Ji-Kai's arrival at the family estate struck like a thunderclap—especially among the guests. Today was supposed to be a celebration:
the anniversary of the founding of the Ji family, a lineage born of Korean and Japanese roots.
A symbolic day, meant to remind everyone that the two peoples were not enemies, but kin—that the hatred between nations was the work of factions, not the will of the people.
The Ji family had contributed greatly to Korea's public welfare, and they stood proudly as Koreans.
But the mood had curdled. The air inside the estate was thick with tension.
Now, in the grand study of Kim Ji-Hwan—the patriarch—Ji-Kai sat across from his father. The room was a monument to wealth and refinement:
Dark wood paneling, velvet drapes, a chandelier that cast soft light over polished marble floors. But they weren't alone. Ji-Kai's mother was present, along with his siblings, who had arrived late.
His uncle, Kim Ji-Seong, and his wife were there too. And of course, the one person Ji-Kai least wanted to see: Kim Ji-Hana.
« I told you I came to speak with you directly. What's the meaning of this? » Ji-Kai's voice carried a faint edge of arrogance, though he hadn't intended it. He was holding back—barely.
« Son, I know what happened hurt you deeply. But you need to be more mature. Stop acting like a child, » his father said, trying to soften the atmosphere.
« Your mother has been worried sick since you left and cut off all contact. »
« A childish reaction, you say? » Ji-Kai's eyes didn't leave his father's.
« Then tell me, Kim Ji-Hana—do you think my response is childish? You, of all people, should know. »
He didn't look at her. He didn't need to. His voice sliced through the room like a blade.
« Kai, Hana knows she was wrong. She's already apologized. Stop being so stubborn and let things settle, » said Kim Seon, his aunt, her tone grating and dismissive—like gasoline on fire.
I came here to smooth things over. But my anger is rising. I just want the money and to leave. Hold yourself~, Ji-Kai. Don't lose control~ . Don't leap across the room and kill them one by one. Hold it~…
Beneath his mask of composure, Ji-Kai's emotions churned violently. Every word they spoke stoked the flames. He remembered the past—slaps, insults, humiliation. And always, always, that smug smile from one person.
Kim Ji-Hana. The girl now clinging to her father's arm like she was facing a monster. And maybe she was. Ji-Kai was close to becoming one.
« Anyway, enough of this nonsense. I came to claim my rightful share of the family's profits for the past three months—two million dollars. I believe I'm fully entitled to it. Am I wrong? » His voice was calm, confident.
He wasn't bluffing. He had shares in the family business. And that money was everything—enough to help Kim Yao-Ha, and to secure his own future.
« Ridiculous! You have no right to demand anything! » Kim Seon snapped, pointing a trembling finger at him. Ji-Kai's eyes narrowed, sharp as razors.
She didn't stop, despite her husband's attempts to calm her.
« You run off while the rest of this family worked day and night! What gives you the right to demand a share you didn't earn? »
She wasn't wrong. Ji-Kai hadn't contributed in the past three months. But her words ignited something deeper. His lips curled into a bitter smile.
« Brother… are you okay? » It was Kim Ji-Luna, his younger sister by a year.
Her beauty and strength were admired by many, but now she looked uneasy. She could sense something was coming.
« Kim Seon, » Ji-Kai said, his voice low and venomous.
« Remind me again—what gives you the right to speak? As my father's brother's wife? Or as the mother of the whore hiding behind her father like she's innocent? »
His words cracked through the room like thunder.
Everyone froze.
He had called her by name. Called her daughter a whore. Provocative, brutal. Even his father, Kim Ji-Hwan, flinched and stood instinctively.
His wife grabbed his arm to hold him back. But the one who needed restraint was left unchecked.
« You filthy cowards… » Ji-Kai growled.
I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE.
« Childish, you say? » He stepped forward, heavy-footed.
If I Stay Silent, I'll Explode. Ji-kai—if You Can't Speak For Yourself, I will. I REFUSE TO LIVE AS A SILENT FAILURE, SWALLOWING HUMILIATION.
