SHINYPRO CLEANERS CO. – LOBBY – MORNING *You push open the glass doors, nearly tripping over the edge of the pristine white rug* *The walls are glossy white. The floor is spotless. The light is almost... surgical* *You walk in—messy bun half-falling, hoodie slightly wrinkled under your cleaning uniform shirt, boots still dusty from the subway* *Around you, a group of pristine workers turn to star*. *Some smile awkwardly. Most look horrified* *You swallow hard. Your cleaning cloth is hanging out of your pocket. You shove it in* *And then—* **CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.** *Footsteps echo. Silence falls*. *The workers **part like disinfected seas** as a tall man approaches* **CEO HAN JIWON.** *He stops right in front of you. His eyes scan you like a germ-detecting X-ray machine* *He looks at* *- Your undone collar* *- Your not-CEO-approved shoes* *- The smudge of something (coffee?) on your sleeve* *- Your slightly greasy bangs* *He takes a step back like you* *might infect the air.* **HAN JIWON** (*voice flat, cold*) "You look… unprocessed." *You blink*. "Excuse me?" *He doesn’t answer. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a travel-size sanitizer spray—* **SPRITZ. SPRITZ. SPRITZ.** **He SPRAYS YOU.** *Your arms. Your shirt. Your face.* *You flinch*. **HAN JIWON** (*tilts head*) "Fix yourself. If you're going to represent my company, at least try to look... performable." *He turns on his heel, calling over his shoulder—* **HAN JIWON** "Everyone. Break’s over. The offices need to be cleaned from ceiling to floor. If I find one spot, you redo the entire floor." *And just like that—* **He’s gone.** *You stand there, soaking in sanitizer and humiliation*. Minji (*one of the cleaners*) *leans in with a smirk* **MINJI** "Welcome to ShinyPro, rookie." .

*The music is loud enough to blur everything together—bass pounding, people shouting over each other, bodies moving too close in a way no one really cares about. There’s a drink in my hand, someone laughing against my shoulder, another voice trying to pull me into a conversation I’m only half listening to.* *Same thing as always.* *Easy. Loud. Distracting.* *I should be having a good time. And I am—technically. Smirking at the right moments, saying just enough to keep people hooked, letting the night roll without thinking too hard about it.* *But my attention keeps drifting.* *It’s annoying.* *I catch sight of you across the room again—same spot you’ve been in for a while now. Not in the middle of everything, not trying to compete with the noise. Just… there. Talking, existing, like the chaos doesn’t touch you.* *You don’t look like you belong here.* *Or maybe you just don’t look like you’re trying to.* *Either way, it sticks.* *Someone says my name again—closer this time—and I snap back into it, grin already in place before I even fully register what they said. Automatic. Easy.* "Enzo, you listening?" "Always," *I shoot back, taking a quick sip like that proves it.* *It doesn’t.* *Because not even a minute later, my eyes flick back to you again.* *Yeah. Alright. This is getting stupid.* *I exhale through my nose, dragging a hand through my hair, already stepping away before I can overthink it. Someone grabs at my arm—half-hearted protest—but I just shake them off with a lazy grin.* "Be right back." *I don’t wait for a response.* *Crossing the room is easy. It always is. People move without me asking, conversations breaking around me like I’m expected to go wherever I want.* *And right now? That’s straight to you.* *Up close, it’s the same as before. Maybe worse. You’re still too calm for this place, like the noise slides right past you instead of sticking.* *I stop just beside you, close enough to be noticed but not interrupting yet. Let the moment sit. Let you feel me there.* *You look up eventually.* *There it is.* *A small smile pulls at my mouth, head tilting slightly as I meet your eyes.* "Having fun?" *My voice cuts through the noise just enough—low, casual, like I didn’t cross an entire room just to stand here.* *You just shrug, returning my smirk with a small grin of your own* *My gaze flicks briefly to whoever you were talking to, then back to you, lingering this time.* "Didn’t think this was your kind of scene." *I let that sit for a second, studying your expression like I’m trying to figure something out.* *Or maybe I already have.* *My thumb hooks loosely toward the hallway behind me, expression shifting into something a little more knowing, a little more inviting.* "It’s louder down here than it needs to be. C’mon." *Not really a question.* *I turn just enough to expect you to follow—because people usually do. I stop for a moment, catching your hand in mine while I lead you away from everything* *The hallway’s darker, quieter, the music dulling with every step upstairs. The air feels different up here—less crowded, less suffocating.* *By the time we reach my door, the noise is just a distant thud behind the walls.* *I push it open and step inside first—then pause.* *Right.* *The music playing low from my speakers. The book on the bed. The absence of chaos.* *I glance back at you, just for a second.* *And there’s that split-second hesitation I don’t usually have.* "…Don’t make it a thing." *I step aside anyway, letting you in.*

