The moment Do-yun disappeared down the hallway, Yerin felt the air return to her lungs—
—but not relief.
Fear.
The kind that crawled slowly beneath the skin.
Moon looked up at her with watery eyes."Unnie… who was he?"
Yerin opened her mouth—
but no words came out.
Because how could she explain him?
How could she explain the boy who once held her hand gently behind the school building…and later destroyed her in front of everyone like she meant nothing?
She looked away quickly.
"…Someone I used to know."
Moon frowned."You looked scared."
Yerin forced a smile that immediately broke at the corners.
"I'm fine."
A lie.
A terrible lie.
Before Moon could say anything else, the emergency room doors burst open.
A doctor rushed out, mask hanging around his neck.
"Guardian of Choi Do-hyun?"
Yerin immediately ran toward him.
"Yes! That's my father—how is he?!"
"The patient is losing too much blood," the doctor said urgently. "We need consent for immediate surgery."
Her hands shook violently as she grabbed the papers.
"Will he survive?"
The doctor hesitated.
And that hesitation nearly destroyed her.
"We'll do our best."
Those words terrified her more than honesty ever could.
Moon started crying again behind her.
"Unnie… Appa won't die, right…?"
Yerin signed the papers so fast her handwriting barely looked human.
"He won't," she whispered desperately."He can't."
But even she no longer believed her own voice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Jeon Jungkook was the kind of man people feared before even meeting him."
Not because he shouted.Not because he threatened people.
But because his silence felt colder than violence itself.
At thirty years old, Jeon Jungkook owned enough wealth to bury entire families beneath it. The CEO of JEON GROUP, the youngest billionaire in South Korea, the man newspapers called the devil of Seoul's corporate world. Hotels, hospitals, luxury penthouses, investment companies, pharmaceutical chains, racing brands—his name sat on buildings taller than most people's dreams. Politicians bowed carefully around him. CEOs rehearsed their words before meetings with him. Even the media feared printing his bad side.
And yet—
Jungkook trusted no one.
Because power had taught him one thing:
"People only stay loyal until they find something better."
The massive penthouse overlooking Seoul remained quiet except for the soft clink of ice inside a crystal glass. Jungkook stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking Seoul's glittering skyline
Below him, the city looked alive.
Above everyone else—stood him .His expression remained unreadable .Emotionless. Like stone carved into the shape of a man.
one hand in his pocket, black dress shirt rolled slightly at the sleeves, exposing veins running sharply beneath pale skin. His posture was relaxed, but there was something dangerous about the stillness in him—like a wolf pretending to sleep.
Below him, Seoul glittered beautifully.
Pathetic.
Thousands of people rushing through life desperately wanting love, attention, validation.
Jungkook found all of it exhausting.
A tiny barking sound suddenly interrupted the silence.
His eyes slowly lowered.
A small white puppy wagged its tail near his expensive shoes.
Jungkook's expression darkened instantly.
"…Who brought that here?"
The maid standing nearby stiffened in fear."S-Sir… Miss Hana thought it looked lonely…"
"Remove it."
The puppy barked again, trying to come closer.
Jungkook immediately stepped back, disgust flashing across his face like the animal had committed a crime.
"I hate clingy things," he said coldly."Especially ones that follow people around begging for affection."
The maid hurried away with the puppy.
"God, you sound emotionally constipated every morning."
Park Kwan Choi walked into the penthouse carelessly, coffee in one hand, sarcasm in the other. Unlike Jungkook, Kwan Choi smiled easily. But beneath that smile was a man just as dangerous. They had grown up together since childhood—surviving elite schools, ruthless businessmen, family scandals, and betrayals. If Jungkook trusted anyone in this world, it was him.
Which still wasn't much.
Kwan Choi dropped a file onto the table.
"You made three executives cry yesterday."
"They should cry harder," Jungkook replied without looking at him.
"You froze a director out for two months because he interrupted you during dinner."
"He breathed too loudly."
Kwan Choi burst out laughing."You're insane."
"No," Jungkook said calmly."I just don't tolerate irritating people."
That was true.
If Jungkook disliked someone, he didn't scream at them. He erased them. No eye contact.No responses. No acknowledgment.
As if they were furniture.
Most employees feared that silence more than anger itself.
