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___________As they walked down the dimly lit street, the arcade lights slowly fading behind them, Taegeun was the first to speak.

"You know that kid back there?"

Hyunwoo shook his head. "Not personally."

"...Still gave him money though," Taegeun muttered. "Didn't think you were the charitable type."

"It's not charity," Hyunwoo said plainly, eyes forward. "Just didn't want to see another version of myself out there."

The group went quiet for a moment.

Ha Yuri, who'd been walking silently with her hands in her hoodie, glanced sideways. "He had that look."

"What look?" Nam Jihwan asked.

"The kind of look you have when the world turns its back on you, and you're still waiting for someone to say otherwise," she replied.

Min Dojin gave a rare nod of agreement. "He looked like he hadn't slept in days."

They reached a quiet crossroad, the hum of passing cars in the distance.

"You ever think we're just walking into more trouble?" Taegeun asked, half-joking.

Hyunwoo gave a dry chuckle. "Probably. But at least we're walking."

Taegeun looked at him. "You always talk like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like... you've seen too much for someone our age."

Hyunwoo paused at the crossing, waiting for the light.

"...Maybe I have."

The light turned green. They crossed in silence.

__________

A month has passed since. Nothing major really happened.

Hyunwoo went to school like usual. Teachers called his name a little louder now. Students stared longer. His name spread after the fight — some called him a beast, others just kept their distance.

He didn't care.He showed up, did his work, and walked home without a word.

But the normalcy was a mask. One he wore well.

A few times a week, Hyunwoo would swing by Jake Kim's place. The apartment was small — cramped even — but clean. Always organized, as if Jake was trying to prove something to himself.

Sometimes they didn't talk. Just sat there, the TV on low, both of them chewing through convenience store food like they hadn't eaten all day.

Other times, Jake would open up. A little.

"I'm joining Big Deal," Jake said once, handing Hyunwoo a can of soda.

"You sure?" Hyunwoo replied, glancing at him.

Jake shrugged. "Big Deal is different. With Sinu Han as a leader, it's not like any other gangster . Maybe I can help."

Hyunwoo didn't push. He just nodded. That was how their friendship worked — no judgment, no long speeches. Just presence.

And that was enough.

[Hanging out with Taegeun's crew.]After school, Hyunwoo sometimes linked up with Taegeun, Min Dojin, Ha Yuri, and Nam Jihwan.

They weren't exactly close, but there was... something there. A quiet understanding.They'd grab food, talk trash, play arcade games, or walk around aimlessly. Yuri often kept them all in check, Dojin rarely spoke unless he had to, and Jihwan laughed more than he should've.

But it felt... real.

Even Hyunwoo started talking more. Not much, but enough.

⸻

[PRESENT DAY – AFTER SCHOOL]

Hyunwoo was walking through the school gate, his bag slung over one shoulder. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the concrete. His steps were slow, casual — a rare moment of peace.

From across the street, Taegeun waved. "Yo, you're late! We were gonna hit up the ramen place!"

Hyunwoo raised a hand in acknowledgment, about to head over.

Then his phone buzzed.

[CALL: Jake Kim]

He stared at the screen for a second before answering."Yo Jake," he said, casually.

Jake's voice came through, quieter than usual. "Hey... can I ask for a favor?"

Hyunwoo's brow furrowed slightly. "What's up?"

There was a pause on the other end.

"It's not a group this time. Just... two people. But they're something else."

Hyunwoo slowed to a stop. The noise of the street seemed to fade as his mind clicked.

Two people.

Something else.

It wasn't hard to guess.

"...Where are you?" Hyunwoo asked, tone changing.

"Big Deal street."

Hyunwoo exhaled through his nose. His hand tightened slightly around the strap of his bag.

He remembered this. From his past life. From the Lookism webtoon.Gun Park.Goo Kim.

This was the start of something big.

"I'll be there in ten," Hyunwoo said.

Jake paused. "...You sure?"

"Yeah. Just don do anything rash."

He hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

Taegeun was already walking over. "Something happen?"

Hyunwoo didn't stop walking. "Gotta go."

"You need backup?"

"No."His voice was calm but clear. "This is different."

Taegeun looked at the others.

Yuri frowning. "He's not joking."

Dojin flipped his knife open once, then shut it. "Let's follow from a distance."

"Seriously?" Jihwan muttered. "Every time we hang out, we end up tailing this guy..."

But none of them turned away.

_________

Hyunwoo reached Big Deal Street just as the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the graffiti-marked walls. The air was heavy, not just with the stench of blood and sweat, but with the quiet after a storm — the kind of silence that only comes when a fight has just ended.

The building he entered was dim, the overhead lights flickering like they were afraid to stay on. Inside, the remnants of battle were scattered everywhere. Black Bear Gang members lay on the floor, some unconscious, others groaning, too beaten to stand.

Near the far wall, a cluster of Big Deal members stood, catching their breath. Jake Kim was there, his posture as steady as always, but his eyes were scanning the room like he was still ready to fight. Samuel Seo leaned against the wall, smirking faintly like this was all part of some plan. Brad, Jason, and Jerry lingered nearby, keeping an eye on the wounded and the outsiders alike.

One face was missing — Sinu Han. Hyunwoo already knew why. He didn't need to ask. In this timeline, Sinu had fought Goo... and paid the price for it.

Hyunwoo's eyes swept over the scene until they stopped at the two men in the center.

One was tall, broad-shouldered, with slick black hair and sharp black eyes concealed behind dark sunglasses — Gun Park. His stance was casual, but the air around him felt heavier, like the weight of a loaded gun ready to fire.

The other leaned lazily to one side, messy yellow hair falling over his round glasses — Goo Kim. His hands were in his pockets, but the twitch of his lips suggested he'd been enjoying himself far too much.

Hyunwoo didn't need to ask what had happened here. He knew this moment. In the Lookism plot, this was when Gun and Goo decided to recruit Big Deal into the Four Major Crews. The condition? Beat the Black Bear Gang. And thanks to Samuel's suggestion, they'd just done exactly that.

Gun's head tilted slightly as his gaze fixed on Hyunwoo, his expression unreadable."Who are you?"

Hyunwoo took a slow step forward, his boots crunching over broken glass. "Me? I'll be your next test."

There was a slight pause. Jake's brow furrowed, Samuel raised an eyebrow in mild amusement, and Brad muttered something under his breath.

Hyunwoo could feel the weight of everyone's attention shift toward him.

He wasn't reckless — he knew what these two were capable of. Both Gun and Goo were among the strongest in the Lookism world. Taking them on together would be suicide. But Gun wasn't the type to fight as a pair. He preferred testing people himself first.

And Hyunwoo was curious. Really curious.

He wanted to see how far he'd come.How he measured against someone who, in this world, was almost untouchable.

A flicker of confusion crossed Gun's face. He turned to Samuel.Gun: "Is that true? He's the one?"

Jake stepped forward, clearly about to protest. He had called Hyunwoo for backup — to face Gun and Goo together. The plan was to even the odds, not throw Hyunwoo into a one-on-one before the Black Bear Gang come in and ruined it. Just as he want to speak, Samuel beat him to it, a knowing smirk on his face.

Samuel: "Yeah. For this test, we only need one person to fight."

Jake shot Samuel a glare. "This isn't—"

Gun cut him off, his voice calm but sharp. "Even if you didn't say that, I'd handle this alone."

Goo straightened, pushing his glasses up. "Wait, why are you the one fighting? Don't hog all the fun."

Gun didn't look at him. His eyes stayed locked on Hyunwoo."You already had your fun with Sinu Han yesterday."

Goo scoffed but didn't push further, the grin never leaving his face.

Gun took a step closer, the room almost seeming to shrink around him."Well, kid... I hope you don't disappoint."

Hyunwoo's lips curved into a faint smile.Hyunwoo: "I hope so too."