🌑 10:19 PM.
The night in Hoyo District glows like liquid neon beneath the towering skyline of Itwatsuki, every glass building reflecting fractured rivers of gold, crimson, and electric blue into the streets below.
Traffic hums far beneath elevated roads, the city alive in layers, breathing in polished luxury and hidden ambition.
At the center of it all— the gala hall stands illuminated like a palace built for modern gods.
Massive glass doors stretch several meters high, framed by black marble pillars and soft golden lighting cascading downward in warm streams.
Luxury vehicles line the entrance road in slow succession, engines purring quietly as suited chauffeurs open doors for wealthy guests stepping into the night dressed in silk, velvet, and power.
Inside— the scale becomes overwhelming.
The grand hall opens upward into an enormous cathedral of wealth and influence, its ceilings disappearing high above beneath layered crystal chandeliers that scatter warm light across the polished marble floor like shattered stars.
Golden illumination blends with thin neon accents lining the upper architecture, creating an atmosphere suspended somewhere between elegance and seduction.
Everything gleams.
The floor reflects movement in softened mirrors beneath every passing guest.
Crystal glasses catch the light.
Jewelry flickers with each subtle turn of a wrist or tilt of a head.
Velvet curtains drape elegantly along distant walls, dark and luxurious beneath the ambient glow.
The hall is crowded, yet controlled.
Small circles of elite business figures occupy different sections of the room, conversations flowing smoothly behind measured smiles.
Influential investors laugh softly beside politicians and corporate executives, their voices layered beneath the immersive pulse of the music.
Elegant couples move together across the hall with practiced grace, gowns swaying softly beside tailored suits.
Nothing here is accidental.
Not posture.
Not distance.
Not eye contact.
Every movement carries meaning.
Every smile hides calculation.
Along the outer sections of the hall, several bar counters stretch beneath suspended lighting, their polished black surfaces lined neatly with glowing cocktails in shades of crimson, sapphire, emerald, and gold.
Bartenders move with precise efficiency, spinning bottles smoothly, pouring drinks without wasted motion while crystal glasses clink softly beneath the music.
Beyond them, velvet lounge areas sit partially secluded beneath dimmer lighting.
Low glass tables rest between dark couches where powerful guests lean inward in quieter conversations, negotiations hidden behind casual tones and relaxed body language.
The music binds everything together.
Smooth electronic lounge rhythms flow through the massive hall in soft waves, deep bass lines pulsing beneath subtle jazz undertones.
Synth notes glide slowly through the air like neon reflections across rainwater, while soft percussion ticks steadily beneath it all like the heartbeat of the building itself.
Not loud.
Never overwhelming.
Just immersive.
The kind of music designed to slow people down.
To make conversations linger.
To blur tension beneath elegance.
And through the long entrance corridor leading into the hall—
Jin and Lily arrive.
Their pace is calm, synchronized naturally without needing adjustment.
Lily walks close beside him, one arm looped securely around his arm while her other hand holds her purse lightly at her side.
The long black dress flows elegantly with each step she takes, the fabric catching soft reflections from the corridor lighting.
Beside her, Jin moves with composed stillness.
One hand rests casually inside his coat pocket while the other remains occupied by Lily’s hold around his arm.
His black coat sharpens his already commanding presence, the red tie beneath adding a controlled intensity that quietly separates him from everyone around him.
People notice.
Even before they fully enter.
Some guests near the corridor glance toward them instinctively, conversations slowing for half a second before resuming again.
Just before the main entrance— a security guard steps forward.
Professional.
Firm.
“ID.”
His voice cuts cleanly through the corridor atmosphere.
Jin doesn’t react negatively.
Doesn’t slow much either.
He simply pulls his identification card from his pocket with calm precision and holds it forward.
The guard takes one look.
And immediately straightens slightly.
Recognition flashes across his face almost instantly.
“Mr. Jin.”
His tone shifts subtly, more respectful now.
