"Mapo needs me?" Min thought.
His hands trembled, the tray rattling as he set it down. He stared at the man, at the scar, the presence, the weight behind those words.
"Mapo needs you. Seoul needs you."
His heart hammered against his ribs. Memories rushed back all at once—the collapse of his brother, the jeers of Red Pulse, the smell of burnt circuits, sweat and panic that had soaked into his bones and never left.
He forced himself to look up.
And finally recognized the face beneath the hood.
"MC… Orca?"
MC ORCA. Not just an MC. Not just the referee from the showdown.
Jae-Hwan's best friend.
The neutral mediator whenever clans were at each other's throats.
A man who didn't choose sides until sides had already chosen themselves.
MC ORCA exhaled, lowering his hood fully. "Mapo has changed, Min. And Seoul… Seoul's not far behind. And not in a good way."
Min swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"Laws are changing. Red Pulses are pushing out the smaller shops, sticking their hands into local politics. They're trying to become one of the biggest gangs in the country."
"That has nothing to do with me."
Orca slammed his palm on the counter not loud, but enough to send Min flinching.
"It has everything to do with you. Your brother started this group to protect people who couldn't stand on their own. Even when we were down, we had each other's backs. But you…" he jabbed a finger at Min
"you bailed on us."
"It wasn't like that…" Min whispered.
"I know you lost a brother. I lost one too. What happened that night was whack.
You don't know it, but I do and so did your brother. But you…"
He leaned closer.
"…you have a gift. A gift that could help us win back Mapo."
Min's chest tightened. "I don't think I can. What happened to everyone else?"
"A lot quit. Some hid. Some went to jail." Orca's jaw tightened. "And some… even joined Red Pulse."
Min felt as if someone had punched through his ribcage.
"You gotta return and bring back the Warlocks," Orca said. "The Warlocks need your guidance. There are still a few safe houses left with gear, but I don't know how long those will last. We're down to our last street cred. Honestly… I don't think The Warlocks will survive much longer."
"I don't care about that anymore."
"Oh, I know you do, Min." Orca softened, not kind, but honest. "I know you do."
His gaze locked with Min's.
"Because you can't hide anymore. You have what it takes, and they're counting on it."
Min's stomach twisted. Wonju was simple, predictable. A life of menus, cash registers, quiet streets. The kind of life he thought could drown out the chaos he escaped.
"I… I'm done with that world," Min whispered. "I can't…"
"Done?" Orca leaned in, eyes sharp. "You're not done. That world isn't done with you. It never will be. And neither is Mapo. They need someone who can stand. Someone who can fight. Someone who remembers what winning feels like."
"Times are changing, Min," he continued. "And if we don't keep up… we die."
Min's gaze dropped to the floor. He tried to forget. Tried to bury himself in routine. Tried to disappear. But Orca's words cracked open everything he'd sealed shut. The past clawed its way back in.
"You don't understand," Min muttered. "I'm not ready. I can't…"
"You were ready a year ago," Orca said quietly. "And even then, you were pushed to your limit. You survived. You learned. Now it's time to finish what you started."
Mapo. Warlocks. Red Pulse.
Soo-Hyeon.
Jae-Hwan collapsing into his arms.
The streets he swore he'd never walk again.
The restaurant door creaked open, letting in a faint breeze. Wonju's sunlight glowed soft and harmless across the floor, too peaceful for the storm brewing in Min's chest.
"There's someone waiting for you," Orca said. "They haven't forgotten about you."
"Someone…?" Min whispered, heart skipping.
Could it be her?
Orca didn't answer.
"But the streets are changing. Red Pulse isn't stopping. They're stronger. And they're still hunting the Warlocks."
Min's fists clenched. The laughter of Red Pulse echoed in his skull. The sight of his brother falling.
He couldn't let it happen again.
"Min," Orca said softly now, almost pleading. "I'm not asking. I'm telling you. Mapo isn't waiting. Seoul isn't waiting. But you… you can make a difference."
The words hit him like a shock.
For the first time in a year, adrenaline surged through him—not fear. Purpose.
"I'll go," Min said.
Quiet, but firm.
"...I'll go back."
Orca exhaled, relieved. "Good. Move fast. Red Pulse isn't sitting idle. And the Warlock Loyalists will be damn happy to see you."
Min's aunt suddenly appeared, arms crossed. "Are you quitting your shift again, Min?"
He forced a small smile. "Not quitting. Just… something important."
Orca pulled up his hood and stepped toward the door.
"Mapo waits for no one," he said, walking into the bright Wonju afternoon. "Neither should you."
Min watched him disappear down the street, his heart thundering.
Wonju felt small now. Too small. Safe. Too safe.
He looked toward the distant road leading north, toward Seoul.
He tightened the straps of his bag.
The ghosts of his past were waiting.
But so was his future.
And Mapo…
Mapo was calling him home.