a/n: will you expect this chapter? Who knows... here we go! Hope ya enjoy the Lee Know pov! YAY

My gut always told me Jiyoung would find love before I did. I mean, let's face it—I'm cold, distant even. Sure, I'm handsome, but love doesn't come easily to someone like me. Not when my life—my real life—won't allow it. Without consequences.

You're probably wondering: How does being an idol stop you from falling in love? Cute. You think that's all I do. But what if I told you the spotlight isn't the only place I belong? What if I told you... I'm mafia? I stand at the top of the food chain—the most feared mafia of all time, a name that sends chills through even the bravest. My family is close to the top. The Hwangs? They're on another level—untouchable, unrivaled, the best of the best. Even we can't compete with their rank or their legacy. Yet, others still outrule us with their relationships. Who? Well...the Parks. The biggest mafia of all time. Even me, the strongest individual mafia—I'm scared of them.

And Yeji—yeah, that Yeji. Does it click now? The black clothes we never seem to change out of, the constant cell phones glued to our hands—trackers, not screens. The whispered conversations. The disappearances. That's not idol life. That's the job.

The craziest part? Two souls from allied mafia groups—my sister Jiyoung and him—managed to fall in love. I'm happy for them; I swear I am. But something doesn't sit right. A storm's brewing and I can feel it in my bones.

Because in this world, love doesn't come without a price. And when the bill comes due... I'm not sure any of us will be ready. But I think I've found a way to turn this to our advantage. It's risky, and it'll take time—but then again, nothing worth having ever comes without a cost, does it?

"What are you doing, dummy?" Ji-Eun hissed.

"Well, why, in the first place, are we still watching them? I'm pretty sure they left!" I whispered, dumbfounded by my sister. I love her and admire her, but...they've left. 

"Does that mean we have to go to the restaurant now?" she asked.

"...Maybe. But this is so pretty, and I can't help myself," I stated, shrugging my shoulders as I adjusted the black, sleek gun attached to my belt.

"Lee Minho! This is not the time to admire the cherry blossoms and the Lotte Tower! We have business!" she sighed as she made sure her dagger was still in place. "Yeji should be coming any minute now." 

"H-h-hey! Sorry it took me a while to leave the dorm," she panted, brushing back a strand of hair as she caught her breath.

Without wasting time, we crossed the street to the tiny yet refined restaurant where Hyunjin and Jiyoung were dining. The plan was straightforward: Yeji would go inside, order a drink, and subtly scope out the place. Ji-Eun would secure the front exit while I kept watch over the back. Simple, efficient, and, hopefully, untraceable.

I considered warning Jiyoung about what was going on right then and there, but she wasn't ready. Not yet. Yeji, on the other hand—her involvement was inevitable. The higher your family sits in the mafia hierarchy, the sooner you're brought into its fold. For the Hwangs, it's as early as 20. For us, it's 24.

Jiyoung had just turned 24 a month ago. She might have technically crossed that threshold, but how do you tell someone they're next in line for a world built on power plays, blood, and secrets? Especially when that world could shatter them. I'd seen it before. People were raised with nothing but gunfire and gore—they didn't just survive, they adapted, but not without scars.

And yet, here we were. The Parks' decision to bring in people when they were a mere seventeen was going to tilt the delicate balance of power again. It wasn't just risky—it was reckless. Exposure was a double-edged sword: essential for survival in the mafia, but the cost of desensitization could run deeper than we cared to admit.

"Plan, action," Yeji's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Her whisper was barely audible, but it was enough.

We broke apart, moving to our assigned positions. I slipped to the back exit, trying not to draw attention. The alley felt far too exposed, and I couldn't help but feel out of place—a man dressed in black lingering by the rear of a restaurant. If anyone saw me, their suspicion would spike in seconds.

But this was why I was feared. I didn't falter. I didn't lose my cool. I stayed calculated and calm—a trait honed from years of doing things best left unspoken.

