Fragments of light shimmered across the polished floor.
The music in the bar was still playing—low, smooth, expensive.
Laughter echoed in the background, blending with the soft clink of glasses and the crisp sound of snacks being picked apart between conversations.
In one of the private rooms, a group of young men and women gathered.
Their style was casual, but everything about them screamed money—tailored fits, subtle luxury brands, effortless confidence.
"Chintya… I'm a little disappointed you only showed up on the last day."
The one who spoke sat at the center of the group, naturally drawing all attention. Ray.
He looked like the kind of man born into privilege and fully aware of it.
Handsome face, neatly styled hair, and a watch on his wrist that probably cost more than most people's yearly income.
Even the way he leaned back in his seat carried a sense of ownership—of the room, of the night, of everything.
"Yeah, Chintya… Young Master Ray has been waiting for you for a long time," said the man beside him with a grin.
"He even threw a seven-day party, hoping you'd stay with him the whole week. And you only show up on the last day? Woah… that must be pretty disappointing for him."
"Exactly," added a woman sitting on Ray's other side, her tone playful yet laced with something sharper.
She crossed her legs elegantly, her dress hugging her figure just enough to draw attention.
"For three years, you never responded to his feelings. You said you were both underage."
She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glancing at Ray before returning to Chintya with a teasing smile.
"And now you're both adults… and you're still like this. Honestly, the fact that you even came tonight feels like a miracle. I think you owe him a little…"
Her lips curved as she winked.
"…responsibility."
The room quieted just a little. All eyes turned to Chintya.
Chintya carried herself with a quiet grace that didn't need to demand attention—it naturally drew it.
Her beauty wasn't loud or provocative, but refined and serene, like something out of an old legend placed into a modern world.
Long, rich dark brown hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, framing a face that felt gentle yet distant.
Her presence alone softened the atmosphere, yet created an invisible boundary no one could casually cross.
She lowered her gaze slightly before speaking, her voice soft but steady.
"I'm sorry… I've been busy."
There was no arrogance in her tone. No hostility. Just honesty.
"My family situation has been… complicated. It's not easy for me to go out freely."
She paused briefly, then continued.
"And you all know… I'm not really the type to think about things like dating or love. Especially now, when we're about to enter college."
She gave a small, gentle smile, lowering her gaze slightly.
"Sorry… it's still too early for me."
Then her eyes lifted slightly, meeting Ray's gaze for a moment.
"For now… like I've always told you, I can only see you as a friend, Ray. I'm sorry."
Her words were gentle.
But firm.
She didn't want to play around with feelings, nor did she want anyone wasting their time over something she couldn't return.
For a brief second, something flickered in Ray's eyes.
Even though he was used to hearing it from Chintya, hearing it today felt different.
Annoyance.
His fingers tapped lightly against the glass in his hand. He hadn't expected to be rejected today—especially not like this. Not after three years of patience, attention, and effort.
For someone like him, who stood above most people in both status and wealth, this kind of rejection felt… insulting.
And yet, he smiled. Because losing control here would make him look small.
Still, deep inside, something twisted. His pride. His ego. The part of him that believed everything could be conquered… including her.
If she wouldn't come willingly, then he'd just make sure she had no choice.
His gaze shifted briefly toward the man sitting next to him. A silent signal. Plans began to form.
Before anything else could unfold, the door opened.
A waitress entered, pushing a tray filled with a new round of food and drinks.
This time—alcohol.
Chintya's brows knitted slightly. She hadn't expected that.
As someone who had only just reached the legal age, seeing alcohol still made her a little uncomfortable.
Before she could say anything, the woman beside her—Unya, her so-called best friend—spoke casually.
"It's fine, right? There's alcohol. We're all adults now anyway."
Chintya hesitated.
She wasn't comfortable with it. But saying no to her best friend… had never been easy for her.
After a brief pause, she gave a small, reluctant nod.
"…It's fine."
Ray, however, wasn't paying attention to the drinks anymore.
His eyes had shifted. To the waitress.
She wore a standard uniform—neat, modest, nothing special. A mask covered part of her face.
And yet, there was something about her. An elegance that didn't belong in a place like this.
It wasn't the loud, eye-catching beauty like Unya's, nor the soft, gentle warmth that Chintya had.
It was... a quiet maturity. Refined. Tempting. The kind that made people curious.
Ray's lips curved slowly.
Interesting.
Tonight was supposed to be about conquering Chintya. But now, why not both?
He leaned slightly toward his friend, whispering something under his breath. The new plan was set.
