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Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Amid Changes

Then Jihyeon arrived at his apartment. He closed the door slowly, as if the weight of the day was still on his shoulders. He dropped onto the couch, exhaling with exhaustion as his eyes got lost in the moonlight filtering through the window.

He thought about everything that had happened. At least now he had people. Not people he fully trusted, of course, but they would do. In this world, one couldn't afford to wait for perfect allies.

He let out a laugh, almost ironic.

"But I just hope they can grow quickly," he murmured to himself. "If I were someone extremely strong, I'd just dominate everything like the Yamazaki syndicate…"

His voice faded into the air. He knew that for that he lacked strong recruits. People with real potential. Not just muscle, but conviction.

With that thought, he decided to stop rambling. He stood up slowly, headed to his room, and dropped onto the bed. He closed his eyes, knowing the next day would bring new challenges.

And while the moon kept shining over the city, Jihyeon sank into the silence of the night, with the promise of an empire yet to be built.

....

The sun peeked timidly over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city. Jihyeon woke up to the sound of his alarm. It was a new day, and with it came new opportunities.

He quickly dressed in his school uniform: a white shirt with a red tie, black pants, and matching shoes. Then he left the apartment, observing the neighborhood. Over time, he had gotten used to that dump of a place, but it no longer affected him; it had just become routine.

When he arrived at school, the bustle of students filled the air. Jihyeon walked in.

Most of the students were grouped into different cliques, laughing and talking among themselves. Some glanced at Chulwoo, some with mocking looks. Meanwhile, Chulwoo was with his two lackeys, talking about trivial things.

As the students calmed down because class was starting, Jihyeon took a seat. While taking out his notebook, he wondered if Chulwoo would be able to apologize to Dowan. He had also asked him to apologize to that girl… Ahrin, was it? He didn't quite remember. But the goal of all this was for Chulwoo to become friendlier with Dowan. If he remembered correctly, that guy Sehun Kang also used to pick on Dowan, and later Dowan seemed to get along quite well with him. So why couldn't Chulwoo?

The class continued as usual. Then it was recess time. Jihyeon stayed apart, observing the interactions among the students. He saw Chulwoo, who was now behaving more cautiously.

He needed to find a way to meet with Chulwoo to tell him what to do next.

After a moment of hesitation, Jihyeon sent a text message to Chulwoo, who was sitting at a table apart, looking at his phone.

"Chulwoo," he wrote, catching his attention. "I need to talk to you about something important."

Chulwoo replied yes.

Jihyeon got up and headed to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, Chulwoo stood up and went to the bathroom to meet Jihyeon.

After thinking it over, Jihyeon said:

"We need to get into the thugs' council… well, you do."

Chulwoo frowned, confused.

"Didn't we talk about this before?"

"Yes, we did, but does it matter?" Jihyeon replied. "I want you to put effort into training and improving your strength. If you're going to pose as someone powerful, it has to be believable. Plus, you need to gain fame or reputation. So forget what others think of you. You weren't that important, you were just a third-rate thug who deserved that beating. So don't hesitate so much."

"I'm telling you this because I also want you to apologize to Dowan and that girl, Ahrin. And this isn't a suggestion."

Jihyeon got more serious.

"As your leader, I order you."

With that, he left without letting Chulwoo speak.

Jihyeon told this to Chulwoo so that he could improve and grow. He wanted capable people, and also for him to be less arrogant when he was so weak. He only hoped he would become reliable.

Chulwoo was somber. He washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror, his expression filled with doubt. His mind was a mess. He didn't know how to apologize; he had never considered it necessary. He exhaled hard to calm himself and told himself:

"It's not that hard."

He left the bathroom with determination. He thought it would be better to apologize to the girl first. After all, he found it more humiliating to do it with her than with Dowan. With that thought, he looked for Ahrin's classroom.

He found her talking with some friends, laughing carefree. Chulwoo cautiously approached, remembering how badly he had handled things before. His heart was pounding as he wondered if he would have the courage to apologize again.

"Hi," said Chulwoo, trying to sound casual, though his voice trembled a little. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

Ahrin's gaze filled with surprise, and Chulwoo noticed a mix of curiosity and distrust in her expression. The friends, sensing the mood, discreetly withdrew.

"What do you want, Chulwoo?" she asked, crossing her arms as if bracing for the worst.

Chulwoo began to dissociate. He didn't speak for a while. Ahrin frowned.

"What do you want? If you're not going to say anything, stop bothering me."

She turned around, but Chulwoo murmured, barely audible:

"I want to apologize for what happened."

Ahrin stopped and looked at him.

"What did you say?"

Chulwoo looked darker. He thought: Is this girl messing with me? Is she doing it on purpose? He repeated his words, this time avoiding her eyes.

Ahrin watched him closely, weighing his words.

"It's a good start," she finally responded, though her tone was still cautious. "But you'll have to show more sincerity if it's a real apology."

With that, she turned and started to leave. But before Ahrin walked away completely, Chulwoo took a deep breath. He knew he had to do something more. He bowed slightly before her. His body was tense, and when he spoke, his voice came out halting, with small tremors that betrayed his pride.

"P-please…" he said, swallowing hard. "P-please allow me to prove… that I'm truly committed to changing…"

He paused, as if the words weighed heavy in his throat.

"I'm willing… to work hard… to achieve it…"

Each phrase seemed to cost him more than the last. It wasn't crying or begging, but the tremor in his voice said more than any exaggerated gesture. He was ashamed.

Ahrin stopped, surprised by his gesture. Her expression softened a little, though there was still a spark of distrust in her eyes.

