For the first time in his life, Ha-Joon set foot on Korean soil. A strange excitement stirred in his chest, one he hadn't felt in a long time.
Ha-Joon stepped off the dock, and moved through the streets, blending into the crowd effortlessly, and slowly scanned the bustling city of Busan full of curiosity. Truthfully, he had never been to Korea in his both life. And wanted to experience the culture of Korea before going back to work.
His steps took him through the busy streets, where vendors called out to passersby, selling everything from hotteok to tteokbokki. The sound of sizzling food made his stomach grumble, and for a moment, he considered stopping.
Giving in to the moment, he approached a small street cart run by an elderly woman. "One, please," he said, nodding toward the golden-brown hotteok.
She smiled and handed it to him, the warmth of the pancake seeping into his fingers. He took a bite, and the sweet syrup filled his mouth, mingling with the crisp exterior. It was simple, yet oddly comforting.
"First time in Busan?" the woman asked, watching him with a knowing smile.
Ha-Joon chewed thoughtfully before nodding. "Yeah. First time in Korea, actually."
"Ah, then welcome!" she said cheerfully. "You should take your time and enjoy the city. Busan has a soul of its own."
He gave a small chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind."
After finishing his snack, he continued wandering, taking in the sights without rushing. The hum of the city was different from Tokyo, less rigid, more chaotic, but in its on way. He passed by a group of young men laughing loudly outside a convenience store, an old couple strolling hand in hand, a street musician playing a melancholic tune on his guitar.
For a brief moment, Ha-Joon could almost pretend he was just another person in the crowd, an ordinary man enjoying a night out. As he turned around and was about to head towards the juvenile.
Suddenly, without warning, he collided with someone knocking off his dark glass. A presence so overwhelming that his instincts screamed at him before his mind even registered what had happened.
A man with broad shoulder, fat yet tall, past his prime, yet carrying the weight of his former glory.
The Legend, 0th Generation Strongest, The dragon. Gapryong Kim.
{Image}
Ha-Joon body tensed unconsciously, his fist clenched. The sheer amount of pressure emanating from Gapryong Kim almost made him attack.
As he met Ha-Joon's gaze, he was a bit surprised of Ha-Joon's eyes. Before he could ask about Ha-Joon, another figure appeared in front of him.
Gapryong Kim's loyal sword, Kwon Baek-Ho
Ha-Joon had planned to apologize, but before he could even open his mouth, Baek-Ho had moved in front of him and brought fist near his face, unmoving yet carrying an unmistakable threat.
"Watch your step, boy," a voice laced with threat, commanded. Kwon Baek Ho's presence was enough to make already tense moment even more tense.
The atmosphere around Ha-Joon slowly began to shift, his reverse eyes glowing.
"And I don't like being threatened by others."
Having said that, Ha-Joon attacked without hesitation.
Ha-Joon's fist shot forward, aiming straight for Kwon Baek Ho's jaw. Baek-Ho reacted as he brought his forearm near him to block the punch. Ha-Joon's knuckles met solid flesh with a bone-rattling impact. The sheer resistance sent vibrations up his arm, but forced Baek-Ho to step back.
Baek Ho's eyes gleamed, more surprised than angered. Then, without warning, he retaliated.
A brutal hook swung towards Ha-Joon's ribs. But before it could land, Ha-Joon barely twisted in time, letting the blow graze him instead of landing.
"Strong but not enough" Ha-Joon spoke, rolling his shoulders, and torn off his upper clothes revealing tattoos all over his upper body. His grin grew wider with each second passing and added: "And strength alone isn't enough to take me down."
Baek Ho cracked his knuckles: "We'll see about that."
Gapryong at the side, considered stopping the fight which had started from the small mistake but ultimately decided against it, as he saw Ha-Joon getting excited more and more as each second passed by.
Shaking his head, he slowly took out cigarate from his pocked, lit it up. Taking a slow drag, he muttered: "Truly a Yamazaki, getting excited over a small fight."
He was surprised to find a second reverse eye, and intentionally got bumped over to confirm his suspicion. But before he could even question Ha-Joon, Baek-Ho intervened him which quickly escalated into a fight.
The fight resumed, an explosive clash of raw power and honed technique. Ha-Joon ducked low, his body, blur as he twisted into a spinning back kick. His foot arced through the air like a guillotine, aimed at Baek Ho's temple. But Baek-ho simply tanked his hit.
