The early morning air in Uyama was unusually still.
Birds had not yet begun their songs. The wind moved slowly, almost in mourning. The entire Kim estate was wrapped in a quiet haze — the kind that follows deep grief.
Sunghoon stood at the foot of the grand staircase, dressed in black from head to toe. His coat hung neatly on his broad shoulders, gloves in hand, expression unreadable. He was ready to leave — not just Uyama, but the life he'd lived before Yuna's death.
Mr. Kim and Mrs. Kim stood across from him.
His mother, with red-rimmed eyes, clutched a tissue in one hand and his arm in the other. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "Sunghoon… please take care of yourself."
"I will," he said softly, though his voice carried no emotion.
Mr. Kim gave his son a strong nod, hiding his own sorrow. "You don't have to prove anything. Just take time. Heal."
Sunghoon didn't answer. He simply bowed to them both. But instead of walking toward the car waiting outside the gates, he turned away.
"Where are you going?" Mrs. Kim asked, confused.
"Just one stop before I go."
(The Graveyard – Uyama Hillside)
The cemetery was silent.
Rows of white marble stood across the slope, like frozen ghosts under the morning sun. Only one grave had fresh flowers.
Yuna's.
Sunghoon knelt beside it, eyes locked on the name carved into stone.
Kim Yuna
2008–2025
"A flower the world never got to see bloom."
He didn't speak for a long time. His fingers grazed the edge of the cold stone. Then he finally whispered,
"I'm leaving today."
A gust of wind passed over the hill.
"I'm going to Seoul. Not because I want to… but because I have to."
He clenched his jaw, voice tightening.
"They think this trip is for healing. But it's not. It's the beginning of something else, Yuna. Something I can't come back from."
He stood up slowly.
"I'll destroy what destroyed you."
With that, he turned and walked back toward the black SUV where Daejun waited.
(On the Road to Seoul)
Inside the car, the silence between Sunghoon and Daejun wasn't awkward. It was sharp, heavy — filled with things that didn't need to be said aloud.
"Everything's in place?" Sunghoon asked without looking over.
"Yes, sir," Daejun replied. "We'll reach Seoul in under three hours. The penthouse is prepped. Surveillance ready. Staff cleared out."
Sunghoon leaned back in his seat, watching the road blur past the window.
"Does Minjun suspect anything?"
"No. He thinks it's just a short break — exactly like Mr. Kim planned."
"Good. Keep it that way."
A pause.
"Do you really think this girl — Yoo Hana — will lead us to them?"
Sunghoon's eyes narrowed. "She doesn't have to lead us. She is the leverage."
"She doesn't even know who she is," Daejun added quietly.
"That's what makes her useful," Sunghoon replied coldly. "She'll trust more. Believe more. And when she finally realizes the truth, it'll be too late."
(Seoul – Mapo District – Late Afternoon)
The city swallowed them whole.
Neon signs. Crowded sidewalks. Cars flowing like blood through steel veins. Sunghoon watched the chaos of the capital from the backseat, unfazed.
The SUV pulled into the underground parking of a luxury high-rise. Their private elevator opened directly into the penthouse — sleek, dark, and silent.
Daejun walked ahead, checking the surveillance setup.
"We have three camera views on her building. One across her street, one inside the café she visits, and a third on the alley behind her complex."
Sunghoon stood in front of the tall glass windows, eyes fixed on a rooftop two blocks away.
He didn't say anything for a moment.
Then, slowly, "We're not approaching her yet."
Daejun turned. "What's the plan?"
"I need to know what kind of girl she is."
"You mean emotionally?"
"Yes," Sunghoon replied. "Is she soft or guarded? Is she lonely? Weak? Strong? Does she trust strangers easily… or do we need to break her down?"
Daejun nodded slowly. "You want a psychological read."
"I want a strategy," Sunghoon said. "If she's easy to draw in, I'll make her come to me. If she's harder… I'll become someone else. Someone she'd never suspect."
(Evening — Mapo District, Seoul)
The sun dipped behind the skyline, and the city transformed into a sea of golden lights and moving shadows.
Sunghoon stood by the window of the penthouse, still in silence, when a soft knock broke the quiet.
Daejun stepped in. "Sir. You've been watching all day. You should eat."
"I'm fine," Sunghoon replied without turning around.
"But you're not invisible," Daejun said calmly. "You're going to be living here for a while. We need to establish normalcy — in case anyone ever watches us."
Sunghoon didn't answer.
Daejun added, "One dinner out won't kill you. I've picked the restaurant. It's crowded, upscale, public. A place someone like you should be seen. Think of it as another part of the plan."
A moment of silence.
Then finally, Sunghoon turned and picked up his coat.
"Fine. Let's go."
(An Hour Later — Seoul's Gangnam District)
The restaurant was one of the top in the city — sleek marble walls, dim lighting, high-end clientele. No one asked questions. No one looked twice.
They were seated in a private booth tucked in the back corner.
Daejun ordered casually, blending in like any normal businessman. Sunghoon sat across from him, stiff but composed, scanning the restaurant the way a soldier scans a battlefield.
"Look around," Daejun said while sipping his water. "People laugh, flirt, lie, and eat. No one knows who you are here. That's your advantage."
Sunghoon glanced toward a couple laughing at the bar. "They live in a world that doesn't exist for people like us."
"That's the point," Daejun replied. "You're not in Uyama anymore. Seoul is a stage. You can be whoever you need to be."
Their food arrived — untouched for a while. Sunghoon leaned back slightly, looking past Daejun at the glass wall overlooking the busy street.
"I don't want to be someone else," he said quietly.
"But if that's what it takes to destroy them," he added, eyes sharpening, "I'll play the part better than anyone."