Night fell with a chill that seeped into the bones. The Han family residence was quiet, but the calm was only on the surface. Beneath the dim glow of the chandelier, two brothers finally came face to face — not as siblings, but as two souls carrying very different dreams.
Jung Kok had just returned from a meeting with a group of young leaders from the western district — an early step in his reform plan. His face was tired, but his spirit remained unshaken. He entered the living room and found Jung Joon sitting on the couch, drinking alone.
"You're home late," Jung Joon said, his tone calm but laced with sarcasm.
Jung Kok didn't respond immediately. He took off his jacket and sat across from him.
"Important meeting. We're changing the way we operate. I needed the western district's agreement."
"We?" Jung Joon let out a short laugh. "You're starting to use 'we' like you're the main leader. Dad's still alive, you know?"
Jung Kok held back his frustration. "Dad knows what I'm doing. He gave his permission."
"Or maybe he's just too old to care anymore," Jung Joon replied with a sneer. "You think everyone in this family agrees with your way?"
Silence filled the room for a moment.
"Joon," Jung Kok said quietly but firmly, "I know you feel sidelined. But this isn't about who's stronger. It's about where we're heading. If we keep using the old tactics, one day the police won't turn a blind eye. The world is changing."
Jung Joon stood up, his eyes red. "You think I'm afraid of the police? I've lived in this world longer than you. But I never… forgot who we are. We're not protectors. We're rulers. We don't ask for respect — we make people respect us."
"And that's what's wrong!" Jung Kok snapped. "Because we've been using fear instead of trust. If you can't see that, then you are the problem."
Jung Joon shoved the glass table between them, sending a glass crashing to the floor. "Don't lecture me about honor, little brother. You think you're some kind of hero, but you're just a boy who hasn't been tested."
Jung Kok stood too, facing his brother. "If I'm just a boy, then why is everyone starting to follow me instead of you?"
That stung.
Jung Joon's face tensed. But before he could reply, a deep voice shattered the tension.
"Enough!"
Hwang stood at the top of the stairs, leaning on his cane, his face filled with anger and disappointment.
"You're both my sons. But tonight, you look like strangers."
Jung Joon turned his face away, saying nothing. Jung Kok lowered his head in respect.
"If you keep this up," Hwang continued, "our legacy won't die by the hands of our enemies… but by the hands of our own blood."
He turned and walked back upstairs without looking back.
That night, the two brothers parted without a word. But in their hearts, the decision had already been made.
Outside the house, Min — Jung Kok's loyal aide and close friend — was waiting by the car. He had been quietly tracking the two brothers' tensions from a distance, always the invisible eyes. With his unassuming frame and laid-back style, Min was often underestimated. But among Jung Kok's inner circle, he was one of the sharpest minds.
"Took you long enough in there," he said quietly as Jung Kok exited the house.
Jung Kok let out a sigh. "He still doesn't get it. Or maybe… he just doesn't want to."
Min looked at him for a moment before saying, "If he wasn't your brother, I'd have dealt with him a long time ago."
Jung Kok gave a faint smile. "He's still family. And I won't repeat the old history of my father."
"What if he becomes a threat?"
"If it comes to that… I'll face him myself."
Min was silent for a moment. Then he opened the car door.
"One more thing, Kok," he said before getting in. "There's movement from the underground. Some of the old men who used to follow your father — they're getting close to Jung Joon. He's working on something. Quietly."
Jung Kok clenched his jaw. "Keep digging. But quietly. If Jung Joon really is building his own movement… we might already be too late."
Their car drove off into the dark night. In the shadows of the city, winds of change began to stir. And Min knew — the time for action was drawing near.
The confrontation that started tonight… was only the beginning of something far greater.