In one of the more secluded parts of Seoul, where gangsters and other dubious people gathered to count their wages and slap a round of Go-Stop sat a young man in a half buttoned silk shirt and loose khakis tied to his hips with a leather belt. A gold chain dangled from his bony throat and his Adam's apple bobbed with each word he spoke. The man fit in perfectly, his smug scowl as authentic as any of the other gangsters', but he was not one of them.

The impostor pretended to throw back shots, lit cigarettes and let them dangle from his lips until they burned out, and played a mean hand of Go-Stop. His dark hair was slicked back with gallons of product and a pair of wire rimmed glasses encased his eyes. He carried no wallet, no car keys, and no form of payment aside from a single wad of golden bills inside a steel money clip used to pay his way into Go-Stop matches. In the young man's pocket were extra hwatu cards that he would later use to cheat and incite a brawl. Taped to the inside of his thigh was his national identification card- something he always carried in case of a dire situation- and in his other pocket was a cellphone with no phone numbers saved.

Smirking, he tossed down a red ribbon and collected both ribbon and swallow. "Eat that, you sons of bitches," he gave a boisterous laugh and collected the crumpled wads of cash thrown down by the disgruntled older men.

"No respect, this motherfucker," one of the fat gangsters shook his head. On his lap sat a buxom young woman with artificial red hair and a sneer as nasty as any of the mens'. The gangster rubbed the woman's thigh before sending her off with a slap to her ass and a promise of extra cash. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, you son of a bitch. Didn't your mother ever teach you to respect your elders?"

Wang Jung sat back in his plastic chair and scoffed as he shuffled the deck and pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Sit down, you fat motherfucker," he narrowed his eyes at the large man. "And don't bring my mother into this. You lost and I won. Eat it you-"

The table fell away as the man pulled Jung up by his collar, curses flying from his mouth as much as the flecks of spittle that reached Jung's face. "You need some respect slammed into you, don't you, you little punk?" A clenched fist flew Jung's way, but, the punch hit nothing and the man swung into thin air as Jung twisted away from him and ducked.

Smirking, Jung sucked on his teeth as he slid away and cracking his neck and doing a few stretches to pop his shoulders. "Come on, old man," he dragged his right foot backwards and held his fists up in a fighter's stance. "If you want me to respect you, you have to beat me."

Jung did not even bother taking his glasses off as he made easy work of the fat gangster, sending a solid kick into his belly and sending him toppling. He smugly pretended to wipe sweat off of his forehead as the other men began to growl, unhappy that their comrade had been knocked down by a mere squirt of a man. "Well, I guess Go-Stop's been ruined," Jung dusted his pants off. He gave a gracious bow as one of the players held up a line of pipe.

"Let's see if you're still smirking after I beat some sense into you, you piece of shit," the next man seethed.

With raised eyebrows, Jung held his hands out. "A pipe! You honor me, sir." He deflected a blow to his chest before kicking the man's hand and sending the weapon clattering.

From a block away, in a blue BMW, Wang Won watched his brother beat thugs into the ground as he waited from the driver's side of his car. Won usually sent a man to spy on Jung and to make sure the idiot never truly got into too much trouble, but this time, he had business in the shadier parts of town.

On his tablet, Won organized documents as he waited, lightly tapping his foot.

When the side door opened and someone stepped into the car, Won did not look up. "You're late," he snapped. "I'm a busy man and yet, you called me all the way here to be late?"

Meeting eyes with Chae Ryung, Won shook his head. "Don't think this does anything to make me think better of you," he clicked his tongue. "Punctuality is a key aspect in the definition of a woman. So," he set the tablet aside, "what news is so important that I needed to come all the way here?"

Kim Chae Ryung, a skinny girl from Daegu, worked in the Wang household that belonged to Wook. Her job as maid was one Won had acquired for her after he had given Wook a stellar report on her work ethic and other such trivial matters Wook cared about. They also happened to be dating.

"I called you here because I have two big things to tell you," Chae Ryung protested. She still wore her maid's uniform- a white blouse and black pants- but her hair was pulled from its usual braid.

Won motioned for her to continue with a wave of his hand. "Do tell," he glanced over her shoulder to check if Jung was still there, but Chae Ryung moved in the way before he could see what was going on.

"Madam Hae is pregnant," Chae Ryung was quick to blurt. Won dragged a hand through his hair, pulling at the thick strands of black.

"Wook's sick wife is pregnant? How stupid of him." Making a note of Chae Ryung's information in his tablet, Won snorted. "A baby means Wook will have the full backing of the Go Group. The Hae family will want their grandson to be a CEO even if the kid's last name is Wang. Good, what else?"

