GANGBUSTER CHAPTER FOUR: GOODFELLAS

Several Hours Later..

The sterile white glow of the hospital room cast soft shadows along the walls. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the quiet space, a steady reminder that Rafiel was alive. Bruised, battered—but alive.

A nurse stood at the foot of the bed, clipboard in hand. "Aside from a couple scrapes and bruises, it looks like he'll be fine," she said reassuringly.

Hana exhaled, shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank God." She reached out, hesitating for only a moment before slipping her fingers around Rafiel's hand. His skin was warm, though he remained still, his breathing slow and steady in sleep.

The nurse's gaze flickered to their interlocked hands. A knowing smile tugged at her lips. "So… how long have you two been together?"

Hana barely registered the words at first, too focused on Rafiel's unconscious face. But then—

"What?!"

She jolted upright, face flushing. "No, it's not like that! He's my stepbrother! He just—he just came to my rescue, that's all! We're just siblings! Family and nothing more!"

The nurse raised her hands, surprised by Hana's outburst. "Oh—well, my apologies. I must've misread the room." She cleared her throat and shifted back into professionalism. "Will you be staying the night with him?"

Hana hesitated. "Is that… allowed?"

"Of course," the nurse assured her. "We can accommodate you. He should be ready to go home in the morning."

Relief swept through Hana. "That would be great, thank you."

The nurse smiled warmly. "No problem. I'll bring a pillow and some blankets for you."

"Thank you so much."

As the nurse exited, the room fell back into its quiet hum. Hana let out a slow breath, her eyes drifting back to Rafiel.

His face was bruised, a faint cut still visible along his lip. His hands, once clenched in desperate struggle, now rested peacefully against the hospital sheets. Seeing him like this, so still, so vulnerable—it stirred something deep inside her.

She remembered the words he said…

"He's only after me because he likes the attention from you," Rafiel's voice echoed in her mind, sharp with frustration.

"The minute I leave, people like him will stop existing."

"You're not my sister. Neither of you mean anything to me."

But then—

"Ji-ho... he's a bad guy. You know he is. He doesn't care about anything and just hurts people! So please, stay far away from him!"

And finally—

"You lay a finger on her, and I swear to God I'll break every fucking finger you have!"

The memory sent a chill through her.

Suddenly, Rafiel spoke aloud.

"Get… away from her…"

Hana's eyes widened. "Rafi?"

His brows furrowed in his sleep, his breath coming out uneven. "Don't fucking… touch her…" His body tensed. "I'll kill you…"

Hana clenched her chest. (He's having a bad dream.)

Then—his voice broke.

"Hana…" His breathing shuddered, and a single tear escaped the corner of his closed eye. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I-I wasn't there… I couldn't save you… please… please… forgive me…"

Hana squeezed his hand tightly, her throat thick with emotion. "Rafi… it's okay." She forced a small smile, though her eyes burned. "I'm safe. You saved me… I'm alright."

But Rafiel didn't wake. His face twisted with anguish as more tears slipped from his closed eyes. "Please don't hate me, Hana… please don't hate me…"

Her chest ached. She lifted his hand and held it against her cheek, fresh tears slipping down her face. "I could never hate you… never, ever…"

Then, in the softest whisper—

"Hana…"

A pause.

"I love you… so much…"

Hana froze.

Her breath caught in her throat as the words settled in the air.

She stared at him, her heart pounding. "Rafi…"

He was still asleep, unaware of what he had just said.

A nervous lump formed in her throat as she hesitated, then slowly leaned in. She moved closer, so close she could feel the soft warmth of his breath against her lips.

Just as her lips hovered inches away—

"Here are your blankets!"

Hana froze.

She turned her head, eyes going wide as the nurse stood in the doorway, face flushed with embarrassment.

The nurse's eyes darted between them, her complexion turning a deep shade of red. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out, hastily throwing the blankets and pillow onto a nearby table. "Here's your pillow and blankets! I'll give you some privacy! I'm so sorry!"

She spun on her heels and bolted out of the room.

Hana shot up, mortified. "No, wait! It's not like that!" She waved after her, face burning. "This is just a misunderstanding, please!"

But the nurse was already gone.

Rafiel remained asleep, completely oblivious to everything that had just happened.

Hana groaned, covering her face with both hands.

"Kill me now…"

Seventeen Hours Later..

As Hana and Rafiel made their way home from the hospital, the weight of the day hung heavily between them. The cool evening air wrapped around them, contrasting with the warmth of their shared memories.

Hana glanced sideways, her brow furrowed with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"For the fiftieth time, Hana, yes! I'm perfectly fine," Rafiel replied, his voice slightly exasperated but laced with a hint of reassurance.

A sigh escaped Hana's lips, her heart aching with guilt. "I'm sorry. I just… I just feel bad."

Rafiel's expression softened as he turned to her, his eyes reflecting a mixture of understanding and regret. "It wasn't your fault. If I hadn't pushed you away like I did, you never would've ended up in that situation."

Hana shook her head, frustration bubbling within her. "No, that's not fair! Yes, what you said hurt me, but it was my decision to get with Ji-ho to boost my fucking fragile mental state. I just… I felt so..."

"Abandoned?" he interjected gently.

"Alone…" She turned her face away, the vulnerability in her voice cutting through the tension. "I just wanted to feel… connected to someone. Like how I felt with you. I'm sorry I'm so codependent."

Rafiel stared deeply into her eyes, memories flooding back—of a childhood marked by loss and solitude. His mother's absence, Byung-ho's relentless work schedule, and the way he had taken Hana's presence for granted. I was such a selfish kid back then, he reflected, guilt gnawing at him. I handed her over to him without a second thought…

He stepped closer, enveloping her in a warm embrace. 

