Six months earlier, at a high school, a sudden heavy rain poured down. A 17-year-old young man ran with an umbrella toward the school's front entrance, but as soon as he arrived,
"I'm sorry, we're breaking up because I'm with someone else now."
A lightning bolt struck. The young man with long hair, his face half-hidden by his hair, and wear glasses, carrying an umbrella with his body soaked, stood stunned upon hearing the words of a beautiful girl in a school uniform.
"Oh... I see," the young man said without expression, trying to process what he had just heard.
"You think I'm joking, right? Look at this."
The girl showed him her conversation history with a man on her smartphone.
"B-but why? Who is Julius?" the young man asked.
"Julius is a top model who's about to hit it big in social media. He's with my agency. Yesterday he took me to dinner and plans to marry me after I graduate high school. He spoiled me at a hotel last night, and I like him. So, I'm sorry, Noah, this is where our relationship ends. I know you're kind and understanding... but I need more, and you can't give me what I need. Julius can give me everything," the girl said.
"B-but when you were overweight, bullied, and desperate after your parents left you, I was always by your side... why... why are you doing this to me, Grace?" Noah asked.
"Again, I'm sorry, Noah. I'm grateful you were there for me during a difficult time, but if you're using that as a reason to be with me, it means you weren't truly sincere when you helped me. You had an ulterior motive. I hate people like that, so let's just leave it here. We're not together anymore," Grace replied.
Noah couldn't say anything else. His hands balled into fists. He was truly heartbroken by Grace's words. Everything he had done for her was out of genuine love, not because he had an ulterior motive. He had worked hard to meet his own needs, his grandmother's medical bills, and Grace's needs after her parents' divorce left her alone.
Grace's body used to be different. She was an overweight girl who was often bullied in class, but Noah didn't care about that and helped her with all his heart. He also never touched her, even when she stayed with him after being kicked out. He never wanted to dishonor the woman he loved. Or so he thought.
He kept helping Grace until she was able to support herself by working as a high-paid fashion model, after working hard to change with Noah's unwavering support, and finally becoming independent. Noah raised his head and looked at Grace. Something shifted in his mind. After all these years, he was just now seeing who Grace truly was—someone completely different from what he had imagined. He immediately smiled, and his hand reached out to give her his umbrella.
"I understand. I hope you're happy," Noah said.
"Huh... that's it? You're just giving up?" Grace asked, taking the umbrella.
Dling. A new message arrived on Noah's smartphone. He immediately took his phone, which was sealed in a plastic bag, opened the screen, and read the message. After that, he put his phone back in his pocket.
"Okay, I have a job. Bye," Noah said, turning and walking away without a care, leaving a stunned Grace standing still, holding the umbrella and watching him go.
***
A short time later, in a residential area on the other side of the city. Ding dong. The doorbell rang. A shirtless man with a muscular, tattooed body and a pistol approached the door. He peered through the peephole. The man saw a food delivery guy wearing a hat and a mask standing at the door. The man immediately opened the door.
"Excuse me, here's your food order. The total is..."
"I didn't order anything... get lost," the man cut him off before the delivery guy could finish.
"But the order says this is the address. Maybe a relative or a friend ordered it?" the delivery guy asked, showing his smartphone.
"That's impossible. I live alone. There's no one else in this house... get lost! Don't test my patience," the man shouted angrily.
"Okay, I'll just leave this cake here... I'm leaving," the delivery guy said, handing over a bag with a cake box in it.
The man took the bag and brought it inside. As he closed the door, he opened the bag. Inside was a box like a cake box with a card on top.
The man took the card and read it. The writing said, "Goodbye... that cake is a bomb, and in a moment... BOOM." After reading it, the man immediately opened the door again, intending to throw the package, but as the door opened, the delivery guy, who was supposed to have left, was standing at the door pointing a gun.
Blam.
The pistol fired, hitting the man in the forehead. He died instantly, his body falling backward. The delivery guy walked in, caught the falling cake box, opened it, and took off his mask. It was Noah. He took a piece of cake and ate it casually while glancing at the man who had collapsed in front of him.
"Bye-bye," he said, kicking the door closed behind him with his foot.
Noah took out his smartphone and sent a message with a photo of the fallen man to someone named Rika, which read, "Job complete." He walked further into the house and sat down casually on a sofa in the living room, watching television, placing the cake and pistol on the coffee table. He took off his hat, his face still looking sad because of his recent problem with Grace.
Suddenly, Cklek.
The kitchen door opened. A girl peered out and saw an unknown young man casually watching television. The girl looked at the coffee table and saw a cake box and a pistol lying there, facing the kitchen. She quickly stepped back, pressing herself against the wall with both hands over her mouth, trying not to scream in shock. But suddenly,
"Hey... want some cake?" a voice next to her asked.
The girl turned her head, and the young man eating the cake was standing right beside her.
"Waaaaa," the girl screamed.
But Noah immediately moved forward and covered her mouth. He then leaned his face close to her ear.
"This is your order," he said, putting the piece of cake in his hand into the girl's mouth.
"Oh... gulp... w-who are you?" the girl asked after swallowing the cake he had put in her mouth.
"Read this," Noah said, showing her a message on his smartphone.
The girl, who was only wearing underwear, read the message. She immediately started crying and hugged Noah.
"Let's go back to your house and don't run away again," Noah said.
"O-okay... thank you," the girl replied.
After the girl got dressed, they left the house and rode a fast-food delivery motorcycle together. Noah took the girl home and handed her over to her parents, who were a mafia leader. After that, he casually rode away on the delivery motorcycle.
But after stopping at a traffic light, "AAAAAAAAHHH... this is so frustrating! I did this job so she could be independent, but as soon as she was, she left me... damn it!" Noah screamed, venting his frustration and anger about Grace.