Chapter Text
The first time you met Tim Drake, you didn’t think much of him. Finals were coming up and you were barely paying attention when your roommate introduced him. What did get your attention, though, was the title Stephanie Brown gave him once he was out of earshot, looking suitably uncomfortable.
“He’s my ex,” she whispered to you.
“The one you were dating when you realized you were gay?” you asked, finally looking up from your criminal law textbook.
“That’s the one!” she cheered, looking far too happy about it.
“Isn’t it… awkward for you guys to hang out with each other?” Not that it really mattered. Stephanie was so oblivious to things that even if the poor guy was sobbing, she probably would have said it was just allergies. “I mean, especially with the way you and Harper hang off of each other.”
“Nah,” she said. “He’s really cool about it. We were really good friends before we dated anyways. Plus he and Harper are both, like, massive nerds so they get along super well.”
Letting out a hum, you picked your highlighter back up. Yeah, you definitely weren’t convinced. When Tim came back, holding a bowl of popcorn and face flushed, you narrowed your eyes at him over your notes. Ducking his head, he tapped his fingers nervously against the bowl.
“Let’s go so we don’t bother your roommate,” he said. “Good… good luck on your studying.”
“Aw, Tim, don’t be so shy.” Stephanie slapped her hand against his back and you winced sympathetically. “Anyways, if you wanna join us, Areum, we’ll be in the living room.”
Honestly, the last thing you wanted to do was third wheel a friend date between two people who used to have sex. The fact that Stephanie always seemed to pick terrible movies when you watched them with her was yet another reason. And Tim’s clear discomfort at being in your room and under your scrutiny only made you more certain that this boy wasn’t worth risking your perfect GPA. Once they’d headed out of your room and out the hall, you’d already shoved him out of your mind.
But Tim Drake, apparently, had not felt the same way.
A week later, Stephanie was barging into your room again, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. You merely stared back at her from your desk, closing your laptop.
“One day you’re gonna barge in on me naked,” you told her, “and you’ll have no one but yourself to blame when I kick your ass.”
“Tim’s been asking about you a lot,” she gushed, completely ignoring your threat. “I told him that you’re all set to start law school soon and he was super interested. He works at Wayne Enterprises and apparently one of their corporate lawyers needs a paralegal and—”
“Whoa, whoa.” You stood up and crossed over to her, setting your hands on her shoulders. “First of all, take a deep breath. Second, Tim who?”
“Tim Drake, duh!” Stephanie looked at you like you’d grown another head. “You met him, like, last week.”
“Oh, the nervous kid?” You sighed, rolling her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re scheming.”
“Okay, in his defense, you’re kind of, like, really intense,” she said. “All the tattoos don’t help, Areum.”
“Not my fault if people don’t like the ink.” You glanced down at your arms, the skin covered in bright ink and intricate designs. “Going back, you said something about Wayne Enterprises?”
“Oh, yeah!” She laughed, throwing herself onto your bed. “Like I was saying, Tim was telling me that one of their lawyers needs an assistant, since the one he had quit and he was asking what you wanted to do after you got into law school and I was like, ‘Dude she’s gonna put so many people in jail.’ He was like, ‘oh cool’ and then asked if you’d be interested in getting into corporate law, too.”
“Studying criminal law doesn’t mean putting a lot of people in jail,” you sighed. “Also, I’m very much not interested in corporate law. The people who practice it are all greasy little weasels.”
Stephanie sighed dramatically, grabbing your plush Growlithe and hugging it tight. “Okay, so maybe they are gross old guys or really bitchy women. But it would be good money and it would look on your resume.”
“I hate it when you make sense,” you grumbled, sitting down at your desk. “But I doubt Tim Drake can offer me the job. He’s probably, like, an intern, right?”
“He works in R&D, actually!” she chirped, rolling to face you. “And fills in when Bruce Wayne’s secretary is out. Honestly he does, like, a dozen different jobs. He got his degree really young so people have tried to poach him for over a year. He probably can’t get you the job but he can definitely get you an interview, at least.”
“You aren’t going to let this go unless I agree to an interview, are you?”
“Nope!”
Rubbing at your temples, you reminded yourself that you loved Steph and you were not going to throw her out the window.
“Fine,” you sighed. “Tell the kid that I’ll do an interview and give him my email so he can put it on my calendar. Now can you please get out of my room? I promised my dad I’d visit him today.”
