WHEN THE DEVIL FINALLY SLEPT

The first time Han Areum saw Kang Minho— He looked like a man returning from hell.Rain crashed endlessly against the black Rolls-Royce as it stopped at the red light traffic light across the hospital. The windows were tinted and reflective,but she could still see him perfectly. Sharp eyes,Emotionless face,Black suit,and blood on his hand.Not fresh blood.Old blood. The kind that existed only in memories. At least that was what Areum thought before the car drove away. She didn’t know then that three days later, she would be sitting across from that same man with a marriage contract placed between them. And she definitely didn’t know that the man the entire country called “The Devil of Kang Group” could not sleep at night. Three days earlier. “Miss Han, your mother’s surgery cannot wait anymore” The doctor’s words shattered the last piece of hope she had left. Areum stared blankly at the papers in her trembling hands.₩47 million. The numbers blurred before her eyes. It felt ridiculous. How could a human life have a price tag attached to it? The hospital room behind her remained painfully quiet except for the weak sound of machines keeping her mother stable. Her mother smiled faintly from the bed. “You’ve lost weight again,” she whispered softly. Even now… Even while sick… Her mother was worrying about her instead. Areum forced a smile. “I’m eating well.” A lie. The only thing she had eaten that day was cheap coffee and half a bread roll from the convenience store near her workplace. “You should rest too,” her mother continued weakly. “You’ve been working too hard.” Work. Right. Her three part-time jobs. Morning café shift. Afternoon convenience store. Night cleaning service. Yet somehow, it was still never enough. The hospital door closed quietly behind her as she walked out. Then finally her fake smile disappeared. Her shoulders dropped from exhaustion. Bills. Debt. Rent. Hospital fees. Her life felt like drowning while everyone else stood safely on shore. Rain poured heavily outside the hospital building. Areum sighed softly before stepping into it anyway. Cold water soaked through her thin cardigan immediately. She didn’t even bother running for shelter. What was the point? When life wanted to ruin you, a little rain meant nothing. Her phone suddenly vibrated violently. Landlord Again. Areum closed her eyes briefly before answering. “Hello?” “Where is my money?” Straight to the point. No greeting. No patience. “I just need more time”she said “You’ve said that already!” People passing by glanced at her before quickly looking away again. No one liked watching poverty for too long. “I’ll pay soon,” she whispered quietly. “You poor people always say ‘soon.’” His voice dripped with irritation. “If you can’t afford the apartment, leave.” The call ended. Areum lowered the phone slowly. Then laughed bitterly under her breath. Poor people. Funny how the world treated it like a crime. A loud horn suddenly blasted through the street. SCREEECH! Bright headlights rushed toward her. Areum froze. Her body had unknowingly wandered into the middle of the road. A black Rolls Royce car stopped inches away from her. The driver rolled the window down immediately. “Are you trying to die?!” he shouted angrily. Areum bowed repeatedly. “I-I’m sorry!” The driver cursed under his breath. But then The backseat window slowly lowered. And suddenly, the rain no longer felt cold. The man sitting inside looked terrifyingly calm. His black suit fit perfectly against broad shoulders, while his sharp features remained unreadable beneath the dim city lights. But his eyes… God. His eyes looked dead. Not cold. Not angry. Dead. Like someone who had buried every emotion long ago. For reasons she couldn’t explain, Areum suddenly felt nervous. The man’s gaze slowly moved over her soaked clothes, trembling hands, and hospital bracelet. Then his eyes stopped at her face. A strange silence filled the air. Even the rain sounded quieter somehow. “Move.” His deep voice was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that felt dangerous. Areum instantly stepped away from the road. The window rolled back up. And the car disappeared into the rain. Yet strangely Her heartbeat refused to calm afterward. “Chairman Kang?” Inside the car, silence pressed heavily against the atmosphere. Kang Minho slowly leaned back against the leather seat. The girl’s face lingered inside his mind annoyingly. Tired eyes. Forced smile. Hospital bracelet. Despair. He hated recognizing despair in other people. Because it reminded him too much of himself. “Should we head back to the mansion?” the driver asked carefully. Minho didn’t answer immediately. Rain slid endlessly across the window beside him. And suddenly— CRASH! Broken glass. Blood. Screaming tires. His