Duyen and Cai Ying walked hand in hand down to the floor below. Even though it was just the level under the penthouse where they had been partying, the ridiculously high ceiling made it feel like they had stepped into an entirely different world.
At first, Duyen was unsettled by how dark it was. She'd heard the floor wasn't wired yet—no lights, no water, nothing. But the suffocating darkness still made her shiver. Her steps grew unnecessarily cautious as if she were walking into danger. She fumbled for her flip phone, switched on the flashlight, and swept it around the hall.
"Wow…" she whispered.
It was supposed to be a luxury apartment complex. The corridor was a mess—cement bags, loose pipes, and building materials scattered everywhere. But with just a little cleaning and finishing, the place would be breathtaking. Duyen couldn't even imagine the price tag. She didn't need to; she knew she could never afford it.
The thought that Cai Ying herself had designed the place—overseeing and directing the entire project—only made Duyen admire her more. She really was talented.
But then, in the middle of her thoughts, Duyen suddenly felt Cai Ying's hand slip away. Startled, she turned and saw the girl standing a few steps away, scrubbing her hand with a wet tissue as if trying to erase the touch. Cai Ying's face twisted in visible disgust.
At that moment, Duyen finally understood.
This girl didn't like her. Not at all.
Yet, instead of anger or hurt, Duyen simply watched in silence.
Meanwhile, Cai Ying muttered aloud, not caring if Duyen heard:
"This is ridiculous. Why do I have to deal with this crap? What do they take me for?"
She shot Duyen a sideways glare, her eyes dripping with contempt.
"And you… I don't know whether to call you a clueless idiot or a fake little hypocrite."
Duyen tilted her head in confusion, which only made Cai Ying grind her teeth harder.
"Think about it! I'm an interior designer. I've walked through countless construction sites. You think I'm scared of some dark hallway?"
"Ah…" Duyen admitted softly. The girl had a point. "Then why ask me to come with you?"
"You still don't get it, do you?"
When Duyen didn't answer, Cai Ying pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing sharply.
"Fine. Since it's just the two of us now, I don't have to keep pretending. I'll say it straight."
She stepped closer, her eyes blazing like bullets.
"I hate! People like you."
Silence crashed down.
Duyen froze, a little stunned, but not entirely surprised. She'd long since grown used to being despised, accused of things she never did. So her face—contrary to what Cai Ying might have expected—was calm.
"You… hate me?" she asked gently.
Cai Ying misread her calmness as arrogance. Her anger only flared hotter.
"Don't think I don't see through your little games. All of this—it's just for Mina's attention, isn't it?"
Duyen's eyes widened slightly. Now she was genuinely taken aback. Why drag Mina into this?
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Cai Ying snapped, her voice echoing through the empty hallway. "Valko told me everything. And then Dao added her ridiculous stories on top. But you think I'm stupid enough to believe that crap?"
She sneered, her voice rising
"'Running into a burning building!' 'Saving Dao from Jinsung!' Please. Coincidences like that don't exist. It's all part of your act. Your scheme. And clearly, it worked—you've already won Dao's sympathy, haven't you?"
Duyen just blinked at her, stunned. The accusations were absurd, baseless.
Clearly, Valko was behind this. Who else? Of course he wouldn't let things go so easily.
Still, Duyen stayed quiet. She wanted Cai Ying to get it all out.
And Cai Ying did.
"You're the kind of person I despise most. The one who waits for disaster just to swoop in like some fake hero. Don't think I don't see right through you."
She paused, panting, before realizing Duyen hadn't said a word.
"Why are you so quiet? Don't tell me you're actually admitting it?"
But Duyen looked at her with calm eyes, strangely incapable of feeling anger. Even as Cai Ying hurled unfounded insults at her, rage never came.
Finally, she spoke.
"No. I was just… thinking."
"Thinking?"
"But it doesn't matter anymore." Duyen shook her head. "Can I ask you something, though?"
The shift in tone surprised Cai Ying. Her voice softened without meaning to.
"Huh...? Mm..What?"
"You care about Mina a lot, don't you?"
"…Huh?"
Cai Ying's eyes flew wide. She hadn't expected that question. A flush crept up her cheeks, though it was hard to see in the dim light.
"Y-yeah. So what!? You gonna laugh at me?"
"No." Duyen shook her head. Instead, she looked at her with warmth and kindness.
"Anyone who's friends with Dao and Mina… can't possibly be a bad person."
"…What?"
Cai Ying was thrown off completely. After all those harsh words, Duyen had every right to snap back, to tear her down. But instead, she smiled softly, almost tenderly.
