Silence hung in the air. Jin stared at that unknown man standing at the door of his house, while his mother kept a closed expression. The seconds seemed like hours.
"Mom… who is he?" Jin repeated, his voice full of suspicion.
Lee Hana hesitated, biting her lower lip. Her eyes begged him not to insist. But before she could answer, the man took a step forward, his gaze steady.
"I'm your father, boy. Park Ryun," he said, his voice deep, loaded with a weight Jin had never felt before.
Jin froze. For years, he had imagined who that man was, creating vague images in his head. And now, here he was. He didn't know if he should feel furious, relieved, or confused.
"Why… did he only show up now?" — he asked, his voice coming out more aggressive than he intended, but his heart was beating fast inside his chest.
Park Ryun let out a slight smile.
— I was separated from you by your mother. She thought she could keep you away from me, make you live like a lamb. But blood is blood, boy. And sooner or later, I knew you would look for me… or that I would come to you.
Jin felt a mix of anger and joy. Part of him wanted to punch that man right there. But another part… was happy. To finally see him. To know who he was.
—Let's go for a walk—Ryun said.—Just you and me. Man to man.
Before his mother could stop him, Jin was already accepting, too curious to refuse. He knew he shouldn't… but something inside him screamed to go.
Jin's mother stood at the door, her eyes full of concern.
—This is it…—she whispered to herself.
Outside, a luxurious black car was waiting for them. The driver, a tall man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses at night, opened the back door for the two of them.
"Take us to that place," Park Ryun ordered, getting into the car with Jin.
The boy felt like he was in another world. The leather seats, the expensive smell of the vehicle, the impeccable posture of the driver… it was all so far from his simple life.
Minutes later, they arrived at a five-star hotel. The lights were shining, the facade was impeccable. Jin was left speechless.
"I run this place… as a facade," Ryun commented, with a crooked smile.
Inside, Jin was served a first-class dinner. Luxurious dishes that he didn't even know the name of, impeccable desserts, all for free. For a moment, he forgot about school, the beatings and the bandages.
But that wasn't his real destination.
After the meal, Park Ryun led him through a secret passage behind a panel in the hotel office. They went down a narrow corridor and Jin soon realized where he was.
A huge underground hall.
Armed thugs, men in suits, women in expensive dresses and tycoons smoking cigars occupied chairs around a boxing ring. In the center, two fighters, covered in blood, exchanged brutal blows while a thirsty crowd bet fortunes.
"Welcome to real entertainment," Ryun said.
Jin felt his chest tighten. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. The sounds of punches, the blood on the floor... something in him liked it.
"Why bet on what you're losing?" he asked, seeing Ryun throw 60 thousand dollars on the table.
His father smiled, his eyes shining.
"He's my fighter. He's just tiring his opponent out. Watch."
A few seconds later, as if following a script, the man who was being beaten began to dodge, while his opponent gasped. With a precise cross, Ryun's fighter knocked the other down with a single blow.
The crowd went wild. Ryun collected the money with a satisfied smile.
Jin clenched his fists. Deep down... he was enjoying it. And that scared him.
To be continued...