Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After entering the gap between dimensions, Jin-Woo developed a habit he never had before. And that would be jotting down things he saw and experienced on that day on a notebook.

He wasn’t doing it with some lofty purpose of leaving behind the records of his bitter life-or-death struggle against the Sovereigns.

The gap between dimension was a perfectly ’empty’ space, pretty similar to the land of eternal rest. Without battles against his enemies, this world of nothingness where only the eternal darkness existed would have been incredibly dreary and lonesome – he’d have difficult time trying to keep his sanity as a result.

However, his reason wasn’t as simple as there being nothing to do in here.

Jin-Woo now possessed the experience of living the same timeline twice and because of that, realised something crucial – the perspective on an event would shift depending on when you were looking at it.

Meaning, after some time had passed, he might see some things he previously failed to notice.

And that was why he became rather curious as to how he’d feel after going through these records again when his memories started to fade away and grew indistinct in the distant future.

Would he become embarrassed that he left behind written records? Or would he feel regret, thinking that he could’ve done it better? Or, maybe even miss this war, although he felt almost completely fed up with it right now? That was his reason for writing a diary whenever he had a chance.

Jot, jot…

Within this endlessly deep darkness, only the sounds of a pen softly scratching on the surface of a paper quietly rang out. As he continued to jot down the records of the day’s events, a smirk suddenly formed on his lips.

‘….Even still, I’m pretty sure I’ll never miss the stuff that happened here in the future.’

Jin-Woo raised his head and caught the sight of the monster corpses too numerous to even count strewn about in the darkness.

Yet again, Jin-Woo tasted victory in the battle against the Sovereigns, and through this particular engagement, killed the ‘Sovereign of Transfiguration’ – the one that gave him the most headache so far.

It had already been 27 years since he entered the gap between dimensions. Finally, the closing curtains of this long, dangerous, and monotone warfare was in sight.

The only remaining enemies were the King of Dragons/the Monarch of Destruction and its direct subordinates, the ‘Army of Destruction’.

Jin-Woo’s heart briefly beat faster from knowing that he’d go home soon.

‘What a relief that the time flow in here and outside is different.’

Only around two years should have gone by on the outside.

Coming home after two years of absence, was it? How much would Jin-Ah have changed? What about Dad? Mom? Were they holding up well? Should he have explained a bit better before coming here?

All sorts of worries briefly fleet in and out of his head.

‘No, hang on.’ Jin-Woo shook his head as if to get rid of all distracting thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to focus his attention on all this.

Jin-Woo took a look around him.

The Shadow Soldiers had finished sweeping up the battlefield and massacred all the still-breathing enemies, and now, they stood in near-infinite columns as far as his eyes could see, silently waiting for his next command.

He had already given up counting the number of his current soldiers quite a while ago. With a chuckle, Jin-Woo closed the diary.

“Alright.”

He stored both the notebook and the pen within the subspace and descended from the top of a hill made out of the monster corpses.

It was now the time – time to meet his greatest enemy. The one he so badly wanted to meet.

It was time to go and greet the ‘one’ who handed him his first defeat ever since becoming the Shadow Sovereign. The Rulers intervened and the end result was flipped on its head, but without a doubt, Jin-Woo did lose to the King of Dragons in that battle.

‘….I won’t lose again.’ A cold gleam dangerously flickered within Jin-Woo’s eyes.

His heart beat only softly when he thought about going home soon. He then wordlessly turned in the direction where the aura of the King of Dragons could be felt. And, along with the soldiers that would participate in the final battle….

“Arise."

Right behind Jin-Woo, his three Marshals, Bellion, Beru, and Igris, plus many commanders, stood in an orderly fashion.

And behind them, the enormous army, more than large enough to cover an entire continent, quietly waited on standby for his next command.

‘…….’

Although this world lacked the flow of air, it still felt like a wind signalling the end of the war was faintly blowing around.

Jin-Woo quietly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And when he opened his eyes, he uttered out the words that ushered in the end of this lengthy war.

“We march forward to attack the Monarch of Destruction.”

And so, light and darkness clashed once more inside the gap between dimensions.

___________

A gigantic black hole suddenly opened up in the skies of Seoul, one large enough to almost completely cover up the capital city. 

Meanwhile, inside said Gate….

Jin-Woo could only let out a gasp of surprise after spotting the humongous sea of people, as if the humans of the entire world had gathered in one spot, right below him.

“Huh-uh….”

How wonderfully moving would it have been if all those people were here to welcome him back?

Unfortunately, Jin-Woo knew better than anyone that would not be the case and could only form a wry smile.

Soon, this Gate would open up. To all those watching on from the ground, this portal might be a source of sheer terror, but to him, it was an important doorway back home.

Home.

Jin-Woo’s heart was rapidly filling up with warm emotions from the knowledge that the pathway to his home that he missed so much would soon open up.

‘Now that I think about it, isn’t this my first time looking at the outside from the inside of a Gate?’

The outside world was in full display from inside the Gate. That was how Jin-Woo got to spectate on the sea of people below his feet. He placed his hand on the ‘wall’ of the Gate that separated the two spaces.

Jin-Woo lightly pressed down, causing minute cracks to form on the wall with sharp noises. If he pushed a bit harder, then this wall would surely break down without much resistance.

For a short moment there, Jin-Woo pondered whether he should do that and make his descent now or not, but eventually, he shook his head with a gentle smile on his face.

‘….No, I shouldn’t.’

People on the ground were scared already, so there was no need to alarm them even further. Besides, he’d been waiting for this moment for almost 30 years, so it was not a problem to wait for a few more days.

Jin-Woo carefully withdrew his hand, only to discover something else.

‘Hold up. Just who would think that this is the hand of a third-year middle school student??’

Indeed, he just realised that his hand was simply too big now. Having spent 27 years in the gap between dimensions, Jin-Woo had naturally become a middle-aged man.

His physical age had already surpassed his own father’s now. However, he’d been missing for only two years on the outside.

He needed to adjust his physical age to that of the outside one so that he could avoid the situation of people who knew him freaking out after seeing how much he had changed.

Although, he wasn’t that keen on looking young to other people…. Hang on, maybe he was?

…In any case.

“I guess there’s no helping it.”

Jin-Woo grinned and looked down at his body before activating his powers. With him being able to perfectly control the powers of the Shadow Sovereign, the biological clock of his physical body posed no problem at all.

Soon enough, Jin-Woo’s figure shrunk back down to that of a middle school student.

The bearded face of a middle-aged man became that of a fresh-faced teenage boy with a bright complexion in no time at all.

The black smoke enveloped him for a brief moment and when it receded away, even the clothing had changed to the school uniform he wore on the day he went ‘missing’.

‘This should be enough, right?’

Jin-Woo formed a satisfied smile after confirming his new look, which was definitely that of a student no matter who took a gander at him.

Both his mind and body were now ready to go home and meet his family.

The only thing remaining was to wait.

‘Two more days left….’

Even the wait until the Gate opened up proved to be something to enjoy to Jin-Woo, who was nearing the end of a long journey.

____________

“Uh… Uh?? H-hey, it’s opening up!!”

“The hole is opening up!!”

The crowd of people screamed and pointed at the Gate now beginning to open up.

However, only the interior of the Gate connected to some other place was revealed to the waiting eyes outside. No feared events of scary things jumping out from there happened.

“What’s this?”

“It’s over, just like that?”

The folks from all corners of the globe, here to spectate on the giant Gate, began murmuring in uncertainty as they watched the mysterious portal slowly dissipate.

In the meantime, Jin-Woo blended in with the completely-unawares crowd and, upon arriving at a quiet, deserted street, undid his Stealth.

Since pretty much everyone was focusing on the disappearing Gate, none of them paid much attention to a middle school student that popped up out of seemingly nowhere.

Jin-Woo briefly observed the crowd of onlookers for a bit before turning around to head towards his home. It was precisely at that moment he discovered a young man holding an expensive-looking bouquet of flowers standing before him.

This man smiled brightly and addressed Jin-Woo. “Welcome back home safe and sound, Mister Sung Jin-Woo. Or, should I address you as the Shadow Sovereign, instead?”

Jin-Woo had never met this guy before. However, he didn’t sense any malice from this unknown dude, either. So, he decided to lower his vigilance.

“It doesn’t matter what you address me as.”

Jin-Woo received the bouquet of flowers from the man. “Having at least one person welcome me back isn’t so bad, I guess.”

The man spoke as if he was genuinely surprised. “Honestly…. I’ve never imagined that you would successfully finish your mission and return home like this. By the way, I see that your steps carry the weight of ten million soldiers.”

The ‘Army’ was defeated, and without a single exception, the denizens of the Chaos World that made up its fighting force came under the influence of the Shadow Sovereign.

Jin-Woo now wielded the biggest fighting force when both the Sovereigns and Rulers were taken into account. He lowered the bouquet and asked the stranger.

“I’m sure you didn’t come here to hand me this bundle of flowers, so… What does the emissary of the Rulers want with me?”

Quite different from the tone of his voice that could’ve come across as overbearing, his expression was filled with a relaxed composure.

A lion would never fear a lamb, after all.

His overwhelming strength, honed even further through the lengthy war, was more than enough to make this unknown man shudder slightly in fear, even though the latter already knew who he was dealing with today.

Indeed, it was the role of the lamb to fear the opponent, not the other way around.

Now faced with the dignified air of the Sovereign that was not too dissimilar to a king of all predators, the unknown man chose to politely lower his head first.

“The Rulers have sent you a message, Shadow Sovereign. Our conversation might take a while, so may I inquire if it’s fine with you for us to go elsewhere?”

