A Year of Revision and Amour : Carl Gallagher

Two different worlds.

Areum's mornings in New York were starting to feel... less miserable. That was something new. Before Naomi started tagging along, everything felt like a blur—getting through the day with as little contact as possible, dodging any attempts people made to talk to her, and just counting the hours until she could go back home. But now? Now she had Naomi.

It wasn't like they were best friends or anything. Areum still kept her guard up, but she couldn't deny that Naomi had a way of breaking through her walls without even trying. Her energy was contagious, even if it annoyed Areum half the time.

"Come on, Areum, you gotta at least *try* to enjoy yourself," Naomi said one morning, bouncing next to her at their lockers. "You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time."

Areum shrugged, trying not to let it show that Naomi's words had some truth to them. "It's just school."

Naomi grinned. "Well, I'm here to make it fun for you. You know, help you loosen up. We could even go out sometime, maybe catch a movie or something?"

Areum didn't answer right away. Going out? Having fun? That seemed so far away from the person she was now. But Naomi had this effect on her, and for once, she actually considered it. "Maybe," she muttered, not wanting to commit but also not wanting to shut her down completely.

Naomi elbowed her playfully. "That's practically a yes in Areum language. I'll take it."

Throughout the day, Areum found herself listening more to Naomi, letting her positive energy rub off, even if she didn't fully admit it. She still wasn't the talkative, open type, but being around Naomi made things feel a little lighter. Maybe, just maybe, things could get better. But the shadow of her old life, the weight of what she'd been through, still hung over her. No matter how hard she tried to shake it, it lingered.

---

Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Carl's life was heading in the opposite direction.

The hustle never stopped. Every day was a new deal, another risky play, another step deeper into the life he'd promised himself he'd never fully return to. But here he was, standing outside his school, waiting for his next buyer. It wasn't just about the money anymore—it was about the thrill, the control, and the power he had over the other kids. They looked at him like he was untouchable, and in a way, he liked that. No one messed with Carl Gallagher.

Nick had become his right-hand guy, and together, they were making serious moves. Nick was quiet, the type to let Carl do the talking, but he had Carl's back when things got tense. Carl liked having someone like him around—no questions, no judgments, just action.

"Yo, you got it?" a nervous kid asked as he approached Carl behind the bleachers, his eyes darting around like he was afraid someone might see.

Carl smirked. "You know I got it, bro. Where's the cash?"

The kid handed over a crumpled wad of bills, and Carl slipped the gun from his backpack, keeping it low and quick. It was all so easy now—he could practically do it with his eyes closed. But every deal, every time he got deeper into this life, he could feel something pulling him in further. It wasn't enough anymore. He needed bigger moves, more control.

His family, on the other hand, was a mess as usual. Fiona was wrapped up in her own world, trying to figure out her relationship with Sean, and Lip? Lip was spiraling too, diving into his own set of problems with alcohol and his complicated thing with Professor Helene. Carl barely saw Debbie anymore—she was off, doing her own thing, getting ready to have a baby. Everything was chaos at home, but that was normal for the Gallaghers. And Carl? He had learned to live in that chaos.

But sometimes, late at night when things were quiet and he was alone in his room, his thoughts drifted to Areum. He still texted her, but it wasn't the same as having her around. He missed her toughness, the way she didn't take his shit, the way she looked at him like she could see through everything. No one here was like her.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him out of his thoughts. It was another buyer, wanting to meet after school. He sighed and texted Nick to let him know about the deal. This was his life now, and he had to stay sharp.

As Carl walked home that afternoon, his mind wandered again. He couldn't stop thinking about how much deeper he was getting into this business. Selling guns wasn't like selling weed or other small-time stuff. This was serious. The school was crawling with buyers, and soon, people outside the school would want in too. He knew it was getting dangerous, but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. The money, the power, the way people looked at him—it was addicting.

But then he thought of Areum, out in New York, probably keeping her head down, trying to stay out of trouble. He wondered if she had changed, if she still had that fire in her, or if New York had made her soft. He laughed to himself. Areum, soft? Nah, that wasn't possible.

Still, something was pulling him back toward her, even if they were miles apart. He couldn't shake the feeling that no matter how deep he got into this life, there was still a part of him that wanted something different. Something—or someone—that reminded him there was more than just this.