The city never slept.
Neither did Jae-Hyun.
The lights of the Kang Corporation tower stretched endlessly into the night sky, cold and commanding—just like the man standing at the top floor, staring down at it.
Jae-Hyun loosened his tie slightly, his eyes fixed on the glowing city below. Cars moved like distant stars, people like shadows, everything small… insignificant.
Control.
That was all that mattered.
And right now—
He had it.
"Sir, the investors are waiting."
The assistant's voice broke the silence behind him.
Jae-Hyun didn't turn. "Give me five minutes."
"Yes, sir."
The door closed again.
Silence returned.
Just a month ago…
None of this belonged to him.
None of this mattered to him.
Meetings. Contracts. Power.
It was all something he used to avoid.
Now—
It was his weapon.
He walked back to the desk, picking up the file in front of him. His eyes scanned through the documents quickly, sharply, missing nothing.
Numbers.
Names.
Connections.
Patterns.
Everything was connected.
It had to be.
Min-Jae didn't die for nothing.
His grip tightened slightly on the file.
You saw something… didn't you? Something big enough to get you killed.
His mind drifted briefly—
To that night.
To the silence.
To the truth he never got to hear.
"I'll finish what you started."
The words left his lips quietly.
Like a promise.
The meeting room was already filled when he entered.
Executives.
Investors.
Men twice his age.
Men who once ignored him.
Now—
They stood.
Respect.
Or fear.
Maybe both.
"Let's begin," Jae-Hyun said calmly, taking his seat at the head of the table.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
"Sir, we're concerned about the sudden shift in strategy," one of the investors spoke carefully. "These moves… they're aggressive."
"They're necessary," Jae-Hyun replied without looking up.
Another man leaned forward. "You're targeting companies connected to long-standing partners. That could create conflict."
Jae-Hyun finally looked at him.
Cold.
Precise.
"Then let it."
Silence fell instantly.
The air shifted.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
"This isn't just business," another voice added cautiously.
Jae-Hyun's gaze darkened slightly.
"You're right."
A pause.
Then—
"It's not."
No one spoke after that.
Because they understood.
Something had changed.
And whatever it was—
It wasn't something they could control.
By the time the meeting ended, the decisions had been made.
Deals adjusted.
Partnerships reconsidered.
Targets… chosen.
Jae-Hyun stepped out of the room, his expression unchanged.
But inside—
Everything was moving.
Faster.
Sharper.
Closer.
His phone buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
"If you're looking for answers… start with the school archives."
Jae-Hyun stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Who sent this?
Another message followed.
"Your brother got too close."
The screen went dark.
No reply.
No trace.
A slow breath left his lips.
Good.
This meant one thing—
He was getting closer.
The next day, the academy library was quiet.
Too quiet.
Jae-Hyun sat in the far corner, surrounded by old records, archived documents, and files that most students didn't even know existed.
His eyes moved quickly across the pages.
Student records.
Transfer histories.
Disciplinary reports.
Nothing obvious.
Nothing direct.
But something was there.
He could feel it.
"Still ignoring me?"
The voice came again.
Bright.
Familiar.
Annoying.
Jae-Hyun didn't look up.
Soo-Min dropped into the chair across from him, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him.
"You're always here," she said casually. "Do you even have a life?"
"Yes."
"Really?" she smiled. "Because this looks boring."
He turned a page.
"You should try talking to people."
"No."
"You should try smiling."
"No."
She laughed softly.
"You're impossible."
"And yet you're still here."
"Because you're interesting."
He finally looked at her.
"…That's your mistake."
Soo-Min didn't flinch.
"I don't think so."
For a moment—
They just looked at each other.
Two completely different worlds.
Colliding.
Jae-Hyun looked away first.
As always.
But this time—
His thoughts didn't return to the files immediately.
Because for the first time…
Something was distracting him.
And he didn't like it.
Across the room, unnoticed—
Someone was watching.
And the deeper Jae-Hyun dug into the truth…
The more dangerous everything became.