“Fine.”

Jin-Woo walked past the smiling man and took the lead.

“I just remembered a place I wanted to stop by, anyway.”

_____________

“….”

The unknown man wordlessly stared at the bowl of ice cream presented before him for a bit and raised his head.

“The place you wanted to stop by was an ice cream parlor?”

“Well, staying in a distant ‘place’ for a long time does make you hanker for something sweet, you see.” Jin-Woo replied with a grin and began scooping the delicious ice cream into his mouth.

This wonderful, refreshing coldness transmitted from his tongue. And then, followed by this thrilling sweetness.

Only now did it strike home that he had returned for real.

The unknown man tried to get to the main topic several times, but Jin-Woo stopped him again and again.

Only after he cleaned out the ice cream bowl did he open his mouth to speak. “So, what did the Rulers say?”

The unknown man had been dazedly watching the Shadow Sovereign’s snack time until then. He hurriedly regained his wits and spoke up.

“Oh. First of all, they wish to express their genuine gratitude….”

“Why don’t we skip the perfunctory greetings and move on?”

The Rulers should not have any further business with this world, yet they still sent an envoy to speak to him like this. Jin-Woo deduced that the matter at hand must be something extraordinary, so he wanted to skip the opening remarks.

“Did a new problem pop up from somewhere?”

“No, not at all. It’s nothing like that. Rather, I’m here to speak to you because all the problems have been resolved, instead.”

Came to speak to him because all problems had been solved, he said.

The light in Jin-Woo’s eyes became even more serious. The unknown man greeted that sombre look and gulped down his dry saliva out of sheer nervousness. Still, one shouldn’t forget to perform one’s duty just because the other party happened to be quite a scary person.

The man opened his mouth with some difficulty. “The Rulers, they…. They are worried about the potential side effects your powers might have on this world, Sovereign. As you may well know, the powers you possess are not something this world can cope with.”

“….Okay, so?”

“Without the presence of Mana, this world is just too fragile. If it’s okay with you, we’d like to transfer you to a world that can take on your powers, Sovereign.”

“Or, they can just go ahead and seal me up instead of transferring me around, saving us from potential headaches.”

“Of course, that is an option-”

Bang!

Jin-Woo lightly slapped the table, causing the unknown man to flinch and stop his attempt to reply, his bright complexion frozen solid mid-speech.

The heavy voice of the Shadow Sovereign slowly came out of Jin-Woo’s mouth. “So, they wish to get rid of me since I’m no longer useful, is that it? Because they fear the power that I possess?”

Jin-Woo maintained a smile, but the glare in his eyes was incomparable colder than before.

The unknown man nearly jumped up in fright and quickly waved his hands around. “N-no, that’s not true! I swear, it’s not like that!”

He then presented Jin-Woo with a certain newspaper he had prepared earlier. Jin-Woo took the paper and read the article dominating the front page.

That’s when he spotted a rather familiar face there. The article was about a prophecy made by one Madam Norma Selner, who used to work as the ‘Upgrader’ in the previous timeline.

Jin-Woo’s gaze stopped at a certain part of the article, the part about when she had abruptly opened up the so-called ‘Heavenly Eye’. It was around two years ago.

Her ‘awakening’ matching up with the exact point in time he found himself after the timeline had been reset using the Cup of Reincarnation couldn’t be chalked down to simple coincidence.

“So, what you’re saying is, my existence can potentially cause other changes like this one?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Sovereign.”

Once Jin-Woo showed signs of calming down, the unknown man spat out a sigh of relief.

“The Rulers’ thoughts are to present you with a suitable location where you can stay, if that’s what you decide, with their intentions being to prevent the potential adverse change taking place in this world.”

“…..” Jin-Woo leaned against the chair. He still couldn’t sense any malice from this unknown man. The Rulers connected to this man were making this offer out of good-will and other similar emotions.

However… To think, he’d have to hear such news on the first day of his return. Jin-Woo had been in a state of anticipation from the thoughts of going home, so he found it hard to hide how disappointed he was.

He definitely didn’t want to discuss stuff like this right now. And he didn’t bother to hide his thoughts on that matter. “Can you come back some other time?”

“….I shall do so, oh, great Sovereign.”

The unknown man performed a smart, courteous bow towards the greatest hero who brought to an end the war between Sovereigns and Rulers. The only thing remaining after the man had left was a black-on-both-sides business card.

Most likely, that signified the unknown man requesting him to call the number on the card when Jin-Woo had made up his mind.

He studied the face and the back of this card before stuffing it in the inner pocket of his school uniform, a bitter smile slowly spreading on his face.

The bubbles of anticipation and excitement from coming home had burst for good now. Many thoughts swirled in his head, almost making him dizzy.

‘If all living creatures have a clear goal, a purpose in their lives….’

He was certain of one thing.

As the Shadow Sovereign, he had fulfilled his purpose after stopping the invasion of the Sovereigns, as well as making sure that no weird phenomena occurred on Earth.

Meaning, he had accomplished his goal.

So, the enormous power that served its purpose would only become a headache that was hard to dispose of, just like the nuclear waste at the end of its life cycle.

In that case – a question suddenly popped up in his head.

‘In the end, have I become an existence surplus to this world?’

'How meaningless.'

When the chain of his thoughts reached there, he felt a familiar presence past the ice cream shop. 

As if he was entranced, Jin-Woo got up, pushed open the front door, and stepped outside.

Without a doubt that moving forward, there would come many occasions in the future where he’d have to ponder whether remaining in this world was a good idea or not.

However….

‘As long as there is a reason for me to stay, even if it’s just one, then….’

A teenage girl dressed in expensive clothes for her age stopped walking and turned around to look behind her. 

She discovered an unfamiliar teenage boy standing in front of the wide-open exit of an ice cream parlor.

‘Hm? Why did I feel like stopping here? It's not like I'm craving ice cream right now.'

The teenage girl tilted her head this way and that while glancing behind her, but in the end, she failed to solve her confusion.

A man in a dark suit stood next to the girl, hands burdened with a number of shopping bags. Glancing at his responsibility for today, he gently reminded her, "Lady Jinho, we should continue if you haven't finished your shopping. The Chairman wishes for you to return home before three o'clock."

The girl quickly snapped out of her confusion upon hearing the reminder from her driver.

"Ah, yes." She stole one last glance behind her before walking away, not wishing to upset her father. Yoo Myunghan, the Chairman of Yoojin Construction, was quite a scary man. 

Seeing her departing back, a brief smile formed on Jin-Woo’s face.

‘There are still people that I love in this world.'

'And also, those who love me, and those who used to love me exist in this place, too.'

'That is more than enough reason for me to stay here.’

X

Chapter Text

Jin-Woo hurriedly raised his upper torso from the bed. He spotted the familiar bed, familiar wallpapers, familiar ceiling, and his old computer. He was inside his room. 

‘Hold up….’

He hurriedly confirmed the current time with his smartphone and sighed in relief afterward. There was still some time left before the beginning of the exams.

‘Now that I think about it… It’s been four years already since I got rid of the Monarch of Destruction.’

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and here he was, scheduled to take the College Scholastic Ability Test later today. Him waking up so quickly like this was good evidence of how tense he felt right now.

Jin-Woo chuckled helplessly for a moment there before getting up from the bed. Today, he’d get to confirm the fruit of his hard work and determination of the past four years.

He had already decided on which university he wanted to go to.

Because this one person he just had to meet would attend that institution later on.

Jinho.

Jin-Woo reminded himself of the name of the girl he dearly missed and pulled open the curtains covering up the windows to the side. The dusky aura of the dawn was gradually fading away outside.

‘I shall go there first and wait for you.’

She was still in high school, but Jin-Woo knew exactly which university Jinho would decide to go to later. If they went to the same institution, wouldn’t he be able to naturally run into her there?

Jin-Woo judged that, rather than forcibly get close to her and insert himself into her life that way, this might be a far better approach for both of them.

Jin-Woo breathed in the winds of the early morning, entering through the open gap of his window while thinking about the reunion that’d take place in the near future. 

It was at that moment when the door to his room was pushed open, accompanied by the loud, hurried footsteps.

“S-son, you know that today is the CSAT day, right?”

“Son, as your father, I can take you there, you know?”

His parents couldn’t catch a wink during the night, worried that their son might end up missing out on this all-important exam because he woke up a bit late today.

Jin-Woo looked at them and gently smiled while nodding his head. “I’m ready.”

[Let’s go, my liege.]

Jin-Woo soon stepped out of his home as Igris, sounding tense for some reason, spoke words of encouragement.

What a refreshing morning this was.

____________

Every once in a while, Jinho felt this inexplicable sense of loss in her heart. One heck of a weird thing this was, as if she had forgotten something really important to her.

However, no matter how hard she combed through her memories, she knew that she had definitely not forgotten anything. Only, the emptiness in her heart would grow larger and larger the more she thought about it, that was all.

“Hey, Jinho~ What are you thinking about so deeply like that?”

Her classmate asked her while handing over a cup of warm coffee taken from a vending machine. Jinho shrugged her shoulders to say that it was nothing important and received the coffee.

“Thank you.”

Jinho and her friend walked through the corridor to their classroom. Jinho was in her second year, and she couldn't wait to graduate.

While she wasn’t a bad student by any means, Jinho hated studying. She'd rather not study if she could help it, and she found herself wishing for the school to be closed because of some random accidents quite often.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen today, so she had no choice but to force herself out of bed and go to school.

This sense of loss started chasing after her out of the blue, about four years ago. When she mentioned this to her friends, they all said to her that she really needed to get out more, hang out with everyone, and have some fun. 

