Inside the grandest and most luxurious chamber of the Kamakiri estate, everything glittered with opulent arrogance. Every surface was carved with meticulous detail and bathed in the shimmer of pure gold. Rare and outrageously expensive collectibles were displayed like trophies of power, screaming the supremacy of their bloodline.
And yet—beneath the 50-billion-VND crystal chandelier—sat an atmosphere so tense it felt suffocating.
Beside the extravagant arc-shaped sofa set, a massive TV screen was flashing the crashing stock value of SCJ Corporation. The wildly fluctuating numbers over the past 24 hours painted one truth: the situation was spiraling out of control.
Madam Miko, wearing an elegant deep-purple kimono, still sipped her tea with grace—but cold sweat was trailing down her temple. Across from her, Valko sat stiffly, unable to even glance at the screen anymore. Meanwhile, Madam Tomi, still dressed in her corporate suit after rushing back straight from SCJ headquarters, radiated nothing but sheer disappointment. Not even the premium tea and luxurious dessert before her could soften the storm about to erupt.
"What the hell is going on!?" Tomi snapped, her voice slicing through the room.
Valko glanced nervously at his mother-in-law seated beside him, but she could offer him no lifeline. The pressure was unbearable, and he had no choice but to scramble for a way to salvage the moment.
"Aunt Tomi... please don't worry too much. I'll handle this as quickly as possible," he said with forced calm.
"Handle it?" Tomi narrowed her eyes sharply. "Oh really? And how exactly do you plan to 'handle' this?"
The icy venom in her tone sent a chill down Valko's spine. His hands trembled slightly, though he tried to steady his voice.
"I-I'll find the bastard responsible! Force him to confess that he fabricated everything! Then we'll hold a press conference and—"
"Force him to confess to fabrication?" Tomi cut him off, and Valko instantly froze. Realizing he'd just slipped, he fumbled to correct himself.
"N-no, what I meant is—he staged all this to defame us and demand ransom! That video… it must have been fake. If we negotiate with him, give him a reasonable amount, he'll shut his mouth."
"How admirable of you, Valko," Tomi folded her arms and leaned back slightly. Her eyes sharpened with cold amusement—as if she had just seen right through him.
"You claim he staged it, but forensic analysis already confirmed the footage was real. It clearly shows your company's employees smuggling diseased pork into the factories since 2033! So what now!? How many tons of rotten meat did you push into the market all these years, and this—this—is your solution!? What happens when the authorities launch an investigation!?"
"T-That will absolutely not happen!" Valko stammered, though he himself wasn't sure.
"I won't let it get that far! The authorities, the police—"
"If you can talk big, then you better make sure you DO it!" Tomi's roar thundered across the chamber, making both Valko and Miko flinch.
Miko finally spoke up in defense of her son-in-law.
"You're being harsh, Tomi. He's already doing his best. He held a press conference yesterday, answering countless questions to shield SCJ. Be a little gentler with him."
"Shut up!"
Tomi's voice cracked like a whip. Miko stiffened, eyes wide, jaw trembling.
"W-what?"
"You heard me. You stay cooped up in this mansion all day—how would you possibly understand what's happening out there? Keep shielding your precious son-in-law and your oh-so-beloved eldest daughter!"
Miko's cheeks flushed red with rage.
"How dare you speak to me like that!? I'm still your older sister—you cannot be so disrespectful!"
Tomi merely rolled her eyes with a mocking laugh, fully aware she had struck Miko's pride as a media-facing woman.
"Sure. But there's going to be a major shareholder meeting soon. They're demanding Mother's attendance. Would you like her to hear about all this?"
At the mention of their mother—the matriarch of the Kamakiri family, currently in seclusion within the deepest sanctuary of the estate—Miko's face drained of color. She shook her head frantically, whispering in panic, barely audible.
"No… Mother must not know…"
Tomi pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to maintain composure.
"I'll have to protect your precious daughter too. Everyone already knows she's SCJ's executive director in charge of distributing meat to Goten supermarkets. If she shows up now, public outrage will explode. In that case…"
She paused, letting the tension build.
"Mina will temporarily take over her position. At least until your daughter can safely disappear from public view."
Both Valko and Miko froze in shock. That was not what they wanted to hear.
Miko immediately protested.
"That's impossible!"
Tomi raised a brow.
"Impossible? What exactly is impossible?"
"That girl… how could she ever be qualified to become CEO!?"
"It's only temporary," Tomi sighed.
"Besides, Mina is currently adored by both our shareholders and partners. Making her CEO will help calm them down—otherwise SCJ will fall into chaos. Once it's safe, Haruna can return to her position. Assuming that's what you want."
Valko felt a knot twist uncomfortably in his gut. Mina rising to such a high position so suddenly was never part of his plan—even temporarily, it was too dangerous.
"By the way," Tomi glanced around casually, "where is your precious Haruna?"
