Bzzz... Bzzz... Bzzz...
Minsoo's phone vibrated in his pocket, He slowly pulled it out, glancing at the screen, The caller ID read Daniel Park.
Olly tilted his head, curious, as Minsoo lifted the phone to his ear.
"Yeah," Minsoo's tone neutral.
"Minsoo, We found them."
Minsoo said "Found who?"
"The scammers," Daniel said "Jay tracked their digital trail, It was Runway Fam We already caught them."
Minsoo closed his eyes briefly, letting out a exhale "Good job, Daniel, I'll take it from here."
"Where are you right now?" Daniel asked.
Minsoo's gaze drifted toward Olly Wang, who was still watching him "Nowhere important," he said "Just meeting a few… interesting people."
The call ended.
Minsoo lowered the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
"Well," Minsoo said "looks like our reason to fight tonight is gone."
Olly gave a chuckle "Shame, I was really looking forward to our fight."
Minsoo smirk "You'll get your chance, another time."
He turned slightly toward Hudson, his voice friendly "Hudson Ahn."
Hudson blinked "Yeah?"
"That offer I mentioned earlier," Minsoo said "Think about it again."
Minsoo continued "You join me officially, I'll support Ansan Public's growth, Financially and structurally, and in manpower if needed In return, you stand with me when Seoul's balance shifts, I can give your people stability and purpose."
Hudson crossed his arms, thinking "Hm, you talk like a CEO."
Minsoo chuckled "Maybe."
"I'll think about it."
"Good." Minsoo nodded "I don't need an answer Right away."
He turned toward Olly "And you, Olly Wang it was fun meeting you, You've got spirit."
"You flatter me."
Olly's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He glanced at the screen.
After answering briefly a quiet conversation in Mandarin and Korean mixed he ended the call and slipped the phone back into his jacket.
"That was enlightening," Olly said, amusement in his tone "Seems like I've just found James and someone else I've been looking for."
Olly turned away, his long coat swaying as he took a few slow steps down the street.
He stopped once, half-turning his head back toward them "It was fun meeting you, Minsoo Ji-Seop, Next time we meet…"
He grinned wild and bright "…it'll be in battle."
Minsoo exhaled looking down the road Olly vanished through "That man," he said, his tone half-amused "He's chaos."
Hudson adjusted his collar "he's very strong."
Minsoo nodded "He is, but a little unstable."
He looked up at the Seoul sky "The balance between crews, it's shifting again."
Minsoo turned and began walking.
----
"Nice to meet you," the voice was deep and soft "I'm Gangdong's might, Warren Chae."
He extended a hand forward.
Minsoo looked at him tall frame, solid shoulders, He smiled and reached out, shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Warren Chae," Minsoo replied "I'm Minsoo Ji-Seop, Second year at J-High."
There was a mutual understanding between them.
As they broke the handshake, Minsoo's gaze drifted to Sally Park, who stood nearby.
"So," Minsoo said casually "did you hit him hard?"
Sally nodded "Hard enough to make him think twice the next time, he leaves."
Minsoo laughed "Good, It's nice that he agreed to come back to Hostel B, He was already sulking around too much here."
At that, Eli Jang, standing right next to Sally, his brow twitching "Hey, that's not true-"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Minsoo interrupted with a wave of his hand.
Eli sighed, scratching the back of his head.
Minsoo smiled, Then his tone serious "Anyway, I met him, Hostel A's Big Daddy, He knows where you are now, Eli."
The air shifted instantly, Warren's eyes narrowed and Sally's smile faded Even Eli's.
Minsoo continued "He didn't say it directly, but he's planning something Be careful."
Eli nodded, a flicker of concern and Anger crossing his face "Got it, Thanks for the heads up, Minsoo."
He patted Minsoo's shoulder a gesture of quiet respect "You've done more than enough already."
Minsoo smiled.
Daniel Park called out "Sentimental time's over, Let's go to class before Mr. Kang turns into a demon again."
Zack muttered "He already is a demon."
Next afternoon…
The Burn Knuckles base was quiet.
Minsoo sat, legs crossed, eyes wandering Across from him sat Vasco, his expression unusually gloomy.
"Vasco," Minsoo said "Your time will come."