Jinho didn't know what she expected when she asked for advice from teenagers whose only thoughts were parties, boyfriends, and alcohol...

Just like the bitter aftertaste of the coffee, Jinho formed a bitter smile, and emptied out the paper cup in no time at all.

‘….Maybe they have a point.’

Didn’t someone say that a busy bee had no time to feel sad, or something like that? 

The best medicine to heal this trivial depression of her was, teenagerally speaking, parties. 

Yeah. She should go out and hang out with her friends and even get drunk a bit. Maybe even kiss a guy and regret it tomorrow. Anything that will make her feel something other than this depression in her heart. 

With excellent timing, her friend started talking about a house party tonight.

__________

“Hm, so where is the party? Is it within walking distance?” Jinho asked as she sat inside her friend's room. She was trying to sound calm as possible. She wasn't a party girl. But she was desperate to shake off the depression inside her. 

“I still can't believe you finally agreed to come to a party with me. It's going to be so much fun~!” Her friend said excitedly as she layered more mascara onto her lashes. “It's not that far from my house, but Nirei will pick us up.”

Nirei was her boyfriend.

“Alright, help me pick my outfit~” Her friend, Yuki, said.

The dresses she picked out were so inappropriate that Jinho kept looking around for a hidden camera and someone to jump out and tell her this was all a joke. Jinho cringed at each one, and Yuki laughed, obviously finding her distaste humorous.

The dress—no, piece of scrap material—Yuki chose was a black fishnet, which let her red bra show through. The only thing keeping her from showing her entire body was a solid black slip. The dress barely reached the tops of her thighs, and she kept tugging the material up to reveal more leg, then back down to reveal more cleavage.

Yuki then gaped at Jinho's dress, as if she had only just noticed her outfit. Maybe that was the case because she was busy with herself all this time. “You’re not really wearing that, are you?”

Jinho's hand slides over the fabric. She liked this dress. It was a gift from her father. “What is wrong with my dress?”

“Nothing, it's nice. And it looks really expensive, by the way. But... it’s just so.. long?” Yuki said.

“It’s barely below my knee.” Jinho argued.

“It’s pretty. I just think it’s a little too formal for a party. You could borrow something of mine?” Yuki said in all sincerity. 

Jinho cringed at the idea. She was going to a party, not to the beach... And besides, if pictures of her wearing such revealing clothes were published, her parents would kill her. 

“Thanks, Yuki. I’m fine wearing this, though."

Later, when her hair was perfectly curled and lying down her back, Jinho pushed two bobby pins in, one on each side to keep it out of her face.

“Do you want to use some of my makeup?” Yuki asked, and Jinho looked in the mirror again.

“Maybe a little eyeliner?” Jinho said, still unsure.

With a smile, Yuki gave her some pencils. Her phone then buzzed, and Yuki grabbed her purse. “Nirei's here.” she said. 

After finishing with her makeup, Jinho hurriedly grabbed her purse and smoothed her dress.

Nirei was waiting out front of the building, heavy rock music blaring out of his car’s rolled-down windows. Jinho couldn't help but glance around to see everyone staring. She kept her head down, and just as she looked up, she saw that there was another guy in the car. 

She knew him. Atsushi. He goes to the same school as her, he's in his third year. She's never really talked to him. He's weird. He was a playboy, quite rude too. If anything, he should be grateful that she was not judging him for the way he had destroyed his body with holes and tattoos. 

Okay, maybe Jinho was judging him a little, but not to his face. She was at least polite about their differences. In her home, tattoos and piercings were not a normal thing. Jinho always had to have her hair combed, her eyebrows plucked, and her clothes clean and ironed. It was just the way it was.

“Ladies,” Nirei greeted them.

Atsushi raised an eyebrow at Jinho as she climbed in behind Yuki and ended up getting stuck sitting directly behind him. “You do know that we are going to a party, not a library, right, Jin?” he said, and Jinho glanced at the side mirror and found a smirk across his face.

Rude, see?! 

“Please don't talk to me so friendly, It's kind of weird because we're practically strangers. And my name is Jinho.” She warned him with a polite, forced smile.

“Sure thing, Jin.”

Jinho leaned back against her seat and rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long night. Jinho chose not to banter back and forth with him; it was not worth her time. She didn't come here to make new friends, but to distract herself. 

Jinho stared out the window, trying to drown out the loud music as they drove. Finally, Nirei parked on the side of a busy street lined with large, seemingly identical houses. Messy strings of toilet paper sprawled up the white house, and the noise coming from inside added to the stereotypical house party theme. 

Jinho wondered where the parents who owned this house were right now. Probably out of town if their child had the courage to organize such a scandalous party. 

‘Euk, d*mn it. I imagined what would happen to me if I organized something like this at home.'

Jinho was overcome with a nasty case of goosebumps and hurriedly shook her head. Just how old would her father have to be before he wasn’t so scary anymore?

“It’s so big; how many people will be here?” Jinho gulped. The lawn was full of people holding red cups, some of them dancing, right there on the lawn. She was way out of her league here.

“A full house, hurry up.” Atsushi responded and got out of the car. 

“Coming?” Yuki said with a smile and popped open her door and hopped out. Jinho nodded, mostly to herself, as she climbed out of the car, making sure to smooth her dress again.

Atsushi had already disappeared into the house, which was great because maybe she won’t see him again for the rest of the night. Considering the number of people crammed into this place, Jinho probably won’t.

She followed Yuki and her boyfriend into the crowded living room and was handed a red cup. Jinho turned to decline with a polite “No, thank you,” but it was too late, and she didn't have a clue who gave it to her.

She put the cup on the counter and continued to walk through the house with them. They stopped walking when they reached a group of people crowded on and around a couch. 

Unfortunately, Atsushi was on the right arm of the couch, but Jinho avoided looking at him as Yuki introduced her to the group.

“This is Jinho, my cutest friend. She hasn't been to a party in ages, so be nice, kay?" 

One by one, they nodded or smiled at Jinho. All of them seemed so friendly, except Atsushi, of course. 

“Want a drink?” One of the guys asked.

“Oh, no. I don’t drink.” Jinho told him. But maybe that will change later tonight. She did come here with the idea of getting drunk to distract herself from her emotions. .

“Leave it to Yuki to bring Miss Goody-Two-Shoes to a party..” A tiny girl with pink hair said under her breath.

Jinho pretended not to hear her so she could avoid any kind of confrontation. Miss Goody-Two-Shoes? She was in no way that kind of a person. If they only saw her status in her family, they would know.

If anyone should be called "Goody-Two-Shoes" It's her older brother. He was a genius among geniuses who managed to stand on the top of every subject he took on back in school. And it wasn’t just his excellent grades, either. After graduating from school, he helped their Dad in various business ventures and achieved incredible success in everything he touched.

Compared to him, Jinho didn’t have anything to show for. Whenever her older brother stood next to her, Jinho naturally grew small and insignificant.

“Let’s play Truth or Dare!" One of the boys shouted, and their small group of friends gathered around the couch. 

Jinho started thinking that a drunken game of Truth or Dare couldn't possibly end well when the girl with pink hair said with a wicked smile, “You should play, too, Jinho.”

After Atsushi rudely laughed at her refusal, Jinho had no choice but to play to shut this kid up. 

The game couldn't have started any worse than this. The bottle stopped in her direction. And, the one asking the questions was the girl with the pink hair.

Damn it... Jinho really hated the color pink.

“Truth or dare, Jinho?”

Jinho gulped. “Truth?” she squeaked.

The girl laughed and muttered, “Of course..” before bluntly asking, “Are you a virgin?”

If Jinho was in the middle of a drink she would immediately choke on it.

No one seemed fazed by the intrusive question besides her. Jinho felt the heat in her cheeks and the humor in everyone’s faces. 

“Well?” Atsushi pressed. Why was he so curious about this? damn it! That pervert.

Despite how much Jinho wanted to run away and hide, she just nodded. Obviously she hadn't had her first time yet. She didn't even have a boyfriend!

Still, no one seemed outright surprised by her answer, just intrigued. The game continued. Atsushi took his shirt off. People kissed. People kissed again. Yuki spoke shamelessly about her first time. People kissed again. And again...

How did Jinho found herself in the middle of this group of hormonal high schooler?

Remember when Jinho said that to get rid of the depression inside her, she needed to go out and have fun and maybe get drunk? Forget it, that was a bad idea. Damn it! she really hated playing truth or dare. 

Jinho tried not to think of all the mouths that had been on the bottle before her and just took a drink. The vodka felt hot and burned all the way down to her stomach, but she managed to swallow it. It tasted horrible. The group clapped and laughed a little—everyone except Atsushi. But who cares?

After a short time, Jinho could feel the heat in her cheeks and then, later, the small amount of alcohol in her veins that grew with each round that she dared to take another shot. She obliged, and at some point, she had to admit she felt pretty relaxed for once. She felt good. 

Drink after drink, it felt as if the emptiness in her heart was filling up just a little bit. Thoughts of her father’s lectures on irresponsibility flood her mind, but Jinho pushed them back. It was only one night.

“Atsushi, truth or dare?” The pinky girl asked. He then answered “dare.” Of course.

“I dare you to kiss Jinho.” 

Wow, had Jinho already said that she can't stand the color pink? 

Though the alcohol was making everything more exciting, Jinho really just wanted to run away right now.

“No, I prefer not to. ” Jinho said, making everyone laugh at her for the hundredth time tonight. Why was she even hanging around these people who keep laughing at her?