Miko muttered begrudgingly, "After you scolded her so harshly, she's been in self-reflection for days. So I sent her on vacation to relax."
Tomi stared in disbelief.
"Seriously? In a crisis like this, you let that girl wander outside!? If anyone spots her, we're screwed!"
Miko snapped back.
"You act like she's a five-year-old who'll blurt everything out! She already reflected deeply! What more do you want!?"
"You—unbelievable…" Tomi clenched her fist, holding herself back from exploding again.
Valko quickly tried to defuse the situation.
"I'll call my sister-in-law. I'll remind her."
Tomi stared at him with suspicion. Something was off. He always seemed to be involved in every SCJ decision—too involved. Something about him had started to feel… wrong, especially since this scandal blew up.
"…Fine," she replied calmly. "Contact her for me."
But deep inside, her doubts had already taken root.
She would investigate him—quietly.
---
Inside the President's office of OPA Corporation, the SCJ incident had been the hottest, most shocking topic for the past few days. In the room were Mr. Hung, Duyen, and Secretary Oh, all staring tensely at the news broadcast. Next to the TV screen was a stock chart showing SCJ's share price plummeting at dizzying speed.
Only Shana looked completely unbothered—she was humming casually while painting her toenails right on the chairman's desk.
On the news channel, the anchor spoke about SCJ's current situation:
["Since the clip allegedly posted by a former employee of Goten Supermarket in 2033—showing diseased and dead pork being smuggled into the factory by the supplier and distributor—public panic has surged. It is still unclear whether the meat was actually processed and distributed to consumers. However, ever since the footage went viral, the public has fallen into confusion, unsure what is real or fake. Goten Supermarket and SCJ Corporation have long been known as the most reputable international brands on the market for decades, known for high quality and their rather expensive prices."]
["Authorities are currently investigating the case and identifying the individual responsible for releasing the video. SCJ's official spokesperson claims this is a hostile act intended to attack SCJ's credibility, and that they are fully willing to cooperate with law enforcement. However, that has not calmed shareholders. SCJ's stock price has plummeted from 200,000 VND per share to just 99,000 VND. Financial experts state that if the scandal continues to drag on, it will severely damage SCJ's reputation as one of the leading corporations in Asia."]
Duyen couldn't help but worry as she read the scrolling headlines. SCJ was caught in a sudden scandal out of nowhere, and whether large or small, it could affect Mina.
Mr. Hung turned off the TV with the remote, then sank into the armchair.
"This is strange. Normally, SCJ's crisis management team handles things swiftly and professionally. And yet now, information keeps flooding out and is even making it to major news outlets. I'm sure they're throwing money around to silence multiple channels—but why is everything still blowing up like this?"
Secretary Oh spoke anxiously, "Vice President, if this keeps going, people might spread rumors that we paid to sabotage SCJ…"
Mr. Hung let out a tired sigh.
"They've already accused us of that for ages. Blaming us won't solve anything, though. I'm certain someone is deliberately trying to take SCJ down. But who could be capable enough to go head-to-head with them…?"
After saying that, both he and Secretary Oh subconsciously glanced at Shana.
The red-brown-haired beauty was still focusing on painting her nails. Noticing their suspicious gazes, she snapped irritably.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't have anything to do with their scandal, okay? Whoever did it can deal with it themselves."
Though still doubtful, Hung eventually ruled Shana out. As bratty as she was, she never played that kind of game—despite possessing a rather alarming talent for psychological manipulation.
Meanwhile, Duyen, dressed in a pastel sweater and a red beanie, asked nervously,
"So… it's really that serious? Is there no way to fix things?"
Hung shrugged.
"Fixing it is easy—they just need to prove they're innocent. But from the way they're struggling right now, even they probably don't have solid evidence. On top of that, whoever leaked the footage is nowhere to be found. Add in the 163 hospitalized students, which only strengthens suspicions that substandard pork was used… With one thing stacking onto another, it's hard to resolve. If the public rises up and boycotts them…"
His unfinished sentence made anxiety spike in Duyen's chest. She didn't fully understand how these things worked, but even she could tell that things were dangerously bad.
Shana glanced at Duyen's worried face, and something bitter flickered in her eyes. Sure, SCJ's downfall technically benefitted OPA—but right now, Duyen was clearly thinking about Mina…
That thought seemed to irritate Shana. She suddenly stood up, stormed over, and grabbed Duyen's wrist.
"So? Wanna go see what SCJ looks like right now?"
"Huh?" Duyen blinked, confused. Why would they suddenly go to SCJ? Before she could even say anything, Shana threw open the office window.
A gust of wind blasted into the room, leaving the other three stunned.
Shana stepped onto the window ledge, smiling radiantly as she reached her hand out toward Duyen.
"You… wait, what do you mean—"
She's joking… right? Duyen thought in panic. This was the 40th floor! Her knees trembled as she pointed shakily at the window.
