Min got up and left the house.
"Where are you going, Min?" MC ORCA called after him.
"I need some fresh air."
He stepped out into Mangwon-dong, the neighborhood unfolding around him in uneasy familiarity. The sounds were the same distant generators, footsteps echoing through alleys but everything felt thinner. Emptier. More broken than he remembered.
He hadn't thought much about this place while he was gone, but now the memories came rushing back like rain after a long drought.
"What happened to this place?" he whispered.
Cars passed only occasionally. The quiet wasn't peaceful, it was hollow. The homeless population had grown; makeshift shelters clung to storefronts and alleyways. The housing market had collapsed here, pushing families into the streets or overcrowded shelters.
Unlike Yongsan or Gangnam, districts are still glowing with power and influence. Mangwon-dong had been left to rot. Min had seen the difference from the bus: vibrant lights, bustling streets, controlled stability. What Red Pulse had done to Mapo was unmistakable.
The air smelled of burnt oil and damp concrete. Flickering neon signs buzzed weakly overhead. Graffiti layered abandoned walls like scars, and somewhere nearby a generator hummed steadily, refusing to die.
Min walked slowly, the familiar weight of his backpack grounding him. Every step pulled memories forward: rooftop LAN cables strung between buildings, the frantic clatter of keyboards, whispered strategies in the clan house long into the night.
He turned a corner and approached a small convenience store wedged between a shuttered café and a burned-out PC bang. The bell above the door jingled softly as he pushed it open, though he barely noticed.
Then shouting cut through the air.
"Leave! I said leave! Get out!"
Min froze.
The voice came from a small restaurant a few doors down. The door flew open, and someone stepped out into the pale afternoon light.
Soo-Yeon.
She looked different. Purple streaks ran through her hair, subtle but deliberate. Her hoodie hung loose, her posture guarded. She moved with caution now—measured, reserved—but her eyes were the same: sharp, watchful.
"Min?" she said.
Not surprised. Not warm.
"Soo-Yeon…" He wasn't sure whether to step closer.
She glanced back at the restaurant. "My dad and I… we had a falling out. About a year ago. I had to leave."
His chest tightened. The last time he'd seen her… Fear, chaos, the night everything collapsed came rushing back.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
She shook her head. "Don't. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's. Just life."
She hesitated, then nodded toward the store. "Mind if I come with you?"
Min nodded.
They walked into a nearby shop.
Inside, the bell rang again. Min grabbed a basket, selecting a few essentials while Soo-Yeon drifted through the aisles.
"So… Mangwon's changed," she said softly. "I barely recognize it."
"Yeah," Min replied. "Red Pulse controls most of Hongdae now. Mangwon's just… holding on."
She turned a can of soda in her hands. "After my dad and I fought, I didn't have many options. I had to survive."
A pause.
"I joined them."
Min stopped walking.
"Joined… Red Pulse?"
"Yes. And no." She met his eyes. "I don't like what they've become. But for a while, I didn't have anyone else."
The bell jingled again—harder this time.
Heavy boots struck the pavement outside. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the floor.
The door burst open.
Red Pulse.
Bright jackets. Cold eyes.
"Step outside," one of them ordered.
Min instinctively stepped forward. "Wait…"
"Now."
Soo-Yeon exhaled slowly and turned to Min. "I have to go."
"Soo-Yeon…"
"Not now," she said softly. "This was my choice. At least… at first."
Then a voice cut in, sharp and familiar.
"Yo. Is that Jae-Hwan's brother?"
Another laugh. "No way. Let me see."
A man stepped out of the van, grinning.
Han-Ryeong.
Also known as Electric Hands.
"Well I'll be damned," he said coldly. "You really came back? Guess you're itching to die on your own turf."
He leaned closer. "You don't belong here anymore. Go back to wherever you crawled off to or you'll end up just like your brother. I promise that." he said while pointing his fingers at Min.
Before Min could respond, Soo-Yeon was shoved into the van. The door slammed shut.
The engine roared, and the vehicle disappeared into the streets of Mapo.
The convenience store fell silent. The bell above the door rang once more, weak and lonely.
Min stood frozen, hands shaking.
Soo-Yeon had come back.
And she'd left again on the wrong side.
The war had stopped being distant.
It was personal now.