Choi San, a revered and feared mafia boss, reigns over Seoul's underworld with an iron fist, his influence extending seamlessly across both legal and illegal domains. But his empire is shaken to its core when his beloved daughter, Eun-ji, is kidnapp...
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.·:*¨¨* ≈ᴊᴜɴɢ ᴡᴏᴏʏᴏᴜɴɢ≈ *¨¨*:·.
I found myself sitting in the dim light of the pub, nursing a glass of whiskey with Yeosang and Jongho on either side. Around the table were members of our drifters family, faces turned my way with varying degrees of discontent. They were clearly unhappy about my reaction to Minho the previous night, but more so, they were fuming over my decision to speak on one of Choi San's men who'd decided to join us after betraying him.
I looked around, keeping my expression deliberately unaffected. These were people who thrived on the art of revenge and secrets, who valued loyalty until it became inconvenient. All I wanted was to live without masks, without having to prove myself at every turn. I wanted out of places where alliances felt like shifting sand beneath my feet.
The head member, seated across from me, met my gaze with a look of cold disappointment, like I was a problem he'd been forced to handle. He checked his watch, clearly waiting for the right moment to lay into me. I took another sip, barely resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
Finally, I'd had enough. "Are you going to talk, or just sit there watching me?" I asked, setting my glass down and giving him an unbothered look.
He squinted, clearly not impressed by my lack of respect. "What made you think snitching on one of Choi San's men who decided to join us was a good idea?" His voice was as cold as his glare.
I scoffed, unable to hold back. "Someone who betrays his own boss doesn't deserve to be here. You're all so eager to welcome him in, but he'd just do the same to you the second it suits him."
Murmurs spread around the table, some of the members exchanging uneasy glances, but the head's expression remained firm, a mix of anger and, strangely, curiosity.
"You think that makes you better?" he asked, his tone laced with mockery. "That you're somehow more loyal because you're willing to side with someone like Choi San?"
I narrowed my eyes. "This has nothing to do with loyalty to San. It's about trust. If you're willing to let people like that into your circle, then none of you can trust each other. And I'm not interested in playing that game."
Yeosang and Jongho shifted beside me, tense but silent, watching the exchange unfold. The head leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "You may not like the way we do things, but loyalty here is something you prove. You've done nothing to show that you belong in this community."
I chuckled bitterly, meeting his stare head-on. "Maybe that's because I'm not looking to belong here. Unlike the rest of you, I'm not trying to be part of some power play, dragging in anyone with a grudge just to build numbers. I'd rather be with people I can actually trust."
The head's eyes narrowed, his tone growing colder. "Careful, Wooyoung. You might find yourself without any allies left."
"You think I'm fucking stupid," I said, my voice steady as I stared the head down, feeling the heat of everything I'd kept quiet burning in my chest. "You always mock me and how I dress, but you can't stand that people actually listen to me more than they do to you. I don't need to belong here, and I don't need to blow smoke up your ass—or Choi San's."
