#another story woo!!!

[thewhizzyhead]

how genderbending the warriors (2024) is done not for the sole sake of "bad-assery"

okay here we go feminist ramble time for our newest chick on the block: warriors. now i'll be honest, prior to listening to the album, when i first heard that the warriors main girls were originally dudes in the movie and the novel, i thought that the decision for the genderbending, in lmm's perspective, were from the following: 1.) girl power move in like a very basic meaning of the word "bad-ass" 2.) simply a twist on a cult movie about big gang bros loved by the film bros, and 3.) a way to have the schuyler sisters back together gjfkdfldf

but when i read more about warriors and its development and how lmm took inspiration from the gamergate controversies of 2014-2015 aka among the peak of gamerbro misogyny campaigns, that's when i realized that Oh Shit Is Serious - because adapting a story about a group being framed and targeted and harassed for something they are accused of doing without any substantial proof other than a man screaming "THE WARRIORS SHOT CYYYYRUUS" with 21st century misogyny campaigns in mind makes the theme of fighting back a lot more complicated and a lot more resonant, going beyond just marketing a cast you can call "badass"

take the hurricanes' quiet girls, for example. the hurricanes (concept album version) is the only gang that lets the warriors off the hook and with a stern warning: quiet girls don't make it home. here, the hurricanes berate the warriors for not saying shit or attempting to defend themselves from accusations they know well aren't true. THIS MESSAGE IN PARTICULAR is what stays and influences ajax, fox, and swan til the very end of their stories.

literally one song after this does ajax show how easily she resonated with the hurricanes' lesson by finally sticking with her gut and actually choosing to fight back against both the baseball furies AND against the sleazy undercover cop. the latter encounter is one of the instances that really solidifies the recontextualization of the story because in the OG movie, ajax (a dude) WAS the sleazy fuck up harassing a woman in a park - and now with the literal character switch, ajax goes from being just a rebellious gangbro dude bro into someone whose want to fight is warranted. such a want to fight is seen in fox seeing as fox is the first to comment on the quiet girls scene and that, in the concept album, she is the one that instigates the rumble against the police in union square - saying that she is sick of being afraid of them and their 'fuckin powder blue' colors (also notice how she is the only warrior that really does say fuck the cops i think that's cool BUT I'LL TALK ABOUT FOX MORE NEXT TIME)

to a less obvious extent, swan also gets the receiving end of this recurring theme - by the album's finale, the usually violence-averse caution-first interim leader becomes a lot fiercer in protecting her crew. but perhaps among what i consider to be the biggest recontextualized change in the feminist sense is MERCY and her motivations to join the warriors in the first place. according to the wiki, her attraction to swan and the warriors and um seeing the orphans as wimps is what led her to switch sides BUT IN THE CONCEPT ALBUM, mercy's motivation to become a warrior is deepened, rooted in admiration rather than attraction - wanting to be like those women who hold their head up high. and again, we see this in Sick of Runnin' when she takes part in the rumble, finding her bravery within their ranks as they fight back. here, mercy becomes less of a swan tagalong and more of someone that wants what the warriors have: pride.

of course now that i type this out i realize that warriors is not based solely on the feminist rhetoric as with their theme of hope amidst adversity, the story is more intersectional and rooted in community struggle and wanting for more than that. but nonetheless, i genuinely believe that the twt filmbros arguments on why the genders should not have been changed in the first place just for "woke" points is kinda like,,,very shortsighted because not only does the narrative of women narrowly escaping unwarranted accusations actually fucking fit, but the act of learning to fight back amidst all odds - be it that of disbelieving, predatory men or the power of oppressive pigs - stays resonant for women yesterday, today, and the days to come.

ultimately, warriors (2024) is not solely a tale of female badassery - rather, it is a tale of the need for such "female badassery" in the face of past and present realities, which is why it somehow fucking worked.

[artharakka]

💙 XI Queen 🕊

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

the difference in the sun-jae that lived in guilt for 15 years and the sun-jae that didn't need to. the love and pain in his eyes when he sees her in the original time vs the look of slight excitement he had because the love of his life was there in front of him. byeon woo-seok the actor you are

[bittergirlsworld]

I can't find on me to hate Byeong-In because if you think about his point of view that So-yong tried to killed herself because of how unhappy Cheoljong and the palace life made her and how their family made her so miserable at the point to drive her to depression. He had every single reason to hate all of them, and I always felt that it was very ambiguous the way they wrote So-yong feelings towards him. She kisses him back for some seconds till she snaps. She tells him that in her dreams, sometimes her husband looks like him. She trusts him the most and he was the only one who notice that So-bong wasn't So-yong and STILL protected her anyway. His love towards her mixed with how used and mistreated he was by their family although he was a political genius makes all his actions very understanding. They don't know you like I know, youngest minister of War.

[satureja13]

The Boys took the first ferry to Sulani.

They mounted their horses and started their search for Ji Ho. Jack: "I don't know if I can forgive Vlad if something happened to Ji Ho." Saiwa: "Same."

Jeb: "Can you sense through the bond where Ji Ho is? Like you did at Mount Komorebi?" Vlad: "I can feel the Bond no more..."

And then Saiwa and Jack found Yang Mal. Alone.

And a little later Jeb found Ji Ho. Finally. He'd been lying there the whole night.

Jeb: "Ji Ho! Gods, Ji Ho." Jack: "Is he ok?" Jeb: "He's so cold!"

But a bear hug from Jeb brought back the live in Ji Ho. Saiwa, close to tears: "Gods, Ji Ho..."

Ji Ho told them what happened. Saiwa: "But why would your grandfather hand you over to the Council? And why did he held Guidry captured? And how even? Guidry is a ghost, he could have just left?" Jeb: "Let's find this 'MRI' the alien talked about. She might have some answers."

Ji Ho: "Ok. I feel better now. Let's go. Uhm ... What happened to him? Why is he blind again?" Jeb: "Communication Issues. We'll talk about this later."

The Sulani Chapter from the beginning -> here

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest

[cj-marj]

I have run out of Sung Jinwoo/Woo Jinchul fics to consume. :(

[theinfinitedivides]

he fixed the shoes. he fixed the shoes and i was going to be just fine with that until he fixed her shoes too and touched both pairs like he was finally giving his blessing to them and that sh*t f*cked me up. that was it i started wailing

[manawari]

Her right-hand man

"Boss! They have arrived!"

"Boss! The Dual Swords are here!"

"Boss—"

Dong-suk slammed his fists against his desk. He bellowed at his subordinates. "I know! Damn it, you don't have to tell me twice!"

He got up from his chair and marched out of his office, along with the four who had come to fetch him upon the news of the Dual Swords arriving in the vicinity. The Dual Swords was a fellow clan, who was known for being brutal and merciless to strike superiority among others, and it was a clan who had been wanting to join hands with him because he possessed weapons that would be useful to them.

When he arrived in the hall, Dong-suk found his steps halting upon witnessing the unexpected difference in the table. Instead of a middle-aged man, it was a woman. Petite, short blonde hair that fell above her shoulders, and wore a stern expression on her face. She had her jaw resting on her palm while she tapped her nails on the wooden surface. A man stood next to her, which was also someone Dong-suk was not familiar of.

"That's the daughter of Destroyer, boss," one of his men whispered.

Ah, Destroyer — the man whose real name was completely sealed and had only gone with his alias. Not even the most competent spy had cracked the mystery. Dong-suk didn't even know that he had a child, which was probably how she had gotten in through his security, and he could not help but he surprised. However, he kept his usual face on as he made his way toward the chair that was awaiting for him.

He looked at the woman across the table, noticing how similar she looked to the old man. She really was his daughter. But looking at the rest of her features, part of him thought how farfetched she seemed in the place of her father, who had most likely passed away since he would never give his position away as long as he was alive.

"Are you done staring? Let's get this over with." She spoke in a blunt tone.

