Chapter 17: Hard Lesson
The dojo doors swung open like a final‑boss gate, and Chaewon strode in. Even in casual clothes, she radiated a sharper aura than in her gi. She locked her narrowed eyes on Ace and screamed his name, silencing the room.
No one dared speak—not even her father. Don Capo’s gang split into two rows as though the godmother had arrived to face their godfather.
"What were you thinking?!" Chaewon yelled, stopping an inch from Ace and grabbing his gi. "You put everyone in danger! What would you do if something terrible happened to you or your friends?!"
Just stay quiet.
"Don’t ignore me!" Chaewon shook him, though she was weaker than usual.
"I get it," Ace said. Doesn’t mean I’ll follow it. One day you’ll be just as reckless as us.
Chaewon wasn’t convinced. She stared into his eyes, then let go of his gi and gave his chest a weak punch.
"You’re amazing. You pick up every martial art fast and sharpen it with barely any help," she whispered. "But even with that talent, something unexpected can still hurt you. You never know what might happen, so please think about what you’re doing.
"I know you guys aren’t the type to sit at a desk or follow martial arts tournament rules," she went on, voice trembling, "but I don’t want to see you do something that foolish again."
She had grown to like them. Over time she had watched them turn from thugs into disciplined martial artists. She had even played Ace’s improvised chess game in the forest with them and had a lot of fun and new experiences. Building shelters with Don Capo and his gang in the woods had been great, too.