Content Warning: This chapter contains depictions of suicide, grief, and emotional distress. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter 3
The following day, Akira sat at his office desk, dressed sharply in his tailored black suit. Around his wrist, his bullet necklace had been wrapped like a bracelet—a constant reminder of the soul he couldn't let go.
The heavy glass doors to his office creaked open. Three women—employees of AZ Enterprises—stepped inside, led by the head manager, followed by two junior managers. They greeted him respectfully and laid their files on the desk before him.
Akira took a moment to glance through them. After flipping a few pages, he leaned back slightly.
"Everything seems fine," he said, "but there are a few points that need improvement."
The head manager stepped forward. "Understood, boss. I'll make the changes you mentioned."
She reached for the file just as Akira spoke again, his tone sharp and precise.
"What about the deal with Ring Enterprises?"
Before she could answer, a loud voice cut through the room like a blade.
"AKIRA!"
The sudden outburst made all four occupants freeze. The door swung open forcefully, revealing a cute but clearly desperate young man. His eyes were glassy from tears, his chest heaving as he marched into the room.
Everyone turned toward him in confusion.
"You ruined my life!" the boy cried, trembling with rage and sorrow.
Akira raised one brow, unimpressed. "Who are you?"
The boy's face dropped in disbelief.
"You don't remember me? After everything you did to me?!"
Akira glanced back at his files, clearly uninterested. "Don't waste my time. Get lost."
The boy took another step forward, his voice cracking.
"How can you say that after destroying everything?! My marriage was canceled—my boyfriend left me! And you... you sent him those photos... WHY, Akira?!"
His voice choked as he held out his phone. On the screen were unhinged, intimate photos—him and Akira caught in compromising positions.
Akira stared at the screen for a second and then tilted his head.
"Oh. You're Max, right?"
"Yes!"
"But I didn't send those photos to anyone."
Max's brows furrowed. "Then who did? Only you had access to them. You promised you wouldn't share them! Sniff... and now he doesn't want me anymore..."
Akira's expression hardened. "If I made a promise, I'm 1000% sure I didn't break it."
He stood up calmly, took the phone from Max, and handed it to J, whispering under his breath:
"Find out who shared these."
J nodded and stepped aside.
Without skipping a beat, Akira opened the suitcase under his desk. The contents inside gleamed—bricks of neatly arranged cash.
He gestured toward it.
"Take this money as compensation for your loss."
Max's expression twisted in horror.
"What do you mean?! Are you mocking my love?! Making fun of everything I had?!"
His voice cracked further as he pointed at Akira, eyes burning with fury.
"You wait and see... I curse you, Akira. You'll never get the person you love the most. And then... then you'll know how it feels! I swear on my life—you will pay for your sins!"
Before anyone could react, Max turned and bolted toward the balcony.
"Max, wait!!" Akira shouted.
Max stopped just once, casting a final glance at Akira—his eyes full of betrayal and pain—then leapt.
Gasps filled the room.
The three employees ran toward the edge of the balcony, hands gripping the railing, horror written on their faces. Akira followed slowly. He stood between them and looked down, watching the lifeless body sprawled below.
He sighed.
"Tsk. What a waste."
With a flick of his wrist, he turned around and strode back into the room. His phone buzzed. He picked it up.
"Yes... I'll be there soon."
Then, without missing a beat, he nodded toward his guards.
"Dispose of the body."
The three female employees stood frozen, pale and shaking. As they tried to retreat quietly toward the door, Akira's head tilted, his rose-red eyes cutting through them.
They stopped in sync.
"Ahh... We're leaving!" one of them stammered, bowing.
"Wait."
His voice was sharp. They turned around again, dread rising.
"Keep your mouths shut, or else..."
All three nodded violently.
Akira tossed two thick bundles of cash at each of them.
"Take this. And keep quiet."
The women caught the money, hands trembling, still too terrified to fully process what just happened. But greed dulled their fear.
"Shut, and keys thrown away, boss!" one said with a nervous smile.
"Get lost."
They bolted from the room.