Dong-suk let out a chuckle. "Wait, wait. . . Are you sure you are the boss of your clan? I didn't think Destroyer has a child."

"The name's Cha Hae-in, his successor," the woman introduced herself. She wore a white shirt underneath of her black leather jacket. "You must be Hwang Dong-suk. My father had told me about you, as well as the weapons you sell in a high price. As part of his will, I came here to form a negotiation with you — serve us the best weapons you have whenever we need it."

"What makes you think I will join hands with you? I lead an independent clan!" Dong-suk exclaimed. "Even if you give me money, I will never ally with you."

"You have a debt to pay for my father, so consider accepting my offer as your payment," said Hae-in calmly. She intertwined her hands under her chin. "I suggest you should do it while I'm being nice."

"PUAHAHAHAHA!!" Dong-suk laughed and got up on his chair, pressing his callused hands on the table. "That's it, I'm done acting in front of you. Nice? How cute! Does Destroyer have another child? I might've accepted the proposal if he has a son in your position. Ms. Cha, you are not fit in the throne of leadership, I think you'd be more suited in being a servant."

Hae-in chuckled. "Believe it or not, I'm his only child. Why would I give away the role he had entrusted me to fulfill? Watch your words, Mr. Hwang."

"You should be the one who watches her words. Confidence doesn't suit you, brat."

A man rushed forward, but Hae-in held her arm to block him. She shot him a knowing look. The built, oranged-haired man took a step back and tucked his hands behind him, fixing the Black Lizard's leader with a deadly glare.

"Seems like I came in a wrong time," Cha Hae-in stood up. She smiled at him. "I will visit again tomorrow, so be sure to think about it."

With that, she walked out of the hall. Her subordinates followed her in tow and Dong-suk scrutinized each of them, memorizing each of their faces, then he realized he had only recognized a few of them. Could it be that the new Dual Swords boss had replaced most of them? How pathetic! He thought. Though, he noticed someone was staring at him within the departing crowd, he barely could tell who it was, due to he amount of dark-clad members.

He shook his head.

"They'll just waste their time," muttered Dong-suk. Then, his lips tugged into a smirk. "With that woman leading, looks like the Dual Swords is going to fall from the highest ranks."

"You will finally get the taste of victory, boss!" His nearest subordinate concurred.

He laughed. "Now! Fetch me a drink. Are the ladies available? Tell them I'll be there at the club by eight!"

There was nothing Dong-suk had to worry about.

Cha Hae-in looked rather inexperienced for a leader, and he had a good eye for a person's character, so he wasn't doubting when he hadn't taken her seriously. He was telling the truth. The Destroyer had been a man he knew as lethal and ruthless, but he could not find those two things in the clan's new leader.

He wouldn't be surprised if the clan would crumble.

He wondered if the other clans had known about the news. And if they did, they might probably start plotting. The higher the clan was, the more power they held over the rest of the clans, but Dong-suk just chose to be stubborn. They would gain nothing from him.

. . . At least that was what he thought.

The sky had turned dark by the time Dong-suk had stepped out of his shower, donned in a white nightgown over his soaked body. He scrubbed a clean tower to wait for his hair to dry. He made his way to his wardrobe and scanned through the assortment of clothes, tugging one for a quick inspection then shoving it back, and proceeded to rummage through until he finally chose one, but just before he could pull something out—

He heard an uproar.

*crash!*

*thud!*

*bang!*

"What the hell is that ruckus?" Dong-suk grumbled. He shoved the door shut and stormed out of his room, he walked barefooted across the corridor and reached the stairs where he climbed down to find out what chaos was raging in his humbled home. "OI! What are you fools doing when I'm in the middle of—"

He paused his sentence.

Fighting amongst one another was the last thing his clan could ever do. Unless there was a traitor. But this time, Dong-suk couldn't believe it in his eyes — someone was raging havoc and taking each of his crew down.

A man, donned in a black attire and a black mask to conceal his true face, was firing punches at his men. He moved in a blink of an eye, as fast as a lightning, Dong-suk could barely analyze his movements. He stood in a frozen shock. Some guys had brought out their guns to pull the trigger, but the intruder lunged at them first and tore the weapon out of their hands to smash it against their heads to knock them out.

Dong-suk caught another man pulled out another gun to point it to his back. He let out a grin. However, when the masked intruder turned around, a knife struck his subordinate at the neck — the blade came straight from the man himself as if he knew someone would point a gun behind him.

Just who. . . Is that guy?!

Once all bodies were on the floor, while some seemed to be remaining on the ground in fear, the intruder was the only one left standing. Dong-suk met his eyes. Shivers ran down his spine. His heel bumped against the staircase which he almost tripped, and when he looked up, the masked man began to near him.

Growling, Dong-suk clenched his fist and lurched his punch. But the man raised his arm to block his and punched the clan leader's abdomen with his other hand, sending him to the staircase. Agony cried throughout his body. Dong-suk was about to rise again when a boot pushed him back, the man's size was smaller than him, yet had the weight of bigger than his own — or perhaps that was just how powerful he could be.

He grunted. "What— what do you want?! Who sent you?!"

The man took off his mask and rested his arm on top of his leg that was pressing him down. Dong-suk widened his eyes. The face looked familiar, as if he had just seen him earlier. . . Right!

It was the man who stood next to Cha Hae-in during their meeting.

"Accept the agreement and then I will leave," he said gruffly.

Dong-suk still managed to laugh. "Cha sent you, didn't she? How wonderful! Isn't she that des—"

The muzzle of a gun touched the bottom of his jaw. He swallowed in fear. The gaze above him was dark and cold, almost as if the abyss itself was staring into his soul.

"If I hear her name from your filthy mouth, I'll burst a hole through your damn skull," the man growled and pressed the gun deeper, his finger moving to the trigger. "Do we have a deal? Accept the terms and I will no longer set a foot in this place."

"Y— yes! Yes! I'll accept the terms!" Dong-suk croaked out. "Just leave this place already!"

His lips curled into a grin. "Good."

The man lifted his foot off him. Dong-suk was about to push himself up again when a powerful strike bruised his face, blood dripped on the ground from his nose and his cheek was burning in excruciation.

"That's for insulting my boss." The intruder walked away. One of the men soon rose after being knocked out, but was shot in the shoulder to collapse again.

It seems I have underestimated Destroyer's daughter. . . Dong-suk thought.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Sung Jin-woo returned to the Dual Swords building a few moments later, after taking a quick stop at the convenience store for a canned drink. Everything was in dead silence just like he had left it. The building was also the home of every member of the clan, so in that way, the members wouldn't have to journey all the way for a meeting. He knew everyone in his clan, especially his boss—

She was Cha Hae-in. His friend since childhood and the person he swore to serve for the rest of his life. He was her right-hand man the moment her father had given her his place. It had been a week since Hae-in had took over the clan, she first announced her presence to the clans they were allied with and continued with the unfinished businesses her father had left.

Jin-woo walked out of the elevator and made his way to his door. He peeled his gloves off and touched the handle to open it when he heard someone call his name.

"Jin-woo?"

A smile lit on his features as he turned over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Have you gone somewhere?"Hae-in asked.

"Yeah, I just took a walk and bought this," he held up his drink. "Want me to go back and buy you one?"

"Oh, thank you, but I'm good." Hae-in smiled.

Jin-woo nodded. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I was heading to see Byung-gyu. He sent me a message that he finally found the White Frost's new location and said he's going to try to call the contact number." Hae-in explained.

"That's great to hear. But, are you sure you aren't overworking yourself?" Jin-woo said to her. "You don't have to do everything at once. I'm always here to take on any task."

Hae-in smiled. "You don't have to worry anything about me, Jin-woo. And yes, I can always call you if I need help." She glanced at his door. "Now go inside and take some rest."

"Alright," nodded Jin-woo and went inside. Instead of closing, he left a small space to let his left eye peer outside, watching his boss walk past his door and proceed with her journey to see Byung-gyu, the head technician of the Dual Swords.

