Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon (a.k.a. Mr. Park) had arrived at the building, both walking in with the confidence of men who had no idea they were about to make the worst decision of their lives. The place was practically a fortress—isolated, heavily secured, and surrounded by The Bloodhounds.
No one in their right mind would dare enter the area without an invitation.
Unless, of course, they had a death wish.
Unfortunately for them, their IQs weren't high enough to process that.
Still, they walked in with determination, proudly announcing that they were here for a "surprise visit."
(Author's note: Later, they would realize… they were the ones about to be surprised.)
Nam-Joo approached the front desk, flashing a charming but nervous smile.
"Uhm… Excuse me, we're looking for Ms. Jovi and Jane?" he asked politely.
The receptionist eyed them up and down, immediately sensing that they were walking into a very bad day.
"Do you have an appointment with them?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Oh, no," Mr. Park said casually, as if this wasn't a highly classified building full of trained assassins. "We came here unattended."
The receptionist blinked. Ah. Idiots.
"Could you at least notify them?" Nam-Joo requested, still smiling like he hadn't just willingly walked into a lion's den.
She sighed and picked up the phone, dialing.
"Hello, Ms. Jane? There are two gentlemen here—one named Mr. Park and the other Nam-Joo. They want to meet you and Ms. Jovi."
A pause.
Then, silence.
Then, the receptionist's eyes widened.
Before she could react, two men in black suits appeared from nowhere, their presence alone making the temperature in the room drop.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon stiffened immediately.
"Uh… hello?" Nam-Joo greeted awkwardly.
"Hi?" Seo-Joon attempted, his voice breaking slightly.
The receptionist barely had time to say, "Directors Lee and In—" before they were grabbed.
Dragged.
Yanked.
And swiftly escorted—no, abducted—straight to the elevator.
"This is a misunderstanding! We didn't do anything!" Seo-Joon pleaded, suddenly realizing they were being taken somewhere very, very bad.
"RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME!" Mr. Park screamed like he was being burned alive, thrashing wildly as if he had multiple lives to spare.
The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and they were pulled into the basement.
They barely had time to process before they were thrown into a dark room.
A very dark room.
A room so dark and ominous it felt like they had walked into a mafia movie—except, they weren't the mafia. They were the morons who had stumbled into the wrong set.
Within seconds, they were cuffed to chairs, blindfolded, and positioned like hostages awaiting execution.
In the corner stood In-Hyeop, arms crossed, his presence as deadly as a shadow with a knife.
Sitting in front of them, casually straddling a chair in reverse like he was about to conduct an interrogation of the century, was Soo-Hyuk.
He tapped a baseball bat against the floor—once, twice—before running it slowly across Seo-Joon's leg.
At the same time, In-Hyeop placed a foot on Nam-Joo's shoulder, pressing down just enough to send a message.
Seo-Joon's soul left his body.
Nam-Joo swallowed air.
Soo-Hyuk's voice was calm. Too calm.
"Earlier…" He tilted his head, watching them squirm. "You were following a car outside the building."
A pause.
The baseball bat slid slightly higher.
"Who do you work for?" Soo-Hyuk's tone sharpened. "Whose men sent you? Which company?"
Seo-Joon was already on the verge of tears.
"W-we were not from anyone!" he blurted.
"W-we don't work for anyone, w-we swear!" Nam-Joo stammered, sweating so much it was offensive.
"Oh?" Soo-Hyuk hummed, deeply unsatisfied with the answer.
He and In-Hyeop exchanged glances—the kind of look that said 'We might need to start breaking bones.'
Soo-Hyuk sighed, as if disappointed. "Tell me again. Who are you following? What do you want?"
The rapid-fire questioning was too much for their weak nervous systems.
"We were following Jovi!" Nam-Joo practically shouted.
"Y-YES! WE WANTED TO SEE JOVI!" Seo-Joon added immediately, terrified of what would happen if they didn't answer fast enough.
The room froze.
Soo-Hyuk and In-Hyeop blinked.
Then, in perfect unison:
"…Jovy?"
A slow, dangerous silence filled the air.
"…See her?" In-Hyeop repeated, his voice low. "Why?"
Nam-Joo choked on his own saliva before spewing out the worst sentence of his life:
"We—we were planning to do a surprise visit!"
A beat.
Soo-Hyuk leaned forward. "A surprise visit?"
"YES! Please spare our lives! We didn't do anything!" Seo-Joon practically begged, already planning his funeral.
"Yeah, I still can't die!" Nam-Joo added desperately. "Jovy promised me a date! I need to live to see it!"
Silence.
Pure silence.
Then.
"…DATE?"
In-Hyeop and Soo-Hyuk spoke at the same time, their voices dropping to the kind of lethal coldness that could make even seasoned assassins shudder.
They turned to look at each other.
Something feral passed between them.
