Click.

The sound of the door unlocking echoed faintly through the quiet apartment. Yumi stepped in, her school bag slung lazily over her shoulder. Her tie was half-loosened, and her hair was a mess, thanks to the cold winter wind outside. With a sigh, she kicked off her shoes and let them clatter against the floor.

Thud.

“Finally home,” she muttered. “What a day…”

Her voice trailed off as her eyes landed on the figure sitting in the living room. A man. His back was to her, but she could see the broadness of his shoulders, the defined lines of his arms resting on his knees. The air around him was calm, but there was an intensity, a presence, that made her freeze on the spot.

“Who…?” she began, her voice tinged with both confusion and caution. Then, it hit her. The messy black hair. The sharp jawline. The faint scar just above his left eyebrow.

Her eyes widened. “J-Jin?”

The man turned his head slightly, and their eyes met. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Jin’s expression was calm, unreadable, but there was a faint glint of warmth in his gaze.

“Yo,” he said casually, leaning back against the couch.

Yumi’s mouth opened, but no words came out. This wasn’t her brother. At least, not the one she remembered. The Jin she knew was lean, with a slightly hunched posture and a face that always carried a hint of nervousness. This Jin… he looked like he’d stepped out of a battlefield.

“Jin?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “Is that really you?”

“It’s me,” Jin replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Been a while, huh?”

Yumi took a hesitant step forward, still trying to process what she was seeing. “What… what happened to you?”

Moments later

The two of them sat across from each other at the small dining table. Jin had gone out to grab food from the chicken shop down the street, and the aroma of fried chicken filled the room. Yumi still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock, but the sight of the food seemed to help.

“You don’t expect me to eat all this, do you?” she asked, eyeing the mountain of chicken legs and wings in front of her.

Jin chuckled, reaching for a drumstick. “You’ve got a bottomless pit for a stomach, don’t pretend otherwise.”

“Hey! I’m not a pig!” she shot back, though her hand was already reaching for a piece of chicken.

For a while, the room was filled with the sound of chewing and the occasional clink of plates. Jin glanced at Yumi, watching as her initial shock gave way to comfort. She looked more like herself now, her guard down as she enjoyed the meal.

“So,” she said between bites, “you’re gonna tell me what happened, or do I have to guess?”

Jin leaned back in his chair, wiping his hands with a napkin. “Training. A lot of it.”

“That’s it? You disappear for two months and come back looking like…” She gestured at him, trying to find the right words. “…like some action movie star, and all you’ve got to say is ‘training’?”

Jin smirked. “Hard work pays off.”

Yumi rolled her eyes but didn’t press further. She could tell there was more to the story, but something about Jin’s demeanor made her hesitate. It wasn’t that he was hiding something—it was more like he was carrying something.

Later That Night

Yumi had fallen asleep on the couch, a blanket draped over her small frame. Jin stood by the window, looking out at the city below. The lights of Seoul stretched out endlessly, a shimmering sea of life and activity.

He sighed softly, then grabbed his running shoes from the corner of the room. He didn’t bother to change into anything fancy, just a simple hoodie and sweatpants. Quietly, so as not to wake Yumi, he slipped out of the apartment and into the cool night air.

The streets were quiet, the usual bustle of the city dulled by the late hour. Jin started at a slow pace, letting his body adjust to the rhythm. His breaths were steady, his movements fluid.

As he picked up speed, the sound of his footsteps became sharper, more pronounced against the empty streets. Thud-thud-thud. The wind brushed against his face, cool and refreshing, but he barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the events of the past two months.

He pushed himself harder, his surroundings becoming a blur as his speed increased. The faint sound of a siren echoed in the distance, but Jin barely registered it.

Fwoosh.

The rush of air around him was deafening, and for a brief moment, he felt weightless, like he could outrun even the wind itself.

When Jin returned, the apartment was silent. He stepped inside, his movements quiet and deliberate. Yumi was still asleep on the couch, her face peaceful.

Jin smiled faintly, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before sitting down across from her. As he watched his sister sleep, a thought crossed his mind.

No matter what happens… I’ll protect her. No matter what.

He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. The road ahead was long, but for the first time in years, Jin felt ready to face it.