Leadership had brought her to a new light. Hae-in had promised her father that she would never fail him and maintain the clan's glory. As a result, she poured herself into work and taught herself how to become a better leader. So far, she hadn't done a single mistake, and Jin-woo was proud of her for that.

Unfortunately, due to her status and the revelation that she was Destroyer's successor, a lot of bosses did not take her seriously, especially people like Dong-suk. Jin-woo had witnessed harsh words were thrown at Hae-in, they mocked and even laughed at her, and it brought nothing but make his blood boil. He had to fight every urge to wreck their faces until pain was all they cry, but Hae-in, the woman of composure she was, would always stop him by her signal.

Every word, every mockery. . . She took it all and dismissed it, reasoning that she came for business, not to fight. Unlike her father, who hated it when things didn't go on his way, Hae-in took a calmer path and relied on her brains.

And Jin-woo liked her for that.

The next day, they visited the Black Lizard again and initiated the meeting. Surprisingly, the clan's boss had appeared quicker. Jin-woo resisted his grin upon the sight of Dong-suk, whose face was bandaged just like most of the members around, and he saw no glint of arrogance in his eyes, but anxiety.

"Seems like you had a rough night, Mr. Hwang," spoke Hae-in. She cleared her throat. "Anyways, about the—"

"I accept!" Dong-suk exclaimed.

"Come again?"

He grunted. "I accept the negotiation. Call me whenever you need weapons and I shall provide you the best in quality."

"Hm," Hae-in's eyes lit up and leaned back on her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. She grinned. "I do not have time for jokes, Mr. Hwang. You know that I can destroy everything you have if you do not stay true to your words."

"I mean it! I'll even give you anything you want. I swear on my grave that I will not betray you, Ms. Cha." Dong-suk said to her.

Hae-in spared her second-in-command a look. Jin-woo met her eyes, hearing the silent question whether or not they should trust Dong-suk. Remembering what he had done last night, Jin-woo could tell that the Black Lizard boss was not lying, especially when there was a pint of dread under his tone.

"There is nothing wrong in trying, isn't it, Ms. Cha?" Jin-woo said. He looked across the table, flashing Dong-suk with a grin. "If Mr. Hwang turns back on his words, whether he means it sincerely or not, everyone knows what Destroyer does to traitors. I wouldn't mind if his daughter follows his example."

The whole place fell into an ominous silence. Several of the Dual Swords members smirked. A wave of satisfaction flushed in when the opposing clan realized they had been overpowered.

"Very well. So that settles it!" Hae-in stood up. "Oh, I will be leaving my right-hand man, Mr. Sung Jin-woo," she placed her hand on his shoulder, "here and some chosen people of his choice to see the weapons."

"A— as you wish, Ms. Cha," Dong-suk mumbled.

Hae-in smiled at him. She turned to Jin-woo. "Report back once you are done."

"Will do, Ms. Cha," Jin-woo replied, twitching the edge of his mouth to reciprocate her smile. At last. . . Another problem was solved. He was thankful that he was given this task, in that way, he could enjoy seeing Dong-suk's crumbling composure beneath his eyes.

Did Hae-in know the truth behind his nightly walk? No, he didn't think she would need to.

Hae-in wouldn't need to know what he truly did whenever he was taking a walk on his own in some time of the night.

Jin-woo had made a promise to himself that he would protect her in every way he could. He knew she was strong and tough, but as his duty as one of her most trusted people, he must know when to take action to his hands if people had stepped way into the line. Hae-in had too much on her plate, so Jin-woo was not going to allow anything else bother her more.

Once his time was done in the Black Lizard, he and his companions went back to the headquarters. Jin-woo parked his motorcycle into one of the available slots and turned his keys to switch off the engine. He took off his helmet and shook his head before combing his fingers through his messy hair.

"Home at last!" Tae-gyu raised his fists in the air. "Geez, those guys give me the creeps. I don't understand why Sung even chose me to stay!"

"Well, someone has to watch his back," Kanae said as she against her motorcycle, spinning her keys around her finger.

Tae-gyu glared at her. "Says the one who punched one of the guards when we are supposed to inspect the rifles!"

"He's staring at me inappropriately. What can you expect me to do?!"

Jin-woo sighed. "Let's go, you two. I still have something to report to Ms. Cha."

"Ohoho~ why are you always excited to see boss? I've always wondered. It's not like she's going to be mad when she didn't specify a time for us to return." Kanae huffed.

"She gave me a task, so I must get it done," Jin-woo said.

"Huh. No wonder why most of the guys envy you. You are devoted to your role as her second-in-command so much that everyone has pretty much called you 'her favorite'."

"Isn't that how a second-in-command supposed to do?"

Tae-gyu clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Look, man, what Kanae is trying to say— before we were recruited, boss chose you, who came out of the blue, to be her number two without a second thought. Are you sure you didn't know her for a long time?"

"I met her father before he stepped down," Jin-woo partially lied. He couldn't bring out the whole story as it was too personal and he worried that the others might view the relationship he had with her differently. "He discovered that I used to work as a mercenary until I decided to take a different path and become part of the Dual Swords."

"Mercenary, eh?" Kanae pushed herself from her vehicle and walked past him. "Seems like the reason behind it is another story to tell. Welp! I'll just wait for it and get my beer ready."

"At least that explains why he's so lethal in a fight," Tae-gyu shrugged as he got off and headed to the door. "Good thing I didn't challenge him for a match, otherwise I'd be in a wheelchair."

Jin-woo chuckled.

There were a lot of things the whole clan didn't know about him. To them, he was just someone outside the clan whom the former boss knew and that his recruitment was one of the things Hae-in must do in favor of her late father. Jin-woo might have gotten along with a lot of people, yet some held a certain grudge against him for stealing the spot they had been desiring to have.

He could say that they were unfortunate. But to Jin-woo, he had planned everything out — to gain Destroyer's utmost respect, he must have a job that was under his interest and that was someone who was capable than an average human. And a mercenary was one of the options. Jin-woo had spent three years in the service before announcing to his superiors about his resignation, knowing well enough that he would be able to take on any task.

Luck might as well played a part, but the Dual Swords had been his main goal.

He asked around to where the boss was, which he received some looks, yet they still answered his question. No matter how disgruntled they were to see his attachment to their leader, they knew better than to face his wrath. Jin-woo nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets as he proceeded his way to where Cha Hae-in was.

She was at the kitchen, preparing a cup of coffee on the counter. She had her back facing him, which willed his urge to sneak up and surprise her, but Jin-woo decided that'd be a task for some time.

He cleared his throat as he walked up to her. "The weapons are all fine. Mr. Hwang had also presented the knives and they had been inspected by Kanae — she said that they are easy to carry and the edges are sharp. Meanwhile, Tae-gyu and I checked the firearms, most of them are in best conditions."

"Great work. The Black Lizard will be a very useful to the Dual Swords in the near future." Hae-in said. She turned around and stirred her teaspoon around her cup. "Did Dong-suk pick up a fight?"

Jin-woo let out a chuckle. Oh, if only she was there to witness how Dong-suk had not dared to take a step close to him. "No. If anything, he looked quite nervous."

"Wow. To think how Dong-suk acted when I first visited, I wonder what made him so afraid." Hae-in shrugged. She took a sip on her coffee and began to walk past him.

Unfortunately, Jin-woo moved aside to block her path. He smirked at her. "Probably because he realized how fearsome the boss can be. Am I right, Hae-in?"

"You just called me by my name," said his boss. "Jin-woo—"

"There's nobody here," Jin-woo spoke in a low voice as he leaned his head down to her height. "Don't worry. I still have our deal."

Hae-in glowered. "You better."

"Promises are promises."

"Whatever you say," she shook her head. "I'll be in the office if you need me."