“Oh, you’re going to the dojang?” Steph perked up, standing up and letting you push her out into the hall. She only grinned as you closed the door to your room behind you. “Can I go?”
“Nope.” You kept on pushing her until you were in the living room. Once she’d taken a seat on the couch, you retrieved your keys and winter coat. “Family only today. When he has open classes, I’ll let you know.”
For as long as she’d known that your father ran a taekwondo dojang, Stephanie had been begging you to take her when you visited him so she could learn from him. Turning her down was becoming more and more difficult, your excuses running low. Your father would kill you if you brought in an outsider, especially during the one time of the week when you and your family could shed your human forms.
“Well, tell him I said hi!” Steph said, watching as you shrugged on your jacket. “Also, could you ask if your mom made more kimchi? We’re running low.”
“I’ll make sure to ask.” You paused, huffing before you turned back to her. “And don’t get any funny ideas about me and the Drake kid.”
You could hear her laughter all the way to the end of the hall.
---
Illang Dojang blended in well with the other buildings in Gotham’s Koreatown. Gold and scarlet signs announced its name in both hangul and English, the front of the building suitably gaudy enough to draw in tourists but with enough tournament awards displayed in the windows to bring in seasoned fighters, as well. You’d always hated the flickering neon of the district, the tinny sound of decades old pop always blasting from six different directions. Gritting your teeth, you ducked around to the back of the building, unlocking the backdoor and slipping inside. You were hoping that your father would be watching the front door so that you could at least avoid his usual lectures and slip into the gym unnoticed.
Luck, as it were, was not on your side. As soon as you turned around, you spotted your father leaned against one of the lockers, frowning.
“Areum,” he said.
“Hi, Dad.” You frowned back at him, shrugged off your coat and shoved it in one of the open lockers before grabbing the black uniform with your name on it. “I’m not late this time.”
“I asked you to get here half an hour early,” he said, “not five minutes before sparring starts. You were supposed to help me set up.”
“Stuff came up,” you told him, shrugging out of your clothes and slipping off your shoes once he’d faced away from you. “I have an interview lined up for an assistant position for a corporate suit.”
“You’re still focusing on your studies, I hope.” Your father tapped his foot, clearly annoyed.
“Of course I am,” you snarled. Adjusting the skintight fabric of your uniform until it was comfortable, you slammed the locker shut to signal that you were done changing. “And I already have several law schools that are interested in me.”
“You’re still being cautious?” he asked.
“Oh my god.” You ran your hand over your face, stomping over to the door to the classroom. “Yes, Dad, I’m being cautious. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“I’m just worried about you.” Your father sighed, opening the door and letting you go first. “Jintae almost got caught last month.”
Rolling your eyes, you stepped onto the mat and began stretching. Your younger brother had always been reckless, prone to letting his emotions getting the better of him. Frankly, you were offended that your father continued to think that you would do anything nearly as stupid as him.
“Well, Jintae is an idiot.” You rolled your shoulders, felt your muscles tense. As much as you hated your father’s interrogations, you loved the weekly release of these closed sessions.
“Hey!” The brother in question called from the other side of the room, scowling.
You just flipped him off, ignoring your father’s frown of disapproval.
“Look, Dad,” you said, backing towards the center of the room as your younger brother moved to join you. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry, alright? I’m not gonna slip up and do anything stupid. Everything’s going exactly the way it’s supposed to.”
Once you turned around, you smirked up at your brother. Although he was freshly eighteen, four years your junior, he’d grown to tower over you, all lanky limbs and lean strength. You tried very hard not to be mad at him for taking after your older brothers and leaving you as the lone short child in your family. Both of you tensed, skin rippling in anticipation. Still looking like he wanted to argue, your father dropped it for the moment and joined you at the center of the mat. Four sets of gold eyes watched as he lowered his hand, signaling you to transform.
In the blink of an eye, you’d shed your human skin. Jintae had as well, a massive tawny wolf standing where he once had. You growled, pacing around him as he shook out his coat. Even as a wolf, you were smaller than him. But he’d yet to win a fight against you. Your brothers and mother emerged from the shadows, already transformed and howling softly as you lunged first. As you danced around him, dodging his snapping jaws and waiting for the right opening, you had to admire how much your little brother had grown. Just a year before you wouldn’t have even tried in a fight against him. Now, you kept alert, some of his attacks dangerously close to actually landing. But his temper got to him and he twisted his head too far. Lunging once more, you closed your jaws around his throat, knocking him onto his back and pinning him to the floor.
