Hyeon-ju and the three boys stepped into President Choi Tae-ho's safehouse. The moment the door swung open, So-yeon, Geon-woo's mother, rushed forward. She cradled Geon-woo's face in both hands, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Geon-woo, my son."
Geon-woo's brow furrowed as he noticed the bandage taped to his mother's forehead.
"Mom, what happened to your head? Did something happen?"
So-yeon managed a weak smile and shook her head.
"It's nothing. I just... I bumped into something. I'm okay, Geon-woo."
Her voice was trembling. Her gaze shifted to Woo-jin standing beside him, and she let out a small gasp. His face was a map of cuts and dark bruises.
"Woo-jin, what happened to your face? What on earth have you boys been through?"
Woo-jin scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.
"Oh, this? It's nothing, really. Just a couple of scratches."
In-muk approached Hyeon-ju and spoke in a low, somber tone.
"The Chairman has been worried sick. He's waiting for you downstairs."
Hyeon-ju nodded, her expression heavy. Geon-woo gave his mother's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll be back soon, Mom."
In the basement living room, President Choi Tae-ho sat in his wheelchair as he always did, staring out the window. As the group entered, he gestured toward the sofa.
"Sit down, everyone. You've had a long night, so I'll keep this brief."
Tae-ho's gaze settled on Hyeon-ju. His eyes, usually sharp and cold, were clouded with profound concern.
"Hyeon-ju... when I got your call, I felt like the world was crumbling around me. You are my family. The thought that I might lose you... I can't tell you how terrified I was."
"I'm sorry, Grandfather."
"No more dangerous schemes. Do you understand? Leave this to the adults."
Geon-woo, who had been listening in silence, suddenly stood up.
"Mr. President, I want to help. I know I can do more."
Choi Tae-ho looked Geon-woo dead in the eye.
"Geon-woo. This isn't a match with a winner and a loser. This is a war that only ends when someone is dead."
A suffocating silence filled the room. Tae-ho exhaled a heavy sigh and gestured to the three boys.
"You three, go upstairs and get some rest."
Once the boys left, only Tae-ho and Hyeon-ju remained. Hyeon-ju bowed her head.
"I'm truly sorry."
"I never want you involved in something like this again."
"I understand. I won't let it happen again."
Tae-ho paused for a moment, his mind working through the logistics.
"They know where Geon-woo lives now. Going back there is out of the question. Take Geon-woo's mother to the safehouse tomorrow. For the time being, it's the only place she'll be safe."
In the hallway leading upstairs, Geon-woo came to a dead stop.
"This isn't right."
Joe, following close behind, tilted his head.
"What isn't right?"
"We can't just sit here and do nothing. Mr. Choi got dragged into this because of us in the first place."
Woo-jin piped up from the side. "I'm with you on that, but what exactly are we supposed to do to help?"
Geon-woo remained silent, his jaw tight. Joe stepped forward and tapped Geon-woo on the shoulder.
"If you really want to help, you have to be better than you are now."
"Better?"
Joe nodded. "You're still rough around the edges. You have the potential to be much stronger. You need to be perfect."
Woo-jin let out a short laugh and slapped Geon-woo on the back.
"What are you talking about? Geon-woo is already a beast. How much better can a guy even get?"
Joe shook his head, his eyes locking onto Geon-woo's with chilling intensity.
"Every opponent we've fought so far has been a nobody. Just street-level trash. The real monsters haven't even shown their faces yet."
A cold light flickered in Joe's eyes.
"I can teach you. Make you stronger."
Geon-woo stared back at Joe, saying nothing. 'Stronger...' A new, unfamiliar spark began to flicker in the depths of his eyes.
---
The neon city lights bled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, washing the room in a restless glow. Inside, the atmosphere was a stark contrast—three men sat on a white sofa, the air between them as cold as a morgue.
Kim Myeong-gil held a wine glass to his lips, silent. Behind his calm mask, a controlled fury simmered. Beside him, Jun-min swallowed hard and hurried to explain.
"I apologize, Boss. Our target was Park Su-min. I never dreamed some random punks would jump into the fray like that."
Myeong-gil took a slow sip of wine, his eyes fixed on Jun-min.
"And? You're telling me thirty of my men are in the hospital because of these 'random punks'?"
"There were... only three of them," Jun-min answered, his head bowing lower. "And you actually know one of them, sir. It's that kid from the Seongeun Building cafe."
Myeong-gil's eyes narrowed to slits. He remembered. The boy he'd personally marked with a warning scar on his cheek. The kid had miraculously managed to scrape together a hundred million won to pay off the debt, so Myeong-gil had lost interest and let him be. But for that same brat to stick his nose back into his business? It was beyond unpleasant.
'I should have cut his throat when I had the chance.'
Myeong-gil set his glass on the table with a dull thud. "So, did you deal with him?"
Jun-min's face went pale. He hesitated, his lips trembling, unable to find the words. Jang Do, watching from the side, answered for him.
"They're dead."
Myeong-gil's hand froze over his glass.
"Dead? That boy? Or my men?"
"Our men. We checked the CCTV footage," Jang Do continued, his voice heavy. "The guy had short hair and sharp, slanted eyes. He was incredibly fast on his feet. But more than that... his skill with a blade was on another level."
Myeong-gil let out a dry, hollow laugh. "A blade? What kind?"
"It looked like a sashimi knife. He finished the whole thing in a matter of seconds."
Myeong-gil scoffed, leaning back deep into the sofa. "Sashimi... Shit. Things just got interesting."
He stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning to Jang Do with a sharp command.
"Get a hold of Beom. Tell him to be at the office by 1:00 AM."
"Yes, sir."
Jang Do stood and bowed. A cruel, jagged smile spread across Myeong-gil's face.
"It's been a while since the stakes were this high. It's time for a meeting."
Myeong-gil's laughter echoed through the empty, light-soaked room.