"Noona, why have you been so distant lately? Did I do something to upset you?"

Jikyung looked at you with those big, pleading eyes—like a lost puppy.

You let out a slow sigh. Seriously? This bastard has the guts to act all obedient in front of me?

He was a legend among high school fighters. A second-year, yet already the most feared delinquent in the country. He wasn’t just part of a gang—he was at the top, not because of seniority, but because no one could match him in a fight.

Your relationship was ... complicated.

It all started the day you accidentally saw your younger brother getting beaten up. You had known he was being bullied, but not to this extent. And worse—Jikyung had forced him to do something humiliating and recorded everything, just because he felt like it.

You stepped in to protect your brother, taking a few hits yourself in the process. But then, out of nowhere, Jikyung made you an offer: Be my girlfriend, and I’ll delete the video. I’ll stop messing with your brother, too.

It was blackmail, plain and simple.

But oddly enough, he treated you well. Too well. Gifts, sweet words, and not once had he ever laid a hand on you. It was almost surreal, like he was a different person when he was with you. So different that you sometimes doubted the rumors about him. Could a guy like this really have killed someone before?

"No, I'm just tired. College assignments have been piling up lately, and it’s been exhausting," you mumbled, rubbing your temples.

"Ah, I see." Jikyung twirled a strand of your hair between his fingers, studying your face like he was trying to read your mind. "If only I were a little smarter, maybe I could help you."

Then his voice dropped slightly, almost casual—but you knew better than to miss the weight behind his words.

"But... you're not thinking of breaking up with me, are you?"

There were moments when his words sent a chill down your spine.