That night, the Seoul sky was as usual — dark, thick with smoke and the endless hum of engines that never slept. But in a hidden alley between old buildings, another world was breathing. A world not written about in the news, yet everyone knew it existed.
Jung Kok stood still by the glass window of his father's old office. From the upper floor, he watched young men dressed in black start to gather below. New faces. Some looked eager, others afraid — but all of them bowed their heads the moment a deep voice echoed from an old speaker: Hwang.
"Father's recruiting new kids again," said Min, entering the room without knocking, carrying two cups of hot coffee.
Jung Kok remained silent. His eyes stayed fixed on the scene below, but his thoughts were much deeper than that. "I've never understood... why more of them come with each passing day. Is there really no way out of this world?"
Min gave a faint smile as he handed over the coffee. "Someone like you will always search for a way out, Kok. But not everyone has the choices you do."
Slowly, Jung Kok sat down on the worn-out sofa. The smell of stale cigarette smoke still clung to the fabric — perhaps from his father, who had been sitting there just that afternoon. On the wall hung an old painting — a portrait of Hwang with his two sons. Jung Kok on the right, young and smiling innocently. On the left, Jung Joon — staring at the camera with sharp eyes and a smile that… had never been sincere.
"I still remember the day that portrait was taken," Jung Kok whispered. "Back then, I thought... we were one happy family."
Min said nothing. He didn't want to touch on their family — too deep, too complicated.
[Flashback – Several Years Earlier]
"Don't hold your breath when you punch," Hwang's voice was firm, but not angry. His hands demonstrated the correct stance.
Young Jung Kok, maybe ten at the time, was sweating and trembling. His small hands mimicked his father's movements — not because he wanted to, but because he had to.
"If you don't learn to protect yourself, people will run you down, and you'll fall," Hwang said, gripping his son's hands. "I won't always be here, Kok."
Back to the Present
Jung Kok lowered his head. It had been more than ten years since that first training. And now… his father was still around, but the world around them had changed. Back then, people respected out of fear. Now, they came because they wanted to become Hwang.
"Min," Jung Kok called softly. "Do you think… I should follow this path?"
Min leaned back. "You're already in it, Kok. But that doesn't mean you have to be like the rest."
Jung Kok nodded, though his heart remained unsure. He knew… one day, there would be no turning back.
End of Chapter:
And from below, Jung Joon's voice began to rise. Loud, deep, filled with authority. His footsteps ascended the stairs toward that room. Jung Kok knew… tonight wasn't just about new recruits.
It was the beginning of something far greater.
Chapter Closing:
> Sometimes, a person doesn't choose to enter the darkness. The world itself invites them in, slowly… without them even realizing it. And for Jung Kok, that invitation had already arrived.
The next chapter will take you to the first step into a world with no return.