We looked up in awe at the vast iron doors.

“Do we knock or something?” Sungjong asked. He raised his fist but before he could make contact, there was a loud creaking noise as the doors slid open. A group of armed men stood in front of us. Two people in particular, who looked to be around the same age as me, stepped forward.

“State your business.”

“We’re here to see Myungsoo. I’m Shin Yuseon, a friend and former classmate of his.”

We all bowed down to show our respect and passivity. In response, they unforgivingly patted us down and roughly ordered us to leave our belongings by the entrance; it was untold but we knew they were going to search through our bags later.

We were led through a maze of hallways and stairs, in and out of identical, interconnected rooms; it became obvious that they were taking precautions to confuse us to prevent escape and memorization of the layout of the house. We entered a room where the floor, ceiling, and walls had no end; everything was black, even the door could not be distinguished despite the vast amount of lights. There was no furniture, not even a rug. The armed men left us, except for the two who they clearly identified as their superiors. That pair stood at either ends of the room, surveying us as we tried our best to remain unfazed and calm.

Eventually, the door opened and someone entered.

“Oh hi, Myung—“

“How are you my friend?” It took him only a few strides before his face was a mere few inches from mine.

“We’ve known each other since kindergarten! We’ve sat next to each other for the past 12 years! Of course we naturally became friends,” I said after slinging my arm around his shoulder. “You were always so gloomy but we spoke to each other a lot, you know.”

-Kindergarten-

“Hi, I’m Yuseon. Teacher said your name is Myungsoo. How old are you? Should I call you ‘hyung’?”

“You’re stinky.”

-Third grade-

“Hi, Myungsoo! Let’s be friends this year!”

“Go away before I shoot you.”

-Fifth grade-

“Yo Myungsoo, I guess we’re going to be lifelong friends!”

“How troublesome.”

-Ninth grade-

“Oh man, we’re in the same school AND the same class? Alright!”

“…I need to transfer out now.”

-Eleventh grade (my last year there…)-

“Let’s join forces and rule this school!”

“…”

“Myungsoo?”

“…”

“Yo, yo, Myungsoo.”

“Go to hell.”

“Alright, buddy! I’ll meet you there!”

 “I wouldn’t exactly call that a friendship,” Myungsoo glared.

“That’s because it was more like an unbreakable bond of,” I frowned and grabbed my chin. “brotherhood.” I nodded, satisfied with my answer.

“I refuse to associate myself, much less engage in a ‘brotherhood’, with the child of the police,” he sneered as he spoke the last word in disgust. “Please leave immediately and we will not harm you.”

“But,” I tried my best to pout while maintaining a masculine pose, “My parents aren’t officers anymore. They died while they were investigating a lead. In fact, it had to do with your parents’ deaths. It seems they were following a person of interest.”

I could tell I had chosen the right words; Myungsoo’s eyes twitched. Fortunately, I wasn’t lying.

“Who? Did you see his face?”

“I think so,” But did I remember it? “But I really can’t think right now.” I pointed to my stomach.

And that is how we ended up in the dining hall stuffing our faces with the huge feast spread out before us. Oh, the taste of real food; we had been surviving on ramen packets and whatever sparse leftovers Hoya (and occasionally, Sungjong) managed to bring home from their jobs. This might be the last time we would have the pleasure of enjoying such a meal again thus we ate enough to last us for days.

“Thank you for the meal,” we bowed to him once we were done.

“I have no need for your thanks. Tell me what you know.”

But I had no answers. What should I say? “Umm… about that… I feel kind of sleepy; must be a food coma. How about we resume it tomorrow? Be sure to have breakfast ready, hyung!”

I waved and slowly backed towards the door but the two guards from earlier blocked our way.

“Fool,” I heard him say before I felt a tingle and blackness overcame me.

I woke up later, alone and on the cold floor of a white room this time. I sat up and contemplated over my options. I can’t lie to him; if I did, I would be killed but I told him the truth, I would also be killed. To be killed or to be killed? What an awful set of choices…

But just now when I mentioned the lead, he became so eager, almost desperate for any information I had. I knew he loved his parents dearly though; after they were murdered a year ago in that fire (which was later termed by the media as “The Dragon’s Last Breath), he became an empty shell. He was emotionally dead before, no mistake about it, but now he was entirely devoid of life. His expressionless face grew even more vacant; I had previously not known such a thing to be possible but there it was… exhibit A: Myungsoo.

A month later, I would be privy to the same fate. It was then that I knew how he had felt but our difference lied in the support I gained from my friends and the love from my brothers.

