Izuku's POV
They pulled in to a driveway and the gates guarding it opened. This allowed Gyu Bum to continue to drive forward. Around them was surrounded by trees. It looked as if it could go on forever.
Within five minutes however they had reached a mansion. It looked as if an entire army could live comfortably inside it.
Izuku questioned not believing his eyes, "What is this place?!"
Gyu Bum answered soothingly, "No need to be surprised. This is just one of many villas owned by the Sunwoo Clan."
Izuku could only nod dumbly. What had he gotten himself into this time? What kind of group had this kind of money to spend on villas?
Finally they stopped right in front of the villa. Jinnie and Gyu Bum were the first to get out. Gyu Bum opened and held the door for him. Izuku got out from the car and carefully glanced around. No matter what the man thought he doubted he was safe even here.
Gyu Bum led him to the stairs and said, "This way please."
They only made it a few steps before another voice said, "Welcome, welcome, welcome. We've been waiting for you, Midoriya Izuku-nim."
At the top of the stairs was four men the youngest looking to be in his late thirties and the oldest being in his sixties. Each of them seemed to be judging him. Trying to decide if he was worth anything to them at all.
Gyu Bum said bowing his head in difference to the men, "Allow me to introduce these gentlemen to you. These are the the Elders of the Sunwoo Clan."
The oldest of the men stepped forward. He was short barely a few inches taller than Izuku himself. He had short grey hair styled perfectly. Cold brown eyes seemed to peer into Izuku's very soul.
After a moment the man bowed and said, "Greeting Midoriya-nim, I am Jae-Kyu."
Then came a much taller but slimmer man greeted, "It's an honor to meet you, I am Kim Sul-Joong."
"It's an honor to meet you, I am Min Sa-Oak," greeted another shorter fatter man.
Then the youngest of them nodded his head and said, "I am Jang-Il."
The youngest man had wild black hair and onyx eyes. There was an unkempt black beard on his face. Out of the Elders he seemed most out of place.
Izuku replied with a bow of his head, "Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well, I am Izuku Midoriya."
Jae-Kyu chuckled slightly as he said leading Izuku to an outdoor patio where a table of food was waiting, "Yes, yes. We have heard a lot about you already. In any case we welcome your arrival. Now why don't we eat before we talk?"
Izuku hummed briefly but didn't answer in words. He wasn't sure if he trusted them not to poison the food. To make him weaker and more amicable to whatever it was they wanted.
Jang-Il muttered just loud enough for the boy to hear, "Oi I heard the story myself. But doesn't he look a little feasible for it to be true?"
Izuku growled turning to face him, "Do you have something to say? I didn't want to be here to begin with."
Sa-Oak said with narrowed eyes, "We will leave this conversation till we have eaten. Jang-Il back off now."
"Tch," was the only reply the youngest elder gave.
With that they all settled around the table with the elders insisting that Izuku sit at the head. Given the age difference it felt odd that he was sitting at the head. It went against every rule of etiquette that he was taught.
Before the food was served Jang-Il said, "I am a doubtful man by nature. How about you show me the keepsake to prove you are who we think you are?"
Jae-Kyu snapped with a low growl, "Look here Jang-Il. Why are you being so impolite to him?"
"Excuse my rudeness," said Jang-Il trying to soothe the eldest, "You must understand that I'm normally like this. Isn't it easier that we get the verification out of the way first?"
Gyu Bum tried, "I have confirmed that he indeed does carry the medallion."
"That may be enough for you but not for me," all but shouted the man, "I Jang-Il, will believe nothing unless I see it with my own eyes."
"By keepsake he means?"
"The Phoenix Medallion. Yes," replied Gyu Bum, "Please show them the Phoenix Medallion. This will at the very least prove what I have been telling them."
Sighing Izuku pulled the Medallion out from under his shirt. All the Elders ooed and awed at except the one. Jang-Il simply gave a sharp nod.
One man, Sul-Joong if he remembered correctly stepped forward and asked, "May I have a closer look?"
Izuku held it out to the man and he continued, "Ah there is no doubt about it. The brilliant radiance of the quality is no doubt the Sunwoo Clan's."
Rubbing the back of his neck Izuku replied now uncertain, "Sesol left it in my care. It was mentioned a couple of times to be important so I kept it with me."
All of the Elders suddenly bowed low except for the scruffy one and practically shouted, "We the Sunwoo Clan's Council of Elders, bow before the proof of Headship."
After a glare from one of the others Jang-Il did the same with obvious reluctance. Izuku glanced between them trying to find the joke or trick. There wasn't any. Each and everyone of them were serious about this.
"What is going on?"
Jae-Kyu said in difference, "The Phoenix Medallion is the symbol of full authority within the clan. Seeing the Medallion is the same as seeing the head himself. In short the legitimate holder of the Phoenix Medallion also holds the rights of the Sunwoo Clan Head."
