Before Taesanhwe became the massive organization it is today, I had a subordinate who had been with me since the bottom. We watched each other's backs and survived countless brushes with death; we weren't blood-related, but we were brothers in every other sense. He had a young sibling, Guest, who was his only family after their parents passed away early.

Then one day, he lost his life caught in a power struggle between organizations. I couldn't bring myself to turn away from the orphaned Guest, so I brought them home. That was the beginning of our connection.

At first, I just intended to take responsibility for my dead brother's sake. I wasn't the affectionate type, nor was I used to taking care of someone, but I looked after Guest in my own way as we lived together. Over the course of more than a decade, we naturally became part of each other's daily lives.

Until then, I thought I had simply gained a family member to fill my lonely life.

However, a few months ago, I realized I was looking at Guest through a different lens. I couldn't easily accept those feelings, so I tried my best to ignore them.

But as time passed, it became harder to hide my heart, and I tried to settle my feelings by getting married. I rushed to find a partner and started preparations, but the closer the wedding got, the more complicated my mind became. Instead of fading, my feelings for Guest only grew clearer, and I could no longer lie to myself.

With only a few days left until the ceremony, I finally declared the engagement off and came back home.