𝘚𝘓𝘈𝘚𝘏 • 𝙆𝙞𝙢 𝙎𝙚𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙢𝙞𝙣

𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜

𝑎𝘯𝑖𝘺𝑎'𝑠 𝑝𝘰𝑣

10:13am

I'm sitting at the table enjoying a bowl of cereal until I hear a knock. I take another bite before I open the door. It's a tall guy with long black hair and plump lips holding a package in his veiny hands. "Hi."

"Hi, I accidentally got this package it says to 2C for Shin Sooyun?"

"She's not here right now, but I'll make sure to give it to her." I flash the cute guy a smile. A little embarrassed only being in an oversized T-shirt and pajama pants, he smiles back. "Ok well, I be going now" he leaves.

'How did I not know one of our neighbors looked like THAT???' I thought setting the package on top of the kitchen counter

𝘴𝑜𝘰𝑦𝘶𝑛'𝘴 𝑝𝘰𝑣

I slowly peaked my head out of the dumpster, checking if the coast was clear.

I climb out and walk back through the cafe, where there are forks and spoons scattered across the floor. I look through the window and see my car's still there. I walk out to it and see all the tires were slashed with what looked like knives sticking out.

I take out my phone to call a tow

I probably shouldn't drive my car for a while, those guys must be after me if they went through the trouble to set me up.

•

I open the door and see Aimi and Nari playing Mario Cart as Aniya brushes Toast's fur.

Pearl comes up to me but quickly backs away, catching my smell. I close the door, catching everyone's attention. Aimi pauses the game then looks back at me. "So how'd it go? You were gone for awhile, must've had fun" She winks at the last part.

I quickly explain everything to them; their eyes widen in shock. "I think I'm being hunted down." I summarize Nari comes up and hugs me, ignoring the smell. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Aniya stands up, "Yeah, we'll all beat their asses if they come near you again, so will Pearl and Toast." Toast barks in agreement

Aimi nods

"Thanks guys, now ima go take a shower," I say.

Nari sniffs her clothes. "Yeah, me to."

𝟤𝗉𝗆. . .

Bang Chan sat at the head of the table, looking intimidatingly calm in his black suit as he studied Mr. and Mrs. Shin across the lavishly set dining table. The private room in the upscale restaurant was adorned with delicate chandeliers casting a soft glow, highlighting the tension in the air. The Shins were visibly anxious, eyes darting between each other as they wrung their hands nervously. They'd dressed their best for the meeting, but it was clear their confidence had already faltered.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shin," Chan began, his voice low but unwavering. "You understand why we're here, don't you?"

Mr. Shin swallowed, nodding slightly. "We understand, Mr. Bang. But I'm afraid... things have changed. Our financial situation took a severe turn after some unexpected investments went wrong. We simply don't have the means to repay you right now."

Bang Chan raised an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed, yet the flicker of displeasure in his eyes was impossible to miss. "Investments went wrong?" He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap with a chilling composure. "I understand that business has its risks, but we made it clear your debt needed to be prioritized."

Mrs. Shin spoke up, her voice trembling. "We truly didn't anticipate these losses, Mr. Bang. If we had known—"

"Enough," Chan interrupted smoothly, his voice soft but final. "If you can't pay your debt, there will be consequences much worse than your damage companies. I'm not in the business of waiting or making exceptions."

The Shins looked at each other with dread across their faces. Chan stood up and gave them a nod, signaling that their meeting was over. He stepped out of the room, his expression blank.

Once outside, Chan wasted no time as he slipped into the back seat of his sleek, black SUV, his face unreadable. Without missing a beat, he pulled out his phone and dialed Seungmin.

"Seungmin," he said as soon as the line connected, his tone still unnervingly calm. "It's time. Bring Sooyun in."

On the other end of the line, Seungmin didn't hesitate. "Understood, Hyung"

Chan's gaze drifted out the window as the car pulled away from the restaurant, his mind already moving three steps ahead. The Shins had left him no choice. If they couldn't pay, then they would have to understand just how serious he was. And for that, Sooyun was the leverage they needed.