The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Bonten mansion, casting a warm glow over the lavish bedroom.

The silk sheets felt foreign beneath Y/N's fingertips as she slowly woke, the events of yesterday weighing heavily on her mind.

The air was still, the kind of unsettling quiet that reminded her she was no longer in control of her own life.

A familiar giggle echoed through the hall just beyond her room. Shin.

Her heart clenched, and she quickly sat up, running a hand through her hair before glancing toward the door.

It was slightly ajar, letting in the muffled voices of conversation from below. Frowning, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her bare feet meeting the cool marble floor as she padded toward the doorway.

Steeling herself, she followed the sound of her son's voice down the grand staircase.

As she reached the main floor, she was met with the sight of Shin sitting on one of the expensive leather couches in the lounge, legs swinging excitedly as he chatted with none other than Hajime Kokonoi.

The man was dressed immaculately as always, dark slacks, a fitted designer dress shirt with the top buttons undone just enough to hint at wealth and effortless confidence.

His phone was in one hand, though he seemed more focused on Shin than whatever business dealings were surely awaiting him.

At the sound of Y/N's approaching steps, Kokonoi glanced up, his sharp, calculating gaze meeting hers. "Good morning," he greeted smoothly.

Y/N ignored him at first, kneeling beside Shin. "What's going on?"

Shin turned to her with bright eyes. "Koko says we can go shopping today!"

Y/N blinked. "Shopping?"

Kokonoi leaned back slightly, tilting his head. "Your son doesn't have nearly enough clothes for a place like this. And, well, neither do you."

She stiffened at the implied judgment but kept her voice level. "We don't need anything."

Shin pouted, tugging at her sleeve. "But Mama, I wanna go! I don't have any cool hats, and Koko said I can pick anything I want!"

Kokonoi smirked at that. "Anything."

Y/N shot the man a glare. She wasn't stupid, this wasn't generosity, not really. It was another way to wrap them tighter into Bonten's grasp.

But Shin... he was still just a child. How could she deny him something so simple as a day out, when he was already trapped in a world he didn't understand?

With a reluctant sigh, she nodded. "Fine. But I'm coming, too."

"Of course," Kokonoi said smoothly. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

A few others ended up joining them, though Y/N wasn't surprised. She doubted Bonten ever let one of their own go anywhere without some kind of security detail.

Kakucho was the first to arrive, dressed casually yet still exuding quiet strength. He gave Y/N a small nod—kind, almost reassuring.

Then there was Ran Haitani, who was always the charming one. His violet eyes gleamed with something unreadable as he assessed her outfit, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Hello beautiful, guess we're going to the mall?"

Y/N clenched her jaw but said nothing.

By the time they arrived at the most extravagant shopping district in the city, Y/N already felt exhausted.

The mall was nothing like the ones she used to frequent. This was a place of opulence, where every storefront boasted designer brands, and every passing shopper looked like they belonged to a world of wealth and luxury.

Shin, of course, was delighted.

The moment they stepped inside, his eyes lit up as he darted toward a display of colorful hats. "Mama, look! Can I get this one?" He held up a bucket hat far too big for his small head, grinning widely.

Y/N sighed but smiled faintly. "If that's what you want."

From there, it was a whirlwind. Every store they entered, Shin was allowed to pick whatever he wanted. Clothes, toys, sneakers, accessories, his excitement was boundless, and Y/N couldn't bring herself to stop him.

Every time she hesitated at the price tags, Kokonoi waved it off with a bored expression, already handing over a black credit card before she could protest.

"I told you," he said at one point, adjusting the cuff of his expensive blazer. "Money isn't an issue."

For them, maybe. But Y/N had spent too much of her life counting every penny to feel comfortable with this level of excess.

Shin was in heaven. He ran ahead with Kakucho, who, to Y/N's surprise, was incredibly patient. The scarred man knelt down, helping Shin pick between two jackets, offering a rare, warm smile when the boy made his choice.

Ran, on the other hand, was far more interested in Y/N's lack of participation.

"You're supposed to be shopping, too," he pointed out as she stood off to the side, arms crossed.

"I don't need anything," she said flatly.

Ran chuckled. "That's not up to you." Before she could react, he casually plucked a dress from a nearby rack, holding it up. "This would look nice on you."

