𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎

𝑫𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔

                𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐘𝐔𝐕𝐈𝐍

I stood by the large, open window, the cool night air brushing against my face as I scanned the crowd below. The event was nothing more than a routine business gathering, the usual back-and-forth of men in suits discussing deals that didn’t concern me. My eyes were mostly on the ones who thought they could make their moves against Hanbin. They didn’t realize that crossing him was as good as signing your own death warrant.

But something caught my attention—something, or rather someone, out of place.

A figure leaning against a column at the far end of the room, eyes scanning the crowd in a way that made it clear they were no stranger to this kind of environment. I frowned, curious as to why he was here. He didn’t belong among the business elite. His stance was too casual, too unbothered by the tense atmosphere. His dark hair, longer than I expected, framed his sharp features perfectly. And when he glanced toward me, I felt my chest tighten slightly.

His eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, everything around me seemed to fade. The noise, the murmur of voices—everything dimmed as if the entire room had shrunk down to just the two of us. His gaze was intense, calculating, and filled with something I couldn’t quite place.

I wasn’t one to be caught off guard easily, especially not in front of a crowd. But this kid—this boy—had some nerve to look at me like that. The way his lips curled into a faint smirk made it clear that he knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t afraid. In fact, he was daring me to make the first move.

I wasn’t sure whether I should be amused or irritated. Maybe both.

I pushed myself off the window, casually walking toward him, making sure to keep my steps deliberate, slow. I didn’t want to rush into whatever game this was going to be. As I approached, I could feel his eyes never leaving me, the weight of his stare making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

When I finally stopped a few feet away, I folded my arms across my chest, sizing him up. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even move an inch. It was as if he had already decided that I wasn’t a threat—yet.

"You seem out of place," I said, my voice low, though I couldn't deny there was a hint of curiosity behind the words.

The boy's smirk only grew wider, the corner of his mouth twitching with a mix of amusement and defiance. "You seem to think that, don't you?" His voice was smooth, almost too smooth, like he was toying with me already. "I’d say you’re the one who’s out of place."

I raised an eyebrow, the challenge in his words pulling me in even more. "You think I’m out of place here? This is my world, kid."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes never leaving mine. "And yet, here I am, walking through it like I own the place."

I couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. This kid, he wasn’t like anyone I’d met before. Most people were intimidated by the mafia, by the weight of our name. But this one? He was fearless. It was almost... endearing.

I studied him for a moment, noting the way he stood—too comfortable, too assured of himself. And the more I observed, the more I realized that wasn’t just cockiness. There was something about the way he carried himself, something that made him stand out among the others.

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that,” I said, leaning a little closer, my voice dropping to a more intimate pitch. “But that won’t get you far with me.”

Ricky’s eyes narrowed, a flash of something mischievous flickering behind them. "Is that a challenge, Gyuvin?"

I didn’t answer right away, letting the tension build between us. His challenge hung in the air like a promise of something dangerous, something neither of us was willing to back down from. But before I could reply, he took a step closer, his presence suddenly much more overwhelming than I expected.