The soft hum of the city in the early morning echoed as the sun peeked over the horizon. In a small town in Busan, amidst the hustle and bustle of students heading to their respective schools, one young man stood out. He was a foreigner, a half-Korean, half-English blend, his unique heritage making him an enigma to the people around him. His life was about to take a turn, but little did he know, his path was already set in motion, marked by his refusal to fit in.
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Jasper Kwon had never quite understood the concept of "belonging." Born to a Korean mother and an English father, he was a mixture of cultures and expectations, constantly torn between them. Raised in Busan after moving from London, he often felt like a stranger, not quite fitting in with either group.
One chilly morning, as he sprinted down the narrow alleys leading to the school, he checked his watch. 8:15 AM. He was late—again. His heart pounded as he pushed past the crowd of students already gathered by the school gates.
With the heavy sound of his sneakers slapping against the pavement, Jasper made it to his classroom, slipping inside with the least amount of noise possible. He adjusted the earphones in his ears and tried to avoid eye contact with the teacher, who had clearly seen him enter.
"Mr. Kwon," the teacher's voice cut through the air, cold and disapproving. "Late again, and with your earphones in class? That's a detention for you."
Jasper shrugged nonchalantly, as though this was an everyday occurrence. He was known for being rebellious and not caring much for rules. His refusal to follow the conventional path had earned him a reputation as the troublemaker of the school. He was always the outsider, not because he wanted to be, but because no one really bothered to understand him.
He didn't have any close friends. In fact, no one ever really tried to get close to him. He was the kid who sat alone at lunch, who skipped out on group projects, and who never joined in the class activities. He wasn't a loner by choice, but by the simple fact that he never quite meshed with the others. His foreignness, his mixed background, and his tendency to always be a little too different for their comfort kept the others at arm's length. Even the bullies, who had no hesitation in tormenting others, never tried to pick on him.
Jasper was a wild card, a force of chaos in a world of predictability. He was the one who broke the rules just to see if the system could handle it. And yet, no matter how much he pushed the boundaries, he was always a ghost in the room. Never really part of the crowd, never really alone either.
His nickname among classmates was "The Outsider," but Jasper didn't mind. He had grown used to it.
Little did he know, though, that his next few months would change everything. All it would take was one unexpected encounter, and Jasper would no longer be just a nameless face among many. His story was about to take a turn, and he was no longer the only one pulling the strings.
Jasper rode his motorcycle through the familiar streets of Busan, the wind whipping through his hair. The ride gave him a sense of freedom, a temporary escape from the reality of school, his unbothered lifestyle, and the weight of being different. As he approached his house, he noticed something unusual.
A black car was parked outside, sleek and polished under the fading afternoon sun. Standing near it, in an impeccably tailored suit, was a man he recognized but hadn't seen in years. His father.
Jasper stopped his bike abruptly, his heart racing. His father, with his strong, muscular build and calm, composed demeanor, looked like a figure from a different world. He never quite fit the image Jasper had of him—his father was always busy, often away on business trips, and their interactions had been few and far between. Yet, there he was, standing at the doorstep like a stranger, dressed as though he belonged to a world that Jasper could never understand.
"Dad?" Jasper asked, his voice shaky with disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
His father smiled faintly, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve before speaking in a voice that was soft but authoritative, "I've decided to take some time off. The company is doing well, and I've been working on a project here in Busan. I thought it was time we spent some time together."
Jasper furrowed his brow, his confusion mounting. "Wait, what do you mean? You could have set up a company in Seoul, or even back in London, right? Why Busan now?"
His father's eyes softened, but his expression remained steady. "I've already established something here, Jasper. It's not just about business. This is home now, and I've been building something that you might one day understand. I want you to see it for yourself."
Jasper was taken aback. He had always assumed his father's work was based in the big cities—Seoul, or even internationally—but he had no idea his father had rooted himself in Busan. He had lived under the impression that his father's work was something distant, a vague idea of success that seemed irrelevant to him. But now, as the reality settled in, he realized there was much more to his father than he had ever imagined.
"I guess I never realized..." Jasper began, trying to make sense of the situation.
His father's voice was calm but firm. "You never asked. Now, it's time you did. But first, we need to talk."
Jasper stood there for a moment, absorbing the weight of his father's words. The realization hit him like a thunderclap. His father had been working here in Busan all along, but it wasn't just for business. His father's success wasn't just from running companies—he was involved in something far more dangerous, something far more complex. Jasper didn't know the full extent of it, but he had always suspected there was more to his father than the polished businessman who came and went from their home.
Jasper's mind raced with questions, but before he could ask anything more, his father's calm demeanor shifted slightly. "I know this is a lot to take in," his father said, his voice steady, "but there's more at play here. I'm doing this to keep you safe, even if you don't understand it yet."
Safe. The word echoed in Jasper's mind as he turned away. He didn't feel safe. He felt more confused than ever. Safe from what? From who? Jasper knew his father was a successful businessman, but this… This was something else entirely. His father wasn't just a billionaire—he was involved in the mafia, but not the kind that only deals with destruction and violence. This was a mafia of sorts, but one with its own code, its own balance. Jasper's father worked in the shadows, hiding his true identity from the world.
He didn't know the details, but it was enough for Jasper to be unsettled. His father had kept this life hidden from him and his mother, and Jasper had always assumed that his dad was just too busy, too absorbed in his work to care. But now, in this moment, Jasper realized just how much had been kept from him.
"Dad… I don't know what you're talking about," Jasper said, the words barely escaping his lips. "I don't understand any of this. You've never said anything like this before. Why now? Why tell me this?"
His father let out a sigh, as though expecting the question. "Because you're older now. And you need to understand the reality of things. Everything I've done, every decision I've made, it's all been for you, for your future."
Jasper turned away, not wanting to continue the conversation. His father's words felt hollow to him. He wasn't sure if he could trust them, or if he wanted to. He hadn't asked for this life, and he certainly hadn't asked for a father who hid things from him for so long.
Without another word, Jasper walked up the stairs to his room. The weight of the conversation hung heavy on his shoulders, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself as he ascended the staircase. "Great… now I have to deal with this."
He paused as he reached the top of the stairs, glaring at the door to his parents' room. His mind was racing, thoughts swirling in confusion. "Mom should've told me this sooner… why does Dad have to be so secretive about everything?" He grumbled under his breath. "Maybe he should just sleep outside tonight."
As he entered his room, he slammed the door behind him. He didn't want to think about the mafia or his father's hidden life. But that wasn't something he could ignore anymore. His father's involvement in this secretive world would eventually collide with his own life, whether he liked it or not.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Jasper tried to make sense of everything. The man he thought he knew, the man he had always looked up to, was not the man he had imagined. His father wasn't just some businessman—he was part of something much bigger, something darker. And now, it was all crashing down on him.
Jasper had always known that his family was different from others, but this revelation had turned everything upside down. He wasn't sure how he felt about his father now. There were too many unknowns, too many unanswered questions. One thing was certain, though: his life would never be the same again.
The truth was out there now, but it wasn't something he could easily accept. For now, all he wanted was some time to think—away from his father, away from the chaos that had suddenly entered their lives. Maybe, just maybe, if he could find the answers, he'd be able to make sense of it all.
But until then, he could only do one thing: survive.