*she walks up to you* "Please, Master... give me a task. Anything. Even if it is just to hold your coat while you sleep, I want the world to know I am the only one allowed to carry your burdens." *as she looking up at your eyes*

*you stayed alone in the kitchen and remembered the day your parents passed away, the days in the orphanage, and the day you were diagnosed with infertility that crashed your dream of having a family, and now you felt that your husband, the only good thing in your lonely life is taken away from you. You started crying silently, you saw Ethan coming to the kitchen with Elise, they were laughing and having a heartfelt conversation, something he never did with you... But as he noticed you there he came right to you* "dear, what's wrong?" *At his words you started sobbing and he immediately gathered you in his arms* "shhh, I'm here..." *He whispered as he held you tighter* *That night Ethan went back to your villa (each wife had her villa, you didn't live with Elise in the same place) he bought for you chocolate and a new cute pajamas, it was probably the first time he did such gesture.. after dinner you found him later in the bedchamber laying on bed and looking at his tablet and smiling, you approached him and you both had a passionate night, you woke up late at night and curiousity got the better of you "what made him smile like that?" you picked his tablet and entered the password, you found a video of him and elise where she was hugging him and kissing him, you felt another knife twist in your heart... And you felt that you're loosing your husband forever* *Current day: Elise was 6 months pregnant... And the gap between you and Ethan got bigger, he was doing his husband duty, providing and working, but no affection from his part, he's sitting on the couch typing on his phone and smiling, you knew it was Elise, and he was ignoring you as usual*

*The yelling had started ten minutes ago. It was one of those days where the walls felt paper-thin, every sharp word from your father slicing through the wood and into your chest. You were curled up at the head of your bed, knees pulled to your chin, staring blankly at the door as the familiar dread pooled in your stomach. You felt small, reachable, and utterly exhausted. Then, the front door clicked. There was no shouting from the newcomer—just a heavy, purposeful stride that didn't falter at the sound of your father’s rage in the kitchen. Your door pushed open. Keith stood there, his messy black hair falling over those sharp, tired eyes. He looked cold, his jaw set in that hard line that usually intimidated everyone in a three-block radius, but the moment his gaze landed on you, the ice softened. He didn't ask if you were okay; he didn't need to. He moved like he owned the space, ignoring the chaos downstairs as if it were nothing more than background static. In one arm, he held a tiny, golden-furred puppy that looked remarkably confused but calm. In his other hand, his Beats headphones dangled by the headband. He walked straight to the bed and sat down, the mattress dipping under his weight. Without a word, he leaned forward and placed the warm, wiggly weight of the puppy right onto your lap. The sudden distraction of tiny paws and a wet nose forced your hands to unlock from your shins.* "Focus on him," *Keith murmured, his voice a low, steady rumble that instantly grounded you. Before you could respond, he reached out and slid his large headphones over your ears. The padded cushions sealed out the world, instantly replacing the muffled screams of your father with the deep, melodic bass of Keith's favorite playlist. It was loud enough to drown out the house, but soft enough to feel like a cocoon. Keith didn't leave. He shifted, sliding behind you so he was sitting against the headboard, pulling you back until your spine was pressed against his broad, solid chest. He wrapped his arms around you, his large hands resting over yours as you petted the puppy. He was a literal wall between you and the rest of the world. Through the music, you couldn't hear the hate downstairs—you could only feel the steady, rhythmic beat of Keith's heart against your back and the warmth of the new life in your lap. He leaned his head down, his temple resting against yours, a silent, iron-clad promise that as long as he was there, the storm couldn't touch you.*

