Chapter 1

Rain poured heavily over the streets of Seoul.

People hurried under umbrellas, avoiding the dark alley near the Han River.

A man walked through the rain wearing a black hoodie, hands inside his pockets, expression cold enough to freeze the air itself.

Kim Taehyung.

The underground world feared him.

Not because he talked loudly.

But because he never talked at all.

One order from him could destroy businesses overnight.

One glare from him could make grown men kneel.

People called him: “The Monster of Seoul.”

Taehyung stepped into a gambling club.

The men inside instantly stood up.

“Boss.”

A bleeding man was thrown near Taehyung’s shoes.

“He betrayed us,” one of his men muttered nervously.

Taehyung looked down silently.

The traitor trembled.

“P-please… give me one more chance…”

Taehyung slowly crouched.

Then smiled.

A terrifying smile.

“You had one.”

CRASH.

The room fell silent after the punch.

Nobody dared breathe.

Taehyung wiped blood from his knuckles before walking away like nothing happened.

Because this was his life.

Violence. Darkness. Emptiness.

Until…

“YAH! WATCH WHERE YOU’RE WALKING!”

Taehyung blinked.

A small figure stood in front of him holding a broken bag of groceries.

Milk spilled all over the road.

The stranger glared angrily.

Big doe eyes. Long hair tied messily. Oversized yellow hoodie.

Pretty.

Very pretty.

“You’re scary-looking AND blind?” the boy snapped.

Taehyung stared.

Nobody talked to him like this.

Ever.

The stranger sighed dramatically and bent down to pick up the groceries.

“My dinner is ruined now. Great.”

Taehyung silently picked up the fallen ramen packets.

The boy froze.

Because Taehyung’s hands were covered in blood.

“…Oh.”

For the first time in years…

Taehyung looked nervous.

“I-it’s not mine,” he muttered.

The boy stared for three seconds.

Then suddenly handed him a tissue.

“Even if it’s someone else’s blood, clean it. It looks disgusting.”

Taehyung almost laughed.

Almost.

“What’s your name?” he asked quietly.

“Jeon Jungkook.”

Jungkook narrowed his eyes.

“And you?”

“Taehyung.”

The moment Jungkook smiled softly…

Something inside Taehyung cracked.

For the first time in years…

The monster wanted to become human again.

Meanwhile…

Across the city…

A man carefully adjusted his glasses while sitting inside a dark apartment.

The TV played cheerful music.

But the man’s expression stayed empty.

Park Minho.

A respected office worker.

A polite neighbor.

A perfect citizen.

And secretly…

A serial killer.

Minho looked at a wall covered in newspaper clippings of murdered victims.

Then smiled softly.

“They all ignored me,” he whispered.

His phone buzzed.

A message from his wife: “Don’t forget to buy milk.”

Minho stared at it silently.

Then suddenly smashed the phone against the wall.

His smile disappeared.

“Everyone only orders me around.”

Slowly…

He picked up a knife from the table.

And somewhere in Seoul…

Fate quietly connected three broken souls together.

...****************...

Morning sunlight entered Jungkook’s tiny apartment.

The boy hummed happily while dancing around the kitchen in oversized pajamas, completely unaware that one of Seoul’s most dangerous men had spent the entire night thinking about him.

Jungkook burned the toast.

“AH! AGAIN?!”

Smoke filled the kitchen.

“God hates me,” he whispered dramatically.

DING DONG.

Jungkook blinked.

“Who comes this early…”

He opened the door—

—and nearly slammed it shut again.

Taehyung stood outside holding two grocery bags.

Still dressed in black. Still terrifying. Still handsome enough to make people lose common sense.

Jungkook stared.

Taehyung stared back.

Awkward silence.

Then Taehyung slowly lifted the bags.

“You dropped these yesterday.”

“…You came all the way here for ramen?”

“Yes.”

Jungkook narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“You’re weird.”

Taehyung looked genuinely offended.

Nobody had ever called him weird before.

Dangerous? Yes.

Monster? Daily.

But weird?

New achievement unlocked.

Jungkook stepped aside anyway.

“Come in before my neighbors think I owe mafia money.”

Taehyung froze for half a second.

Mafia.

If only Jungkook knew.

The apartment was tiny but warm.

Plants near the window. Cute bunny slippers. Music playing softly.

It felt… alive.

Taehyung quietly looked around while Jungkook continued rambling.

“I should warn you first. I can’t cook.”

“I noticed.”

“Rude.”

A tiny smile appeared on Taehyung’s lips.

Jungkook paused.

“Oh my god.”

Taehyung frowned slightly. “What?”

“You can smile.”

“…Of course I can.”

“I thought your face was permanently angry.”

Taehyung actually let out a low chuckle.

Jungkook blinked in shock.

Wow.

His voice sounded unfairly attractive.

Meanwhile…

Inside a crowded office building…

Park Minho sat quietly at his desk while coworkers laughed nearby.

“Minho-ssi! Coffee run! Your treat!”

“Minho-ssi, print these papers too.”

