I ran to the rooftop. Dad was there, looking up at the stars like he always did when he didn't have the words. I sat beside him.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "But who is this kid? Why does Mom have to risk everything for him?"
Dad replied calmly, "You know why she took this case? Because he's just one year younger than you. He's a child—and children need protection."
I clenched my fists. "But he's a criminal…"
Dad froze. "How do you know that?"
"That's because she came to my office yesterday," said Mom's voice from behind.
I turned, startled.
"You lied to me about being bullied, didn't you?" she asked.
Silence.
Then she looked me in the eye. "What do you want to know?"
I took a deep breath to calm my heart and whispered, "I saw a dream… a dream where you die, Mom."
Mom said nothing. She just walked up and hugged me tight. "I will not die. How could I ever leave you, my hope? I promise—I'll stay."
And I cried.
In her arms. In Dad's arms. In that moment where my fear was louder than my anger.
That night, I called Ha-rin. I told her everything.
"I want to meet the boy," she said. "Kang-Dae."
"I said yes. We don't have time for anything else."
Day 27 — Something Feels Off
The next morning, things felt strange. Mom and Dad increased the security cameras around the house. They were moving more cautiously. Watching every angle. Avoiding sudden plans.
I didn't know who Kang-Dae really was. But something about him... something was eerie.
I asked Mom if I could take him to the park.
She said no.
And strictly added, "Don't tell anyone about him."
+++++I went to Kang-Dae. He looked at me with hollow eyes and said, "My parents died in an accident when I was 10. My father… he was a god in the underworld. He supplied illegal weapons across borders. When he died, my uncle took over everything. But I was the rightful heir—not just to the money, but to the secrets, the network, the legacy. As long as I lived, the fortune couldn't be fully his."
He paused, hands trembling.
"My uncle couldn't kill me directly. The will said if I died before I turned 21, everything would go to a trust—especially to the orphanage my mother used to run. It was their front, yes, but it really did protect kids. That's probably the only good they ever did."
He looked down, choking back tears.
"I wasn't evil like them. I never wanted any of this. After my parents died, my grandfather tried to protect me. He left the organization years ago and tried to raise me quietly. But my uncle found us."
His voice cracked.
"My uncle told me he'd spare Grandpa if I delivered just one package. Just one. It was drugs. I didn't even know. When I returned, the house was burning. My grandfather was dead inside… and so was my dog. The only thing I had left. He made me press the detonator. He lied—told me it was just a warning, to scare Grandpa. Said they'd be fine. But when it exploded… ten people died in that fire."
He looked up at me, broken.
"The gun my grandfather was shot with—it had my fingerprints. The witnesses they brought in… they said they saw me light the fire. Said I pulled the trigger. All of them were fake, paid off. The police didn't even question it. Why would they? They wanted an easy conviction. And now I'm here. Hunted. Hated. For something I didn't do."
His voice fell into a whisper. "I didn't kill him. I didn't kill any of them…"
I asked hoe my mom knows that you are not the criminal?