The CEO’s Midnight Debt

THE CRIMSON HANDBOOK

**The Crimson Hanbok**.

We will dive deep into the atmosphere, the tension, and the lore of 17th-century secrets bleeding into modern-day Seoul.

## **Episode 1: The Scent of Ink and Iron**

The rain in Seoul didn't wash away the heat; it only made the neon lights of Jongno bleed into the pavement like spilled watercolors. **Ji-hoon**, a doctoral student whose bank account was as empty as his refrigerator, adjusted his glasses as he stood before the massive, iron-studded gates of the Seo Estate.

Most people in Bukchon Hanok Village lived in restored traditional houses for the aesthetic, but this place felt different. It felt *old*. Not "well-maintained" old, but "heavily guarded secret" old. Ji-hoon had been hired by a mysterious intermediary to archive a private collection of Joseon-era scrolls. The pay was triple the standard rate, and he was too desperate to ask why the work had to be done exclusively between 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of aged paper and dried sandalwood. He was met by **Seo-jin**, a man who looked no older than twenty-five but carried himself with the stiff, terrifying gravity of a king.

"The scrolls are in the inner library," Seo-jin said. His voice was like velvet pulled over gravel. "Touch nothing but the paper. Do not enter the rooms with the red talismans on the doors."

As Ji-hoon began his work, he unrolled a silk painting from 1623. His breath hitched. The man in the portrait—a Royal Investigator clad in dark silk—had the same sharp jawline and the same chilling, distant gaze as the man currently standing in the shadows of the doorway.

Distracted by the impossible resemblance, Ji-hoon’s hand slipped. The sharp edge of a bronze scroll case sliced a deep line across his palm. The smell hit the air instantly—the metallic, sweet tang of fresh blood.

The atmosphere in the room changed. The temperature plummeted so fast Ji-hoon could see his breath. Seo-jin was across the room in a blur—faster than any human could move. He gripped Ji-hoon’s wrist with fingers that felt like iron bands of ice. His eyes, previously a deep mahogany, flashed a haunting, predatory crimson. Before Ji-hoon could scream, Seo-jin pressed his lips to the wound. The pain vanished, replaced by a terrifying, hypnotic cold. Ji-hoon’s vision swirled into blackness as he felt the very "heat" of his life being tasted.

## **Episode 2: The Moon in the Well**

Ji-hoon awoke on a thick silk mattress (*yo*), the moonlight streaming through a traditional paper screen. His hand was perfectly healed—not even a scar remained.

Seo-jin sat by a single candle, staring at the flame. "I am a *Gwi*," he stated. "In your modern tongue, a vampire. I was born in the year of the Great Famine. I died in a dark ritual meant to save my village, but the gods were cruel. I became a creature that lives on the essence of others, cursed to watch the world burn and rebuild itself over and over."

He didn't want Ji-hoon's life; he wanted his mind. Seo-jin was searching for the **Moon-Drop Jade**, a relic lost during the chaos of the Manchu invasions. Legend said the jade could grant a vampire "The Final Sleep"—a peaceful death—or return their humanity if used during a specific alignment.

"I have lived for 400 years, Ji-hoon. I am a statue in a world made of sand. Help me find the jade, and I will ensure you never want for anything again."

## **Episode 3: The Weaver of Secrets**

The search led them to an elderly woman living in the outskirts of Seoul, a "Mudang" (shaman) who claimed her ancestors served the Seo family. She recognized Seo-jin instantly, falling to her knees in terror.

"The Master has returned," she hissed.

She revealed that the Jade wasn't just lost; it was stolen by a rival faction of the *Gwi* who had integrated into the modern corporate world. This introduced **Director Kang**, the CEO of a massive tech conglomerate. Kang used his wealth to buy "donations" from the city's poor, staying young through high-tech blood filtration.

Ji-hoon realized that the world of the supernatural wasn't a fairy tale; it was a shadow economy. As he and Seo-jin fled a group of Kang’s "fixers" through a crowded night market, Ji-hoon saw Seo-jin’s struggle. The vampire moved through the crowd like a ghost, flinching at the touch of humans, his hunger growling like a physical beast in his chest.

## **Episode 4: Shadows of Gyeongbokgung**

Ji-hoon discovered a hidden code in the Royal Diaries: the Jade was hidden beneath the floorboards of the *Gyeonghoeru* Pavilion at the palace.

