Kang Min arrived at school earlier than usual. He sat in the corner of the basketball court listening to music, trying to escape the world for a moment. However, his tranquility didn't last long. The classroom was noisy as usual, especially after Sung Jae became the center of attention of the juniors, and Lee Jong was busy joking around with the girls in class.
Kim Hanna, as usual, was busy leading a game of Uno with some other naughty students. She waved to Kang Min, but Kang Min only replied with a small nod before returning to staring blankly out the window.
Amidst the noise, Kang Min suddenly stood up and shouted, "Shiball!!!" (Damn it!). The whole class immediately went silent, staring at Kang Min with confused faces.
Feeling guilty for attracting everyone's attention, Kang Min quickly said, "Did you hear, guys? It's my birthday today."
The class immediately exploded in cheers. "YEAY! Treat, Min! Let's go for a walk!" shouted one of the students in the corner of the room.
"How about camping? Last year your brother took us on a trip too!" another student suggested.
The cheers grew louder, making Kang Min let out a long sigh. "These guys are really annoying," he muttered under his breath. However, he couldn't help but smile a little at the happiness of his friends, especially Kim Hanna's excited expression while giving the rock and roll symbol. Sung Jae and Lee Jong also supported the idea enthusiastically.
However, the atmosphere suddenly changed when the quiet girl in their class, Eum Byeul, raised her hand and said quietly, "I'm not going."
The room fell silent again. Everyone looked at Eum Byeul with questioning eyes. Kim Hanna, with a faint smile, tried to break the ice. "It'll be fun, you should come," she said in a persuasive tone.
Kang Min glanced at Eum Byeul who was sitting in the corner of the classroom, staring out the window with a flat face. When Eum Byeul turned around and looked back at Kang Min, there was something in their gaze-a silence that only the two of them understood.
That night, when Kang Min came home, he was greeted by a small surprise from his mother. Birthday candles were lit on a simple cake on the dining table. His mother with a gentle smile said, "Happy birthday, Min. Your brother must be proud to see you."
Kang Min smiled, but his eyes were red. When he cut the cake, his tears fell uncontrollably. He cried, calling Kang Soo Hyuk's name repeatedly. His mom tried to calm him down even though she was crying herself.
"Mama is still here. We'll get through this, Min," her mother said while rubbing her back.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, singing a birthday song in a slightly discordant voice. Kang Min turned around quickly, finding Lee Ju Nan, the late Kang Soo Hyuk's personal assistant, standing at the door with a small gift.
"You surprised me, brother!" Kang Min chuckled while wiping his tears.
Lee Ju Nan smiled and sat next to him. "Happy birthday, Kang Min. Your brother will always live in our hearts. Now it's your turn to go further."
Kang Min was silent, staring at the candles still burning on the cake. He knew his life would never be the same again, but he was determined to keep going-for his brother, for his family, and for himself.
In the evening, Kang Min sat on the balcony with Lee Ju Nan. The cool night breeze made the atmosphere peaceful, even though his mind was still full of various things.
"Hyung, tomorrow I want to take my friends on a trip. I need your help to organize everything," Kang Min said while looking at the city lights twinkling in the distance.
Lee Ju Nan looked at Kang Min with a lazy gaze, then replied in a cute tone, "Ouch, don't do it. It's so complicated to take care of school kids. I don't want to be bothered."
Kang Min chuckled, then started parodying Lee Ju Nan's speaking style while moving his hands in an exaggerated manner. "Well, don't, it's too complicated~," Kang Min said in an artificially spoiled tone, making Lee Ju Nan look at him with annoyance.
"Geez, stop it! Okay, okay, I'll help. But you're the one who treats me later!" replied Lee Ju Nan with a sigh, finally giving up.
"Deal!" Kang Min exclaimed with a satisfied smile.
However, their laughter stopped when Kang Min realized someone was watching him from a distance. Under the balcony, he saw a figure standing still with a sharp gaze pointing directly at him. It was Choi Sang Woo.
Kang Min immediately stood up and without thinking ran downstairs to find out. He opened the door quickly and saw Choi Sang Woo starting to walk away, his back to him.
"Sir! What are you here for?" Kang Min exclaimed, his voice full of curiosity.
Choi Sang Woo paused for a moment, then turned around with a flat expression. In a calm voice, he replied, "I'm just watching you. Nothing more."
After saying that, Choi Sang Woo turned around and walked away, without giving any further explanation.
Kang Min just stood rigidly in place, staring at Choi Sang Woo's back as he slowly disappeared into the dark night. His heart was filled with various questions that never got an answer.
Kang Min was still rooted to the spot, his eyes kept looking at Choi Sang Woo who had disappeared around the corner. His mind was filled with questions. "Why does he keep appearing in my life? What is he really looking for?" Kang Min muttered in an annoyed tone.
Lee Ju Nan, who was curious about the commotion downstairs, finally came down after him. "Hey, what's going on? Why are you suddenly running like you're being chased by the devil?" she asked while looking at Kang Min.
Kang Min sighed, trying to calm himself down. "It's... Choi Sang Woo. He was here earlier. He said he was just watching me," Kang Min replied, still in an incredulous tone.
Lee Ju Nan frowned, trying to digest the information. "Choi Sang Woo? That detective? Does he know anything about you?" she asked in a low voice, making sure no one else was listening.
Kang Min just shook his head slowly. "I don't know. But I'm sure he won't stop until he finds out everything I do," he replied, his voice sounding heavy.
Lee Ju Nan patted Kang Min's shoulder. "Then, you should be more careful. Don't let him know what he shouldn't know. Let's go upstairs again. It's been a long night," she said as she walked back inside.
However, Kang Min was still standing in place, staring into the dark where Choi Sang Woo had disappeared. In his heart, he knew that this wasn't their last meeting. Choi Sang Woo would continue to appear, and Kang Min had to be ready for whatever happened.
After sitting on the balcony for a while, Kang Min decided to go see Ji Ho. He felt that something needed to be resolved, even though his heart was still heavy. When he arrived at Ji Ho's place, he immediately saw Choi Sang Woo.
Sang Woo looked at Kang Min sharply, his voice firm. "I told you from the beginning, don't take the law into your own hands," he said, "Now Han Dong Wook's colleagues and friends are after you!!!"
Without mercy, Sang Woo punched Kang Min in the stomach, making him stagger for a moment.
Kang Min looked at Sang Woo with angry eyes. "So what about my father who was framed and sentenced to death? And my brother who was shot recently? Should I keep quiet?!" his voice trembled, full of hatred.
Sang Woo looked up at the sky for a moment, as if thinking before finally speaking in a softer but warning tone, "For goodness sake... you're still young, Kang Min. Don't be a hero. You don't want to end up tragically like that."
Ji Ho, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "Kang Min, you're also the culprit here, because you killed people!"
Kang Min snorted angrily, then firmly replied, "Oh, okay! Don't look for me again!" Then he turned to leave them.
Ji Ho scratched his head, looking confused and a little worried. Meanwhile, Sang Woo stood stiffly, not trying to chase or stop Kang Min. They were just silent, watching Kang Min leave.