, please, Boss, I can explain. The shipment went wrong. I didn't—"
So Jeo did not raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"Do you think I care about your excuse?"
Silence fell.
Seo Jin stood still, watching intently. This was very different from collecting loans.
This was more serious.
The man swallowed hard.
"I can fix it… just give me time—"
So Jeo tilted his head slightly.
"You already had time."
The man's face turned pale instantly. His lips trembled, but no words came out this time.
So Jeo leaned back slowly, his gaze resting on the man like he was nothing more than a mistake.
"So you lost it?"
"You took my product," he said. "You delayed delivery. And now you stand here with excuses."
"Which product?" Seo Jin wondered.
The man dropped to his knees.
"I didn't betray you! I swear—"
"Then you're incompetent."
The word hit the man like a straight bullet.
The man's body trembled. "Please… give me another chance. I will fix everything. I will repay—" he repeated.
So Jeo raised his hand slightly.
One of the men stepped forward immediately, grabbing the kneeling man by the shoulder and forcing him still.
Seo Jin's brows tightened slightly. He didn't move, but his attention sharpened.
"Which one?" So Jeo asked casually.
The man blinked in confusion. "Boss?"
So Jeo tilted his head faintly. "The hand you used to sign the agreement."
The man's face drained of color.
"No… please—"
"Hold him."
Two men moved instantly.
The man struggled now, panic taking over completely. "Please! I said I will fix it… just give me time! I will—"
His words were cut off as his arm was forced onto the table.
Seo Jin's fingers curled slightly at his side.