"You don't have to do that, Chulwoo," she replied, her voice a bit warmer. "But I appreciate that you're willing to try."

Chulwoo slowly straightened up, feeling embarrassed. He thought: Is this what people I used to bully felt like?

He cleared his throat and said:

"Thanks for listening to me. I'll try to make it up to you for how I treated you."

Ahrin looked at him for a moment, as if deciding whether she could trust him.

"Alright," she said at last.

A wave of relief and gratitude washed over Chulwoo. He didn't quite know how he felt now.

"Thank you for your patience," he said, to close the matter.

....

Chulwoo walked distractedly through the halls, thinking about what he had done. Yes, he had apologized. In the past, he had only done it a few times, and almost always to avoid offending people stronger than him. Over time, he became someone who intimidated others.

The reason?

Chulwoo stopped. Now that he thought about it, why did he intimidate people?

Was it to feel superior to them?

Or because, deep down, he felt inferior?

Or did he simply enjoy abusing the weaker ones?

And now… now he had to do the same thing he always demanded from his errand boys: apologize. The difference was that, in his case, there were solid reasons. He had forced them to apologize even when they had done nothing wrong, out of pure whim. But this time, it was he who had to do it for mistakes he had truly committed… mistakes that hurt others.

Damn, life can always change. He used to be a thug who only knew how to intimidate the weak… and yet, he ended up being beaten by two mere errand boys. Worse still: one of them had become his leader.

"How did I end up like this…?" he muttered to himself.

Annoyed at not finding Dowan, he decided to go to the bathroom to pee. Upon entering, he stopped when he saw Jaemin talking with Dowan.

"I saw how you beat up Chulwoo," said Jaemin, with a smug smile as he approached Dowan. "You surprised me. Were you hiding your skills?"

Dowan looked nervous. He had no idea why this guy was being so… friendly?

"You're funny," Jaemin continued. "Tomorrow I'm going for drinks with some girls from an all-girls high school. Want to come?"

At that moment, Chulwoo walked in.

"Well, well… Since when are you friends with him? In the past you didn't invite me, bastard."

Jaemin turned his head and looked at him with a fake smile.

"Oh, Chulwoo, it's you. Come on, man, don't take it so seriously. We're just going to have some fun."

Chulwoo looked at Dowan, then at Jaemin, and snorted.

"And it had to be with him?"

Jaemin let out a soft laugh.

"Him? Chulwoo, you got beaten by Dowan. You should consider the hierarchy. But come on, no hard feelings. We can still be friends, right?"

Chulwoo scratched the back of his neck with a fake look of understanding.

"Oh, is that how you see it?"

He took a few steps, then stopped.

"But Jaemin… where does that put you? You're just a leech, aren't you?"

His face showed contempt. Without waiting for an answer, he walked straight to the urinal to do his business, completely ignoring Dowan and Jaemin's presence.

Jaemin frowned, annoyed, but then seemed to think of something.

"Ah, I know. So we're on good terms, why don't you come with us for drinks? Like old times."

Chulwoo, while whistling, replied:

"I'll think about it. I've got important things to do."

Jaemin then looked at Dowan.

"And you? You're coming, right?"

Dowan, nervous.

"Well… I'll see if I can make it. I've got several problems."

Jaemin smiled and turned around, saying.

"Ahh, what can you do. Well, if you accept at the last minute, I'll save you a seat."

He raised his hand in a goodbye gesture. Dowan responded:

"I'll do my best to come."

But in his mind, he thought: I'm not going.

Jaemin left. Chulwoo, washing his hands, looked a little lost. He thought about what he had just done. With Ahrin it had been easier to apologize… maybe because she never challenged him. Although now, thinking about it, he felt guiltier for almost hitting a girl.

But Dowan was different. Was this his ego? Maybe… but it should be normal, right? Imagine: you're a thug who was humiliated by your errand boy. That hits pretty hard.

He sighed. "Well… let's forget about this stuff. I'll just do my best," he murmured to himself.

"Dowan."

Dowan, who was already relaxed, was startled, remembering that Chulwoo was still there.

"What is it, Chulwoo?" he said, trying to sound calm, though his mind screamed that Chulwoo had come for revenge.

Chulwoo turned around, looked at him for a second, then scratched his neck, looking away with annoyance.

"Tsk… well… I wanted to apologize for what I did to you."

Dowan looked at him, puzzled.

"Huh?"

Chulwoo clicked his tongue, as if it pained him to say it.

"I lost control, okay? Don't think it's funny for me to say this, but… I regret what happened with you."

Dowan was shocked. Not long ago he was nothing but a simple errand boy, until he got a system that allowed him to defend himself from his bully. And now that same thug was apologizing.

Dowan thought. Could this be the start of my great life? He was already fantasizing about what his future would look like.

Chulwoo, noticing the satisfied look on his face, clenched his jaw. The veins popped out on his forehead.

"Hey… don't get it twisted. This doesn't mean we'll be friends, so wipe that stupid look off your face."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and added in a harsh tone.

"But since I said I came to apologize, I'll give you some advice."

Dowan, with his typical clueless face, asked.

"Advice?"

Chulwoo walked toward the door without looking at him directly.

"Jaemin… that bastard can't be trusted. So…" he stopped for a moment, gritting his teeth before continuing. "Bah, whatever. Do what you want. Consider this a little… compensation for what happened."

Without waiting for an answer, he left.

Dowan let out a long sigh.

"Phew, he finally left…"

He hadn't expected Chulwoo to apologize. Well, if it could even be called an apology. There was still arrogance in his tone, as if he refused to bow his head completely. Dowan only hoped not to get caught up in those thugs' business again.

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