After a short whine, you released him and stepped back. Slinking back, Jintae pressed his snout against your mother, whining as she gave him an apologetic lick. One by one, you and your brothers faced off, tumbling and wrestling and snarling as you play fought. When you were all panting, your oldest brother Cheoljin laying on his back and whining, your father finally sighed and looked over the mess of exhausted wolves.
“Alright,” he said, “go ahead and shift back.”
You were the first one to do so, groaning as you flopped down to sit on the mat and push hair back from your sweat-slicked skin. Your brothers remained laid on the floor, long limbs creating a treacherous path for your father to navigate to get back to your mother. She sat in her own human form, smiling up at him. As you watched them, Jinwoo, your middle brother, rested his head on your thigh and heaved a sigh.
“How are you not dying right now?” he panted.
Snorting, you brushed his bangs back from his forehead. “Because I’m not an old man or a stupid excitable teenager,” you said.
“I’m not old,” he grumbled, but still nuzzled into your touch. “School still going okay?”
“Yeah,” you said. “Waiting on one more grade to come in for my finals, but I should be set to graduate next semester. Wife and kids?”
“They’re good.” He yawned, closing his eyes. “Mina’s been asking when you’ll come over for dinner.”
You sighed. His wife, Mina, was a sweet woman but was terribly talkative and what was supposed to be a quick dinner had a habit of turning into a five hour session of her sharing gossip in the neighborhood. You liked her, and Jinwoo’s twin boys were very cute. But you had way more important things to worry about than whether or not the lady next door to Mina was actually buying her kimchi from the market and just saying that it was homemade. She also sometimes asked you to shift so she could rub your ears, and you were not okay with being a lap dog, no matter how much your brother loved it.
“I’ll see what I can do,” you told him. “I’m expecting to hear about an interview soon, but once that’s set in stone, I’ll call Mina.”
“The kids will be excited to see you too.” Jinwoo cracked one eye open, hand lazily holding your wrist so he could inspect your arm. “You got a new tattoo.”
“Just finished up the sleeve, that’s all,” you said. Your right arm was fully inked all the way to the wrist, your regular artist finally finishing the colors on the flowers that bloomed on your skin. “I’ll have to move to my legs next.”
“I, for one, look forward to the day I can watch an attorney who looks like the front girl of a shitty punk band put a serial killer in jail,” he snickered.
The slap you landed on his chest was half-hearted, but he still whined. You let your gaze wander over to your parents, who were speaking in hushed tones. Frowning, you bent closer to your brother so you could whisper.
“Is dad still handling getting older badly?” you asked.
While you, your brothers, and your mother were all wolves, your father was only human. While your mother still remained young (and could pass as your older sister if she wanted to), your father was aging less than gracefully, hair greying rapidly and wrinkles creasing his skin.
“Jintae told me that the other day, when they were out shopping, someone asked if mom was dad’s daughter,” Jinwoo whispered back.
You winced. “Fuck,” you mumbled. “And he didn’t handle it well, of course.”
“He got kicked out,” Jinwoo sighed. “Mom’s been trying to handle it, but… well, you know how she is.”
What he meant was that your mother was too kind for her own good. She avoided fights as much as she could, smiled passively in the face of adversity, and worked herself to death to support both the dojang and your family. A good wife, a good mother, and a good doormat, no matter how many times you tried to get her to stand up for herself.
“I’ll talk to her about it.” You shoved his head out of your lap so that you could stand, brushing some stray fur from your uniform. “Stephanie wanted me to bring back more kimchi, anyways.”
“Which means you’ll get not just more kimchi but about 20 pounds of whatever else mom has stocked up,” he chuckled. Jinwoo stood with you, towering over you as he stretched out his gangly limbs. “Tell Steph I said hi. She’s always welcome for dinner, too.”
“Unless you want her and Mina to talk at each other for 12 hours straight, I think that’s a bad idea.” You gave his shoulder a short pat. “But I’ll let her know you said hi.”
Jinwoo bent down to give a brief nuzzle against the top of your head before he let you go. You hesitated before approaching your mother, keeping your head bowed. Timid as she was, she still ran your little family unit.
