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Jiwoong was dreaming about his uncle who was the biggest influence on his childhood and maybe later on. Uncle Jiwoong called him, but not blood-related. Uncle was his father's right-hand man, but he shook his head whenever people called him that, saying "I'm just a left-hand of the boss."
Jiwoong wondered, so asked.
"Why do you want to be a left-hand? Right is better and stronger, isn't it?"
"Well, you know. Let the left hand not know what the right hand is doing, they say."
"Who are they and what does that mean?"
"Some wise people. And that means you can peacefully stay in the dark as long as you're a left hand."
Jiwoong didn't understand back then, but he figured as he grew that Uncle didn't want to stand out as a right-hand. He was not the enforcer type; rather, he was more like a thinker who favored civilization over savagery. For that reason, Jiwoong's father assigned him heir training for his only child, Jiwoong.
Jiwoong learned a lot from Uncle. It was one of his lessons not to trust someone who has nothing valuable. Young Jiwoong didn't get it first.
"But why? If you have nothing valuable, you could be a fearless enforcer."
"Could be, but you need a sword that would work for you, not against you. Those who have received your money can easily betray you when they meet a chance for more money, but those who have received your grace can't. To offer grace, there must be someone precious to the person who is receiving the grace, so you could help the person protect them."
"Do you have someone precious, Uncle?"
The man got silent for two seconds, but he finally answered with a smile.
"I used to, so I was able to receive your father's grace."
That was how Jiwoong opened up his eyes to the value of loyalty.
Jiwoong wanted to ask what happened to the precious person, but he knew better. Even at an early age, he was well aware that people killed others and got killed by others for various reasons. Dogs eating dogs. That was a norm of the underworld. You can lose anyone no matter how precious they are. Jiwoong was no exception although he was the only son of the boss.
Then what's the point of having someone precious? I won't have anyone precious in my life, he made a silent vow. One time was more than enough. Back then, he didn't know he had someone precious already. It was only when he lost Uncle and suffered like a burning hell for the loss that he realized that to the bone.
Uncle patted his back affectionately and said.
"One day, you will have someone you want to protect, but until then, you should protect the things you need to."
Jiwoong knew what Uncle meant: you should protect your gang, your father's legacy. And he nodded.
***
When Jongwoo stepped into the office, Jiwoong stood among thugs near the entrance to look at him from behind as advised by Uncle. "It's not easy to decorate your back, so you can accurately understand a person if you see their backs," Uncle used to tell him.
From the moment he saw Jongwoo's back, he could follow Jongwoo's thoughts and feelings. Jongwoo was consistently reading the space and people. Also, he was able to confidently assess and cope with the situation without fear or hesitation. Jiwoong instantly liked him. No wonder that guy made the old man's favorite, Jiwoong thought while grinning.
The old man, Jongwoo's previous boss, was known for being reliable but also stubborn as a donkey. While these qualities may have contributed to the collapse of his gang, Jongwoo remained loyal to him until the very end. Jiwoong was intrigued when the old man spoke very highly of Jongwoo and asked for Jiwoong's help on his transition, as both were out of his character. So Jiwoong called in Jongwoo for an interview.
When Jongwoo took off his jacket, Jiwoong felt even more satisfied with his slim but firm arms which highlighted the ideal combination of agility and strength. Jiwoong knew what the arms of a skilled knife handler should look like, and Jongwoo's arms could serve as a perfect example in a textbook. There was a tattoo on his left arm, and Jiwoong would like to see it closely, but he refrained, knowing there should be better timing for that. Jiwoong had a hunch that he could have a chance to explore the tattoo further in the near future.
Jiwoong stepped towards inside as he had examined enough of Jongwoo's back. Upon making the very first eye contact, Jiwoong felt a wave of jitters in his stomach. Jongwoo looked so much younger for a man having such a mature and solid back. He looked at Jiwoong in his eyes with no sign of pretense or hostility. It has been a quite while since Jiwoong met such eyes, and the gaze made him feel accepted as he was for some reason.
On impulse, Jiwoong made a circle with his index finger as he wanted to see how Jongwoo moved. When Jongwoo made a turn, Jiwoong knew he could not ask for anything more. Jongwoo's ability to comprehend and respond appropriately to his unspoken cues would be extremely crucial in a life-or-death situation. But more importantly, Jiwoong was amazed by the way Jongwoo moved which was almost a work of art.
Just like that, Jiwoong made Jongwoo his left-hand man, considering him to be of greater significance than his right-hand counterpart.
***
It had been a long dream from Uncle to Jongwoo, and Jiwoong struggled to open up his eyes, but his eyelids felt like tons. Instead, he could smell something, mostly unpleasant, but with a hint of freshly dried laundry. In an instant, he was transported back to his childhood home, where his precious one was always there for him. Memories of sunny spring days flooded his mind when they would hang the laundry together, humming melodies that filled the air.
Mom. Jiwoong tried to call her but his voice failed him. Suddenly, he shuddered at the realization that it cannot be true. He is a grown-up man now, and his mom has been gone for a long time, without any opportunity to witness her little boy's transformation into adulthood. Even then, he could still smell the clean refreshing scent tinged with mint and lemon. From somewhere very close.
"Are you okay?"
He heard someone ask. Jiwoong's response came forth with great effort.
"...Who are you?"
"Your left-hand man, aka number two of the gang."
It was when Jiwoong became aware that he was being carried on Jongwoo's back in a dark and humid place, emitting a foul odor.
"Where are we?"
"Well, I took you to the real underworld, " Jongwoo replied lightly as if it were a joke. But it was not as they escaped into the sewer after being attacked by a rival gang.