Jin-woo was about to say something, yet decided to hold himself back, knowing what reaction she would make if he spoke his mind out. Even if they had known each other for a long time, it wouldn't stop the disdain some of the members had toward Jin-woo, and even though he was not affected by it, Hae-in still thought it would be better that way.

Jin-woo could only imagine their faces would be if they found out. . . But if Hae-in didn't wish to reveal her deep connection to him, then he would respect it.

After all, becoming her right-hand man was more important and it meant having more reasons to stay by her side.

Later that day, Jin-woo was at the gym. It was located in the top floor of the headquarters. Sweat tricked on his sun-kissed skin as he fired punches at Yoon-ho, who was blocking his attacks with the boxing pads. Yoon-ho was one of the few people who could reach his level of power. With a large built, muscular arms, and a terrifying gaze, Yoon-ho was a fearsome man who had come from a lineage of powerful people.

And he was exactly the person Jin-woo liked to spar with since others who had challenged him were a bunch of pieces of cake.

Yoon-ho lurched his hand forward, but Jin-woo ducked and launched another punch at the abdomen. Yoon-ho grunted and retaliated. Jin-woo blocked and slung his arm around his opponent's neck, then Yoon-ho threw his weight on the ground to release the firm grip off him.

Jin-woo rolled across the mat and pressed his palm to steady himself. He rushed again and struck his fist. Yoon-ho blocked it with the pad he was wearing, along with the rest of the incessant punches his comrade had fired at him. Such situations would've ended his opponent ending with a bruise, but Yoon-ho was built different, his concentration was sharper than a blade itself. Jin-woo threw his leg toward him this time and managed to hit some area in Yoon-ho's hip.

Yoon-ho flinched.

Jin-woo let out a grin, knowing he finally got an advantage. So, he was about to lunge his fist again when a loud voice boomed in the air.

"Yoon-ho!" Hae-in called across the place. "Are you done?"

Jin-woo paused his supposed attack as the two of them turned to their superior.

"What is it, boss?" Yoon-ho asked.

"There is something I need you do," she held out a few papers to him. "Goto Ryuji of the Razor Fangs is here in the country. Take Jong-in since he's good at persuading people and Kanae too — she can serve as your translator in case neither of you don't understand each other."

"And then we will hand these papers to him?"

She nodded. "Yes. I found them in one of the drawers and as it turned out, our clan and the Razor Fangs have an unofficial alliance. Once Goto Ryuji signs these, we finally have them on our side."

"Will do, Ms. Cha!" Yoon-ho stepped down from the platform and walked past her.

"Be sure to hit the showers first!" Hae-in shouted. "You know how Jong-in doesn't like the way you smell after sparring with someone!"

Yoon-ho raised his thumb above his head as he exited the gym. Now. . . It was Hae-in and Jin-woo in the place. An idea sparked in Jin-woo's mind, he moved over to the edge and crouched on his toes to place his arms on his lap.

"Wanna spar, Ms. Cha?" He asked her with a grin.

Hae-in turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you tired from Yoon-ho just now?"

"Yoon-ho is just one guy. Besides, you know that I've fought an entire group by myself." Jin-woo shrugged. When they had come to visit the first clan, someone had attempted to assault Hae-in, which soon ended up Jin-woo fighting the guards. "I can still handle someone like you."

"Is that so?" Something glinted in her eyes. "I may have lost to you in our first spar, but you know how strong I've gotten, right?"

Of course, he knew. While he fought the guards, Hae-in had dealt with the clan's leader and made sure she got off her high-horse rather than commencing an attack out of the blue. Besides that, Hae-in had made the clan boss pay for what she had done by destroying every connection she had with other clans and made them go to the Dual Swords for alliance.

She was quite more dangerous than her own father.

Jin-woo smirked. "I accept the challenge, Hae-in."

So, Hae-in joined him on the platform and took off her jacket to toss it on the edge, leaving her with a dirty green tank top. Her eyes blazed with determination as she faced Jin-woo's competitive grin. She clenched her hands into fists, whereas her opponent waited with his hands on his sides, and finally. . . She dashed forward.

She first swung her leg at him, but Jin-woo blocked it with his hand, along with her incoming punch. He retaliated with the same move this time, only to go past her. But Hae-in used his extended arm to grab it with her own and yanked it downward and rolled over his back to move on the other side and struck his stomach with her foot.

"You did get stronger, huh?" Jin-woo remarked.

"Please. . . Just because you used to be a mercenary doesn't mean you are the strongest." Hae-in huffed.

"Well see about that!"

This time, Jin-woo took the first attack and shot his aim at her. As expected, Hae-in quickly stepped aside. Jin-woo how powerful his attacks could get, he could even break a bone, but no matter how concerned he get at the thought of possibly hurting Hae-in, he had faith in her that she would be unscathed throughout the whole fight.

Hae-in had been taking defense lessons from her mentor since she was young. Her father had made it sure that she would be capable of conquering anything against her path and that included getting her hands dirty from her opponents or enemies.

She was known as 'The Dancer' in the clan due to her flexible movements almost appearing like dance moves. She was swift and had a sharp eye for retaliations. Hae-in was another person whom Jin-woo liked to spar with, her combat strategy rivaled his brute attacks as though she had the whole fight analyzed and sometimes knew two steps ahead for the next attack.

Jin-woo began dodging her attacks and did some occasional blockages with his arm if her aims were heading toward his head or if she was using her legs. Her agility never ceased to amaze him.

Finally, he grabbed her left fist and spun her around until her back was pressed against his chest. Several tendrils of her hair had latched on her cheeks while her chest was heaving above his arm. Jin-woo let his lips curled into a smirk as he leaned down on her ear, fanning his breath over the shell, thus feeling her shiver against him.

"Exhausted already, Ms. Cha?" He said.

At first, Hae-in panted. Jin-woo saw another bead of sweat streaming down on her neck. Something ignited in him. Then, she spoke. "No."

Hae-in crashed her elbow against his torso and freed herself from his grip and slammed her leg against his that was strong enough to jerk his kneecap forward. She whirled around to grab his shoulder to pin him on the ground.

Jin-woo was about to make another move when Hae-in pressed her arm against his neck and placed her leg on the other side of his waist, straddling him while her other leg had found its way between his own. She flashed him a smirk amidst her breaths.

"I win this time, Mr. Sung."

"You rascal."

She chuckled. "If that's the case—"

A yelp burst out of her mouth when strong hands went to her waist and Jin-woo pinned her this time. He placed his hand next to her head. Hae-in stared at him wide-eyed, which he laughed lowly at her reaction.

"You can never let your guard down even if you are close with your opponent," he told her.

Hae-in recovered and sent him a glare. "I just had you!"

"You knew I won't surrended until I say so."

"Jackass," she rolled her eyes.

Jin-woo chuckled. "We can go for another one if you are so determined to win."

Suddenly, a phone began to ring.

Jin-woo pushed himself off her, knowing whose phone it belonged, and Hae-in got up to make her way toward her discarded jacket to pull out her phone from one of the pockets. She answered it and pressed the screen to her ear.

"What is it, Hee-jin?" She asked the caller

There was silence as Hae-in listened to whatever Hee-jin got to say. Then, Jin-woo noticed the change of expression on his boss. With her lips slightly parted, he could already tell that something bad had just happened. Once the call was over, Hae-in was left staring on her phone, deep in thought.

"Did something happen?" Jin-woo walked toward her.

"Jin-woo." Hae-in began. "Do you know who could be a spy in this clan?"

Jin-woo widened his eyes.

A spy? As far as he knew, the clan was composed of people who had passed the trustworthiness level in Destroyer's eyes and also Hae-in's most trusted acquaintances. Everyone knew what would happen if somebody dared to turn their back on the clan. It would be as if death was in their doorstep in every breath.

"I'll see what I can do, Hae-in," said Jin-woo. "You don't have to worry."

"How can I not worry? This is the very first time I've heard that someone is plotting to betray the clan! I— I maintained everything the way it is and, and. . . " Hae-in began to panic.