Of course, she didn’t even notice your submissive behavior. Instead, your mother pulled you into a warm embrace, pressing kisses over your face. You growled, but sat still until she’d had her fill. While your brothers were tall and lanky like your father, you could probably pass as your mother’s twin. Both of you were small, both curvy but muscled and your mother’s friendly, round cheeks were mirrored in your own (much to your chagrin).
“My baby,” she cooed, squishing your cheeks between her hands and flashing her bright smile at you. “Your father says you’ve been doing well. Are you eating enough? Is Stephanie doing well?”
“Yes, mom.” Frowning, you shot a glare at Jintae when he laughed at your squished cheeks. “She wanted to ask for some more kimchi.”
“Oh!” Your mother perked up and you knew that if she’d been a wolf her tail would be wagging violently. “Of course! I’m so happy that she’s eating so much of it. Is she still doing okay? How is her girlfriend?”
“She’s doing fine, mom.” You sighed, sagging in relief when she finally released your face. “And Harper is good. She got accepted into a really good online program for electrical engineering.”
“That’s amazing!” Your mother clapped her hands together, so violently enthused that you felt like a storm cloud next to her bright cheer. “I’ll send some extra food home with you as celebration. Come on, baby.”
Even though you weren’t the youngest, your mother still saw you as the baby of the family. Maybe it was because you were the only daughter. Maybe it was because you were so small compared to your brothers. Or maybe it was just because you were her only child who still acted submissive towards her. You weren’t sure, and frankly, you didn’t want to know the answer. Deferring to her, you followed her up the stairs to the large apartment above the dojang. You’d grown up there, the only child with a room of your own as your brothers shared theirs. Stepping into the entry hall, you paused to look at a picture your mother had hung of your whole family. It had been taken back when you were still in high school, Jintae still your height and awkward in his preteen years. Your three older brothers all stood at the back, tall and handsome and wearing the same crooked grin you’d seen on old, old photos of your father. You, Jintae, and your mother were in the front, small and soft and laughing.
You wondered when you’d gone from your mother’s daughter to the person you were now.
(You knew the answer. You just didn’t want to acknowledge it.)
Moving into the kitchen, you stumbled back when your mother shoved three large containers of kimchi into your arms. As you watched, she unearthed more and more containers of food. By the time she was done, you could barely hold all of the bags she’d packed them into. Adjusting the weight, you sighed as she continued searching the refrigerator for anything else she could unload on you.
“Mom,” you said, voice gentle. “This is more than enough. Thank you. I’m sure Steph and Harper will be beside themselves to see this much food.”
“You need to make sure that you’re eating properly too, okay?” she said, finally closing the fridge and frowning at you. “I worry about you, baby.”
“I know, mom.” With a hesitant smile, you leaned in to let her kiss your cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She smiled, all warmth and light. “Be kind to yourself, okay? If you want to come visit before the next session, you’re always welcome.”
“Thanks.” You gave her an answering kiss on the cheek before shuffling towards the door. If you were lucky, you’d be able to sneak the food past Jintae without him stealing any of it. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll text you when I get home.”
As you headed back down the stairs, you heard your mom call out another “I love you!” before the door gently shut behind you. With a long suffering sigh, you navigated your way carefully back down to the ground floor and made your way to the lockers. Maybe if you were really lucky, all of your other brothers would have already left.
Of course, you could never count on luck to come through. Hyunjin turned when you entered, pulling his shirt out of the locker next to yours. Although you and Hyunjin were technically twins, he was born several minutes before you and was treated like the elder sibling all your life. When Jintae was born and you were still treated like the younger sibling, it had only cemented your position as the baby of the family. In school, Hyunjin was your overbearing protector, quick to get in fights and slow to cool off. You’d gotten your first tattoos together, but while you went off to college and hoped to function in the human world as an equal, Hyunjin had gone down a very different route. The fracture had only widened through the years.
“Hey,” you finally said to break the awkward silence. “Glad you came.”
“Yeah, well.” He sighed, pulling his shirt on and covering the massive, colorful dragon tattooed on his back. “I knew if I missed any more Mom would probably cry.”
“You should come to them more often.” You opened your locker, decided to just pull on your jeans and coat over the uniform. You’d have to drop off the containers from your mother’s last food haul anyways, so you could wash and return the uniform then. “When you don’t show up I’m the one that Jintae complains endlessly to.”
