doesn't follow canon chapters

"Ae-ri." Charles turned around to look at her who was sitting tense and awkwardly on the couch, quickly perking up after he called her. Goo held back a laugh from the side, his legs up on the couch with a bottle of expensive liquor in his hands.

Gun just sat on the couch opposing Ae-ri, a pokerface to hide his boredom and how uninterested he was. "I judged you too early." Charles stated, "You might even be as strong as Goo."

Ae-ri glanced at Goo then quickly turned away. "Not stronger...?" She mumbled, making the atmosphere silent. Goo was about to speak up, opening his mouth before being cut off.

"I will assign you to collect the monthly payment from the crews." Charles held his hands together behind his back, tearing his gaze away from the buildings out the window and to Ae-ri.

As for Gun and Goo, since they were constantly fighting to decide who would collect from the group or who would be the bodyguard, Charles decided to leave them be. "If anything, ask Gun or Goo for aid." Ae-ri dismissed it. How could she possibly get hurt?

She was strong, she just didn't believe she needed help.

"Damn."
Ae-ri cursed, currently hanging from the ceiling with ropes around her wrists, her feet barely touching the ground. Some gang members laughed around her, cackling like hyenas.

The leader seemed to be enjoying this too, taking a puff of his cigarette. "See? I told you she was just a lame girl." Ae-ri blinked twice at those words. Minseong. Money.

With a small struggle, she slowly pulled her wrists apart, the rope stretching and gradually tearing. That is... If she hadn't gotten distracted.

SMACK!

There was a familiar babyface, already having taken out the leader, she scowled. With a single pull, the ropes broke. She rubbed her wrists, watching as the certain guy continued to take down ten members.
(Which is all the members that had gathered here.)

Johan had happened to have seen her walking in here and then getting smacked in the back of the head and tied up. She didn't look fazed since he knew she hated fighting in the first place, not even bothering to free herself.

"Psh." She scoffed, turning away from the scene and grabbing the boxes of money at the side, collecting the payment and deciding to come back for revenge another time.

She walked back to the car, putting the boxes in the backseat while Goo sat in the driver's seat and did nothing but play on his phone. "Useless much?" Ae-ri stated, closing the door before Goo could reason.

"Noona!" The familiar figure came closer to her, wearing his God Dog hoodie. "Oh, Johan. I didn't see you, I was going over to collect the monthly payment!" She spoke sarcastically, faking a gleeful tone.

Johan didn't seem affected. Maybe a little. "Noona." Johan started, clenching his fists. "Why did you get involved with these jobs? Don't you hate violence?" He averted his gaze, keeping his gaze on the side.

Ae-ri crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one side. "Just like how you're working for your mother, I'm working for my brother." She huffed coldly and bluntly, making her way back to the car instead of down the street.

"Noona, the things that I said that day..." Johan trailed behind her, watching as she opened the front door of the passenger seat. "Forget it, it's nothing important." She retorted, grabbing her phone from the car.

As she spoke with Johan, their conversation didn't go unheard by Goo, who was literally there in the driver's seat witnessing their fight. "Ae-ri! Please hear me out!" Johan called out, Ae-ri slowly turned to him.

She slammed the car door, forgetting about Goo for a second. "Johan, put the past behind us. It doesn't even matter now." She opened her phone, dialing a certain number. "As you can see, I'm busy. I will collect your payment later."

Crescents formed on Johan's palm from how tightly he was clenching his fists. "I'm sorry, noona." He said, making Ae-ri flinch, quickly regaining composure and continuing walking away to the next crew.

After thirty minutes or so, Ae-ri returned to the car with a briefcase of cash, since different crews had their own way of storing the money. She threw it in the backseat then got in the passenger seat, silently closing the door and keeping her gaze out the window.

Goo pocketed his phone, glancing over at her. "You know that weakling?" Goo asked, only to receive the shake of her head. " No. I don't even recognize him anymore." She spoke coldly. But there was a hint of concern and disappointment in her voice.

She dismissed it, brushing it off and deciding to set off to the next crew. " Forget it, let's go to the next crew." Goo shrugged, " Yeah, guess I'm your personal driver now." He spoke sarcastically, still driving.

Goo, this idiot. He skipped all the other crews just to drive to God Dog, even after seeing them argue. "Goo, are you stupid? There are other crews behind I haven't collected from and you drive here?"

Goo dismissed her with a wave of his hand, a small laugh emitting his lips. "We can go back later, just go collect the money." He grinned, having fun at her dissatisfaction. Ae-ri's nose scrunched to the side slightly, leaving his car and slamming the door behind her.

She entered the God Dogs hideout, kicking over a chair by the side. "Time to pay up!" She looked very uninterested, observing the members around the place as they made way for Johan. "Here's the money, noona."

Ae-ri scoffed, grabbing the box from him with the shake of her head. "It's Ae-ri. I'm not your 'noona' anymore." She turned around, loading the box into the backseat of Goo's car, Johan holding another box and quietly watching as she harshly threw the boxes in, some cash even falling out.

"Noona. I'm sorry. Whatever I said that day, I didn't mean it. I had my own reasons when I pushed you aside." Johan apologized, sincere and genuine.

Why had he, who pushed everyone away and gone down a path of no return, apologized to her? He pushed her away for his mother's sake, for his sake. Just like he did with every other person close to him. But here he was, apologizing and trying to mend their relationship.

Ae-ri blinked twice at him, trying to comprehend what he just said. She narrowed her eyes, closing the car door.
"I know. The person who made you a better offer was Gun after all." She huffed, "And maybe things are better for you now than you were with me. Take care."

She got into the passenger seat and left Johan standing where he last stood, watching as his figure slowly disappeared from her rear mirror. Goo glanced over at her, studying her expression with a small smirk.

"See? Now you guys are friends again." Ae-ri smacked his shoulder, "Friends? I don't know what you mean. " She crossed her arms, keeping her gaze forward.

" He's just someone I collect money from."

bonus: it didn't take long for Ae-ri to forgive Johan and see him as a younger brother again. 🫂