"Brotherhood"

The next morning, the entire class, led by Ji Hwan, walked together toward the school building. They strolled through the hallway at a relaxed pace, some joking around while others still looked sleepy after staying up late chatting in their group chat.

When they finally reached their classroom, Ji Hwan opened the door and stepped inside first. "Hurry up and get in before Mr. Park arrives," he said, glancing back at his friends.

His classmates followed him in—some heading straight to their seats, while others continued their conversations.

"Hey, Ji Hwan, are you sure you don't want to return Ji Yeon's Vespa first?" one of them teased.

Ji Hwan scoffed. "I already returned it this morning. Relax, I still value my life."

Laughter echoed through the classroom. As everyone settled in, the door suddenly swung open, and Mr. Park entered with a serious expression.

"Alright, everyone, get ready for class," he said, placing his books on the desk.

The class quickly quieted down and prepared their materials. Ji Hwan rested his head on his hand, bracing himself for a long day ahead.

As the class started, Ji Hwan casually sat at his desk, but suddenly, Mr. Park said,

"Alright, everyone, hand in your homework!"

Ji Hwan froze. His eyes widened as he realized something—he had forgotten to do his homework!

"Oh no…" he muttered under his breath.

Ji Yeon, sitting next to him, glanced over with a smirk. "Oh, so it's your turn this time," she chuckled.

Mr. Park walked around the classroom, collecting assignments from each student. When he reached Ji Hwan's desk, he crossed his arms and stared at him.

"Ji Hwan, where's your homework?"

Ji Hwan let out a nervous laugh, scrambling for an excuse. "Uh… actually, sir… aliens stole it last night," he blurted out.

The entire class erupted into laughter.

Mr. Park sighed heavily. "Alright then, as punishment, run ten laps around the field!"

Ji Hwan slumped in defeat. "Great… I'm doomed," he mumbled, dragging himself outside.

Outside, Ji Hwan started running around the field while his classmates watched from the window, laughing and cheering, "Come on, Ji Hwan! Don't be lazy!"

Jae Min even pretended to be a sports commentator. "And here we see Ji Hwan, the fastest runner, struggling to finish his first lap!"

Meanwhile, Ji Hwan was grumbling as he ran, "I need to be more careful… I need to be more careful…!"

By the fifth lap, he stopped for a moment, looking toward the classroom.

"Hey! Can you all stop laughing at me?!" he shouted.

Instead of stopping, they laughed even harder. Ji Yeon even pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of his exhausted face.

"This is going to be a long day," Ji Hwan groaned before continuing his run.

Mr. Park shouted, "Hey!!! Get back to your seats!" His voice boomed across the classroom, making everyone sit up straight in an instant.

Meanwhile, outside, Ji Hwan was still running. His legs felt like they were on fire, and his breath came out in short gasps.

Inside the classroom, Mr. Park continued teaching as if nothing had happened.

After finally finishing his punishment, Ji Hwan stumbled toward the shade of a big tree near the field, completely exhausted.

"Ugh… I think I'm dying," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He coughed a few times and groaned. "Great… Now I'm getting a cold too?"

Deciding he needed water, he dragged himself to the cafeteria, grabbed a bottle of cold water, and sat down.

After taking a few big gulps, he pulled out a small packet of medicine from his pocket and swallowed the pills.

"At least this should help," he sighed, leaning back on the chair, trying to regain his energy.

Ji Hwan stared at the medicine package in his hand, his brows furrowing as he read the label.

Drugs…

His eyes widened in shock. What?! Since when have I been carrying this?!

Frantically, he searched the pockets of his jacket, looking for the cold medicine he had brought from last night. But it was gone—only this suspicious package remained.

This isn't mine… he thought, his heartbeat quickening.

Then, memories from last night at the hideout rushed back. Tae Min's lackeys… They had pushed him, reached into his pockets.

They… They planted this on me?!

Ji Hwan felt his blood boil. Those bastards are trying to frame me!

He immediately stood up, his mind racing with the worst possibilities. If someone found him carrying this, it would be almost impossible to explain.

I need to get rid of this before anyone misunderstands!

Without hesitation, Ji Hwan clenched the package tightly and hurried out of the cafeteria, looking for a way to dispose of it without drawing attention.

Ji Hwan walked down the hallway, his vision blurring. His head felt heavy, and the people passing by looked hazy, like distant shadows.

What… is happening to me?

His breathing grew uneven, and his body felt sluggish as if something was weighing him down. He stumbled slightly but managed to reach his classroom.