The Burn Knuckles leader didn't respond his eyes fixed on the floor He looked... deflated.
At lunch earlier, Og Daniel Park was surrounded by three girls.
Minsoo shook his head "Even in the darkest times, Vasco, you should never give up, no matter what."
Vasco blinked, then slowly smiled.
He stood, stretching a bit "Anyway, how's Little Daniel doing? You've been training him, right?"
Vasco's mood shifted immediately "Yeah! At first 5 months, he struggled He couldn't even keep up with simple drills But with time, he adapted, He's learning fast."
Minsoo nodded approvingly "Good, He got a lot of potential, You just need to bring it out of him, later I will handle it"
"I can do that, No problem!"
Minsoo smiled "Train him harder, teach him how to fight, not just to defend, but to believe in himself You can handle that, right?"
"No problem!" he repeated, this time with full confidence.
Minsoo patted his shoulder "That's the Vasco I know."
They sat in silence for a moment after that.
----
Minsoo and Hana lay sprawled across the couch, a blanket thrown lazily over their legs, a movie playing.
Hana had her head propped on her hand, eyes half on the movie and half lost in her thoughts.
"Hey, Minsoo," she said, breaking the silence.
Minsoo turned his head slightly toward her "Yeah?"
She didn't look at him, Her gaze stayed on the screen.
"Can I ask you something?"
He nodded "Go ahead."
"Do you love someone? Here… or before you came into this world?"
Minsoo blinked once "Here?" He paused, thinking "No, I don't think so."
Then she asked "What about before? Did you ever… have a crush? Or love someone deeply?"
Her eyes, though focused on the screen, were watching him through reflection.
Minsoo let out a thoughtful chuckle.
Then he looked at her, really looked at her and for the first time since, Hana saw an expression she'd never seen before on his face.
Emotions, Heavy emotions.
"She…" he started, his voice low "She was something different, She wasn't loud or dramatic, She was calm quiet in a way that made you want to listen, She was soft, but not weak Every word she said came from somewhere gentle."
He exhaled slowly, eyes unfocused, lost in memory.
'If tomorrow never cames for me, remember this, loving you was my favorite part of being alive.'
"She never raised her voice, Never made me feel unwanted, She cared with patience, When she looked at me… I didn't feel small, or wrong, or broken I just felt," he hesitated, searching for the right word "understood Like for the first time in my life, I didn't have to explain myself to someone."
Hana stayed silent, her eyes now fully on him.
Minsoo's voice softened "Her presence made everything lighter When she smiled, it was like the world wasn't as heavy anymore When she looked at me… I saw peace, The kind you only find once in a lifetime."
Hana swallowed "So… did you marry her?"
Minsoo's lips curled into a sad smile He shook his head slowly "No, I lost her."
"She was dying… and I couldn't do anything."
Hana's eyes widened, guilt flashing across her face "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
Minsoo waved his hand gently, interrupting her "No, No, it's okay, we plan alot of things, but in end, life follows the script written by destiny."
Then he continued, Minsoo telling everything about his past.
He leaned back, eyes drifting to the ceiling "Love is beautiful, Hana, But it can destroy you too The same thing that gives you peace can be the thing that breaks you completely."
Hana lowered her head, Her eyes shimmered, tears gathering.
Then she felt something brushing against her cheek.
Minsoo's hand.
He was wiping away her tears without saying a word.
When she looked at him.
Without thinking, Hana leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
Minsoo froze for a second, caught off guard then smiled faintly and returned the hug, his arms wrapping around her in gently.
Her face was buried in his chest, her voice trembling "I didn't know, you'd suffered that much."
Minsoo smiled "Suffering is part of life." he said.
He took a breath.
"Once you carry your own water, you start to understand the value of every drop, Life hits differently when you stop depending on others to fill your cup."
Hana stayed silent, listening His words.
"The day you start carrying your own water," he continued, "is the day you stop complaining about the weight, You stop expecting the world to understand your journey, Because it's yours no one else's."
He looked at her gently "Pressure builds character, Pain teaches you truth And once you've earned everything with your own hands… you'll never look at life the same way again."
Hana tightened her grip around him, tears slipping down her cheeks.