The convenience store owner kept staring at Fang like he had picked up some dangerous wild animal from the roadside.
"...Brother, what was your name again?"
"Chung Soo."
The owner nodded awkwardly.
"My name is Park Hyun."
Fang gave a small nod but did not care much.
Park Hyun looked toward the alley nervously.
"...Those punks usually come every few days."
"Hm."
"You really scared them badly earlier."
"They were weak."
Park Hyun became speechless again.
This man talked about violent gangsters like they were annoying flies.
Before he could continue speaking, Fang suddenly stood up.
"Can you give me some items? You can cut the payment from my salary."
Park Hyun blinked.
"Wait, what about work?"
"I'll come tonight."
"...You really mean it?"
"Why would I joke about work?"
Park Hyun laughed awkwardly.
"...Right."
Fang takes the items and leaves
As Fang walked away from the store, Park Hyun quietly muttered,
"What kind of monster did I just hire...?"
Meanwhile
Inside the apartment.
Seo Yuna sat quietly near the window while staring outside absentmindedly.
Noah sat beside her, drawing something on paper.
The apartment felt strangely peaceful.
But Seo Yuna could not relax at all.
Everything since yesterday felt unreal.
Chung Soo is suddenly cleaning the house.
Cooking food.
Treating injuries.
Looking for work.
Even the way he spoke felt different now.
Yet
That dangerous feeling around him remained.
Sometimes when he looked at her, it felt like being watched by a predator.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened slightly.
No.
People do not suddenly change overnight.
Especially monsters.
Suddenly, Noah tugged her sleeve softly.
"Mom."
"Hm?"
"Do you think Dad hates us?"
Seo Yuna froze for a second.
"...Why are you asking that?"
"Because his face always looks angry."
Seo Yuna looked down silently.
Even she did not know how to answer that.
Before, Chung Soo looked disgusting.
Now
He looked cold.
Too cold.
Like someone trying hard to suppress violence.
Noah lowered her head sadly.
"But yesterday when I cried... he hugged me."
Seo Yuna's expression stiffened slightly.
That scene from last night flashed through her mind again.
Noah is crying quietly.
Fang awkwardly tries to comfort her.
No shouting.
No anger.
Just silence.
Seo Yuna lightly grabbed her own forehead.
"...What is wrong with this demon?"
At that moment
Bang!!
The apartment door suddenly opened.
Seo Yuna flinched violently.
Noah also got startled.
Fang entered while carrying two plastic bags filled with groceries.
Milk.
Eggs.
Vegetables.
Medicine.
Seo Yuna stared blankly.
Then her expression quickly changed.
"Where did you get the money?"
Fang removed his shoes calmly.
"Work."
"You got a job already?"
"Yes."
"Doing what?"
"Night shift at the convenience store."
Silence filled the apartment.
Seo Yuna could not hide her disbelief.
Fang walked into the kitchen and started placing things inside the refrigerator.
"I bought medicine too. Eat after food."
Seo Yuna stared at the medicine silently.
In the past, Chung Soo never cared whether she lived or died.
But now
he is buying medicine?
Nothing made sense anymore.
Fang closed the refrigerator door.
Seo Yuna unconsciously pulled Noah slightly closer.
That small action did not escape Fang's eyes.
His expression became colder for a moment.
"...Annoying woman."
Then he walked toward the bathroom.
Seo Yuna kept staring at his back nervously.
This situation felt more frightening than before.
At least the old Chung Soo was predictable.
This one was not.
Inside the bathroom
Cold water splashed across Fang's face.
He looked at his reflection in the cracked mirror.
Messy hair.
Weak body.
Cheap clothes.
"...Pathetic."
The former king of assassins was now working night shifts to feed a family that feared him.
Life truly enjoyed mocking people.
Meanwhile
Outside the bathroom, Noah happily opened the snack bag Fang bought earlier.
"Mom, Dad bought chocolate too."
Seo Yuna looked toward the chocolate silently.
In the past, Chung Soo used to steal Noah's snacks for alcohol money.
But now
he was buying them instead.
Nothing about this situation felt real.
Suddenly, Noah spoke quietly.
"Mom."
"Hm?"
"If dad really changes... will we become a normal family too?"
Seo Yuna froze completely.
That simple sentence pierced deeply into her chest.
Normal family.
Such ordinary words.
Yet for them, it felt impossibly far away.
