Chapter 15 A new leader

As the other members of the Black Dragons realized what had happened, they were stunned into silence. No one had expected such a turn of events, and the fact that Ho-Seok had been behind Hae-seong's death was almost too much to bear.

Sage felt a wave of anger wash over him as he thought about the betrayal. He had always been suspicious of Ho-Seok, but he never thought he would go this far. And to use Hector and Brandon as pawns in his game was despicable.

But in the midst of the chaos, Yu-jun remained remarkably composed. She knew that as the only surviving member of Hae-seong's family, it was her responsibility to step up and take control of the Black Dragons. She held her brother's lifeless body tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face, but her voice was firm as she addressed the other members.

"From this day forward, I will lead the Black Dragons. We will honor Hae-seong's memory and continue his legacy." There were murmurs of agreement from the other members, and Sage knew that they were all behind Yu-jun. She was strong and capable, and he had no doubt that she would be a great leader.

In the days that followed, the Black Dragons mourned the loss of Hae-seong.

Sage spent most of his time by Yu-jun's side, helping her with whatever she needed. It was a difficult time for both of them, but they found comfort in each other's presence.

One day, as Sage was walking through the streets of Seoul, he heard someone calling his name. He turned around to see Hector and Brandon walking towards him.

"Hey man, we need to talk," said Brandon, looking serious.

Sage nodded and motioned for them to follow him to a nearby alley. Once they were out of earshot from anyone else, Brandon spoke again.

"I know this is a bad time, but I wanted to let you know that now is your chance to come back to New Angeles with us."

Sage was taken aback. He had been with the Black Dragons for so long that he had almost forgotten about his old life in New Angeles.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, with Hae-seong gone, things are going to be different around here. You could come back to New Angeles and start fresh. We could help you get set up with a new identity and everything."

Sage thought about it for a moment. It was tempting to leave everything behind and start over somewhere else. But he couldn't just abandon Yu-jun and the rest of the Black Dragons.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't just leave," he said. "Yu-jun needs me, and I made a promise to Hae-seong that I would always be there for him and his family."

Hector and Brandon nodded understandingly, and they didn't push the matter any further. Sage knew that they were just looking out for him, but he couldn't abandon the Black Dragons in their time of need.

After a few days, Hector and Brandon approached Sage again. This time, they weren't trying to convince him to leave. Instead, they asked if he could help them get back home to New Angeles. Sage knew that he owed them a debt of gratitude for all the help they had given him in the past, so he agreed to help them.

Yu-jun was more than happy to assist them in finding a private plane that would take them back home. It was the least she could do for Sage and his friends. As they prepared to board the plane, Hector and Brandon hugged Sage tightly.

"You're like a brother to us, man. Don't forget about us," said Brandon, his voice choked with emotion.

"I won't," replied Sage. "You guys take care of yourselves, and stay out of trouble."

With that, they boarded the plane and took off towards New Angeles. Sage watched as the plane disappeared into the distance, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart. But he knew that they would always be friends, no matter how far apart they were.

As he turned to leave the airport, Yu-jun put a hand on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing, Sage. They will be okay," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Sage nodded, feeling a sense of peace settle over him. He had found a new home in the Black Dragons, and he knew that he was exactly where he was meant to be.

And as Yu-jun looked up at him with tear-streaked eyes, he knew that he had made the right choice. They were in this together, and they would make sure that the Black Dragons thrived

Chapter 16 Home

As Hector and Brandon landed at the airport in New Angeles, they were greeted by a familiar face - DD. Brandon ran up to her and enveloped her in a tight embrace, telling her how much he had missed her.

Hector filled DD in on everything that had happened in Korea, and how Sage had decided to stay with the Black Dragons. DD listened intently, her face reflecting a mix of shock and sadness.

Once they had collected their luggage, DD drove them back to the garage. As they pulled up, Hector's eyes landed on Sage's Supra.

"Guess it's mine now," he muttered to himself.

Brandon and DD looked at him, confusion written on their faces.

"What do you mean?" asked Brandon.

"Sage isn't coming back, so I guess this car is mine now," Hector replied, a hint of sadness in his voice.

DD put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure Sage would have wanted you to have it," she said.

Hector nodded, lost in thought. He knew that he had big shoes to fill, but he was determined to make Sage proud.

"I'm going to take a drive around the city by myself," he said, breaking the silence.

"Are you sure?" asked Brandon, concern etched on his face.

Hector nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I need some time to clear my head. But don't worry, I'll be back soon."

And with that, he hopped into the Supra and drove off into the night, leaving Brandon and DD behind. As he navigated the streets of New Angeles, he felt a sense of freedom wash over him. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was in control of his own destiny.

