Ryu's four friends were still inside the room, unaware of what was happening between Ryu and Mia outside.
"Sir… please… help me… I can't bear this heat any longer," Mia's voice trembled as her unsteady body struggled to approach Ryu. Her eyes were pleading, full of anguish.
Ryu immediately stepped back three paces. "Don't come any closer!" he shouted, pointing sharply at Mia. "Stop! I said stay away from me!"
But Mia, overtaken by the drug's effect and no longer in control of herself, kept walking. "Please… sir… help me," she sobbed.
"Are you looking to die?! Stay away from me! Or you'll regret it!" Ryu growled through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched with restrained fury.
Suddenly, without warning, Mia hugged and kissed him—a move driven by desire, not by her own will.
"Damn it!" Ryu hissed, eyes wide as his body tensed. "Why is my body… reacting?!" he muttered, frustrated and confused. He quickly shoved Mia away.
"How dare you touch me!" he barked, his hand grabbing Mia's neck as he shoved her roughly to the ground.
"Ow!" Mia cried out, curling on the floor in pain.
"Sir… please… I can't endure the effect of this drug any longer… it hurts so much…" Mia whimpered, her body trembling as she tried to crawl closer to him.
The commotion finally drew the attention of Ryu's four friends: Joy, Dio, Glenn, and Rico. They rushed out of the room, only to witness a shocking scene.
"Mia?!" Joy, Dio, and Rico exclaimed in unison.
They stood frozen, seeing Mia in such a disheveled and chaotic state inside the 'MID Club.'
"Mia, what happened to you?" Dio asked, hurrying to her with a worried expression.
"Mia… what are you doing in this city?" Joy asked in disbelief.
Glenn stepped forward, his gaze filled with scorn. "Tch. A nerdy girl like you… I even introduced stunning women to that 'ice man' and none of them could get his attention. You? Disgusting," he sneered, gripping Mia's chin and shoving her face away harshly.
Rico crouched down near Mia, his whisper biting. "Not only arrogant, but also stupid. You actually fell for a drug trap?"
But then, Rico's eyes scanned Mia's trembling form—and something changed. He froze. "Damn it… why does this woman… look so tempting?" he thought, stunned.
Joy and Dio were still trying to make sense of Mia's sudden appearance. Their hearts beat faster—not only from shock, but from seeing her in such a vulnerable state.
"She must've been drugged with the same thing as Ryu," Joy thought, his eyes filled with concern. "I won't let her suffer… especially not in the hands of that heartless Mr. Ice."
"I'll help you," Joy whispered gently, bending down to lift Mia into his arms.
But Dio's hand stopped him. "No need. I'll take her. Because she… is the woman I love."
Joy glared. "Did you forget? Your own parents forbade you from being with her. Don't make things even more complicated. Mia is mine," he said firmly, then lifted Mia in a bridal carry.
Rico could only shake his head, disgusted at seeing two of his friends fight over a woman they used to belittle. "What the hell is this? What kind of spell does that annoying woman have, that she's driving my friends insane? Are they blind already?" he muttered bitterly.
Meanwhile, Ryu stood frozen, but his body began to falter. The drug's effects inside him were growing unbearable. He clenched his teeth, trying to maintain control. But the heat in his body kept intensifying.
With staggering steps and ragged breaths, Ryu approached Joy, who was still carrying Mia. His mind was in chaos.
"Why do you have to tempt me…" he muttered, his vision clouded by a desire that wasn't his own.
One button of his shirt popped open as he tried to cool down his burning body, but it was no use. "Damn this drug… it's out of control," he thought, full of frustration.
"Give that woman to me!" Ryu suddenly barked. "She needs to be punished… for daring to steal a kiss from me."
Joy was shocked when Ryu snatched Mia from his arms.
"Ryu! Are you insane?! Let go of Mia!" Joy shouted.
"Let go? Hah! She's mine now," Ryu said coldly, his eyes sharp as blades. He shoved Joy back a step.
"No one gets in my way! If you try anything, I could destroy your entire company with a single word," he threatened, turning around with Mia—still unconscious—in his arms.
Joy and Dio stood frozen, tension thick in the air. They knew exactly who Ryu was: cold, ruthless, and merciless—especially toward women who dared cross his boundaries.
To Ryu, women who threw themselves at him were a symbol of weakness. And to Ryu, weakness deserved to be erased.
"Dio, please stop Ryu. I don't want anything bad to happen to Mia," Joy pleaded, his face full of worry, gripping Dio's arm tightly.
Dio stared into Joy's eyes, then glanced toward the hotel. "Why don't you go after him? You know when Ryu gets like this… no one can stop him. Not even me," he said softly.
"You'd better pray," Rico added, trying to keep a cool tone though his eyes betrayed unease. "Let's hope Mia doesn't become his next victim."
"What's wrong with you guys?" Glenn sneered. "Worried about a plain girl like her? And you're both falling for her? I don't get it."
"Shut up!" Joy and Dio snapped in unison, barely holding back their rising anger.
Rico let out a deep breath. "I'm going home. This night's gone too far." He turned and left MID Club.
"Me too," said Joy, walking off, leaving Dio behind to stare anxiously at the hotel.
Dio sighed deeply, then followed them.
Inside the Hotel
Ryu placed Mia on the sofa. His face was dark, his breathing ragged. Mia lay weakly on the other side of the room, her eyes dazed, her body trembling from the lingering drug.
"I… can't hold on any longer," Ryu muttered, gripping his hair in frustration. Sweat trickled down his temple as he sat against the wall.
He looked at Mia with conflict in his gaze—seeing not a seductress, but a woman just as broken as he was.
"You're not the only one," Mia whispered hoarsely. "We're both victims… don't see me as the enemy."
Ryu closed his eyes, ashamed of what he almost became.
Mia slowly sat up. "Earlier… Dio and Joy tried to help me. But you didn't let them. Why?"
Ryu didn't answer.
"I'll be gone after this," Mia added, "I just need you… to help me get through the effects."
With that, the tension softened. The fire that had threatened to burn everything down slowly faded, replaced by exhaustion.
They didn't speak again.
Minutes passed. The only sounds were their heavy breaths and the ticking of the wall clock.
Eventually, Ryu fell asleep against the wall, while Mia curled up on the sofa. The storm had passed—but what remained was a silence full of questions neither of them could yet answer.