The instant the sharp click of a handgun being cocked echoed from behind Yu's back, every sound in the room fell dead silent.
Mina widened her eyes, staring at the person holding the gun. Even in her wildest imagination, she could never have guessed that the one standing there would be Dao.
The stunning model with shoulder-length platinum-blonde hair stood confidently in a leopard-print fur coat—like a lethal, seductive battle outfit clinging to her frame. No one knew how she'd gotten her hands on a gun, or how she'd even managed to get in here. Mina was left completely speechless.
Dao's grip on the weapon was steady, unwavering. She didn't move an inch. Her voice was calm—eerily so—when she noticed Yu attempting to shift even slightly.
"Don't try anything. If you reach for a weapon, I'll pull the trigger immediately."
It was nothing like her usual demeanor. Yu could only respond with an irritated scoff.
Dao tilted her head slightly to the right, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she looked at Nayeon, who stood in front of Yu just as stunned as everyone else.
"Um… you're Kim Nayeon, right?"
Nayeon flinched when her name was called. Clearly unprepared for this absurd situation, she replied in an almost casual tone,
"…Yes. I'm Kim Nayeon. And you must be Dao."
Dao's eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh? How do you know my name? We've never met before."
Nayeon's face suddenly flushed red. She scratched the back of her head and looked away awkwardly.
"Well… I might've done a bit of research back when I had way too much free time. Ahem…"
Yu's voice suddenly cut in, interrupting them.
"So you're the Wang family's daughter. How did you manage to get in here?"
Dao merely curled her lips into a smirk.
"I have my own ways. I just told them I was a friend of Mina, and your people escorted me straight down here."
Her answer left everyone in the room completely stunned. Not because it was clever—but because it was absurd. Ridiculously absurd. And yet… it worked.
Yu shut her eyes tightly and rubbed her forehead, cursing under her breath.
"Unbelievable…"
Meanwhile, Nayeon slapped her thigh.
"Damn it, I should've said that too!"
Was it really that easy? Just mentioning Mina's name and everything fell into place?
And Mina—the very person being talked about—suddenly fell into a strange silence. Her earlier arrogance vanished completely. She couldn't bring herself to look Dao in the eye, nor did she try to explain anything.
Just as Mina took a step back, intending to slip away—
"Mina."
Dao called her name.
Mina froze. Though her mind was a tangled mess, her expression remained outwardly calm. Only a hint of guilt flickered in her eyes as she softly replied,
"Dao…"
Dao frowned. Irritation and anger surged within her—but more than anything, it was sorrow. A deep, unexplainable sadness tied to their relationship.
Is it because she feels betrayed? That was the question echoing inside Mina's mind.
Finally, Dao spoke. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
"…Mina, why did you do this? Why are you associating with people like them? Tell me you had a good reason. Please—tell me you didn't actually do it."
The atmosphere in the room grew unbearably heavy. Even Nayeon—who had been cursing Mina just moments ago—fell silent. She knew how close Mina and Dao were. And she could hear the real genuine pain in Dao's voice. She didn't want to make things worse.
So now, everything depended on Mina's answer.
Mina stayed silent. And everyone understood why. Whether she denied it or admitted it—whatever she said next—their relationship would never return to what it once was.
Dao knew that too. Two tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was here for the truth. She wanted to hear it directly from Mina's own mouth.
Then, suddenly—Mina looked straight at her. No avoidance. No hesitation. Her voice was chillingly calm.
"…I'm sorry, Dao. But everything was my doing. And I don't regret it."
"You—!?"
Dao gasped, her face flushing crimson. She never expected those words.
But Mina's resolute gaze made one thing painfully clear—She truly meant no regret.
Dao's heart shattered into pieces. Her entire body trembled violently as her emotions exploded.
Seizing that moment, Yu spun around and violently knocked the gun from Dao's hand. In one swift motion, her long arms locked around Dao from behind, while her right hand pressed dangerously against Dao's throat—right in front of Mina and Nayeon.
No wasted movement. Perfect control.
Mina glared at Yu, fury blazing in her eyes.
