July 1, 2034 | 10:30 AM | Phayao, Thailand

  Amidst the peaceful atmosphere of Phayao province, Mook stood gazing at his old two-story half-wood, half-concrete house. He had just returned from hiring someone to clear the overgrown land behind the property to make it presentable again. As the Director of the GREM Project’s R&D Center, Mook’s monthly salary was a staggering one million baht... a sum more than enough to transform this old house into a luxury mansion in the blink of an eye.

  He spent a few moments considering the structure, brainstorming ideas for the renovation, before a thought struck him: ‘It would be best to let the person who will actually live here help decide.’

  Thump, thump, thump...

  Mook climbed the wooden stairs with a steady rhythm, heading straight for his bedroom. "Hmm..." He paused slightly in surprise when he opened the door to find the three girls lying on their stomachs, chatting intimately on the bed.

  These days, Natsuki and Hana had stopped their blatant attempts to seduce him. They had become much more reserved and well-behaved, which was a relief since he no longer had to deal with Rina’s frequent jealous outbursts.

  Grab!

  Mook immediately lunged onto Rina from behind. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, his hands resting possessively against her curves as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet, familiar fragrance with deep longing.

  “Ah...” Rina let out a soft, airy moan, carelessly tossing away the book she had been reading. She let her head fall back against his shoulder, surrendering to his touch and allowing him to pamper her as he pleased.

  “In that case, we’ll go prepare some snacks and wait for you,” Natsuki said, quickly hopping off the bed and leading Hana out of the room, knowing exactly when to give them space.

  An hour later...

  “Still not satisfied, Mr. Director...?” Rina whispered, her voice laced with a playful, post-coital sweetness. She gently stroked the hair of the man who was still clinging to her, his face nestled deeply against her chest as if he never wanted to let go.

  “But Rina, you smell so good... I could stay like this forever,” Mook replied in a muffled, adoring voice.

  “And didn't you say you were busy today? Why did you come up here? Do you have something to tell me?” Rina asked, gently stroking Mook’s hair.

  “I’m planning to renovate the house. I wanted to get your opinion.”

  Ding!

  A notification chimed from the phone on the nightstand. Mook stopped what he was doing and pulled himself up to lean against the pillow, not forgetting to pull Rina tightly against his chest. He reached for the phone.

  “A dividend from GREM?” Mook read the subject line with a puzzled look. The household sales of GREM were only just beginning to take off according to Saito’s marketing plan. “The total sales aren't even that high yet. Where did this massive profit come from...?”

  “The military, of course... You signed the contract to sell to the European armies, remember?” Rina reminded him.

  “Right... Let’s see how much we got.” Mook opened his account balance, tilting the screen so Rina could see.

  “One hundred and eighty million... Euros!” Rina’s eyes widened until they nearly popped out of her head.

  “If converted to Thai baht... that’s over six billion!” Mook muttered with a trembling voice, rubbing his eyes repeatedly as if the row of zeros couldn't possibly be real.

  “Mook...” Rina called his name in a voice that was unusually faint.

  Mook put the phone down immediately as he felt the atmosphere shift. He looked down at his girlfriend, who suddenly looked sorrowful. “Is something wrong?”

  “Mook... you won't leave me, right?” Rina buried her face in his broad chest. Her heart was currently under a heavy attack of insecurity.

  In the beginning, Mook was just an ordinary man with a stable job. Rina felt she was worthy to stand by his side and build a future together. But today, Mook had soared to a height far beyond her imagination—so high that she felt small and worthless in comparison.

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  Rina slid her hand down to stroke Mook’s stomach... He wasn't as chubby as before, but he didn't have a handsome six-pack either. For nearly a year, Mook had worked so hard he barely noticed anything else, neglecting his diet and health until he had noticeably thinned down. She looked up at his face, which still had faint acne scars, waiting for an answer with a racing heart.

  “Why would you think that? Why would I ever leave you?” Mook asked, confused.

  “Because you have everything now... You have enough to find a new woman—someone perfect and far less boring than me.”

  “Don't say that.” Mook pulled her tighter. “In this past year, Rina, do you have any idea how many times I’ve ‘handled’ you?” He asked, his hand tracing the curves he knew so well. “Have I ever complained once that I was bored of you?”

  “Well... no.” Rina looked down, avoiding his eyes. “But what about ten years from now?”

  “Then I’ll be ‘handling’ you exactly the same way... the same Rina.”