They broke in at midnight. The chemistry between the jittery, talkative historian and the stoic, silent vampire began to crack the ice. Seo-jin admitted he missed the taste of *yakwa* (honey cookies) more than he missed the sun.

"To eat and feel full... I have forgotten what that is like," Seo-jin whispered as they waded through the palace lotus pond.

They found the hidden compartment, but as Ji-hoon pulled the jade free, a red laser dot appeared on his chest. Director Kang’s men had arrived.

## **Episode 5: The Glass Cage**

Seo-jin surrendered to save Ji-hoon. They were taken to a high-tech facility beneath a skyscraper. Kang wanted to study Seo-jin’s "pure" blood to create a serum for "Day-Walkers."

For the first time, Ji-hoon saw Seo-jin vulnerable. The vampire was strapped to a table under massive UV lamps that blistered his skin. Ji-hoon, locked in a glass cell nearby, used his knowledge of the facility's layout—which he recognized was built on the foundations of an old colonial prison—to find a weakness in the ventilation.

"Seo-jin! The pipes! They use the old water tunnels!"

Ji-hoon managed to break a fire sprider, short-circuiting the UV lamps. Seo-jin broke his silver-lined chains, his rage turning him into a whirlwind of shadow.

## **Episode 6: The Blood Pact**

Fleeing the city, they hid in a remote mountain cabin. Seo-jin was severely weakened from the UV exposure and silver poisoning. His body refused to heal.

"You need to... you need to feed," Ji-hoon whispered, offering his arm.

Seo-jin shook his head, his fangs bared in agony. "If I take too much from you now, in my state, I won't be able to stop. You will become like me—half-dead, forever hungry."

Ji-hoon didn't pull away. He realized that Seo-jin’s "monstrosity" was actually a profound loneliness. He pressed his wrist to Seo-jin's lips. The feeding was different this time—it wasn't a theft, but a gift. As Seo-jin drank, Ji-hoon saw the vampire's memories: 17th-century snowfalls, the faces of siblings long dead, and the crushing weight of centuries.

## **Episode 7: The Shaman’s Warning**

The Moon-Drop Jade began to glow as the date of the Solar Eclipse approached. However, the Shaman returned with a warning: "The Jade requires two souls to activate. One to stay, and one to leave."

If Seo-jin used it to become human, someone else would have to take on the curse of the *Gwi* to maintain the balance of the world. Or, if he used it to die, the energy released would destroy everything within a mile—including Ji-hoon.

The tension between them turned bittersweet. Every moment felt like a countdown to a goodbye.

## **Episode 8: The Betrayal of Light**

Director Kang launched a public smear campaign, framing Ji-hoon for the "theft" of national artifacts to force them out of hiding.

They were cornered at the N Seoul Tower. In the neon glare of the observation deck, Kang revealed he had kidnapped Ji-hoon’s only living relative—his grandmother.

"Give me the jade, or she becomes the first test subject for the Day-Walker serum," Kang sneered.

Seo-jin stepped forward, the wind whipping his dark coat. He looked at the sun, which was just beginning to be eclipsed by the moon.

## **Episode 9: The Total Eclipse**

The sky turned a bruised purple. The birds stopped singing. On the mountain peak, the ritual began.

Kang grabbed the jade, but he didn't have the "Key"—the blood of a Seo descendant. He tried to force the ritual, but the jade rejected him, the energy burning his hands. In the chaos, Seo-jin fought Kang in a clash of supernatural speed.

Ji-hoon rushed to save his grandmother, but he was caught in the crossfire. As the moon completely covered the sun, the jade reached its peak power.

Seo-jin had the chance to take the power for himself. Instead, he thrust the jade into Kang’s chest, using the artifact as a conductor to "ground" the curse. He wasn't killing Kang; he was forcing 400 years of "time" into a body that couldn't handle it.

Episode 10: The First Dawn

The explosion of light was silent. When Ji-hoon opened his eyes, the mountain was still. Kang was gone, reduced to a pile of ancient dust.

Seo-jin was lying on the grass. The sun began to peek out from behind the moon. Ji-hoon screamed for him to get to the shadows, but Seo-jin didn't move. He just watched the light.

The sun hit his face. He didn't burn.

He didn't turn to ash. Instead, he let out a long, shaky breath—the first breath of a mortal man. The jade had used Kang as the "sacrifice" to balance the scales, and Seo-jin’s curse had been washed away.

THE END