The Fate I Want to Change
A short while later, the gym members' sparring matches began. Jaehyuk sat on the floor resting as he watched the bouts unfold. Jihun's opponent kept throwing jabs while Jihun raised both arms into a guard stance. The moment an opening appeared, Jihun fired a right hook at the man's jaw, but the opponent quickly lifted his left arm to block it. Jihun followed up with a rapid series of jabs, forcing his opponent back into a defensive guard. After a few seconds of sustained pressure, Jihun suddenly drove a powerful right body blow straight into the man's left ribs. The opponent staggered from the direct hit.
Damn… blood really doesn't lie.
Jaehyuk had never seen Kang Jiyong fight in person, but he'd heard that Jihun's father had been a legendary brawler back in his prime. Combined with the combat sense Jihun had shown against those thugs earlier that afternoon, it was clear the kid's skills were already well above average.
Jaehyuk casually asked the member sitting beside him, "Hey, how long has Kang Jihun been training here? He looks pretty good."
"Jihun? The owner said he's been coming since sixth grade."
So about six years. That's a long time.
Five minutes later, Jihun's sparring session ended. While his opponents were left gasping for air, Jihun showed almost no signs of fatigue.
His stamina is insane. That was already his third consecutive round, and he still looks fresh.
Soon after, it was Jaehyuk and Jihun's turn to spar. Jihun cracked his neck side to side, then flashed Jaehyuk a confident grin.
"Let's have a good one, yeah?"
The match began. Jaehyuk circled while throwing light jabs to control the distance. Jihun answered with a low kick. Jaehyuk checked it with his left shin and stepped back. Jihun pressed forward, mixing jabs and hooks to keep the pressure on.
Power's no joke either.
Jaehyuk continued managing the range until he suddenly exploded forward and shot a double-leg takedown.
Double-leg?!
Jihun tried to sprawl, but Jaehyuk's timing and speed were too perfect. They crashed to the mat together, and Jaehyuk quickly mounted, raining down punches. Jihun immediately locked his arms tight to his sides and clasped his hands over his lower abdomen, setting up a mount escape. He bridged his hips upward, forcing Jaehyuk to post both hands on the mat for balance.
The moment Jaehyuk's hands touched the floor, Jihun drove his right elbow into Jaehyuk's left knee while shoving the leg away with his right knee. In one fluid motion, Jihun escaped the mount, wrapped his legs around Jaehyuk's waist, and locked in a closed guard.
Jaehyuk responded by driving both elbows into Jihun's thighs to break the guard, then passed back into side mount. Jihun reached for a collar tie, but Jaehyuk caught his wrist, threaded his left arm underneath, and locked in an americana. Jihun tapped immediately.
Ten minutes later, all the sparring had finished. Jihun walked over to Jaehyuk, who was drinking water with a sweat-soaked paper cup.
"You're really good. I was genuinely surprised."
Jaehyuk tossed the empty cup into the trash. "Eh… just lucky."
"Lucky? Didn't look like luck to me. You trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu too?"
"Not formally. Just picked up a little from a friend."
In his previous life, while undercover in Gangryonghoe, Jaehyuk had learned countless martial arts from the syndicate's elite fighters—kickboxing, judo, aikido, boxing, Muay Thai, Kali Arnis, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, sambo, and jeet kune do among others.
Learned a bit of everything back then. Come to think of it, Gangryonghoe had quite a few human weapons besides Ju Taeyeol.
"By the way, what about that friend of yours—Lee Jeonghan? Does he train anywhere?"
"Jeonghan? Nah, he doesn't do anything on the side."
"Then how about getting him to train here with us? You two seem pretty close. Might be fun to learn together."
Jaehyuk stared at Jihun's cheerful expression. He thought back to the Jihun from his previous life—the violent, drug-addled version—and compared him to the friendly young man standing before him now.
Kang Jihun… was he always this outgoing?
In his past life, Jihun had been nothing more than a tragic drug addict who died young. Jaehyuk felt a pang of regret.
