Taeha and Jaemin sat across from each other in the café, their laptops open, maps and data scattered between them. Only a few Rift locations remained unchecked—distant ones, farther out than any they'd tackled before.
"The distance might be tough."
Taeha said, circling a red zone on the map.
"But we can reach this one in an hour."
Jaemin blinked.
"Wait… an hour? Are you planning to drive at 200 kilometres per hour?"
Taeha grinned.
"Of course not, hyung-nim. That area's got a domestic airport. We can take a private jet."
Jaemin stared.
"You're joking."
Taeha tilted his head.
"I can arrange one."
Jaemin sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"What happened to laying low?"
His voice wasn't angry—just dry. But for Taeha, even Jaemin's sarcasm carried weight. He straightened up immediately.
"S-Sorry… I just thought it'd be efficient."
Taeha said quickly.
Jaemin didn't respond for a second. Then went back to checking Rift data like nothing happened.
Taeha watched him work in silence. He hated disappointing him, even over something this small.
"Excuse me."
The calm voice cut through their quiet planning. Both Jaemin and Taeha turned.
A man stood beside their table—mid-thirties maybe, dressed in a clean black suit. Nothing flashy, but sharp and deliberate. Pressed sleeves, shined shoes, no creases.
"Yes?"
Taeha spoke first, eyes narrowing slightly. He straightened his posture.
"He's serious, too?"
\Jaemin noted, glancing at Taeha's sudden shift.
"I wasn't speaking to you."
The man replied flatly.
Taeha flinched. That hit harder than it needed to.
The man looked at Jaemin.
"You must be Han Jaemin, I believe."
Jaemin exhaled slowly, tired already.
"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"
The man offered a simple white card.
"Lim Taehyung. From Covenant: Brass Ring."
Jaemin took the card, glancing at it.
"A growing Covenant."
Jaemin said dryly, cutting him off.
Taehyung didn't flinch—his expression remained smooth, but inside, he was lit up.
"You know about us?"
He asked.
"I do,"
Jaemin replied flatly.
"Grab a chair."
Jaemin added, setting the card down on the table.
Lim Taehyung didn't waste a second. He pulled a chair and sat with perfect posture.
"He listened so obediently…"
Taeha thought from the side, lips pressing together slightly.
He stared at the man, his instincts turning cautious.
Despite his bright, sometimes careless demeanour, Yoon Taeha wasn't someone to overlook. Born into one of the most powerful conglomerate families in South Korea, now the merged giant of clean energy, biotech, and Rift-tech arms, he was raised with etiquette drilled into him from the womb. Every bow, every pause before speaking, every courtesy, he'd been taught to master from childhood.
And he used it now.
With a breath, Taeha stood and bowed formally toward Jaemin.
"I'll give you some privacy then, hyung-nim."
His voice was calm, but his chest felt tight. There was no joking smile this time, no wagging tail energy. Just a practised expression and careful steps as he walked away, his polished shoes clicking quietly against the floor.
To others, he looked composed.
To Jaemin, he looked... off.
Still, Jaemin remained silent, gaze dropping back to the card, eyes narrowing just slightly.
"Sit."
Jaemin didn't even look up as he spoke. Taeha sat immediately, brain blank, no thoughts, just obedience.
"So, what brings you here, Taemin?"
Jaemin asked flatly.
"It's… Taehyung,"
He corrected with a forced smile.
"Right. Taehyung."
Jaemin leaned back, folding his arms.
"We've been scouting a few potential recruits to join our Covenant. And we thought… You might be interested."
"So you've been spying on me."
Straight tone. No change in expression.
"No, no. God, no—nothing like that."
Taehyung shook his head quickly, his voice a few notches higher now.
"Then how'd you find me? Or even assume I'd be interested?"
"Well…"
Taehyung adjusted his sleeve.
"A lot of rifts in your recent radius have been dealt with unusually fast. Tier 4s, Tier 3s, cleared like clockwork. So we kept tabs. And voilà—we traced it back to you."
Jaemin didn't blink.
"We had a legal permit to monitor Rift activity."
Taehyung clarified before the silence got heavier.
"Why?"
Jaemin asked.
"Last I checked, those rifts weren't under any Covenant's jurisdiction."
Taehyung nodded, ready for that.
"They aren't. But Brass Ring was in the process of filing jurisdiction claims on those zones."
"How convenient."
Taehyung caught the sarcasm but pushed on.
"Regardless."
He said, tone evening out again,
"I'm not here to argue about territory. I'm here because we're building something big. Something structured, funded, organised—and we think someone like you should be part of that."
Jaemin looked at him.
Still unreadable.
Still quiet.
Taehyung waited, not sure if he was killing the pitch or being sized up.
Either way, he was all in now.
"That is?"
Jaemin asked.
"Join our Covenant, Mr. Han."
Taehyung replied, his voice calm, confident.
Jaemin leaned in slightly, a small smirk tugging at his lip.
"What do you have to offer?"
Across the table, Taeha's leg started bouncing under the table. He couldn't stop it.
"Hyung-nim… is showing interest? Was he… was he considering something? Planning something?"
Taehyung straightened up.
"A lot. State-of-the-art facilities. Advanced training halls. Rift-proven weapons and armour. Full gymnasiums. Medical-grade recovery chambers. We don't just support our Coreborn—we elevate them."
"And if I ask in monetary terms?"
Jaemin's tone dropped, testing him.
Everyone in the world knew the game. When a Covenant scouted a Coreborn with potential, there were two ways they tried to seal the deal: power or pay. And Jaemin? He was worth a fortune.
