The Scene shifts.
The steam inside the sauna was thick enough to blur the wooden walls. Daniel sat alone in the center bench, elbows on his knees, breathing slow and steady as the heat burned his lungs.
A timer beeped outside.
His trainer's voice echoed through the door. "Alright, thirty minutes. Time's up, come out, boy."
Daniel stood, sweat dripping from every line of muscle on his body. When he opened the door, a wave of freezing air slapped his skin, making him shiver.
Outside the sauna, the gym roared with life. Grunts, heavy exhalations, punching bags thudding, metal clanging — the raw sounds of fighters training. The entire building smelled like sweat, rubber mats, and disinfectant. Daniel walked through it naturally, as if it were his second home.
A staff member jogged up to him.
"Sir! You've got a call."
Daniel wiped his face with a towel and took the phone.
"Hello?"
A familiar voice crackled from the other end — the head of the orphanage.
"We've arrived at a conclusion regarding your request… You can adopt the boy you asked for, Mr. Daniel. The paperwork can be processed today."
Daniel froze for a second.
Then a smile — the kind that lit up his entire face — burst out of him.
"Perfect. I'll be there in ten."
He didn't even bother changing. He grabbed his coat, rushed out of the gym, and sprinted into the snow-covered street.
The orphanage office was warmer today. Papers were stacked on the table, and the head of the orphanage flipped through them nervously.
Daniel signed the adoption forms one by one, his handwriting fast but precise.
A caretaker entered the room with the mute boy.
The boy stepped inside slowly, something tense in his shoulders — nervousness. It wasn't much, but it was the most emotion he had shown since Daniel first saw him.
Daniel turned toward him and gave a bright, warm smile.
"Hey. Don't worry. It's almost done."
The boy didn't react. His expression was the same blank, unreadable mask. But his fingers twitched slightly. His eyes moved — just a little — toward Daniel's hands.
It was enough.
They continued signing papers.
Just as the final signature was being placed, a car screeched outside.
A black, luxurious vehicle.
The doors swung open, and a middle-aged man and woman stepped out. Expensive coats. Expensive perfume. Expensive everything — except their expressions, which were twisted in entitlement and frustration.
They stormed into the office without knocking.
"What is the meaning of this?!" the woman barked. "Who allowed this adoption to go through?!"
Daniel blinked, confused. The mute boy instantly froze.
The man jabbed a finger toward him. "That boy—he is our nephew! The son of my dead sister!"
Daniel's brows lowered slightly. He spoke calmly:
"Then why is he here? You seem wealthy."
Before the couple could answer, the head of the orphanage quickly pulled Daniel aside and whispered:
"They abandoned him after his parents died. The child was supposed to inherit the family wealth… They conspired together and took everything. They left him here."
Daniel exhaled through his nose.
It wasn't an angry breath. It was the kind that carried a calm, dangerous amusement.
"I see…"
He turned back to the couple.
"So, you don't want me to adopt him, right?"
The aunt stepped forward. "Correct! You have no right—"
"Why?" Daniel cut in. His tone wasn't loud, but heavy enough to make the man flinch.
They stuttered. "W-We just… He's family, so—"
"You're jealous." Daniel said it plainly, even mockingly. "Jealous that he'll live better with me than he ever did with you."
The room fell silent.
The aunt's face reddened. "T-That's ridiculous—"
Daniel took one slow step toward them, expression unreadable.
But something else caught his attention.
The mute boy.
For the first time… his eyes weren't bored. They weren't empty.
They were frightened.
And when the aunt raised her voice again, the kid's body instinctively moved.
His small hand reached out—
—grabbing Daniel's sleeve.
Not tightly. Not desperately. But silently… begging.
Begging him not to let these people take him.
Daniel looked down at that hand.
Then he turned his gaze toward the wealthy couple.
His smile disappeared.
And something cold replaced it.
Something final.
Something that answered the boy's silent plea without words.