Hyunjin snorted, crooked grin on his face, and for a moment it was almost like everything was fine again. That he was still just your older twin brother, not the man he’d chosen to become. It was a nice feeling, even though you knew once you went back home, the distance would grow again. You were both different people now. One of his massive hands ruffled your hair, much to your annoyance.
“One day he’ll learn to not bitch about things that are out of his control,” Hyunjin chuckled. “But I should come more often. It’s…” He hesitated. “It’s nice to just be myself. It’s nice to just be around family.”
“You’re getting sentimental in your old age,” you joked, shoving him playfully.
“It’s allowed,” he huffed. “And if I’m old, you’re old too.”
Laughing, you slipped into your shoes and jacket. Before you could pick up your food, Hyunjin was smacking your hands away and lifting some of them for you. Even with the rift that had slowly grown between you, the overprotective streak in him was a mile wide. You weren’t going to argue with him, although you did shoot him a glare before allowing him to follow you outside.
“I’ll walk you home,” he offered. “It’s starting to get dark.”
“Thanks,” you said. “If you steal some of the food, I won’t kill you for it.”
“Very merciful of you.” Hyunjin followed close behind you as you walked, dark eyes narrowed at anyone who passed you. “Any idea what Mom packed up for you?”
“Mm, not sure.” You shrugged. “Steph asked for more kimchi but otherwise, I’m not certain what she cooked in bulk for one of us to take.”
“Y’know, if she just asked us if we wanted food, she wouldn’t have to offload it on one person who might mention something about being hungry or wanting food,” he snorted.
“She won’t,” you said. “You know how she is. She’d rather wring her hands and hope someone mentions something than actually step up and ask.”
“It’s why we love her, though,” he pointed out.
“There’s also the fact that she raised us and helped us get used to living with humans,” you snorted. “But yeah, that too.”
Hyunjin only heaved a dramatic sigh from behind you. A comfortable silence stretched between you, although you had to suppress the urge to break it by asking him what he’d been doing lately. You knew, and he knew that you knew, but in that comfortable moment it was best not to bring it up. So you focused instead on your breath fogging in front of you, the flicker of neon in patches of ice on the sidewalk, the prey scent that emanated from each human that passed you by. Over the years you’d learned to suppress the predator-prey instinct, to walk amongst people that you, on some level, wanted to hunt and kill. You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you didn’t notice the person standing in your way until you slammed into them.
A low growl sounded from Hyunjin as he caught you, your grip on the bags of food you had tight to keep them from spilling onto the ground. Suppressing your own growl, you pushed away from your brother and faced the person who’d nearly knocked you to the ground. At the sound of Hyunjin’s growl, he’d turned to look at you with wide, dark eyes. Shaggy, dark hair, flushed ears and cheeks, body hunched in discomfort. You glared at Tim Drake as he stuttered out an apology.
“What are you doing at my apartment building?” you asked him.
“S-sorry!” Drake took a step towards you, raised his hands and then paused. Deciding that maybe touching you was a bad decision, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. “Stephanie invited me over but she’s not answering the buzzer.”
“Who is this guy?” Hyunjin demanded from behind you.
Gaze sweeping up to your brother, you watched with a sinking feeling as Drake’s expression changed. There was recognition in his gaze and you knew that your chances at that interview had just plummeted to zero.
“This is Tim Drake,” you told your brother, stepping between the two men, just in case. “He and Stephanie are friends.”
Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed and you knew that if Drake said even one thing that rubbed him the wrong way, you were going to have to throw yourself into the middle of a fight. Your twin’s temper had never gotten better, only more volatile as time went on. Before he could say anything, you turned back to Drake.
“This is one of my brothers, Hyunjin. Give me a second and I’ll let you up.” Forcing a smile on your face, you nudged him closer to the door before turning back to your brother.
“Guy looks familiar,” Hyunjin muttered, shoulders tense. “Why’s he hanging around you?”
“No reason,” you lied. You took the bags of food from him, kept your voice low. “Don’t make a scene, okay? Go home, I’ll be okay.”
“You sure?” He didn’t look convinced, hands curling into loose fists.
“I’m not a kid anymore,” you growled, glaring up at him. “Go home, Hyunjin. I’ll see you next week.”