Taehyung's lips curled into a sharp smile.
"Of course. All finances are visible, clean, and upfront. We'd offer… thirty billion won."
Taeha's heart dropped. That number hit like a cold slap.
"In instalments."
Taehyung added smoothly, not skipping a beat.
Jaemin nodded slowly, eyes half-lidded in thought.
"Hmm. Not bad."
Taeha sat frozen, his hand gripping the edge of the table. His jaw clenched.
Thirty billion…Clean money. Powerful backing. Everything a Coreborn could want.
And Jaemin looked like he was considering it.
Jaemin leaned back, arms crossed.
"Thirty billion, in instalments. Over how many years?"
"Three."
Taehyung replied instantly.
"With a ten-billion signing bonus, wired within 24 hours."
Taeha's throat went dry.
Jaemin's eyes narrowed.
"Add a permanent equipment clause. I choose my loadouts. No restrictions."
Taehyung gave a small nod.
"Done. Pick from any of our premium vaults. No lockouts."
"And missions?"
"You'll be given priority. No forced deployments. No backdoor obligations."
Jaemin raised an eyebrow.
"And if I want to bring someone with me?"
Taeha blinked.
Taehyung hesitated for half a second.
"We'd need to assess them. But it's possible."
Jaemin didn't smile. He just stared.
"Then bump it to forty billion."
Taehyung's jaw clenched. He didn't expect him to push. But Jaemin was worth the pressure.
"...I'll run it through the board."
He said quietly.
"But I'll push for it."
Jaemin didn't respond. His silence said enough.
And next to him, Taeha sat still, his ears ringing from the number.
Forty. Billion. Won.
"Not bad…"
Jaemin muttered, voice low.
Taehyung relaxed slightly.
"Well, this is how a deal is struck."
Taehyung said, straightening his blazer with composure.
"And I'm glad we had a witness of paramount status to observe it."
He flicked his eyes toward Taeha, the tone deliberately cutting.
Taeha didn't reply.
But inside, something cracked. He wasn't just left out—he was being stepped over. And for the first time, Taeha didn't even know if Jaemin would stop it.
Then Jaemin spoke again.
"Can you make it 220 billion won?"
Taehyung froze.
"…I beg your pardon?"
He said, blinking twice.
"220 billion won."
Jaemin repeated, calm as ever.
"That's the number."
Taehyung's fingers twitched.
"S-sir, that's… I mean, that's more than seven times the offer."
"I'm aware."
Jaemin leaned forward.
"You see, I'm working on a project. One that's cost me—personally and professionally. And since you were offering, I figured you wouldn't mind compensating my partner… for the toll I've taken on his time."
Taeha flinched.
Taehyung's face paled.
"Sir… I-I don't think the board would even entertain that number. It's outrageous. That's past high-ranking recruitment levels. It's—"
"Then the deal's off."
Jaemin said bluntly, standing from his chair.
"W-wait—"
Jaemin didn't look angry. He didn't raise his voice. But what came next shut the entire cafe up like someone had cut the air supply.
"…How many people did you tell about me?"
He asked.
Silence.
The background hum died.
Even the waitstaff paused.
Taehyung swallowed hard.
"W-what do you mean…?"
Jaemin's gaze was fixed, unreadable.
"You said you found me. You said you tracked the rifts. Which means someone permitted you to start keeping tabs."
His voice dropped.
"Who else knows?"
Taehyung couldn't speak. Because now… it wasn't just a negotiation. It was a warning.
"No one… only me and my senior…"
Taehyung stammered.
Jaemin's eyes didn't blink.
"And…? Who else?"
Taehyung's throat dried. Jaemin's pupils began to shift—deep, glowing sunrise orange—the faint glimmer of his core pulsing through them. Not violently. Not flaring. Just there. Controlled. Quiet. Heavy.
His aura rolled out like pressure from the deep sea. Enough to make the air tense, enough to press on Taehyung's spine without a single touch.
"N-n-n-no one else…"
Taehyung managed, voice trembling.
A beat passed.
"Good."
The glow dimmed. Jaemin blinked once, and his eyes returned to black.
"You may leave."
He didn't need to repeat it. Taehyung practically launched himself up, hurrying to the exit. He reached for the door—
THUD.
It slammed shut before he could touch it. He froze.
Jaemin didn't even look at him, but his palm glowed blue.
"After apologising to my friend."
He said calmly.
"For your tone earlier."
Taeha's eyes widened.
Taehyung flinched.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr.—!"
He stammered, bowing from where he stood.
"I meant no disrespect!"
Jaemin said nothing. The door creaked open on its own.
Taehyung was gone before another word was said.
The silence returned.
Jaemin leaned back, breathing out as if nothing had happened. Only now did he glance toward Taeha.
Taeha hadn't moved. He was still frozen in place, mouth slightly open.
"You good?"
Jaemin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Taeha didn't answer. His legs were still trembling.
Then—
"kyuck!"
Jaemin stopped Taeha's trembling legs with a simple tap of his foot. Just one leg—light, firm.
"Relax."
Jaemin said, face unreadable.
"Hyung-nim, but—"
"Let's move on with our convo."
Jaemin cut in, already retracting his foot.
He leaned back in his chair again like the whole encounter meant nothing, eyes on the map of remaining rifts. Then, without looking up, he added:
"I'm not leaving you. Or this project."
His voice was calm, settled.
"I'm not a hypocritical, money-chasing maniac."
And just like that… Taeha smiled. Small, relieved, and a little embarrassed by how much his heart had dropped earlier.
"…Yes, Hyung-nim."