Krosmetics Main Branch
Friday
The countdown had reached its final breath.
Ten seconds remained before the start of Freebie Friday.
Outside the main branch doors, customers pressed eagerly toward the entrance, their excitement barely contained. Some had been waiting for hours. Others clutched shopping lists and loyalty cards with determined expressions. Everyone wanted the same thing.
The Krosmetics Eye Cream.
It was the talk of the town for a reason. It brightened, hydrated, softened, and smoothed. Women swore by it. Men secretly used it. It disappeared from shelves almost faster than it could be stocked.
And every last Friday of the month, for thirty wild minutes, Krosmetics gave one away free with every purchase.
Inside the store, Kro and Ukraine stood near the entrance, watching the crowd through the glass.
Ukraine had never seen anything like it.
Kro had brought him there specifically for this—to teach him how chaos could still be profitable when controlled properly.
"The crowd looks wild," he whispered.
Kro smiled faintly. "And it's going to get worse when those doors open. Brace yourself."
From the counter, one of the staff called out, "It's time, boss."
Kro straightened.
"Good. Open the doors."
The pressure that followed was unreal.
The moment the entrance opened, the store flooded.
Customers rushed in like water through a broken gate, scattering from shelf to shelf, grabbing cleansers, powders, lipsticks, serums, masks, moisturizers—anything that would get them to the counter in time. Receipts were the golden ticket. Receipts meant eye cream.
Cashiers worked like machines.
Money exchanged hands.
Cards swiped.
Receipts printed.
Eye creams passed over counters.
Nothing stopped moving.
Ukraine stared, half amazed and half stunned, as the shelves looked nearly stripped in less than fifteen minutes. Employees were already running to the stockroom, dragging out fresh boxes, restocking with frantic speed before the next wave emptied them again.
Beside him, Kro looked deeply satisfied.
"How long does Freebie Friday last?" Ukraine asked over the noise.
"Thirty minutes."
He shook his head.
"Has it ever happened that people miss out?"
"All the time," Kro replied. "The ones who come late usually leave disappointed. That's why they wait outside for hours."
"Amazing."
They kept watching.
Then a woman began walking toward them.
At first Kro assumed she was a customer with a concern. So when the woman reached them, Kro gave her a welcoming expression.
"Hi," the woman said. "I'm sorry to disturb you."
"It's alright," Kro said. "Do you need help with something?"
The woman hesitated.
Then, with visible nervousness, she said, "I'm a clairvoyant. I've never done this before, but this is the first time I've ever followed someone and introduced myself."
Ukraine blinked.
"Oh. That's… cool."
The woman nodded, still looking unsettled.
"I've been coming to Freebie Friday for three months now. The first two times, I couldn't do it. But today I had to."
Kro's smile faded by a fraction.
"And why is that?"
"Because I felt one of the strongest energies I've ever sensed coming from you two."
Ukraine pointed at himself.
"Me too?"
"Yes," she said.
Her gaze moved carefully between them.
"Your souls are entwined."
That made Kro's stomach tighten.
"What do you mean?"
The clairvoyant took a breath.
"You knew each other before. A very long time ago. I can feel his two life cycles…"
She looked at Ukraine first.
Then at Kro.
"But I can't feel yours at all."
Silence spread between them.
The woman's voice dropped.
"That's what's terrifying. It means you've either been living endlessly… or you're already dead."
She winced at her own words.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You don't have to believe me. But leaving without telling you would have felt wrong—like a doctor ignoring a patient."
Kro's face had gone still.
"It's okay," she said. "You're only saying what you see. Thank you for shopping with us."
Then she turned and walked away.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ukraine remained standing there with the woman, his own mind snagged on every word she had said.
Kro made it to the washroom, slipped inside, and locked the door.
Then she braced both hands against the sink and stared at her own reflection as though it belonged to someone else.
Her thoughts were a mess.
The clairvoyant's words had split open something she worked very hard to keep sealed. But what shook her most was not even the part about death.
It was the part about Ukraine.
Your souls are entwined.
You knew each other before.
Kro shut her eyes and breathed hard through her nose.
"Why did she say that in front of him?" she whispered. "And what did she mean, Ukraine and I knew each other?"
Her voice cracked with exhaustion.
"God, please take my life. I'm exhausted. Just kill me."
Every word was sincere.
And somewhere inside herself, Kro knew something terrible was beginning.
...
Krosmetics Headquarters
"Meeting in five minutes!"
Sue's voice rang through the marketing department as she headed toward the conference room.
Employees hurried to finish drinks, cap pens, grab notebooks, and rise from their chairs. Misaki opened her bag, took out her mini mirror and her red lipstick, and touched up her lips in less than a minute.
Then she grabbed her notebook and joined the others.
When Sue saw the team assembled, she began without delay.
"Good morning again, everyone. Like I said on Tuesday, today is idea day. I want clear explanations and realistic products. Let's begin."
Kara was first.
"What do you all think about velvety eye shadow?" she asked. "People layer blue and purple for galaxy looks, but what if we created a texture that shifts color depending on the reflection of light?"
Misaki tilted her head.
"Wouldn't that feel heavy on the eyes?"
