"Ahhhh~~~~ I am soooo tired," Shin Hye growled like a lion as she walked home.

She was damn tired, and her muscles were gnawing her skin and her bones. She had never encountered such dumb students before. In the past, even if her students were hard-headed as hers were now, the past students were just as average as Nana and Soo Hyun, and were even getting good grades in their other subjects.

"Wae, wae wae?" she whined.

Just then, some men around their mid-thirties blocked her way.

"So, you are Park Gam Dong's granddaughter, right?" one said.

"Majayo (That's right)," she said, opening up her defense.

"Aish, that old man certainly had been messing up with Sajangnim's affairs," the one on the left said. "You better get ready!"

Shin Hye caught sight of the emblem of the second guy's left chest. It had the symbol of a sword and a chain. She had not seen such before, but she felt that these bad guys belonged to a rival gang.

"Why am I into this?" she cringed inside as she fisted both hands.

"YAAAAAAAA!!!!!" the three growled and advanced.

Shin Hye thought her training as a judo and taekwondo student could be put to good use. This was her second time doing this, with the first, slightly doing it to the bully students. She kicked the three men here and there, and even hit them with her bag. Good thing, she was really not into heels, so she ran to make them catch her.

Unfortunately, in her folly, she came upon a wall, and it was dead end for her.

"We got you now!" one said. "If the heir is out of the way, we can get to the root! And our shady business will get back on track!"

"Wanna help you?" a voice spoke up.

The men and Shin Hye turned to the source of the voice. It was Soo Hyun, who was perched on a tree. He smiled as he jumped down.

"You and us belong to different gangs," Soo Hyun said. "Only that your gang is bad, while ours is good."

And Soo Hyun jumped and wrestled with the men. He had a fun time fighting against them--and of course, impressing Shin Hye. Finally, the men had been down and he grabbed Shin Hye's hand, and they ran.

"I still do not understand what our gang is about," she asked Soo Hyun. "Harabeoji told me it is not yet time for me to know."

"How so?" he asked.

"Molla," she said. "Is it because I am the only girl admitted to the gang?"

The two of them stopped.

"I think I have to explain to Ssaem," Soo Hyun said.

He looked around to make sure that no one is listening to them. Both of them sat on the curb and talked. He told the story.

"Nae keun abeoji (my uncle) explained to me that the gang started a hundred years ago. The men who started the gang were basically two young boys in their hometowns, neighbors, that is. One was a Japanese, one a Korean. The two became friends and formed a bond stronger than brotherhood. But before World War I, the Japanese boy went back to Japan, and made a promise to his Korean friend that no matter what happens, they will not hate each other. But during World War II, the world history changed, each country with its own story. Years later, the Japanese boy joined the Yakuza, and later on, went back to Korea to find his dear friend. Though some or most Koreans still had hostilities against the Japanese and vice versa, the Korean guy still loved his friend, and they made a pact of brotherhood, just like the fraternity.

If you are asking me regarding the ideology of the gang, it is protecting the weak and the bullied. A simple ideology at that, but with bigger implications. Even the Yakuza that the Japanese boy joined shared the same belief, that is why our gang had connections to the Yakuza. Since the gang was feared by many, it was kept a secret. Those who remembered the gang are old people. The young people knew nothing about it. Some who had gained secret knowledge of the gang had two options: to be pursuaded to join or take oath with their own lives and be silent. That is how our members grew. It was their love and fear for one's own life that men joined. Among those who had walked in that path is ni harabeoji (your grandpa). But all those who had joined never backed out because they found the ideology to be fair and humane. They fought against other gangs who were bullies in the society. The gang members help each other in times of need, which is why money and business are just circulated among us. And even marriage is decided within the gang. You are one of the women whose marriage will be decided among the members of the gang. But of all the women who had knowledge of the gang, only Ssaem was picked by ni Harabeoji to join the gang as he does not have any male heir anymore. As you can see, ni abeoji and all your uncles did not live long due to hemophilia, and all of Harabeoji's grandchildren are female children. I don't know how it came to be, but you were chosen by your Harabeoji because you were the only one serious enough to succeed in judo and taekwondo. He had all his girls ready for the day that they succeed him in the gang, but only you had reached his dream."

Shin Hye bit her lips. She did not realize it was so hard to be in the gang.

"So, all those handsome lawyers are part of the gang too?" she asked weakly.

"Ne," he replied. "Nobody knew that those lawyers are actually cool gangsters. Who would have thought that they come to work in really cool and big motorbikes, or in shiny and corporate-style limousines?"

Shin Hye really hated herself for succeeding in judo and taekwondo. If she had not been successful in both, she would not have joined the gang. But either way, her marriage will still be determined by the gang.

"To the gang, it does not matter if the fiance of the girl is younger than her, as long as the guy is also a gang member," Soo Hyun said with a bit of air.

He got a glance at his teacher, hoping that she'd get the idea that he liked her a lot for him to wish that he'd be her husband.

"I will work hard and graduate and get a good job, so that I will be chosen to be Ssaem's future husband," Soo Hyun thought.

But marriage really was not in Shin Hye's mind. The confession made her sad because she had felt something different for her other student.

She had started to like Yong Hwa as well.

~~~~