After a single turbulent day at SCJ, Mina had spectacularly risen to the position of CEO overnight. More precisely, everything surrounding her and the Kamakiri family had become the hottest topic across the entire corporation. From the scandal that sent 163 students to the hospital, to the revelation that Mina and Valko were actually already married, to Mina immediately taking over her sister's seat—no one could believe all of this had happened in just a matter of days.
Dressed in a custom-tailored black office suit hugging every curve, paired with a high-waisted mini skirt and sheer black tights, Mina's high heels echoed confidently down the SCJ Planning Department hallway, forcing every head to turn. Normally, people admired her beauty in quiet awe. But now, the whispers came laced with rumors about the Kamakiri lineage and Mina's mysterious personal connections.
Mina let them talk. She walked with a calm, victorious smirk as she stepped into the Planning Department.
The moment they spotted her, all the employees jumped up in fear. Instinct kicked in as they stood straight and bowed.
"Good morning, Manager Kamakiri! I mean—Director!"
Mina only responded with a light smile and walked straight into the senior manager's office.
One of the employees, trembling but still curious enough to speak, asked cautiously.
"Um… Manager Kamakiri—I mean, Director… Didn't you already become the CEO? Why did you come back to the planning floor?"
Mina looked slightly surprised—not because of the question itself, but because it had been a long time since any staff member dared speak casually to her about something unrelated to work. She turned to her gently. Her beautiful face formed a faint smile that made the woman blush.
Calmly, she replied, "My appointment as CEO is only temporary. Technically, the executive office isn't officially mine yet. Besides, there are still a lot of matters here I need to take care of. I can perform CEO duties here just fine. No issue at all."
Everyone in the room felt a newfound respect for her. They all knew Mina deserved the CEO position long ago, given both her capabilities and her status within the Kamakiri family. Perhaps the company only promoted her now to handle the current crisis, but in everyone's eyes, the role fit her perfectly.
Suddenly, Mina's smile faded slightly, and her voice turned firm. "Let's not discuss leadership right now. You're all aware SCJ is facing a major PR crisis. The Planning Department will be extremely busy, and complete focus is required. I expect all of you to continue working on the assigned plans for November and December, as well as damage control strategies for Q1 next year. I look forward to your dedication."
Despite their lingering fear, the staff responded with great respect, "Yes, Director!"
They quickly returned to their desks, preparing for the next meeting.
Satisfied, Mina pushed open the office door and stepped into her familiar, luxurious space.
She gently removed her blazer and sat down on the neatly arranged tatami flooring. Surrounded by a delicate incense scent, she poured herself a rare tea into a porcelain cup. She first inhaled the aroma, savoring its refined elegance, then took a slow sip. The flavor relaxed every muscle in her face. Nothing felt better than this—tea made from lá vối, and everything unfolding exactly according to plan.
Mina couldn't help but hum softly. She remembered how she'd recently gone hunting for lá vối, the type locals brewed into tea. It was a little embarrassing—someone of her wealth and nobility not knowing anything about it until one of her men found the plant growing wild by the roadside, ordinary and overlooked.
Mina closed her eyes, savoring the taste. For some reason, it made her think of Duyen. Yes… Duyen…
She murmured the name with a dreamy, foolish smile. It smelled like Duyen—like she was right beside Mina.
Mina licked her lips, sinking into her fantasy once more.
"Wild by the roadside… belonging to no one but me…"
She looked miserable. Lonely. Because Duyen was too perfect.
Too perfect for Mina not to have her.
She had to make Duyen hers, at any cost.
Mina set the cup down with a soft sigh. It wouldn't be long now. She was so close to her wish coming true. But there were still obstacles—one in particular: the biggest interference of all.
Shana.
Thinking of that name killed her mood. Mina set the cup back on the table, irritation simmering. Just the thought of Shana made her curse internally. Her hand instinctively reached for her phone.
Her fingers hovered over Duyen's contact. She hesitated. Before she realized it, she had typed:
[Duyen, I suddenly thought of you… I wonder if you're free today? Maybe we could take a walk under the purple crape myrtle flowers. I know the blooming season has passed, but I—]
She panicked and erased everything immediately.
That was… way too obvious.
Even though no one was there, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She cleared her throat.
Instead of texting Duyen, she called someone else.
On the other end, at a studio, a makeup artist picked up.
"Yes, Miss Kamakiri? How can I help you?"
"Uh…" For some reason, Mina suddenly felt shy. "Is Duyen working today?"
"Oh, her? She took today off. I think she caught a cold—maybe from the wind?"
"A cold? From the wind?" Mina nearly shouted in panic, but quickly restrained herself.
She spoke more calmly, "What about the cake I sent her yesterday… How did she react?"
