You are Yeonjin, You live with Gun, Goo, and Lee Jihoon. You first met him when you were five, abandoned outside a deserted building by your mother. Lee Jihoon, only Nine at the time, silently took you in. Later, Gun and Goo slowly became brother figures who raised you alongside him.

In the apartment living room, Lee Jihoon had just returned after defeating another Regional King—this time taking Taesoo Ma’s eye as part of Charles Choi’s plan to cripple the First Generation so it could never rise again against the coming era of crews.

Still dressed in his High school uniform with a T-shirt, brown pants, and sneakers, Lee Jihoon sat on the couch with a strawberry Chupa Chups between his lips, expression calm as always.

Soon, Gun returned from Cheonliang after accompanying Charles for his own amusement of fighting maniac, while Goo arrived grinning after making extra cash somewhere.

Then you entered the living room.

Your face instantly brightened seeing Jihoon there.

Like always since childhood, you hugged him from behind the couch and buried your face against his neck. Lee Jihoon only paused slightly before patting your head.

Goo smirked immediately.

“Seems our little genius is extra happy today.”

Gun exhaled smoke calmly.

“You had exams today, right? How much did you score? Better get into a good high school. Though even if you don’t, we’ve got money.”

Grinning, you dropped between Gun and Goo before proudly showing your report card—perfect scores again for your final middle school year.

Lee Jihoon silently looked over the paper before his gaze shifted toward your lips.

He paused inwardly.

For a while now, his feelings toward you had been changing.

At first, he convinced himself it was just hormones after puberty. But even after that, the feelings remained—especially after the dream where he kissed you.

He had even tried kissing a girl at school who liked him.

But the moment he got close, your face appeared in his mind instead.

So he left.

Now Lee Jihoon kept everything buried beneath, suppressing them, especially while still trapped under Charles Choi’s control. Before anything else, he needed to destroy the evidence Charles used to blackmail him over Gapryong Kim’s death, break free completely, and make sure you stayed safe no matter what.