THE DEVIL'S ROSE

IN a shadowy office, Tae-hyun sat at the head of a polished table, his fingers steepled as his team debated.

"Mr. Tae-hyun, we must act now," Min Jae insisted, his tone urgent.

"No. It's too obvious. We strike when they least expect it," Tae-hyun replied coolly.

"But revenge-" Min Jae began before Do-yoon cut him off.

"Revenge without strategy is chaos. Think logically."

"But sir" Min Jae persisted

"You know better than to over step" Tae-hyun said his words each carry a dreadful threat in them.

Min Jae bowed slightly, chastened. "Apologies sir, I forgot my place."

"Hyung's right. We can't afford to be careless." Taehyun's tone was cool, but the vein on his jaw said otherwise. "If people go on whispering we're tied to these politicians' deaths, it's one thing. But if we hand them proof on a silver platter, it's game over. We don't rush without calculations."

Min-jae swallowed, eyes down. "My apologies, sir. I spoke without thinking."

"For now, keep an eye on the thugs," Taehyun ordered, adjusting his cuff.

A heavy silence settled before Mr. Jun finally cleared his throat. "Sir, what about the spy… or stalker… do you think he has something to do with the politicians?"

Taehyun's eyes narrowed, lips curling into a cold smile. "That's my business to handle. You're dismissed."

The command was clear. Chairs scraped back, shoes tapped against marble, and the hall emptied like a wave retreating from shore—except for Doyoon.

Taehyun glanced at him, letting out a small smirk before pouring a glass of wine, the dark liquid catching the chandelier's glow. "You always lose your cool around Min-jae." He handed him the glass.

Doyoon took the glass but didn't drink. His gaze was steady. "Believe it or not, there's something off about that guy."

"You're overthinking it," Taehyun said, swirling his own drink.

Doyoon exhaled, setting the untouched glass down with a soft clink. "Not everyone Grandpa recommends is trustworthy, Taehyun. Grandpa's human too." His voice was calm, but the warning beneath it was sharp. "You need to learn to protect yourself better ."

He turned and walked away, not waiting for Taehyun's reply, leaving the faint scent of cologne and unspoken truth hanging in the air.

MEANWHILE...

That same evening, Soo-ji stood in front of the golden-lit restaurant, shifting her weight as the warm evening breeze fluttered against her blush off-shoulder blouse. Her high-waisted denim skirt brushed softly against her legs, paired with white sneakers that made her feel cute yet comfortably herself.

She tucked a loose wave of hair behind her ear, her small gold hoops catching the streetlights like tiny constellations as she checked her phone again, her heart thumping so loudly she wondered if the world could hear. She checked her phone again, biting her lip as the screen stayed empty. A soft ping made her jump, but it was just a random notification.

Calm down, Soo-ji, she told herself, fingers curling around the strap of her bag.

"Sorry I'm late."

His voice was warm, casual, like it always was, and for a moment, the world blurred around her.

She looked up, and there he was—hair ruffled from the breeze, black shirt with folded sleeves, that easy smile on his lips as if he hadn't just made her wait twenty minutes, as if he wasn't the reason her heart had been pounding all evening.

"Oh, hey," she managed, hoping he didn't notice the way her voice caught.

"You've been waiting long?" he asked.

She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Not really."

He looked relieved, his smile returning as he gestured towards the restaurant. "Shall we?"

As they stepped inside, Soo-ji let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It was just dinner, she reminded herself. Just dinner with a friend.

But as she walked beside him, her hand brushing against his for a fleeting second, she wondered if it would ever be more than that.

They sat by the window, the glow of the streetlights spilling onto their small table as soft music played in the background. Soo-ji could barely taste the water she sipped, her eyes flicking to him as he scanned the menu.

"You always take so long to decide," she teased lightly, trying to steady her heartbeat.

He looked up, a small grin tugging at his lips. "That's because I don't want to waste the one meal I get with you on something bland."

Her breath caught. "With me?"

"Yeah." He set the menu down, leaning back, his eyes warm. "You're always busy. Feels like I have to book you weeks in advance."

She chuckled softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You exaggerate."

"I'm serious." He picked up his glass, swirling the water before taking a sip. "You're always running around helping everyone, Soo-ji."

She looked down, fiddling with the edge of her napkin. "That's what my job is all about."