The sun had barely peaked behind gray clouds as the Akira family gathered at the graveyard. Dozens of guards surrounded the site, standing still as shadows. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying an uneasy silence.
Akira stood off to the side, arms crossed, glaring down at the gravestone.
Mr. Aster, his mother, gently touched his arm.
"Akira, show some respect to your late father and pray."
He frowned. "Come on, join hands."
Without missing a beat, Akira raised his middle finger toward the tombstone.
"What, you think I'll pay respect to him? If he comes back to life, I'll kill him again. That's how much I hate him."
He scoffed. "Fuck you, old man."
Behind him, the guards and his siblings struggled to suppress their laughter, their hands still joined in mock prayer. The giggles spread like wildfire.
"QUIET!" Mr. Aster roared, and the noise instantly died. Everyone straightened up, focusing back on the ritual.
Just as Mr. Aster turned to yell at Akira again, a sudden breeze swept by—and Aki appeared beside him, grabbing Akira's wrist.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Mr. Aster barked.
But Aki was already pulling Akira away from the gathering, taking him toward a more secluded corner of the graveyard. The quiet around them grew heavy.
"Why did you bring me here?" Akira asked, voice low and annoyed.
"Because you don't know how to pay respect," Aki said seriously.
"How can you say such things to the person who gave birth to you, huh? He is your father."
Akira snorted.
"Tsk. Oh really? I don't care. Isn't he the reason you're in this condition? And you still favor him?"
Aki looked conflicted, voice barely a whisper.
"But... he already paid for his sins."
Akira turned away, his expression a mix of bitterness and disbelief.
"Oh ho, so you only came out to tell me that? You didn't come out when I asked you to—when I begged you. Are you mad at me?"
Aki looked down, guilt washing over his face.
"I... I didn't do as you said because I thought... maybe it would be easier for you to forget about me."
Akira blinked, stunned. His voice trembled slightly, full of hurt.
"That's not happening. You know what—fine. Stay mad. I'll pretend we never talked about this."
He turned around without looking back and walked straight toward the grave again, leaving Aki speechless, frozen in place.
Scene Transition: Akira's Private Bar – That Night
Dim golden light poured over polished counters and crystal glasses as Akira sat at the bar. The air was thick with silence and the scent of liquor.
The bartender poured him another glass, sliding it across the counter.
Aki sat beside him, elbows resting on the table, quietly watching him. His gaze never left Akira.
"You are the most worse person I know," Aki muttered.
Akira took a slow sip, staring blankly at the bottles in front of him.
"Tell me something I don't know."
Aki pouted. "I hate you."
"I hate you too." Neither of them looked at each other.
Aki huffed and turned away, still sulking. Akira took another drink—and immediately choked.
"Cough... cough..."
Aki leaned in, concerned, rubbing Akira's head. "Careful, idiot."
Their eyes met.
For a moment, everything else disappeared. Without a word, they leaned closer until their lips met in a passionate kiss.
Aki blushed.
"You're still so good at kissing."
Akira smirked faintly. (Even though, for him, it felt like kissing air—he couldn't truly feel it)
Aki leaned his chin on Akira's shoulder.
"Can I ask you something?"
Akira, still sipping his drink, gave a tired side glance. "Hmm?"
Aki hesitated, then whispered:
"Please marry Cherry."
Akira's face froze into a cold, unreadable expression.
"Why?"
Aki wrapped himself around Akira's arm, clinging tightly.
"Because I want to see you with someone beautiful. Please forgive me—just this once. Please, please, baby."
Akira groaned.
"Bartender. Bring me another drink."
"Don't ignore me!" Aki pouted.
Akira side-eyed him again. Aki smiled softly.
He sighed. "Fine... but you have to agree to live with me."
"Yes!" Aki answered too fast.
Akira gulped down his drink—his fifth—and stood up from the bar.
Only a second later, Aki's eyes widened.
"Wait... Ahhhhh! He tricked me!!
_ _ _
The day of the wedding arrived in full splendor.
The venue glimmered in warm golden lights, the air fragrant with roses and incense. Guests buzzed with excitement, gathered to witness the marriage of Akira—the dominating alpha and CEO of AZ Enterprises—to Cherry, the radiant pink-haired omega.