“Why not? It's just a kiss." The pinky girl kept pushing.

“No, I’m not kissing anyone!” Jinho snapped and stood up.

She didn't plan on letting anyone here steal her first kiss. 

Jinho longed for her first kiss to be special. She hoped to share it with a guy who would make her heart race. Perhaps she'd watched one too many romantic movies, but Jinho always envisioned her first kiss happening when she found the right person. 

Any guy who approached her and tried to flirt was met with the same response—she acted as if she had a boyfriend. She didn't have one, yet the thought of being intimate with anyone but the one felt uncomfortable to her. 

For some reason... 

Deep down, she knew the right person was out there, even though he hadn't yet made himself known to her.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Yuki called after her.

Jinho shook her head and made her way to the door. She knew she shouldn’t have come. She should be in her pajamas curled up with a novel right now. She didn't belong at parties like this, and she certainly didn't belong hanging out with these types of people. She does like Yuki, but she just don’t have it in her to deal with a scene like this and people like Atsushi and that bitch pinky girl. 

Jinho couldn't help the tears that fall down her cheeks as she reached the door. Before she could even touch the handle, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Don’t touch me!” Jinho yelled, jerking her arm away.

“Have you been crying?” Atsushi asked, his tone curious. If this wasn’t Atsushi, Jinho might actually think he was concerned for her.

“Just leave me alone, Atsushi.”

He moved in front of her, his tall frame blocking her movements. Jinho couldn't take more of his games.

“Atsushi, please. I am begging you, if you have one decent bone in your body, you will leave me be.”

Jinho didn't care if he heard the embarrassment and desperation in her voice. She just needed to go home.

A flash of confusion showed in his eyes before he opened his mouth. “So what, you're just going to prove to everyone that you're Miss Goody-Two-Shoes?”

Jinho rolled her eyes. "At this point, I really don't care what people think."

“Really? not even, me?" He smirked and grabbed her wrists, pushing her back against a wall. His face was inched from hers, and suddenly, Jinho was aware she was breathing way too hard.

She wanted to scream at him to get off her, to let her go. She wanted to slap him, to make him leave. But She couldn‘t. She froze against the wall and mesmerized by his green eyes burning into hers. No one had ever looked at her like that. Maybe she was just too drunk. 

“Atsushi, please,” were the only words Jinho finally found. But they were soft. And she was not sure if she was begging him to let her go, or kiss her.

Yup, she was definitely drunk.

Seconds felt like hours, and finally, he removed one hand from her wrists, but the other was large enough to hold both.

His hand moved up to her cheekbone, and then he gently tucked her hair behind her ear. Jinho thought she could hear his pulse as he brought his lips to hers.

Jinho didn't let herself think about why she was kissing him or what terrible thing he would say afterward. All she wanted to focus on was the way he pressed his body against hers when he let go of her wrists, pinning her to the wall and the way his mouth tasted like mint.

The way her tongue somehow follows his, and the way her hands slide over his broad shoulders.

The responsible voice inside her head found her way in, reminding her that this was a terrible idea.  

The emptiness within her heart returned yet again. She hoped that engaging in reckless actions and drunken escapades would somehow fill the void. But no, no matter how much she drank or how deep she sank into bad situations, the pain and emptiness that clung to her heart remained.

Acceptance washed over her, leading Jinho to push Atsushi away. She recognized, with a pang of regret, that attending the party had been a mistake, and allowing Atsushi to steal her first kiss, a moment she always envisioned sharing with someone special, was undoubtedly even worse.

X

Chapter Text

Jinho found herself in the middle of a freshman welcoming party, but her expression remained quite stiff.

The enticing odor of pork belly strips sizzling on the grill coming from here and there tickled her nose, but thanks to how tense she felt, she just couldn’t work up her appetite at all.

But something about this place felt familiar.

But, how could this be?

Although she was hiding her family background, for the time being, she still lived a life fitting for the last born daughter of a wealthy family. For some reason, though, this diner specialising in the frozen pork belly didn’t feel unfamiliar to her.

‘But, how come?’

Jinho tilted her head this way and that, leading one of her university seniors to lightly tap her on the shoulder.

“Hey, Jinho? C’mon, girl. Loosen up. Someone might think you’re being led into a slaughterhouse or something.”

Jinho got flustered, and her voice naturally rose higher. “N-no, that’s not it, Senior!”

“What I’m saying here is, stop doing that for the time being, alright?” The female senior guffawed mischievously but then, sneakily withdrew her laughter.

“Ahh, right. I think, you know, it’ll be prudent to behave yourself in front of ‘that’ senior, just in case. We have this really scary and handsome senior in our faculty, you see.”

“Heok.” Jinho’s expression stiffened a lot worse now.

"You know, he's not the type to get strict around his juniors, but just the charisma about him is insane...ugh! But that's also what makes him soo hot~”

Perhaps she was getting properly drunk now, the female senior began talking enthusiastically about this scary and handsome ‘senior’ all of a sudden.

"There's something special about him—a mysterious charm that sets him apart. I've never noticed him with a girl, so he might be single. But every girl here's been trying to catch his attention, yet none of them have succeeded. For some reason, he hasn't shown any interest. He's so hott and handsome, and-- He's coming over!"

The senior jumped up from her seat after seeing a certain man enter the diner and hurriedly bowed her waist.

“Senior, thank you for coming!”

“Senior!!”

“Senior, you've arrived!”

After seeing the polite, disciplined greetings of her seniors, Jinho realised that the drunk senior hadn’t been exaggerating a thing until now.  

With the entrance of one single man, the atmosphere of the noisy, boisterous freshman welcoming party changed instantly.

Meanwhile in the shadows...

Tusk liked wonderful clothes, cool weapons, or telling stirring heroic tales, but what he liked the most was to fall asleep. 

He pulled the duvet right up until his neck and slowly drifted into his slumber while being embraced in this wonderful warmth.

But then, just as the sleepiness sneaked its way closer and carried him off to the land of dreams, someone suddenly began shaking his shoulders!

How dare he?!

How dare anyone try to disrupt the sweet slumber of Commander Tusk?! His eyes shot wide open as he got ready to rip the idiot apart.

“…?”

Igris Marshal was quietly looking at him from near his head.

“I love you, Marshal.”

“….I am also grateful for your sincere loyalty.”

“By the way…. What brings you here, Marshal?”

Igris pointed to the distant sky above. “It’s about to begin. Didn’t we, the Commander-grade soldiers that serve our liege from close by, agree to cheer him on when the time came?”

“Heok!!” Tusk kicked the duvet off and hurriedly jumped up before raising his head towards the sky. Like a gigantic movie theatre, the sky morphed into a screen to share what their liege was viewing to the rest of them.

“Finally, is our liege about to meet Lady Jinho?”

“That’s correct.”

“Uwohohohot!!”

So moved by the fact that he was allowed to share this historical moment together with his liege, Tusk ended up crying out loudly.

The rest of the Shadow Soldiers cheering on their liege, then also raised their arms high up and roared out as well.

Waaaahhhh-!!!

When their liege’s heart pounded away, their would pound away as well. Tusk, too, raised his arms up high and joined in the chorus of soldiers’ roars.

Waaaah-!!

His heart was beating really loud now.

The useless nervousness Jinho felt right now was good for nothing other than to make her dry saliva slide down her throat quite painfully.

Gulp. The thing was, though – an unlucky man would supposedly break his nose even when falling on his butt. Jinho couldn’t even raise her head from all the fear she felt, but for some reason, that scary-handsome senior in question settled down on the spot right across of her.

‘Ah….. Dear senior, why did you have to choose the spot in front of me when there are so many available elsewhere?!’

Jinho spat out a sigh deep inside her heart, her head still lowered in dejection, but then, that scary-handsome senior suddenly presented her with a glass filled with a clear liquid.

“Here have a glass.”

To think, a glass of booze given to a freshman was not one of those tiny little soju cups but an actual glass cup??

Jinho thought that this action was as expected of a hardcore senior and cautiously took the offered cup, hoping not to make any mistakes here.

‘I’m actually not that good with alcohol, though….’

She squeezed her eyes shut real tightly and forced the liquid down her throat. But then, her eyes shot open wide in surprise, and she ended up asking a question at this unexpected development.

“S-senior? Isn’t this soda?”

“It is.”

That supposedly-scary-handsome senior was making an expression that was definitely not scary at all as he shook around a soda bottle.

“Why don’t you and I drink this, instead?”

For an unknown reason, the senior was forming the face of a person running into someone he really wanted to see after a long, long time of separation.

“Oh, and Jinho? I’m gonna feel really bad about myself if you keep calling me senior, okay?”

The senior filled the empty glass up with soda and spoke in a friendly tone of voice.

“From now on, just call me Jin-Woo.”

“Eh?”

“What, you don’t want to?”

As he looked at her with those sad, affectionate eyes, as if he had just been rejected by the girl he loved, Jinho blushed uncontrollably, struggling to compose herself. “N-no, I shall, Jin-Woo!" she managed to stammer out.

‘…Huh?’

After involuntarily spitting out the words ‘Jin-Woo’, Jinho suddenly grew puzzled by how they felt so familiar to her tongue.

‘Besides… Hang on, have I ever told the senior what my name is before?’

Jinho continued to tilt her head this way and that, and in the meantime, the senior lightly clinked their glasses.

“Cheers.”

For some reason, Jinho realised that grin on the senior’s face was not unfamiliar at all; her blush deepened even further as she energetically clinked her own cup with the senior’s once more.

“Yes, cheers!!”

