Please make sure you have read the Important Notice and Chapter 25! I shall be posting the synopsis at sometime during this week or the next.

It transpired that his cousin Joonmyeon had crossed over to the dark side.

That night – the Friday night destined to be the last and ultimate night Minseok would meet Jongdae at the park – his parents had uncovered who Kim Jongdae was. They had also discovered that his uncle’s only son, Joonmyeon had signed up for the mafia’s “bunch of hooligans,” gotten himself the emblem – the tattoo – and that the parents were ashamed of and infuriated with their child.

“Mom, how do you know Jongdae is bad? You haven’t even met him!” Minseok had defended his friend when his mother had cursed at the criminals and their wayward children, and accused the “bloody thugs” for playing a crucial role in making innocent teenagers corrupt.

“Our poor naïve Joonie, lured in by them.” His mother tutted before snapping at him, “And you know nothing. Shut your mouth.”

“I’m not a kid anymore!” He had snapped back. “And nor is ‘poor’ Joonie. He knew what he was doing; he joined them of his own will. I’m sure Jongdae didn’t force him or have anything to do with it at all.”

“Promise me,” his father had appealed to him then, as if he had not even spoken. “Promise me you won’t be like Joonmyeon. It’s dangerous with the gangsters, son. We just want you to be safe.”

“I promise.”

And abiding that vow, because he loved his family dearly and did not fancy working in a gang anyway, he was avoiding Jongdae in school at all cost and dodging his texts. His mother, suspicious of him, had appointed Minseo to keep a close watch on him. Minseo excelled in detecting his wrongdoings and tracking him down, wherever he might be.

He unburdened his heart to Luhan, the only safe hours to vent his frustrations being