Y/N scoffed. "No."

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't even look at it."

Kokonoi sighed, clearly growing tired of her resistance. "You need formal clothes," he said. "Events, meetings... you have a new life now. You should look the part."

"I never agreed to any of this."

"Doesn't matter."

-

The moment Y/N stepped out of the dressing room, the air in the boutique shifted.

A heavy silence fell over the Bonten executives, their usual arrogance momentarily slipping as they took in the sight before them.

She felt their eyes rake over her, scrutinizing, assessing. She wasn't sure if it was satisfaction or something else that darkened their gazes, but it made her skin prickle.

Kokonoi, the mastermind behind this entire ordeal, let out a low hum of approval. "Now that," he mused, "is exactly what I was talking about."

Y/N clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to tug at the sleek, body-hugging dress they had forced her into.

The deep emerald fabric clung to her curves in a way that was both elegant and undeniably enticing. It was high-class, designed for luxury, the kind of dress worn by a woman who belonged to the elite.

But that wasn't who she was.

She had spent her life prioritizing practicality over vanity, her focus always on Shin rather than expensive fabrics and designer brands.

But here, in this gilded shopping district, Bonten was trying to reshape her into someone else, someone fit for Mikey's life.

Ran Haitani leaned lazily against a velvet couch, his sharp violet eyes trailing down her figure with an amused smirk. "Damn," he drawled, exhaling slowly. "Didn't think we could make you look even better, but here we are."

She shot him a glare. "I don't need your compliments."

"Didn't say you did," he mused, tilting his head. "But you sure look like you belong on a magazine cover."

Kakucho, ever the quiet observer, was more subtle in his reaction. He studied her for a moment before giving a single approving nod. "It suits you."

Kokonoi, however, was already pulling more selections off the racks, handing them to the boutique assistant without so much as a glance at the price tags. "She'll take all of these," he said dismissively, waving a hand.

Y/N's jaw tightened. "You're buying all of them?!"

"Of course," he replied smoothly. "You need options. Formal wear, cocktail dresses, evening gowns, hell, maybe even something casual, though I doubt Mikey would want you looking 'casual' anymore."

She hated that. Hated how they spoke about her appearance as if it was something to be molded to their liking.

But despite her protests, she was ushered back into the dressing room, dress after dress being forced upon her.

A sleek, black off-shoulder gown that hugged her waist and flared at the bottom.

A sultry red dress with a thigh-high slit, something Ran whistled at with a low, "Now that's sexy."

A champagne-colored evening gown, shimmering under the soft boutique lights, making her look like she was dipped in liquid gold.

She felt like a doll, dressed and examined under their calculating stares.

At some point, they moved beyond just dresses. Accessories, heels, designer coats, everything was meticulously chosen to elevate her from a struggling mother to someone fit for Bonten's inner circle.

Kokonoi placed a delicate diamond necklace against her collarbone, his fingers brushing against her skin for only a second before he nodded in approval. "That works," he murmured.

Y/N stiffened. "I don't need jewelry."

He scoffed. "That's where you're wrong."

A pair of stilettos were slipped onto her feet,,something sleek, impossibly high, the kind of shoes she never would have worn in her old life.

Ran let out an exaggerated sigh, leaning back. "Mikey's gonna lose his damn mind when he sees you like this."

Y/N froze.

Mikey.

She had almost forgotten.

This wasn't about them just dressing her up for fun. This was calculated. A transformation.

Her stomach twisted.

Kakucho must have noticed the shift in her demeanor because he spoke up in a soft tone. "We're not trying to change you," he said. "Just... preparing you."

She exhaled sharply, not believing that for a second. "For what?"

Silence.

Kokonoi was the one who finally answered, his golden eyes cool and knowing.

"For your new life."

Y/N turned away, staring at her own reflection in the mirror.

The woman staring back at her was undeniably beautiful. Poised. Elegant. Someone who looked like she belonged at the side of the most powerful man in Tokyo.

But it wasn't her.

It wasn't who she was.

And yet, as she stood there, trapped under the weight of their expectations, she realized something with chilling clarity.

Whether she wanted this or not didn't matter.

Because just like everything else in this world...

Mikey had already decided.