Yeongjae's POV
This is humiliating!
No... Humiliating didn't even begin to cover it.
At this exact moment, I am seriously considering all the creative, deeply embarrassing ways I could murder Jiho later. Slowly. Thoroughly. Preferably in public. Because whatever karmic punishment he thought he was inflicting on me tonight, it was working far too well.
His men had dressed me like this was some kind of sick joke. Low-hanging, worn-out jeans that clung to my hips just enough to be indecent, the button and zipper deliberately left undone. They even instructed me to keep it that way, as if my dignity wasn't already bleeding out on the floor. Just one slight pull of my pants, and what should've been kept hidden will be out in the open.
What kind of company is my cousin running?! Am I supposed to get naked and dance in front of these women tonight?
Thank God, I wore a new Hanro underwear tonight instead of my old, comfortable ones. If fate had pushed me one inch further, this would've officially become the most mortifying night of my life.
I stood there behind the curtains, half-dressed, half-feral, entirely furious.
Then I heard a woman's voice on the other side.
"Girls, she's almost here. Be ready with your party poppers and the cake."
My jaw tightened.
The same woman peeked her head through the curtain, eyes scanning the room. "You guys ready?"
Everyone nodded.
Everyone… except me.
I stayed still, arms crossed, expression carved from stone. If looks could kill, Jiho would already be six feet under.
"Remember," the woman continued, "I want this to be memorable for my best friend. This is her last year in this country, so please—please—do your best performance, alright?"
There was something in her tone. Affection. Protectiveness. The kind that came from loving someone deeply.
"Don't worry," Jeremy said easily. "You can count on us."
Jeremy, the so-called team leader, had been annoyingly calm all night. He smiled like everything was under control, even when it absolutely wasn't.
The woman nodded, then her gaze swept over the group.
And landed on me.
"Is he the main performer?" she asked, pointing in my direction.
"Yes," Jeremy replied smoothly. "He'll take care of the birthday girl. He's her partner for the service you availed."
Her eyes dragged over me, head to toe, slow and evaluating, before she turned back to Jeremy.
"Good choice," she said, nodding to herself. "Exactly my best friend's type."
I scoffed internally. Her best friend's type?
Then she hesitated, cheeks coloring slightly. "But… is he good in... you know what I mean?"
My brows knitted together.
What the fuck does that mean? Are we going to do something in bed later? I was not informed about that!
"Oh yes," Jeremy said quickly, far too confidently. "You have nothing to worry about. He's an expert in that field."
I nearly choked on my own breath.
Expert? In what field? Because I was pretty sure I never applied for whatever the hell this was.
"Alright," the woman said, trusting far too easily. "I'll take your word for it. But if he doesn't perform well, I want a full refund. And I'll leave a bad review on your site. Got that?"
The audacity.
Who did she think she was?
Jeremy only smiled wider. "Yes, ma'am. Loud and clear."
Then he turned to me and handed over a masquerade mask, black, sleek, anonymous.
"Put this on," he said quietly. "You heard her. You need to do exactly what we told you. Don't blow your cover. We're risking our jobs for you here."
His voice dropped, losing its earlier confidence.
"Please," he added. "Don't disappoint the client. Make the birthday girl happy. Serve her well."
I froze.
I saw it. The nervous flicker in his eyes. The fear he'd been hiding under all that bravado.
And suddenly, I understood.
These men weren't playing around. This wasn't just some sleazy gig to them. They came from nothing, a poor family background. Some of them were supporting families. Others were paying tuition fees. For a few, it was both.
This job, this ridiculous, embarrassing job, was everything they had.
And as much as I hated Jiho, hated this situation, hated myself for standing here half-naked behind a curtain… I refused to be the reason these men lost everything.
I straightened my back. Squared my shoulders.
They didn't know who I really was. They didn't know I was Jiho's cousin. All they knew was that I was desperate for work, that their boss shoved me into this job at the last minute.
I nodded.
Jeremy exhaled in relief. "Good. We're counting on you."
He signaled for us to move into position.
Then, a knock. The door opened.
"Happy 35th birthday, Sora!"
Party poppers exploded. Horns blared. Someone started singing.
My blood turned to ice.
No.
No. No, no, no.
That couldn't be right.
Sora was a common name. Plenty of women were named Sora. This city was massive. What are the odds—
But then I heard her laugh.
Her voice.
Clear. Bright. Familiar in a way that made my chest seize painfully.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
It sounded exactly like her.
I swallowed hard, panic crawling up my spine. I rushed to Jeremy and grabbed his sleeve, lowering my voice.
"What's the name of the birthday celebrant?"
"Oh," he said casually. "I didn't tell you?"
He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the reservation details before turning the screen toward me.
"There. Client name: Sora Han."
The world tilted.
My soul left my body.
My blood followed.
No.
This had to be a mistake.
It had to be.
I spun toward the curtain, desperate to confirm it with my own eyes, but Jeremy grabbed my arm.
"What are you doing?" he hissed. "Go back. You'll ruin the surprise."
"I just need to see her," I said, voice tight.
"No." His grip tightened. "Go. Back. To. Your. Position. Now."
I wanted to punch him.
I wanted to rip the mask off, storm out, drag Jiho by the collar, and demand answers.
But I didn't. I couldn't.
I had promises, ones I made to my grandparents. To my family. To myself. I had a past I couldn't abandon. A truth I still hadn't uncovered. A killer I swore I'd find.
So I stepped back into my spot.
Closed my eyes.
The laughter continued on the other side of the curtain. Glasses clinked. Music played. Her voice floated through the air. It was warm, alive, dangerously close.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Cold sweat broke across my skin as I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body coiled tight.
I prayed to every god, every universe, every cruel force that liked to toy with my life.
Because if the woman waiting out there really was Sora Han…
I had no idea how I was supposed to survive what came next.
Please.
Let it be anyone else.
Any woman.
I'll accept anyone.
Just... please... not her...