Moonlight slipped through a window, spilling across Duyen's face, making her look radiant—gentle, warm, almost luminous.
The sight poured over Cai Ying like a wave of warmth, easing something deep inside her.
She felt… safe?
Comforted?
Wait—what the hell are you thinking, Cai Ying?!
She cursed herself for letting her guard down. Her gaze hardened again as old memories surged back.
Five years ago. Freshman year. She had been nothing like this—just a nerdy, awkward girl in oversized clothes, paying no attention to makeup or fashion.
That was when she first saw them. Valko and Mina—the golden couple of Yelsulin University, two years ahead of her. Wherever they went, they had an entourage of elite heirs at their heels. And yet, no one shone like Mina.
Kamakiri Mina.
Her wine-red hair, her refined face, the way she carried herself in a flowing, elegant dress. She looked like a goddess—untouchable, flawless, pure. Compared to her, Valko's charm was nothing more than a reflection of her light. They called out their names in succession. People worshiped them like a religion.
Cai Ying had been so dazzled that she hadn't even noticed Mina walking straight toward her until she stumbled back, dropping her sketch papers everywhere.
And then—those eyes. Mina's worried eyes looking down at her.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah…" Cai Ying stammered, cheeks burning, her throat tight as Valko and Mina helped her up.
Mina noticed the sketches on the floor and bent down. Cai Ying panicked.
"Wait! Don't look at those!"
Her strange, abstract drawings had always been mocked as weird, grotesque. She never loved herself for them. But Mina didn't laugh. Instead, she studied them carefully, smiling as though something in them resonated with her.
"Don't be shy. You draw beautifully. I know you'll become a great artist someday."
No one had ever said that to Cai Ying before. No one. But Mina had. And in that moment, Cai Ying understood what it meant to fall in...
Love.
From that day on, Mina was her goddess, her muse, the center of her secret devotion.
She changed everything about herself—her looks, her attitude, her circle of friends—all just to be closer to Mina. But Mina was engaged to Valko. She was probably straight. So Cai Ying settled for worshipping from afar. As long as Mina was happy, that was enough...
Until now.
Until Mina showed up at that party with her. With Duyen. Holding hands. Kiss...kiss...
No!
That wasn't Mina!
That wasn't the perfect goddess she worshiped!
And the one to blame was—Duyen.
Cai Ying's hands clenched tight, her glare cutting into Duyen.
She pointed at a room ahead.
"My wallet. I think I left it in there."
Duyen frowned, confused. Cai Ying snapped
"What are you looking at? Go on, open it!"
With a sigh, Duyen pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was pitch black.
Suddenly, the lights blazed on. Duyen flinched, shielding her eyes—then felt a heavy blow slam into her back. She hit the floor hard.
"What—"
A foot stomped down on her head, grinding it against the ground.
"Well, well. Didn't think you'd end up like this, huh?"
The voice was familiar. Jinsung.
Through her blurred vision, Duyen saw men's shoes all around her. Her head swam, her breath shallow.
"Cai Ying… run…" she whispered weakly.
But instead of fleeing, Cai Ying stepped back—standing behind Kai.
And then, everything clicked. She was with them.
Kai's ugly laugh echoed as he spun a baseball bat in his hands.
"Alright, boys. Go wild. Don't hold back. Tonight, I'll cover for everyone. Valko gave the green light."
The men burst into cheers, brandishing pipes, wooden planks, even knives.
Jinsung stepped forward first, his boot slamming into Duyen's groin.
"Argh!"
"Die, bitch!"
Duyen writhed, biting her lip until blood ran. No one stopped him. In fact, they cheered.
"Nice one, Jinsung! A real gentleman of the times!"
"Yeah, teach this whore her place!"
"You're ruining those expensive shoes, though!"
Jinsung laughed and kicked her twice more in the stomach. Her weak groans only fueled his cruelty. He swung the bat over her body and bragged,
"Who cares? After this, Valko promised me a brand-new Bugatti!"
"Damn! All we gotta do is trash this girl and we get paid like that?!"
Kai clapped his hands, cutting through their laughter.
"Alright, enough jokes. Don't forget why Valko paid us to be here."
And with that, the men pounced.
Kicks. Punches. Strikes. Blows with wood and steel.
In this sealed room, they were kings. No one could stop them. Even though they did the most disgusting and inhuman things. Their lewd and disgusting laughter echoed in the room, it was truly terrifying.
The air filled with the sound of Duyen's pained cries, echoing like a nightmare.
Each sound twisted in Cai Ying's gut, unsettling her.
Was this… really the right thing to do?