Out of the blue, two teenage girls burst into the restaurant, their excitement practically glowing as they stopped inches from their table, so overjoyed that words tangled on their tongues.

"Oh my God! You're Cheng Yi, the actor from Impossible Encounters!" one of the girls squealed, her eyes wide.

Cheng glanced up, a polite, warm smile on his face. "Can I help you?"

"Oh my God, I told you it was him!" Bora, the taller of the two, squealed to her friend.

"You have such flawless skin, and you look even more handsome in person, oh my God," Na-eun stammered, clutching her phone.

"We're so sorry to disturb you, but can we get a picture? We're your biggest fans," they pleaded, bouncing on their toes.

Cheng turned to Soo-ji, as if asking for permission with his eyes.

"Oh, don't mind me. Go ahead," Soo-ji said, smiling softly, though a small part of her heart squeezed.

"Oh my God, you have such a pretty smile! We're so sorry to interrupt your date," Na-eun blurted, giggling.

Before Soo-ji could clarify, they were already snapping pictures with Cheng, bright smiles and hurried giggles filling the air.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Cheng! Your girlfriend is so pretty too!" Bora exclaimed.

"What are your names?" Cheng asked, still warm and polite.

"I'm Bora, and she's Na-eun," Bora replied, starry-eyed.

"It's nice to meet you both," Cheng said. "I hope to see you at the fan meeting next week."

"Oh my God, he smiled at me!" Bora squealed, hiding behind Na-eun.

"We'll definitely be there! Sorry again for interrupting, and you two really look good together," Na-eun added.

Soo-ji's heart twisted at the word "together." Before she could think, she pulled out some bills from her purse and handed it to them. "You're sweet girls. Get yourselves something to eat, and don't stay out too late, okay?"

"Unni! Thank you so much!" they both said with a bow before running out, laughter trailing behind them.

As the restaurant settled back into its gentle hum, Cheng looked at her, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Soo-ji, I'm sorry. I didn't want it to turn out like this."

"Hey, come on," Soo-ji said, waving it off with a small smile. "It was actually nice seeing how you interact with your fans. They were cute."

Cheng chuckled softly, his shoulders relaxing.

"Lest I forget," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, pale pink gift box tied with a satin ribbon.

"Give me your hand."

Soo-ji blinked, startled, her eyes flicking from the box to his face, searching for a hint of teasing. But his expression was soft, steady. Her breath caught as she slowly stretched out her hand, warmth spreading across her skin as his fingers brushed against hers.

He opened the box, revealing a delicate bracelet glinting under the restaurant lights—a fine chain of deep, honey-red gems, each catching the glow like a shard of sunset. Carefully, Cheng clasped it around her wrist, his fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

Soo-ji turned her wrist, letting the light dance across the gems, noticing the small gold plate nestled between them with her name engraved in tiny, perfect letters.

"Do you like it?" Cheng asked, his voice low, almost hesitant.

"Are you kidding? I love it," she breathed, brushing her fingers over the letters, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

"Do you know what it represents?" Cheng continued, leaning back, his gaze fixed on her.

"No, what does it?" she asked, tilting her head, her curiosity genuine despite the tightness in her chest.

"It's called painite," Cheng explained, his voice gentle. "One of the rarest gems in the world. It describes the beauty, strength, and rarity of a person… just like you, Soo-ji."

His lips curved into a warm, effortless smile. "You're a rare gem—even rarer than painite itself."

The words sank into her like warm honey, heavy and sweet, yet leaving a quiet ache. Her breath caught as she looked at him, the moment stretching between them like a delicate thread she didn't want to break.

"Happy birthday, Soo-ji," he added softly.

At that moment, the heat in her cheeks was undeniable, rising to the tips of her ears as she pressed her free hand to her face, a soft laugh escaping despite the swirl in her chest. She lowered her gaze, studying the bracelet, memorizing the way it shimmered under the lights.

For a moment, she let herself believe it meant something more. That maybe, just maybe, this was more than a birthday dinner.

But when she finally looked up, Cheng was staring out the window, a soft, unreadable expression in his eyes as the neon glow reflected off the glass. The waiter returned with their food, carefully setting down their plates, the clatter of cutlery punctuating the silence.

Soo-ji picked up her chopsticks, forcing a small smile. "It looks delicious."

"It does," Cheng replied, glancing at her with that same warm smile, the one he gave to everyone, the one that was never hers alone.