Then his gaze moves toward Lily.
“And she?”
For a moment, Lily says nothing.
Then her fingers tighten slightly around Jin’s arm as she steps just a little closer beside him.
A soft smile appears on her lips, elegant yet warm beneath the golden corridor lighting.
“I am his fiancée.”
The words leave her gently.
Naturally.
As if she’s already become comfortable saying them.
The guard blinks once, visibly caught off guard for half a second before nodding respectfully.
“You both can enter.”
He steps aside immediately.
Together— they cross the threshold into the main gala hall.
The atmosphere expands around them instantly.
Light.
Sound.
Movement.
Everything opens at once.
Lily slows slightly beside Jin as her silver eyes drift across the enormous interior, taking in the shimmering chandelier reflections dancing across the marble floor.
Her gaze moves toward groups of influential guests speaking in controlled voices, waiters gliding gracefully through the crowd carrying trays filled with sparkling drinks.
Farther inside the hall, camera flashes flicker occasionally near clustered media corners, brief bursts of white light disappearing almost as quickly as they appear.
Couples pass nearby arm-in-arm, elegant and composed beneath the layered glow of neon and gold.
Jin’s eyes move differently.
Sharper.
More analytical.
He notices the social structures immediately.
Who stands at the center of conversations.
Who remains on the outside seeking approval.
Who commands attention without asking for it.
Power dynamics reveal themselves in posture before words.
And this hall is overflowing with them.
Soft shadows stretch between pillars and lounge sections, creating depth throughout the massive interior while the music pulses steadily beneath the endless stream of conversation.
Glass clinks.
Quiet laughter rises.
Footsteps disappear into carpeted sections of the hall.
The entire gala feels alive— beautiful on the surface.
Dangerous underneath.
And standing together beneath the chandelier glow—
Jin and Lily enter deeper into it side by side.
Unaware that somewhere within the elegance of velvet, crystal, and neon— someone else has already noticed them.
And..
Lily’s attention drifted somewhere far less sophisticated.
Her silver eyes wandered across the glowing hall curiously while she remained looped around Jin’s arm, her heels clicking softly against the marble beside his steady footsteps.
Then suddenly— she froze.
Her gaze locked somewhere near the far side of the hall.
Near one of the illuminated bar counters glowing beneath hanging amber lights.
And there— among crystal glasses and expensive liquor— sat a tall glass of strawberry juice.
Bright pink.
Cold condensation trailing slowly down the side.
Tiny strawberry slices resting near the rim.
Lily’s eyes widened instantly.
Like a child spotting treasure in a forbidden shop window.
Her fingers tightened around Jin’s arm.
“Jin,” she whispered urgently.
Then even quieter.
“Honey… strawberry.”
Jin blinked once.
Slowly turned his head toward the bar.
Then back toward her.
A sigh escaped him immediately, already sensing danger.
“Later.”
Flat.
Calm.
Dangerously final.
Lily stared at him in disbelief for half a second.
Then her grip on his arm tightened further.
“But look at it…” she whispered dramatically, eyes still glued to the drink like it had personally called her name.
“It looks so good…”
“We just entered,” Jin replied without slowing his steps.
“You don’t immediately start drinking things at events.”
Lily puffed her cheeks slightly.
“But it’s strawberry juice.”
“That changes nothing.”
“It changes everything.”
Jin closed his eyes briefly.
Somewhere behind them, glasses clinked.
Music pulsed softly through hidden speakers.
A group of executives laughed near the lounge area.
And meanwhile— his fiancée was negotiating like her survival depended on fruit juice.
Lily looked up at him again.
This time softer.
“Pleaaase…”
The word stretched gently, warm and shamelessly cute.
Jin kept walking.
Or at least tried to.
Because Lily suddenly slowed herself dramatically, causing his arm to tug slightly backward with her cling.
He glanced sideways.
Big mistake.
The pout hit directly.
Her cheeks puffed faintly.
