Yubin studied at the board displayed in front of her in her father’s office. It was an organization chart of the Brothers-in-arms clans in Korea. The faces of the clan leaders were all labelled with the “suspect” word. The additional “prime” word sticker was pasted on top of the photo of Shin Donggab, the man she had a private conversation with earlier that afternoon at the funeral parlour. After some time, Yubin moved toward the board and took out the “prime” sticker from Donggab’s photo. She studied at the board again.

“You have a new prime now?” A young man’s voice interrupted her concentration.

Yubin turned to see the young man in his handsome black suit. “Not yet, Dean.” She shook her head at his question.

“Then why is the sticker off his face?” Dean asked.

“Coz he’s not the one.” She replied.

“What makes you so sure?” Dean folded his arms as he leaned against the desk next to Yubin, facing the Usual Suspects chart they had created ever since landing in Korea the day of Old Bang’s death.

Dean should know Yubin well enough that she was mostly always right. She saw in Donggab’s eyes what she always saw in her parents’ kind eyes but there was something more. When she shot Donggab the direct question if he killed her father, he did not get the chance to respond to her when someone had come in to get Yubin out to greet an important guest at the funeral.

“My gut feeling….and you know I’m always right.” Yubin told Dean.

“Godfather spoke fondly of him but they always say the closest ones can well be the most lethal one.” Dean observed. Then he took the “prime” sticker from Yubin and pasted it back on Donggab’s photo. “This will still be the first guy I’m keeping my eye on because he was last seen with Godpa.”

“Whatever it is. All of them need to be kept a close watch on.” Yubin closed her tired eyes and rubbed her temples.

“You are tired. Get some sleep.” Dean advised.

Yubin shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“You are in grief. You are not fine. I suggest you take a good rest, get back to LA in a few days. I’ll handle these clan leaders here.”

Yubin turned to Dean and frowned at the younger man. Now her temples hurt more.

====

Donggab was in his office when his secretary intercom him.

“Sir, there is someone who wishes to see you. He does not have an appointment though.”

“Don’t waste my time, lady. I’ll see myself in.” Donggab could hear a man’s voice with an American accent speaking to his secretary. Before Donggab could respond, his office doors opened and a tattoo-ed young man came into his office. His secretary looked apologetic but Donggab just nodded and told her it was fine.

“Sorry to bust in like this. But I bring an important message from the King of K-Town.” The man told Donggab.

Donggab remembered this guy now. He was the guy who was speaking to the boyish handsome young man at the funeral. Probably the King of K-Town’s right hand man?

“What’s your name, kid?” Donggab asked.

What was it with mafia bosses always calling him kid? Did his scary tattoos not make them think he was old enough?

“The name’s Jay. Jay Park. I’m here to tell you that you need to arrange a clan meeting now for the clan leaders to meet the new clan leader of Gwangju.” Jay informed.

“And I’m guessing the new clan leader is your King of K-Town?” Donggab made an obvious guess.

“Yes! Precisely!” Jay replied.

“I’m afraid the King of K-town will only be acknowledged as new clan leader of Gwangju after he’s been elected by a majority vote by the members who served Old Bang.” Donggab explained.

“We know that. The King will show you proof of that at the meeting.” Jay then approached Donggab and pulled out a name card for him. “Anyway, here’s my number. Call me when the meeting is set.”

 ====

The meeting was inevitable anyway so Donggab had arranged it a few days after President Bang’s wake. This time the meeting was held in a VIP room in Donggab’s Illionaire club.

All the clan leaders arrived early before the assumed new clan leader and Boss Gill arrived. These guys were probably excited to meet the mythical King of K-town.

“Did you all see the guy at the funeral?” Kush asked the other clan leaders. “How is he the King of K-town when he’s just a kid!”

“Yeah, you are jealous coz the kid’s way younger and more handsome than you are.” Dokki could not help but jabbed at Kush.

Kush threw a few nuts at Dokki in response while Sim D laughed at the 2 of them and added. “Well, at least we know the myth is true. He is a king who does not look like a king. More like a prince I’d say.”

Just then the doors opened and Boss Gill stepped in.

“Hold on..” Gill told his fellow clan leaders as he turned back and ushered someone into the room.

It was Yubin.

Donggab stood up as he watched her walked in gracefully in a long figure-hugging black dress with a high slit. Her dark hair was let down long and flowy and she had make-up on this time. Her thick red lipstick alone could give any man a hard-on. At least that was what he expected from the jaw-dropping reactions of younger clan leaders now. Donggab did not have a hard-on but he probably had an almost hard-on.

“I’m sorry, Yubin-sshi, I wasn’t expecting you.” Donggab asked politely.

“Why not, Donggab?” Gill answered on Yubin’s behalf. “She’s the King of K-Town.”

Now everyone but Gill’s eyes and jaws had widened in further surprise.

“Wait a minute! Is this some kind of joke?” Kush asked.

“Did you expect a guy, Kush?” Yubin asked, tilted her head at him. Then she took her seat. The one she presumed was her father’s previously and it was on the right side of Donggab’s chairman seat.

“Well, I’m not the only one here who reads KING literally!” Kush replied.

“In the mafia world, there is no rules to gender titles like the royals.” Gill added. “She’s king because she earned that same respect her father earned when he was King of K-Town in his younger days back in LA. She’s the real deal. Don’t be rude to your new fellow clan leader and sit your asses down.”

“But… who was that guy sitting at the head of the table at the funeral?” Sim D could not help but wonder aloud.    

“That’s Dean. My second-in-command.” Yubin explained as she took out a stack of papers from her clutch-bag. “Now I know you are all curious how I have come to proclaim myself as the new leader of the Gwangju clan. As per the traditional procedure, I have brought these papers signed by the members who worked for my father to prove that I have been elected as the new clan leader of the Gwangju province.”

“Ermm…Yubin-sshi. What about LA? Are you going to ditch K-town now?” Dokki asked.

Yubin smiled at Dokki’s good question. 

“Dean will be taking care of K-town for now. Meantime, I’m staying put in this country. I think it’s time the Brothers-In-Arms clans start to get used to a female clan leader now.”