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Thaddeus was excited that day. It’s not often that he leaves Kowloon for anything other than an Apostle meeting or mission, but this was a special occasion.
Sun‑Gu had invited him.
Well, no, invited wasn’t quite the right word. He had mentioned — in that flat, careful tone of his — that his school was holding a sports festival and that “attendance from guardians and family is optional but welcomed.”
As if it's only natural, Thaddeus had gasped and declared, “I’ll come!”
And Sun‑Gu blinked, then nodded once. “Okay.”
And just like that, it was a done deal.
When Sports Day at Shin Yeonggwang High School came, Thaddeus found himself sitting on the bleachers, his long legs folded awkwardly, but with a bright smile as he took everything in.
Families were all around. Moms with sunhats, dads with cameras, and younger siblings running around with cotton candy. The air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional whistle from a PE teacher.
Thaddeus had never been to something like this. Not as a child. Nor as an adult.
Just for a moment, he wondered what it would’ve felt like to have someone cheering for him like this.
He shook the thought away. Today wasn’t about him, after all.
Today, he was here for his Xiongdi!
He even took a little cheering stick that the school was handing out at the entrance to do it properly.
Thaddeus was curious how the event would go, since the school actually had several Glory Club members amidst their ranks. Of course, even if only D-Rank Killers, they were miles ahead of their average school peers in the physical aspect, so the event might actually be fun to watch.
Still, regardless of who the opponents are, he’ll cheer for his Xiongdi!
Sun‑Gu’s class wasn’t out yet. Thaddeus scanned the field eagerly — a tall boy like him would surely stand out immediately, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Simon was also there, sitting at the edge of the bleachers with a fake beard and sunglasses, popcorn in his lap. He was alone as well. Jiwon didn’t want to come, and Kageo couldn’t risk being recognized by another Raphael’s apostle… who, ironically, was sitting between middle‑aged moms and looking around with twinkling eyes.
A bizarre situation indeed.
Simon couldn’t even cheer openly for his older brother, seeing as the boy was supposed to be known as an orphan in the school, with only Jiwon as his legal guardian. A middle‑aged man cheering for him would surely raise questions, especially with that red‑haired man here.
Speaking of–
Thaddeus grinned as he finally spotted his target
“Are you here to support your brother?” one of the moms asked.
“Yes! It’s that one over there!” Thaddeus beamed.
Sun-Gu sensed his stare and looked over, giving him a small wave.
“Xiongdi, break a leg!” Thaddeus shouted, waving the glowing stick with full enthusiasm. “You have to win and make your master proud!”
Parents cooed. Students stared. Simon cackled into his popcorn.
Sun-Gu only nodded and stepped onto the track.
And then he proceeded to destroy everyone.
He won the 100m sprint by casually jogging past the track and field members. One of them even cried at the end. The crowd stared, wondering if they’d hallucinated it.
Thaddeus clapped the loudest.
Next came the relay. Thaddeus noticed that all four of the D‑Rankers from the island were participating.
The girl ran first; she was fast enough to secure first place without making it suspicious.
She passed the baton to one of the brothers (younger? older? Thaddeus wasn’t sure), who ran while yelling about pork and meat they’d get if they won. Some parents chuckled.
The baton next went to the other brother, who widened the distance bit by bit.
Then, Sun‑Gu was up.
He grabbed the baton and started running towards the end.
Once again, he made it look effortless, crossing the finish line with a massive lead, enough to definitely hurt the egos of other classes. The two brothers ran to hug him, babbling about the chicken they were promised while shaking him in excitement. Sun-Gu didn’t stop them.
Thaddeus felt his smile slip off as he watched them.
Wouldn’t it be nice… to have someone like that?
Someone to run to?
Someone waiting at the finish line?
Someone who’d grab him and laugh and say “we did it”?
He had Sun‑Gu — his Xiongdi, his little student — but he didn’t live in Kowloon. Thaddeus was still alone there.
He swallowed the ache.
He was just being stupidly greedy now. He finally had someone who cared about him, something he hadn’t felt since childhood. Shouldn’t that be enough?
And Sun‑Gu… Sun‑Gu shone regardless of being an orphan. He had people by his side. He had classmates. He had a life.
That was good, of course!
Thaddeus was away a lot, both as Kowloon God and an Apostle, and as long as he remains one, he’s bound to Kowloon Hell for the rest of his life. Sun-Gu simply wasn’t.
