Jeong Gu-Won was focused on his task. He had come to settle a contract, ensuring his presence would be quick, clean, and above all, quiet. But something felt off the moment he approached the sprawling, shadowed estate. A muffled cry, so faint he might have dismissed it if his instincts weren't as sharp as they were, caught his attention.
Moving silently, he traced the sound through the dimly lit halls until he found its source. Behind a cracked door, a man was speaking with a cruel edge, his hand gripping the arm of a young woman, her dark curls and wide, frightened eyes catching the dim light. He also noticed that she was only wearing her underwears.
"Let me go!" she pleaded, struggling against the man's grip. She was small-barely up to the man's shoulder-and her soft voice, though laced with fear, held a defiance that impressed Gu-Won.
"Stay quiet, and you won't get hurt," the man hissed, clearly oblivious to the figure now standing in the doorway.
Without another second of hesitation, Gu-Won strode into the room. The man's grip loosened as he turned, shock flickering across his face at the unexpected interruption. "Who... who are you?"
Jeong Gu-Won smirked, stepping closer, his gaze intense and unyielding. "The one who's going to finish our business tonight. But first..." His gaze flicked down to the trembling woman, who was still eyeing him with cautious fear. "Release her."
"Why should I-?"
Gu-Won's eyes narrowed, a dark aura rolling off him. In a swift motion, he forced the man's hand off the young woman. Emi stumbled back, clutching her arm, but before she could slip away, Gu-Won stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.
The man began to shout, but Gu-Won silenced him with a chilling glance. "You've crossed a line. Now, you'll pay for it."
In minutes, it was over. Gu-Won turned back to find the girl-Emi, he gathered from her whispered self-introduction-her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and lingering fear. He expected her to be shaken, to perhaps flee. Instead, she stood firm, her gaze on him filled with curiosity.
"Thank you," she murmured, her voice a blend of softness and tiredness.
He arched a brow, surprised at her resilience. "Most people would have run by now."
Emi looked down, brushing a curl behind her ear. "You... you saved me," she said, her cheeks warming. "So, thank you." She tried to hide herself in front of this man.
Gu-Won felt a rare flicker of warmth, a sensation he hadn't felt in years. He sighed and within his hands appeared a sweat. He put it on her and she just blushed. Her bravery, her softness despite everything-she intrigued him in a way that unsettled him. He took a step closer, watching her reaction. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
She swallowed, her brown eyes holding his gaze. "I don't... but I know I feel safe."
Her answer caught him off-guard, and before he realized it, he reached out, brushing a stray tear from her cheek with a gentleness he thought long lost. "You should stay far away from me, little one," he warned, his voice softened by a strange ache.
But Emi's hand, small and warm, reached up and lightly touched his, grounding him. "What if I don't want to," she whispered.
For the first time in ages, Jeong Gu-Won felt something more than darkness; he felt a glimmer of light breaking through.
He knew he should leave. Emi's presence-her soft gaze and gentle touch-was like a fire he couldn't let himself get too close to. He'd lived with shadows and contracts, danger and distance. People only got hurt when they got close. But something about her made him linger just a moment longer.