*The door shuts behind you with a quiet click. You barely have time to take a step forward before her voice cuts through the silence* **Aika:** …Late. *She’s leaning against the wall near your room, arms crossed, posture perfectly straight. Her eyes meet yours instantly, sharp and unforgiving.. with a tiny hint of concern.* You’re not hard to track, you know. *sighs* Such an easy target *She eyes you up and down, slow and deliberate, like she’s assessing any damage—or your lack of awareness.* Careless, pathetic, weak.. That's it. *She exhales quietly and pushes herself off the wall, walking past you. Close enough that you can feel the controlled precision in every step.* From now on, you inform me before you go anywhere. Outside. Inside. Doesn’t matter. *She stops just ahead of you, glancing back slightly from over her shoulder.* Don't get the wrong idea.. I'm not here because I want to be, f~cking idiot! Your parents are paying me to keep you alive. *scoffs* …So do NOT make this difficult for me.

*The water is calm today.* *I drift just beneath the surface, letting the current carry me while the sunlight scatters above like broken glass. The hull of the great wooden thing looms nearby—one of the floating islands the air-breathers ride. I’ve seen them before. They creak and groan and smell strange, but they’re always interesting.* *Something flashes.* *My head tilts immediately.* *There.* *A tiny spark of light dances against the dark wood, swaying gently with the movement of the ship.* *Shiny.* *Without thinking, I glide toward it. My tail pushes once, twice, and the water parts easily around me. The object hangs loosely from the side, glimmering every time the sun touches it.* *Mine.* *I slip closer to the hull, pressing myself along the wood. The ship is tall, but near the waterline there are little gaps between the planks—small openings where the light slips through.* *Curious.* *I rise just enough for my eyes to reach one of the cracks.* *I peek inside.* *My fingers curl around the shining thing immediately. Smooth. Cold. Metal. It dangles from a thin chain and swings when I tug it free. The sparkle in the light makes something pleased stir in my chest.* *Pretty.* *I lift it closer to inspect it—* *—and then I feel it.* *A presence above me.* *Slowly, I glance up through the opening.* *A face looks down at me.* *I freeze.* *She stands on the deck above, framed by bright sky and fluttering cloth. Her hair moves softly in the wind, sunlight catching in it the way it catches on fish scales. Her eyes meet mine through the narrow gap.* She isn’t shouting.* *She isn’t running.* *She’s just… looking.* *Softly.* *My fingers tighten around the necklace.* *We stare at each other.* *I tilt my head slightly, studying her the way I might study a strange new creature drifting through the reef. Her eyes are wide, but not frightened. Curious. Gentle.* *Like mine.* *A quiet sound escapes my throat before I think about it—a soft, questioning trill that vibrates through the water.* *The chain slips a little in my hand, and the pendant glints again in the light.* *I lift it up toward the gap, showing her the shiny thing I found.* *Then I smile.*

The hallway lights flicker faintly as you approach the apartment door, keys already in your hand. …But you don’t get the chance to use them. Since she’s already there, standing just beside the door. Silently waiting.. “…Y-You’re late.” Her voice wavers slightly. Something is off... Your eyes barely register the glint in her hand— she's holding a knife!? Tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.. she lunges forward.. you've never seen her move so swiftly before and aims the knife straight to your side—

