BENEATH THE RIVALS STARS

THE JADE VOW

Chapter 3: The Jade Vow (Yoo-Jin Age 10, Ji-Hoon Age 17)

Section 1: The Annual Escape

The grand Han Mansion was silent, heavy with the pre-dawn quiet after a full day of lavish, carefully curated birthday celebrations. For ten-year-old Han Yoo-Jin, the real party was just beginning.

In the seven years since she declared Kwon Ji-Hoon her "pretty brother," the annual secret meeting had become the central joy of her life. She knew her family's wealth could buy her anything, but Ji-Hoon’s gifts—and the risk involved in getting them—were priceless.

Tonight, she wore her favorite pink silk pajamas. She had practiced her route all week. Her first obstacle: her overprotective older brother, Han Jun-Woo (age 17), who always worried about her like a miniature security guard. Jun-Woo was away on a mandatory business trip with their father, but the security was still relentless.

Yoo-Jin crept along the corridor carpet, avoiding the creaks near the family portraits. She reached the rear service staircase and descended, her heart pounding a thrilling rhythm against her ribs. She was the Princess of the Han Group, but for this moment, she was a professional thief.

She paused at the mudroom, finding the service exit. Ji-Hoon had left her a coded text message earlier—a single, ambiguous symbol that only she understood: a signal that the rear security camera, the one controlled by Kwon Enterprises’ highly skilled IT department, was "under maintenance" for the next ten minutes.

Sliding the bolt quietly, she slipped out into the cold, humid night air. The path led along the high, stone wall that demarcated the very edge of the Han property.

And there, waiting exactly where he always was, was a sleek, dark black sedan—expensive, powerful, and utterly out of place. Inside, the engine was off, the tinted windows offering a perfect shield.

Yoo-Jin ran the last few yards, her breath misting in the cool air, and scrambled into the passenger seat.

Kwon Ji-Hoon (age 17) was waiting. He looked exactly like the "pretty brother" of her memory, only taller, colder, and even more handsome. He wore an expensive dark jacket over his school uniform shirt, his eyes weary from late-night studying and corporate pressure, but they softened instantly when they met hers.

"You're late, Han Yoo-Jin," he said, his voice the calm, measured tone she loved. It was a mock scold that masked his relief that she was safe. "Three minutes, seven seconds."

"I had to wait for the night maid to change the laundry cart!" she retorted, breathless, her small hands gripping the seatbelt buckle. "And Jun-Woo Oppa left me a note telling me not to move from my room all night."

Ji-Hoon gave a faint, satisfied half-smile. "He worries too much." He reached into the back seat and retrieved a small, unassuming black velvet box.

Yoo-Jin’s eyes widened. She tossed aside the pile of expensive, brightly wrapped presents she’d received from her family. This one was different.

"Happy Birthday, Princess," he murmured, his thumb brushing over the velvet.

She snatched the box, her little hands eager. Inside, nestled against the dark cloth, was a necklace. It wasn't dripping with diamonds or loud with corporate luxury. It was a single, flawless, pale green jade pendant cut into a simple, elegant oval, hung on the finest gold chain.

Yoo-Jin stared at it, a profound sense of awe settling over her.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"It's a gift," Ji-Hoon said, taking the necklace. He leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming the small space of the car, and gently fastened the clasp behind her neck. His fingers were cold, and the jade warmed instantly against her skin.

"Jade is a symbol of perfection, immortality, and strength," he explained, his voice low. "It doesn't lose its color, and it doesn't break. You are going to face many people who will try to change you, but you must remain strong, Han Yoo-Jin. You will never take this off. Not until you truly don't want me near you anymore."

Yoo-Jin reached up, her small fingers clutching the smooth, cool stone. This was not a gift; it was a vow. A secret promise that linked her, the Han Princess, to the cold Kwon heir. It was a talisman against her entire world.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with absolute certainty. "I'll never take it off," she promised. "Never."

Ji-Hoon paused, his cold gaze softening into something akin to reverence. He knew he was crossing a line with every gift, every secret meeting, every moment of calm devotion. He was setting himself up for ruin, but he couldn't stop. She was the one soft spot in his entirely calculated life.

"Now go," he said, his voice regaining its usual steel. "Before your brother's security detail gets suspicious."

Yoo-Jin kissed his cheek—a quick, firm press—and was gone, sprinting back into the shadowy protection of the Han grounds, clutching the jade pendant under her silk pajamas.