Rohit hurried after the girl, hoping to catch a clue about her, but in his rush, he collided with a man coming from the opposite direction.
"Sorry—" Rohit began, but the man snapped back in a sharp Korean curse. The unexpected insult made Rohit pause and shoot him a hard look.
The man stood tall in a black coat and pressed pants, his attire too professional for a casual passerby. A discreet earpiece glinted in his ear—security detail, maybe a bodyguard. And most importantly, he was Korean.
"You just abused me," Rohit said flatly.
The man brushed imaginary dust from his shoulder and smirked. Switching to English, he replied coldly, "And what if I did? Do you have proof?"
Rohit's eyes narrowed. From the attire and timing, he guessed it had to be Seo-yeon's bodyguard—no one else would be dressed like that in this place, at this hour. This time, he answered back in Korean, his tone laced with mockery."I'll let it pass. After all, you're just the dog of my friend. Consider it… neighborly mercy."
The guard stiffened, his expression hardening.
There was a reason he held prejudice against Indians. In his country, Indians who came were often hired for third-rate jobs no one else would take. That gave him the impression of Indians as cheap beggars who only knew English.
And his experience in India hadn't been better. Overcrowded streets, chaos without order—it had only confirmed his sense of superiority. Like Europeans once looked down on their colonies, he too had grown accustomed to disdain.
But this man was different. Not only had he caught his slang, but his demeanor showed no trace of intimidation.
For a moment, surprise flickered across the guard's face—how did an Indian know Korean so well, and why was he daring to look down on him?
But the shock quickly melted into smug superiority. He decided Rohit must be just another idol-obsessed fan, eager to mimic Korean culture and attitude.
With a self-satisfied smile, he sneered in english but with thick korean accent,
"Amusing. An Indian learning Korean… just because you binge dramas and follow idols? Listen, kid. You master English—our second tongue—and think it makes you my equal? In Korea, we despise such imitation."
He grabbed Rohit's shoulder, squeezing with deliberate pressure."Remember your place, third-worlder. You learn our language because you admire us, not because you belong anywhere near us."
He looked proud of his words, as if delivering a lecture. Hurting a civilian wouldn't be good for his career, but humiliation? That was safe.
But Rohit didn't flinch. Tilting his head, he casually freed his shoulder and shot back, "Oh, it seems you slipped up there. I didn't learn Korean out of fandom. I already know Chinese and Japanese well enough that Korean just came along…"
He brushed his jacket as if wiping away dirt. "It's funny seeing that stupid smile on your face when you people are nothing but generations of mixed descent—like some illegitimate child. I wonder how you were even allowed visas in the first place."
(A/N: Don't take this as my personal opinion; it is the MC's character flaw for being ex-Yakuja and is related to future plot developments.)
The smugness drained instantly from the guard's face, replaced by fury. His pride had been struck where it hurt most.
He pointed a finger at Rohit and roared in Korean, "You lowly bastard! Dare mock me—I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Without hesitation, he lunged, throwing a flying punch aimed straight at Rohit's jaw.
But Rohit was quicker. He pivoted sharply, letting the strike whistle past his ear, the gust of air brushing his cheek.
The guard was surprised, dismissing it as a fluke. He leaned forward with a series of punches and jabs, but Rohit's movements were fluid—he retreated back, dodging each strike by a hair's breadth, and escaped the final heavy blow with a quick duck and roll, gaining clear distance. Steadying himself, he set his stance, ready to fight.
This time, the guard froze before he turned around with raging anger.
It had been close range, too fast to miss. Even with such simple, straightforward moves, at least one should have landed. But the boy had slipped past them all.
For a professional, a clean miss was humiliating. And worse—this stranger had just insulted his nation, branding all Koreans as nothing more than a bastard mix of neighbors. Civilian or not, punishment was no longer optional.
Just as he steadied himself to strike again with his special combos, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
From the washroom doorway, Seo-yeon stepped out and shouted in Korean, "Uncle Lee! What are you doing?!"
Rohit was furious. He didn't dislike Koreans or intend to call them names, but looking at Seo-yeon somehow calmed his nerves. Realizing he might have gone overboard, he decided to de-escalate.
He casually waved at her as he dropped his guard. "Hi."
Then, turning back to the bodyguard with a grim smile, he added, "See? I told you I know your master."
The bodyguard stiffened. "You… you two know each other?"
Seo-yeon froze. She wasn't sure what to reveal or how much her bodyguard already knew.
Before she could stumble on an answer, Rohit smoothly stepped in."Hey, Seo-yeon. Didn't expect to see you here."
