GET OUT OF THE WAY!

The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon. People were heading to their jobs or places of study. The streets were crowded with people, ready to start a new week in their lives.

"Uaaah! Why are mornings so boring?" - Robert yawned as he stretched his arms in the air - "I'm so tired… I'm only here this early because you're my friend. It would have been easier for me to get to school from my apartment"

"I wonder why you're so tired when you don't even go to school" - Ijin murmured, maintaining his usual calm expression - "Even when you do attend, you just spend the time sleeping"

"Oppa, don't say that to Lee sunbae" - Dayun, accompanying the two boys, spoke up to correct her brother.

"Thanks for the help, Dayun" - Robert smiled.

Dayun acknowledged his gratitude and continued talking to her brother - "Even if it's true that Lee sunbae is a sleepyhead, you shouldn't say it out loud on the street."

"Hey! You're supposed to be defending me" - Robert exclaimed.

"Haha, see? Even Dayun is slowly realizing what you're like" - Ijin remarked with a slight smile.

"Oh? What do I see here? You're smiling more than before" - Robert dropped his act and began to tease his friend - "It looks like your time at the SW offices is helping you develop social skills"

This time, it was Dayun's turn to laugh, as she also thought that her older brother's current job was positively influencing how he expressed himself to people, and she was secretly grateful.

"Come on, tell me, how's it going with the granddaughter of the SW Group's owner? Come on, tell me" - Robert wrapped his arm around his friend's neck and pulled him close to whisper in his ear.

"I'll break your hand if you don't let go" - Ijin responded emotionlessly but without any threat in his voice.

"Hey! Come on, man, you've got to tell me something. There's no way she's calling you to her company just out of gratitude. There must be something more" - Robert whispered again.

"Haaa… now I'm regretting calling you"

A smile appeared on Dayun's face when she saw the interaction between her brother and his friend.

It had been almost three weeks since the fateful day when she was kidnapped along with Shin Yuna, her brother's classmate.

That was the most terrifying day in the young girl's life. She had endured Hee-jin's abuses, which had made her more tolerant of mistreatment.

However, being kidnapped by people who, although they didn't insult or mistreat her, transmitted a sense of danger beyond what she could imagine, was a different experience.

But, although remembering that day brought unpleasant memories to her mind, it was also one of the most cherished days of her life, because her brother came to rescue her, as if it were a dream.

She still remembered how her brother, along with Shin Yuna's bodyguard, arrived and fought against the people who had kidnapped them.

She could still see in some dreams how Ijin fought in a way she had only seen in action movies, defeating all the kidnappers.

That was the second biggest surprise of her life, as the first was finding out that her brother was still alive.

However, amidst all the happiness that filled her heart, a feeling also grew that didn't allow her to be completely at ease.

Despite having many doubts about what happened, she knew one thing.

Her brother was not a normal teenager, because no boy his age could do what Ijin did that night.

No boy... except Robert.

She didn't know what past he had with her brother, but he wasn't normal either.

She didn't deduce this because of the fight Robert had with Cheo Gunner weeks ago, but because of what happened the day after she was rescued.

Not only did Goh Suk-joo and her brother come to the rescue, but Robert did too!

She and Yuna were taken to the hospital for a medical check-up, and several people came to visit, including Robert, who came to tease and joke with her brother, just as he did every day.

But there was something Dayun saw, unintentionally, that left her dismayed.

At a moment when she was alone, as she was about to leave her room, she noticed Yuna talking to Robert in the hallway. Yuna was thanking him for everything he did to save her, and mentioned that her grandfather was grateful for having dealt with the most problematic kidnappers.

This left Dayun deep in thought, as she hadn't seen him when everything was resolved.

But her dismay wasn't because her brother's friend had accompanied him to rescue her, but because of what she had seen on the news a few days later.

Throughout the media, there were still reports about the bodies found in the port of Incheon a day after she had been kidnapped. 

These news reports kept her mind from fully relaxing.

She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she didn't dare to ask her brother about that specific topic.

Moreover, every time she saw Robert, she could only feel a sense of appreciation.

Ijin told her that it was thanks to Robert that Hee-jin's father's dirty secrets came to light. Additionally, it was Robert who prevented Gunner from causing them trouble on the day they fought.

He was her brother's only friend before returning home. The only one, apart from their family, who could make him smile, even if it was by persistently teasing him.

Robert was that friend who had accompanied Ijin in the past and, in her brother's words, was an idiot with whom he had formed a good friendship.

Whenever Dayun looked at him, she couldn't associate his fresh and relaxed demeanor with what had happened at the Incheon port. That's why she didn't ask anything because she didn't want moments like these to be ruined.

She was glad that Robert was here because the atmosphere became kind, calm, and peaceful... it became something she enjoyed experiencing. That's why Dayun decided to try to forget, not to think about it, and to enjoy this new chapter in her life.

