Jhio – Some people run to escape. Others to be found.
"Hi," I said—like always.
"Nice show," came a voice. Calm. Too calm for someone meeting their idol. "But you know what they say—stars shine brightest before they burn out."
She was just another face in the crowd. It wasn't her smile—because she didn't smile. And it wasn't her beauty. I've seen perfection. Flawless women. Sculpted and curated.
But she… stood still. Silent. No screaming. No joy. No blush on her face.
My gaze fixed on her.
It was like staring into a mirror.
There was no adoration.
No love.
Only hunger.
"Interesting," I murmured, more to myself than to her.
"Sounds like you know more about burning out than you're letting on," I replied, my voice low, unnervingly steady.
I didn't look away.
Not once.
Her eyes stayed calm.
But her hands—just barely—they trembled.
"Maybe," she said. "Or maybe I just understand that everything shiny cracks eventually."
Something stirred inside me.
Rare.
Unwelcome.
Interest.
"You're different," I said, and my smile sharpened—my perfect mask, now darker.
She shrugged. Hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders. I wondered, for the briefest moment, how it smelled. The air reeked of sweat and overpriced perfume—loud, desperate. But she smelled like nothing. Like silence.
"I'm just the only one wearing sunglasses when things get too bright.," she said with a fake smile that dared me to react.
I looked down at the VIP pass—at her name.
Something I never did.
Names didn't matter. They'd vanish. They were useless. Ephemeral. But my eyes lingered. And before I could stop myself—I read it. Just before I leaned back in my seat.
"We'll meet again," I said, still studying her. Her face. Her posture. The way she nodded—turned—and disappeared back into the faceless crowd.
People don't surprise me. They never have.
But she had. Of course it was her.
Weeks had passed. I was back in Korea. The tour was over. It was time to find some rest—But that sense of calm disintegrated the moment I saw her again.
For a second, I couldn't believe my eyes.She hadn't seen me. But I saw her.
She stood behind the reception desk, being briefed on the job. The uniform was immaculate. Her expression unreadable. And yet— She stood out.
A European always did in this country.
Had she missed that detail? Or was she so convinced she could blend into the background? Did she really think I'd forgotten our little conversation after she'd so boldly challenged me?
Naïveté had never been something I associated with her—Until now.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I turned and stepped back into the elevator I had just exited. My path took me back upstairs. Back to my suite.
I pulled out my phone and rescheduled a few meetings.
The door fell shut behind me without a sound. The plush carpet muted every footstep as I walked through the vast living space, toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The city lay silent beneath me. My gaze was blank as I stared out.
I had recognized her. Not because she'd stood out— Quite the opposite.
She had tried too hard to disappear. Too calm. Too controlled.
And yet… how could she have missed the most obvious truth?
You don't just work in a foreign country overnight. She must have moved here. Must be living here. A shadow that had followed me— And now stood behind my front desk. In my hotel.
That wasn't coincidence. There are no coincidences in my world.
I leaned against the glass. Hands in my pockets. Who was she really?
The answers wouldn't be far. In my life, information was everything— And I was rich enough to own it. Very rich.
I pulled out my phone again, stared at it for a second, then dialed a number I rarely used. The line was encrypted. The man on the other end was efficient.
"Mr. Kwon," a composed voice answered.
"I need everything you can find on a new hotel employee. Receptionist. Mid-twenties. Blonde. Plain. European."
"Understood. Do you have a name for me?"
I smiled, leaning back into the couch.
Of course I had a name.
But I wasn't ready to say it out loud.
"Not yet. But I want results. You've got one hour."
"I'll forward the request."
I ended the call. A simple order. Routine work for some of the people in my world. And they all knew— I don't tolerate delays.
I was never particularly patient. If I wanted something, I got it. Immediately.
I poured myself a drink from the bar in the corner— Whiskey. Let myself fall onto the cream-colored couch.
Everything in here was made to match. Perfect. As if it had all been designed with me in mind.
But perfection bored me.
I was lost in thought when my phone vibrated on the glass table beside me.Forty minutes later. Prompt.
I picked it up and read.
Name. Age. Nationality— I skimmed it all. Then I paused.
The parts I cared about. New hire at the hotel. Moved to Korea from Germany a month ago. No family nearby. Minor financial issues. No significant relationships.
I scrolled down. My eyes narrowed slightly. A log of her social media activity appeared— Interests, places visited, images.
Then a photo. She was standing next to another woman, laughing. Not on her account— On the friend's. Public.
Behind them, a large concert hall. The illuminated letters on the sign were all too familiar. Nocturne.
A quiet smile touched my lips.
She wasn't a complete stranger.But she'd crossed a line.
I considered removing her.People shouldn't cross certain boundaries—And she had, just by running here.
But something held me back.Something about her—Fascinated me.
I'd figure out what it was.And then…If necessary, I could still make her disappear.
The phone dropped onto the cushion. I leaned back, closed my eyes.
She was smart. I had to give her that. Cautious. Patient.
A thought crept into my mind— And I smiled.
"So you want to play?" I murmured into the silence.
She'd come looking for me. And now… I'd find her.
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🔥 Tomorrow, I touch her world. And she won't even know it. 🔥