[SFX: THUD! A HEAVY FILE SLAMS AGAINST A POLISHED MARBLE DESK.]
"PRESIDENT?!"
THE WORD CAME LIKE A GUNSHOT. THE AIR INSIDE THE SHINWA GROUP BOARDROOM TURNED THICK, ALMOST SUFFOCATING.
THE ROOM WAS A TEMPLE OF POWER — A LONG TABLE MADE OF BLACK MARBLE, THE COMPANY EMBLEM ENGRAVED IN GOLD AT THE CENTER. A WALL OF GLASS REVEALED SEOUL'S GLITTERING SKYLINE BEYOND. FIFTY FLOORS BELOW, THE CITY BUZZED WITH LIFE. BUT INSIDE THIS ROOM, THERE WAS ONLY SILENCE, BROKEN BY THE SHOCK ECHOING IN JOON-HA'S VOICE.
HE STARED AT THE DOCUMENTS BEFORE HIM. HIS NAME PRINTED IN BOLD LETTERS. HIS NEW POSITION.
"PRESIDENT – SHINWA FASHION DIVISION."
[SFX: BANG! HIS HAND SLAMS THE DESK.]
JOON-HA'S JAW TIGHTENED. HIS EYES, SHARP AND COLD LIKE STEEL, LOCKED ONTO THE MAN SEATED CASUALLY AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE — SHIN DO-YUN, HIS OLDER COUSIN, THE ELDEST SON OF THE CHAIRMAN.
"IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF A JOKE, DO-YUN?" JOON-HA ASKED, HIS VOICE LOW BUT SHAKING WITH CONTROLLED FURY.
DO-YUN LEANED BACK IN HIS CHAIR, CROSSING HIS LEGS. HIS SUIT WAS IMMACULATE, HIS EXPRESSION LAZIER, YET HIS SMIRK WAS LIKE A DAGGER.
"JOKE? COUSIN, YOU'RE BEING TOO SERIOUS. THIS IS A PROMOTION. PRESIDENT OF AN ENTIRE DIVISION. MOST WOULD BE GRATEFUL."
"GRATEFUL?" JOON-HA'S LAUGH WAS HOLLOW. [SFX: SCOFF] "YOU THINK I DON'T SEE THROUGH THIS? SHINWA FASHION IS A CEMETERY. A SUBSIDIARY THAT'S BEEN BLEEDING MONEY FOR YEARS. YOU'RE NOT PROMOTING ME. YOU'RE EXILING ME."
DO-YUN'S SMILE NEVER WAVERED. "YOU ALWAYS DID HAVE A TALENT FOR DRAMA. BUT THINK OF IT THIS WAY — IF YOU'RE TRULY THE PRODIGY EVERYONE CLAIMS YOU ARE, REVIVE SHINWA FASHION. IF YOU CAN'T…" HE SHRUGGED. "MAYBE YOU WERE NEVER FIT TO BE AN HEIR."
[SFX: DING! PHONE VIBRATES ON THE DESK.]
A MESSAGE FLASHED ON JOON-HA'S SCREEN.
"BY ORDER OF THE CHAIRMAN. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. REPORT TO SHINWA FASHION HQ TOMORROW."
JOON-HA'S HANDS CURLED INTO FISTS. HE LOOKED AROUND THE TABLE — EXECUTIVES AVOIDED HIS GAZE, SOME HIDING THEIR SMIRKS, OTHERS PRETENDING TO READ THEIR FILES. THEY ALL KNEW WHAT THIS WAS. A POWER PLAY. A WAY TO REMOVE THE YOUNGEST GRANDSON FROM THE LINE OF SUCCESSION.
HE STOOD SLOWLY, HIS VOICE COLD.
"REMEMBER THIS, DO-YUN. A MAN SENT TO EXILE CAN STILL RETURN AS A KING."
[SFX: CHAIR SCRAPES LOUDLY AGAINST THE FLOOR.]
HE LEFT THE ROOM WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.
SEOUL – THE HEART OF EMPIRES
SEOUL WAS A CITY THAT NEVER SLEPT, A CITY BUILT ON DREAMS AND SACRIFICES. BENEATH ITS NEON LIGHTS LAY THE REAL KINGDOMS — THE CONGLOMERATES, THE "CHAEBOLS," THAT RULED KOREA LIKE ROYAL FAMILIES.
