Chapter Text
The Kim family estate was silent, but it wasn't the peaceful kind of silence. It was the heavy, suffocating silence of a kingdom under the rule of a very angry Queen.
In the middle of the traditional living room, Kitae and Jake were side-by-side in a perfect kneel-down position. Their knees were pressed into the hard floor, and their hands were reaching up, firmly pinching their own ears. Kitae looked murderous, a vein throbbing in his temple, while Jake looked like he was about to melt into a puddle of regret.
The front door opened, and Gapryong Kim stepped in, humming a tune and looking every bit like the Legend he was. He stopped dead when he saw his sons.
"What is this?" Gapryong asked, blinking. "Kitae? Jake? Did you join a cult while I was at work?"
"It was mom…," Jake whimpered, his arms shaking. "We accidentally broke her favorite ceramic vase while we were wrestling in the hallway…."
"And then," Kitae added through gritted teeth, "the brat tried to 'fix' it with superglue and accidentally glued it to the dining table. I got blamed for 'encouraging' him."
Gapryong looked at the kitchen door, then back at his sons. He puffed out his chest, adjusted his coat, and gave them a confident, fatherly smirk. "Is that all? Relax, boys. Your father is here. I’ve faced down entire gangs with a smile; a little broken pottery is nothing. I’ll go talk some sense into her."
Jake’s eyes sparkled with hope. "Really, Dad? You’re gonna save us?"
"Watch and learn, son," Gapryong said, walking toward the kitchen with a 'hero’s' swagger.
The brothers leaned to the side, peering around the corner with bated breath. They heard the kitchen door open.
"Minseon, darling!" Gapryong’s booming voice echoed. "About the boys... I think we’re being a bit—"
CRASH.
The sound of a frying pan meeting something solid rang through the house.
"GAPRYONG KIM!" Minseon’s voice roared, sounding like a goddess of war. "YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL ME HOW TO RUN THIS HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN HANG UP YOUR OWN COAT?!"
There was a sound of more clattering, a panicked "Wait, wait! Minseon, let's talk!" and then a final, definitive thud.
A moment later, Gapryong Kim walked back into the living room. His swagger was gone. His coat was rumpled, and a massive, glowing red bulge was rising from the top of his head. He didn't say a word. He didn't look at his sons.
With a heavy sigh, the Legend of the Fist dropped to his knees between them. He reached up and firmly pinched his ears.
Now, the line was complete: Kitae (Right) — Gapryong (Center) — Jake (Left)
Jake blinked at his father, his eyes filled with genuine pity. "Dad? Are you okay?"
Kitae, however, had reached the limit of his patience. He turned his head slowly, staring at the bulge on his father's head with a deadpan expression, his left eye twitching rhythmically.
"Great job, 'Legend,'" Kitae hissed, his voice dripping with icy judgment. "Truly an inspiration. I feel so 'saved' right now. Is this your secret technique? The 'Kneeling Fist'?"
"Shut up, Kitae," Gapryong muttered, staring straight ahead at the wall, his own eye twitching with irritation.
"No, really, it’s impressive," Kitae continued, the insults flowing freely. "You walked in there like a king and came out looking like a bruised potato. You’re pathetic, Old Man! I should have known you were a coward in front of a spatula!"
"I said shut up!" Gapryong snapped, though he didn't dare move his hands from his ears. "She had a rolling pin! Nobody survives a rolling pin!"
"I would have," Kitae lied shamelessly, his face a mask of annoyance. "At least I wouldn't have come back and sat in the middle like a prize-winning idiot."
Gapryong sulked, his lower lip almost jutting out as much as Jake’s usually did. "Just wait until your legs fall asleep, brat. We’ll see who’s talking then."
As Minseon walked by a few minutes later with a tray of tea, not even glancing at the three 'mighty' Kim men kneeling in a row, they all instinctively squeezed their ears tighter.
That was the day the Kim men learned the ultimate truth of their household: Gapryong might be the Fist, and Kitae might be the Monster, but Minseon was the 'King'.