breathing tightened instantly. No. Not again. His fingers gripped the seat hard enough for his knuckles to pale. Rain. That night it had also been raining. Two years later, he still couldn’t escape it. I couldn't sleep. Couldn’t drive. Couldn’t forget. “Chairman Kang?” The worried voice pulled him back. Minho loosened his grip slowly. “…Go.” His voice sounded colder than usual. The driver wisely stayed silent afterward. Everyone feared Kang Minho. The youngest CEO of Kang Group. The man the media called: The Devil of Seoul. A monster in business. A man with no weakness. But no one knew the truth. Every night Kang Minho was haunted by blood. By the time Areum returned to her rooftop apartment, she was completely soaked. Drip. Drip. Drip. The leaking ceiling welcomed her home as usual. She dropped her bag weakly beside the mattress on the floor before staring around the tiny apartment silently. One room. Peeling walls. Unpaid bills. And exhaustion hanging in every corner. Her stomach growled painfully. She opened the convenience store bag. One triangle kimbap. Cold. Slightly crushed. Dinner. She laughed softly. Pathetic. At twenty-four, this was what her life had become. Before she could eat, her phone rang again. The hospital. Fear crawled up her spine immediately. “Yes?” “Miss Han,” the nurse said gently, “your mother’s condition is becoming unstable.” Her grip tightened around the phone. “The surgery must happen soon.” Soon. Everyone kept saying soon like money magically appeared overnight. “I understand.” After the call ended, silence swallowed the room again. Areum slowly sat on the floor. Then finally She cried. Not beautifully. Not gracefully. But like someone exhausted from surviving. “I’m trying…” she whispered shakily. “I’m trying so hard…” But life didn’t care how hard poor people tried. Her phone buzzed again. Unknown Number. She wiped her tears quickly before answering. “Yes?” “Miss Han Areum?” The voice sounded professional. “Yes?” “This is Director Choi from Kang Group.” Her brows raised instantly. Kang Group? “The chairman wishes to meet you.” “…Why?” A brief silence followed. Then. “He said he will let you know when you come it's nothing serious” Silence. Complete silence. Hmm okay Areum replied. Three days later. Han Areum sat frozen inside one of the most luxurious hotel suites in Seoul. Across from her sat Kang Minho. The devil himself. Everything about him felt expensive. Dangerous. Untouchable. Even the silence around him felt cold. A contract paper rested untouched on the table between them. “A one-year marriage,” Minho said calmly. His voice carried no emotion at all. “In exchange, your mother’s surgery will be fully funded.” Areum’s heart tightened painfully. “And after the divorce,” he continued, “you’ll receive ₩500 million.” Five hundred million won!! She exclaimed Enough to completely change her life. Enough to save her mother. Enough to escape poverty forever. But something about this entire situation terrified her. “Why me?” she asked quietly. Minho’s dark eyes finally lifted toward hers. “You have nothing to lose.” The words pierced deeper than she expected. Because they were true. “You will act as my wife publicly,” he continued. “Nothing more.” Simple. Cold. Like business. Not marriage. Yet somehow, sitting across from Kang Minho felt suffocating. Not because he was cruel. But because he looked lonely. Painfully lonely. Like a man carrying something unbearably heavy. Areum looked down at the contract again. Then slowly she pushed it back toward him. “I can’t sign this.” For the first time, emotion flickered faintly across Kang Minho’s face. Not anger. Surprise. “I don’t even know you,” she whispered. Silence. Rain tapped softly against the giant windows behind them. Then suddenly Minho’s phone rang. The moment he answered, the atmosphere inside the room changed instantly. His expression darkened dangerously. “What?” A long silence followed. Then slowly Minho stood up. And for the first time since meeting him— Han Areum saw genuine fear in his eyes. Not coldness. Not emptiness. Fear. “Where is he now?” Minho asked quietly. The voice on the other end said something that made his jaw tighten violently. Then, Minho grabbed the car keys lying on the table beside him. The room froze. Even Director Choi looked shocked. “Chairman…” he said carefully. “You can’t drive.” Drive? Areum frowned slightly. But Minho was already walking toward the door. Like a man who had forgotten something important. Something dangerous. Then suddenly He stopped. Turned. And looked directly at her. His dark eyes were colder than the storm outside. “If I don’t come back tonight,” he said calmly, “burn the contract.” And then he left. Leaving Han Areum frozen in her seat While thunder crashed violently outside the hotel windows.