AND AMONG THEM, SHINWA GROUP STOOD AT THE TOP.
A MULTINATIONAL GIANT, ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP FIVE COMPANIES. IT CONTROLLED ELECTRONICS, BANKS, SHIPPING, ENERGY, ENTERTAINMENT, EVEN FASHION. TO BE A SHINWA WAS TO HOLD POWER THAT COULD CRUSH NATIONS OR BUILD THEM.
BUT TO BE A SHINWA HEIR WAS TO BE A SOLDIER IN AN ENDLESS WAR — A WAR FOUGHT NOT WITH SWORDS, BUT WITH MERGERS, POLITICAL ALLIANCES, AND DAGGERS HID BEHIND SMILES.
JOON-HA, THE YOUNGEST SON OF THE YOUNGEST SON, WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE A CONTENDER. YET, HIS BRILLIANCE HAD MADE HIM DANGEROUS. HE OUTPERFORMED OLDER EXECUTIVES, BUILT PROJECTS THAT BROUGHT BILLIONS, AND WON RESPECT WITHIN THE COMPANY.
TO THE FAMILY, HE HAD BECOME A THREAT.
AND NOW, THEY HAD DECIDED TO BURY HIM.
[SFX: WHOOSH! CAR DOOR SLAMS, ENGINE REVS.]
THE NEXT MORNING, JOON-HA ARRIVED AT THE SHINWA FASHION BUILDING. UNLIKE THE GLASS PALACES OF SHINWA HQ, THIS PLACE LOOKED OLDER. LESS POLISHED. A PLACE THAT ONCE HELD GLORY BUT NOW STRUGGLES TO KEEP UP.
AS HE WALKED THROUGH THE LOBBY, ALL EYES TURNED TO HIM. EMPLOYEES WHISPERED IN HUSHED TONES.
"IS THAT… THE CHAIRMAN'S GRANDSON?""WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?""I HEARD HE'S OUR NEW PRESIDENT…""WHY WOULD SOMEONE LIKE HIM BE SENT HERE?"
JOON-HA KEPT WALKING, HIS EXPRESSION UNREADABLE. HE WAS USED TO STARES. TO BE A SHINWA WAS TO BE A SPECTACLE.
HE TOOK THE ELEVATOR TO THE TOP FLOOR. THE DOORS OPENED. AND THAT'S WHEN HE SAW HER.
[SFX: CLATTER! PAPERS DROP TO THE FLOOR.]
TIME STOPPED.
HA-EUN.
HER HAIR, LONGER THAN HE REMEMBERED, WAS TIED IN A PROFESSIONAL STYLE. HER FACE HAD MATURED, ELEGANT, BEAUTIFUL IN A WAY THAT STUNG HIS CHEST. BUT HER EYES — THOSE EYES THAT ONCE LOOKED AT HIM WITH LOVE — MADE HIS HEART TREMBLE.
SHE BENT TO GATHER HER PAPERS, HER HANDS SHAKING. WHEN SHE LOOKED UP, HER BREATH CAUGHT.
"PRESIDENT…" SHE SAID FORMALLY, HER VOICE STEADY YET TREMBLING BENEATH. "WELCOME TO SHINWA FASHION."
[SFX: HEARTBEAT, THUMP-THUMP, LOUDER WITH EACH SECOND.]
JOON-HA'S THROAT WENT DRY. HE WANTED TO SPEAK. TO TELL HER EVERYTHING. BUT HIS VOICE WAS TRAPPED IN HIS CHEST.
HER EYES LINGERED ON HIS FACE.
"…DO I… KNOW YOU?"
THE QUESTION CUT THROUGH HIM LIKE A KNIFE.
HE WANTED TO SCREAM: YES. IT'S ME. THE MAN WHO LOVED YOU. THE MAN WHO DIED FOR YOU.
BUT INSTEAD, HE SAID COLDLY:
"…I DOUBT IT."
FLASHBACK – ELEVEN YEARS AGO
[SFX: WIND RUSTLING, CHERRY BLOSSOMS FALLING.]
IT WAS SPRING. THE PARK WAS FILLED WITH BLOOMING CHERRY TREES, THEIR PETALS DANCING IN THE BREEZE.