Jin-woo instinctively pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her frame. He rubbed her arm to ease her senses. "You are doing a great job. I'm sorry that my words made you overthink. But believe me when I say that you are not failing as a leader, and I assure you — we'll get that traitor before anything else happens."

"I can only hope, Jin-woo. . . " Hae-in sighed.

And so, Hae-in had called for a private meeting with her most trusted people: Tae-gyu, Hee-jin, Byung-gyu, and Dong-wook. Jong-in, Yoon-ho, and Kanae had also arrived just in time when the members were being summoned. They accumulated in the office where the walls were thick and nobody could hear even from the door. Jin-woo locked the doorknob and joined the group.

Everyone was shocked, except Hee-jin, when their boss had declared the news.

"I just got Goto to sign the papers and I came home to this? What gives?!" Jong-in gritted his teeth.

"Usually, it's the neighboring clans who does all the spying. In return, they spent a week of suffering." Dong-wook said. "Clearly, it's way worse if that is one of ours, right?"

"Yes," Hae-in grumbled. Her eyebrows furrowed into a glare. "Which is why I called you all here and do an underhand inspection on everyone. And but everyone— that includes dad's. Who knows maybe that person had been plotting way back? We need an immediate action!"

"I can update the security cameras." Byung-gyu suggested.

She nodded. "Thank you, Byung-gyu."

"I'll take a night patrol with Yoon-ho." Tae-gyu said.

"I will prepare the weapons to use once we got that snake."

"Just keep your ears up for any sus conversations, Kanae. Let boss do the decision of punishment."

"I'll talk to some of the members and see if I can get any trace of treachery."

"Oh! I can join in the night patrol. This building is pretty big, and Tae-gyu and Yoon-ho can't watch over all corners at once."

Hae-in nodded and smiled at everyone's suggestions. It made her feel glad that she had people she could trust with anything. "Thank you, everyone. I may still be getting a hand on this position, but thanks to you all, the Dual Swords is maintaining its glory."

"Don't downgrade yourself, Hae-in! You are the one who has been working very hard not to tarnish the clan's name." Hee-jin said to her. "You are such a good boss!"

Hae-in chuckled.

Meanwhile, Jin-woo had a smile on his face. Just moments ago, Hae-in was trying to keep herself together, but now— she was back to her determined self. Even then, Hae-in always had moments where she felt she was not good enough, but in the end, she picked herself up and took her strength back. She was the softest and toughest person he knew.

Everyone had their own part to play. Jin-woo, who was the only one who hadn't spoken a word since the meeting began, had his own plan and besides that, he must also guard Hae-in for any unexpected attacks when he was not around.

Sure, he knew that she could take care of herself, but he could never let his guard down. Especially when the clan was in a situation that a single traitor would bring everything into shambles.

He promised to her father. He promised to her. He promised to himself.

Jin-woo asked Byung-gyu to send him all of everyone's documents and a few minutes later, he received a file with all of the resumes and backgrounds of the members. He sat on his chair and began to analyze the information of each person, even taking note of any detail that was deemed as dubious to him.

This had become his routine. In the day, he would stay by Hae-in's side while she did her own work and discussed meetings with the visiting leaders, she also did her role in finding the spy among her clan as she could not sit still even though Jong-in and the others reassured her not to stress about them. Jin-woo, being the right-hand man he was, would distract her in any way he could such as spending meals with her and chatting various topics that didn't involve the Dual Swords.

One of her favorite topics was his family. Hae-in was an only child whose mother had passed away when she was very young and her father was focusing on his work most of the time. Therefore, she didn't have a lot of memories in terms of family. And unlike her, Jin-woo was raised in a loving family, he had his parents and also a little sister who had graduated from college two years ago.

Speaking of his family, his phone let out a sound in the middle of his lunch with Hae-in. Jin-woo picked it up and saw a message from his mother.

[ Kyung-hye (mom): Jin-woo! I was going to call you just now, but your father said you might be busy. You know that your sister is going to get married this week, right? I hope you'll come home and spend at least three days here. You hadn't been home for a long time and I miss my son already. xx mom. ]

Jin-woo widened his eyes in realization. Jin-ah was going to marry Yoo Jin-ho, who was also Jin-woo's closest friend in college, two days from now. He couldn't believe he had forgotten such an event whereas he was too caught up on capturing the spy. . .

"Is there something wrong, Jin-woo?" Hae-in asked.

Jin-woo looked up from his phone and placed it down. "Nothing. I just got a message from my mom, telling me to come home now that Jin-ah is going to get married this Thursday."

"Jin-ah? That's great news!" Hae-in smiled. "Why didn't you tell me, Jin-woo?"

Jin-woo swallowed. "I might have forgotten it—"

"Some brother you are," she rolled her eyes and brought her spoon to her mouth.

"Can you blame me for being so dedicated to my job?" Jin-woo said. "And besides, I still haven't track down that—"

"Jin-woo." Hae-in cut him off. "Take a few days off."

" . . . " Jin-woo raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

She groaned. "Go to your family and attend your sister's wedding. I'll hand my gift to you so you can give it to her at the event. This is an important day in your sister's life, so don't miss it."

"What about you?"

"What about me? Jin-woo, I know you're just looking out for me, and I appreciate that." Hae-in let out a smile. "But I can take care of myself and I'll never let my guard down. So go ahead — everything will be fine once you're back."

"But—"

"That's an order."

Jin-woo sighed.

Hae-in was the most stubborn person he knew.

But knowing that Hae-in hadn't seen anyone in his family for such a long time, Jin-woo knew he must go back to his family with the presents, not just for Jin-ah.

After Hae-in had chosen Jong-in to occupy his place, Jin-woo made sure to brief everything to him, only then to receive an eye-roll at his substitute. Everyone knew how serious Jin-woo was toward his job and that he wouldn't abandon it no matter what. But since his family needed him. . . He must be with them.

And besides, he missed them too.

He left the next day and rode on his motorcycle to the small town in Gangwon. Once he arrived, he expected to see his family, but it was his father who had greeted him and Jin-ho came out of nowhere and hugged him tightly. Jin-woo realized he had come home to a bachelor party. He sighed.

It seemed that he wouldn't be reuniting with his mother and sister until he was at the wedding venue.

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It had been three days since Jin-woo had left to be with his family. Not that Hae-in was missing him already, although she was, but she wanted him to spend more time with his parents and sister, along with his newly brother-in-law. The thought of it had rather made her feel quite jealous of him — to have a family to come home to behind the life of being part of a dangerous clan. . .

Jin-woo was indeed the luckiest person she had ever known.

Hae-in shook her head. She shouldn't probably think about him too much. . . Not when the spy was finally found.

It was Kang Tae-shik.

He was one of the youngest members around when her father was still reigning in the clan. He was a sniper just like Tae-gyu and was one of the fastest around, yet also very dangerous. Kang Tae-shik was the kind of person who found joy in inflicting pain around people and even laughed when his victims cried in agony. Hae-in even felt quite uncomfortable around him due to the malice in his eyes and the devilish smile on his face.

So finding out that he would be the snake to bite them, Hae-in should've trusted her instincts and saw beyond the fact that he was one of her father's best members.

Byung-gyu had kept a close eye on him through the tracking device that he installed from the tracker he had Tae-gyu place on him. So when the clock hit nine, he caught the red dot had left the building and called his boss.

They immediately geared up and got on their motorcycles to follow the traitor. Along the way, Hae-in realized Tae-shik was heading to a place that was somewhat familiar to her, so she called a close ally of hers to ask for a favor.

The clan soon arrived in their destination and parked their vehicles on the side. Hae-in took off her helmet and hung it on the handlebar, she removed her phone from the holder and noticed the flickering red dot was still on the move.

"Ms. Cha."

Hae-in looked up and was met by a familiar face. She smiled. "Mr. Woo."