Red lips pushed forward just enough to ruin composure.
Silver eyes soft and pleading beneath the chandelier glow. somehow— she looked completely serious about it.
“Pweaaase…”
Jin blinked.
Once.
Twice.
A faint blush crept dangerously close to his ears before he immediately looked away.
“Tch…”
He muttered under his breath like a man confronting divine punishment.
“God help me with this trouble.”
Lily’s eyes sparkled instantly.
He hadn’t even agreed yet and she already knew she won.
Jin sighed deeply.
Then finally nodded once.
The transformation in Lily was immediate.
Her face lit up so brightly it almost rivaled the chandeliers overhead.
“Yay!”
Before Jin could react properly, she tugged his arm excitedly and practically dragged him toward the bar through the flowing crowd.
“Slow down,” he muttered.
“You said yes.”
“That doesn’t mean sprint.”
“But strawberry—”
“Lily.”
She giggled softly.
The bar counter glowed beneath hanging amber lights, bottles lined perfectly behind the polished shelves while bartenders moved with smooth precision.
Ice clinked softly inside silver shakers.
Colored drinks shimmered beneath the lighting like liquid gemstones.
Jin stopped beside the counter with Lily still attached to his arm.
The bartender approached instantly.
“Good evening, sir.”
“One strawberry juice,” Jin said calmly.
The bartender nodded and immediately began preparing it.
Lily leaned slightly against Jin’s shoulder while waiting, eyes curiously wandering again.
That was when she noticed the dance floor.
Not large.
Not crowded.
Elegant.
Couples moved slowly beneath shifting lights while the music deepened into softer rhythms.
Velvet-blue lighting rolled gently across the polished floor while women’s dresses flowed with each turn.
Everything looked strangely cinematic.
Dreamlike.
Lily stared quietly for a moment.
Then gently nudged Jin with her shoulder.
“Jin… see.”
Jin glanced once toward the dance floor.
One look.
Then a small huff.
“Rubbish.”
Lily suppressed a smile.
Because despite the insult— he had looked.
And now her imagination betrayed her completely.
For just a second— she pictured herself there beside him.
One of his hands around her waist.
The other holding hers.
That calm expression softening slightly beneath dim lights while they moved together slowly among the crowd.
The image alone made warmth rush into her cheeks instantly.
She looked down quickly, hiding the small smile threatening to appear.
Meanwhile Jin noticed the sudden blush immediately.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“…what now?”
“N-nothing.”
“Liar.”
She hid behind her glass the moment the bartender placed it down.
“Strawberry juice for the lady.”
Lily accepted it with both hands like receiving something sacred.
“Thank you…”
Her first sip was immediate.
And dramatic.
Her eyes closed softly as she drank.
Tiny satisfied sigh.
“…so good…”
Jin stared at her silently for a moment.
Then shook his head.
“Unbelievable.”
“You’re jealous.”
“Of juice?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the stupidest thing you’ve said today.”
She grinned proudly.
Then without warning, she tugged his sleeve gently again.
“Come.”
Jin glanced at her.
“Where?”
“Too noisy here.”
Without waiting properly, she guided him away from the brighter sections of the gala hall, slipping through quieter side corridors where the music became softer and the crowd thinned into distant echoes.
The atmosphere changed almost immediately.
Dimmer lights.
Red and gold reflections along dark walls.
Muted sound.
The loud glamour of the gala faded behind them until only the distant pulse of music remained.
Near the end of the corridor sat a long red velvet couch beneath a warm wall light.
Lily guided him there triumphantly.
“This place.”
Jin looked around once carefully out of habit before sitting beside her.
The couch dipped softly beneath their weight.
For the first time since entering the gala— stillness returned.
Lily relaxed almost immediately.
She leaned gently into his side, resting her head against his shoulder while still holding her strawberry juice carefully in both hands.
The soft scent of strawberries mixed faintly with her perfume.
Her breathing slowed.
Calm.