Their killer instincts ignited.
For a second, they looked like they were about to commit a double homicide.
Nam-Joo gulped.
Seo-Joon started praying in his head.
Just when it seemed like they were about to be beaten into next week, the elevator dinged.
A new presence entered.
The tension shattered.
Nam-Joo and Seo-Joon sighed in relief—until they realized… it might be someone even worse.
______________________________________________________________________________________
At the top floor office. Jovi was sitting in her chair, looking at the view of Seoul. The over the top high ceiling, the huge glass windows. She was there drinking a cup of Spanish iced coffee. Trying to relax, or to just slack.
"I've got nothing to work, but I clocked in for today." I sighed "After they saw how stressed I was with the situation they basically took care of everything."
"Even, The Overseer-Hye-Eun got rid of my work. Now I'm left with nothing to do, and I'm still on the clock till 3pm today."
With nothing to do, I looked around the room, doing anything to fancy my boredom. I peeked outside the door, and I didn't see Jane. Then without hesitation I swiftly ran to the elevator.
Since I've got nothing to do today, I'll try to explore every room of this building. Personally I haven't got to visit the different departments too so it would be good if I could look at it. Let's start at the store front.
I strolled through the halls, my presence acknowledged with subtle nods and murmured greetings. Every inch of this building was built with purpose—every floor, every department, every individual played their part in the grand design. This wasn't just a workplace. It was an ecosystem, a machine, an empire. And I knew it better than anyone.
The lower floors were the foundation, the heart of our operations. The parking lots, lounge, library, sleeping quarters, canteen, storage, and supply rooms—all essential, not just conveniences. I made sure my people had what they deserved. They worked for me, but I worked for them, too. Loyalty wasn't given freely. It was cultivated.
The sixth floor and underground levels were the domain of The Feet—The Moles—Ju Ji Hoon. They handled cargo, supplies, shipments—everything that came in and out passed through their hands. If something needed to be hidden, lost, or smuggled, they made it happen. They were the unseen gears that kept everything moving.
The elevator doors opened on the seventh floor, revealing the vast lobby. It was a masterpiece of controlled chaos, designed to accommodate as many people as possible without ever feeling overcrowded. The Curator—The Sovereign Bureau ran this space, an entire floor disguised as a luxury hub. Stores, restaurants, jewelry boutiques—every indulgence was here. People thought they came here to spend their money, but in reality, they came to give me their power.
The real work began beyond this.
The eighth floor belonged to Jae-Young—The Shade—The Veil. They were the quiet enforcers, the ones who ensured that information remained controlled, that loose ends were tied, that nothing was left to chance. No secret existed without their knowledge.
The ninth floor was ruled by Jae-Won—The Luminary—The Illustrious. Masters of deception, charm, and influence. They crafted images, controlled narratives, made sure people saw what we wanted them to see. Perception was a weapon, and they wielded it with deadly precision.
On the tenth floor, Jin-Wo—The Mouth—ledThe Brokers in running the Frontstore. This was where deals were made, alliances brokered, and trades finalized. If something was on the market, it was because we allowed it. Nothing moved through these floors without my approval.
The eleventh floor housed two powerhouses. Min-Young—The Eyes—commanded The Oculi, the appraisal division. Wealthy clients came and went, their treasures scrutinized under expert eyes. Some walked away thinking they had won, unaware of the true value we extracted.
On the thirteenth floor, Ahn Hyo-Seop—The Hands—oversaw The Merchants, where external dealings took shape. Every contract, every acquisition, every negotiation—this was where it all began, and where we ensured it always ended in our favor.
The fourteenth floor was the domain of Song-Kang—The Ears—The Echoes. Surveillance, IT, intelligence gathering—they saw and heard everything. If a secret existed in this city, they could extract it. If data could be manipulated, they controlled it. Power wasn't just about strength; it was about knowledge.
The fifteenth floor belonged to Jun-Hoo—The Tycoon—The Syndicates. Accounting, finances, wealth management. Money moved in carefully calculated streams, every investment precise, every dollar accounted for. A kingdom without wealth was just a crumbling fortress.
The sixteenth floor was ruled by Go Kyung-Pyo—The Magistrate—The Tribunal. Legal matters, contracts, defenses—all safeguarded by his team. Power wasn't just about knowing how to break the rules. It was about knowing how to rewrite them.
The seventeenth floor was where the future was built. Hwang-Min—The Mind—The Tinkerers oversaw research and development. Innovation, technology, new solutions—their work ensured we stayed ahead. While others reacted, we evolved.
On the eighteenth floor,Lee Song-Hyuk—The Nose—The Bloodhounds managed security. Nothing and no one entered without their knowledge. If a problem arose, they erased it before it became a threat.
The nineteenth floor belonged to Kim Hye-Eun—The Overseer—The Dominion. Operations, coordination, execution. She was the one who ensured everything ran flawlessly, that every moving part stayed in perfect sync.