Woo Jin-chul, the boss of the Golden Piercers, lightly smiled back and nodded. He was a close friend of hers in college and the successor of his grandfather to the clan. The Golden Piercers was the first clan who reached out for an alliance when Jin-chul learned that Hae-in was now leading the Dual Swords.

"How has leadership been treating you?" Jin-chul said.

"Great. Sometimes difficult, but I managed."

"Good to know. And oh, I notice that your right-hand man isn't with you."

"Jin-woo? Well, he had some important matters in his family to attend to." Hae-in replied. "He should be gone for a couple of days."

"I see," nodded Jin-chul. "Anyways, as you've said, I had some of my men scatter around to catch that traitor of yours."

"Thank you, Jin-chul. The Dual Swords shall be in your debt." Hae-in thanked him.

"A nice coffee with the boss should suffice," grinned Jin-chul.

"Guys!" Byung-gyu exclaimed. He stared at his device. "I think he stopped moving."

Hae-in checked her phone and spotted Tae-shik was in the northern-east. Her face scrunched into a glare. "Everyone, let's move!"

It was an old construction site. She had a strange feeling about it, so she asked Jin-chul to move his subordinates around the area. Jin-chul obliged and called his right-hand man, Liu Zhigang, to lead their crew in the construction site. They rushed toward the unfinished establishment and was greeted by a bunch of muscular men, cracking their knuckles in the entrance.

Hae-in walked up to them first, fixating the group with a cold gaze. She reached her hand over the baton she hid under her shirt. "Step. Away."

The men spared one another a look, chuckling. One made his way toward her and grinned maliciously. "Well, aren't you such a—"

*WHAM!*

Hae-in slammed his neck with her now outstretched baton and ducked over to hit her elbow against his waist and rushed to his back and shoved him to the ground with her foot. The rest of the group had made their attack, but Kanae was the first one to lunge at them and was followed by the rest.

Hae-in managed to push through them and entered the building. She turned and saw someone had their gun pointed at her and was about to pull the trigger until a bullet burst into their head.

It was Hee-jin. Hae-in flashed her a brief smile and began to hear gunshots resonating through the quiet place. It must be the Golden Piercers doing their job. She looked at her phone and noticed Tae-shik still hadn't moved.

Could he be waiting for someone? Or the person was already there?

Nonetheless, Hae-in knew she must hurry.

"Ms. Cha! Look out!"

She looked up and caught someone throwing a punch at her, so she swerved and grabbed the knife in her boot to stab the attacker on the neck. Blood spilled out and she shoved them out of her way. Hae-in rushed to the stairs where more people came to block her, but she quickly swung her leg at them and dragged her body aside to strike her fist at their bodies.

Just how many people were in this abandoned place? Could there be a clan she didn't know about?

Tae-shik was in the top floor. Hae-in's blood boiled just at the thought of him, which drove her attacks into becoming more harder at the ones who were on her path. She even knocked someone out and used him as a shield against the raging bullets. She dashed toward the gunman and stomped on his leg to snap the gun out of his wrist and used it to hit on his head.

She had gone ahead of the others. But did she think that how many could be in the top floor? No, and she would be still prepared anyway. What mattered to her was to get the traitor in her bare hands and make him beg helplessly for her forgiveness.

Hae-in made to the top floor and two guards were standing on each side of the door, but she shot them through their heads as she strode toward them. She kicked the door to bust it open.

"Kang Tae-shik! Where the hell are you and face me with that damn face of yours!" Hae-in bellowed.

There were people. . . Lots of them.

And the person she was looking for was just right inside of the crowd.

The others were still fighting downstairs, and since Hae-in was fast, it might take some time for them to follow.

Not that she was afraid, the fate of her clan was in her hands. Her father. The people who had created a place in her heart. They were all depending on her.

"Ah, boss! What a surprise? Are you here to see me? How nice!" Tae-shik exclaimed. "Too bad Big Man isn't here yet. Wanna wait for him with us?"

"Shut the hell up!!" Hae-in yelled at him. "My father had taken you in under his roof! How could you betray him like that?!"

"Aw! Daddy's little girl has spoken!" Tae-shik guffawed. "You know, I quite anticipated that you'd find out at some point. So I'mma give you brownie points for being clever!"

She gritted her teeth. "You know I can kill you here in an instant, right?"

"Hmm. . . Be my guest!" Tae-shik spread out his arms. "Kill me." The smirk in his face grew. "If you can handle these guys. Big Man has thugs, murderers, any dangerous people you know."

"Do I give a bullshit?" Hae-in growled. "I won't stop until I get my hands on you, you imbecile."

"Okay!" Tae-shik clasped his hands together. "It was nice knowing you, Cha Hae-in. Hopefully this fight will last long for Big Man to witness."

The men rushed to attack her. Hae-in's adrenaline pumped as she fought them, pouring every ounce of her power into taking them down as possible. She ducked and swerved and hit everywhere she could land her eyes on. She slit her knife through them and pushed through, aiming to reach Tae-shik.

Her mentor told her that she was stronger than she ever thought. Her father may have been one of the deadliest people to exist, but she had her own way of being lethal.

Hae-in had a dream, and that was being with her father and create memories with him that she never received as a child. However, he had passed before they could even continue those memories together. Her dream crumbled. . . But instead of swimming in grief, Hae-in decided to honor him by making him proud.

Bodies soon littered the ground, and even as they managed to get back up, Hae-in brought out her gun and killed them. Her hands quivered, bruised from the battle, and she was trying to hold herself together.

I. . . I still can do this! She reminded herself.

And just in time, her back-up had arrived.

Kanae threw her knives at each of them and Yoon-ho and Dong-wook knocked them senselessly with their fists. Jong-in dodged their attacks before plunging his blade against them. Zhigang also appeared and ruthlessly drew his sword at them, coloring the ground with more red. Now, Kang Tae-shik had his eyes wide in shock — the very first time fear had touched the demon.

"Are you still able?" Jin-chul asked her, holding his pistol.

Hae-in drew the back of her hand under her chin. Tae-shik still stood and watched the chaos in front of him. Her blood fueled and was hungry to make him feel tremendous amount of pain. "Just get me a clear path to the traitor."

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"Are you alright, son?"

Jin-woo looked away from the sea to his father. "Dad."

"You've been like this ever since your sister packed all of her things from the house," said Ill-hwang. He sighed. "Can you believe it? Your little sister is not so little anymore. It feels like it has been yesterday since she learned how to walk. . . "

"You and mom cried."

"Hey! You can't expect your mother and I not to be emotional. When you said your first word, I actually asked my boss for a day off to spend time with you."

Jin-woo chuckled. "I wonder what will it be once you have a grandchild."

"Oho! Don't get me started on that! I was thinking of starting a bet with your mother." Ill-hwang laughed and placed his hands on his hips. "But something tells me that there is another reason why you're out here after eating dinner."

"Sorry. I'm just. . . Worried." Jin-woo sighed.

"About Hae-in?"

He looked at his father.

Ill-hwang let out a smile. "You want to go back, don't you?"

"Something just came up. But, it's been so long since we've eaten together as family." Jin-woo frowned.

"Jin-woo, you're twenty-five years old. You know that you are free to do whatever you want." His father told him. "And besides, I was kind of hoping that you'd bring her here next time. Isn't she the reason why you asked me to let you become a mercenary? It's amazing how Hae-in has this much effect on you."

Jin-woo hummed. "Are you sure you and mom will be okay with me going back even though my days off isn't over?"

"Like I said, you are free to do whatever you want. You love this woman so much." Ill-hwang said. "So, when are you leaving?"

Before Jin-woo could answer his father, he felt his phone vibrate against his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Jong-in's message. His heart suddenly raced. "Now."

So, Jin-woo raced back to his house and immediately began shoving his clothes into his bag. His mother asked him what was going on, he told her that there was an emergency in the Dual Swords. Jin-woo planted a quick kiss on his cheek and hugged his father before rushing to his motorcycle.