Content.
She took another small sip before quietly murmuring:
“Mmm…”
Jin exhaled softly beside her.
And surprisingly— his shoulders loosened too.
No crowds pressing near.
No fake smiles.
No endless introductions.
Just dim corridor light…
…and her warmth against him.
He tilted his head slightly back against the couch.
One arm resting lazily along the top edge behind her.
Not quite holding her.
But close.
Very close.
Lily noticed immediately.
A tiny smile appeared against the rim of her glass.
Outside the corridor, the gala continued glittering endlessly.
Music.
Politics.
Power.
Movement.
But here— time slowed.
And for a brief moment between danger and destiny— they simply sat together quietly.
Warm.
Close.
Unaware that the night ahead had not even begun unfolding yet.
Just after few minutes
The corridor remained wrapped in dim amber light, far quieter than the glittering storm of the gala hall beyond it.
The distant music still drifted through the walls in softened waves, bass humming faintly beneath elegant jazz notes, but here it sounded far away.
Muted.
Like another world entirely.
Lily sat comfortably against Jin’s side for another few seconds after finishing the last sip of her strawberry juice, savoring it dramatically enough to make him glance sideways at her.
A tiny satisfied sigh escaped her lips.
“Mmm…”
She looked down at the empty glass in her hands with deep emotional attachment.
“…I’m going to miss you.”
Jin stared at her blankly.
“It’s juice.”
“It understood me.”
“That sentence physically hurt my brain.”
She giggled softly.
Then finally pushed herself upright from the red velvet couch.
The fabric of her black dress slid smoothly along her legs as she stood, elegant even in small movements.
The dim corridor light caught against the soft shimmer woven into the dress fabric while her silver hair slipped over one shoulder like liquid moonlight.
A small wall-mounted dustbin sat several steps ahead near the corner of the corridor.
Lily walked toward it slowly, heels tapping quietly against the polished floor.
Jin watched her absentmindedly from the couch.
The way she moved had changed lately.
Less hesitant.
More natural around him.
Like she no longer questioned whether she belonged beside him.
And somehow— that realization settled strangely warm inside his chest.
Lily gently dropped the empty glass into the bin with a soft clink.
Then turned back toward him immediately.
And smiled.
That same bright smile that somehow bypassed logic completely.
Jin exhaled quietly through his nose before finally standing from the couch himself.
Shoulders straightening.
Expression calming.
One hand slipping casually into his coat pocket.
A quiet breath leaving him as his posture settled back into controlled elegance.
But Lily walked directly into that composure like she had absolutely no respect for it.
She stepped close.
Very close.
Close enough for the faint scent of strawberries and perfume to linger around him.
Then slowly lifted both arms.
Wrapped them loosely around his neck.
Jin blinked once in surprise.
Her white gloves contrasted sharply against the dark fabric of his coat as her arms settled comfortably around him, fingers loosely linked behind his neck.
Then she looked up at him.
Grinning.
“How,” she asked dramatically, “did the great cold CEO Jin agree to grant me a drink…”
Her smile widened slightly.
“…and even let me drag him here?”
Jin looked down at her silently for a moment.
The corridor lights reflected softly in her silver eyes.
She was close enough now that he could feel the warmth of her body lightly pressing against his chest.
Close enough that every tiny expression became impossible to ignore.
He sighed softly.
“Hm… it’s…”
For once, the words stalled slightly.
Then a small smirk formed near the corner of his mouth.
“…maybe because you’re cute.”
Silence.
Lily froze instantly.
Her cheeks exploded into color so quickly it almost looked unreal beneath the amber lights.
“W-what—”
She immediately buried her face into his chest with a tiny squeak of embarrassment.
“Idiot!” she mumbled against him.
“W-why do you say such things so suddenly?!”
Jin actually looked amused now.
Not pretending.
Not hiding it.
Amused.
A quiet breath resembling a laugh escaped him.
The sound alone made Lily’s face grow even hotter.