His ease gave her a thread of confidence. She quickly nodded and said respectfully, "Yes… he is my schoolmate, Rohit Singhania. We ran into each other earlier at the store, and he kindly offered to help me with my language practice."
Trying to steer things back to normal, she asked, "What happened here?"
Rohit shrugged. "Nothing much. My foot slipped, and your uncle got offended. But I've already apologized. You can ask him."
The guard's face tightened with unease. The school Seo-yeon attended was strictly for elites—if Rohit was her classmate, he wasn't a nobody. And if he was someone helping her with her weaknesses, his importance shot up tenfold. He couldn't risk crossing him.
He immediately bowed low. "I apologize, Young Master Singhania. It was rude of me to mistake you for some stranger. Please forgive my rudeness. I have a family to support."
Rohit glanced at Seo-yeon. She gave him a helpless look, almost pleading on the guard's behalf.
Just for her shake, Rohit let his anger go but his ego remained, "Alright, I'll overlook it. But next time, Seo-yeon, make sure you get a better dog. Otherwise, my dogs might tear him to shreds." His gaze carried weight—not just an insult, but a reminder of hierarchy.
Seo-yeon flushed crimson, deeply embarrassed. She murmured another apology and walked off with an angry expression.
The bodyguard lingered behind, giving Rohit an apologetic bow. "Thank you, Young Master, for not escalating this. But… I must give you some advice. The young miss is betrothed to one of Korea's most powerful families. For your own sake, do not get too involved."
Rohit simply nodded, and the guard left, wiping the sweat from his brow. He had barely escaped disaster.
Left alone, Rohit's thoughts circled back to Seo-yeon. Everyone knew her as a diplomat's daughter, like other elites at their school. But her full family background remained hidden—even her name felt like a veil.
At first, he just wanted connections, a passport into better opportunities. But after knowing her… he couldn't simply let her slip away.
"So what if she's betrothed?" he muttered. "I was the first to steal her kiss. I'll be the one to steal her completely."
He caught sight of her below, her hoodie pulled up as she walked briskly, the bodyguard trailing behind.
Impulsively, Rohit leaned over the railing and shouted, "Seo-yeon!"
The sudden call startled everyone nearby. Heads turned toward the voice echoing from the first floor.
Seo-yeon pressed her lips together, half amused, half embarrassed. Even her bodyguard raised an eyebrow.
Rohit lifted his hand, making a phone signal. "Text me when you reach home! I'll be worried." His eyes flicked toward the bodyguard, whose face drained of color.
Seo-yeon laughed softly, recognizing the prank. It was less about worry and more about teasing her poor guard, who now looked like he'd swallowed nails. After all, why worry when she had a bodyguard right beside her?
Rohit gave the guard a wave, signaling him to call him in phone. His grin carried a playful taunt. In response, the man forced a polite smile, though the tightness in his jaw betrayed his tension.
Finally, Seo-yeon nodded, waved back, and turned away as she convered with her bodyguard.
Rohit smirked to himself.'Let's hope the dog knows what's best. Once he's on a leash, everything will fall into place.'
Just then, his phone buzzed — it was his mom. For a second, he wondered if the timing was just coincidence. He swiped to accept.
"Hi, sweetheart," Rohit teased, knowing he didn't have to keep formalities with her over the phone.
"Hello, honey," came the warm reply. Her voice softened, then turned concerned. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm at Alka Mall," Rohit answered casually. "One of the top-rated shopping spots in the city."
"Good. Balwinder told me he dropped you there," she said, a trace of worry in her tone. "I kept trying to call you, but it said you were out of network."
"Ah, must've been the dead battery. Probably an automated message," he explained.
"Hmm."
"You sound busy," Rohit probed. "Where are you?"
"I'm at Orion Towers, attending a business deal."
Rohit grinned. "Ah, if you weren't busy, I'd have shown up at your place. Who knows, maybe even earned myself a candlelight dinner with a hot beauty."
Ragini giggled at his theatrics. "Hot beauty, huh? Aren't you getting a little too bold?"
"Life's short, sweetheart," Rohit shot back smoothly. "If you don't take chances, things slip away with time."
There was a pause for few seconds, then she relented with a playful sigh. "Alright, fine. You just earned yourself a candlelight dinner. I'll text you the address. There's an exhibition here, and I need to attend an auction at 8:30. If you come early, I'll show you around and introduce you to a few business partners. Otherwise, you'll have to wait outside until I'm done. Deal?"
Rohit's ears perked up immediately. Exhibition. Auction. Business deal… This was more than just dinner. This was an opportunity.
He checked the location — Orion Tower, Northern Delhi. 35th floor. A grin tugged at his lips.
"Finally… a corner into the family business."
Without wasting time, he booked a cab and set off for his next mission.