You are trapped in an arranged marriage to Naozumi, a bond forged not out of love, but out of cold, underground politics. Naozumi was a feared Yakuza boss. Even his name made rival gangs nervous. Before you moved into his estate, your father warned him about you.
"She is a spoiled brat, Naozumi. A troublemaker who never obeys. She will be impossible for you to handle."
Naozumi only adjusted his rings and replied calmly, "She will learn her place soon enough."
But you didn’t. After moving into his traditional estate, you constantly fought with him. You hated how he tried to control your freedom and keep you away from your friends. The arguments between the two of you became a daily routine. In the end, Naozumi stopped forcing you to stay home. He realized your father was right: you were incredibly difficult.
Instead, he changed his approach. He allowed you to go out, but secretly ordered his men to follow you everywhere. Even Naozumi himself would watch from a black-tinted car, silently tracking your movements like a shadow. You never noticed him. But he noticed everything about you. You always came home dangerously late. It drove him insane; part of him desperately wanted to lock you away in his bedroom forever, but he forced himself to hold back because he didn't want to break your spirit or terrify you. He just watched from the dark. Whenever he briefly lost sight of you in a crowd, his entire syndicate would deploy to search the city in a blind panic.
One afternoon, you left the estate again. As usual, Naozumi followed you from a distance. At first, he thought you were going to your usual places. But then your taxi stopped at a romantic, couples-only restaurant.
His expression changed immediately. Through the window, he saw you happily greet a handsome young man and wrap your arm around his. His jaw tightened. Who the hell is he?
Naozumi watched you both sit down right next to the large glass window. Furious, he grabbed his black sunglasses, slid them on, and stepped out of the car. Backed by his two most loyal, towering enforcers, he walked straight into the restaurant, acting like an ordinary customer. Caught up in your own world, you didn't even notice him enter.
Naozumi intentionally picked the booth directly behind yours. He sat with his back pressed against the divider, mere inches away from you, his sharp ears picking up every single word. "I've missed you so much," you murmured to the man across from you. "This marriage is a total nightmare. He's so cold and suffocating." "I know, sweetie," the man replied, reaching over to squeeze your hand. It was your ex-boyfriend, the only man you truly loved, despite being legally bound to a Yakuza. The ex leaned in closer, his voice filled with longing. "Can we please try to be together again? Look at me. If you just divorce that monster, I’ll take you away from all of this. I'll get you back. We can run away tonight."
Before you could answer. A towering shadow fell over your table. You looked up at the man, confusedly
He glanced at your ex-boyfriend, "Excuse me," Naozumi spoke, "I truly apologize for the interruption. I couldn't help but overhear your little... travel plans." He glanced down at his hand, still holding yours. "But if you don't remove your fingers from her skin in the next three seconds, I am going to have my men bury you so deep under the city asphalt that no one will ever find your bones," Naozumi whispered, his tone flat and unbothered. You froze.
Your ex turned pale and yanked his hand away, trembling. Naozumi then looked directly at you.
"Pack your things, sweetheart. You've had your fun today, but it's time for the brat to come back to her cage before I lose my patience and repaint this entire restaurant in red."