Suddenly, Saeki shot to his feet as if someone had injected him with pure adrenaline.
"I really should have convinced Yeri to sign a contract with me!" he blurted out, his voice caught between excitement and deep regret.
His eyes darted across the skyrocketing post metrics. No promotions, no paid push, no strategy yet it was exploding on its own.
A gold mine. A walking, talking gold mine he had somehow let slip through his fingers.
"Ah, sister-in-law, you're so cruel…" Saeki muttered, clutching his chest dramatically. "You could've contacted me before posting, at least signed a collaboration with me! Ah, my heart is breaking~"
The employees, seeing he was perfectly fine, exchanged puzzled glances. Curiosity got the better of them as they checked their own phones. After all, in their industry, anything that could shake their CEO like this had to be viral, something massive.
Saeki waved a dismissive hand. "Continue the meeting."
And then promptly rushed out, already dialing a number.
---
Online, the comments section was a storm. Netizens flooded in by the thousands.
But just as quickly, the darker tide rolled in.
"Delete this! You're embarrassing him!"
"Why ruin Shin Keir's image like this?"
"Who do you think you are?"
Some went as far as reporting her account. Others tagged KGG, insinuating that the CEO of a major conglomerate shouldn't behave this way.
By the time Yeri returned to school, her ears were red as if painted in fresh ink, her face wasn't doing much better.
Truthfully, she had only intended to take a few photos.
She didn't even know what possessed her to tell Shin to spoon-feed her… and then dare him to say that.
And the most unbelievable part, he actually did it.
She hadn't planned to post it either, but then it was his turn to dare her. With that silver tongue of his, he pushed just enough and she fell right into the trap.
Students turned their heads as she walked by. Some whispered, some smiled and many greeted her openly saying how she and Shin Keir look really good together.
Yeri sank into her seat, hoping to disappear.
"Eat, my baby…"
The voice echoed again and her embarrassment hitting critical levels.
One of her classmates was replaying the reel.
Nina swooped in like a delighted spectator at a grand spectacle, grinning from ear to ear.
Even Loki looked at her as if she had just conquered an entire continent single-handedly.
"Wow," he teased, circling Yeri like she was inspecting a rare artifact. "Did the boss lose a bet or something? You really made him say that?"
In no time, those three words became a viral hashtag.
Influencers jumped on it. Couples recreated it. Social media personalities spun their own versions.
Elsewhere, Anri nearly combusted the moment she saw the post.
She was convinced Yeri had done it on purpose, a provocation or declaration, and a direct challenge.
Fueled by anger, she stormed toward Yeri's classroom, ready to confront her but the moment she saw Loki standing there, it was like a candle meeting a sudden gust.
Her courage flickered out instantly. Without a word, Anri turned on her heel and retreated, quietly slipping back to her own class.
---
As the haters rallied, their voices grew louder, sharper, more self-righteous.
They cursed Yeri, insisting Shin had been forced. Claiming that as his fiancée, she had no right to impose such things on him for her own selfishness and clout.
Then, Shin's verified account, under the simple one-letter username S, reposted Yeri's video.
Caption: ♥️
That was it. No further explanation or defense, and yet, it landed harder than a thousand arguments, instantly slapping the accusations straight across the face.
"Hahaha~ the big shot has spoken!"
"You all claim you're worried about Shin Keir's image, speaking on his behalf but aren't you the ones putting words in his mouth? Twisting him into whatever ideal you've built in your heads?"
"These delusional fans can't accept that their version of Shin Keir was nothing but fantasy. He's human. He can fall in love. And maybe… this is just how he is with the person he loves."
"If you people had even a shred of shame, go ahead and report yourselves instead for forcing your own expectations onto him."
---
Calin, who had just had a major meltdown at the company and argued with Bryce Gate over the phone, returned home in a foul mood, only to find her mother laughing loudly with her friends, their chatter filling the house.
Ignoring them, she went straight to her room.
"Calin, you look awful. Did something happen?" Madam Ricci followed shortly after.
"You were crying as if Dad had already died these past few days, and now you're suddenly so happy… Mom, you sure moved on quickly," Calin said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Madam Ricci's expression darkened. "You were the one who told me not to grieve so openly, as if your father were already dead. I even called your brother, and he said there's nothing we can do but hope your father wakes up soon. So why are you always venting your frustrations on your own mother whenever something doesn't go your way?"