Chae Ryung sucked her cheeks in before clearing her throat. "Your older brother, Wang So," she stated, her hands finding their way into her skirt. Won narrowed his eyes at the mention of his almost invisible older brother. "I think he's seeing Hae Soo in secret," Chae Ryung confided, her voice growing quiet. "Wouldn't that mean the Go Group is breaching the Jong Group from the inside?"

Won almost laughed at Chae Ryung's audacity. He held back his guffaws and sat back in his seat. "How obtuse of you to assume the Go Group has anything to do with Hae Soo." Won turned his head to stare at an eager Chae Ryung. "Wang So isn't dating Hae Soo," he snorted. "He's married to his work- when and why would he ever decide to spend time with some low orphan girl from a minor branch of the Go Group? She's a Hae by name, but after her father died, her uncles ate her inheritance and forgot about her."

"But it's true! I know it!" Chae Ryung's indignance made Won smile. "I've seen how they act around each other and sure, Hae Soo is a sweet, empathetic woman, but it's different with those two- I know it!"

Moving to start his car, Won nodded. "Your information on Wook and his wife is valuable, but on So and Wook's adopted girl, I doubt I'd use anytime soon." He held Chae Ryung's hand and patted her knuckles with his thumb. "It was nice seeing you, but I don't like coming to this part of town. I don't enjoy watching Jung fight people. It gets boring after a while."

He watched as Chae Ryung snorted and exited the vehicle, a bounce in her step as she made her way to the sidewalk. Won waved at the young woman before grasping the steering wheel and driving away, forgetting about his younger brother who slowly began to lose.

Jung panted as he staggered backwards. Originally, he had meant to only fight the people playing cards with him, but a quick phone call had proved otherwise and part of a gang had arrived, blunt weapons in hand and glares on their faces.

"So, you're the brat that dishonored our leader in January," one of the burly men spat by Jung's ratty sneakers. "What, you think that just 'cuz you can fight, you get to tramp around here and humiliate us?!"

Jung counted at least twelve men as he tried to plan some form of escape. He had enough money left, but his clothing and appearance would make it hard for him to hide or blend in with any crowd. He wanted nothing more than to fight, but even Jung knew when the odds were not in his favor and this was one such instance.

Reaching for the phone in his pocket, Jung thumbed a number and texted a plea for help as well as his location to the first two people that popped into his mind. It was a week day, meaning most of his brothers were either at the main office or around town. Jung hoped his at least one brother would come to his aid; he was losing time.

He reached up and took his fake glasses off, tossing them aside as the group of thugs advanced, pipes, crowbars, and baseball bats bouncing off of the flats of their open palms. "Now now," Jung smiled as he stepped on his glasses. "Let's not be hasty. It isn't honorable fighting against one man."

The gang members only laughed and Jung took his stance as three men attacked him simultaneously. A primal shout blew from Jung's mouth as he fended off his attackers. Adrenaline rushed through him and he kicked and punched, feeling close to nothing when a few lucky blows managed to hit him.

He dealt with two easily, but Jung was panting heavily by the time the third one decided to swing his bat. Wiping blood from his nose, Jung coughed and held onto his side, listening to the jeers that mocked him- an Olympic gold medalist and gold hopeful.

Before Jung could say or do anything irrational, he tripped and fell flat onto the concrete. He pushed himself up only to be kicked in the leg and sent down again. "Come on," one of the thugs grunted. "We'll just beat the shit out of you so you won't come back. If you're lucky, we won't kill you today."

Whatever air Jung held inside his body was expelled as a blow to his stomach made him curl into the fetal position, his hands covering his neck. Blow after blow pummeled into his body as he cowered and tried to protect his vitals.

As the final shred of hope left Jung's mind, he heard the deafening roar of a sport car echoing through the buildings.

The kicks stopped as the men glowered at the fancy car that pulled forward into the slums of Seoul. "What the fuck is this?" one man demanded.

Peeking up from his position on the ground, Jung swallowed when he saw a black Ferrari and two sedans stop in front of the gang. Relieved, he let himself fall limp as the blows to his body slowed to a halt. His brother had come to save him.

A furious So stepped out of his car and slammed the door shut as six hired men stepped out from the other cars. So glared at the twelve men that stood by a beaten Jung. He offered no apology for Jung's behavior. "Jung, you disgrace yourself," So said as he crossed his arms. He averted his gaze to meet the piggish eyes of the gang members. "I assume your fight is over. If you have any legal inquiries, I suggest you ignore your impulse to track the boy down. He forgets his station."

The six men that accompanied So stepped forward and Jung swallowed thickly before grimacing and rising to his knees. He blinked and held a hand to his nose as blood dribbled down his lips and chin.

"Who are you to come here in your fancy car and just take this kid?" one of the gang members demanded, pointing his crowbar at So. "He disgraced our leader and we're here to punish him!"