"Yu!? How dare you!? Let her go!"
Dao struggled desperately, but it was useless. Yu's voice remained cold and emotionless.
"Relax. I won't kill her. The Wang family is allied with the Kamakiri family—and soon, with the Jou family as well. Why would I disrespect an ally?"
Dao spat back immediately,
"What the hell are you saying!? Even if I die, I'd never form an alliance with trash like your family!"
Yu laughed. Despite her fierce words, Dao was still helpless in Yu's grip.
"Why don't you ask your father, Dao? Everything's already been decided. Like it or not, his massive empire will eventually be yours. And to inherit it—you'll need this alliance. Desperately."
Dao clenched her teeth and screamed,
"I don't need it!"
As for Mina—Just a second ago, she'd been visibly worried about her friend. But the moment Yu said she wouldn't kill Dao, Mina's breathing steadied.
"…If you won't kill her, then I think everything's fine."
"Mina!? You—!?"
Dao stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't believe Mina could say something like that while she was still being restrained.
"Mina! How can you say that!? How can you trust someone like her!?"
Mina's voice remained flat, disturbingly calm as she explained—to her own friend.
"…Dao, Yu's right. She won't hurt you."
Dao felt more shocked than she ever had in her life. It was as if Mina had bet her best friend's life on a complete stranger. Everything Dao thought she knew about Mina collapsed.
Her lips trembled.
"Mina… what did she do to you? This isn't you… this can't be you…"
Tears streamed endlessly down Dao's face. Yu leaned in, whispering into Dao's ear with a mocking smile.
"Kamakiri Mina has always been this kind of person. You're her best friend—how could you not know?"
But Dao shook her head frantically, sobbing.
"No… this isn't Mina… this isn't her…"
That broken expression finally pierced Mina's hardened heart. She turned away, unable to face her friend anymore.
Seeing that Dao had completely broken down and could no longer resist, Yu finally released her. Despite the heavy, suffocating emotions in the room, Yu continued speaking as if none of it mattered.
"Well, everything that needed to be said has been said. Cried already," she shrugged lightly. "But right now, we're all in the same boat. Time is running out. Dao, I didn't intend to bring this up to you so soon… but since you're here today, I see no reason to hold back."
Dao clutched her chest, still reeling from the shocks she'd just endured. She wiped away her tears and shot Yu a resentful glare.
"…What exactly are you trying to say?"
Yu narrowed her eyes at her, her voice suddenly cold and grave.
"We're going to Japan. To rescue Duyen."
Even someone as emotionally shattered as Dao frowned in confusion at those words. She couldn't help blurting out,
"What? Japan? Rescue Duyen? From who? From what?"
Before Yu could answer, Mina nodded fiercely, her voice firm, eyes wide and unblinking, fingers tightly interlaced.
"Yes. We have to rescue Duyen."
The words themselves sounded righteous—almost heroic—but Mina's expression told a different story. There was a thick, unmistakable sense of possession and obsession beneath it, so obvious that anyone could see it. The feeling sent a chill down Dao's spine. She could hardly believe this was her best friend.
"Mina… I don't understand what's going on. But something about this is seriously wrong. You absolutely can't believe everything this woman says."
Mina didn't change her expression at all. She hurried closer and suddenly grabbed Dao's hand, catching her off guard. Her voice turned desperate.
"Dao, you have to help me. Shigonami Shana is a monster… She kidnapped my Duyen. Please, you have to help me… We must destroy that monster and save Duyen…"
Normally, Dao would have agreed to help Mina without a second thought. But the way Mina spoke now—those pleading words paired with that terrifying look in her eyes—made Dao shudder.
Why did Mina look like this?
And yet, that very desperation tore Dao apart from the inside. She didn't know what to do anymore. Should she trust Mina… or not?
"Mina, this—"
Yu suddenly cut them off with a laugh.
"Mina is absolutely right. Shigonami Shana is a monster. Calling her that is being generous," Yu said calmly. "She is the most horrifying monster to ever exist—powerful, cunning, and merciless. Every extra day Duyen spends with her, her life hangs by a thinner thread."