As the waitress finished placing the drinks and turned to leave—
"Hey."
Ray's friend called out,
"Why don't you stay for a bit? Have a drink with us." His tone light, persuasive.
A glass was pushed toward her.
She froze for a second.
Seeing her pause, they assumed she was hesitating.
"We'll talk to your manager. You don't need to worry," the man added casually.
The waitress gently lowered her head.
"I'm sorry… I can't."
Her voice was soft. But firm.
Her name was Sita.
At least three years older than the teenagers in the room. A part-time worker who had only started a month ago.
Her job was simple. Deliver the food. Prepare the table. Nothing more. She wasn't a hostess. She wasn't there to entertain them.
And she definitely wasn't going to drink something that had obviously been tampered with—something she had clearly noticed while serving them earlier.
A brief back-and-forth followed—gentle persuasion met with quiet refusal.
Until finally. the smile on Ray's face disappeared.
"We tried asking nicely… and this is how you respond? Refusing us?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Heavy.
"Do you even know who you're talking to?" he said, standing up and walking toward Sita.
It was enough to make her step back—until her back hit the corner of the room.
Sita's body hitting the glass wall made nearby customers glance over.
It also raised the alert of the security, who immediately took a step closer—
—but then stopped, halted by Ray's loud voice.
"I'm the son of the Dafelix Family."
Silence. It spread like a ripple.
The name alone was enough.
This city was known as Hufaz City—one of the largest in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Ayoda.
And here, there were three names everyone knew.
Ragvana
Navain.
Dafelix.
They ruled from the shadows of luxury towers and polished streets.
Not the strongest in the world—but here?
Absolute.
Sita's lips parted slightly. No words came out. Her fingers clenched tightly at her sides.
"…S-sorry, Young Master… I-I didn't recognize who you were... before."
A smile slowly spread across Ray's face, clearly satisfied. Of course—his family name had always been the strongest weapon in this city.
Even for good-for-nothing like him.
Catching the look in Ray's eyes as if he was calling her over, Sita gave a faint nod and stepped forward without lifting her head.
"Good," Ray smirked. "Now, drink this and keep me company tonight… hehe."
Watching that unfold, Chintya felt a deep discomfort settle in her chest.
She knew Ray wasn't a good person. But she had been… fortunate. At least, when it came to her, he had kept things decent.
But right now, in front of her, she was seeing that ugly side of him laid bare.
Her gaze slowly shifted to the waitress.
The waitress's gestur... didn't sit right with her. At all.
A faint frown appeared on Chintya's face as she slowly stood up.
"Ray… that's enough. You shouldn't be doing something like this."
Her voice was still soft—but this time, there was a clear edge to it.
"She already said no. Don't go too far."
The room seemed to pause.
Then, Ray clicked his tongue.
"Too far?" he repeated, letting out a short, humorless chuckle.
He turned to face her fully, his presence pressing down on the room.
"Do you even hear yourself, Chintya?"
His voice dropped, colder now.
"Do you know who I am?"
He took a step forward, his tone sharp with pride.
"If I let a nobody refuse me like this… what do you think happens to my family's image?"
His gaze flicked toward Sita with clear disdain.
"The young master of the Dafelix Family… rejected by a mere waitress?"
The words hung heavy in the air.
Chintya instinctively took a small step back.
Not out of fear, but understanding.
This was the arrogance of power. The kind that didn't listen. Didn't bend.
Her fingers clenched slightly at her side.
Then, her eyes shifted. Toward her bestfriend.
Unya Navain.
Someone who stood on the same level as Ray. Someone who could stop this—if she wanted to.
Their eyes met. For a second. Chintya silently asked for help. But Unya only leaned back lazily in her seat, swirling her drink.
She gave a small, indifferent gesture, a subtle shake of her head. As if to say:
That's just how it is. Don't get involved. It's not worth it.
Because getting involved, meant conflict. Not just between them. But between families. And that was something Unya had no intention of risking.
Chintya's chest tightened.
She turned back, caught between what she believed… and the reality in front of her.
She didn't know what to do.
And Ray, saw it. A slow, sly smile crept onto his lips.
An idea forming.
"Alright," he said suddenly, his tone shifting, almost playful. "If you care that much…"
He picked up the glass.
"Then how about you take her place?"
The room went still.
"Sit here," he continued, tapping the seat beside him. "Drink this. Keep me company."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"Do that… and I'll let her go."
A ripple of reaction spread across the group. Some raised their brows. Some smirked. They all understood. And none of them objected.