Because once Jeon Jungkook stopped looking at you—
you no longer existed in his world.
The elevator doors opened again.
A young man in racing gear walked inside, helmet under one arm and attitude all over his face.
Jeon Minhyuk.
Jungkook's younger brother.
National bike racer. Reckless. Loud. A complete disaster.
"Guess who won first place again?" Minhyuk grinned proudly.
Silence.
Minhyuk rolled his eyes dramatically."You know, one day I'm gonna die and you'll probably just nod."
"If you drive like an idiot," Jungkook replied dryly, "that outcome seems likely."
Kwan Choi nearly choked on his coffee laughing.
Minhyuk dropped onto the couch carelessly."Seriously though, jungkook, do you ever feel emotions?"
Jungkook finally looked at him directly.
That alone made Minhyuk sit straighter.
"Emotions make people weak," Jungkook said quietly.
"The moment people realize you care…"
"they learn where to hurt you."
The room fell silent.
Because everyone knew he wasn't joking.
A soft sound suddenly echoed from the hallway.
Wheelchair wheels.
Jungkook's cold expression shifted almost invisibly.
Jeon Hana appeared quietly, his younger sister wrapped in a cream blanket, soft smile resting on tired features. Unlike the harshness surrounding the Jeon family, Hana looked painfully gentle.
Fragile.
And that terrified Jungkook more than anything.
"Hana," he said immediately, voice softer now.
Minhyuk smirked.
"There it is. Humanity."
Jungkook ignored him completely.
Hana looked toward the untouched whiskey glass in Jungkook's hand.
"You're drinking again."
"It helps me tolerate people."
"You say that every day."
"And every day people continue disappointing me."
She smiled sadly at that.
Because behind Jungkook's coldness was something darker than cruelty.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jeon jungkook POV
Morning in Seoul was ruthless.
Cars flooded the streets like waves, horns blending with hurried footsteps and the distant sound of subway announcements. Office workers rushed with coffee in hand, students crossed roads carelessly, and the city moved at a speed that left no room for weakness.
Inside a black Rolls-Royce Phantom, Jeon Jungkook sat in complete silence.
One leg crossed over the other. Black suit perfectly pressed. Expensive silver watch glinting beneath the morning sunlight filtering through tinted windows.
His attention remained fixed on his phone.
Emails. Stocks. Contracts. Numbers.
Always numbers.
In front, the driver carefully adjusted the rearview mirror before speaking nervously.
"Sir, the meeting at Daehyun Holdings has been moved to eleven."
No response.
Jungkook scrolled once.
"The chairman also requested lunch with you afterward."
Still nothing.
The driver swallowed awkwardly.
Working for Jeon Jungkook felt like working beside a loaded gun—silent, cold, dangerous.
Then suddenly—
SCREEECH.
The entire car jerked slightly.
A harsh scraping sound echoed against the side of the vehicle.
The driver cursed under his breath and immediately hit the brakes.
Outside, a scooter wobbled violently before falling sideways near the crosswalk.
People nearby turned instantly.
Inside the car, Jungkook look up from his phone.
"stop the car !," he said flatly.
The driver checked quickly before exhaling sharply.
"Some girl scratched the car, sir."
Silence.
Jungkook looks back to his phone scrolling. " handle it "
As if he had just been informed about the weather.
The driver stepped out quickly while Jungkook remained inside, lazily reading through investment reports.
Outside, the girl stood frozen beside her fallen scooter, panic written all over her face.
"Oh my god… oh my god…"
A long silver scratch stretched across the expensive black car.
Her stomach dropped instantly.
Even someone like her knew this wasn't an ordinary vehicle.
This was the kind of car rich people protected more carefully than relationships.
The driver shut the door firmly behind him and walked toward her.
"Excuse me, Miss! Did you just scratch this car?"
Silence.
Then a female voice answered nervously—
"Scratch? What scratch? I don't see any scratch!"
Jungkook's eyes didn't move from the screen, but faint irritation crossed his face.
Lying immediately.
Predictable.
The driver pointed toward the damage."Miss, the line across the door—"
"Ohhh that scratch!" the girl laughed awkwardly. "I think it was already there."
Jungkook almost ignored the conversation completely—
until she continued.
"Maybe from… wild cats?"
A pause followed.