Pulling out the tracking device, I checked our positions. Yeji and Ji-Eun were exactly where they needed to be. For now, everything was falling into place.

- - -

"Ok, that was great. Nothing happened, which is what I wanted," I whispered as we regrouped once Yeji saw them leave.

"Ok, let's go back now. Catch ya later!" Ji-Eun called as she hopped into her sleek black Porsche and went in the direction of our mafia headquarters; that's where she stays permanently. Ok, I'm sure. I'm sure you're wondering a lot of things. (Author: well, yeah, they are. Lee Know: LET ME EXPLAIN THEN!)  And, yes. The underworld is never asleep. You think that New York is the only city that doesn't sleep? Think again. I was driving in my BMW, minding my own business, listening to some calm music on my way to our dorms. Thank the gods that I don't share a room with anyone anymore. It was relatively early for a mafia mission to be complete— 9 pm? When I reach the building, I fetch the spare clothes in the back (alongside the air fryer) and get changed. 

"What took you so long, hyung?" Jisung asked as I walked into the main room. "Also, Channie started wondering where you were..." Oh, shoot...

"There you are!" he exclaimed when he walked into the room. 

"Yeah? Sorry, I was busy! I had a quick meeting with JYP," I explained.

"...In that?" he asked, pointing to my outfit. I quickly glanced at my clothes, only to realize that I was wearing a pair of jeans, an oversized shirt, and a bucket hat. Um, yeah, no.

"No, I have the clothes in my car," I smiled and put my bag down. He raised his eyebrow and secretly judged me (I bet) but then stopped questioning.

"Can... we talk?" he asked, his voice unusually quiet as he pulled me into his room.What? My mind raced, trying to piece together what could be so urgent.

"Lee Know," he began, his gaze steady. "You don't have to hide it from me. I know. I know you're in the mafia."

The air seemed to be still. My stomach dropped.

"H-how did you figure that out?" I stammered, trying to mask my panic. "I thought I was being careful—super secretive!"

He shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "To a normal person? Sure, you'd seem like an ordinary guy. But to someone like me? It wasn't hard. I have... connections. My family used to be one of the top mafia powerhouses. We were part of the Bang clan—until we fell."

I froze. The Bang clan?

"When my family lost everything," he continued, his voice steady but tinged with a quiet bitterness, "we weren't in the main branch. That probably saved us. We fled—to Australia. That's where I was born. But the other branches... they didn't get away. Most were captured or wiped out. At least, that's what I've heard." He looked down for a moment, collecting himself. "Now, though... I think it's time I come back. I've been getting death threats from other mafias. If I don't align myself with someone, I won't last much longer. I can't keep running."

I stared at him, my chest tightening. "W-wait... you're saying you're mafia? Or at least a descendant of one?"

"Yeah." His tone was heavy. "Does the name Bang Minhyuk mean anything to you?"

Bang Minhyuk. My breath caught.

"Of course it does!" I exclaimed, leaning forward. "He was a legend! Everyone feared him. He was untouchable."

A flicker of pride, or maybe pain, crossed his face. "That was my grandfather."

The weight of his words hit me. This wasn't just some desperate plea—this was a scion of one of the most powerful families asking for a way back in.

"Can I..." he hesitated, his fingers fidgeting slightly. "Can I join your mafia? I don't want to be alone anymore."

His vulnerability threw me off guard. Channie Hyung, the person I thought I knew, suddenly seemed so much more complex.

"Hyung..." I started, my voice soft. "Of course, you can, at least if it were entirely up to me. But it's not. I'll have to talk to my sister, to Tiffany, to Yeji. You'd be a valuable ally, no doubt."

He nodded, relief flickering in his eyes.

As I stood and turned toward my room, my mind raced with the implications of this conversation. I wasn't going to eat tonight. There was too much to process and too many decisions to make and too much pressure. Bang Minhyuk's grandson wanted in. 

And this could change everything.