___________

Jinho realized that the hours had passed by so quickly, as if time had slipped away while they were having fun. She couldn't recall when the other seniors had departed, leaving them alone.

The diner was about to close for the night, and Jin-Woo kindly offered to walk her back to the university dormitories.

As Jinho and Jin-Woo strolled through the university gate laughing and chatting, another male student, passing by, noticed them, specifically the blonde girl who was beaming with such brightness. 

Seeing her joyous demeanor made him smile as well. However, this smile soon faded as he noticed the tall, dark-haired boy accompanying her. 

Everybody in the university knew that guy. He wasn't exactly a model student nor a troublesome youth. 

What set him apart was a captivating and dark aura surrounding him. Just the charisma about him was insane...

Jinho's expression turned weary as she spotted a familiar, yet unwelcome sight approaching them. She sighed with a hint of annoyance and muttered, "Atsushi..."

Atsushi smirked at her reaction. "I missed you too, Jin."

The scene unfolding before him stirred a conflicting mix of emotions within Jin-Woo.

He felt mildly annoyed at the interruption, yet he couldn't help but be curious about the familiarity evident in that guy's tone when speaking to Jinho. Questions danced in his mind, wondering about the nature of their relationship.

Atsushi felt a shiver run down his spine as Jin-Woo's gaze settled on him.

Despite his growing unease, he tried to mask it with a smirk as he addressed Jinho, "So, how was the freshman party? I'm starting to regret not coming." 

"Your absence was hardly missed by anyone, so don't worry." Jinho nonchalantly retorted.

Atsushi chuckled at her cheeky response, playfully replying, "Oh, you're just so mean, Jin~"

Jinho scowled at Atsushi, correcting him for the millionth time, with a firm tone, "It's Jinho."

Atsushi chuckled, "I just can't stop because you're just too cute, jin." he said playfully, his fingers extending towards her cheek in an attempt to playfully pinch it. 

However, Jin-Woo's gaze darkened as he swiftly grabbed ahold of Atsushi's wrist, stopping him mid-action.

The atmosphere around them grew tense, as both Jinho and Atsushi looked at Jin-Woo wide-eyed, surprised by his unexpected intervention.

Atsushi trembled beneath the intensity of Jin-Woo's gaze, his entire being shaken as if under the weight of a powerful pressure.

The level of intimidation he was experiencing was unlike anything he had ever felt before. 

His attention shifted to his wrist, still firmly held in midair by Jin-Woo. It was shaking, just like his whole body. 

Anger and frustration welled up within him as he demanded, "I was just going to pinch her cheek. What's your problem, dude?!"

Jin-Woo remained unaffected by Atsushi's outburst, his gaze growing colder and more intense.

Atsushi's frustration deepened as he yelled, "Damn it! Let go, man! Jinho, can you tell your crazy friend to stop!"

Jinho flinched as Atsushi addressed her, still surprised by the unexpected turn of events. 

Coming to her senses, Jinho stepped closer to Jin-Woo, gently placing her hands on his arm. With a pleading tone, she implored, "J-Jin-Woo, it's okay. Atsushi can be annoying sometimes, but that's just how he is. So please..."

Jin-Woo’s expression shifted from irritation to a more composed, slightly softer one.

In response to Jinho's plea, he loosened his grip on Atsushi's wrist, letting the other boy go without a care.

Atsushi let out a breath he had been holding, his gaze falling to his injured wrist, which now bore the imprint of Jin-Woo's tight grip.

Atsushi gritted his teeth and glared at Jin-Woo, who was now apologizing to Jinho with such a softened expression.

Atsushi's irritation grew, thinking to himself, 'I should be the one getting the apology, you bastard!!'

Suddenly, Jin-Woo's gaze fell upon him, striking fear in Atsushi's heart.

Jin-Woo looked back at Jinho, his demeanor softening as he placed his hand gently on her small back and suggested, "It's already quite late. I shall escort you back now."

Jinho blushed at the unexpected touch, her words coming out in a stammer, "Y-yes."

She then spared one last glance at Atsushi before allowing Jin-Woo to guide her back to the university dormitories.

Atsushi watched as they left, his gaze fixed on Jin-Woo's distant figure, his anger mounting with each passing moment.

__________

Jinho discovered that Jin-Woo was also residing in the university dormitories. Before departing to the male dorms, he wanted to make sure she got back to her room safely. 

They were standing in the hallway, Jinho’s back gently leaning against her room door, as Jin-Woo stood before her, his gaze filled with affection that made her heart to race.

Jin-Woo smiled at her, saying softly, "Sleep well, Jinho."

He attempted to turn and leave, but his wrist was suddenly grasped in a hasty movement by Jinho.

"W-Wait a minute."

Now facing off against Jin-Woo’s curiosity-laden gaze, Jinho’s face flushed just a little. 

"Excuse me, have we... have we met somewhere before?" She fumbled with her words, her cheeks growing warmer. 

She had to work up so much of her courage just to ask that simple-enough question.

"Although you're nearly a stranger, I can't shake this deep sense of familiarity whenever I look at you. I know I sound weird now, but..." Jinho trailed off, not knowing how to continue. 

“Let’s bet.”

“Eh?” Jinho visibly grew confused, but Jin-Woo maintained his grin.

“Let's take something simple, like video games. If you play against me and ever win, then I’ll tell you everything.”

Jinho was completely thrown off by the unexpected suggestion.

A video game bet seemed too simple. She couldn't help but blurt out, "Are you some kind of professional gamer, by any chance?"

Jin-Woo smirked. “I’ll take that answer as you giving up.”

Jinho became even more confused, her thoughts racing. Why would he choose making a bet over something as trivial as a video game?

Was this all a coincidence or not? Jinho had actually grown to like video games recently. She even harbored dreams of establishing a video game company in the future.

This led her to wonder, 'Could it be that this guy knew I liked video games?'

Her curiosity was piqued. Jinho now desperately wanted to uncover every detail about this mysterious guy. 

She nodded, accepting the challenge. Jin-Woo, still wearing a smirk, replied, "Good."

But Jinho then paused, realizing something, "Wait, what if I lose? What do you get if I lose?"

The smirk on Jin-Woo's face remained as he replied, "With every loss, you'll have to fulfill one of my wishes."

Jinho, taken aback by his response, asked, "Wishes? What kind of wishes?"

In response, Jin-Woo smirked and said, "If you're so eager to find out, you'll have to lose."

Jinho blushed and stuttered, "T-that...that won't happen. You'll have to prepare yourself for defeat."

Jin-Woo kept smirking and moved closer, saying playfully, "Really?"

Jinho's already flushed cheeks deepened even further as Jin-Woo leaned in close, their faces mere inches apart.

He lightly placed his hands on her cheeks before gently pressing a kiss onto her forehead. With a playful smirk, he whispered, "Try not to stay awake from excitement."

Jin-Woo then turned and walked away, leaving Jinho standing in the hallway, her face flushing like a ripe tomato.

__________

Jin-Woo and Jinho grew closer after that night, practically spending every day together.

As for the bet, Jinho's losses were piling up. 

At some point, she started questioning her own skill at video games, pondering if she even knew how to play them at all. Such was the extent of Jin-Woo's talent that it left her utterly shocked.

Let's be fair, Jinho was decently skilled at video games. 

Jin-Woo was simply too good. 

The astonishing reflexes and perception of Jin-Woo were in a league of their own. 

On this particular evening, as always, Jin-Woo had escorted Jinho back to her dorm room. The entire situation seemed to have become routine, and a faint smirk danced on his lips.

Despite losing to Jin-Woo consistently, Jinho found it hard to be annoyed. Strangely, the consequences of her defeats weren't bad at all.

To her surprise, Jin-Woo's wishes were simple and kind, leaving her confused but pleased.

The first time, he asked her to join him again at the diner specialising in the frozen pork belly. After that, it was lunch. And then a movie.

All those activities could be considered dates, right?

Jinho was perplexed by Jin-Woo's innocent wishes. She was starting to think that perhaps this guy had been asking her out on dates all that time without her realizing... 

However, was he just playing games , or was he really flirting with her? 

She was getting frustrated, for with every passing day, with every new 'wish', she was falling for him more. 

With the night already late, Jinho leaned against the door of her room, and, as usual, she found herself standing across from Jin-Woo. 

As she looked everywhere but at him, a shyness crept over her as she inquired softly, "So... I lost again. What's your wish this time?"

Jin-Woo's gentle smirk remained intact, and he teasingly tapped his chin as if lost in contemplation. "You've lost so many times that I'm starting to run out of ideas..." he playfully mused.

Jinho blushed even more furiously. She couldn't help but cringe at his words.

Jin-Woo chuckled as he closed the space between them, delicately cupping her cheeks with his hands. 

His gaze then shifted to her lips, his tone growing even softer as he stated, "I think I know what I want now."

Jinho froze in place, her eyes remaining wide open, fixed on him. Her heart raced, pounding furiously against her chest.

Jinho felt her breath catch in her throat, a mix of nervousness and anticipation coursing through her. 

Jin-Woo started to close the distance between their faces, Jinho's eyes slowly fluttered shut as he drew even nearer. Then, she felt his lips softly touch hers, and she couldn't help but let out a soft moan into his mouth.

His lips were soft, warm, and filled with a deep emotion that sent a shiver through Jinho's entire body.

Time seemed to slow as the gentle pressure of his kiss deepened. There was no rush, no urgency—only the quiet, unspoken feelings that passed between them in that intimate moment.

In the heat of the moment, Jinho, with her heart pounding in sync with the pulse of their kiss, reached out and opened her door.