Thaddeus remembers watching him, back on the island, all handsome and composed, and wondering if he was a model outside his contract killer work. The way students and teachers stared made it obvious he was popular.
And of course he was.
His Xiongdi was kind, intelligent, strong, and very handsome. He had a small suspicion that he was even rich, based on the clothes he wore and that motorcycle he drove, and wouldn’t that make him perfect? He definitely fits the “cool guy” type that people often have a crush on.
Some parents next to him mirrored his musings, talking about setting their daughters up with him.
If he weren’t part of the Glory Club, Sun-Gu could have probably had a normal, happy life.
The tug of war came next and lasted all three seconds. Sun‑Gu’s class pulled once — just once — and the other class stumbled forward and fell like dominoes.
Sun‑Gu glanced down at the rope in his hands, looking mildly bewildered.
Thaddeus snorted.
The next event was the obstacle relay.
This one made Thaddeus the most curious. Thankfully, Sun-Gu seemed to have been participating in this one as well. Was this his fourth event already? He had good stamina, too.
Thaddeus scrutinized him — as his master, he needed to plan training to teach Sun-Gu his martial skills. But for that, he ought to plan what type of training to start with.
Watching Sun‑Gu roll, duck, and weave through obstacles with sharp instincts confirmed it: his reaction speed wasn’t Thaddeus‑level, but it was impressive.
He reached the finish line without even sweating.
Thaddeus waved his light stick proudly.
There were events Sun‑Gu didn’t join, giving Thaddeus time to plan future trainings or observe other D‑Rankers.
Thaddeus wasn’t often around such a big crowd, but it was a nice change of pace.
He kept glancing at the families around him.
At the way parents called out names.
At the way kids waved back.
He wondered if Sun‑Gu had ever wished for that.
Or if he had invited him because…
No.
He shouldn’t assume.
By the time the final event came, Treasure Hunt, Thaddeus had a solid foundation for training ready.
He listened to the rules. It seemed that students had to find a paper hidden inside scattered plastic balls and bring what was on it, except that most balls only had blanks.
Students were rushing around, opening any they saw. Sun-Gu, too, grabbed one next to the teacher's table and opened it.
Then stilled.
His expression didn’t change, but something in his posture did. He stared at the paper, then lifted his head.
His eyes went straight to Thaddeus.
Thaddeus blinked, confused, mid‑cheer.
Sun‑Gu didn’t hesitate.
He walked to the edge of the field.
Then he climbed the low wall separating the track from the bleachers—ignoring the startled gasps and chiding from some of the parents—and landed lightly in front of Thaddeus.
“Come with me,” he said simply.
Thaddeus brightened. “Oh! Okay!”
They didn’t bother with the stairs; instead, jumping back down easily. Sun-Gu tugged him by the wrist across the field, towards the finish line.
The judges stared.
The students stared.
The parents stared.
Sun‑Gu stopped in front of the officials, still holding Thaddeus’ wrist. His voice was calm and steady as he gestured towards the red-haired person behind him. “I finished my task.”
He held out his slip of paper.
The judges leaned in.
One read it aloud.
“…‘Family.’”
Thaddeus’s breath caught. “Oh.”
The judges exchanged glances between them.
Sun‑Gu didn’t look at him, but his grip tightened just slightly.
“Well… that counts,” one finally said.
Sun‑Gu nodded once. “Good.”
Thaddeus looked at him, and his smile looked impossibly soft for a moment. He swung his arm over the taller boy’s shoulders and laughed loudly. “Hey, you won! Congratulations, Xiongdi.”
The crowd erupted in applause.
Sun-Gu smiled back, a small but warm thing. “Thank you.”
Some of his classmates came over to congratulate him, including the D-Ranker trio. The girl eyed Thaddeus warily, then relaxed when she saw the slip still in Sun‑Gu’s hand. Their teacher nodded politely in greeting.
Thaddeus leaned down and whispered, “I’m glad it counted.”
Sun-Gu only raised his eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t it?”
Then, slowly — almost shyly — he pressed the slip of paper into Thaddeus’s hand.
It felt like a silent reassurance, something that Sun-Gu had talent in causing, simply by standing next to you.
Even more than that, between them, it was a choice.
Thaddeus stared at the word.
Family.
Sun‑Gu watched him, waiting.
Thaddeus laughed brightly. “Then I’ll keep it safe.”
Sun‑Gu cocked his head at him and smiled, exasperated.
And together, they walked back across the field.
Not as disciple and master, but something warmer, more enduring.
Something like family.