She peeked up at him again with narrowed eyes full of fake outrage.
“If next time you tease me like that…”
She poked lightly at his chest.
“…I won’t add extra butter in your morning pancakes while working with mama.”
Jin looked down at her calmly.
“Hm.”
A pause.
“Great threat.”
Lily gasped softly.
“You’re impossible.”
“And yet,” Jin replied smoothly, “you’re still here.”
She puffed her cheeks again immediately.
Cute.
Dangerously cute.
The kind that weakened structural integrity.
Lily shook her head dramatically before muttering:
“You’re lucky you’re my fiancé.”
The words came out playful.
But they lingered.
Jin’s expression shifted faintly after hearing it.
Not visibly enough for most people to notice.
But Lily noticed.
Because she always noticed him.
He exhaled softly.
Then answered quieter this time.
“And you’re lucky…”
His eyes lowered slightly toward her.
“…because you’re my fiancée.”
The corridor suddenly felt smaller.
Warmer.
The distant music fading even further.
A faint blush appeared along Jin’s face before he looked away briefly and added under his breath:
“…and maybe…”
A tiny pause.
“…wife to be.”
Lily stopped breathing for half a second.
Completely.
Her eyes widened.
Her grip around his neck tightened instinctively.
“Jin…”
The whisper barely existed.
More breath than sound.
And when Jin looked back down at her— everything slowed.
The corridor lights blurred softly behind her.
The music became distant static.
Even the air itself seemed still.
Her silver eyes stared up at him wide at first…
Then slowly softened.
Emotion melted through them openly now.
No hiding.
No hesitation.
Meanwhile Jin’s gaze remained fixed entirely on her face.
No walls.
No coldness.
No distraction.
Just her.
Lily’s breathing grew shallow.
Warm against his chest.
Her arms slowly tightened around his neck as she rose carefully onto her tiptoes, trying to close the height between them.
The movement was slow enough to feel unreal.
Intentional.
Tender.
Jin’s eyes flickered slightly.
Then his hands moved instinctively to her waist.
Firm.
Warm.
Careful.
His fingers settled against the fabric of her dress, pulling her just slightly closer until her body rested fully against his chest.
Lily’s breath caught softly.
Her heart hammered so loudly she was certain he could feel it through the space between them.
And maybe he could.
Because Jin’s own breathing had changed too.
Slower.
Heavier.
The distance between their faces shrank inch by inch.
Painfully slowly.
Lily tilted her face upward.
Jin leaned down slightly.
Both of them silent now.
No teasing.
No defenses.
Just warmth.
Breath mingling softly between them.
Lily’s eyes fluttered closed first.
Jin watched her for one final second before his own eyes slowly lowered.
Closer.
Closer.
The tip of Lily’s nose brushed faintly against his.
A tiny shiver ran through her instantly.
Then— their lips touched.
Barely.
The lightest possible brush.
Soft enough to question if it even happened at all.
A fragile almost-kiss suspended between hesitation and surrender.
And right before either of them could fully process it—
CLAP.
The sharp sound shattered the corridor instantly.
Both froze.
Lily’s eyes snapped open first.
Jin’s grip on her waist tightened automatically.
The entire moment collapsed around them.
Silence rushed back colder this time.
Heavier.
Lily instinctively stayed close against Jin’s chest while both turned sharply toward the source of the sound.
A figure stood several meters away in the corridor shadows.
Tall.
Still.
Slowly clapping.
A smirk resting across his face.
Watching them.
Guard 137.
The very man Jin had been searching for.
Jin’s expression hardened immediately.
Every trace of softness vanished beneath something colder.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
But his hands still remained on Lily’s waist.
And Lily’s arms still rested loosely around his neck.
The interrupted almost-kiss lingered invisibly between them while tension flooded the corridor all at once.
Warmth replaced by danger in a single breath.
And somewhere beneath Jin’s calm exterior— violence quietly awakened again.