The neon lights of Seoul flickered against the midnight sky, casting long shadows down the narrow alleyways. Jihae Moon moved through them like a ghost, her hoodie pulled low over her face, a worn notebook clutched in her hand.
She had made a mistake. A big one.
Breaking into the wrong office, finding something she wasn’t supposed to—it had all seemed like a calculated risk. Until now.
Because now, she was standing in front of Seo Kyungho, the man who practically owned half the city. His name was whispered in circles of power, feared in places she never dared to tread.
And from the way he was looking at her, she knew she had just stepped into something she couldn’t escape.
“You have three seconds to tell me why you’re here,” Kyungho said, his voice low, smooth. Dangerous.
Jihae swallowed, then slid the notebook across his desk. “Page 47.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. He didn’t like being told what to do, but he flipped to the page anyway.
The moment his eyes landed on the scribbled words, the air in the room shifted. His usual cold exterior cracked—just for a second—but it was enough.
“Where did you get this?” His voice was quieter now, but no less lethal.
Jihae crossed her arms. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I know the truth. And from the look on your face, so do you.”
Kyungho snapped the notebook shut, his fingers pressing into the leather cover.
“You should leave.”
She didn’t move. “Not until I get what I came for.”
His lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. More like a warning. He stood, slow and deliberate, stepping around his desk until he was standing right in front of her.
“You think I’ll just give you answers because you waltzed in here with some scribbles?”
“No.” Jihae met his gaze. “I think you’ll help me because if you don’t, I’ll go looking elsewhere.”
Silence. Thick. Heavy.
Then, Kyungho chuckled. It was low, amused, and laced with something unreadable. He leaned in, his voice a whisper against her skin.
“Careful, Jihae.” His smirk deepened. “In my world, curiosity gets you killed.”
Her pulse raced, but she lifted her chin. “Then I’ll just have to make sure I stay alive.”
Kyungho tilted his head, his dark eyes flashing with something dangerous.
“You better,” he murmured, “because now that you have my attention, I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight.”
Jihae’s breath hitched as Kyungho’s words sank in. She had known walking into his world was dangerous—but she had no idea how deep she had already fallen.
He took a step back, flipping the notebook open once more. Page 47. The words written there weren’t just secrets. They were a death sentence.
“This shouldn’t exist,” he muttered, more to himself than her.
“But it does,” Jihae countered. “And I need the truth.”
Kyungho exhaled sharply, snapping the book shut. “You’re either the bravest person I’ve met or the dumbest.”
She smirked. “Maybe both.”
His eyes darkened with something unreadable. “You don’t understand. This—” he tapped the notebook, “—is the kind of truth people die for.”
“Then help me.” Jihae’s voice softened, her confidence wavering just slightly. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
For the first time since she met him, Kyungho hesitated.
And then, against all logic, he said, “Fine.”
Jihae blinked. “Wait—what?”
“You want the truth?” He smirked, but there was something dangerous behind it. “Then you’re coming with me.”
Before she could process his words, he grabbed his coat, tucked the notebook under his arm, and gestured toward the door.
“Last chance, Jihae,” he warned. “Once you step out with me, there’s no turning back.”
Her heart pounded, but she already knew her answer.
She stepped forward. “Let’s go.”
Kyungho’s smirk widened.
“Good choice, sweetheart.”
As they disappeared into the night, Jihae had a feeling her life would never be the same again.
And for some reason… she wasn’t scared anymore.
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The End.