Without batting an eye, So motioned for his men to collect Jung. "I could call the police and have the likes of you arrested, but I won't. I'm sure it must make you feel very strong, beating up a skinny brat like him." So uncrossed his arms and held them behind his back. "They say the life of a gangster is about collecting money and dealing in business. I didn't realize business meant harassing spoiled rich boys who don't know where to put their nose."

The gang members remained still, glaring down at the Jung who coughed and held his side, oblivious to his brother's cutting remarks. "Take this brat," one of the gangsters prodded Jung with the tip of his boot. "I don't want anything to do with chaebols. Bad luck," he scowled at So who stared at him impassively.

Jung felt himself being lifted as he was dragged to his feet by men in suits. "Thank you, brother," he burbled through blood, sweat and saliva. So ignored him and Jung felt himself being placed in the Ferrari, the door being shut beside him.

"Your generosity is boundless," So said to the gangsters, no emotion reflecting in his voice. He gave them a nod before returning to his car and starting the engine.

Completely silent, So turned the steering wheel and drove away from Seoul's shady district, the cars that had followed him doing the same. His hands clenched the steering wheel with a violent dexterity and So glanced at Jung who had procured a package of tissues from the glove compartment and was wiping his nose. Why did Jung's insane habit of picking fights with gangs have to follow him from Goryeo?

"Are you alright?" he finally asked his youngest brother.

"Been worse," Jung muttered as he wadded up a tissue and began wiping the blood on his chin. He looked around at the scenery that flew by them. "Why are we passing by Itaewon? Where are we going? Are we going to Mother?" Suddenly terrified, Jung held his hands up as if he were about to pray. Ignoring his pain, he rubbed his hands together. "Brother, please, don't take me to her. Please," he begged, his voice taking a desperate edge. "If Mother finds out she'll have a fit! She'll put me under house arrest! Brother, please!"

So snorted as he side-eyed his blood covered sibling. "Mother would think I was the one that beat you if I took you to her home. We're going to Yo's house. You texted him, didn't you? He's waiting for us there."

Relieved, Jung fell back against his seat before wincing and shooting forward, his hand grasping the back of his head. "Ow!" he groaned, rubbing his various wounds.

"You're an idiot," So muttered. "An absolute fool."

"We could just go to Won's place," Jung shrugged. "He's closer to us than Pyeongchang-dong."

"I don't trust Won," was So's reply. "And I don't like his roommates."

Chrome and steel buildings morphed into smaller structures until straight highways and roads began to curve and warble as they entered another wealthy district. Pyeongchang-dong had few to no apartments and was instead situated with houses with stone and metal gates. Nestled safely within the mountains and surrounded by trees, the homes were built in various forms and shapes, some taking the traditional Korean route and others built in modern and abstract designs.

So made sure to avoid the roads that would lead them by their parents' home, taking a back road that would guide them past Mu's house and to Yo's house.

Tourists milled around the front roads, snapping pictures of the gated homes. So took his time edging through crowds. From beside him, Jung groaned as a fresh wave of blood spouted from his nose. "I think it's broken," he complained.

When they reached Yo's house, So noticed the gate was left open and a space left in front of the house for a car to park. Gazing out at the traditional Korean villa, So pulled his Ferrari into the gate and listened to it creak closed as he parked in front of Yo's house. Two yellow Jindo dogs barked twice to alert their master of the newcomers before going silent. "Get out," he said to Jung, sending a dry look toward the blood that seemed to be all over his leather seats and window, making his car look like a crime scene.

Yo stepped out of his house, still in the blue suit he had worn to work. Crossing his arms, he distastefully glared down at the man dressed as a gangster that limped through his manicured lawn to greet him. "My wife is waiting inside with a doctor," Yo snapped, his upper lip curling. "Go. Now."

The older brothers watched as Jung nodded and made his way into the house, kicking his ratty shoes off and being led inside by the maid. So approached Yo who glanced out at the tourists that meandered deeper into the neighborhood. "I managed to find him before they killed him," So said to his older brother.

Nodding, Yo sucked on his teeth, crossing his arms. "He'll have to stay here until he looks less fucked," he muttered. "If Mother were to find out that Jung was beaten half to death by a gang of thugs…" shaking his head, he released a controlled huff. "We all took Taekwondo as children and yet, neither of us go around picking fights with gangs and trying to get in trouble."

"Well, Jung is the baby of the family, isn't he?" So replied. "Spoiled from the moment he was conceived. I say he deserved a few punches. At least he had the brains to call you and me and not our mother."

Yo scoffed and flicked an invisible piece of lint off of his suit. "He needs a wife to control him. Our mother lost her say with Jung the day he went to college," he sighed. His exasperated voice was matched only by So's equally miffed expression. Yo wondered if So still disagreed with his plan to arrange Hae Soo with their youngest brother.

"No he doesn't," So countered his brother's argument with a shake of his head. "We don't need another Baek Ah incident."