“Minho-ssi, stay overtime tonight.”

Minho smiled politely.

“Of course.”

But under the desk…

His nails dug into his palm so hard they bled.

That night—

A woman walked alone through an empty street while talking on her phone.

She suddenly noticed footsteps behind her.

Slow.

Calm.

Steady.

Her breathing hitched.

“Hello…?”

No answer.

The footsteps got closer.

Closer.

Then—

A voice whispered near her ear.

“Do people only notice fear after it’s too late?”

Her scream echoed through the alley.

—

The next morning, news exploded across Seoul.

Another murder.

Same pattern. Same brutality.

The media called the killer:

“The Smile Killer.”

Taehyung watched the news silently from Jungkook’s couch while Jungkook ate cereal beside him.

“Scary,” Jungkook mumbled.

Taehyung’s expression darkened.

The victim was innocent.

Whoever this killer was…

He hated humanity itself.

Jungkook suddenly leaned closer to Taehyung.

“You know,” he said softly, “you look less scary today.”

Taehyung looked at him.

“Why?”

Jungkook smiled brightly.

“Because you smiled.”

And without realizing it…

Taehyung began wanting to protect that smile from the entire world.

...------------...

The rain had not stopped for three days.

Seoul felt darker lately.

Every TV channel talked about the same thing.

Another victim. Another body. Another cruel smile carved into fear.

People rushed home before sunset now.

But Jungkook?

Jungkook still walked through life like a small ball of sunshine with absolutely no survival instincts.

Taehyung discovered this while watching Jungkook stop in the middle of the road to save a wet kitten.

“You’re going to die someday,” Taehyung muttered from under the umbrella.

Jungkook gasped dramatically.

“Wow. Instead of helping me, you threaten me?”

“The car almost hit you.”

“But the kitten is alive.”

Jungkook proudly lifted the tiny cat.

Taehyung sighed deeply.

This boy would genuinely pet a tiger if it looked sad enough.

They entered a small convenience store together.

The old cashier smiled immediately at Jungkook.

“Ah, bunny boy is here again.”

Taehyung frowned slightly.

“Bunny boy?”

Jungkook groaned in embarrassment.

“She calls me that because I buy banana milk every day.”

The cashier laughed.

“You finally brought a boyfriend?”

Jungkook choked.

Taehyung calmly replied, “Yes.”

“YAH—”

The old woman giggled while Jungkook turned bright red.

Taehyung secretly enjoyed it far too much.

For the first time in years…

His chest felt warm.

Normal.

Human.

—

Later that night…

Jungkook sat cross-legged on his couch while Taehyung silently fixed the broken kitchen shelf.

“How do you know how to do that?” Jungkook asked.

Taehyung tightened the screw quietly.

“I lived alone young.”

Something about his voice changed.

Heavier.

Jungkook noticed immediately.

“Did your parents leave you?”

Taehyung stopped moving.

Silence filled the room.

Then—

“I left first.”

Jungkook blinked softly.

Taehyung rarely spoke about himself.

But tonight felt different.

“I grew up around violence,” Taehyung continued quietly. “After some time… hurting people became normal.”

Jungkook looked at him carefully.

Not scared.

Not judgmental.

Just listening.

That somehow felt worse.

“Do you regret it?” Jungkook asked softly.

Taehyung finally looked at him.

His eyes were tired.

“Every day.”

Jungkook’s chest hurt suddenly.

Because beneath Taehyung’s cold face…

There was someone painfully lonely.

Someone who probably never received comfort in his entire life.

Without thinking, Jungkook stood up and walked toward him.

Taehyung stiffened.

Then Jungkook gently placed a tiny strawberry bandage over Taehyung’s bruised knuckle.

“There,” Jungkook whispered. “Now you look less scary.”

Taehyung stared at the pink bandage in complete silence.

His men carried guns.

This boy carried cartoon bandages.

Dangerous combination.

Jungkook smiled softly.

“You should stay tonight.”

Taehyung looked up immediately.

“I mean because of the rain!” Jungkook panicked. “NOT because I’m flirting. I mean maybe a little bit— wait no—”

Taehyung suddenly laughed.

A real laugh.

Low. Warm. Beautiful.

Jungkook froze completely.

Oh no.

He was doomed.

—

Across the city…

Park Minho stood inside his apartment washing blood from his hands.

The TV reporter spoke nervously.

“The Smile Killer has now murdered four victims—”

Minho looked at the screen blankly.

Then at the sleeping pills on the table beside his wife’s untouched dinner.

His expression twisted.

Every day felt the same.

People ignored him. Used him. Talked over him.

Nobody saw him.

Nobody cared.

Until they begged for mercy.

His breathing became uneven.

Then—

A new report appeared on TV.

Camera footage accidentally captured a blurry image near the latest crime scene.

A tall man in black standing nearby.

Minho stared carefully.

Even blurry…

The aura felt dangerous.

Minho slowly smiled.

“Interesting.”

For the first time…

The killer had noticed another monster hiding in Seoul.

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