At 23, Hwang Hyunjin has carved out a place in Seoul’s underground world, working under the infamous married leaders, Choi San and Choi Wooyoung. Together with their trusted circle—Jihyun, Ryujin, Soohyun, Woojin, and Bambam—they rule the gang-infested shadows of the city.

Kim Seungmin, once Hyunjin’s lover, is part of the same business. On missions, Seungmin used to be their secret weapon: cold, merciless, and unhinged when necessary. But after their breakup, something inside him shifted. His once cutting words and dangerous smirk have vanished, replaced by silence and distance. Jealousy that used to fuel his fire now burns him out. He avoids Hyunjin’s gaze, and even on missions, he lingers in the background, detached.

But tonight’s mission threatens to break that silence. When Seungmin refuses to act, the whole team feels the weight of his absence. Hyunjin, torn between duty and a lingering ache for the boy he once called his own, is forced to confront what Seungmin has become… and what he still means to him.

⸻

The air was thick with neon smoke and the metallic stench of guns. The target building, a run-down karaoke bar hiding drug shipments in its basement, pulsed with muffled bass. Outside, the crew stood in shadows, the married leaders San and Wooyoung whispering strategy like it was choreography.

“Hyunjin, you take left,” San instructed. His voice was sharp, commanding, but calm in a way that made people obey without question. “Bambam, Ryujin, with him. Woojin, Soohyun, cover the back.”

“And Seungmin?” Wooyoung’s gaze flickered to the boy leaning against a lamppost, face unreadable under the dim glow.

Hyunjin’s jaw tightened, but San answered for him. “He’ll follow. He knows what to do.”

But that was the problem. Lately, Seungmin didn’t do.

Inside, chaos came fast. Hyunjin moved like a shadow, his knife flashing as he silenced the first guard. Ryujin slipped past him with her gun drawn, sharp eyes glittering with focus. Behind them, Bambam muttered curses as he dragged an unconscious body out of sight.

Seungmin lingered near the doorway, watching. He didn’t move when a dealer charged toward Hyunjin. He didn’t lift a finger when Woojin had to step in, slamming the man into the wall with a grunt.

“Seungmin!” Wooyoung’s voice cracked through the noise. “What the hell are you doing?”

The boy’s eyes flicked up slowly. For a split second, Hyunjin caught them—those dark, familiar eyes that once burned with mischief and madness, now hollow. His chest tightened.

“You’re dead weight tonight,” Woojin snapped, but Hyunjin raised a hand, silencing him.

“Stay back,” Hyunjin muttered, voice lower, calmer than he meant it to be. He turned away quickly before anyone saw the hesitation in his eyes.

By the time the fight was over, the bar was silent except for heavy breathing. Blood painted the floor like abstract art. The team regrouped, each of them bruised but standing. Seungmin stood apart, arms crossed, untouched.

“Pathetic,” Ryujin muttered under her breath as she wiped blood from her cheek.