(Saturday, May 25, 2024 – 10:12 AM)
Namsoo sat on the edge of a bench near the school gates, his hands clutching his knees tightly. His stomach was still sore from last night's beating, and his pride was in even worse shape.
He had debated all night whether or not to tell Zack the truth.
But now that Zack was standing in front of him, arms crossed, waiting for an explanation, he had no choice.
Taking a deep breath, Namsoo swallowed his fear and spilled everything.
By the time he finished, he was bracing for impact.
But the punch never came.
Zack just… sighed.
Namsoo peeked up, confused. "You're not… mad?"
Zack shook his head, furrowing his brows. "Nah. If anything… it's my fault." He exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I should've gone myself instead of putting that on you."
Namsoo blinked. "Wait… what?"
"I asked you to do it, and you got hurt because of it." Zack muttered. "That's on me."
Namsoo was too shocked to process what was happening. Instead of getting screamed at, Zack was actually feeling guilty?
Before he could respond, another voice cut in.
"Well, we're getting that money back." Lil Daniel said casually with his hands tucked in his pockets.
Zack looked over. "How?"
Lil Daniel stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles. "Easy. We use your phone and order from them again."
Zack frowned slightly. "Wouldn't they just switch numbers?"
"They could, but they probably won't." Daniel explained. "Phones are expensive. Even scam artists use the same ones for a while. And besides," he grinned, "people like that? They get greedy."
Zack's lips curled up slightly. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Lil Daniel shrugged. "Revenge is a dish best served with a side of fun."
Zack rolled his eyes but pulled out his phone, texting the number Namsoo had used.
Within minutes, they had a meeting set.
(2:00 PM)
The moment Zack and Lil Daniel stepped into the alley, Woojin's smug face appeared once again.
This time, though?
He had no idea he had just invited hell to his doorstep.
"Ah, you're the new customer?" Woojin said, grinning. "Did you bring the-"
BAM.
Zack's fist collided with his jaw before he could even finish his sentence.
Woojin's body flew backward, crashing into a pile of trash bags.
His two goons, completely caught off guard, hesitated for half a second, but that was all Lil Daniel needed.
He stepped forward, weaving smoothly between them before unleashing a brutal left hook into the first guy's ribs.
CRACK.
The man collapsed instantly, wheezing.
The second goon barely had time to react before Zack grabbed him by the collar and launched him into the wall.
Woojin, shaking off his daze, staggered to his feet.
"H-Hold on-"
Lil Daniel's fist sank into his stomach.
Woojin's eyes bulged while his knees buckled.
Then..
BAM.
Zack uppercut him clean into the air, sending him crashing back down onto the pavement.
A deep silence settled over the alley with the only sound being Woojin groaning in pain.
Then Lil Daniel's eyes flickered toward Haeri.
She had been watching silently the whole time, still leaning against the wall, arms crossed. She wasn't even trying to run.
Lil Daniel cracked his neck with an exited smile. "You, too." He said before he punched her in the face.
She collapsed instantly.
Zack, standing beside him, gave him a weird look.
"…Bro."
Lil Daniel shrugged. "Gender equality."
Zack didn't know how to respond to that.
Meanwhile, Lil Daniel crouched down, rifling through Woojin's pockets.
"The hell are you doing?" Zack asked.
Daniel grinned. "Robbing them clean." He doesn't actually need to as he has a lot of money thanks to the Webtoon, but he's just doing it for the love of the game.
Zack sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're actually insane."
Lil Daniel whistled as he pocketed the money, then patted Zack's shoulder. "Let's go get some food, you pay."
As they exited the alley, a familiar figure stood nearby.
Gun Park.
Leaning casually against a lamppost with his hands in his pockets and sunglasses slightly tilted down, he watched them with mild interest.
Daniel, seeing him, raised a hand in greeting. "Yo."
Gun nodded slightly. "Yo." Dapping up Lil Daniel before Zack and him introduced to each other.
Zack, still wiping his knuckles, blinked. "What are you doing here?"
Gun exhaled. "School stuff."
Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait… you go to Gian High? My brother told me you were a student but you study actually this close?"
Gun nodded. "Yeah." He sighed tiredly. "I have to take the qualifying exam for university."
Daniel grinned. "No shit. Gun Park, the genius martial artist, stressing over tests?"
