From Bullets To Billions

Chapter 27 - Weʼre Best Friends

”Oh? Sam invited you?” his mother asked, eyeing the three boys as they entered. She noticed right away, they were wearing the same school uniform as her son.

”Ah, I see. You must be Samʼs school friends! Heʼs never brought anyone home before, so this is quite a surprise. Please, please, have a seat!” she said warmly, motioning them toward one of the small tables.

Meanwhile, Samʼs entire body trembled.

The people he hated most in the world were now in his home, sitting in his familyʼs restaurant, just a few feet away from his parents.

And yet... he couldnʼt act out. He didnʼt want to cause a scene or raise suspicion. Seeing how kindly his mother was treating them, how genuinely happy she seemed, it was tearing him apart inside.

”Sam, go on and sit with them,” she encouraged. ”Iʼll bring you all something to eat!”

She then turned to head into the kitchen, completely unaware of the tension hanging in the air.

”Yeah, come on, Sam. Donʼt be shy,” Ko said with that same twisted smile.

That smile never left his face.

Not wanting to make things worse, Sam reluctantly moved and sat down at the table, right next to Ko. They were side by side, while Joe and Mo took the opposite seats, already snickering to themselves.

Ko casually threw an arm around Samʼs shoulder.

”Look at this, us friends hanging out at your house. We shouldʼve done this sooner,” he said with a grin, pulling Sam in closer.

Then, in a low whisper near his ear, Ko added, ”I told you... if you werenʼt careful, youʼd pay for it.”

As Ko pulled away, Samʼs mother returned carrying a metal tray loaded with grilled skewers and snacks. His father followed behind, placing a few soft drinks on the table with a smile.

”Youʼre all welcome to stay as long as you like,” Samʼs mother said warmly. ”Itʼs the first time heʼs ever brought friends home, so please, make yourselves comfortable.”

”And donʼt even think about paying,” his father added. ”This oneʼs on us.”

With that, the two of them stepped away, leaving the boys to dig into the food without hesitation.

Sam sat frozen, watching as they devoured everything without a hint of shame.

His heart sank.

Even though his family struggled every day to keep the business running, his parents had still offered them a free meal. They had treated them with kindness, as honored guests.

And yet... Ko and his crew had ruined his school shirt, humiliated him time and time again, and now were happily eating into his familyʼs livelihood.

Why?

Why couldnʼt they just leave him alone?

”Hey, this food is really good,” Mo said, licking his fingers. ”No wonder you grew up to be such a fat pig if you had this around you all the time.”

”Right, right,” Ko chuckled. ”Since the foodʼs so great, I think we should swing by every day. Your parents did say we were welcome, didnʼt they?”

”Every day?” Sam echoed, his voice trembling.

He imagined the toll this would take on his parents, the bright, hopeful smiles on their faces. If these boys came every day, it would wear them down, both emotionally and financially. The thought made his stomach twist in knots. He couldnʼt take it. He just couldnʼt.

”Please,” Sam finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. ”Please... donʼt come back. Please...”

Ko was just about to bite into another meat skewer, but froze the moment the words left Samʼs mouth.

”Our servant is making requests now?” Ko said slowly, lowering the stick back onto the tray. ”You should be grateful weʼre visiting you like this.”

Mo and Joe stopped chewing, glancing at each other nervously as Ko stood from his seat.

”Well,” Ko said, brushing off his pants, ”if this is going to be our last visit, we might as well make it a memorable one, right?”

With a smirk, he turned and walked toward the counter.

For some reason, seeing Ko act so casually made Samʼs heart pound, as if it were about to leap out of his chest.

”Hello, sir,” Ko said with a polite bow. ”I know this might be a lot to ask after everything youʼve already done for us, but since itʼs our first time hanging out with Sam and weʼre having such a great time...”

Ko walked over to the fridge by the side and opened it, pulling out a bottle. But it wasnʼt just any bottle, it was an alcoholic beverage.

”I understand if itʼs too much,” Ko added, flashing a charming smile. ”Itʼs just that... itʼs a really good day, and I thought maybe we could celebrate.”

Samʼs motherʼs expression tensed. There was a good reason for it, they were all seventeen, and the legal drinking age was eighteen.

”Donʼt worry about it, Nancy,” Samʼs father called from the kitchen. ”I was drinking at fourteen. Kids always sneak a drink or two at parties when their parents arenʼt looking. At least this way, we can keep an eye on them. Better here than out on the streets doing who knows what.”

Given his reasoning, Samʼs mother hesitated... then simply smiled and nodded.

”You two are the best!” Ko said as he grabbed three more glass bottles and brought them back to the table.

Once he returned, Ko popped the caps and the group started drinking, everyone except Sam.

ʼWhat is he doing?ʼ Sam thought. ʼIs he really planning to never come back? Is he just trying to get as much free stuff as possible? If thatʼs the case... then fine. Iʼll bear with it for one day.ʼ

The group continued laughing, drinking, and snapping photos and videos on Koʼs phone. They were clearly having a blast—again, everyone except Sam.

When the drinks were nearly finished, Ko stretched his arms out and stood up.

”Ah, I need some fresh air. My face is turning a bit red. You guys stay here and chill,” Ko said as he stepped outside the restaurant.

Once outside, he looked around, his smirk only growing wider. Pulling out his phone, he brought it to his ear. After a few rings, the other end picked up.

”Hi, yeah. Iʼd like to make a report about a place. It seems theyʼre serving alcohol to underage kids.”