Baek Ho countered as he crashed his fist at Ha-Joon. But Ha-Joon eyes faintly glowed green, before taking a Kyoukushin stance to tank it, but the sheer force sent tremors through his body. He slightly bent his knees to absorb the shock.
Ha-Joon exhaled sharply. This man was built differently. Every strike carried the weight of pure, unrelenting force, backed by his innate strength that allowed him to keep throwing them without losing momentum.
(A/N: Kwon Jerry seems to possess some kind of brute strength due to his large built. And as his father, Kwon Baek-Ho should also possess similar raw strength giving a hard time for Ha-Joon)
Ha-Joon backed off from him, and fully bent his upper body near his feet level.
If brute force is the game, fine then, I will play it his way.
He slowly bent his left leg and hurled straight at Baek-Ho, unleashing a flurry of attack with different Taekwondo Techniques. His fists became a blur, hammering at his opponent's guard, targeting weak points. Ribs, Solar plexus, Jaw. His eyes glowed pink, seamlessly switching between Kyoukushin and Taekwondo.
Baek Ho took the assault head-on, absorbing the attack like a boulder. But Ha-Joon wasn't blind, he saw it. The slight shift in weight and the tightening of Baek Ho's jaw.
With a sudden burst of movement, Ha-Joon lunged. His knee rocketed up, aimed at Baek Ho's sternum, forcing Baek-Ho to raise his arms. At that moment, Ha-Joon twisted mid-air, feinting and spun into a crushing heel kick aimed at the side of Baek Ho's head.
The impact was brutal. Baek Ho staggered, his footing momentarily disrupted.
Ha-Joon landed lightly, exhaling: "Looks like you're at your limit. old man."
But before Baek-Ho could retaliate, Gapryong's sharp voice resounded
"Enough."
Gapryong slowly walked between them. He eyes flickered towards Ha-Joon and spoke: "This fight ends here now."
Ha-Joon stared at him for a moment, before sighing and nodded. Gapryong turned, his gaze landed at Baek-Ho.
"Baek-Ho." Gapryong said with a deep, almost concerning tone: "We're too old to be fighting like this. Stop it now"
Baek Ho's lips curled into a smirk, but there was no bitterness in his expression as he spoke: "Old? Maybe, but as your sword, I still have some fight left in me."
Gapryong placed a hand on Baek Ho's shoulder, before sighing: "Fight, yes. But don't go past the point where your body can't recover. You're not as young as you once were, Baek Ho. Don't push it too far."
Having said that his gaze flickered towards Ha-Joon and motioned.
"Come," he said, the words simple but ordered: "Let's talk."
Ha-Joon nodded, barely suppressing his fighting instinct. With a final glance at Baek Ho, who was still recovering from the brutal clash, Ha-Joon followed Gapryong.
They walked in silence, the lights of the city flickering around them, until Gapryong led him into his personal cafe. Je swung open the door and moved towards the corner booth and sat down, gesturing for Ha-Joon to take the seat opposite him. Without waiting, he picked up the menu and called over the waitress.
"Bring us some samgyeopsal, kimchi jjigae, and a bottle of soju," Gapryong ordered, his voice casual. Then, All the fist gang member ordered at the same time after Gapryong. The waitress nodded quickly before hurrying away.
Following your boss even at the cafe, How amusing.
Ha-Joon leaned back, crossing his arms: "Is this what you stopped the fight for? A meal?" His tone wasn't disrespectful, only impatience.
Gapryong chuckled, pouring himself a glass of water: "You fight like a beast, but you still have a long way to go. Strength isn't just about how hard you hit—it's about knowing when to stop. And right now, you need to listen more than to fight."
"But....Forget it, let's talk about you. Are you, Yamazaki." He asked curiously but deep down already, he was sure of it.
Ha-Joon gulped down a glass of water and nodded: "Yes."
Gapryong slowly landed his hands on the table, leaning slightly, he spoke:
"So, I heard rebellion had recently occurred at Yamazaki family."
....
(Lo and Behold, the longest chapter ya'll had whished for. Honestly, I wanted to dig deeper into Busan but ultimately decided against it and only wrote half it to progress story faster.)