As soon as he entered, he went straight to his desk and rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes.

His classmates exchanged confused glances. Ji Hwan was usually full of energy, always talking back to the teachers or causing trouble. But now, he looked completely different—quiet, pale, and visibly unwell.

Ji Yeon, sitting nearby, frowned in concern. She leaned over and shook his arm.

"Hey, idiot. Wake up."

No response.

She shook him again, harder this time. "Ji Hwan, are you seriously sleeping in class?"

Still nothing.

Then, panic settled in as she noticed how cold his skin felt. His breathing was shallow.

"Ji Hwan?!"

Before she could do anything else, his body suddenly slumped forward.

He had passed out.

The entire class panicked. Several students immediately stood up from their seats and rushed toward Ji Hwan.

"Quick, lift him up!" one of them shouted.

Without hesitation, a few students worked together to carry Ji Hwan and hurried toward the school infirmary. They moved swiftly down the hallway, while other students passing by looked on in confusion at the unconscious Ji Hwan.

As soon as they reached the infirmary, they pushed the door open.

"Ms. Jung! Help! Ji Hwan fainted!" Ji Yeon cried out in panic.

Ms. Jung, the school nurse, quickly got up from her chair and approached them. "Quick, lay him down on the bed!"

They carefully placed Ji Hwan onto the infirmary bed. His face was pale, his breathing was heavy, and cold sweat covered his forehead.

Ms. Jung immediately checked his temperature and placed a damp cloth on his forehead. "What happened to him?" she asked while checking his pulse.

"We don't know… He just suddenly collapsed in class," one of his classmates replied anxiously.

Ji Yeon looked at Ji Hwan with deep concern. This isn't just exhaustion… Something is seriously wrong.

Joo Hyuk and Seung Woo exchanged glances before approaching Ji Hwan's desk.

His jacket was still draped over the chair. Carefully, Seung Woo reached into the pocket and felt something small and solid—a packet of pills. He pulled it out, and when they saw the label, their eyes widened.

"Has Ji Hwan been taking this all along?" one of them muttered, disbelief in their voice.

"No way," Seung Woo interrupted quickly. "If he were an addict, he wouldn't have just collapsed like that."

Joo Hyuk nodded in agreement. "So… this was his first time taking it? Or was he set up?"

Ji Yeon, who had been quiet, finally spoke up. "Yesterday, Ji Hwan had the flu… Last night before leaving, he was looking for cold medicine because it was cold outside. He must have brought that with him."

They all fell silent, processing the information.

"So someone switched Ji Hwan's cold medicine with this?" Joo Hyuk concluded.

Seung Woo clenched his fists. "If that's true, then someone deliberately tried to harm Ji Hwan. We need to find out who did this."

Ji Yeon paced back and forth, her mind racing with worry. She couldn't shake the image of Ji Hwan unconscious in the nurse's office. His condition was getting worse, and the fact that someone had poisoned his medicine only made everything more complicated.

Her heart pounded as she thought about the possible consequences. "Who did this to him? Why?" she muttered to herself, but no answer came.

The whole class sat in silence, waiting for more information, but no one knew what to do next. Ji Yeon felt her frustration building.

She turned to Seung Woo and Joo Hyuk, her voice trembling. "We have to find out who did this. We can't let them get away with it. Ji Hwan doesn't deserve this."

Seung Woo nodded seriously. "We'll find out. We won't let them get away with it."

Ji Yeon felt a spark of determination rise in her chest. She knew her brother better than anyone, and she wouldn't let anyone get away with hurting him. It was time to uncover the truth, no matter what.

Raon spoke up with a calm yet concerned tone. "Ji Hwan was at his gang's dorm yesterday, right? Maybe we should interrogate his gang members. They must know something."

Ji Yeon quickly turned her head, her mind racing. "That's a good idea, Raon. They must have seen or heard something that could help us understand what's really going on."

Seung Woo nodded in agreement. "We can't rule out that someone from his gang might be involved, or at least they know something. It's better than sitting around doing nothing."

Joo Hyuk, who had been silent until now, added, "But we need to be careful. We don't want to make things worse or turn them into enemies."

Ji Yeon clenched her fists, her gaze full of determination. "We don't have a choice. We need answers, and we need them now. Let's go and find out what really happened."