"Well…"
The makeup artist looked conflicted, unsure if she should say it. "She didn't refuse but… She said if there's a next time, she won't accept it. She also told me to let you know she doesn't need gifts anymore."
"…Huh?"
Mina froze. Her smile faded. She even stopped breathing for a moment.
"She… doesn't want my gifts anymore? Did she figure out they were from me?"
"Well actually—"
The makeup artist tried to continue, but Dylan suddenly called her over to prep a model. She apologized and hung up in a rush.
Mina's arm fell weakly, phone still in her hand.
Something inside her cracked. Her heart pounded—not in excitement, but in pain. Empty. Disappointed.
She stared at her phone, completely lost. She couldn't even bring herself to send a single text.
"That's right… Duyen's sick. I could…"
She brightened—only for her mood to crash again. If she showed up at Duyên's place now, it would expose the GPS tracker she'd secretly installed.
So she had no choice but… to wait?
Tomorrow would already be November. Which meant she had to accelerate everything.
Just then, a new friend request popped up on Xaiber.
Mina squinted at the profile picture. That face looked… familiar.
---
"Achoo!"
November was creeping in. Vietnam wasn't exactly a temperate country, but winter still had a way of slipping under people's skin. Just yesterday the sky was sunny, yet now the northeast winter breeze had returned like it owned the place. Thankfully, this penthouse had a heating system.
Duyen was curled up under a ridiculously thick comforter, trembling slightly. That sneeze was probably her fiftieth of the day. Weather changes always hit her harder than most.
"And on top of that, I got my salary docked for a day…" she muttered through a congested throat.
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open.
"Yahaaaooo! Baby! Your emergency supplies have arrived!"
Shana stood there, red-brown hair braided over one shoulder, looking disgustingly gorgeous. The only thing she had on was… a paper-thin hot pink apron. That was it. Not a shred of shame in sight. It was like imaginary heart confetti exploded around her in a cringey, over-the-top shoujo entrance scene.
She was holding a tray with what looked like rice porridge. Or... at least something in the porridge family.
At first, Duyen blushed and froze like a tomato caught off guard. But honestly, she should've been used to this by now. Anytime Shana set foot in this penthouse, step one: remove all clothing and leave it at the door—yes, even if Duyen hadn't closed the front door yet. Absolute shamelessness was her brand.
"Achoo!"
Duyen sneezed again, harder this time. Her nose immediately started dripping like a child. Seeing that, Shana rushed over, set the tray aside, and grabbed tissues to help her blow her nose. She then plopped herself down on Duyen's lap over the blanket like it was her throne.
"There, there, baby~ Let's get that nasty boogie out~"
Duyen groaned in embarrassment, trying to turn her head away, but Shana had already pinched her nose lightly and forced her to blow into the tissue.
Humiliating. Duyen rarely ever caught colds, nor was she used to being treated like a sick child. Usually, when she lived with her dad, she'd just buy meds and sleep it off. But this time the cold had completely knocked her out.
Maybe it was because of yesterday's flight into the sky...
Or that bizarre windstorm after…
Once Shana collected the tissue ball, she expertly tossed it into the trash with the skill of someone who'd done this a thousand times. It was smooth enough to make Duyen snort-laugh.
Shana tilted her head, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What is it? Why is my baby laughing~?"
"N-no, nothing. You just look ridiculous," Duyen chuckled, then immediately broke into a coughing fit. Her throat was practically done for.
Seeing that, Shana placed the tray on her own lap, blew on the porridge to cool it, and scooped up a spoonful with a proud flourish.
"Alright then, baby's going to eat this whole bowl and then take her medicine, okay?" She blew on the spoon again and held it to Duyen's lips as if she were presenting holy treasure.
A moment later, porridge oozed out the corners of Duyen's mouth. Shana panicked.
"The rice… it's still raw."
"…What?"
Shana tasted a spoonful herself. Her face went blank.
"Uh… so, I… may have forgotten how to operate the rice cooker. I think I… might've forgotten to press the start button…"
Duyen closed her eyes, not even surprised anymore. Letting Shana into the kitchen had clearly been a mistake.
Guess I'll have to crawl out of bed later and actually cook something, she thought.
But even so, she quietly kept eating the half-cooked porridge. It hurt her throat, but she needed something in her stomach before she could take the antibiotics. Shana rested her chin in her hand, watching her with unusual seriousness.
Then, hesitantly, she asked, "Duyen… Lately… do you feel like something's not right?"
Duyen paused. The spoon stopped halfway to her mouth.
Of course she did. A lot of strange things had been weighing on her thoughts. Especially what happened yesterday. She felt like she had almost lost herself in her desperation to save Nayeon. Her actions back then had been almost brutal—like she was no longer… herself. It was terrifying.