Fortunately, it was night, therefore there weren't a lot of vehicles driving in the road. Jin-woo accelerated the speed and drove his vehicle rapidly, almost the same way his heart was.

The spy was found. The Dual Swords had gone out to capture him. A fight occured.

But Jong-in's last sentence was what pushed him into returning to the headquarters as much as possible. Jin-woo couldn't believe it.

When he reached the building, he parked his motorcycle and rushed to the stairs instead of the elevator. Jin-woo raced up the stairs and didn't take a moment to pause and catch his breath. Seeing his boss was his priority. No matter how his shirt had been drenched in sweat due to the endless run, he didn't care.

He shoved the door open and entered the right floor. He dashed past the rooms and turned to the right hallway where Hae-in's quarters was located. Suddenly, Jong-in blocked his way.

"I just sent you that message one hour and a half ago and you're back already?" Jong-in said. "Some speed you got there, Sung."

"I need to see her, Jong-in!" Jin-woo glared.

"Okay, first of all, let's calm down and— hey!"

Jin-woo shoved his backpack to Jong-in and brushed past his subordinate to make his way to the door. The door was not locked. Thank goodness. He twisted the doorknob and headed inside.

In the middle of the dim room, Hae-in sat on her bed next to the lampshade. Her shirt and jacket was discarded next to her, which only left her in a dark sports bra, and she had a bandaid on the corner of her forehead. Jin-woo sighed in relief upon seeing she was still in one piece. A roll of bandage sat on her lap while she was applying some ointment on her bruised knuckles.

Jin-woo walked toward her. He knelt down in front of her and touched her hand. Hae-in looked up and widened her eyes.

"J— Jin-woo! Since when did you come back?" She asked.

"Jong-in texted me," said Jin-woo. "Why didn't you tell me that you found the spy? I could've gone with you and stopped you from getting hurt!"

"I'm fine, Jin-woo."

"Kang Tae-shik almost stabbed you. How can you expect me to sit still and think that you are okay?!" Jin-woo failed to resist to raise his voice. "Hae-in, who knows what might've happened if you didn't have Mr. Woo with you? I—"

"I'm still alive, Jin-woo. And I'm still here, okay?" Hae-in reassured him. She reached out to touch the side of his face. "All's over now. Yoon-ho had Tae-shik in the basement."

Jin-woo was silent. He just stared at her, eyes filled concern for him when he was the one who was all concerned about her. He touched her hand and leaned against it, then he gently pressed his lips on her inner wrist, he flipped her hand to check the knuckles that were stained with red and even had small specks of bloodied dots. He kissed the back of her hand.

"You know, when we were kids, you once hit your head and couldn't stop crying," he said. "I had to kiss your forehead to make you feel better because your mom often did it to soothe you down."

"I wasn't crying."

"But I can tell you are holding back," Jin-woo told her. He rubbed his thumb on her skin. "You don't have to hide anything from me, Hae-in. You may be my 'boss', but we both know we are more than that." He sighed. "How long do we have to hide it from everyone?"

"I'm sorry," Hae-in murmured.

"I understand. I wouldn't be here if I don't." He said. "Not even your father knew anyways." Jin-woo leaned up and gently pushed her bangs to plant a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I'll take care of the rest, just finish healing yourself and get some shut-eye."

She nodded. "Okay."

Jin-woo got up and left the room. He quietly shut the door behind him and noticed Jong-in was still there, holding his bag. Luckily, Hae-in's walls were thick and all their shared conversations could never be heard.

"Which basement did you guys keep that snake?" He asked the red-haired.

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Tae-shik spit out some blood through his mouth after a solid punch struck his stomach. He panted while he sat on a steel chair. Yoon-ho watched him in an excruciating pain. Dong-wook, Tae-gyu, and Kanae stood nearby. As for the rest in the unfinished building, they were taken by Jin-chul and his clan for interrogation and punish them for using a location owned by the Golden Piercers without permission.

"I told you everything about Big Man! Why are you still beating me up?!" Tae-shik seethed.

"Silence!" Yoon-ho roared. "We didn't bring you here to tell us about that lunatic. You are here because you got something to pay."

"Hasn't me becoming a punching bag enough?!"

"You know the rules here," growled Yoon-ho. "Kanae."

Kanae smirked and took her butterfly knife from her pocket, whipping the sharp blade. She was about to step forward when a new voice chimed in.

"You should sit this one out, Tawata."

She stopped and turned over her shoulder. "Sung?"

Jin-woo stepped out of the shadows, hands tucked into his pockets. A deadly look was plastered on his face. His eyes were darker than ever. Everyone knew that look, they had seen it, and it made them feel glad that they were on his good side. It was either he found out that their boss got hurt or someone insulted her when he was around.

Either way, he must've known that Tae-shik had almost took Hae-in's life during their fight.

There was no other reason why Jin-woo was this mad.

Yoon-ho stepped aside. Tae-shik looked up to the second-in-command of the clan, his bloodied mouth managed to crack into a grin. "Oh. It's you. The loyal dog of the—"

Jin-woo grabbed a fistful of his purple hair and smashed Tae-shik's face against his knee. He didn't allow him to recover from the abrupt attack. Blood dripped from the traitor's nose. Jin-woo threw a kick on his stomach, which was enough to drive the chair against the wall and topple on the floor. Dong-wook, Tae-gyu, Kanae, and Yoon-ho watched every inch of his movement. Jin-woo made his way closer to Tae-shik and raised his foot over his hand and—

Tae-shik cried in agony.

Jin-woo made sure a crack was heard from the hand he had stomped on. His expression remained impassive, but his eyes spoke every emotion within him. If he hadn't left, Jin-woo might've taken Tae-shik out without letting his boss get hurt. . . His lover.

He was done.

Jin-woo was done with people insulting Hae-in instead of acknowledging her. He was done witnessing her absorb all the brutal words. He had enough of people trying to drag her down just because her father was gone and she was his successor.

"If you are that determined to be involved with her, then prove it."

"This life has never been easy, Sung. Now you know why I must stay out of my daughter's life ever since her mother got murdered."

"Go through hell with her. The moment she takes my place, clans will use that to their advantage."

"You know how I hate seeing my daughter meddle with incapable people, young man."

Was he worthy now? It seemed like he did.

Jin-woo swore to himself and he would live by those words for the rest of his life.

An action against her was an action against him.

Jin-woo made Tae-shik suffer in tremendous pain that was greater than the pain his subordinates had delivered. He stopped once Tae-shik no longer moved an inch and looked lifeless. Jin-woo got up and began to leave, feeling satisfied even though he wanted to feed the body to the wolves.

"Is he dead?" Tae-gyu asked.

"Probably. But if he still has a pulse, leave him somewhere to rot." Jin-woo said.

And that was how the problem was eliminated.

Despite needing to heal more, Hae-in argued with him and continued her tasks, but only under the condition that she would give half of them to him. Jin-woo took her place as the clan's representative when Goto Ryuji came to visit and Hae-in dealt with the arrested attackers locked in the Golden Piercers' headquarters. She gathered new information on who the people were working for and commenced a meeting about it with her clan.

Everyone in the building knew what happened to Kang Tae-shik. And that news set as a reminder for the members if they ever thought of stabbing the Dual Swords in the back.

Everything returned to what it was supposed to be.

Jin-woo, on the other hand, had some unfinished business to attend to and a proposal Hae-in could never refuse.

He shut the door behind him and found Hae-in, who was taking off the bandages around her hands. She stretched her hands to inspect it and the wounds were now gone as though they had never existed. A smile curled up on his lips and made his way toward her.

"Hey."

Hae-in looked at him. She smiled. "Hey yourself."

Jin-woo wrapped his arms protectively around her. He brushed his lips briefly on her shoulder before resting his chin on it. Hae-in placed her hands on his arms and leaned against him.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Jin-woo?" She asked.