What?! He was just a teenager not even in High School yet! How was he supposed to be a Clan Head?
Gyu Bum said nervously, "Did I tell you this before, Midoriya-nim? You are the new Sunwoo Clan Head. All of the power and authority now rests within you as the Clan Head."
"Let us retire and talk about the future," redirected another.
This was what Gyu Bum had been trying to talk to him about for weeks. A responsibility he didn't want or need at the moment. In his current state being a Clan Head would be disastrous. All he would bring was shame upon them. Especially after he died so suddenly. No it was better to nip this in the bud now.
"No," denied Izuku immediately, "This thing isn't mine. It is true that Sesol gave this to me but she probably didn't know how important it was."
Izuku ignored Gyu Bum's comment of, "That's not what happened."
It didn't matter. This was not his responsibility. There was no way he could help them in the short time he had left. Pulling the Medallion from his neck he placed it on the table.
Then said, "I am returning this to you. Gyu Bum can you give me a ride home? I'll go ahead and wait for you."
"Wait hold on a momemt," tried the fox faced man but Izuku was already taking the steps two at a time.
As he moved away he could hear the Elders speaking.
"Eh what just happened here?"
"It was because you kept saying all that needless stuff Jang-Il."
Jang-Il's rough voice muttered back, "Good riddance. If he's gonna get hurt over a few words then might as well give up now."
"That won't happen," said the shorter wider one, "That boy would have gotten some sense of what the Sunwoo Clan was like on the way here. Jang-Il if you were in such a position would you be able to give up such wealth and power with only a few words?"
"That's exactly why he's a brat. The whole idea of giving such a position to him," tried to explain the youngest.
"He's a representative handpicked by Lady Sesol. I don't know much about him but I highly doubt he is a pushover. No there is more than just what we are seeing."
Unfortunately with that Izuku had moved to far away to hear anything else. It was interesting to know what they thought of him. He had already figured out most of them. All except that old man with the cold eyes. What he wanted was still an absolute mystery to him.
Gyu Bum finally caught up and questioned his voice loud enough to make Izuku's ears ring, "Why are you doing this? Do you not understand what it means to be Sunwoo Clan Head?"
No and he didn't particularly care. Still he humored the man, "It's because of the Phoenix Medallion," Gyu Bum blinked in confusion, "That is why those in Murim keep attacking me. Why else would they attack someone not within Murim?"
"Did you return the Phoenix Medallion because you are afraid of being attacked?"
Izuku shook his head as he replied, "That's not it at all. I saw how they are here. If I was afraid of being attacked then I would be asking for help."
"Then why?"
Izuku sighed, "I want to do the best I can as I am. But I am not greedy and I know trying to be a Clan Head is above me. In my current state Gyu Bum I'll be dead within a year. Plus those Elders care greatly for the Clan. They can do a better job of taking care of it than me. Returning this meant I can finally cut all ties with Murim."
Gyu Bum said softly, "I think you misunderstand the reasons that you are being attacked. They have nothing to do with the Phoenix. Today's matter was top secret. Their are no ways for regular Murim to find out about it."
"What about the meeting at my school?"
Gyu Bum smiled as he said, "That was just a small part of the clan. However back to assumption. From my research the reasons you are being attacked is because of your connection to Goomoonyrong. I have found no other commonality between them. At this time the worry could be for nothing but..."
He was interrupted by the phone ringing. Looking a little sheepish he asked, "May I take this?"
Feeling a little out of place he nodded. Gyu Bum turned and spoke into the phone for a few moments. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't hear what was being said.
Then the man said turning back around, "Alright sorry about that. The Elders wish for me to see you safely home now that they have greeted you."
Izuku sighed but allowed Gyu Bum to lead him out. A gentle hand on his shoulder led him away. After fighting the man just a short time before he was surprised by the man's gentleness. Who was the real Gyu Bum? The attacker or the kind protector?
In the car Gyu Bum and Izuku were silent. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Izuku continued to consider his options.
When they reached his apartment it was late. His mother was likely at work in the hospital. She was always so busy he hoped she was sleeping well.
Gyu Bum said before Izuku could walk off, "The Clan Eldeds are going to give you some time to think about it. However I hope you will think carefully about it."
Izuku sighed exhausted from the conversations, "It will be the same no matter how much I think about it. I don't want to be a Clan Head or anything like that."
A gentle hand touched the top of his head hesitantly as Gyu Bum said, "I swore to Lady Sesol that I would support and protect you until she returns. I am a Retainer of the Sunwoo Clan. I will keep my promise to my Lord. Even if it means to put my life on the line. You've had a rough day so I wish you a restful night. Just remember if you need me I'm just a call away."
The sheer honesty in the man's eyes made him believe it. Out of everyone in the Sunwoo Clan, Gyu Bum would be the one to look after him and him alone.