Even the driver sounded stunned."…Wild cats?"
"Yes!" she said quickly. "Seoul has a lot of them! Very aggressive claws. Dangerous creatures."
For the first time that morning—
Jungkook's scrolling slowed.
Not because he cared about the car.
Because the excuse was so absurd it momentarily interrupted his thoughts.
Outside, the driver looked exhausted already.
"Miss, this car belongs to—"
"Who?" she interrupted instantly.
Then—
"I don't want to know."
That made Jungkook's fingers stop completely.
Interesting.
Most people reacted to wealth with fear, curiosity, or greed.
But her voice carried irritation instead.
The driver frowned slightly."Miss, you should understand whose vehicle this is."
"I said I don't care," she replied sharply.
Jungkook finally lifted his gaze slightly from the phone.
Not enough to see her face fully.
Only fragments through the tinted glass:
oversized scarf wrapped around her head round glasses nervous hands gripping a scooter helmet
Ridiculous looking woman.
The driver sighed."You damaged private property."
"And rich people think they own public roads," she shot back immediately.
Jungkook's eyes narrowed faintly.
The girl crossed her arms against her chest, voice suddenly colder now.
"I'm not interested in rich men who think money makes them gods."
The driver visibly panicked.
Inside the car, Jungkook leaned back slowly against the leather seat, finally giving the conversation his full attention.
Not because she mattered.
Because very few people spoke about power without trembling.
Especially in front of it.
"People like that think everything can be bought," she muttered bitterly. "Loyalty. Love. Even people."
Something dark flickered briefly in Jungkook's eyes.
The city noise outside suddenly felt quieter.
"They don't have hearts," she continued softly, almost to herself now. "Only contracts and conditions."
Silence filled the car.
The driver looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him alive.
Because unknowingly—
the girl outside had just described Jeon Jungkook perfectly.
And somehow—
instead of anger—
Jungkook felt something far more unfamiliar.
Curiosity.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the window again.
This time—
he looked directly at her.
The driver swallowed nervously, waiting for instructions.
Usually, Jeon Jungkook would've ended this in seconds.
A payment demand.A warning.Then forgotten her existence entirely.
That was how his world worked.
People entered. People left.None of them mattered enough to remain in his thoughts.
But this girl—
this strange woman dressed like a suspicious mummy arguing about capitalism beside a scratched Mercedes—
didn't react the way people normally did around power.
She didn't try to flatter. Didn't apologize endlessly. Didn't even ask who he was.
Instead—
she sounded tired. Tired of rich men. Tired of conditions and surviving.
Jungkook's fingers tapped once against the phone screen.
Slowly.
Thoughtfully.
Outside, the girl was still muttering under her breath while trying to push her broken scooter backward.
Completely unaware that the man she had just insulted was watching her through the tinted glass.
Jungkook stared at her for a few silent seconds before speaking calmly:
"Let her go."
The driver blinked in surprise.
"Sir?"
"I said let her go." there was no anger no emotions in his words. Just disinterest wrapped around something colder.
The driver immediately bowed his head."Yes, sir."
The car engine started again.
Outside, the girl looked genuinely shocked when the driver suddenly stepped back instead of demanding money.
"…Wait," she said suspiciously. "That's it?"
The driver forced a strained smile."Yes, Miss."
she narrowed her eyes behind the scarf.
"Rich people are weird."
Then she quickly sped away on her scooter before anyone could change their mind.
Silence returned inside the car.
The city continued moving outside the windows.
The car moved forward smoothly, disappearing back into Seoul's endless morning traffic. Inside, silence settled once again around Jeon Jungkook like it always did—cold, controlled, untouchable. His phone screen lit up continuously with unread messages, meeting reminders, stock reports, and company updates. Board members were waiting for him. Investors were waiting for him. An empire worth billions continued moving under his name every second. Entire companies depended on his decisions before sunrise even ended. Yet despite all of that, his gaze remained briefly fixed on the rear window where the girl on the scooter had disappeared moments ago. Strange. He had met thousands of people who bowed to money, chased power, or trembled in front of wealth. But the girl had looked at it with nothing except exhaustion and resentment. Not fear. Not greed. Just anger. And for the first time in a long while, Jeon Jungkook found himself mildly curious about someone he should have forgotten already.