They quickly ran out through the back door, their hearts full of tension. Ji Yeon, Seung Woo, Joo Hyuk, and Raon made their way to the Technical High School, where Ji Hwan's gang usually hung out. When they arrived, they immediately met up with Ji Hwan's gang, who were gathered at a corner of the school. Upon hearing about Ji Hwan's worsening condition, their expressions turned to concern and worry.

"Ji Hwan... what's going on with him?" asked Jin Woo, one of the gang members, with a panicked tone.

Dong Il, standing beside him, glared intensely. "What really happened? Why is Ji Hwan like this?" His face hardened, clearly uneasy about the situation.

The whole gang, sitting in the classroom, watched them with suspicious looks. Each of them fell silent, trying to process what was happening.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Mrs. Lee entered their classroom only to find it empty. No one was there. Her eyes widened in confusion and mild irritation.

"Where did they all go?" she murmured under her breath, then pulled out her phone to call the Discipline Committee. "This is Mrs. Lee. Something's wrong in my class... It looks like they all ran off somewhere. Immediate action is needed."

Elsewhere, Tae Min, who was sitting in a café, stared out the window with a faint smile. "In the end, everything's going to fall apart. Ji Hwan, you always cause trouble..." he said in a calculating tone, as though he knew exactly what was going to happen next.

They quickly traced Ji Hwan's last known location from the night before, before he went to the dorm. As they followed the trail, they discovered that Ji Hwan had visited a foreign hideout. One of them, looking at the map on his phone, spoke up, "This is Tae Min's hideout."

The others stared in disbelief, shocked at the revelation.

"Why would Ji Hwan go there?" Seung Woo asked, his mind racing with confusion.

Raon, who had been quiet until now, narrowed her eyes. "This doesn't make sense. Why would Ji Hwan visit a place like that? It's too risky."

Joo Hyuk, always the strategist, leaned in and examined the map more closely. "Tae Min is always a step ahead. If Ji Hwan was caught up in something with him, then it's definitely not good. We need to find out more about this hideout."

The group nodded in agreement, their focus shifting from their worry for Ji Hwan to finding answers. They knew that Tae Min's involvement in all of this could be the key to understanding the mysterious circumstances surrounding Ji Hwan's condition. The stakes were high now, and they needed to move quickly to uncover the truth.

Ji Hwan woke up in the school's health room, still feeling dizzy but determined to confront Tae Min. He quickly stood up and headed toward the classroom, despite feeling weak. When he arrived, he saw Tae Min just coming in after returning from the cafe. Tae Min, who was used to leaving without the teacher's knowledge, didn't notice Ji Hwan's arrival.

The classroom door opened, and Ji Hwan turned sharply to face Tae Min with a fierce look. "Ya, shiball!" he shouted, immediately slapping Tae Min's cheek with a strong punch.

Tae Min was taken aback, while Min Soo and Kyung Ho, who were nearby, quickly stood up and pushed everyone back to the classroom. The situation turned chaotic.

Meanwhile, Seung Woo received a call from his friends on the basketball team. They told him that Ji Hwan had just confronted Tae Min. This news made Seung Woo anxious, but he tried to stay calm.

Back with Ji Hwan, he approached Tae Min with anger, his eyes burning with fury. "So, you're the one who swapped the pills?" he shouted. "Ya, shiball!"

Tae Min, confused, asked, "Shiball? What do you mean?"

With his eyes red and shaking with rage, Ji Hwan couldn't hold back any longer. He punched Tae Min's stomach with full force. Afterward, without saying another word, he turned around and walked out of the classroom. The room fell silent, only the sound of Ji Hwan's footsteps fading away.

Ji Hwan sat under a tree, muttering to himself. "It's over... my life is a mess," he sighed, feeling trapped and overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

Meanwhile, his father, Kang Dae Ho, had already learned about the situation. Even though he always appeared calm and unaware in front of Ji Hwan, he had actually been monitoring everything from behind the scenes. He made sure that Ji Hwan and his friends never suspected his involvement, keeping his surveillance hidden to avoid raising any alarms.

But this time, Dae Ho couldn't stay silent any longer. He had received a report from one of his men, who had been keeping an eye on Ji Hwan. The report revealed that Ji Hwan had been framed and had unknowingly taken drugs planted by Tae Min's henchmen.

Dae Ho's anger flared as he realized that his son had been caught in a dangerous trap. Tae Min wasn't just some rival—he was a serious threat to Ji Hwan's future. Clenching his phone tightly, Dae Ho's eyes darkened.

"Get our people ready," he ordered in a cold voice. "I want every detail on Tae Min and everyone involved in this setup."