Hana's face flushed, her eyes wide with surprise. "W-Wait! W-What are y-you doing!?"

"You can always depend on me," Rafiel whispered, pulling back slightly to cup her cheek. "Don't ever worry about needing to depend on someone, especially when it comes to family." 

His gaze was steady, promising. "You have my word. I promise to stand by your side forever."

Tears welled in Hana's eyes as she returned his embrace, feeling the warmth of his words seep into her heart. "Okay."

But the moment was shattered by an unsettling presence lurking in the shadows.

"So, where are you heading?" she asked, trying to shake off the unease.

"I wanted to stop by a gym real quick," Rafiel replied, his tone casual.

"A gym? Why?"

"Before I found you, a guy came by the house. He said he was your dad's friend. He spat some good advice that really knocked some sense into my dumbass head, so I wanted to let him know it helped."

Hana nodded, a smile breaking through her worry. "Oh, okay!"

"You know you can go home without me," he suggested, glancing at her.

She beamed, wrapping her fingers around his arm. "Not a chance in hell."

As they approached the gym, Rafiel read the fading sign: "Bloody-Knuckles: Self Defense Training, Gym, and Sauna." 

"Looks kinda run down for a gym," Hana remarked, her eyes scanning the exterior.

"Well, he did say he just opened it recently."

Before they could step inside, Rafiel was suddenly pulled into a dark alley. 

"Rafi!" Hana shouted, panic surging through her as she sprinted after him.

Meanwhile…

Jae-sun walked down the street, air pods nestled in his ears, lost in the rhythm of his music. 

"I put the new Forgis on the Jeep, I trap until the bloody bottoms is underneath 'Cause all my homies got it out the streets, I keep a hundred racks inside my jeans, I remember hittin' the mall with the whole team now a brother can't answer calls 'cause I'm ballin'!" The world around him faded until a distant scream pierced his awareness.

"Stop! Stop hurting him!"

Hana's voice echoed, laced with terror as she cried out for Rafiel. 

"Ji-ho!" came the guttural voice of a man, followed by a sickening thud. 

"You made me do this, Hana!" 

Jae-sun's heart raced as he dashed towards the sound, adrenaline propelling him forward. He had to intervene.

In the alley…

Hana's heart raced as she watched Ji-ho strike Rafiel, her breath hitching in her throat. "Stop it! Please stop!"

Ji-ho turned, fury igniting in his eyes. "No matter what I do, you just keep choosing this ugly bastard over me! Well, this time I'm not giving you a choice!" 

Hana's stomach churned as she saw the glint of a knife in his hand. 

"Wait…" Rafiel gasped, blood dripping from his mouth as he struggled to stay conscious.

In that moment of chaos, Jae-sun emerged from the shadows, hurling a can of tuna with surprising precision, knocking the knife from Ji-ho's hand.

"What the fuck?!" Ji-ho yelped, clutching his wrist in pain.

Jae-sun cringed from hearing the crack of Ji-ho's wrist. "Oh shit, sorry kid. I was trying to be cool and knock the knife out your hand like in the movies. My bad."

Ji-ho raised both arms to point, one hand still cuffing his wrist. "Kill that old fucker!"

Jae-sun squared his shoulders, ready for confrontation. "There's a lady present. Speak with manners…" 

In one fluid motion, he grabbed Hana and kicked Ji-ho's goon, sending him crashing against the wall so hard two of his teeth flew out.

Fear flickered in Ji-ho's eyes, "Fuck this!" he stumbled back, retreating into the darkness with his accomplice fleeing behind him.

Hana rushed to Rafiel, cradling him in her arms. "Rafi! Please, stay with me!" 

But the world around her faded as Rafiel succumbed to the pain, his eyes rolling back.

Three Hours Later...

Rafiel awoke to the sight of Lee Jae-sun sitting beside his bed.

"Rise and shine!" Jae-sun grinned, his posture relaxed.

"Mr. Lee? Where am I?" Rafiel croaked, his throat dry and aching.

"Your room, kid. Your sister tells me you took one hell of a beating. From the looks of it, she wasn't lying," he chuckled, but the warmth in his voice was genuine.

Rafiel's heart raced as he attempted to sit up. "Hana… where is she?"

"Whoa, slow down, tough guy. She just went to sleep. I practically had to beg her to lay down; she didn't want to leave you for a second."

Groaning, Rafiel settled back into the pillow, guilt washing over him. "I'm sure she's still blaming herself for this."

Jae-sun leaned forward, his expression serious. "So that was Ji-ho? If you got beat up by a level one background NPC like that, then I have my work cut out for me as your trainer."

"My trainer?" Rafiel echoed, confusion clouding his mind.

"That's what you were coming to my gym for, right? I told you lessons were on the house."

Rafiel hesitated, then spoke, his voice steady. "Oh, no. I was just coming by to tell you thank you for your advice yesterday."

Jae-sun raised an eyebrow. "Well, my apologies, I misread the situation. I'll head out then."

"Wait!" Rafiel called out, desperation creeping into his tone.

Jae-sun turned, curiosity piqued. "Hmm?"

"Mr. Lee Jae-sun, please…"

Rafiel sat in silence for a moment, thinking to himself...

(Apologizing to Hana and standing up to Ji-ho might've prevented the exact future from happening, but Ji-ho is still out there and will try to come after me or Hana again. not to mention I still have no clue who killed me or Byung-ho in the future.)

Rafiel grit his teeth, "Please teach me how to be strong like you." The weight of his past pressed on him. He needed to protect Hana, to ensure that no one would ever hurt her again. "

Jae-sun chuckled.

"Training starts in two days," Jae-sun replied, a smile spreading across his face.