In the quiet stillness of a room bathed in early morning sunlight, a boy lay sprawled across his bed, his limbs tangled in a messy blue blanket. The air was peaceful, almost sacred—until the calm was shattered.
TRRING… TRRING… TRRRRRRING!
The alarm clock exploded to life, loud enough to scare birds off the roof.
Thud!
A hand slammed down on it with the force of an annoyed grizzly.
"Ah… this clock is my biggest enemy," Gun muttered, voice thick with sleep. He sat up slowly, hair in disarray, eyes half-closed like a zombie who hadn't had coffee yet.
From the kitchen, his mom's voice called out, "Gun, wake up! Breakfast is ready. Did you forget you have school today?"
"Mom, I'm already up and coming!" he shouted back, groaning.
"Come quickly while it's still warm!"
Still muttering complaints about the betrayal of clocks and mornings, Gun grabbed his towel and shuffled into the shower. As the warm water flowed over him, his scowl softened into a grin.
"Oh, this… this is the best time of my day."
And like it was his concert stage, he began to sing:
Chop chop chop goes the blade in my hand,
Hope I don't hit something I don't understand,
If this pipe explodes, I'll act like I planned—
Yep, that was totally grand!
A shampoo bottle slipped off the shelf with a 'thunk' like it was protesting his lyrics, but he ignored it.
Eventually, he stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around his head like a lazy turban. "Ah, look at me. Every morning, I go into the shower with a towel and come out drying my hair. Routine of legends."
Then he stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"Wait… I'm forgetting something. What is it… what is it…"
He gasped. "OH! I have to call Reon!"
Scene Shift: Reon's Room
Reon's room was the exact opposite of Gun's. Chaos lived here full-time. Clothes were strewn across the floor, empty noodle cups peeked out from under the bed, and a single cockroach walked across the windowsill like it paid rent. The curtains hung limp, barely blocking the sun that filtered into the wreckage of a room that screamed "teenage survival mode."
Reon himself lay tangled in his blanket like a caterpillar that gave up halfway through transformation.
Ring… Ring…
His phone buzzed beside his head. He didn't even flinch.
Ring… Ring…
Still nothing. It was like the sound couldn't penetrate the defensive layers of exhaustion wrapped around him.
Ring… Ring… Ring—
Suddenly, the door opened. A woman stepped in. Her brows were furrowed, her hair was tied in a messy bun, and in her hand was a jug of water.
SPLASH!
"GAAAHH! Was there a tsunami in my room?!" Reon shot up, blinking water out of his eyes.
His mom stood there with the empty jug, clearly unamused. "You're asking me why? Your phone's been ringing for five minutes straight, and you didn't even flinch! The whole family woke up—heck, even the neighbors probably thought there was an earthquake."
And then came the lecture. Loud. Long. Inescapable.
Reon just sat there, hair dripping, face blank. His eyes said, "Kill me." His mouth said nothing.
Two minutes later, his mom finally left the room, muttering something about "irresponsible boys."
Ring… Ring…
The phone rang again.
This time, Reon snatched it like it owed him money. Seeing Gun's name on the screen, he sighed, deeply annoyed.
He answered with no greeting, "Gun, you know you're a mat***er."
Gun laughed. "Bro! How did you know what I was going to say to you?"
Reon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, when someone doesn't answer your call, maybe they're busy. So you wait and call later."
"I do that with other people. Not with you. Because I know—you're never busy."
Reon's eye twitched. "Now you've made me angry. You don't know what I can do when I'm mad."
"Tch. I know everything, bro. Whatever—get ready fast. We have to go to school."
"Nope. I'm not going today."
"Why?!"
"I've got to make a delivery. You forgot, huh? Gotta earn some cash."
"BRO! You forgot I'm proposing to Nyra today! That's our big plan!"
"Ohhh right…" Reon paused. "But I still can't miss this delivery."
Gun thought quickly. "Okay, okay. How much are you making today?"
"Fifty bucks."
"I'll give you fifty dollars. Just be my bodyguard today."
"…You'll also have to buy me lunch."
"Deal."
Reon smirked. "Okay, done. I'll be at your place in five minutes."
"What?! You just woke up. Aren't you gonna shower or eat?"
"Legends don't shower every day. And breakfast—I'll eat at your place."
Gun sighed. "I knew it. Fine. Come quickly."
"Okay, bye."
At Gun's Place
Gun threw on his uniform and called out, "Moooom!"
"Yes, I can hear you. No need to yell."
"Reon's coming over for breakfast. Can you make something for him too?"
"You should've told me earlier!"
Gun grabbed his bag, preparing to bolt. "Then just give him mine. I'll eat outside."
But as he stepped into the kitchen…
"Wahh! I didn't know you cared about me so much. You really are my best friend."
Reon was already there, seated, scarfing down food like a man who hadn't seen a meal in days.
Gun blinked. "You're talking like I came to your house to eat…"
He sat and asked, "Mom, where's my breakfast?"
Sujin—young, graceful, effortlessly beautiful—smiled and replied, "You told me to give it to Reon."
"Mom, I was joking!"
"Looks like I'll have to eat outside today," he mumbled.
But just as he finished sulking, Sujin placed a fresh plate in front of him.
"Wait—is that mine?"
"No. I already prepared Reon's breakfast in advance."
Gun blinked. "Wait… how did you know he was coming?"
"I just knew. Now stop talking and eat."
Gun muttered, "Okay, mom… okay, ma'am."
Sujin turned to Reon. "Want some more food?"
Reon grinned. "If you offer this much, how can I disagree with your words?"
Gun side-eyed him. Mom, I'm your real son… but this guy? Shameless.
Then it happened.
As Sujin handed another bowl to Reon, their hands brushed—and she froze.
The bowl slipped. Food dropped. Her eyes went distant, dazed.
"Mom?!" Gun stood up. "Mom, what happened?"
"Ma'am, are you okay?" Reon said, alarmed. "Should we call an ambulance?"
"No, no," she said, voice shaky. "My head just spun for a second…"
"You should rest. I'm not going to school today."
"No!" she snapped, eyes flashing. "You have to go. I'll be with Auntie Saroja."
"But—"
"No buts! Reon, take him."
Reon sighed. "Gun, don't forget our plan."
Gun finally gave in. "Okay, fine."
As they stepped toward the door—
"Stop!" Sujin called.
Gun sighed. "What now?"
"I have something for you both."
She returned moments later with two wristbands—one blue, one red. She gave the blue one to Reon, the red to Gun.
Reon stared at his. "Wow… this looks so cool."
But then he handed it back. "This looks too precious. I can't accept it."
Gun nearly choked. Did he just RETURN something free?!
Sujin smiled warmly. "Just take it. You're like my own son."
Reon's eyes softened. He hugged her tight. "See you later, ma'am!"
As they left, Sujin whispered softly, "If we're alive… We'll meet again."
She turned toward the street.
In the distance—figures in long cloaks, swords strapped to their backs. Their presence was silent but heavy.
Sujin narrowed her eyes.
"…Looks like I have some work to do."