Mina nodded eagerly in agreement, while Dao's unease only deepened. In truth, she didn't understand anything anymore.
Monsters? What monsters? Why was everyone acting like this—so disturbingly united?
Mina tightened her grip on Dao's hand.
"That's right, Dao. That's right."
But Dao only shook her head weakly.
"Mina… I don't think this is okay."
Suddenly, Yu reached out and grabbed Nayeon by the hair, dragging her forward with brutal force. Nayeon screamed in pain.
"Are you insane!? What the hell are you doing!?"
Yu didn't even bother looking at her. She turned to Dao, then to Mina, smiling with quiet confidence.
"It's time."
Dao stood frozen, her hand still trapped in Mina's grip, unable to understand what was happening. Yu looked at Mina and smiled strangely.
"Hold onto your friend tightly."
Mina didn't answer. She snorted coldly and yanked Dao closer to Yu.
"Huh? What? What's going on? Huh!? Huh!?" Dao cried out in confusion.
With her other hand, Mina mimicked Yu's actions and violently grabbed Nayeon by the hair as well, making her scream in fury.
"Damn it! Can't you grab me like a normal person!? Will you die if you don't pull my hair!?"
Yu burst out laughing at Nayeon's reaction. She looked down at her with a condescending smile.
"You'll behave soon enough. And I'll show you Shigonami Shana's true face."
Nayeon glared up at Yu, about to spit out a curse—when suddenly, a strange red-orange circular light flared beneath their feet. A Sun-shaped symbol rose from the floor, leaving Nayeon, Mina, and Dao staring in shock.
Startled, Dao clung tightly to Mina and screamed,
"What!? What is this!? What is happening!?"
But before anyone could finish another sentence, all four of them vanished abruptly from the room.
All that remained was a massive, circular scorch mark burned deep into the floor.
---
Duyen woke up to find herself in an incredibly strange place. It looked like an old house, and it felt as though she had just awakened from a very long dream. Her vision was still hazy. She tried to force herself upright, only to feel a violent numbness running through all four of her limbs. Or rather—her entire body had been completely paralyzed before. Now, she could move again, though with some difficulty.
She lifted her hands in front of her eyes, checking herself. Everything seemed… normal, didn't it?
And then it hit her.
She was wearing something unusual—thin, loosely wrapped fabric crossing over her body, with no bra, no underwear at all. The realization made her flush deeply. The room itself only made things worse. It was lavish in an old-fashioned way, adorned with intricate patterns and shimmering mother-of-pearl carvings embedded into the walls.
This feeling… Was this Japan?
Suddenly, the sliding door flew open, making Duyen flinch. She turned toward the sound—and froze.
Shana was standing there.
She looked breathtaking, wearing nothing but a delicate robe patterned in vivid red. Her wavy reddish-brown hair seemed even more radiant than usual, and somehow, she looked more luminous, more beautiful than ever before.
Duyen swallowed hard as her eyes betrayed her, catching glimpses of Shana's bare skin beneath the thin fabric—only to hear Shana laugh softly.
"What is it?" Shana teased. "Sleeping Beauty finally awake? And, you know… my eyes are up here."
Duyen's face burned when she realized she'd been caught staring. She hurriedly lifted her gaze to Shana's face—only to find it just as devastatingly beautiful. Looking up didn't help at all.
And then, all at once, the memories came rushing back.
She remembered what had happened before she ended up here. Mina kidnapping her. Doing things to her body while she was completely unable to resist. And so many other horrifying moments before that.
Too much. Far too much.
It hadn't been a dream. It was real.
Tears suddenly streamed down Duyen's cheeks.
"Oh—what's wrong with me…?" she blurted out, not even understanding herself anymore. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop crying.
Shana's playful expression softened instantly. She moved forward and pulled Duyen into her arms. Her warm body pressed gently against Duyen's as she whispered tenderly,
"It's okay now… Duyen. Everything is over. It's all over."
She held her like that, letting Duyen bury her face against her chest and sob like a child—no matter what it was that had finally made her break.