If I can really change fate, I want to change Suyeon's and this guy's too. It's a shame to think someone this decent ends up becoming a broken junkie.
"So? What do you think? Should we get him to join?"
Jaehyuk hid his sympathy behind a grin. "I'll ask him when I get the chance."
That night, Ju Taeyeol—the Gangryonghoe executive who had killed Jaehyuk in his previous life—walked through a club wearing a black jacket and carrying a large bag. He stopped in front of a door in the basement. One of the three guards blocked his path.
"Only people with VIP tickets are allowed inside."
Taeyeol silently glared at him. The guard beside the speaker quickly shoved his colleague aside and bowed repeatedly to Taeyeol.
"I'm so sorry. He's new and doesn't know the rules yet. Please forgive him just this once."
Taeyeol set his bag down and stared at the guards. After a moment, he crooked his left index finger at the man who had stopped him. When the guard approached, Taeyeol showed him his right palm.
"Hand. Give it here."
The guard hesitantly extended his right hand. In one swift motion, Taeyeol grabbed the wrist with his left hand, drew a military knife from inside his jacket, and drove the blade straight through the guard's palm.
"Ghh…!!"
Before the guard could scream, Taeyeol clamped his left hand over the man's mouth and slammed him against the wall.
"Don't move. You'll sever a nerve."
He slowly withdrew the blade. Blood poured from the wound. The guard's muffled screams never escaped Taeyeol's grip. Once the knife was free, Taeyeol released the man's mouth and asked coldly, "You'll recognize me next time we meet, right?"
The terrified guard nodded frantically. Taeyeol sheathed the knife and ordered the other guards, "Take him to the hospital. And train your people properly."
"Y-yes, sir! We're truly sorry!"
After the guards hurried away, Taeyeol picked up his bag and entered the VIP hallway. He walked into room 703. Inside, a red-haired man with Hannya demon tattoos on both arms, sunglasses, and a green sleeveless shirt waved casually.
"Yo, Director Ju! Long time no see."
Taeyeol set the bag down and sat across from him. The man downed half a glass of whiskey in one gulp and smirked.
"So, what are you here to ask about this time?"
Jang Seongyun. Information broker of the underworld, commonly known as "Bidulgi."
Taeyeol pulled out his phone and handed it over. "The guys transporting Philopon in Daegu got hit."
Seongyun removed his sunglasses, his expression hardening as he scrolled through the photos—bodies shot in the chest and head, throats slit, and an empty truck interior.
"Hmm… this wasn't some amateur crew. Looks like professionals."
"How can you be sure?"
Seongyun returned the phone. "Two to the chest, one to the head. Classic Mozambique drill. Most civilians can't pull that off cleanly against multiple targets. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."
Taeyeol listened in silence.
"And if they moved that much product, they definitely weren't working alone. Maybe ten guys?"
"Any suspects?"
Seongyun poured himself another drink. "Well, you're gonna have to front the investigation fee first, aren't you?"
Taeyeol placed his bag on the table. "Will two billion be enough?"
Seongyun opened the bag. It was stuffed with 50,000-won bills. He grinned and nodded.
"Give me three days. I'll find out everything about those bastards—down to their in-laws' underwear color."
The next day, at Mansung High School, where Lee Jeonghan's younger sister Lee Suyeon attended.
"You really don't have to come with me, you know."
Jeonghan spoke to Jaehyuk standing beside him.
"What's the harm? I just want to see Suyeon's face after so long."
"Seriously… a few days isn't exactly 'so long.'"
It is for me. It's been almost ten years since I last saw her.
In Jaehyuk's previous life, when he was nineteen, Suyeon had been kidnapped by school delinquents after being lured out by a so-called friend. They had injected her with drugs and murdered her. Enraged, Jeonghan had gone after the delinquents and killed them all before Jaehyuk could stop him. That incident had set Jeonghan on the path to becoming a gangster.
Jaehyuk stared at the school gate where students were leaving for the day.
Only a few days left. When this chance comes again, I have to stop Suyeon's death.