"Ah," Yo snapped his fingers before rubbing his temples. Their more amorous brother had been the cause of many a scandal during his budding years in the public eye. As a model, Baek Ah had wanted to establish himself as an artist and to do that, he had concocted as many scandals as he could to gain the public's interest and begin his brand. "When he asked the Chairman permission to marry a man."

"No," So held back a snicker. "When he tried to elope with a woman twice his age and got caught."

A long sigh escaped Yo's mouth and as uncharacteristic as it was for either Yo or So to sigh, So found the expression fitting and sighed along with his brother. "Don't remind me about that catastrophe," Yo muttered. He remembered very clearly how Baek Ah's mother had stormed into the Chairman's office and shouted at him for teaching their son nasty habits. "I had to work overtime for a month because the Chairman told me to cover everything up."

Nodding, So chuckled and exhaled. "I'll have to remind Baek Ah about his various almost-marriages the next time I see him."

Yo cocked his head and motioned for So to follow him inside. They walked together and So could not help but wonder at how different his fraternity with Yo was in this life. "Will you stay for dinner since you've come this far?" he asked as they took their shoes off. So dragged his tongue over his teeth as he contemplated his options. I'll have to notify both Wook and Soo, he thought to himself.

"I'll stay to make sure Jung is alright," So said as Yo opened his front door.

"Ah! Be more gentle!" came Jung's cry as, his brothers entered the house. So suppressed and eye-roll as he followed Yo indoors. "That really hurt!"

Unlike the exterior of Yo's house, which was old fashioned in every manner, the interior of the house was white and modern, tastefully redecorated to be minimal and extravagant at the same time. Traces of blue and gold were laced into the white decor and a Monet hung in the living room.

They found Jung in the sitting room, sitting on a plastic tarp as a doctor clicked her tongue over his bruises and scrapes. Nearby, Yo's wife sat with her son sitting beside her as she watched the doctor wipe over Jung's ribcage with an alcohol doused cottonball.

Gyung giggled and clapped his hands each time his uncle flinched and complained to the doctor. The baby seemed to be the only person in the room happy to be witnessing Jung get patched up.

"Hello, So," Yo's wife called to her brother-in-law. So greeted her with a nod. "Welcome to our home. Would you like tea?"

So declined while Jung asked if he could have something to drink and was promptly ignored. "So," Yo crossed his arms as he sat down in a leather chair, "you decided to go into a shady part of town, play a few rounds of Go-Stop with gangsters, and then incited a fight?" Jung only pouted as Yo scolded him in the cold manner he always used to undermine people he thought deserved punishment. "And then you lost… shameful."

"Husband, at least he had the sense to call you," Mun Seong chided as her son squirmed onto her lap.

Taking a seat beside his brother, So shifted his gaze so he looked at the contents of Jung's pockets that had been emptied onto a coffee table. "One burner phone, about 1,000,000 won in cash, and you taped your national identification card to the inside of your thigh," he shook his head with a scoff. "Were you intentionally trying to get murdered?"

Jung only groaned as the doctor began to wrap white gauze over a nasty scrape on his left side. "Just don't tell Mother," he gritted through his teeth. "My coach is going to kill me when he finds out- and that's only if Mother doesn't get to me first."

"Don't worry about her," Yo looked away from his brother as he leaned back against his seat. "You're staying here until you look less like you were mauled by a wild boar."

When Jung turned to face his older brother with raised eyebrows, Yo glared down at him and leaned forward, his voice like ice. "You either stay here or I hire someone to destroy your motorcycle and we say you drove into a pole." Jung's open mouth shut instantly as he shook his head.

"Don't ever touch my child," he warned. "That motorcycle is my baby."

So sent a withering look to Jung as he shook his head and pointed to Gyung. The oblivious little boy was fascinated with his mother's hair at the moment and grasped the long black tendrils in his little fists, tugging and laughing. " He is a baby," So stated, nudging his head in his nephew's direction. "Gyung is a baby. Your motorcycle is a death trap."

Later, So texted Wook, telling him he would not be arriving for dinner and that he would be eating with Yo and his family. He left the house to call Soo and tell her that he would be with her that night and that he loved her. "In this life and the all of the others," he said before hanging up.

So looked up from his phone as Yo's wife waved him inside. Beside her stood Yo, and So watched his brother send a vicious glare at Jung as their younger brother asked if he could train Gyung into an athlete.

As he looked at his brothers, So wondered what his life would have been like in Goryeo if they had been as close as they were now. If Yo had actually worried and cared for So, would he have wanted to usurp his brother's throne? If Jung had trusted So enough to call him for help, would he have taken Soo?

Pushing his thoughts aside, So entered his brother's home and decided that there was no changing the past. He kept his eyes on the future.

A/N: 1,000,000 won is about $900