  “I don't believe you...” Rina teased, though her heart was finally beginning to lighten. “Can you promise... that you won't get bored of me?” She coaxed him, pressing her body against his until there was no gap between them.

  “Mm... I promise,” Mook confirmed his vow, holding her as warmly as possible.

  “If you break that promise... I’ll really stab you,” Rina threatened softly, her eyes narrowing with a flash of that familiar, dangerous possessiveness.

  Mook flinched slightly before letting out a boisterous laugh. “Fine, fine. If I’m going to get stabbed anyway, then I might as well make it worth it!”

  With those words, Mook leaned in to claim her lips once more, his touch becoming urgent and hungry as he pulled the blanket over them, intent on showing his fierce loyalty through his actions until his heart's content.

  Outside the room, behind the closed door...

  Natsuki and Hana, who had been eavesdropping, could only exchange glances filled with deep envy. They had tried to find a way to infiltrate his heart for a long time, hoping for even a fragment of his affection. But the young man’s loyalty to Rina was so profound that he showed no sign of wavering toward them.

  Even though what they were trying to do felt somewhat immoral, deep down, they didn't want to leave this place. In a world full of lies, what woman would dare let go of a man this loyal and stable? They didn't want to go back to risking themselves with hollow, fleeting romances ever again.

  Natsuki and Hana looked at each other, understanding their shared fate. They decided they needed to try a little harder, but they would have to change their strategy. Instead of approaching Mook directly, they would ‘go through Rina’ instead. The fact that Rina still allowed them to live here proved she wasn't a cruel woman at all. On the contrary, she was one of the most merciful and respectable people they had ever met.

  ***

  1:10 PM

  Mook walked out of the house feeling satisfied in both body and soul. After consulting with Rina, he decided to find a contractor to begin the renovation to match his status as a multi-billionaire.

  “Mom, where’s my bike?” Mook looked around for his powerful sport motorcycle, which had vanished from the garage.

  “Miew borrowed it to take Fang on an errand, son!” Mild, who was watering plants in front of the house, shouted back.

  Sigh... Mook let out a heavy, frustrated breath, his face contorting in annoyance. He turned to look at the wreckage of a crimson-red moped—an ancient, decrepit thing tucked away in the corner. “Heh...”

  Ten minutes later, Mook was riding that old red bike, which felt like it was about to fall apart at any second, toward the city. Mook’s house was located in a small village surrounded by lush green rice fields as far as the eye could see. The main road he traveled was filled with beautiful, refreshing scenery. Combined with the cool, sweet scent of the fields drifting on the wind, Mook began to enjoy the ride so much he forgot his frustration. However, this peace didn't last long...

  Splutter...

  The engine suddenly died in the middle of the road—the fuel tank was bone dry.

  “Oh, come on!” Mook grumbled, scanning his surroundings for help. “Oh, there’s a station.”

  Mook took advantage of the momentum, holding the gear down and tucking his body low—mimicking the aerodynamic tuck of street racers—to keep the bike rolling. Luckily, he had thinned down so much he was light as a feather, allowing the bike to coast perfectly to a stop right in front of the fuel pump at the small station.

  Five minutes later, Mook pulled up in front of the station’s convenience store, feeling relieved with a full tank. But as he was about to kick down the kickstand, he froze. His eyes locked onto Mint, his ex-girlfriend, who was walking out of the store with a handsome, conventionally attractive young man with short hair.

  Mook stared at his former lover for a moment before shifting his gaze to the guy beside her.

  Thud.

  Mint and her new boyfriend walked straight to the same car she had used to abandon Mook that day. The guy glanced at Mook, who was sitting on a piece of junk motorcycle, with a look of utter disdain. He let out a slight smirk, clearly mocking the "loser" he saw before him.

  Phew...

  Mook let out another long breath, but this time, a cold, calm smile spread across his lips. He had heard news that this handsome guy was a famous model with an astronomical booking fee... but it was a shame. From now on, even if that guy walked naked through the middle of the city, nobody would think to pay him a single baht.

  The new world Mook had built wasn't designed just to purge the women who used their charms for money. It also included the men who lived off their "beautiful shells" without a single brain cell or real ability. In Mook’s eyes now, the person in front of him wasn't enviable at all. On the contrary, he looked like "waste waiting to be purged" in the bonfire of the era that Mook was about to ignite with his own hands.