The sleek office in Charles Choi's building always smelled faintly of leather and expensive cigars. The kind of place where power sat heavy in the air.
Gun Park leaned casually against the wall, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. Across from him, Goo Kim lounged on the couch, twirling a lollipop in his mouth. Seong Min sat further back, silent, his violet eye dim but attentive.
Charles Choi, as usual, wasted no words.
"Gun," he said smoothly, sliding a folder across the desk. "Collections are behind again. The usual business owners are late. Handle it."
Gun picked up the file, flipped it open, and gave a small grunt of acknowledgment.
"And," Charles continued, his gaze shifting toward Seong Min for the briefest of moments, "don't forget J High. That place is a powder keg. I need eyes on it."
Gun's eyebrow twitched. "Both? At once?"
"You're capable." Charles's tone left no room for discussion.
Goo chuckled from the couch, popping the lollipop free. "Sounds like overtime to me. Poor Gun. Guess even the mighty have to run errands."
Gun turned his head slowly, his grin sharp and humorless. "Errands keep the empire standing. Something you'd understand if you weren't so busy slacking off."
Goo's eyes narrowed. "Slacking? You dump half this crap on me already."
Seong Min watched the exchange with quiet interest. His Insight flickered, peeling back the cracks in their composure. Gun's aura radiated cold efficiency, but beneath it, irritation gnawed at the edges. Goo, on the other hand, masked insecurity with jokes and sharp barbs, his pride prickling at being treated like Gun's shadow.
A fissure waiting to split.
Charles closed the folder with a soft snap. "I expect results. Both of you." His gaze flicked between them, then lingered on Seong Min again—calculating, weighing. "And you… observe. Learn."
The meeting ended. Charles left, his presence vanishing like a storm retreating over the horizon. But the tension he left behind remained.
On the walk back, silence stretched between the three. Gun led with his easy swagger, Goo dragged behind, hands shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders tense. Seong Min walked in the middle, the eye in the storm.
Finally, Goo broke it.
"You know, Gun, I'm not your damn janitor. Collections, babysitting, 'errands'—you keep tossing the trash my way while you play hero for Charles."
Gun didn't slow his pace. "Because you complain less when you're busy. And because you're too reckless to be trusted with the important work."
Goo's jaw clenched, lollipop stick snapping between his teeth. "Too reckless? Please. Who cleans up when your 'efficient' plans leave blood on the floor? Me."
"You enjoy it." Gun's tone was flat, dismissive.
That did it. Goo grabbed Gun's shoulder, forcing him to stop. The crowd around them—delinquents, office workers, anyone passing by—felt the sudden shift in air and gave them space, like animals sensing predators about to bare fangs.
Seong Min stayed back, his Insight widening. Heartbeats, tension in muscles, the tilt of weight in their stances—it all painted a picture.
Goo's pride had reached its limit. Gun's patience had run out.
The inevitable clash.
"You think you're untouchable," Goo hissed, his grin sharp but his eyes hard. "That everyone's just supposed to fall in line because Charles keeps you on a leash. But here's the thing, Gun… I don't follow leashes."
Gun turned, slow and deliberate, his grin more dangerous than any scowl. "Then stop talking and prove it."
They stood there, inches apart, the air between them crackling with violence. Two predators circling the same territory.
Seong Min folded his arms, his expression calm but his mind racing.
This… this is perfect.
Gun and Goo. In canon, they fought often—sometimes for dominance, sometimes for nothing at all. But seeing it here, raw and unfiltered, was a reminder: these weren't just characters in a story. They were monsters. Monsters whose fists could shatter concrete and end lives with casual ease.
And I need both of them.
He let his Insight trace their every twitch—the coiled spring of Gun's stance, the loose unpredictability in Goo's shifting weight. If they fought, it wouldn't be some schoolyard brawl. It would be chaos contained in human form.
Gun chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "Last warning, Goo. Walk away."
"Last chance, Gun." Goo's grin widened, lollipop clattering to the ground. "Treat me like your errand boy again, and I'll put you through the pavement."
The street held its breath.
Seong Min's lips curled faintly. He didn't interfere—not yet. This was information. A test. Watching these two titans clash would show him where their limits lay… and how to exploit them later.
Gun raised his hand, cracking his knuckles. Goo mirrored him, loosening his arms, his grin never fading.
"Fine," Gun said. "Let's see if you're worth the trouble."
"Gladly," Goo replied.
And with that, the fists came up.
Seong Min's pulse quickened, though his expression remained calm.
Every move here mattered. The balance of Charles's empire, the strength of his two most dangerous enforcers, the cracks in their so-called brotherhood—all of it was unfolding in front of him.
And all he had to do was watch.
The Eye of Insight flickered violet.
"Show me," he whispered.
End of Chapter 5