For a tense moment, you wondered if he was going to argue with you and start a fight. Instead, the tension melted from his face and he sighed. After one last glare shot at Drake, he pulled you into a brief hug, turned on his heel, and stalked off into the shadows. Shifting to hold the food with one arm, you bumped Drake out of the way and unlocked the front door for him. Before he could say anything, you turned on him, eyes narrowed.
“If you think that you recognized my brother, you didn’t. You won’t tell anyone about it, either.” When Drake just stared back at you, blinking in confusion, you snarled. “Understand?”
“Uh.” He blinked again, then nodded. In that moment, with his prey scent so strong, you decided that Tim Drake was like a rabbit with his big dark eyes and startled expression. “R-right. Yeah, of course.”
“Good.” Stalking over to the stairs, you didn’t look back to make sure he was following you. Shortly after, you could hear him jogging to catch up, keeping a small distance from you. Once you got to your door, you unlocked it and immediately raised your voice. “Stephanie, your ex is here!”
Tim Drake made a noise of affront behind you, closing the door and still following after you like a lost puppy. When you glanced back at him, the blush on his skin was borderline thermonuclear. If he did want to say anything, he didn’t get a chance. Stephanie came barreling past him and into the kitchen, watching you unload Tupperware with unbridled excitement.
“You brought your mom’s kimchi!” she cheered, rushing over and hugging you from behind. “Oh, oh, what else did she give you?”
“Mm, looks like some tofu stew, japchae, bulgogi, and some pickled radish.” You continued to unpack, Stephanie shuffling along as you began transferring food to the fridge. “Lots of stuff for dinner and lunch.”
“Your mom is the best!” Stephanie gave you a tight squeeze, ignoring your grunt of annoyance, before letting you go and turning to Drake. “Areum’s mom is the best. Her whole family gets together and does some sort of family sparring session every week at her dad’s taekwondo gym and her mom always gives her a ton of food for us to eat.”
“Your dad owns a dojang?” Drake asked, fidgeting near the sink.
“Yeah.” You raised an eyebrow, folding up the bags your mother had given you and shrugging off your jacket. “My two oldest brothers help him run it. My little brother probably will too, once he graduates high school.”
“Which one?” he asked.
“Why does that matter?” you snapped back.
Stephanie gave you a glare that you knew meant ‘play nice,’ so you sighed and brushed past Drake to hang up your coat and keys. When he didn’t immediately respond, you turned back to look up at him. You had expected him to look like a kicked puppy, but instead, he gave you an appraising look. Like he was trying to figure out what made you tick, given the fractured information he’d learned.
Suddenly, you were much more interested in this kid.
“Sorry,” you said, glancing at Stephanie. “I’m a little… tired.”
“No, it’s fine.” Drake smiled, a bit too genuine for your comfort. “I don’t mean to pry, I’m just curious.”
“… Illang,” you finally said. “In Koreatown.” Then you turned back to Stephanie, her expression strange. “Harper’s here, right?”
“Yeah.” She blinked, frowned. “How’d you know that?”
Because you could smell her. But Stephanie didn’t know what you were, and you planned to keep it that way. “Just a lucky guess. I told mom about her getting accepted, so some of that food is for her too.”
“Aww!” Stephanie switched back to her usual energetic self, bouncing past you and down the hall to her room. “Harpo, did you hear that?! Areum’s mom made food for you!”
While Steph spoke to her girlfriend, their voices muffled but still clear to you, you watched Tim Drake from the corner of your eye. He watched you back, both of you quietly sizing each other up. Despite his bunny-like first impression, you’d glimpsed something else under the surface. A natural curiosity that had led him to ask Stephanie about you, a stranger. He had recognized your brother. And he kept asking questions. The best thing for you to do was to keep him at a distance, polite but firm, pushing your more intense side. But you were curious too.
Tim Drake had recognized your brother as an enforcer for the Dragon’s Claw. That made him a threat. Not only to your family, but to your own career. If future employers knew about Hyunjin, your chances of getting hired at a firm were fucked. You wondered if he would still set up that interview, or if that had all imploded.
The moment was broken when both Stephanie and Harper came back, the latter giving you a brief hug before they dragged Drake into the kitchen with them. You slunk away, quietly closed your door behind you and settled in to do your research on Wayne and his people.
---
The next morning, you woke up to two notifications on your phone. The first was an interview with Wayne Tech added to your calendar the following day. The second was a voicemail from your mother, her voice frantic and pleading with you to call her back because Jintae was missing.