Chapter:5 (Who is he?)

After entering the party, Gunho was immediately swept into conversations about business with various guests. Feeling a bit out of place and in need of something to hold, I glanced around and decided to head to the drinks table. I grabbed a glass of champagne, hoping it would help me blend in. As I took a sip, I noticed a group of women approaching me with sinister grins. And, of course, Yoon An stood behind them, watching with a smirk that could cut glass.

One of them bumped into me, causing my drink to spill, while another stepped on the hem of my dress as they passed. It was all too deliberate.

Female 1: “Oops\~ my bad. Are you alright?”

Female 2: “Oh my god\~ your dress is ruined. What should we do now?”

Female 3: “It must’ve been so expensive. Here, let me pay for it.”

One of them flicked a credit card at me like I was some sort of charity case, their snickering echoing around me.

But little did they know, I wasn’t one to let them humiliate me without a fight. I adjusted my dress, smiled sweetly, and hit back.

“Oh, no need. It’s fine. This is Mr. Gunho’s favorite dress—he gifted it to me personally. Such a shame it got dirty.”

The mere mention of Gunho’s name wiped the smirks off their faces. They quickly glanced at each other before mumbling excuses and walking away.

Female 1: “L-let’s just go.”

I caught Yoon An’s glare, her face a twisted mix of rage and disbelief. I couldn’t help but chuckle. It was satisfying seeing her and her minions retreat like that. I made my way to the balcony to clear my head and clean my dress a bit more, the cool night air soothing my nerves. I looked up at the moon, its soft glow reflecting my thoughts.

“I wish this night would end already… this is exhausting,”

I muttered to myself.

As I stood there, lost in my thoughts, I heard soft footsteps behind me. A tall, handsome man approached, his hair a stunning shade of gray, matching his eyes. His features were sharp, yet soft, almost model-like, and two small moles dotted his face, one under his eye and the other near his lip. His presence was striking, yet calming.

“What’s a beautiful lady like you doing all alone out here?”

he asked with a smile, his voice gentle and melodic.

I blinked, a bit taken aback by how charming he was.

“Oh, I’m just taking a breather. The crowd inside isn’t really my thing. What about you?”

His expression softened further, as if he was pleased by my response.

“Same. I don’t enjoy the crowds much either. May I ask your name, Miss?”

I extended my hand to him. “Joonie Yim. It’s nice to meet you.”

He took my hand in his, shaking it with a soft smile.

“Pleasure’s mine, Miss Joonie. Just call me Won.”

His name sounded familiar, like I’d heard it before, but I couldn’t quite place it. Before I could ask him anything more, a voice interrupted us.

“Miss Yim, Mr. Gunho is asking for you,”

a guard said, approaching from behind.

I sighed inwardly.

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

I turned back to Won.

“It was really nice talking to you. Hopefully, we can chat again sometime.”

Won smiled and waved as I walked away. “Likewise, Miss Joonie.”

As I made my way to the car with Gunho, he seemed unusually quiet. I sat next to him, noticing how tired he looked.

“Mr. Gunho? Are you alright? How many glasses did you have?”

The driver : “He’s not a big drinker. He only had one glass.”

I stifled a giggle. So, this was his weakness. A single glass of champagne, and he was already tipsy. His head leaned onto my shoulder, eyes closed, and my heart started racing. His proximity, the warmth of his body, the quiet moment—it all felt so… intimate.

We arrived at his mansion—a massive estate that I hadn’t even imagined until now. I tried my best to carry him inside, holding him up as he leaned on me. His arm was heavy on my shoulder, and I had to grab his waist with my other hand for balance.

The mansion’s servants opened the doors as soon as we approached, guiding me directly to his room. Once there, I finally dropped him onto his bed and exhaled deeply, trying to catch my breath.

“You’re killing me,”

I muttered, collapsing onto the bed beside him for a moment.

“Why are you so damn heavy?”

I was about to get up and leave when I felt his hand grab mine, pulling me back down. Before I knew it, I was lying on top of him, our bodies pressed together. My cheeks flamed as my heart hammered in my chest. His hand still held mine firmly, and he wasn’t letting go.

“Mr. Gunho, wake up! Let go of my hand—you’re drunk,”

I said, trying to shake him awake.

Instead of waking up, he leaned in and kissed my hand, mistaking it for my lips. I quickly pulled away, laughing nervously. “You really are a handful when you’re drunk, aren’t you?”

Not wanting to escalate the situation, I quickly jumped off him, delivering a light kick to his stomach for good measure. He groaned and rolled over, still half-asleep, but the kick seemed to have made him slightly more aware of his surroundings.

I stuck my tongue out at him and flipped him off as I rushed out of his mansion, jumping into a taxi.

As I rode home, I gazed out of the window, blushing at the memory of what had just happened. Feeling a bit ridiculous, I slapped both my cheeks to snap out of it, which caused the taxi driver to look at me like I’d lost my mind.

*Meanwhile, at Hyungjoo’s gang house… *

Hyungjoo stood over one of his men, a bat in his hand. The man was on the ground, bruised and bleeding, begging for mercy.

Man 1: “P-please, boss, spare me! Give me another chance. I swear I’ll get the money back!”

Hyungjoo’s grip tightened on the bat. He yanked the man’s hair up, forcing him to look into his eyes, he snarled.

Hyunjoo: “Second chance? Do I look like a fool to you?”

The man’s voice trembled.

Man 1:“M-mercy, boss, please!”

Hyungjoo sneered, raising the bat high before slamming it down onto another man’s head—one of the debtor’s friends—killing him instantly. The first man fell silent, traumatized by the sight of his friend’s lifeless body next to him, blood pooling on the ground.

Hyungjoo leaned down, his face close to the survivor’s.

Hyungjoo: “Next time, this will be you.”

The man shuddered, his tears falling silently as Hyungjoo returned to his seat. He pulled out a photo of Joonie and wiped away the specks of blood that had splattered onto her image.

He smiled to himself.

Hyungjoo “Soon, nuna… we’ll meet soon.”

To be continued…

I don’t know how to draw so I do not claim this art as my art, I create it using ai.

Sun Hae-Won

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