Ran was about to leave when Yui suddenly came over carrying several bags filled with food and daily supplies for him and his family.
“Take all of this with you,” she said with a warm smile.
Ran immediately shook his head.
“There’s no need for this.”
But Yui refused to listen.
After several minutes of arguing, Ran finally had no choice but to accept the bags.
Just as he turned to leave, Yui suddenly stopped him.
“Wait a minute…”
Ran paused and looked back at her.
“What’s your full name?”
A brief silence followed.
Then Ran answered calmly,
“Kan Ran.”
The moment she heard that name, a strange expression appeared on Yui’s face.
“Kan…
Ran?”
She repeated it quietly.
“That’s strange…
There’s also a man in Japan named Ran.”
Ran listened without saying a word.
Yui’s voice became softer.
“People say he’s the head of a mysterious clan.
But nobody really knows the truth.”
She paused and looked directly into his eyes.
“The stories people tell about him are terrifying.”
A cold breeze passed through the yard.
“Some say he changed the entire Japanese underworld by himself.
Others claim that entire gangs disappeared overnight because of his orders.”
Her voice dropped even lower.
“And most of the people who stood against him…
were never seen again.”
She let out a slow breath.
“Even today, many powerful gangsters in Japan tremble when they hear his name.”
Silence filled the air.
Yet Ran’s expression never changed.
No surprise.
No fear.
No reaction at all.
He simply stood there as if he were listening to a story about an ordinary person.
Yui laughed softly.
“Well…
they’re probably just rumors.”
Ran gave a faint smile.
“Maybe.”
Then he picked up the bags and turned around.
“If you ever come to Sihol, give me a call.
And if you have time, bring your family to visit us.”
“Sure.”
Yui smiled.
Ran left.
A few minutes after Ran’s departure, a man came running toward Yui’s house.
“Yui Didi!”
Panic was clear in his voice.
Yui stepped outside.
“What happened?”
The man kept looking in the direction where Ran had gone.
“The boy who just left…
who was he?”
“Ran.
Why?”
The man opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then stopped.
“No…
maybe I’m mistaken…”
Confusion and fear were both visible on his face.
At that moment, a car pulled up outside the house.
Yui’s husband had returned.
His arms were full of gifts and toys for their daughter.
Yui suddenly looked at him.
“Honey…
where’s your wallet?”
The gangster checked his pockets.
“Huh?
You’re right.
Yui smiled and handed him the wallet.
“Here it is.”
The gangster stared at it in surprise.
“How did this end up with you?”
“It was found at Sihol’s vegetable market.
Someone brought it all the way here.”
“What?”
His eyes widened.
“He came from Sihol just to return my wallet?”
Yui nodded.
“Yes.”
The gangster laughed lightly.
“You should’ve kept him here a little longer.
I wanted to thank him personally.”
Yui smiled.
“It’s okay.
We can thank him when we visit our daughter someday.”
“Hmm…
fair enough.”
At that moment, one of the gang members standing guard outside overheard the conversation.
His expression suddenly became serious.
“Sihol…”
“The wallet…”
“He came straight to the boss’s house…”
A completely different story was forming in his mind.
“This can’t be an ordinary person…”
“First he stole the boss’s wallet…”
“Then he returned it to gain our trust…”
“He’s dangerous.”
He immediately rushed over to two other gang members.
“We found the target.”
Both men looked shocked.
“Who?”
“The guy who managed to get close to the boss.”
“What did he do?”
The guard lowered his voice dramatically.
“Let’s just say…
the boss doesn’t know the truth yet.”
“So what now?”
A slow grin appeared on his face.
“We bring him in for questioning.”
“Alive?”
“Idiot!
Of course alive!”
The three stared at each other.
Then one of them asked,
“By the way…
what’s his name?”
Silence.
“…”
“I don’t know.”
“What does he look like?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“Then how are we supposed to find him?”
“…”
“Maybe we should figure out who he is first?”
The atmosphere instantly shifted from serious to ridiculous.
Little did they know…
The person they considered a dangerous mastermind…
Was currently enjoying tea somewhere else.
When Ran arrived home, he found Ami already there.
“Oh, you’re back!”
She smiled before noticing the bags in his hands.
“Wait…
where did all this come from?”
Ran lifted the bags and sighed.
“How about helping me first and asking questions later?”
Ami laughed.
“Fine.”
Together, they carried everything into the kitchen.
When Ami opened the bags, her eyes widened.
“Ten packs of ramen?”
“And this food too?”
“Who gave you all this?”
Ran took a sip of water.
“Yui.
The gangster’s wife.”
“She did?”
“Yeah.
A thank-you gift for returning the wallet.”
“And the ramen?”
Ran smiled.
“I helped an old grandmother in Gangnam Valley today.
She gave them to me.”
“Oh…”
Ami smiled.
“Looks like you had a pretty good day.”
“Maybe.”
Then Ran looked at her.
“By the way, why are you home so early?”
“I wasn’t feeling well.
I think I had a fever.”
Ran examined her.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t look sick at all.”
Ami immediately threw a pillow at him.
“Very funny.”
Both of them burst into laughter.
(Then continue with the family dinner, Bibimbap cooking, parents returning home, dinner conversation, Aiko’s mention, dishwashing, medicine errand, and finally the black car scene.)
Ran stepped out of the clinic after getting the medicine.
The night had grown darker.
The streets were nearly empty.
Then…
A black car slowly stopped in front of him.
Ran frowned.
The windows were completely tinted.
Nothing inside could be seen.
A few moments passed in silence.
Then the rear door opened.
Two men stepped out.
Both were dressed in black.
Their faces were hidden behind black masks.
Ran stared at them.
“What is it?”
No answer.
One of the men slowly approached.
A strange feeling crept into Ran’s mind.
He took a step back.
“Who are you?”
Still no response.
Only silence.
Then suddenly—
Ran sensed movement behind him.
He turned around—
But before he could react, something was pressed over his mouth and nose.
“Mmgh…!”
He struggled.
The world around him began to blur.
Streetlights melted into glowing streaks.
Voices sounded distant.
The last thing he saw…
Was the open door of the black car.
And a figure sitting inside, silently watching him.
The darkness hid the person’s face.
A few seconds later…
Everything faded.
When the street became quiet again…
The black car was gone.
As if it had never been there at all.
— End of Chapter 14 — ✨
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