Location: Geneva – Private Summit, Undisclosed Room – Day After Conference
The walls were soundproof.
The table was circular, obsidian black.
No cameras. No media. Only eyes that had shaped nations for decades.
Jiwoo stood at one side of the room. Alone. No Circle. No guards.
At the other end sat four men and one woman.
Not elected. Not famous. But unmistakably powerful.
> "You're younger than we expected," one of them said, voice deep with polite danger.
"But your system is not."
They slid a folder across the table.
Inside:
Military intelligence reports.
Satellite heatmap tracing system ripple effects.
Jiwoo's early bank account screenshots.
Aurora Hills construction blueprint.
Seven names. Seven profiles.
His.
> "We know."
---
The Offer
The woman leaned forward, her voice calm.
> "You disrupted 23 economies.
Killed five monopolies.
Neutralized three black-market trade routes.
And did it with no blood, no banks, no bullets."
She tapped the folder.
> "You proved something we've spent decades pretending was impossible."
Then, the real offer:
> "Join us. Lead from within.
We'll give you unlimited authority. Budget. Global tools.
You can expand your system… with our machinery."
Jiwoo listened.
Expression unreadable.
---
The Price
He already knew the catch.
But he waited.
And they said it.
> "But your Circle must be dissolved.
Or remain silent.
Your methods work because they're small, clean, untethered.
That's not scalable.
The girls are a liability."
The woman added gently:
> "We're not enemies. But if you refuse…
we will frame you as one."
---
Jiwoo's Answer
He closed the folder.
Calmly stood.
> "You think I'm scared of being painted the villain?"
He looked each of them in the eye.
> "I was rejected by my own girlfriend for being poor.
I slept in a rented room with my sister.
I built peace with no soldiers and no slogans.
You can burn my name.
But you'll never touch what we built."
He walked to the door.
Paused.
> "We're not small.
We're quiet.
And quiet… doesn't mean weak."
---
Elsewhere: The Circle Watches
In a nearby secure location, the girls watched the encounter via Jihye's hidden node connection.
Eunsol: "He turned them down."
Sena: "Of course he did."
Noeun, eyes glassy: "They would've taken us from him."
Mirae hugged her. "They can't. They never could."
Yoori looked at the paused screen.
> "They're scared of us."
Jihye: "They should be."
---
System Alert – That Night
> [System Update: Political Entities Flagged as Hostile Observers]
[World Council Status: Monitoring Jiwoo – High Threat Potential]
[Countermeasures Activated: Proxy Leadership Model Now Public-Ready]
Jiwoo's personal screen displayed a new message:
> "The storm begins. Not with force.
But with a smile that bites."
---
Final Scene – Rooftop of Geneva Flat
The seven girls sat around Jiwoo on the rooftop.
Quiet.
Above them, drones blinked faint red in the clouds.
He told them everything.
When he was done, he asked:
> "Was I wrong?"
No one answered right away.
Then Yoori said:
> "You didn't reject power.
You just refused to let it come without us."
Mirae grinned, holding his hand.
> "That's why we chose you."
Jihye added, voice cool:
> "And now… the real peace war begins.
Not with guns.
But with ideas."
Jiwoo looked up at the night sky.
> "Then let's shake the world.
Without raising our voices."
---