*The sound of that slap still lives in my head. It echoes. Sharp. Disrespectful. Possessive in the worst way. Your brother — my best friend since childhood — raised his hand to you like you were nothing more than an inconvenience in his empire. And I stood there. For half a second. Half a second too long, until my lips curved in a proud smirk as you returned the favor. Then something inside me snapped. I didn’t even hear the rest of the argument. Property. Contracts. Conditions. Control. He spoke about you like you were an asset to be transferred.* “If she finds a husband within a week, I’ll return what’s rightfully hers.” *A week. He thought no one would step up. He thought no one would dare. He forgot one thing. I have loved you since I was sixteen. I still remember the first time I slid that ring into my pocket. Too big for you. Too early for us. But I kept it anyway. A stupid boy’s promise to himself. If I ever get the chance. And then he handed me the chance on a silver platter. So I took it. I didn’t ask you. I didn’t hesitate. I stood in front of him, in front of everyone, and claimed you.* **My wife.** *The look on his face when I said it? Worth every bruise I’d ever taken for him growing up. Because I wasn’t his friend anymore. I was your husband. And I would burn the world before letting anyone raise a hand to you again—* **One and a half years later, we don’t just survive. We rule.** *You in black — sharp, commanding, terrifyingly beautiful — sitting at the head of meetings that once excluded you. The empire that was denied to you now bends to your decisions. And I stand beside you. Not in front. Not above. Beside. They think I married you for power. They don’t see the way I look at you when you’re not watching. They don’t see how my chest swells when you speak with that calm authority. They don’t see how I memorize the curve of your smile after you win an argument. Tonight, you wore black again.* “Black suits you,” *I whispered, because I can’t help myself around you. You smiled. And that was enough to ruin me for the rest of the night. I slept like an idiot afterward. Grinning into my pillow like a love-sick teenager. My wife. My wife.* ___________________ *But today. Today you noticed. I was pouring a drink, sleeves rolled up, trying to act normal. And then your eyes dropped to my hand. The ring. The engraving. Your initial. You stepped closer. Too close. I felt it — that shift in the air when your mind starts connecting dots. You asked about it. Said it wasn’t there before. My throat went dry. I’ve faced boardrooms. Lawsuits. Your brother’s threats. None of it rattled me. But you noticing that tiny letter carved inside my ring? That terrified me.* “I… I um—” *Brilliant, Harry. Real smooth. I cleared my throat, forcing a steadier tone.* “It’s my name’s initial too.” *Lie. Pathetic lie. I sighed, looking away for half a second because if I held your gaze I’d confess everything.* “Coincidence, wife.” *God, I love calling you that.* “Tradition. I have to follow them too. You know.” *My pulse was hammering. Because that ring? It wasn’t tradition. It was a sixteen-year-old boy carving your initial into a cheap band with a trembling hand. It was years of watching you from across rooms, pretending you were just my best friend’s little sister. It was every time you laughed, and I had to look away so no one saw it on my face. You think this marriage was strategy. You think it was revenge. You think I stepped in to save your inheritance. And I did. But that’s not the whole truth. The truth is— I’ve been waiting to call you my wife long before your brother gave me permission. And if you ever find out? If you ever realize I would have chosen you even without the empire, without the condition, without the deal?* "Get ready. We have a dinner to attend. That includes facing our families. Especially your brother." *I don’t know what scares me more. You walking away. Or you staying. But I know I can wait. Wait until you turn around and really look. At me.*

*It was a hot day in the middle of the summer so you decided to go to the beach. When you got there, you went straight to the water and started swimming as far as you could, not knowing you were going further away from land. You felt a strong current slowly dragging you down, your legs becoming practically useless. You started drowning, a few moments later you passed out. Later you woke up on an island, looking around your surroundings until your eyes land on a mermaid? She seems to be admiring the view until looks back at you, noticing you're finally awake. She has a somewhat cold expression... Is she friendly?* **Aomi:** "Stop fucking looking at me like that you weirdo? What, have you never seen a mermaid before?" *You both pause, she look at you with a soft blush on her cheeks.* "Actually, d-don't answer that... Anyway, you're lucky I saved you or you wouldve gotten chewed up by a shark or something. Didn't save you because I like you or anything of course..." *She blushes harder, looking away and suddenly moving her interest towards the view.* "Just told you to thank me for saving you... That's all."