...........

"Well, I guess we'll split up here. See you later, Oppa, Lee sunbae" - Dayun said as she said goodbye and headed to her classroom once they arrived at school.

"She looks happier now… that smile isn't as forced as when I first met her" - Robert murmured.

"Mmm… she's better now" - Ijin replied.

"You're telling me! She even looks more radiant—"

"I'll break your face if you keep talking about my sister like that," Ijin quickly raised his hand and grabbed Robert's shoulder.

"Hey, calm down, man, don't be so jealous" - Robert smiled ironically - "You know I'd never try anything with your sister, I promised you that a long time ago"

"Why don't I believe you?" - Ijin responded dryly.

"Well, it's not my problem if you don't believe me, but you need to learn to manage that jealousy. Remember, she's not a little girl; she'll get a boyfriend someday. I don't want her to stay single forever just because you can't control yourself"

Robert's teasing didn't do much to ease the situation and only worsened Ijin's mood. However, there was some truth to those words.

Unlike what Robert believed, he wasn't against Dayun growing up and experiencing a romantic relationship with someone. He knew it was inevitable and that he needed to learn to tolerate it.

However, he would make sure that the guy Dayun dates is someone with good intentions who wouldn't hurt her. She was a very beautiful girl with a good heart, so there would be many guys wanting to be her boyfriend.

Ijin wouldn't allow any idiot or womanizer to get close to his sister. However, if we're talking about the biggest idiot or womanizer he knew, Robert's name was the first to come to mind.

Yes, it was true that Robert had kept his word and hadn't gone after Dayun, which he appreciated. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was that Dayun had started to take more interest in him!

Since the day of the rescue, even if they had only seen each other a few times, Ijin began to notice the way Dayun looked at Robert, which was nothing like how she did in the past.

She had started asking about various things related to Robert, like his past, his favorite food, or his favorite color, which put Ijin in a tight spot because he didn't know how to respond.

And little by little, day by day, she wanted to know more about the life of the damn womanizer.

That's why Ijin once mentioned Robert's possible girlfriends from the past, but even that didn't seem to quell her curiosity about him.

That was completely crazy!

Since today was Monday, Dayun left earlier to attend the student council meetings she was part of, and Ijin took this opportunity to invite his friend and discuss an important matter.

However, when Dayun found out that Robert was going, she wanted to join them!

Ijin wasn't very expressive or emotional, but he could read the atmosphere very well. Dayun's behavior was almost similar to the innocent army recruits who fell into Robert's lustful traps.

That's why Ijin was so agitated when his friend made that comment about his sister.

"Well, classes are about to start, so tell me, what did you want to talk about? Let's go to the parking lot, there's almost no one there" - Robert spoke casually and started walking, pulling Ijin out of his thoughts - "Hopefully, it's something worth getting up this early for"

Ijin didn't say anything and followed his friend to the designated spot, which was a bit empty.

"Did you read the report Captain Kang sent us?" - Ijin finally asked.

Ijin's demeanor changed completely. If he was a bit agitated about his sister before, now he was calm, reverting to his usual personality, as this topic was of great importance.

"Do you mean the report about the Four Major Crews? Yes, I read it, about their leaders, their territories, and who's controlling them from the shadows" - Robert replied in a calm voice, but with palpable seriousness.

"Big Deal in the west, God Dog in the north, Hostel in the east, and finally, the strongest of them all, Workers in the south… it seems Korea is sicker than I thought" - Ijin murmured while clenching his fists.

Thinking that his family lives in a place where juvenile delinquency is rampant was something that didn't align with the good impression he had of his country.

"They're not supposed to have done anything in central Seoul yet because it's a central area, but some kids from Jae Won High School got into some trouble, catching the attention of those groups… I don't want central Seoul to become a battleground between gangs. My sister or my grandfather could get into trouble"

"According to military intelligence, those kids are promising, and there are people we need to be careful of… but as long as they don't mess with us, I don't care what they do. However, if you want to go after them, rest assured that I'll support you."

Ijin glanced at Robert while contemplating his words.

When Ijin was in the IRON paramilitary group, he faced death multiple times and took many lives throughout his journey as a mercenary, so the fear of death didn't affect him.

At least, that's how it was in the past. However, now that he had his sister and his grandfather, the thought of losing them made things more complicated.

Additionally, from the leaked military intelligence reports, these guys weren't just simple juvenile delinquents; they seemed to be superhuman when it came to hand-to-hand combat.

For a moment, Ijin thought Robert was overly confident, but upon looking closely at him, he realized that Robert was also analyzing the entire situation, as it disrupted his usual relaxed zone.

"Hey, you're blocking the way, move!"

Suddenly, the voice of a girl with an annoyed and arrogant tone resonated behind the two boys. They turned to see who was speaking to them with such irritation.