"Shadows of Solitude"

After Jin Shi returned home, his body was exhausted, covered in bruises and blood. He felt immense pain in every part of his body, but he tried to ignore it. Tonight was one of the worst nights he had ever experienced, yet he was grateful that his grandmother was not home. Otherwise, she would have bombarded him with questions he couldn't answer.

With a sigh, he pulled out the first aid kit from under his bed, taking out bandages and some medicine before carefully treating himself. Every time he touched a wound, a sharp sting shot through him, but he remained silent. Pain was nothing new to him. Since childhood, he had learned how to take care of himself without relying on anyone.

Still, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened today. Had he made a mistake by agreeing to Suhyun's offer? Should he have refused instead of getting himself into such a situation? He knew that joining a gang wasn't something he could back out of easily. Something felt off about Suhyun's proposal—it wasn't just about recruiting him into the gang. There was something else behind it, something Jin Shi hadn't figured out yet.

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled him. Quickly, he hid the bandages and medicine under his bed as if concealing a crime. He wasn't afraid of his grandmother seeing his injuries—he was used to being ignored by her most of the time—but he didn't want to deal with unnecessary questions.

Slowly, he walked to the door and cautiously opened it, expecting to see a neighbor or perhaps his grandmother returning early. But what he saw made him freeze in place.

Suhyun stood before him, smiling as if he hadn't just barged into his life uninvited. Behind him was a professional-looking woman with neatly tied black hair and sharp eyes, along with a tall, well-built man who exuded strength and discipline.

"What do you want?" Jin Shi asked coldly, trying to hide his unease.

Suhyun smirked and said in a calm yet commanding voice, "I won't allow any member of my gang to suffer alone."

Before he could finish his sentence, Jin Shi slammed the door in his face without hesitation.

Outside, Hasuk, the tall man, stood stiffly, his eyes wide with shock. He couldn't believe the audacity Jin Shi had to act this way in front of their leader. Meanwhile, Katerina, the doctor, muttered in a low voice, as if speaking to herself, "What bravery… but he hasn't seen anything yet."

Inside, Jin Shi sighed and leaned against the door. He knew his reaction wasn't the wisest, but he couldn't stand the thought of Suhyun treating him like one of his subordinates.

Moments passed before he heard a soft chuckle from the other side of the door, followed by Suhyun's voice, "Alright, you've got some guts—I'll give you that."

Jin Shi heard the sound of footsteps retreating, making him think they had left. But just before Suhyun fully walked away, he added in a serious tone, "But don't forget, we never let one of our own suffer alone. Whether you accept it or not, you're one of us now."

Jin Shi stood still for a moment, then let out a deep breath and moved away from the door. He felt uneasy—not just because of Suhyun, but because of himself.

Why hadn't he refused outright? Why hadn't he simply said no and ended things completely?

He sat on his bed and stared at his bloodied hands. He still wasn't sure what being part of the gang truly meant, but he knew one thing for certain…

There was no turning back now.

The next day, when he woke up, he found a black envelope at his doorstep. Carefully, he opened it to find a short message written in precise handwriting:

"This is only the beginning. We await your final decision. Don't disappoint us, our new partner."

Jin Shi clenched the letter in his hand, his eyes gleaming with a mix of fear and excitement.

He had no choice but to continue down this path he had chosen—whether he liked it or not