Sita's eyes widened slightly.
Her gaze flickered to Chintya.
Someone like her… kind. Genuine. She shouldn't be dragged into something like this. Not because of her. But... because she needs something from this chaos.
"…No," Sita said suddenly, her voice low but urgent.
She stepped forward.
"It's fine."
Before anyone could react, she reached out and took the glass.
"I'll do it."
The room froze. Even Chintya's eyes widened.
"Miss—"
But Sita didn't stop. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted the glass.
Ray's smile slowly widened. Dark. Satisfied.
Around him, a few of his friends exchanged looks, their expressions filled with anticipation. If Ray got bored later… maybe they'd get a turn.
A premium one like this wasn't something you saw every day.
The glass was already near her lips—just a little more—
Then—
A hand shot out. Grabbing the glass. And in one swift motion—
BRRAK!
The glass was slammed onto the floor.
It shattered instantly, liquid splashing across the polished surface.
Silence.
A figure stepped forward, cutting right between them.
He moved without any urgency—yet somehow, he was already standing in front of Sita. Blocking her.
Ray frowned.
"…Who the hell are you?"
The figure was a man.
A dark blue-black uniform covered his body, marking him as one of the bar's cleaning staff.
He was ugly. Not just unattractive—genuinely hard to look at. His stomach sagged heavily with fat, his loose skin hanging unnaturally around his body.
The kind of appearance that made people stare for a few seconds too long before realizing… yeah, that was actually a human being.
The man stood there expressionlessly, shoulders slightly hunched, eyes half-lidded. Empty.
That was the only way to describe them.
His gaze stayed locked onto Ray without shifting even once.
Ray's only bodyguard immediately stepped closer, instincts kicking in.
But Ray raised a hand, stopping him.
"Hey, who even are you?!" one of Ray's friends shouted. "What the hell are you doing here?"
No response.
The man just kept staring at Ray with that same hollow look.
Creepy.
But the weird atmosphere was quickly broken when one of the girls suddenly snorted.
"Wait… don't tell me this ugly bastard is trying to do some hero-saves-the-beauty scene?"
"Hero save the beauty?" another guy laughed.
"Nah. More like a monster saving the beauty, hahaha!"
The room burst into laughter filled with mockery.
But then... it stopped.
The ugly man suddenly lunged forward with a strange guttural growl. Straight at Ray.
Ray stumbled backward in shock. The distance between them had already become dangerously close.
The bodyguard reacted instantly and grabbed the man before he could reach him.
Fortunately, he still made it in time. Or maybe not.
Because the man suddenly opened his mouth... and vomited.
A disgusting mixture of thick fluids exploded out violently, splattering across nearly Ray's entire body.
The bodyguard froze for a split second in shock before immediately slamming the man into the ground and beating him down hard enough to completely immobilize him.
Ray collapsed onto the floor, screaming in rage.
"Kill him! Kill that fucking psycho!"
And the bodyguard obeyed without hesitation.
Dead.
Chaos erupted instantly.
The entire bar turned noisy with panic and shock as people started whispering about what had just happened.
But every discussion immediately died whenever Ray glared at them with murderous eyes.
Then he stormed toward the bathroom, desperate to clean himself off before rushing home.
His perfect night.
His sweet little plans.
All of it had turned into a humiliating nightmare.
Chintya and Unya stood there stunned, staring at Ray, his bodyguard, and several of his friends who had also gotten splashed and were now running toward the restroom in disgust.
Then their eyes drifted toward the corpse of the man.
A pitiful sight.
Probably just some mentally ill cleaner who got himself killed.
After a moment, the two girls quietly decided to leave.
Meanwhile, Sita glanced at everything silently.
Then she lowered her gaze toward the corpse. Her expression slowly darkened, and a strange smile appeared on her face.
---
Later.
The bodyguard stood in front of the bathroom door, guarding it carefully.
The bar had already closed.
Only Ray and the bodyguard remained inside, while the manager and several security personnel waited outside the building.
The police and ambulance had already taken the corpse away.
In the end, the conclusion was simple.
The bodyguard had merely acted to protect his young master… and accidentally killed the man in the process.
No big issue.
The bathroom door, silent for so long, finally opened.
An eerie aura drifted out from inside.
Cold enough to make even the bodyguard feel chills crawling down his spine.
It was strange.
He had served as Ray's bodyguard for years. But he had never felt something like this from him before.
And then—
Ray Dafelix finally stepped out.