Do you even know how dangerous that was?" Mom's voice trembled, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"What if something had happened to you? How would we live without you?"
I shouted back, the pain still stinging my cheek.
"And have you ever thought about how we'd live if something happened to you?"
I turned to Dad, my voice shaking.
"I heard what that man said in the alley. He said Mom could die, Dad. He said this work is dangerous."
Mom stepped forward, her voice softer but firm.
"It's my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Your father would have done the same."
I didn't say anything. I couldn't.
I know. I know.
I ran to my room, shut the door, and cried. I didn't know what happened after that. When I opened my eyes again, the sky outside had turned deep orange. Evening had arrived. The twins were curled up beside me.
They stirred.
"Sister?" Dae-Yoon rubbed his eyes. "Why are your eyes red? Did you cry?"
I pulled him into a hug. "It's nothing."
Dae-Hyun yawned and blinked. "Who's that boy in our living room? Why is he so tall and so thin?"
Ah, yes. The boy.
I had saved him — and now, he was in our house. I needed to talk to him. Maybe he held answers. Maybe he was the beginning of something I didn't yet understand.
I stepped into the living room. He was sitting on the sofa, freshly bathed, dressed in one of Dad's black t-shirts and loose trousers.
He didn't speak. Just sat there.
His eyes… empty. Like someone who had seen too much too young.
I didn't have the heart to ask him anything deep. Not yet.
"What's your name?" I asked.
He didn't reply.
Awkward silence.
"Did you eat anything? Are you hungry?"
He gave a small nod. Just one.
That nod — it reminded me of the twins when they were teenagers.
"Did you do the laundry?" — Nod.
"Did you flush the toilet?" — Nod.
"Did you wash the dishes?" — Nod.
Aha… I really sounded like an old Soull nagging the younger ones.
Then I went searching for dad..
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 didn'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 turned to Kang Dae and said, "Ha-rin is coming. She's bringing food. Come eat with us."
We sat around the table, the silence thick as we tried to piece together who this boy really was. He didn't speak much, just kept watching everyone like he was calculating something.
Ha-rin finally arrived, slightly out of breath, holding two bags full of food.
"I got your favorite," she said, placing boxes of kimbap, fried chicken, and hot soup on the table. "Eat up."
She flashed Kang Dae a smile, trying to lure him in with warmth—and honestly, the smell alone should've worked.
But he just stared at the food. Then at us.
No thank you. No expression. Nothing.
Ha-rin kept it together for a while. She tried asking gently, "What's your name?"
No reply.
She waited a beat. Still nothing.
Then she snapped.
She slammed her hand on the table, making all of us jump.
"Do you even know how much this family—how much her mother is doing for you? And you're just sitting here like some stone statue? Shameless."
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed her bag, stormed off, and slammed the door behind her.
The room fell into silence again.
Kang Dae just looked down at his hands. Not guilty. Not angry. Just... lost.
And somehow, that made it worse.
I went to Kang-Dae's room after ha-rin left. He was looking outside the window. From the sound of door opening, 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. I…I was frozen. I was not ready for his sudden confession.
"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. At that moment what I felt was guilt, guilt that i thought to use this guy to save my mother.
"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.