The world moved on.
It always did.
Morning traffic filled the streets of Seoul. People rushed to work, laughing, arguing, living their ordinary lives.
Kang Joon-Ho walked among them.
Invisible.
Normal.
At least… that's what everyone saw.
"Good morning, Joon-Ho!"
"Morning."
"Hey, you finished that report?"
"It's on your desk."
Simple conversations.
Short answers.
Perfectly normal.
But behind those calm eyes…
Every second was calculated.
"Daily Routine Stability: Maintained."
The system's voice echoed.
"Of course," Joon-Ho replied internally.
"Normal is the best disguise."
"Affirmative. Suspicion Level: 0%."
A faint satisfaction passed through him.
Not happiness.
Just… confirmation.
At lunch, Lee Min-Kyu sat across from him again.
This time, he didn't ask questions immediately.
He just watched.
"You've been working too clean lately," Min-Kyu finally said.
Joon-Ho looked up slightly. "Clean?"
"No mistakes. No stress. No reactions." He leaned forward. "That's not normal."
Joon-Ho took a bite of his food calmly.
"It's called improvement."
Min-Kyu sighed. "You don't fool me, you know."
Silence.
Then—
"I'm not trying to."
That answer made Min-Kyu pause.
"Then what are you doing?" he asked quietly.
Joon-Ho looked at him.
For a moment… just a moment…
There was something dark behind his calm expression.
"Fixing things."
Min-Kyu frowned. "Fixing what?"
Joon-Ho stood up, picking up his tray.
"Things that should've been fixed a long time ago."
And just like that—
He walked away.
Min-Kyu didn't follow.
But for the first time…
He felt uneasy.
Evening.
Joon-Ho sat inside his room again.
The same desk.
The same laptop.
But now—
Everything was ready.
Files organized.
Targets identified.
Weaknesses mapped.
Han Soo-Jin.
Choi Sung-Hoon.
Their families.
Their connections.
Their secrets.
Nothing was missing.
"Preparation Phase: Complete."
The system confirmed.
Joon-Ho leaned back slightly.
"Timeline?"
"Execution Recommended: On Target Date."
He nodded slowly.
"One year…"
"Emotional Impact Multiplier: Maximum."
Silence filled the room.
Then Joon-Ho spoke again.
"Run simulation."
The screen flickered.
Data moved rapidly.
Scenarios formed and collapsed within seconds.
"Simulation Complete."
"Success Rate: 94%."
"Failure risk?"
"Legal Exposure: 12%."
"Emotional Interference: 0%."
That answer made him pause.
"Zero?"
"User emotional state: Suppressed."
Joon-Ho looked down at his hand.
Steady.
No trembling.
No hesitation.
"…Good."
That was the fifth change.
He no longer felt fear.
A message notification appeared on his phone.
Unknown number.
He picked it up.
Read it.
"You think you can ignore this forever?"
His expression didn't change.
"Trace the number."
"Processing…"
A second later—
"Confirmed: Han Soo-Jin."
Of course.
Another message came.
"We need to settle this properly."
Joon-Ho stared at the screen for a few seconds.
Then—
He typed.
"We will."
He paused.
Then added—
"On the right day."
He sent it.
The system responded immediately.
"Unexpected Response: Direct Engagement."
Joon-Ho placed his phone down.
"She needs to feel safe."
A pause.
"Before everything collapses."
"Strategy Validated."
Joon-Ho stood up and walked toward the window again.
The city lights stretched endlessly.
Unaware.
Unchanged.
But not for long.
"One year ago…"
he murmured softly.
"I lost everything."
His reflection stared back at him.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unrecognizable.
"One year later…"
A faint smile appeared.
"They will too."
Behind him, the system screen glowed faintly.
[Revenge Protocol Progress: 89%]
[Execution Phase: Imminent]
The countdown had already begun.
And Kang Joon-Ho…
Was ready.