Kara shook her head.
"No. It would still be the same amount of product. But instead of a palette with ten shades, we'd have a palette with four shifting ones. For example, Velvety Mars—one pan that reflects red, orange, and yellow depending on the light."
The room lit up.
"Wow."
Sue wrote quickly while the others leaned in with interest.
Then Misaki cleared her throat.
"Everyone, look at my lipstick."
They did.
Josh nodded first.
"It's very pretty."
"But?" Misaki prompted.
Kara answered, "The color is gorgeous. But it also looks like it might smudge at any second."
Sue nodded.
"And it looks warm. Not ideal for summer. It almost makes your lips look overheated."
Misaki smiled.
"Exactly. And that's my point."
The room quieted.
"My idea is a lipstick with a cooling effect. Not matte, not glossy—but something long-lasting."
Josh frowned thoughtfully.
"If we combine matte and gloss into one product, it might become too waxy and break easily."
"Exactly," Misaki said. "So I'm not suggesting one product. I'm suggesting two products that work as one."
Now even Sue looked interested.
"Go on."
"In one package, there's the lipstick itself—and then a separate cooling liquid. On its own, the lipstick looks slightly faded. But once you apply the icy liquid on top, it comes alive. The color deepens, the finish smooths, and it gives a refreshing cooling sensation."
Kara snapped her fingers.
"Glassy and icy. Slightly oily too, which would be good for the lips."
"And it has to smell amazing," Misaki added.
"Oh, absolutely," Kara said.
Heads nodded all around the table.
Sue looked at her team with unmistakable pride.
This was why Krosmetics stayed ahead.
They didn't just sell beauty.
They imagined it first.
...
Evening
Kro waited all day for Ukraine to bring up the clairvoyant.
He never did.
Not once.
That silence bothered her more than any question would have.
There was no way he wasn't curious. No way those words had not lodged in his mind. But he said nothing. He behaved as though the whole encounter had evaporated.
In truth, Ukraine was terrified of touching the subject. He believed every word the clairvoyant had said—or enough of it to make silence feel safer than honesty.
By evening, Kro had had enough.
She rose from her chair, preparing to leave. The scrape of it against the floor made Ukraine look up instantly. He gathered his things quickly, threw on his coat, and hurried to the door to open it for her.
Kro almost walked past him.
Then stopped.
"Close the door," she said.
Ukraine frowned, "It's time to leave—"
"I know. But I'm not going yet. I want to talk to you."
His stomach dropped.
"Oh. Okay."
He shut the door and turned back toward her.
Kro faced him directly.
"Why aren't you saying anything about it?"
"About what, boss?"
"The clairvoyant."
Ukraine forced a shrug.
"Oh. I don't really believe people like that."
Kro stared at him. "And you're not even curious? What she said doesn't bother you at all?"
"It doesn't."
"Really?"
"Really."
She didn't believe him.
She stepped closer.
His palms immediately went damp.
"What if what she said is true?" Kro asked. "What if I'm dead?"
Ukraine gave a quick scoff, "You can't be dead. You're standing right in front of me."
"What if I am exactly what she said I am?" Kro pressed. "Are you saying that doesn't bother you at all?"
He felt himself cornered.
"Boss, why are you asking me this? I said I don't believe in those things. Why are you pushing it?"
"Because your face is strange," she said. "That look on it—it's very strange."
Ukraine's pulse spiked.
She was getting too close.
Too perceptive.
He needed a way out, and fear did what it always did with him when backed into a corner—
it turned into temper.
"Stop making a big deal out of this," he snapped. "There's nothing wrong with my face. Stop making things up."
Kro's expression changed.
"It's because you look like you don't care."
"Well then yes!" he burst out. "I don't care!"
The words slammed into the room.
Kro stared at him.
Then she let out a small, disbelieving scoff.
Ukraine knew instantly that he had made everything worse.
"Boss, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"I don't know what you've heard about me," Kro said quietly, "but I'm not that strong. And I'm not that weak either."
Her eyes held his.
"The only thing you can do for me is care. Even a little."
His throat closed.
"Boss—"
"You don't need to escort me to my car," she said. "I'll go by myself."
She opened the door and left.
Ukraine stood frozen, then nearly slapped his own mouth in frustration.
He had just hurt the one person he most did not want to hurt.
...
Later
Misaki stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel just as her phone began to ring.
She glanced at the screen.
Jerome.
One of her father's bodyguards.
She answered immediately.
"Jerome?"
His voice came in low and urgent.
"Misaki. The minister just sent men to your boss's house. They're on their way right now."
Misaki went cold.
"Holy shit."
"They're not regular men," Jerome whispered. "They're the worst ones. Ruthless. He ordered them to force her onto her knees and film her apologizing."
Misaki's hand tightened around the phone.
"My God."
"If she refuses," Jerome said, "they have permission to beat the hell out of her."
Misaki's breath broke.
"Did he tell them to kill her?"
"No. But seriously hurt her? Yes."
Her mind spun.
She could not lose another person.
Not like this.
Not again.
"Do something," Jerome urged. "And fast."
Then the line went dead.
Misaki stood frozen for one stunned second.
Then panic took over completely.
***