They hadn't broken their kiss; it was as if they were magnetized, each movement leading them closer to what felt inevitable. She guided him gently inside, the door closing behind them with a soft click that seemed to seal off the rest of the world.

Without warning, Jin-Woo lifted Jinho off her feet, his arms wrapping securely around her waist. Their kiss deepened; their tongues met in a dance of desire, intertwining in a way that felt both familiar and incredibly right. 

Her legs instinctively wrapped around Jin-Woo, her body pressed against his, fitting perfectly in the space he created against the wall.

There, pinned between Jin-Woo and the cool firmness of the wall, their kiss evolved into something more. It was slow at first, an exploration of each other's mouths, savoring the taste and texture. 

But then, driven by a rising tide of passion, it became more urgent, tongues swirling with an increasing fervor as if each was trying to drink in the essence of the other. 

Their breaths mingled, hot and heavy, filling the room with the sounds of their shared longing.

After what felt like an eternity wrapped in moments, Jin-Woo shifted his hold on Jinho, moving away from the wall with her still in his arms. He navigated through the room with ease, his destination clear in his mind. Gently, he laid her on the bed, her back meeting the softness of the sheets. 

Jin-Woo’s lips found the delicate curve of her neck, kissing with a gentle insistence that made her shiver. 

With one hand, he brushed her hair aside, clearing her face, allowing him to fully see her expressions of pleasure and surprise. 

His other hand roamed, finding her thigh, his touch light yet deliberate, sending waves of anticipation through Jinho.

Jin-Woo was careful not to rest his weight on her, hovering above her form. The air between them was charged, every touch a brush of fire.

With her cheeks flushed, Jinho finally managed to voice her thoughts, her voice a whisper of nerves and excitement, "What... what are you doing?"

Jin-Woo, his voice husky with desire, replied, "What does it seem like I'm doing?" There was a playful edge to his tone, but his actions were anything but playful as he pulled his shirt off over his head, revealing a physique sculpted.

His skin was warm, the muscles defined, a sight that made Jinho's breath hitch, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and nervousness.

Jin-Woo paused his trail of kisses down her neck to look into her eyes. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," Jinho said quickly, but then the admission tumbled out, stuttering, "It's just... I've never done this before."

"We don't need to-"

Jin-Woo began to reassure her once more, suggesting they could stop if she wasn't comfortable, but Jinho cut him off, her voice determined.

"No, I want to. Sure, I'm nervous... but I want to do it with you. Only with you..." Jinho's face was as red as a tomato, her confession leaving her feeling both embarrassed and vulnerable

Jin-Woo smiled at her, a genuine smile that softened his features. "Don't worry," he murmured, his lips finding hers again as she closed her eyes, surrendering to the sensation. "I will be gentle."

Jin-Woo’s hand found its way to Jinho's waist, his touch light but deliberate. He felt her body tremble slightly beneath his fingers, a subtle sign of her lingering nervousness.

Recognizing her anxiety, he leaned in to kiss her again, but this kiss was different. It was deep, gentle, and calm, a silent communication of reassurance that everything was alright.

The kiss was slow, each movement of his lips against hers meant to soothe rather than ignite, to calm rather than to excite.

As the kiss lingered, Jinho’s body began to relax; the tension in her muscles eased, and she responded by wrapping her arms around him tightly, pulling him closer as if to anchor herself in this new, overwhelming sensation of trust and desire.

Sensing her relaxation, Jin-Woo's hands moved with a newfound confidence. He gently removed her jacket, his fingers brushing against her arms, sending small shivers through her. Next, he lifted the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head to reveal her in just her bra. There was no resistance from Jinho; instead, there was an unspoken yearning in her gaze, a silent plea for more of his touch.

With a silent, swiftly motion, Jin-Woo unhooked her bra, letting it fall away to reveal her chest. Jinho, now feeling surprisingly at ease, managed a light-hearted comment, her voice laced with humor, "Why does it feel like you've been doing this quite a lot?" Her ability to make a jest at such a moment showed how far she had come from her initial nervousness, now fully embracing the situation. 

'Because this isn't the first time we've done this.' Jin-Woo thought with a silent smirk. 

In a world forgotten by everyone now. 

Jin-Woo lips found her breast first, starting with a gentle kiss. The warmth of his mouth sent a jolt through Jinho, a mixture of shock and pleasure. He circled there with his tongue, teasing it gently, coaxing it to further hardness. His touch was exploratory, each movement deliberate as he gauged her reactions. 

Jinho's breath caught, a soft moan escaping her lips as she arched her back slightly, offering herself more fully to him. Jin-Woo’s technique shifted, his kisses now interspersed with light sucks, increasing in intensity but never crossing into discomfort. He cupped her other breast with his hand, his thumb mimicking the actions of his mouth on the other side, creating a symphony of sensation that played across her senses.

His sucking grew more insistent, the pressure just enough to drive her wild without causing pain. It was as if he knew exactly where the line was between pleasure and too much. Jinho's hands found their way to his head, her fingers threading through his hair, not to pull him away but to urge him closer, her moans growing louder, more urgent. Each sound she made seemed to feed into Jin-Woo’s own desire, his actions becoming more fervent yet still controlled. 

Her breasts, sensitive and responsive, were now the center of their universe. Each suck, each gentle tug, was met with a moan or a sharp intake of breath from Jinho, her body writhing slightly under him, caught in the throes of pleasure. The room was filled with the soft sounds of their breathing, the wet sound of his mouth on her skin, and her soft moans. 

As the heat of the moment continued to build, Jin-Woo's path of kisses descended from Jinho's breasts, trailing down her stomach. His hands followed, caressing her sides, feeling the subtle rise and fall of her breath. When he reached the waistband of her pants, he looked up at Jinho, his eyes seeking consent in the dim light. Her nod was slight but clear, her eyes wide with anticipation and trust. With careful fingers, Jin-Woo undid the button and zipper, slowly pulling her pants down her legs, unveiling her in just her panties.

He paused to appreciate her, his eyes taking in the curve of her hips. The fabric was slightly damp, a testament to her arousal. He helped her out of them, revealing her most intimate area for the first time. Jin-Woo kissed her inner thighs first, his lips brushing against her skin with feather-light touches, each kiss a promise of what was to come. The skin was warm, quivering slightly under his touch, as if her body was anticipating his next move. He alternated between soft kisses and gentle nips, playing with the contrast of sensations.

As he moved closer to her center, his kisses became more deliberate. He placed a kiss right at the crease of her thigh, so close to her intimate area that his breath fanned over her sensitive flesh. Jinho's legs trembled slightly, her breath catching in her throat. 

Finally, Jin-Woo pressed his lips directly against her most intimate area, the kiss tender yet charged with intention. He explored her further with his tongue, parting her lips to delve deeper, tasting her fully now. His tongue circled her clit, teasing it with light, quick flicks before enveloping it with his lips, sucking gently.

Jinho's reactions were immediate; her hips bucked slightly, a moan escaping her lips, her hands fisting in the sheets. The sensation of his tongue inside her was overwhelming, exploring the warm, wet folds of her most intimate area, each movement sending waves of pleasure through her. He varied his technique, sometimes licking in long, languid strokes, other times focusing on her clit, teasing it until she was nearly writhing beneath him.

Her most intimate area was incredibly responsive, her inner walls clenching around his tongue whenever he ventured inside. The sounds of his mouth working against her filled the room, wet and intimate, mixed with her increasingly loud moans. Jin-Woo could feel her getting wetter, the taste of her intensifying, her thighs clamping around his head as if to draw him in deeper.

She was lost in the sensation, her body moving with a rhythm of its own, guided by the pleasure he was giving her. Jin-Woo’s hands moved to her hips, holding her steady as he continued to eat her out, his tongue now moving with a purpose, knowing exactly where and how to touch to drive her towards climax.

Jinho's hands trembled slightly as she reached for Jin-Woo’s belt, her fingers fumbling with the buckle. The sound of the metal clinking was sharp in the charged silence of the room, a stark contrast to the soft, wet sounds that had filled the air moments before. Jin-Woo watched her, his breath steady but his eyes dark with anticipation, as she finally unfastened the belt and tugged it free. Her movements were hesitant, a mix of nervousness and desire, but she didn't stop.

Jin-Woo stood, helping her by unbuttoning his trousers and letting them fall to the floor. He climbed back onto the bed, positioning himself over her, his body a warm, solid presence. "I'll go slow," he murmured, his voice low and reassuring, and she nodded, her eyes wide with trust. He guided himself to her entrance, the tip brushing against her slick folds, and she gasped softly, "Mmm."

Jin-Woo pushed in gently, just the head at first, stretching her slowly. The sensation was foreign, a mix of pressure and fullness, and she bit her lip, her hands gripping his arms.

When he met resistance, he paused, looking into her eyes. "This might hurt a little," he warned, and she nodded again, bracing herself. "Ahhh," The pain was sharp but brief, and he stopped immediately, holding himself still inside her. "Take your time," he whispered, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, giving her all the time she needed to adjust.

Her breathing slowed, the pain dulling into a manageable ache, and she finally whispered, "Okay." He began to move, slow and deliberate, pulling out slightly before pushing back in, each movement measured. "Mmm~" she moaned softly, the sound a mix of discomfort and growing pleasure as her body began to adapt. He kept his pace gentle, his thrusts shallow, letting her get used to the sensation of him inside her.

As her moans grew softer, more rhythmic—"Mmm..ahh~"—he felt her relax beneath him, her hips beginning to move with his. He smiled, sensing her enjoyment, and whispered, "Ready for more?"