Part of it was to keep Jeonghan from becoming a criminal. But more than that, Suyeon was like a second little sister to him. Unlike his biological sister Park Dahyun, Suyeon had always listened to him. She was polite, rarely cursed, and genuinely sweet.
Jaehyuk had once joked to Jeonghan that he wished Suyeon were his own sister.
While waiting, Jaehyuk asked, "Jeonghan, you thinking about training?"
"Training? Wouldn't mind it. Why?"
"Want to join the gym I go to? It's an MMA place."
Jeonghan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. Sweating it out with some sparring sounds like a good way to blow off steam."
"Then let's go together tonight."
"Oppa!!"
Suyeon came running out of the gate, calling for her brother. Jeonghan smiled and waved. Suyeon beamed back and hurried over.
The girl walking toward them was petite, around 155 centimeters, with a slim build and long, glossy black hair. Her large, sparkling eyes had prominent aegyo-sal beneath them, giving her an adorable appearance. Jeonghan was famous even outside Cheongang High for looking like a playboy, and his sister Suyeon was equally striking.
Those two really are a unicorn sibling pair. Their relationship is that good…
Watching Jeonghan wave so happily at his sister made Jaehyuk think of his own sister Dahyun.
"Hi, Jaehyuk oppa."
Jaehyuk looked at Suyeon, who was smiling and greeting him. Such a kind, cute kid… why did she have to leave so early?
His gaze held both joy and quiet sorrow—regret and guilt over failing to prevent her death and Jeonghan's rampage in the previous timeline.
"Um… Jaehyuk oppa?"
Suyeon waved her hand in front of his face. Jaehyuk snapped back to the present, reminding himself that Suyeon was alive right now.
"Huh? What?"
"Why are you looking at me like that? So wistfully?"
"Yeah, your expression is kinda… weird," Jeonghan added.
Jaehyuk laughed it off. "It's nothing. I was just spacing out."
Suyeon gave him a playful smile. "Really? Now I'm curious what you were thinking about."
Jeonghan asked his sister, "Nothing happened at school?"
"Nope, nothing."
Jaehyuk, knowing what was coming, spoke seriously. "Still, if anything happens, tell me right away. I'll take care of it."
"Hey, I'm her brother here."
"You can't always be there when you're busy."
"Well… that's true."
Just then, a blonde girl approached Suyeon. "Suyeon-ah!!"
Suyeon greeted her friend. "Hyeji-ya."
But when Jaehyuk saw the girl, his expression hardened with killing intent. Jeonghan noticed and whispered, "Jaehyuk, you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah?"
Jaehyuk blinked and smoothed his face. Jeonghan stared at him. "Your expression just now… what was that?"
"What? Did I do something?"
Jaehyuk played innocent. Jeonghan looked away awkwardly. "No… guess I imagined it."
Jaehyuk smirked at him, but his eyes remained fixed on Oh Hyeji, who was still chatting with Suyeon.
She was the one. The one who lured Suyeon to her death.
In his previous life, Suyeon had been kidnapped and killed because of Hyeji's scheme. Hyeji had been an accomplice and had later been killed by Jeonghan as well.
"Okay, I'm heading out, Hyeji-ya. See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, bye!!"
After parting with Hyeji, Suyeon walked with Jaehyuk and Jeonghan. On the way home, Jaehyuk asked, "You two close?"
"Hyeji? Yeah, pretty close. Why?"
"She seems like the type who hangs out with delinquents. I'd rather you not get too close."
Suyeon smiled reassuringly. "It's fine. She might look a bit rough, but she's actually really nice."
She's way too trusting. That's the problem.
Jaehyuk looked at Suyeon with a bitter expression, then unconsciously reached out and patted her head.
"Huh? Why?"
"Why are you suddenly patting her head?" Jeonghan asked, confused.
Jaehyuk smiled gently. "Just… because you're so kind."
He gazed at the flustered Suyeon and silently renewed his vow.
This time, I won't let you die. No matter what.