Gun rolled his eyes. "Tch. It's not about difficulty. It's just a pain in the ass."
Daniel chuckled. "I feel that."
Gun adjusted his sunglasses. "You guys done beating up random idiots?"
Lil Daniel grinned. "For now."
Gun smirked. "Nice. Let's go eat, you pay."
Daniel refused "Oh hell nah, i don't have money, Zack is rich he is gonna pay for everyone."
(2:45 PM)
The three of them sat on the sidewalk, the warm afternoon sun casting long shadows over the pavement. In front of them, a small food stall sizzled with the smell of grilled meat and fried snacks. Lil Daniel bit into a skewer of tteokbokki, Zack chewed on a fish cake, and Gun was casually munching on some kimbap.
Between bites, Lil Daniel glanced at Gun. "So, what are you up to later?"
Gun paused mid-chew, after a moment, he answered. "I need to collect some money."
Zack raised an eyebrow. "What, like... you're in a gang or something?"
Gun shook his head. "Nah. I manage them."
Lil Daniel's chewing slowed slightly. He gave an awkward smile. "Man, maybe you shouldn't be saying that so casually."
Gun scratched his cheek, uncaring. "Tch. Do you care?"
Lil Daniel grinned. "Of course, I care."
Gun raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?"
Daniel shrugged. "I'll take care of the gangs and rob them clean, they must be rich." He took another bite of his food before casually adding, "By the way, what are their names?"
Gun chuckled. "You're talking about robbing them before even knowing who they are?"
Zack, wiping his mouth, leaned forward slightly. "Alright, I'll bite. Who exactly are we talking about?"
Gun wiped his fingers on a napkin before gesturing with his chopsticks.
"The Four Major Crews."
Zack and Lil Daniel both listened as Gun continued.
"The Four Major Crews are the biggest gangs in Seoul. The city's split into four regions by the Han River, North, West, East, and South. Each of them controls their own jurisdiction."
He pointed at them with his chopsticks. "J High? Conveniently right in the middle of all that. Neutral ground."
Zack's brows furrowed. "So these crews… what, they just run their own areas?"
Gun smirked. "Not just that. They pay 100 million won each month."
Lil Daniel, still chewing, blinked. "Wait, hold on. Each?"
Gun nodded. "That's right. A hundred million won. Per gang. Every month."
Zack coughed slightly. "So… who's that money going to?"
Gun smiled, closing his eyes as he took another bite. "Secret. If you wanna find out, you'll have to defeat me first."
Lil Daniel chuckled to himself. 'I already know everything.'
He swallowed before side-eyeing Gun. "So, is that money legal?"
Gun nodded instantly. "Yeah."
Daniel gave him a side eye.
"Bullshit."
Gun just smirked but said nothing.
Zack exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Alright, so what are the names of these crews?"
Gun leaned back against the wall, listing them off casually.
"North: God Dog (Gangbuk)."
"West: Big Deal (Gangseo)."
"East: Hostel (Gangdong)."
"South: Workers (Gangnam)."
Zack's eyes narrowed. "And who's the strongest?"
Gun finished his last bite of food before answering.
"The Workers."
Lil Daniel, now completely done with his own food, casually reached over, and bit into Gun's kimbap.
Gun froze.
The moment his jaw locked, Zack knew shit was about to go down.
Gun's hand shot out, gripping Lil Daniel's neck.
The pressure tightened instantly.
Lil Daniel, still chewing, held up a finger, signaling for a moment. He finished the bite, swallowed, then finally looked at Gun.
"…Was that necessary?"
Gun narrowed his eyes. "Do you think I'm gonna let you walk away after stealing my food?"
Daniel blinked. "Who cares, you're loaded."
Gun squeezed more. "That's not the point."
After a brief struggle, Gun finally let go, shaking his head. "Tch. Annoying bastard."
Lil Daniel grinned, rubbing his neck.
Gun stood up, dusting off his pants. "Alright, I'm heading out." He stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Gotta finish my work before sundown."
Zack leaned back. "You mean rob people."
Gun didn't deny it.
With a lazy wave, he turned. "Goodbye."
Lil Daniel and Zack watched as he disappeared into the street.
Zack exhaled, shaking his head. "Bro… that guy's dangerous."
Lil Daniel stood up, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, he is."
With that, they headed off.