She nodded, her eyes half-lidded with pleasure, and he began to thrust deeper, still slow but with more purpose. Her moans grew louder, "A-Ah, mmm~" as the pleasure built, her body responding to his rhythm.

After a while, Jin-Woo pulled out and gently turned her onto her stomach. "Let's try this," he said, his voice thick with desire. She complied, her ass lifting slightly. He positioned himself behind her, his hands gripping her hips, and entered her again, this time from behind. "Hhh~Hmm," she moaned, the new angle hitting her differently, deeper, more intense.

The sound of their bodies meeting was soft, the flesh jiggled slightly with each thrust, the sight of it driving him wild. He leaned forward, his chest against her back, and kissed her neck, his thrusts steady and deep. "M-Mmm...ahhh~" she moaned, her hands clutching the sheets, her body trembling with pleasure.

He reached around, his fingers finding her clit, and began to rub in slow circles, matching the rhythm of his thrusts. "O-Ohh, yes~" she gasped, her moans growing louder, more urgent. The dual sensation was overwhelming, and she felt herself building toward something intense. Her body tensed, her moans turning into cries, "Ahh~ ohh, mmm~!" as she came, her entire body shuddered with the force of her orgasm.

Jin-Woo slowed, letting her ride out the waves of pleasure, but he wasn't done. He pulled out, turning her onto her back again, and entered her once more. This time, his thrusts were deeper, more urgent, his own climax building.

"Mmm~A-Ahhh~!" she moaned, still sensitive from her orgasm, her body responding to his every movement. He kissed her deeply, their tongues intertwining, as he felt himself nearing the edge.

Finally, he pulled out. Jin-Woo collapsed beside Jinho, both of them panting, their bodies slick with sweat. The room was quiet now, save for their heavy breathing, the aftermath of their shared intimacy hanging in the air. After catching his breath, Jin-Woo looked at her as he kissed her lips.

"I love you..."

"I love you too."

X

Chapter Text

The evening of the 24th of December.

Jin-Woo was walking on a street filled with the festive atmosphere of Christmas. He could easily spot the smiling faces of movie stars or top gamers proudly on display on the electronic advertising boards hung here and there.

‘The streets have changed a lot.’

Whenever Jin-Woo recalled the time when the streets used to be dominated by the faces of top-ranked Hunters, he still felt a bit awkward and disjointed.

But then, he spotted an advertising poster for a particular video game and broke out into a gentle chuckle. A rather familiar face was on it, that was why.

'Ah, the idol of the gaming world, is it….?’

Indeed, Jinho’s smile on the poster was good enough to be called on the level of an idol.

After graduating from university, Jinho embarked on a diverse path in her professional journey. She became a professional gamer, launched a successful YouTube channel, and continued to train in the art of running a business empire under her father, Chairman Yu Myung-Hwan.

Still smiling, Jin-Woo resumed his walk towards the meeting area.

He took a look around himself without thinking too much about it and discovered many young couples and their colorful clothing filling up the streets.

'Yup, I'm definitely an officer who recently joined the force. Look how plainly dressed I am.'

Jin-Woo lightly tutted at his rather plain-looking clothes and sought out the nearest clothing store. With the time being what it was, the shops were all closed, but from the get-go, he wasn’t planning to buy something, anyway.

Jin-Woo stopped walking in front of a mannequin kitted out in the coolest outfit inside the shop window.

Sha-ah-ahk….

The pitch-black smoke enveloped Jin-Woo’s figure for a brief moment and his outfit had changed to the exact same thing as that mannequin’s.

He examined his new look through the reflection on the shop’s window before asking his Shadow Soldiers.

“What do you think?”

Tusk, having developed an intense interest in all things fashion-related from some time ago, hurriedly replied first, maybe fearing that someone else might steal his limelight.

[You look amazing, my liege.]

“Alright.”

Jin-Woo’s steps became a touch cheerier than before and they helped him arrive at the place of his appointment in the proverbial blink of an eye.

Surrounding a massive Christmas tree installed in the middle of a plaza were many people searching and waiting for their companions to arrive.

Even though many of them were nervously glancing at their watches, the looks of happiness still could be gleaned from their expressions regardless, perhaps because today was Christmas Eve.

Unlike them, though, Jin-Woo was staring into the sky since he had more than enough leeway compared to them.

There were all sorts of ambient noises made by people walking on the streets, but Jin-Woo still could accurately distinguish the footsteps that mattered to him.

‘…..3, 2, 1.’

Just as his girlfriend arrived near his back, he turned around to greet her.

“Hey. You came.”

Jinho had planned to take him by surprise, but her efforts were thwarted, leaving her looking a bit disappointed as she sneakily lowered her arms.

“It's like you’ve got eyes behind your back, you know?”

She pouted like a child, which was adorable, so he broke out into a soft grin. 

Jinho pulled up the hood on her top to avoid the attention of the passersby, like how Jin-Woo used to do.

“Should we take a walk for a while?”

Jin-Woo’s suggestion was met by Jinho's brightly smiling face.

As the two of them walked, hand in hand, their fingers intertwined, they chose the less populated path whenever they came across a crossroad. 

Meanwhile, Jinho’s eyes were growing really large after listening to Jin-Woo’s stories about his work at the police station. 

Despite being a rookie, he had made impressive accomplishments, capturing numerous criminals and closing long-standing cases. Jinho was awe-struck and filled with a sense of pride for her boyfriend.

"You know, I never saw that coming. I mean, you joining the police, considering you never showed any interest in that." Jinho started. 

Jin-Woo replied with a soft smile, "Well, it was actually a friend who recommended it to me."

He remembered that day he reunited with Jin-Cheol, when he was still a high school student. 

“May I ask whether you thought about what you’d like to do in the future?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, unfortunately.”

“In that case…. How about, you know, joining this side?” Woo Jin-Cheol displayed the police identification card inside his wallet.

“You mean… the National Police?”

Jin-Woo studied the identification card for a while and returned the wallet with a grin on his face.

“But, if I become a police officer, other cops won’t have anything to do anymore, you know?”

“That’s precisely why we’re working very hard, you see – to create a world like that.”

He hadn’t changed. From when he was the Chief of the Association’s Monitoring Division, and when he was the President of the Hunter’s Association itself, the expressions Woo Jin-Cheol had shown back then remained as he continued his life as a police detective now.

“I’ll think about it.” Jin-Woo replied so and turned around to leave.

Woo Jin-Cheol quickly bade him goodbye.

“I shall wait for your favorable reply.”

“Please don’t. I heard that there’s a crap ton of work, but the pay is pretty bad.”

Jin-Woo waved his hand as he walked away, and Woo Jin-Cheol smiled gently as his silent reply.

Jin-Woo then chuckled as he snapped out of his thoughts. 

It was at that point that her ears perked up.

“Wait, that person wasn’t a woman, was it?”

Jinho's eyes narrowed to a slit, but Jin-Woo found her expression really adorable, so he decided to string her along for a bit.

“Mmm, who knows.” He casually said. 

It didn't take long until her cheeks puffed up, and a cute pout formed on her face.

Watching her, Jin-Woo couldn't help but find her utterly adorable, and there was no end to the enjoyment he derived from seeing his girlfriend behave in such a cute manner.

Around then….

Tap.

Something fell gently from the sky and landed on the tip of his nose, followed soon after by wet coldness melting on his skin.

It was a snowflake.

Jin-Woo raised his head up to look, and white specks began falling gently from the blackened sky. A White Christmas was coming, it seemed.

He silently stared at the falling snow only to recall the sight of settling grey ash after he defeated the Monarch of Destruction.

Ash as white as snow – no, snowflakes as light as ash silently descended on the land. 

“Hey... what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing much.” Jin-Woo smiled softly and tried to gloss over it.

Well, it wasn’t as if he could tell her that, while he was looking at the snow falling from the evening sky a day before Christmas, he was busy recalling probably the most dangerous enemy he had to fight in his entire life, now could he?

Jinho formed a broad grin after listening to Jin-Woo’s reply, then she brought up something out of the blue.

“Jin-Woo, do you remember the bet we made?"

“Which one?”

“The one where you promised to answer everything if I ever beat you in a video game.”

Jin-Woo simply smirked in response. "Yeah. And that hasn't happened yet."

Jinho cringed a bit, but determination glimmered in her eyes as she replied, "Yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. However, that's for another time. Right now, I want to challenge you to something else."

Jin-Woo chuckled softly, thoroughly entertained by the situation. "Alright, I'm listening."

Jinho promptly pointed towards one of the trees lining up along the street.

“Well, why don’t we make a bet, then? Let’s see who will arrive there first.”

Jin-Woo couldn’t help but chuckle after hearing her sudden challenge and ask her a question.

“What is it that you’d like to ask me?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?”

“What you’re thinking about sometimes, whether it was a girl or a guy that recommended you to join the police, and also….

“Also?”

“….Also, about the time we met before that freshman party took place.”

“….Alright.” Jin-Woo readily agreed to it and took his hands out from his pockets. 

The end result wouldn’t be affected just because he kept his hands there, but still, he wanted to show her that he was taking this challenge quite seriously.

But then….

Jinho suddenly wrapped her scarf around his neck before asking him for a small favor in a whisper.

“If you love me, don’t move from this spot.”

“Wha?”

While he was getting flustered by this development, Jinho began walking slowly towards the tree in question while looking straight at him. 

As for Jin-Woo himself, he couldn’t hold back his laughter after realising that his defeat had been set in stone from the get-go.

“Hah….”

In the end, Jinho succeeded in touching the tree first, and she lightly jumped in the air to announce her victory.

