That night, Johan's mother was transferred to another hospital. Baki had arranged everything, and they would begin the cornea transplant surgery as soon as they found a donor.
Johan watched his mother through the doorway. She had fallen asleep. A hand ruffled his hair. Baki smiled. "Kid, everything's going to be alright now. But you need to be careful—you've made many enemies."
With that, Baki turned to leave. After a few steps, he sighed. "Why are you following me?"
Johan stayed quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I want to repay you for your help."
Baki chuckled. "You're still just a kid. Repay me when you grow up. Moreover, you should leave this kind of life behind. Don't get tangled up in these things anymore."
Johan shook his head. "I'm already used to this life."
Baki shook his head and sighed. "Then you'd better get stronger fast, or you won't be able to keep up with me."
Johan smiled. As they were about to leave the hospital, a kid rushed in and grabbed Johan by the collar. "Johan, you bastard! You... you finally came back."
It was Zack Lee. Behind him, a girl walked in—Mira. She smiled at them. Johan led them upstairs to his mother's ward. They didn't enter since she was sleeping. After a while, everyone left the hospital and went to a local restaurant.
Zack pointed at Baki. "Who's this guy? I've seen him with you before."
Johan glanced at Baki but didn't answer. In truth, he had never seen Baki as someone close until this moment. He'd thought Baki would dispose of him once his work was done, just like Gun had. But Baki—he turned out to be different.
Seeing the awkward silence, Baki grinned and slung his arm around Johan's shoulders, squeezing. "This brat's my sidekick."
Zack spit out his food. "What?! Hahahaha! I never expected Johan to be someone's sidekick! Hahaha!" He turned to Mira. "Did you hear that? Johan's a sidekick! Hahaha!"
Mira just smiled and shook her head. Under the warm, cozy lighting of the restaurant, anyone who saw them would have mistaken them for family. They talked, ate, and laughed together. At one point, Zack was about to order drinks, but Mira pinched his side, stopping him. Still, the energy they radiated was warm and comfortable.
---
A Few Days Later – J High School
Zack stared at Daniel's empty desk. Ever since their last meeting, he'd felt that Daniel was hiding something. Honestly, he was worried. He turned to Zoe.
"Daniel didn't come to school today?"
Zoe shook her head. "No. I asked little Daniel, but even he didn't know anything. Turns out Daniel didn't come home either. Has something happened?"
Zack shook his head, then headed to the architecture department. As soon as he entered, he saw the Burn Knuckles gathered in a circle. In the center, Vasco and Woong were arm-wrestling. Zack squeezed through and asked, "Do you guys know where Daniel is?"
Vasco shook his head. "Daniel didn't come to school today?"
Zack nodded. "That's right."
Vasco stood and shouted, "Everyone, prepare! Today we're visiting our sick comrade! Burn Knuckles, gather up!"
Zack shook his head. "That won't help. He didn't go home either."
Jace seemed to catch on to something. "Did he act strange the last couple of days?"
Zack nodded, and from there, they began discussing where Daniel might be.
---
Meanwhile, Daniel Park had just arrived at the second affiliate of Workers. Eugene and Mandeok escorted him inside. Yes, Daniel had joined Workers—but only as part of his plan to destroy it from within. He had no idea where the second affiliate was located.
He'd found the fourth affiliate because Gun Park had given him the ONE MCN card. For the third affiliate, Steve Hong had told him to infiltrate Club Vivi. But he'd had no leads on the second affiliate—until Eugene invited Daniel to join Workers. Now he would work from the inside to bring it down.
Daniel asked Eugene, "Isn't the second affiliate a casino?"
Eugene smiled. "It's a hotel. The casino is just a bonus."
Then he handed Daniel a mask. "Put this on. We're here."
---
A Few Hours Later
Eugene and Daniel sat facing each other. Mandeok stood behind Eugene. Eugene leaned forward with a smile. "Are you really going to invite your friends to the circus?"
Daniel answered, "I hope you won't go back on your word, President."
Eugene leaned back, still smiling. "Of course. After all, I'll be the one choosing the five participants who enter the circus."
With that, Eugene stood to leave, Mandeok following behind. Mandeok asked, "President, are you sure about this?"
Eugene smiled. "Don't worry. I have everything under control."
---
The Next Day
Seongji Yuk looked down at Vin Jin, who lay defeated on the ground. Vin Jin asked, "Teacher... why can't I get any stronger?"
Seongji Yuk smiled. "Vin Jin, I've taught you everything I can. Now that you've hit a plateau, the only way for you to grow stronger is to face an overwhelmingly powerful opponent—someone who will push you to your limits."
Vin Jin got up. "A strong opponent? Where do I find one?"