Did the almighty gloomy Myungsoo ever show sadness? I wonder… did he cry at his parents’ funeral? Unknowingly, I began to tear up. Damn it! What am I doing? I shouldn’t pity a person like him, child of a gangster! This is why my brothers keep telling me I’m not manly enough!

Never care about, pity, or even lookat a gang member with even the slightest hint of sympathy! Even if they weren’t responsible for Mom’s and Dad’s deaths, you shouldn’t be nice to any of them!

It had been easy at first but now, remembering all of those years where he just sat by himself, ate by himself, not even speaking a word to a teacher or another student besides me, I started to pity him. How could anyone so young survive while remaining so alone in the world? Although he adored his parents—it was evident when he fought to defend the Kim name at school—anyone could see that he had to remain impassive and aloof. No gang member wanted to see their future leader clinging to his mother’s arms or begging his father to play with him. Any emotions that implied psychological vulnerability were forbidden.

The two guards came again and unceremoniously picked me up. I was dragged to another room with a two way mirror where Myungsoo and another man sat waiting for me.

“Tell me what you know or,” he flipped a switch and the mirror dimmed to reveal my brothers on the other side, bound and the target of several very sharp knives, “your brothers will suddenly need some new body parts.”

“You bastard! Devil! Asshat! Dingleweed! Poophead!”

“Are you done?”

“Dungeons and dragons player! Nincompoop! Assgoblin! Coccy— “

“ENOUGH!”

The other man sat up and immediately started to fret. “Boss! You raised your voice! Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” he tried to compose himself before turning around to face me again. “So can you tell me who it is or not?”

I tried to remain as apathetic as possible as I formed an answer.

“Are you…lying to me?” he asked suspiciously. He leaned in closer to examine my face and then glanced down. “You’re about to crack the knuckles on your left hand. That’s something you always do right before you lie.”

“Wow, he’s right. Did you guys really not get along?” Sungjong asked.

“That’s not important right now!” Sunggyu and Hoya yelled simultaneously.

“Dongwoo, please get me the photo book.” The other man, now identified as Dongwoo, left and returned within less than ten seconds with a black leather book, bigger than any encyclopedia I’ve encountered before.

“Here,” Myungsoo said, handing it to me. “Show me who it is.”

I flipped to a random page and pointed at a man. “This guy!”

His eyes narrowed at me. “That’s a chauffeur from the Green Dragons.”

“Oh, then this one!” I said, pointed to a man in the next page.

“He used to be our chef; he passed away from old age three years ago.”

“My memory must be acting up. I meant,” I flipped randomly, not even bothering to look at the picture this time. “This one! Yup! I’m certain this time!”

 “That’s my grandmother.” He slammed the book shut and leaned forward. “Are you trying to mock me? Fine, be that way. Release the knives!”

“WAIT! I beg you, please wait! I know who it is! I just don’t know who it is.”

“What are you rambling on about now? I won’t fall for any of your mind games!”

“What I mean is, although I can’t give you a name, I’ll recognize the person when I see him.”

His already mistrustful eyes narrowed at me even more. “You’re not lying this time but will you really be able to do it?”

I nodded. He handed the photo book back to me and waited while I studied each photo. When I reached the last page, I felt defeated. “He’s not here,” I replied meekly.

Instead of exploding in anger, he nodded. “Of course not; that was a compilation of all of the people who couldn’t have done it.”

I in my breath in an attempt to control myself. He was playing with me! Bastard.

“I have a proposal for you: until you can find the killer, you’re to be my bodyguard. Whoever killed my parents was an expert; if he comes after me next, and he will, I don’t want to give him any openings.”

Dongwoo almost fell back in shock. “But boss! He just came from the streets! You don’t know anything about him!”

“I know enough. I know what he can do.” Myungsoo addressed me next. “Your brothers will be held here until you fulfill your duty. Understood?”

I could only nod silently, grateful the outcome was... uneventful.

I was led, along with my brothers, down several hallways again. We came upon two rooms and were split up there. One of the two main guards opened the door to what would be my bedroom for the night.

“Boss says that you’re to report to him at six in the morning,” he ordered gruffly before closing the door behind him. After counting to a hundred, I went and tried the doorknob. As I predicted, it was locked from the outside.

“Don’t even bother,” answered the guard from the other side. I expected as much.

There were no windows, no vents, no other openings. Even if I did find a hole somewhere, I would just get lost in this vast house and suffocate or starve. There was no use in dying if I couldn’t rescue my brothers. Crushed, I went to sleep, trying my best to get the rest I needed for what I was sure would be a difficult job lying in wait for me tomorrow.