Seo Yuna slowly pulled Noah closer into her arms.
"...Don't hope too much."
Her voice became softer.
"Because hope hurts the most when it breaks."
The apartment became quiet again.
Only the sound of running water from the bathroom could be heard.
Cold water splashed across Fang's face.
He stared at his reflection in the cracked mirror silently.
Messy hair.
Weak body.
"...Pathetic."
The former king of assassins was now working night shifts just to feed a family that feared him.
Life truly enjoyed mocking people.
Meanwhile—
Outside the bathroom, Noah happily opened the snack bag Fang bought earlier.
"Mom, Dad bought chocolate too."
Seo Yuna looked toward the chocolate quietly.
In the past, Chung Soo used to steal Noah's snacks for alcohol money.
But now
He was buying them instead.
Nothing about this situation felt real.
Suddenly, Noah spoke softly.
"Mom."
"Hm?"
"If dad really changes... can we become a normal family too?"
Seo Yuna froze completely.
That simple question pierced directly into her chest.
Normal family.
Such ordinary words.
Yet it felt impossibly far away from them.
Seo Yuna slowly pulled Noah closer into her arms.
"...Don't hope too much."
Her voice became softer.
"Because hope hurts the most when it breaks."
At that moment
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Violent knocking shook the apartment door.
Seo Yuna flinched hard instantly.
Noah also got startled and hugged her tightly.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
A rough male voice echoed from outside.
Seo Yuna's face immediately turned pale.
She recognized that voice.
"D-Debt collectors..."
The knocking became louder.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"YAH CHUNG SOO! WE KNOW YOU'RE INSIDE!"
The bathroom door suddenly opened.
Fang walked out calmly while drying his wet hair with a towel.
He glanced toward the entrance.
"...Noisy."
Seo Yuna quickly stood up despite her injured ankle.
"Don't open the door!"
Fang looked at her.
"They'll keep shouting."
"They are dangerous!"
Fang looked genuinely confused for a second.
"Dangerous?"
That reaction almost made Seo Yuna speechless.
Bang! Bang!
"HURRY UP AND OPEN!"
Fang calmly walked toward the entrance.
Seo Yuna grabbed his arm instinctively.
"Wait"
Fang looked down at her hand.
Seo Yuna quickly pulled it back like she had touched something hot.
The apartment became awkwardly silent for a second.
Then Fang opened the door.
Three large men stood outside aggressively.
One of them immediately grabbed Fang's collar.
"You bastard! Ignoring our calls now?!"
The smell of cigarettes and alcohol filled the hallway.
Seo Yuna's breathing became uneven again from the shouting.
Noah quickly hid behind her.
The debt collector looked inside the apartment mockingly.
"Oh? Your wife is still here?"
The other two laughed loudly.
"Damn, if I were her, I would've run long ago."
Fang's expression slowly became colder.
The man continued arrogantly,
"Listen carefully. If you don't return our money in three days, we'll take everything from this house."
His eyes slowly moved toward Seo Yuna.
"Maybe even your wife."
Thud!!
The sentence stopped midway.
The man's body slammed directly into the apartment wall.
The hallway shook slightly.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The other two collectors froze completely.
Seo Yuna's eyes widened.
Even Noah became stunned.
Nobody saw Fang move.
One second, he stood there calmly.
The next—
The man was coughing painfully against the wall.
Fang slowly grabbed his hair.
His voice turned ice cold.
"Say that again."
The collector trembled violently.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
The pressure coming from Fang felt suffocating.
The other two quickly stepped backward.
"W-Wait! We were joking!"
Fang looked toward them.
"Funny?"
Nobody answered.
Fang released the man's hair roughly.
Thud.
The collector collapsed onto the floor while gasping painfully.
Fang spoke calmly,
"You'll get your money."
The three immediately nodded.
"B-But the deadline."
"You'll get it."
Cold sweat covered their backs.
Something about Chung Soo felt completely different today.
The old Chung Soo used to beg, cry, and hide from them.
But this man in front of them
felt terrifying.
Fang slowly stepped forward again.
All three instinctively stepped back.
"Now get lost before my mood worsens."
The collectors ran away almost immediately.
Even the injured man crawled up and escaped without daring to look back.
Bang.
Fang quietly closed the apartment door.
Silence returned.
Then he turned around.
Seo Yuna subconsciously stepped back while pulling Noah behind her.