« You think what you did to me was trivial? Let me remind you. Then we'll get to the fun part.» His smile was twisted, his eyes gleaming. He wasn't Ji-Kai anymore.
He was Park Jae-Ron—the man who refused to live quietly, who burned with rage at injustice.
NEVER AGAIN , ABSOLUTELY NOT!
The room shifted. Everyone felt it. Ji-Kai was on the verge of something dangerous. Two servants—one male, one female—rushed in, dressed in formal uniforms. They stood before him, not to attack, but to shield.
« Young master, please… stay calm. They're your family. No matter what, they share your blood, » who said it was a maid, Eileen. British-born, she had witnessed the day that haunted Ji-Kai.
« Eileen, don't you see how absurd that sounds? You remember the day I was falsely accused of harassing that whore Hana, don't you? On my birthday, no less.»
« In front of the Guild Master, in front of politicians. They watched me get slapped, humiliated, while I stood there, powerless. And for what? For a girl who doesn't even have a body worth looking at! »
His voice rose, raw and furious. It wasn't Ji-Kai speaking—it was Jae-Ron.
« For a whole month, I couldn't even show my face. I became a story, a joke, a rumor. And even after the truth came out, my reputation stayed buried. Thanks to whom? That bastard who calls himself my father!! »
« And That whore who calls herself my mother. Because they believed a liar named Kim Facking Ji-Hana—the daughter of that bastard Kim Ji-Seong and the biggest bitch in this house, Kim Seon! »
He held nothing back. Every word was a blade. Every memory a wound reopened.
The shame. The mockery. Hana's gleeful smirk. And worst of all—the betrayal. His family had chosen others over him. And now, the system mission was gone.
[ Notification ]
[ Due to the collapse of mission parameters, the quest has been canceled. ]
[ You have lost access to the Rank C consumable item. ]
[ As this was a side mission, no penalties will be applied. ]
I DON'T FACKING CARE
« How dare you… How Dare You Cross The Line With Me! » Kim Seon lunged, hand raised to slap him. But Ji-Kai caught her wrist mid-air, freezing her.
« Surprise—I'm a firm believer in gender equality, » he said coldly, before slapping her hard enough to send her crashing into Eileen's arms.
Everyone was stunned. Even Hana didn't move to help her mother.
« Ji-Kai! » his father shouted, clutching his chest.
« I came here calmly, to collect what I'm owed and leave. But the bond we once called family was severed the day you betrayed me—when you believed the lie of that whore behind you.»
« And now, seeing how much worse you've become, I don't even want your money. From now on, my name isn't Ji-Kai. It's just Kai. And if anyone objects… step forward. I'm in the mood to kill. »
He wasn't bluffing. Rage had made him monstrous.
« It's all over since that day ... EVERYTHING! »
Park Seon-Hwa, his mother, couldn't move. His siblings—Luna, Seo, and little Lou—stood frozen. No one could stop him. And that only made him angrier. Their silence felt like dismissal.
He turned to leave. At the threshold, he paused.
« Try to live lives worthy of being called human. Otherwise, don't call yourselves human at all. It's an insult to me. »
And with that, Kim Kai walked out of the Jo family estate. He didn't look back. No one followed. They just stood there, in suffocating silence, as if his breath still lingered in the room.
On his way to the subway station, Kai walked quietly, hands in his pockets. His face didn't show triumph—only depth. He hadn't gotten what he came for. He had destroyed everything: his ties to the family, the mission, the money he needed to help Kim Yao-Ha.
Ding.
At least… until a message arrived.
He opened it. A transfer notification. Three million dollars had been deposited into his account. The message read: ' Your financial entitlement—three million dollars, Mr. Kim Kai.' Sent from the official Jo family account.
So they accepted it. Quicker than expected.
That's the best decision you've ever made. The first time you've been useful.
Now… to Kim Yao-Ha noona. This money is hers. Not mine.