Meanwhile, his Shadow Soldiers watching the two lovers’ competition with a great deal of anticipation and excitement began jumping up and down themselves in happiness as well.

[Heee-ya~, our liege has lost!]

[Wow, there are times when our liege will lose a challenge with so much at stake, too!]

[It seems our liege has no chance against our queen.]

[Kkiiieehhk-!! Oh, my kinggg! It’s not too late, so please get going now!!]

Jin-Woo was left stupefied and chuckled again while scratching the side of his head. He took a glance around the street and approached the tree as well.

“Well, I won, right?”

Jinho was waiting for his reply with an excited expression clearly etched on her face. 

Jin-Woo stopped before her smile.

He slowly brought his lips closer and gently locked them with Jinho’s.

That moment.

A voice struck Jinho‘s brain like a thunderbolt.

-Are you always this quiet?

‘… Huh?‘

Instinctively realizing that it might be her own voice, Jinho looked around quickly in amazement.

But it wasn‘t.

There was nothing.

Not even the appearance of Jin-Woo, who had been by her side until now.

Suddenly, everything was gone.

All Jinho could see was a white void. In the middle of it, she stood alone.

At that moment, another strong hallucination echoed in her brain.

-You said you were E-Class, right? I will protect you. Stay right next to me.

-… Alright, thank you for saying that.

‘Ah!‘

She felt like her head was about to explode.

Jinho clenched her teeth and grabbed her head with both hands from the tremendous headache.

From the depths of her head, memories like a kaleidoscope began to unfold like a panorama.

However, the sight was very unfamiliar.

Her youthful self was having a friendly conversation with someone.

-Just 20 times! No, just go with 19!

-There is one condition.

-Tell me anything!

-You and I, just the two of us.

But the other person‘s face…

‘J-Jin-Woo...!‘

That made her even more appalled.

Pant, pant….

Jinho panted heavily and with great difficulty; memories sealed tightly away somewhere within her soul had been unlocked.

-We'll meet again soon.  

- Jin-Woo. 

-Yes?

-Can you promise me.. Can you promise me that you’ll come to see me again? 

-Yes. I promise to go see you. 

Hot tears were flowing from Jinho's eyes.

Two lives.

Two memories.

At the center of it all was the presence of Sung Jinwoo, who had always been by her side.

“Haa…“ A sigh escaped Jinho‘s mouth.

Everything was just forgotten.

Everything.

“Jinho.“

Jinho, who was struggling in the world of emptiness, heard Jin-Woo’s voice in her ears.

“… !“

Jinho's eyes fluttered open, returning to reality, and she found Jin-Woo still there, his soft grin unchanged. 

Even after her memory returned, Jinho shed tears for a long time.

"...E-Even though I forgot everything, you came to visit me first. It wasn't even a coincidence that we first met when I was just a freshman..."

Jin-Woo's gaze remained gentle as he softly wiped away her tears with his fingers. She continued crying, her tears flowing freely even as they both sat on a nearby bench.

He continued to gently wipe away her tears, silently showing his support and patience, allowing her to fully express herself.

As she gradually composed herself, Jinho managed to ask, her voice trembling, "How long... how long have you been fighting those creatures in the gap between dimensions?”

Jin-Woo's reply was straightforward and honest, "27 years..." However, he immediately regret his words, as Jinho's tears welled up in her eyes once more.

How could she possibly not cry?! 

To think, her boyfriend had to fight against over ten million enemies for nearly 30 years in the gap between the walls of different dimensions, where not a single thing could exist….

Jinho couldn’t even begin to imagine how difficult and arduous the battles must’ve been. 

How lonely he must have felt. 

Jinho broke down into tears again, unable to hold back the flood of emotions that overwhelmed her. The thought of her boyfriend battling alone for all these years, while everyone else lived in oblivious peace, she lived in oblivious peace, shattered her heart. 

She felt a deep sense of guilt for forgetting him, and her heart ached.

Jin-Woo enveloped her in a tight embrace, shushing her gently and reassuring her in a soothing tone, "It's okay now. It's all over. It's all over now."

Jinho continued to cry on Jin-Woo's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around him, as if she feared he might vanish from her grasp.

Time passed as she cried, unaware of how long it had been until she managed to find her voice once more. Softly, she inquired, ".....You don't regret anything?"

“No, I don’t.”

He could say this with absolute confidence.

“If I were to be given the same opportunity over and over again, I will make the same decision every single time.”

He had protected her.

He had protected the peaceful everyday lives.

Everything that happened – from when he and his father went to a baseball game while holding hands during the latter’s off day; the doenjang stew mom cooked with so much care and love; his little sister’s smile, bright and unclouded by the fear of the monsters….

Whenever he ran into the evidence of peace created from his sacrifice, it felt as if he had reaped the benefits of all his hard work.

That was why….

‘That’s enough for me.’

….That was enough for him.

If the price he had to pay for all of these things was to carry the weighty burden by himself, then he’d not hesitate to carry it over and over again.

“I don’t regret anything.”

Jinho's heart wrenched once more as she heard Jin-Woo's composed voice. His words, so clear and certain, sent her tears flowing freely once more.

Jin-Woo was grinning outwardly, but too bad…

‘….Having a high Perception Stat isn’t always useful, is it?’

Thanks to his supernatural-level of senses that allowed him to read every little minutiae of Jinho’s emotions, even Jin-Woo’s nose began stinging a little bit now. 

He deliberately avoided meeting her gaze, choosing instead to burry his head in her neck and hold her tighter, savoring the moment.

_____________

Years later. 

Inside a conference chamber located on the top floor of a certain high-rise building.

“Chairwoman?”

“….”

“Ma'am, are you alright?”

Jinho barely managed to suppress the corners of her lips trying to rise up.

“Yes, I’m fine. Well, then. Let’s continue….”

Jinho fished through the documents placed in front of her before raising her head up to see the faces of her employees filling up the conference chamber. 

She formed an embarrassed grin and asked them a question. “Uhm, what were we talking about just now?”

“..…”

The expressions of these employees hardened for a short while after they all realised that their boss hadn’t heard a thing they were talking about for the past 30 minutes of the meeting.

However, they calmed themselves and got the meeting going again.

“Ma'am, we were informing you that we need to come up with a new title for the virtual reality video game our company is about to publish.”

“Ah, that’s right. Right.”

Jinho nodded her head, but then, couldn’t hold it back anymore and shot up from her seat to loudly cry out towards her employees.

“Everyone, I'm pregnant! I'm going to be a mom!”

Her face was filled with an uncontrollable amount of joy right now.

The inside of the conference chamber was filled with a sudden silence. But that lasted only for a brief while.

Soon, documents were flying in the air, and at the same time, employees were crying out in cheer as well.

“Congratulations, Ma'am!”

“Congrats, Ma'am!!”

“Congratulations!”

Jinho did a lap around the conference chamber and high-fived all of her employees jumping up and down in joy as if this news concerned themselves.

Her absolutely lovely husband, her soon-to-be-born baby, and her game development company that was making a killing year after year….

How could the world be this beautiful to her eyes right now?

During the middle of her lap of celebration, Jinho had a moment of sudden, powerful inspiration.

She climbed up on the conference table and confidently made a declaration to her employees.

“The Beautiful World!!!”

Quite obviously, the gazes of all the employees gathered on her.

“Excuse me?”

As they began doubting their ears, Jinho oh-so courteously proved that their hearing wasn’t faulty.

“That will be the title of our new game! Let’s go with the “Beautiful World’!!”

The joy-filled conference chamber was enveloped in a sudden bout of silence.

“….Are you serious, Ma'am?”

Jinho replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“Of course. The name ‘Beautiful World’ fits our game that will virtually recreate reality as close as it can, so…. Ahh? What's with those faces of yours?"

“Ma'am, you should rethink this….”

“The fate of our company hangs in the balance with this game, Ma'am!”

“I mean, it’s not really a ‘Beautiful World’, is it, Ma'am??”

“You’re being too much, you know?!”

Even though her naming sense was being mercilessly shot down and trampled on by her employees, Jinho still felt really happy regardless.

‘The world is still really beautiful and all, isn’t it?’

Jinho stared outside the window as the sunlight poured in through the glass.

_________

[The Chairwoman of Ah-Jin, Jinho – the miraculous tale of the young and successful entrepreneur who rejected the inheritance of a Chaebol!]

(Chaebol=rich business family.)

Slice, slice….

The chairman’s office of the Yujin Construction was filled with the sounds of a pair of scissors cutting through a newspaper. 

Chairman Yu Myung-Han only raised his head after he was finished with decorating his scrapbook’s pages.

“Were there any other articles?”

Secretary Kim, one of his hands full of newspapers, shook his head side to side.

“….I see.”

Chairman Yu Myung-Han closed the scrapbook, his current expression filled with dissatisfaction.

“She rejected the position I created for her, and she instead starts a game company, of all things…. Tsk, tsk.”

Secretary Kim wordlessly glanced at the corner of the chairman’s desk.

That was where he could see the thick pile of newspapers with all the articles related to Jinho cut out. More than that, they were worked on personally by none other than the Chairman himself, too.

‘…..’ Secretary Kim had to dry cough in order to hold back the laughter rushing out from the deepest part of his chest.

It was then – the Chairman’s head shifted towards the window. "I want to see my grandchild soon." He muttered to himself with a smile. 

Secretary Kim politely took the scrapbook and placed it back on the office’s bookshelf.

There were four such books on the shelf already.

Chairman Yu Myung-Han’s precious secret collection that no one knew about beside himself and his secretary was steadily growing larger every day.

X