And finally, the twentieth floor. My floor. The domain of The Designers. My office, our meeting room, our workshop. This was where vision turned into reality. Every major decision, every strategy, every move that shaped the world outside these walls—it started here.
I glanced around, my empire stretching beneath me. Every floor, every department, every person had a purpose.
And all of it belonged to us.
But not all our people were bound by floors.
The Blackout Division, led by the elusive Wraith—In-Hyeop, was everywhere and nowhere at once. They were the unseen force that kept our world intact, slipping through cracks, moving through the city's underbelly, and vanishing before anyone even realized they were there. Their expertise wasn't just in surveillance or infiltration—it was in complete erasure. If they did their job right, no one would ever know they had been involved in the first place.
If a problem needed to disappear without a trace, The Blackout Division handled it. When information had to be extracted from unwilling sources, they had ways of making people talk—without a single scream being heard. Their work extended beyond mere espionage; they shaped narratives, buried scandals, and ensured that threats were silenced before they could fully form.
In-Hyeop was their ghostly commander, a man who could stand right in front of you, yet feel as though he wasn't there at all. Hispresence was a whisper, his movements like a flicker in the dark. He saw what others missed, anticipated dangers before they surfaced, and ensured that The Dominion Circle was always several steps ahead. Under his leadership, The Blackout Division had eyes in places no one could reach, ears in rooms where whispers were never meant to be heard, and hands that could strike before anyone realized the danger.
No place was beyond their reach.No information was beyond their grasp. And when the lights went out, In-Hyeop and his people were already gone.
______________________________________________________________________________________
I enjoyed strolling around the building. It was my way of making sure everything ran smoothly without actually doing any work—executive privilege, you know? But I had to be careful. If any of the directors spotted me on their floors, they'd drop whatever they were doing to focus on me instead of their actual jobs. And while I enjoyed attention, I didn't enjoy paperwork piling up because of it.
So, like a shadow, I slipped through the halls, avoiding them with the grace of a seasoned spy—or at least, that's what I told myself. In reality, I was just really good at dodging meetings.
Eventually, I snuck out of the building and made my way to the nearby convenience store. My mission? Ice cream. A well-deserved reward for… whatever it was I had done today. I successfully acquired my prize—a glorious tub of chocolate fudge swirl—and found a nice spot outside, right across from our headquarters.
There I sat, savoring each bite, completely at peace, when suddenly—
"JOVI!!!"
A voice shrieked across the street. I squinted. The voice belonged to a woman. Jane? Before I could react, I heard the distinct sound of feet pounding against the pavement. I instinctively reached for my glasses—because, as fate would have it, I was near-sighted, and without them, everything beyond five feet was just colorful blobs of confusion.
As I slid them on, the blurry figures running at me sharpened into the very frantic faces of Jane, Hyun-Jin, and In-Hyuk. They were sprinting full force in my direction, arms pumping, legs moving like their lives depended on it.
"What the hell—?" I muttered, still holding my spoon in midair.
They finally skidded to a stop in front of me, panting like they had just outrun death itself.
"What? Why are you running? Is there an emergency?" I asked, half-annoyed, half-worried, but mostly just confused.
Jane tried to speak first. "Seo-Joon—" gasp "Nam-Joo—" gasp
Hyun-Jin wasn't any better. He was bent over, hands on his knees, wheezing like an old man after one flight of stairs.
I frowned. "Yuh? What's up with them?"
Jane shot me a desperate look and waved a hand, signaling me to shut up so she could breathe. That's when In-Hyuk, who apparently had the best lung capacity, took charge. He inhaled sharply, stood straight, and dropped the bomb.
"DIRECTOR LEE SONG-HYUK AND DIRECTOR IN-HYEOP GOT THEM! THEY'RE IN THE BASEMENT! INTERROGATED!!!"
I blinked. "Wait, what?"
"WE NEED TO HURRY OR ELSE WE'LL ONLY FIND THEIR CORPSES!!!" he added, now officially in full-blown panic mode.
"WHAT?!?!" The spoon fell out of my hand.
My brain short-circuited. I looked at Jane and Hyun-Jin for confirmation. They both nodded, still struggling for air.
Oh hell no.
Without a second thought, I jumped to my feet. My heels? Gone. Did I kick them off? Did they magically transform into running shoes? Who knows. What mattered was that in an instant, I was sprinting at full speed, my ice cream long forgotten.
"OUT OF THE WAY!" I shouted at a pedestrian who barely dodged me.
I had no idea what Seo-Joon and Nam-Joo did, but if Lee Song-Hyuk and In-Hyeop had them, they were probably already reconsidering their life choices. And if we didn't get there in time… well, let's just say we'd be ordering new rugs for the basement.
And I really liked the current rugs.
-End-