Aki sat in the front row, smiling softly but unease glinting in his ghostly eyes.
At the altar, Cherry stood nervously, his hands trembling ever so slightly. Across from him stood Akira, calm and unreadable, dressed in a sharp ceremonial suit, his red eyes glinting beneath the lights.
The priest turned toward the groom.
"Now, groom, please mark your bride."
Akira stepped forward. A faint sigh escaped him as he reached out and gently moved Cherry's collar aside to expose his neck.
But what he saw made his eyes darken—on the soft skin behind the necklace, hidden under the folds, was the unmistakable bite mark of another alpha.
A faint scent clung to Cherry's skin—one that did not belong to Akira.
He stared at it in silence. Cherry, sensing the weight of Akira's discovery, looked away, blushing with dread. For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Akira smirked.
"All done, priest," he said smoothly, returning to his place.
The priest blinked. "Ah… then we may proceed with the ceremony."
Cherry's shoulders dropped in surprise. He had expected punishment, humiliation, or at least a confrontation. But Akira had covered for him.
Whispers rippled through the crowd. There had been no cry, no whimper, not even a wince. It was unnatural—being marked by a dominating alpha like Akira should have made Cherry scream in pain. But everyone assumed Cherry must be unusually strong.
Everyone except Aki.
He sat rigidly, fuming. His ethereal fingers curled into trembling fists, and his jaw clenched. He glared at Cherry as if he could burn him to ash with his eyes alone.
"I could eat him alive," Aki muttered.
Then he blinked and shook his head.
"What… what am I thinking?"
The ceremony concluded with a kiss. The groom and bride bowed, and the priest announced their union.
That night, Akira and Cherry were left alone in a luxury penthouse overlooking the beach. The entire floor was theirs—silent, opulent, and sealed off from the rest of the world. No guards, no staff. No interruptions.
Cherry sat in the bedroom, his heart pounding, anxiously waiting for Akira. Fear gnawed at his thoughts—about the mark, about what Akira might do.
But Akira never entered the room.
He remained outside in the main hall, sitting alone on the velvet chair near the glass wall, the moonlight spilling across his face. A bottle of liquor rested on the side table, ice clinking as he poured himself a drink.
After a few minutes, Aki appeared across from him, his arms folded, a mix of confusion and annoyance on his face.
"What are you doing?" Aki asked.
Akira didn't look at him.
"Can't you see?"
"That's not what I meant!" Aki scolded. "This is your wedding night, Akira! Couldn't you stop drinking just for today?"
Akira raised his glass and downed the contents without a word.
Aki pressed on.
"Cherry is waiting for you in the room. Don't you think you should at least… sleep with him?"
Akira paused, glass mid-air.
"I did what you all wanted," he said quietly. "Your wish is granted. Now I'll do whatever I want. You have no say in that."
He drank again.
Aki exhaled, defeated.
"Fine. So what are you planning now?"
"Nothing."
The silence stretched as Akira emptied glass after glass. He stared out at the moonlit waves with vacant eyes.
Then, without warning, he whispered:
"Sometimes I wonder… if it would've been better if I died that day instead of you."
Aki sat up straight.
"Don't say such things."
Akira looked at him and smiled—softly, drunkenly.
"What's the value of my life? People like me only when I have power and money. Without those, they wouldn't recognize me. They'd kill me without blinking."
He laughed bitterly.
"Even when an insect dies, people cry. But when I die…"
Aki reached forward, placing a hand on his lips.
"Enough. You're drunk. Don't say more."
Aki helped Akira up gently.
"You need rest. No more drinking."
Akira sighed, leaning into Aki's hold.
They lay down together on the wide couch, facing each other.
"How long has it been since we've slept like this?" Akira asked softly.
Aki smiled tiredly.
"We sleep like this every day, dummy. You're just really drunk tonight."
"Ohh… really?"
Akira's voice faded as sleep took him.
Aki watched him silently, brushing his fingers through Akira's hair.
"I'm still here for you," he whispered, even though Akira could no longer hear him.