In that moment, she thought… she had another name. One she had heard in a dream, though she couldn't quite remember.
She lowered the spoon.
Softly, she asked, "Shana… is there… some kind of pact between us?"
Shana's eyes widened in shock. Her heartbeat stumbled.
Duyen continued, "My father and you… you've been vague about it for a long time. Something about saving my life. I still don't understand everything, but…"
Shana's gaze fell, sorrow creeping across her expression.
"So… do you hate it? Being… paired with a fox?"
Hearing that, everything clicked in Duyen's head. She did not look angry. She simply answered gently:
"No. I don't hate it."
Her gaze drifted toward the window.
"I spent the last four years drowning in insecurity and regrets. Maybe… some part of me still refused to accept reality and let go of the past."
She closed her eyes, a soft smile on her lips.
"But ever since I met you, met everyone else, lived through all those strange things, and faced truths I knew I had to move on from…"
She turned to Shana again. Her eyes were calm, warm.
Shana's eyes were already red, tears threatening to fall.
"… I think it's time I keep moving forward—and follow where my heart leads."
"Duyen…"
Somehow, Duyen's words loosened something inside Shana—like she had just untied a knot that had been strangling her for years. All the heaviness inside her chest felt like it was melting away.
She wanted to ask Duyen one more question. A very important one.
But maybe it was still too soon.
So instead, she lunged forward to kiss her—
Only for Duyen to shove her face away with a coughing fit.
"Hey! I'm sick! No kissing! You'll catch it!"
Shana blinked, confused. "…But I can't catch colds."
"Doesn't matter!" Duyen barked, turning her head away. "More importantly—do you have any info on the people who kidnapped Nayeon?"
"Oh, those guys…" Shana tapped her chin. "They seem like some Taiwanese mafia group."
"Taiwan?" Duyen blinked. "Right, that guy did speak Mandarin yesterday… God, I'm so worried about Nayeon. I have no idea what they want with her…"
Shana shrugged. "The group itself isn't the problem. The issue is… someone powerful was backing them. Like, really powerful."
"No way!" Duyen exclaimed. "Stronger than you!?"
At that, Shana burst out laughing and planted her hands on her hips, radiating confidence.
"Of course not! No one can beat me, baby~"
Her voice dropped lower, her smile turning sharp.
"…Unless a deity decides to get involved—which I doubt."
---
Near the end of the workday, Valko had dozens of vibrant flower stands delivered and lined up right in front of the SCJ Corporation's CEO office. His arrival—and the flashy display of flowers—instantly drew the attention of every employee present. Each stand carried a ribbon that read:
[Congratulations to Kamakiri Mina on becoming CEO of SCJ Group]
Yet Valko himself felt strangely restless. Not happy, not sad—just a bizarre, uneasy tightness in his chest.
He stood at the CEO's office door but didn't enter right away. Instead, he ordered the staff to arrange the flower stands neatly on both sides of the entrance. After clearing his throat a few times and fiddling with his tie, he finally pushed open the door with a confident smile…
…only to find the room completely empty.
Caught off guard, he turned around instinctively, as if looking for the director's secretary—just in time to see her hurrying over.
"Secretary—Director Mina—I mean, Director Kamakiri… she's not here?"
"Oh, the director hasn't come to this office at all today. I heard she decided to keep working in her old Planning Department office and will handle the handover through email."
"I see…" Valko muttered, his expression relaxing ever so slightly.
"Would you like me to leave a message for Director Kamakiri, sir Valko?"
"No, that won't be necessary." He quickly raised a hand, dismissing her before sending her back to her desk.
Hands tucked into his pockets, Valko let out a long sigh and slowly wandered through the CEO's office. He sat down on the desk and glanced around. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been here with Haruna. Even the nameplate on the desk still read:
[CEO of SCJ Group – Kamakiri Haruna]
Maybe that was why Mina refused to step foot into this room?
Valko shook his head, unsure. Could all of this… be Mina's plan?
Someone as dedicated to the Kamakiri family as she was—would she really push SCJ into such an unstable position just for a title?
No. Valko shook his head again. Maybe he was overthinking. She wouldn't go that far. Maybe… he should pay more attention to her. Be closer. Understand her better.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a new message.
He unlocked it—and what he saw drained the blood from his face.
"No way… How…?!"
Right after the message came an incoming call—from Haruna.
Valko answered immediately.
"What happened?!"
On the other end, her voice trembled, like she was on the verge of crying.
"Valko… I think last night… someone secretly took photos of us!"
"…What?!"
Valko roared. He frantically looked back at the message—and below it was a contact link leading to Minh, a reporter from TYN Network.
"That bastard…"