JOON-HA HELD HA-EUN'S HAND, LAUGHING AS SHE CHASED THE FALLING PETALS. HER SMILE WAS BRIGHTER THAN THE SKY.
"YOU KNOW," SHE SAID, CATCHING A PETAL IN HER PALM, "THEY SAY IF YOU MAKE A WISH ON A FALLING PETAL, IT COMES TRUE."
"WHAT DID YOU WISH FOR?" HE ASKED.
"THAT THIS MOMENT LASTS FOREVER."
HE KISSED HER FOREHEAD. "THEN I'LL MAKE SURE IT DOES."
BUT IT HADN'T LASTED.
[SFX: SLAM! A DOOR OPENING HARSHLY.]
ONE NIGHT, HIS FAMILY HAD DISCOVERED THEM. THE CHAIRMAN'S VOICE HAD BEEN LIKE THUNDER.
"END IT. OR WE WILL END HER."
THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR. SHE WAS A NOBODY TO THEM. A DANGER TO THEIR BLOODLINE.
AND JOON-HA, POWERLESS BACK THEN, HAD MADE THE CRUELEST DECISION OF HIS LIFE.
HE STAGED HIS OWN DEATH.
[SFX: SCREAMING. HA-EUN'S CRIES.]
HE REMEMBERED THE LOOK ON HER FACE WHEN SHE BELIEVED HE WAS GONE.
AND HE HAD NEVER FORGIVEN HIMSELF.
PRESENT DAY
THE REST OF THE DAY PASSED IN A BLUR. MEETINGS, REPORTS, NUMBERS — BUT ALL HE SAW WAS HER. ALL HE HEARD WAS HER VOICE.
AS THE SUN SET, HE SAT IN HIS OFFICE, STARING AT THE CITY.
[SFX: DOOR KNOCKS.]
"PRESIDENT… IT'S ME."
HER VOICE.
"COME IN," HE SAID QUIETLY.
SHE ENTERED, HOLDING FILES. SHE PLACED THEM ON HIS DESK, BUT HER HANDS LINGERED.
"THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO ASK…" HER VOICE TREMBLED. "HAVE WE MET BEFORE?"
[SFX: TICKING CLOCK GROWS LOUDER.]
HIS CHEST TIGHTENED. HE WANTED TO TELL HER EVERYTHING. TO CONFESS. TO BEG FORGIVENESS.
BUT HE REMEMBERED HIS FAMILY. THEIR POWER. THEIR THREATS.
"…NO," HE LIED.
HER SHOULDERS SLUMPED. SHE SMILED, POLITE BUT SAD. "I SEE. MY MISTAKE."
SHE LEFT.
[SFX: DOOR CLOSES WITH A HEAVY THUD.]
JOON-HA SAT IN THE DARK, HIS HANDS TREMBLING.
"DAMN IT…" HE WHISPERED. "HOW MUCH LONGER CAN I HIDE?"
SFX: WHOOSH… A STRAY CHERRY BLOSSOM PETAL BLOWS IN THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW, LANDING ON JOON-HA'S ABANDONED SEAT — A PROMISE THAT THE PAST IS ABOUT TO RETURN.
SOMEWHERE ELSE, IN A LUXURIOUS OFFICE, DO-YUN WATCHED A SCREEN. JOON-HA'S IMAGE APPEARED ON THE NEWS — "NEW PRESIDENT OF SHINWA FASHION."
DO-YUN SMIRKED.
"FIGHT ALL YOU WANT, COUSIN. YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE THE CHAINS."
MEANWHILE, HA-EUN SAT ALONE IN HER APARTMENT, STARING AT THE CEILING. HER HEART BEAT UNEVENLY.
"WHY… WHY DOES HE FEEL SO FAMILIAR?" SHE WHISPERED.
AND IN HIS OFFICE, JOON-HA LOOKED OUT AT THE NIGHT SKY, HIS REFLECTION IN THE GLASS.
"THIS TIME," HE SAID, HIS VOICE LIKE STEEL, "I WON'T RUN."
[SFX: PHONE BUZZES. MESSAGE ALERT.]
A NEW MESSAGE.
"REMEMBER, JOON-HA. SOME GHOSTS SHOULD STAY DEAD."
HIS EYES HARDENED. THE WAR HAD JUST BEGUN.
[SFX: THUNDER CRACKS ACROSS THE CITY SKYLINE.]