Calin ignored her, continuing to tap on her phone.
That was when she saw Yeri's update.
For a moment, she reacted just like Saeki Jie. Then came the same thought as those delusional fans, it had to be fake, or he was forced.
But when she saw Shin Keir had reposted it, it felt as if all the blood in her body drained away, only to rush back up to her head like a volcano erupting.
She thought of her fiancé, Bryce Gate, prioritising his reputation, and accepting Vanessa's lies. And then there was Shin Keir, doing something so openly embarrassing, even reposting it just to shut down the haters targeting Yeri.
This… this was what her love life was supposed to look like.
The version she had imagined.
This was how she had imagined her man would treat her, making her feel the warmth of his love, pampered, envied by all, protected and untouchable.
A man who would declare, without fear or calculation "She is mine."
But reality struck like a stinging slap.
Side by side, the comparison was brutal and unforgiving.
And in that truth, Calin saw it clearly.
She was standing on the exact opposite side of everything Yeri now had.
Furious, Calin didn't lash out like she usually would. Instead, she burst into tears, pouring out all her grievances in a way that startled her mother.
Madam Ricci was taken aback. Had she gone too far with her scolding… or had that old bastard, her husband, actually died?
---
That night, Calin went to the bar she used to frequent with him.
And, as expected, she saw Allen, her ex.
"You still hang around here?" Calin said as she slid into the seat across from him.
Allen glanced at her, momentarily surprised, before shifting his attention back to his phone.
"Don't tell me you're alone?" Calin continued, her eyes sweeping the room.
"What's wrong with drinking alone?" Allen shrugged.
Calin curved her lips into her usual seductive smile. "Then you won't mind if I join you."
"Aren't you afraid your fiancé might misunderstand?"
At the word fiancé, her smile faltered, almost turning into a scowl but she forced it back. "I don't want to talk about it."
The first shot burned down her throat, but instead of pain, it felt like release. One glass turned into another, and then another.
Allen glanced at his watch. It was already past midnight. He gestured toward her. "It's late. You should head back."
Calin giggled, snatching his drink. "Are you kidding me? You know me, Allen. And what do you mean, 'it's late'?"
"Do I?" Allen smirked, his gaze lingering on her with quiet scrutiny.
Calin tilted her head, clearly not understanding.
Allen only shrugged, despite her insistence, he stood to leave. "If you don't want to go, I can call someone to keep you company."
Calin stared at him, lips pursed in a faint pout. "You've changed."
"Have I?" Allen echoed. Then, with a voice laced in something unreadable, he asked,
"What is it you really want, Calin?"
Calin averted her gaze, her expression tight with grievance, refusing to speak.
To her surprise, Allen didn't press further. He didn't insist, didn't show concern, didn't coax her the way he used to when they were together.
He simply turned and walked away.
Her heart twisted, panic, reluctance, disbelief tangling together like vines tightening around her chest.
This was the same man who had once loved her so fiercely he would secretly follow her abroad, lurking at a distance just to catch a glimpse of her while whispering that he missed her.
The same man who shielded her from scandals, using every connection he had whenever damaging rumors surfaced online.
The same man who had cried himself hoarse when she broke up with him, flooding her phone with calls and messages for months, desperate to win her back.
And that time, when they had a minor car accident, he hadn't hesitated to take the blame, ensuring not even a whisper of scandal would touch her name.
So what had changed… in the time they were apart?
"Allen!"
Calin rushed after him, heels striking sharply against the pavement as she caught up in the parking lot, stepping in front of him to block his path.
"You- what is wrong with you?"
"What could be wrong with me?" Allen replied calmly. "Clearly, it's you."
His gaze was steady, almost detached. "Calin, you're already engaged. You don't want people validating that woman's claims by seeing you with another man at this hour. I may not be Shin Keir, but I still have a reputation to consider."
He moved as if to leave, but she grabbed his arm, clinging to him with visible distress.
"I regret it…" Her voice trembled. "Bryce… he doesn't love me. He doesn't care about me."
Allen "...."
Calin looked up at him, her eyes shimmering, fragile as porcelain like something that might shatter with the slightest touch.
"At that time, I felt trapped. My family was on the verge of bankruptcy. My father wanted me to get engaged to Tristan, but you know what he's like… I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do. All I wanted was to save my family."
Her grip tightened slightly.
"So when Bryce appeared… and offered something I couldn't refuse…"
Allen remained silent.