Hyeon-ju and the three boys stepped into President Choi Tae-ho's safehouse. The moment the door opened, So-yeon rushed forward and grabbed Geon-woo's face with both hands. Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at him.
"Geon-woo, my son."
Geon-woo looked at his mother and noticed a bandage on her forehead. He frowned and reached out toward her.
"Mom, what happened to your head? Did something happen?"
So-yeon managed a weak smile and shook her head quickly. She tried to hide the injury from him.
"It is nothing. I just bumped into something. I am okay, Geon-woo."
Her voice was trembling as she spoke. She looked at Woo-jin and let out a small gasp when she saw his face. It was covered in cuts and dark bruises.
"Woo-jin, what happened to your face? What have you boys been through?"
Woo-jin scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor. He felt sheepish under her gaze.
"Oh, this? It is nothing, really. Just a couple of scratches."
In-muk approached Hyeon-ju and spoke in a very serious voice. He did not look happy.
"The Chairman has been worried sick. He is waiting for you downstairs."
Hyeon-ju nodded with a heavy expression. Geon-woo gave his mother's hand a small squeeze to comfort her.
"I will be back soon, Mom."
They went to the basement living room where President Choi Tae-ho sat in his wheelchair. He was staring out the window like he usually did. He gestured toward the sofa as they walked in.
"Sit down, everyone. You have had a long night so I will keep this brief."
Tae-ho looked at Hyeon-ju with eyes that were usually cold but now looked worried. He spoke directly to her.
"Hyeon-ju. When I got your call, I felt like the world was crumbling. You are my family. The thought that I might lose you was terrifying."
"I am sorry, Grandfather."
"No more dangerous schemes. Do you understand? Leave this to the adults from now on."
Geon-woo had been listening without saying a word but suddenly he stood up. He looked determined.
"Mr. President, I want to help. I know I can do more than this."
Choi Tae-ho looked Geon-woo right in the eye. His gaze was heavy.
"Geon-woo. This is not a match with a winner and a loser. This is a war that only ends when someone is dead."
The room went completely silent after he said that. Tae-ho let out a heavy sigh and waved his hand toward the door.
"You three go upstairs and get some rest now."
The boys left the room and only Tae-ho and Hyeon-ju remained. Hyeon-ju bowed her head low.
"I am truly sorry."
"I never want you involved in something like this again."
"I understand. I will not let it happen again."
Tae-ho stayed silent for a moment as he thought about their next move. He looked back at his granddaughter.
"They know where Geon-woo lives now. He cannot go back there. Take his mother to the safehouse tomorrow. It is the only place she will be safe for now."
Geon-woo stopped walking when he got to the hallway upstairs. He stood still for a moment.
"This is not right."
Joe was following behind him and tilted his head to the side.
"What is not right?"
"We cannot just sit here and do nothing. Mr. Choi got dragged into this because of us."
Woo-jin spoke up from behind them. He looked tired but ready.
"I agree with you, but what are we supposed to do to help?"
Geon-woo did not answer and his jaw stayed 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 his head. He looked very serious.
"You are still rough. 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. He did not seem to take it seriously.
"What are you talking about? Geon-woo is already a beast. How much better can he get?"
Joe shook his head and locked his eyes onto Geon-woo. The look in his eyes was chilling.
"Every person we have fought so far has been nobody. They were just street trash. The real monsters have not even shown up yet."
A cold light flickered in Joe's eyes. He leaned in closer.
"I can teach you. I can make you stronger."
Geon-woo stared back at Joe and stayed silent. He felt a new spark start to grow inside him.
---
The neon city lights shone through the large windows and made the room look restless. Three men sat on a white sofa in a very cold atmosphere.
Kim Myeong-gil held a wine glass to his lips and stayed silent. He was very angry but he kept his face calm. Jun-min swallowed hard and tried to explain what happened.
"I apologize, Boss. Our target was Park Su-min. I never dreamed some random punks would jump into the fight like that."
Myeong-gil took a slow sip of wine while he watched Jun-min. He did not look happy.
"And? You are telling me thirty of my men are in the hospital because of three punks?"
"There were only three of them." Jun-min answered and bowed his head lower. "And you actually know one of them. It is that kid from the Seongeun Building cafe."
Myeong-gil narrowed his eyes into small slits. He remembered the boy he had marked with a scar on his cheek. The kid had paid off his debt so Myeong-gil had let him go. He was annoyed that the boy was back.
"I should have cut his throat when I had the chance."
Myeong-gil set his glass on the table with a loud thud.
THUD!
"So, did you deal with him?"
Jun-min's face went pale and his lips started to tremble. He could not find the words to answer. Jang Do spoke up for him.
"They are dead."
Myeong-gil's hand froze over his wine glass.
"Dead? That boy? Or my men?"
"Our men. We checked the cameras." Jang Do said with a heavy voice. "The guy had short hair and sharp eyes. He was very fast. His skill with a blade was on another level."
Myeong-gil let out a dry and hollow laugh.
"A blade? What kind?"
"It looked like a sashimi knife. He finished the whole thing in a few seconds."
Myeong-gil leaned back into the sofa and scoffed.
"Sashimi. Things just got interesting."
He stared at the ceiling for a moment and then turned to Jang Do with a command.
"Get a hold of Beom. Tell him to be at the office by 1:00 AM."
"Yes, sir."
Jang Do stood up and bowed. A cruel smile spread across Myeong-gil's face.
"It has been a while since the stakes were this high. It is time for a meeting."
Myeong-gil's laughter echoed through the empty room.