He wouldn't let anyone ruin Ji Hwan's life. It was time to take action.

That night, Ji Hwan stepped out of his house and immediately noticed a mysterious car parked nearby. Without hesitation, he walked up to it and knocked on the window. As the window rolled down, he realized that the people inside were his father's subordinates.

Annoyed, Ji Hwan raised his hand, ready to smash the car window, but one of them quickly spoke, "Hey, you troublemaker! We were sent by your father."

Ji Hwan scoffed and crossed his arms. "Yeah… I'm not a troublemaker!" he grumbled.

They just chuckled without arguing. After that, they took him to a small diner. Ji Hwan ate hungrily, as if he hadn't had a decent meal in days.

The men watched him in silence, and one of them murmured, "This kid… He's really had it rough, getting caught up in all this…"

Hearing that, Ji Hwan shot them a sharp look. "Hey! Just eat and stop talking nonsense!" he snapped.

Once they finished eating, Ji Hwan leaned back and wiped his mouth. "So, you guys are gangsters, right? What does my father want?"

Before they could answer, Ji Hwan continued, "Oh yeah, can you take care of my gang members and bring them into your group? I'm done with all of this. After everything that happened, I don't want them getting involved any further. Especially my classmates… I don't want them dragged into this mess."

The men exchanged serious glances, realizing that Ji Hwan wasn't just some reckless kid—he was trying to protect the people he cared about.

Meanwhile, Ji Yeon opened the door to her twin brother's room and called out, "Hey, Ji Hwan, wake up!"

She pulled back the blanket, only to find a pillow positioned to look like someone was sleeping there. Her eyes widened in frustration. "This idiot…!" she muttered under her breath.

Back to Ji Hwan—he was in shock, realizing that his father already knew everything. He buried his face in his hands, feeling both frustrated and anxious about how his father would react.

At the same time, Ji Yeon immediately called Ji Hwan. The moment he saw her name on his phone screen, he sighed and answered, "Alright, alright. I'm coming home."

Meanwhile, at Jung Corporation, Jung Dong Wook glanced at his son, Tae Min, who was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed.

"What are you doing here with that look on your face?" Jung Dong Wook asked in a flat tone while pouring coffee into his cup.

Tae Min slowly opened his eyes, sighed, and leaned his head back. "Nothing. Just a little tired."

Jung Dong Wook observed him sharply. "Don't cause any more trouble, Tae Min. I'm already busy enough without having to deal with your mess."

Tae Min let out a small laugh, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Me? Causing trouble? Seems like you already know everything, huh?"

Jung Dong Wook took a sip of his coffee and gave his son a meaningful look. "If you're still playing around with the wrong people, don't expect me to help you when things turn against you."

Tae Min clenched his fists but forced a smile. "Don't worry, Dad. I can handle myself."

However, deep in his mind, he knew that the trouble he had started this time might be bigger than he had anticipated.

Meanwhile, Joo Hyuk lay on his bed and sent a message in the group chat: "Ji Hwan, how are you?" Then, he put his phone down, staring at the ceiling in silence.

At the same time, Seung Woo was in the boxing ring, throwing punches at the sandbag with full force. His jaw tightened as he gritted his teeth. "So this is all Tae Min's doing?! I swear, I'm going to break his jaw. He ruined someone's life for his own damn amusement!"

His trainer glanced at him but didn't say anything, recognizing the anger burning in Seung Woo's eyes. With every punch he threw, the only thing on his mind was how much Tae Min deserved to pay for what he did to Ji Hwan.

That night, the atmosphere in the dorm felt different. Normally, around this time, Ji Hwan would show up with a bag full of delicious food, rambling about his day and making everyone laugh. But tonight, he was nowhere to be seen.

One of them sighed. "We have to do something. Ji Hwan is like a brother to us. If something happens to him, it's our responsibility too." The others nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, Jin Woo's phone rang. He hesitated for a moment before answering. "Hello?"

A calm yet authoritative voice spoke from the other end. "Come to my office tomorrow. We'll discuss the donation for you kids."

They exchanged glances before one of them asked excitedly, "Are you... Ji Hwan's father?!"

The person on the phone chuckled. "You'll find out tomorrow."

As the call ended, they all cheered in excitement. "Ajusshi, thank you so much!!!" They never expected such a big opportunity. But beneath their happiness, one question lingered in their minds—if Ji Hwan's father was finally stepping in, that meant the situation was more serious than they had thought.