"Y-Y-You can actually FLY?!"
Shana looked slightly surprised, then burst out laughing.
"Oh, please. This basic stuff? Even a three-year-old child can do it."
Duyen froze. She had no idea what kind of 'children' Shana was referring to, but the girl was already tugging her toward the window.
"Come on, just try it, Duyen! It'll be fun!"
"N-No way!" Duyen frantically waved her hands. "I'll just take a taxi there—"
Before she could finish, Shana had already scooped her up and leapt out the window.
Only Duyen's distant scream echoed back into the office as papers flew everywhere.
"…Well then. She's the real deal after all, huh"
Mr. Hung muttered with reluctant admiration. He glanced at Secretary Oh, then cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Um, Ms. Oh… are you free later? Maybe… go to a bar with me? To, uh, unwind?"
"Huh?"
---
Duyen kept screaming while squeezing her eyes shut, clinging on as Shana flew through the clouds with her in her arms. The cold wind wrapped around her, sharp and chilling, and she felt something brush past her cheek.
Slowly—hesitantly—Duyen cracked her eyes open.
They were floating gently above a sea of clouds. Her breath caught. In front of her stretched an endless field of pale golden mist, glowing like some kind of dreamy afterlife.
She had never seen anything like this.
"Is this…?"
Shana watched her with a satisfied grin, as Duyen's eyes sparkled like a kid discovering a whole new universe. Their gazes met, and Shana pulled her closer as they drifted through the fog in slow, lazy circles.
Duyen's face heated up. She sneaked a glance downward—and instantly regretted it. They were ridiculously high up. Her body trembled, but Shana's warm chest pressed against her, steadying her, grounding her.
"How does it feel?" Shana teased, voice playful.
"I…" Duyen was speechless. She was both terrified and thrilled.
"…Do you think there's a bathroom up here somewhere?"
Shana burst out laughing and nudged Duyen's nose with hers.
"If you need to pee, you can… just let it out right here."
Duyen's face turned crimson. She shoved Shana's face away. "H-Hey! That's not happening!"
Shana laughed so hard her body shook—so much that Duyen nearly slipped out of her arms, making the tomboy go pale with horror.
"Alright, alright. Let's head to SCJ now."
They flew toward the massive skyscraper that served as SCJ Group's headquarters. From above, Duyen was stunned. Reporters and protestors swarmed outside like a chaotic battlefield. People had even set up tents, clearly camping there for days.
It was way more intense than she expected.
"Uh… think they can see us flying right now?" Duyen whispered.
Shana simply shook her head. "Ordinary humans can't see us…"
Then she suddenly turned to Duyen with a mischievous, almost sinister look—and let go.
"ARRGGGGGG!"
Duyen screamed, face draining of all color. Just as she thought she was going to plummet to her death, Shana caught her wrist with one hand—but Duyen was still shrieking, tears already building up.
Shana flashed a dangerous smile.
"Duyen… Did you and Mina kiss again yesterday?"
Duyen froze. Her eyes widened, full of panic and guilt.
"T-That was…"
"You don't have to be scared," Shana said calmly, though her grip loosened just enough to make Duyen panic harder.
"I know exactly how that Mina brat is. She probably forced a kiss on you again. But I'm curious—why did you even meet her? Did you go looking for her?"
Shana slackened her grip a bit more.
Duyen panicked and clung onto her arm with both hands like her life depended on it—which, well, it actually did.
"No! It wasn't like that! I just happened to go there and Mina was already there! I didn't mean to—"
She burst into tears, voice shaking. "I didn't mean to see her…"
"Hmph. Fine."
Shana sighed, pulling Duyen into her arms again. She wiped away the tears from Duyen's face. Her cheeks were flushed from fear and cold—but Shana only chuckled.
"You look… ridiculously cute right now."
She kissed Duyen's neck loudly, making exaggerated smooching sounds while Duyen sobbed weakly. Their feet slowly touched the ground.
Duyen stayed frozen for a moment, still crying softly, dazed, like she couldn't believe she was alive again.
"What's wrong, baby? Don't cry, I'm sorry," Shana cooed, gently ruffling Duyen's messy hair while still smiling.
Eventually, Duyen sniffled and quieted down. She glanced away shyly, face burning. In a hoarse voice, she mumbled.
"I think… I kinda peed a little…"
"Oh~" Shana gasped dramatically. "Aww, I'm sorry. Did it get on your pants? Is it wet?"
Duyen just shook her head frantically, mortified. "…I'm going to the bathroom."
A few minutes later, Duyen came back from the public restroom looking a bit calmer, though her heart was still pounding from the emotional whiplash.
Then she froze.
In the distance, she spotted a familiar figure—a stunning girl in a gorgeous pink ao dai, surrounded by a suspicious number of odd-looking men.
Duyen blinked hard.
"No way… Is that… Nayeon?"