"Yes. But it's not about clan matters."

Hae-in sighed. "Jin-woo. . . "

"I know. And I still don't mind keeping our relationship as a secret from everyone." Jin-woo said. "If anything, I find it funny that others think you are easy to get when you're already belonged to me for a long time."

Even when he was working as a mercenary, they were still together in spite of the lack of communication. They waited for each other.

"Oh, how much of a surprise it will be if they know that the boss of the Dual Swords is involved with her right-hand man," chuckled Hae-in.

"Do you want to?"

"No. The building will be a mess if that happens."

Jin-woo chuckled and inched his nose to her neck. "How about we go on a date without anyone noticing us? We haven't done that since you took over the clan."

"I thought that being by my side is enough for you?" Hae-in teased.

"No," he pressed his lips on the skin. "I want you to focus on me only."

Hae-in rolled her eyes. "Greedy idiot."

"Want me to show you how greedy I am?"

"Someone could knock from the door."

"I locked it and who cares if someone knocked," Jin-woo grinned. "Unless you can keep yourself quiet. You know how these walls only hold conversations."

Hae-in flushed, yet managed to flash him a glare. "Jin—"

He crashed their lips together hungrily. Jin-woo held the back of her head as he snuck his tongue through her teeth. Hae-in whimpered against him. She turned around to face him properly so their chests were pressed against each other.

Jin-woo felt like breaking some rules today.

Hae-in told him to keep his hands to himself for three months and if he succeeded, she would let him do whatever he wanted. Jin-woo decided to agree with her, but he knew that even if he broke his deal with her, Hae-in would never be mad at him — it was not easy for her to keep resisting him anyway.

Especially now.

Hae-in was as starving as he was.

She ripped his shirt that sent its buttons flying. Jin-woo widened his eyes. He was about to say something when she dragged him down with her.

"You know someone will ask if they see me like this."

"Hmm. . . And whose fault was it?" Hae-in smirked beneath him. "All I ask for is three months."

"How nice to hear that coming from you," Jin-woo growled. He leaned down and fanned his hot breath on her ear. Hae-in shivered. "I hope you'll wear turtlenecks tomorrow."

It was too late for Hae-in to complain now.

[invinciblerodent]

brb, i have to go and. make strangled noises at nothing real quick; it just hit me over the head how Wyll's use of the metaphor of dancing as a stand-in for romance and intimacy really just. accompanies him all throughout his story, and how perfect it is

I guess I should have expected a character like him, that's both deeply poetic in his speech and courtly in his upbringing, would come to idealize a chivalric romance a bit, and translate his feelings on/of love to an element of courting that's as ritualistic and processional as ballroom dancing, but sometimes just realizing the obvious can really knock you off your feet for a second

like. just like how there is almost a blueprint to a perfect storybook romance in both stories and -consequently- in his head (I think romance might even be one of the literary genres with the highest number of unwritten rules that need to be fulfilled for a work to count as a romance), there is also a fairly strict method to a court dance. There is a series of well-known and practiced steps that was laid out in advance, and one is to perform them in succession, and in sync with one's partner. If one of the parties doesn't know or doesn't want to follow the rules/steps, it gets... tangled, messy, and you both stumble. The dance and the relationship both fall apart. The happy ending of a tale is not reached without all the steps in-between being followed, and he so dearly wants his fairytale ending, his happy, fulfilled love, I just---

it's such a perfect metaphor, and what makes it even more perfect is that Wyll is ostensibly aware of it, and he chose it, purposefully, and i don't want to watch the Act 3 commitment scene because I've not yet done it myself and don't want to spoil it, but I would be so surprised if he a.) made no mention of storybook romances, or b.) didn't just straight up propose y'know

i'm (metaphorically) crying, if it were possible to play this game on six different characters simultaneously without getting bored or confused I fucking would

[rexscanonwife]

I'm crying and throwing up and asking where my phone is

[darkdragon768]

Needed to sketch down some pokemon for future events in my pmd story.

[seidooreiki]

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023)

Okay, here we go. I didn't expect this drama to leave such a deep impression inside me... I simply tried to watch it because "oh, the premise sounds interesting" then I went into a rabbit hole. 

What I'm really surprised was, I cried from the first episode. I remember how the past Tae Hae left me a deep impression just like how Yeon Woo was longing for her late husband. But this drama touched a trope that has been bugging me for years watching reincarnation drama. The future Tae Hae doesn't want to be the replacement of the past Tae Hae, that is what the future Tae Hae points out to Yeon Woo before their relationship goes further. And Yeon Woo admits that she sees him as different person no matter how both Tae Hae are so similar. 

At first, I'm really happy for that trope, because despite being the reincarnation, both Tae Hae are different people. 

But the last episode of this drama broke me like nothing else would. I really didn't expect for Yeon Wo to go back to Jeoseon, met her husband there and severed their marriage there. It broke me to piece and I'm reminded that I cried for the past Tae Hae in the first episode. 

The past Tae Hae doesn't do anything wrong (he just did what he thought the best given the situations), he is simply unfortunate because Yeon Woo already gave her heart to the future Tae Hae, not him. Not even the striking similarity and his sincere approach waves her, and it broke me. The past Tae Hae, while having better end than the previous time line, still ended rather tragic because Yeon Woo refused to give her heart to him until the last moment. 

The fact that not even how the past Tae Hae saw his future self doesn't wave her and she stays firm to the end, with his love being unrequited forever.

This is what I really love but also hate for this drama. I'm amazed that Yeon Woo stayed true to her heart and differentiated between her (ex) husband and her future lover. But my heart broke for the past Tae Hae because boy, he is really simply unlucky. 

I mean, if only Yeon Woo can comfort him for his last moment, maybe I won't be so broken-hearted like this, but again, that is what I love and hate from this drama. 

I think the past Tae Hae also deserves love, even if just a little, from Yeon Woo. Rather than him only being the bridge of how Yeon Wo and future Tae Ha can be reunited again. 

If the drama left me unsatisfied, then I should just write it on my own. Right. Let's do it!

PS: But it is just me hoping to make a fanfic about this drama but whether I have enough motivation to do is a different matter

[bl-bam-beyond]

BL- BOYS' LOVE

Series: LIGHT ON ME (2021, KOREA)

Woo Tae Kyung (LEE SAE ON) says looking at 3 guys that became important to him. There is Shin Daon (CHOE CHAN YI) the first person to show kindness to him. His first crush. Namgoong Shiwoon (GO WOO JIN) his trusted friend and advisor. And Noh Shinwoo (KANG YOO SEOK) a person from the moment they met showed nothing but animosity and contention.

Anyway Tae Kyung says...SURPRISINGLY, ONE OF THEM IS MY FIRST LOVE.

[snowwhitedraws]

oshamir au where osha just has the biggest innocent crush on Sol and Qimir is just doing everything he can to sabotage Osha's attempts of contact

[cielospeaks]

ngl i kinda wish ganglot had a friend/friends who would have a dynamic w her like bill and ted + the grim reaper

[satureja13]

Mabon - Part 2 (Part 1 is -> here)

It's time for Ji Ho's dead brother to finally leave this world and move on to the other side. Guidry opened a gate for him. It's easier to move between the worlds on festivals in the wheel of the year.

There's nothing that keeps him here anymore and a good part of him had been gone long before.

Vlad standing behind Ji Ho like last year as Luci at the Dia de los Angelitos when Tae Woon left.

Guidry: "There is a better place waiting for him."

Ji Ho knows - but still...

As if the last days in Chestnut Ridge weren't hard enough for Ji Ho... From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest

The Sulani Chapter from the beginning -> here

TMI: Ji Ho's brother was played by aged down Olive Tinker, a premade from Evergreen Harbor. And she wasn't a ghost because I couldn't bear a 'real' dead child ö.ö Olives mother, Tina Tinker, also plays Ji Ho's late mother.