Kang Hyun’s beloved childhood possessions were all, without exception, ruined.

Like a tropical fish that lived with him for much of his childhood, only to die pointlessly after losing its home.

They frequently broke beyond repair.

His cousins, who rarely saw Kang Hyun express joy or sorrow, would giggle and bet on who could annoy Kang Hyun the most.

Since the real power behind Seo Won Group, his grandfather, treated him as an incurable lunatic, they didn’t bother to consider the adults’ views and provoked him by hiding or breaking his things.

Ironically, the end of these bets coincided with the time they could no longer make them.

“You found this outside? It’s Kang Hyun’s, right?”

“Who are you?”

“We’re Kang Hyun’s cousins.”

Seo Yoon was brought from the orphanage to Tae Seok Jung after his father, Tae Young Il, passed away.

As the eldest son, already recognized for his management skills, he naturally succeeded his father. Upon gaining power, he promptly removed all troublesome relatives from their positions.

Only Tae Seok Gyu, who lacked a powerful maternal family to back him, remained in the parent company, Seo Han Electronics.

All this was to lay the groundwork early for Kang Hyun, who had been the subject of much gossip since before he was an adult.

Those who used to frequent Seo Won’s doorstep in hopes of winning Tae Young Il’s favor could no longer set foot there except on holidays or memorial services, and the incidents of Kang Hyun’s belongings being damaged ceased.

As the childish bets faded into the past, Tae Young Il’s memorial service came around, and the cousins visiting Seo Won for the first time in a while were surprised to find a girl, like a sack of barley thrown into a corner, sitting alone.

“What’s your name?”

“Seo Yoon, Han Seo Yoon.”

“Ah, cute. I want a younger sister too.”

“Giggle, now that his dad’s the chairman, Tae Kang Hyun even bought a sister. I’m jealous.”

“No, I wasn’t bought. The chairman said he would educate me. He said I could wear pretty clothes and eat lots of good food.”

Surrounded by high school students, ten-year-old Seo Yoon nervously fidgeted with her white dress’s sleeve.

“That’s not it. You’re a toy that your uncle bought for Kang Hyun. He’s got a mental illness. This place is weird.”

Tae Seong Hyun, in his black uniform, tapped his temple and stepped closer to Seo Yoon.

“Have you ever seen him laugh? I bet you’ve never seen him cry. Does he seem human when you’re with him?”

“I laugh. They told me it’s okay as long as I smile. It’s okay to cry too. If I do, sometimes he smiles with me…”

“Even hospital visits don’t help, so they’re trying this as treatment?”

“And he’s always nice to me…”

“What?”

Seo Yoon tried not to seem intimidated, but her voice trembled, and her breathing grew ragged.

The men, who seemed like adults to her, blocked her view, making her scared and somewhat sad.

Seo Yoon gasped for breath, and her eyes quickly reddened.

“Hey, hey! She’s just a kid. Why are you holding her and saying all this? She’s going to cry.”
Another cousin nudged Tae Seong Hyun while looking down at Seo Yoon, who was trembling with her fist clenched in her small, fern-like hand.

“Oops, sorry. It’s just surprising to see you here. But be careful around Kang Hyun, you might… Aaack!”

Seong Hyun, reaching over Seo Yoon’s small head, couldn’t resist the force pulling him from behind and fell to the ground.

“What the, what are you doing!”

“Don’t touch her.”

Holding Seo Yoon, who was on the verge of tears, close and hiding her small head in his embrace, Kang Hyun glared at Tae Seong Hyun with a chilling gaze.

“Huh?”

Seong Hyun, facing such an unexpectedly intense reaction for the first time, let out a hollow laugh.

The other cousins quickly moved away from Seo Yoon’s vicinity.

“If you don’t want to die, don’t even think about touching her, Yoon is off-limits.”

Kang Hyun didn’t want to inflict any blemish on Seo Yoon.

His obsession with her grew as his compulsion intensified, fearing she might end up broken like a fish gasping under shattered glass or a split pocket watch.

Since he started to desire Seo Yoon as a woman, his twisted cravings became uncontrollable.

Bang!

Seo Yoon, who had slammed the door of the living room with all her might, stopped in front of Kang Hyun, who was seated on the sofa.

She glared at Kang Hyun, her gentle face all scrunched up.

“Why do you keep sending people after me? Isn’t the driver enough? Am I a criminal? Am I doing something wrong?”

“Others might harm you. It’s not bad to be cautious.”

Kang Hyun’s voice was as relaxed as his fingers flipping through the documents on his crossed legs.

Realizing that getting angry would only hurt herself, Seo Yoon took deep breaths to calm down.

“My classmates think it’s weird. The driver always drops me off and picks me up right after the last lecture. There are rumors in the department. I’m being ostracized, brother. I can’t even attend department events, so they hesitate to even invite me now.”