CHAPTER 16
a few days later
Sang-Hyun sat on his plush leather couch in his lavish living room, his injured arm supported by a sling.
He glanced at his phone as it rang, seeing his brother Jiro's name flashing on the screen. He scoffed, "What a miracle. My own brother calling me after a year."
After a moment's hesitation, he answered the call and brought the phone to his ear, "Hello?" Sang-Hyun's voice was laced with irritation.
"Sang-Hyun, my dear brother. How are you feeling?" Jiro's voice sounded cheerful, but Sang-Hyun could detect a hint of mockery in his tone.
Sang-Hyun gritted his teeth, "What do you want, Jiro?"
Jiro chuckled on the other end, "Just checking up on my big brother. I heard you got beaten pretty badly by some up-and-coming fighter. What a shame."
Sang-Hyun's blood boiled at the mention of Akito, "That's none of your business. I can take care of myself."
"Of course, of course," Jiro said dismissively. "But you know me, always looking out for my family. Speaking of which, I have a proposition for you."
Sang-Hyun raised an eyebrow, "What kind of proposition?"
"I'm sure you've heard about the upcoming martial arts tournament held by a rich guy, right? The one with the big cash prize?" Jiro paused for effect. "I want the dude that beat you up to enter."
Sang-Hyun frowned, "And why would I do that?"
"Because I'll be entering too," Jiro replied, his voice full of confident bravado. "Imagine the two of us in the ring, fighting for the title. I'm sure you want to see your little employee get beaten up by your own blood."
Sang-Hyun bristled at his brother's taunting tone, his jaw clenched as he listened to the rest of Jiro's proposal.
"And if I win, I'll take your place," Jiro continued, his smirk growing wider. "You're not exactly in a great state right now, are you? I'm sure you could use a little break."
Sang-Hyun felt a surge of anger rising within him at Jiro's insinuations. He knew his brother was just trying to get a rise out of him, but that didn't make it any less irritating.
"I don't think you understand how any of this works, Jiro," Sang-Hyun snapped, his voice low and tense.
"Just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can waltz in here and take over. I worked hard to earn my position, and I won't give it up so easily," he added, he peeks at Miki playing with her toys in the living room
He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "Besides, I'm not sure you're cut out for this kind of work," Sang-Hyun added with a sardonic smile."
"I seem to recall you crying like a baby the last time you got punched in the face."
Jiro bristled at his brother's barb, his face turning red with anger. "You think you're so tough, don't you?" he snarled. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see who comes out on top."
With that, he hung up the phone, his mind already racing with thoughts of how he would defeat his brother in the ring.
Sang-Hyun's eyes fixated on the city's skyline as his wife entered the room, her petite figure swaying as she carried the laundry in her arms. Her white hair shone in the light filtering through the window, and her deep blue eyes showed a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Dear? Who was that?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
Sang-Hyun sighed, turning his gaze to her. "It was nothing, just my brother," he replied, his eyes betraying his annoyance.
"Your troublesome brother? Jiro?" she questioned, her eyebrows furrowing in disapproval.
Sang-Hyun nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry about him," he reassured her, his voice firm.
His wife's expression softened as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried about the company, but don't let him get under your skin," she said, her voice full of love.
"Thanks, dear," he said in a flat tone, not bothering to hide his lack of interest. It was clear that his mind was preoccupied with other things, and his wife's words were merely background noise.
Meanwhile, Emi and Akito lounged on the couch in the dimly lit living room, their eyes glued to the TV screen.
The room was silent except for the haunting sound effects coming from the movie they were watching. Emi crunched on some popcorn while Akito sipped on a can of soda.
Suddenly, Emi let out a loud shriek, startling Akito out of his thoughts. "Eek! The Killer looks so scary!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with fear. She trembled as she clutched the bowl of popcorn close to her chest.
Akito chuckled softly and patted Emi's back. "It's just a movie, Emi. Don't worry, the killer won't come for you," he reassured her with a grin.
Emi smiled weakly and nodded, still a little shaken from the jump scare. "I know, but horror movies always get to me," she admitted, taking another handful of popcorn.
Akito nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that. Sometimes even I get freaked out," he said, taking a sip from his soda can.
As the movie continued to play, Akito's mind wandered to the recent brawl he had won.
He couldn't help but think about the opportunity he now had to either enter The Pit or get a promotion.
Akito sat silently on the couch beside Emi, his eyes fixed on the screen as they watched a horror movie.
But his mind was elsewhere, lost in deep contemplation as he weighed the potential consequences of joining The Pit. He took a long sip of his soda, the cool liquid providing some relief from the anxiety that was building up inside him.
"Okay okay, he thought to himself, considering the Pros and Cons if I were to join the Pit."
As he sat on the couch, munching on popcorn, Emi's fearful reaction to the horror movie they were watching barely registered with him.
He took another sip of his soda as his mind continued to ponder the potential benefits and drawbacks of entering the infamous fighting tournament.
"I could potentially earn a large sum of money and become a champion in the fighting world," he mused, "but I would have to sacrifice a lot of time and energy to train for the tournament, which could interfere with my work and personal life."
The Pit was known for its extreme and dangerous fighting, and the risk of serious injury or even death weighed heavily on his mind. As the movie played on in the background, he couldn't help but wonder if the thrill of the competition was worth the potential consequences.
Akito's deep thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sudden jump scare from the horror movie, causing him to jump and spill some of his soda on his shirt.
"AH!-"
He let out a yelp of surprise as he tried to compose himself, but it was too late. Emi was now startled by his sudden movement and she too jumped off the sofa, sending her popcorn flying everywhere.
"my god, Akito! You scared me!" Emi exclaimed as she tried to catch her breath. Akito, still trying to regain his composure, could feel his heart racing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said sheepishly as he grabbed a napkin to clean up the spilled soda.
As he sat back down on the couch, he couldn't help but chuckle at his own reaction. "I guess horror movies really get to me," he thought to himself.