As he pulled up to a stoplight, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the rearview mirror. He barely recognized himself - he had been through so much in the past few weeks, and it had left its mark on him.

But as he gazed out at the city skyline, he felt a sense of hope rising within him. He had made it through the toughest of times, and he knew that he could face whatever the future had in store for him.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Hector hit the gas and sped off into the night.

Chapter 17 Time

A year had passed since Sage had stayed behind in Seoul with the Black Dragons. Hector and Brandon had returned to New Angeles, and things had settled back into a routine at the garage.

Hector had taken over ownership of Sage's Supra and had been tinkering with it in his spare time, determined to make it the best it could be. Brandon had continued to work on his own car projects, and DD had become an indispensable member of the team, helping out wherever she could.

One day, as Hector was working on the Supra, his phone rang. It was Sage.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Hector asked, a smile spreading across his face.

"It's going good," replied Sage. "I just wanted to check in and see how you guys are doing."

Hector filled Sage in on everything that had happened over the past year - the new clients they had landed, the cars they had worked on, and the adventures they had had.

"I'm glad to hear that things are going well," said Sage. "I knew you guys would be okay without me."

Hector chuckled. "Yeah, but we still miss you, man. The garage isn't the same without you."

"You're like a brother to us, Sage," added Brandon, who had come over to join the conversation. "Don't forget about us."

Sage smiled. "I could never forget about you guys. You're my family."

As the conversation continued, Sage hesitated for a moment before sharing some big news.

"Actually, there's something else I wanted to tell you guys," he said. "Yu-jun and I have been dating for almost a year now."

Hector and Brandon both exclaimed, "What?!" in surprise.

"Yeah, I asked her to be my girlfriend a month after you guys left Korea," Sage continued.

Hector and Brandon bombarded him with questions, wanting to know all the details about Sage's relationship. Sage answered them, feeling happy to share the news with his friends.

"And there's one more thing," he said, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "Yu-jun is pregnant."

Again, Hector and Brandon were shocked, but this time their reaction was different.

"You didn't think to call us and tell us?!" exclaimed Brandon.

"We would have wanted to know, man," added Hector.

Sage chuckled, feeling a little sheepish. "I know, I'm sorry. I just wanted to be sure first."

After the call ended, Hector and Brandon couldn't stop talking about the news. They were excited for Sage and couldn't wait to meet the newest member of their family.

As they chatted, Hector suddenly turned to Brandon and DD and asked, "So, when do you guys plan to have kids?"

DD looked at Brandon and smiled before turning back to Hector. "Well, about that..." she trailed off, revealing that she had been pregnant for the past three months.

Hector's eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped to the floor, exclaiming, "What?!"

Brandon laughed, pulling him back up. "Yeah, we're going to be parents," he said, beaming with happiness.

Hector hugged the couple, congratulating them on their news. "When are you guys planning to get married?" he asked Brandon.

Brandon looked at DD, who nodded, and said, "Within the next three months."

Hector was thrilled for his friends and couldn't wait to see them start their new chapter together as a family. As he looked around the garage, he realized how much had changed over the past year. But he was excited for what the future held, both for himself and his friends.

As they continued to talk, Brandon brought up the idea of making more money. "We need to make more cash, man. You up for some racing?" he asked Hector.

Hector grinned, feeling a thrill of excitement run through him. "You know it. I've gotten a lot better since the last time we went out," he replied.

They quickly made plans to hit the streets that night, eager to bring in some extra money. Hector had been practicing his racing skills, and he was confident he could win some races.

As they drove to the track, they noticed a commotion in the distance. They pulled up to see a fight breaking out between a man and two others. The two people were accusing the man of cheating in a race by installing a hyper chip in his car. The man laughed it off and challenged them to a fight, which he won with no effort. He was a man named Zeke, age 23, who had an intimidating presence.

Zeke looked over at Brandon and Hector and asked, "You guys looking to race?"

Hector and Brandon exchanged a nervous glance, unsure if they wanted to challenge this guy. But Hector's competitive spirit got the better of him, and he agreed to the race.

The three of them drove to a deserted stretch of road, and Zeke brought out his souped-up car. Hector and Brandon looked at each other, realizing they were in over their heads. But they had come this far and didn't want to back down.

The race started, and Hector and Brandon did their best, but Zeke was too fast for them. They watched in awe as he flew past them, leaving them in the dust.

As they pulled up to the finish line, Zeke got out of his car and walked over to them. "You boys need to practice more if you want to beat me," he said with a smirk.