Chapter 11: Blood, Loyalty, and Burden
847 Words
The room felt heavier than ever before.
The silence that had once haunted the mansion now carried something else-truth.
Dangerous truth.
BB sat calmly on the sofa, his posture relaxed, as if the storm surrounding him belonged to someone else's life.
Across from him stood Namu.
Beside him were Mano and the manager.
No one spoke.
No one seemed willing to break the tension that had settled over the room.
Then Maro's father stepped forward.
His hands trembled slightly.
His eyes were fixed on BB.
Not on the leader of MN Squad.
Not on the young man who had just shocked everyone.
But on his grandson.
"BB..."
His voice cracked.
"What are you saying?"
The old man's face was pale.
"I've heard stories about MN Squad."
His breathing became uneven.
"They are dangerous people."
He took another step forward.
"You don't belong among them."
The words came from a grandfather's heart.
Raw.
Fearful.
Desperate.
"Leave it."
His voice broke.
"Leave that squad and come home."
The room fell silent.
BB lowered his gaze.
For a moment, he looked less like a leader and more like a grandson.
But when he finally looked up, there was something unshakable in his eyes.
"Grandpa..."
His voice was gentle.
"I can't."
The old man's expression froze.
"Why?"
A pause.
"Why can't you?"
BB looked away.
Because the answer wasn't simple.
And because some burdens could not be explained.
Not yet.
Namu stepped forward.
"Dad."
His tone was calm.
"We need to talk to him alone."
Maro's father looked at him in disbelief.
"You want me to leave?"
Pain filled his voice.
For a moment, Namu almost changed his mind.
Almost.
But he couldn't.
Not now.
"Please."
The old man stood silently for several seconds.
Then his shoulders sank.
Without another word, he turned away.
A single tear slid down his cheek.
The bedroom door closed softly behind him.
And the room became quiet once again.
Only four people remained.
Namu.
BB.
Mano.
And the manager.
Nobody spoke.
The silence stretched.
Then BB suddenly looked toward Mano.
"How are you, Mano sir?"
Mano blinked.
The question caught him completely off guard.
"How do you know my name?"
BB smiled faintly.
"I know more people than people realize."
The answer was simple.
But somehow unsettling.
Mano forced a laugh.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Nobody else laughed.
Namu leaned forward.
"Let's stop avoiding the question."
BB met his gaze.
"Ask."
"Why are you leading MN Squad?"
For the first time, BB hesitated.
Only slightly.
Then he answered.
"Because Maro uncle asked me to."
The room grew still.
Namu stared at him.
"When?"
"Three years ago."
BB's voice remained calm.
"He told me that if something ever happened to him, I would take responsibility."
Namu felt his chest tighten.
Something ever happened to him.
Had Maro known?
Had he expected danger?
Questions began forming faster than answers.
"When did you join?" Namu asked.
"I became a member at twenty."
"Five years ago..."
The manager muttered.
BB nodded.
"Five years."
Namu slowly rubbed his forehead.
Five years.
Five years of secrets.
Five years of meetings, operations, and relationships nobody in the family knew existed.
Five years living a second life.
Just like Maro.
The realization was unsettling.
Finally, Namu asked the question that mattered most.
"Tell me about my brother."
BB's expression softened.
For the first time that evening, genuine emotion appeared in his eyes.
"Maro uncle was extraordinary."
Silence.
"He was kind."
"He was patient."
"He was loyal."
BB looked down briefly.
"And he was dangerous."
Nobody reacted.
Because they all sensed the truth behind the words.
"He understood people."
"He understood power."
"He understood fear."
"And he understood how to protect the people he loved."
Namu swallowed hard.
The portrait of his brother was changing with every sentence.
Not becoming darker.
Becoming larger.
More complicated.
More human.
Namu leaned forward again.
"What have you discovered about his death?"
BB's eyes met his.
For a moment, neither looked away.
Then BB stood.
Slowly.
Calmly.
The movement surprised everyone.
"You shouldn't ask me that."
Namu frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what I said."
BB reached for his jacket.
"I have reasons."
"What reasons?"
"You'll know when it's time."
The answer frustrated Namu instantly.
"BB-"
But the young man shook his head.
"No."
His tone remained respectful.
Yet final.
"I'll handle it."
The room fell silent.
Because everyone suddenly understood something.
BB wasn't asking for permission.
He had already made his decision.
A few moments later, the front door closed behind him.
And he was gone.
The silence he left behind felt heavier than his presence.
The manager exhaled slowly.
"Sir..."
He shook his head.
"He's exactly like Maro."
Mano disagreed immediately.
"No."
He looked toward the closed door.
"He's worse."
The manager frowned.
"Worse?"
Mano smiled faintly.
"No."
He corrected himself.
"Stronger."
Nobody argued.
Because deep down-
They all felt it.
Then Namu spoke.
Quietly.
Almost to himself.
"One day..."
The room turned toward him.
"...someone might try to kill him too."
Nobody responded.
Because nobody could say he was wrong.
- Writer
