The bus came to a slow stop on a narrow road. No station, no signs. Just trees, dirt, and silence.
Kai stepped down, the dust rising slightly around his worn-out shoes. The sky was cloudy, and the wind carried a chill that somehow felt more real than anything he'd felt in weeks.
There it was—his grandfather's house.
Old. Worn-out. Wooden gates barely holding together. But even like that... it felt more like home than the house he'd just left.
He walked slowly down the dirt path, weeds brushing against his legs. As he reached the front porch, his fingers hesitated around the key. It had been years, but the weight of it in his hand felt the same.
Click.
The door creaked open.
Inside, the air smelled of dust, wood, and something faintly nostalgic. The living room was untouched—an old couch, shelves lined with books, a photo frame turned upside down. The clock on the wall had stopped ticking, maybe years ago.
Kai stepped in, dropped his bag by the corner, and just stood there.
No yelling.
No judging stares.
No whispers behind doors.
Just silence.
He sank to the floor slowly, staring at the ceiling.
"So this is it," he muttered. "Step one."
But that voice in his head came back.
What can you even do now? You're broke. You're weak. You couldn't even end yourself properly.
He clenched his jaw.
That was true. Right now, he was no one.
He didn't have the strength. Or influence. Or money. He didn't even have a proper plan.
But he had this house.
He had that fire building inside.
And he had one goal:
Revenge.
Not the loud, chaotic kind.
But the cold kind. The kind that changed a person from the inside.
"If I want to win… I need to change everything," he whispered. "Body. Mind. Everything."
The sun had started to go down when Kai heard footsteps outside. Quick, confident ones.
Then a knock.
"Anyone home?" a rough but familiar voice called out.
Kai opened the door slowly.
Standing outside was an older man, strong build, grey hair tied back, and a calm but serious look in his eyes.
"…Nam?" Kai asked, almost not believing it.
The man grinned.
"So it really is you. Damn, you've grown up."
Kai gave a weak nod.
Nam walked in without waiting for permission and looked around the house. He sighed.
"Hasn't changed a bit. Just dustier."
Kai couldn't help but ask, "How did you know I'd be here?"
Nam raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen? You look like hell."
Kai stayed quiet.
Nam's voice softened. "Kid... what's going on? Why are you here all alone?"
That was it.
The moment the question left his mouth, Kai felt something inside him crack wide open.
He dropped to his knees, hands clutching the floor. And just like that—everything spilled out.
The betrayal.
The public humiliation.
The rumors.
The way his own family looked at him.
How he stood on a rooftop and still survived.
Everything
Nam sat beside him, silent, listening—really listening. No judgment. No pity.
And when Kai was done, when his throat was raw and his hands were shaking, Nam's jaw was clenched.
"Those bastards…" he muttered. "They really let you go through all of that?"
Kai didn't answer. He just stared at the floor.
Nam stood up, his voice hard. "I can't turn back time, but I can damn well make sure no one ever steps on you again."
Kai looked up.
Nam's eyes burned with something fierce.
"I'll train you. I'll make sure when they see you next, they won't even recognize you."
That hit something in Kai.
For the first time… someone wasn't just pretending to care.
Someone was standing beside him.
"Your grandfather… he was one of the deadliest martial artists this country ever saw," Nam said. "Served in the military. Special forces. But after his injury, he gave it all up and came here."
Kai's eyes widened. "But when I visited, he was always just… kind. Quiet. He fed chickens."
Nam smiled.
"That was his way of living after the war. But before all that… he trained warriors. Real ones. And I was one of them."
The wind outside began to pick up, and the air got colder.
Nam looked at the sky. "You can't stay here tonight. It's too dark, no power, and probably no food. Come with me. My place is just down the road."
Nam's house was warm. Lively.
Kai walked in and was hit with the smell of spices and something frying in a pan. A woman smiled at him from the kitchen.
"So this is the boy?" she asked. "I'm Mina. Nam's better half. You're staying for dinner."
Kai gave a quiet "thank you" and sat near the dining table.
Then came the kids.
The first was a tall girl with sharp eyes and a serious face. She crossed her arms and leaned on the wall.
"Eva," Nam said. "The oldest. Looks like she could kill you with a stare. She probably can."
She didn't deny it.
Next came another girl, this one with dyed tips, earphones in, and gum in her mouth. She gave Kai a lazy peace sign.
"Miko," Nam continued. "Middle child. Too cool for this world."
Miko smirked. "Yo."
And finally, a boy about Kai's age, maybe a little younger, peeked in from behind the stairs.
"Seo. My only son. Loudmouth. Watch out."
Seo waved shyly. "Hey… I've heard about you."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "From where?"
Seo shrugged. "Internet. You were trending."
Nam threw a spoon at him.
"Don't mind him," he muttered. "He's still learning tact."
Kai chuckled softly.
For the first time in a long while… he felt like a person. Not a mistake.
Not a burden.
Just Kai.
Dinner that night was simple—but it felt like a feast to Kai.
Warm rice, soft tofu soup, stir-fried veggies, and grilled fish that reminded him of the times his mother used to cook. It wasn't the food that filled him, though. It was the silence between bites that didn't feel awkward. The laughter between Nam's kids. The occasional teasing between Nam and his wife.
It felt… human.
Kai sat quietly for the most part. But he listened. Watched. Took it all in like it was something rare.
"Eat more," Mina said, pushing another bowl his way.
Kai blinked. "I'm good, really…"
"Not a chance. You're skin and bones." She smiled, then softened her tone. "You'll need your strength for what's coming."
Across the table, Seo leaned in with curiosity. "So you're really gonna train with Dad?"
Kai nodded, unsure how to respond.
Eva scoffed. "Poor guy doesn't know what he signed up for."
Nam gave her a look. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"I'm just saying," she said, standing to grab more water. "The last guy you trained ended up with two dislocated shoulders and a cracked rib."
"Because he didn't listen," Nam muttered.
Kai swallowed his bite slowly, wondering what exactly he'd agreed to.
Miko glanced at him. "You're brave, though. Like… for real. Most people would've just stayed down."
Kai looked up.
There was no sarcasm in her voice. Just honesty. And for once, it didn't feel like he was being judged, pitied, or labeled.
He gave a quiet nod. "Thanks."
Nam raised his glass—just water tonight, but he still held it like a toast. "To the beginning of something new."
Everyone raised theirs too.
"To Kai," Seo added with a grin. "Don't die in training."
"Very helpful, Seo," Mina said, smacking the back of his head.
Kai let out a small laugh. The kind that catches you off guard when you thought you forgot how.
After dinner, Nam led him to the guest room. It was small, a little dusty, but clean and warm. A futon, a folded blanket, and a window that overlooked the back fields.
"Rest here tonight," Nam said. "Training starts at sunrise."
Kai nodded, standing by the window as Nam left the room.
Outside, the stars stretched far across the sky, undisturbed by city lights. The wind moved gently through the trees. In that stillness, Kai's reflection stared back at him in the glass.
His face still looked tired, but his eyes… they were different now.
"This time… I won't break," he whispered.
He turned toward the bed, laid down slowly, and stared at the ceiling.
For the first night in a long, long time…
…he didn't fall asleep scared.
He fell asleep ready.