The private jet hummed above the clouds, Seoul long gone as So Jin and Hikari flew toward Kolkata.
Hikari clutched her armrest, eyeing the sky.
"This better not crash,"
she muttered.
So Jin, skimming a dossier on
Pushpodhar Roy, smirked.
"Your tournament shot was riskier."
Hikari puffed her cheeks. "Dirty."
He slid her the file. "Read. Roy's a rival, not just a friend."
Hikari scanned it: Pushpodhar Roy, 35, timber-to-tycoon legend, hotels and jewelry empire. A photo showed a lean man in a cream dhoti and kurta, dark hair swept back, eyes mischievous.
"He looks like trouble," she said
.So Jin nodded. "He is. We tied 300 archery matches. Neither could win, so we quit.
"Hikari's jaw dropped. "Three hundred ties?"
"Got boring," So Jin said, a glint in his eye.
Kolkata's humid chaos hit them—spice-scented air, honking rickshaws.
A Rolls-Royce waited, and Pushpodhar Roy stepped out, his dhoti swaying as he hugged So Jin.
"Jin, you bow-splitting dog!" Pushpodhar grinned.
So Jin smirked. "Still crying over our draws?"
Pushpodhar's eyes flicked to Hikari.
"Hikari Nakamura, the target-crusher."
Hikari bowed, cheeks pink. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Roy."
"Pushpodhar," he said, winking. "No formalities for Jin's star."
So Jin's jaw twitched. Hikari caught it, her pulse skipping.
A woman in a vibrant sari approached, her eyes sharp but warm.
"Pushpodhar, stop flirting!" She grabbed his ear, tugging playfully.
"Ow, Anjali!" Pushpodhar laughed, rubbing his ear. "Just being friendly!"
Anjali, his wife, smiled at Hikari and So Jin.
"He's a menace.I'm Anjali.
Welcome to Kolkata."
Hikari stifled a giggle. So Jin's lips twitched. "Good to see you, Anjali."
They drove to Pushpodhar's hotel, a restored haveli with sandstone arches and jasmine vines.
Over masala chai, Pushpodhar pitched his plan."My hotels are India's soul,"
he said. "Goa's beaches, Udaipur's palaces. Your brand, Jin, needs that spark."
So Jin leaned forward. "Terms?"
"Fifty-fifty," Pushpodhar said.
"My network, your vision. Tours that sing."
Hikari spoke up. "Add artisans—pottery, saris. Tourists want real."
Pushpodhar clapped. "Genius! Jin, she's a keeper."
So Jin's eyes flicked to her. "She is."
Hikari blushed but pushed on.
"And festivals—Holi, Durga Puja. Let them live India."
Anjali nodded.
"Smart girl. You're leading this, Hikari."
So Jin gave a rare nod, his gaze lingering.After the deal, Pushpodhar led them to a festival courtyard where an archery contest buzzed.
He tossed So Jin a recurve bow.
"Time to relive the old days."
Hikari raised an eyebrow.
"All three of us?"
Pushpodhar handed her a bow, grinning.
"Show us up, Nakamura."
The crowd hushed. So Jin's arrow split the bullseye. Pushpodhar's shot sliced So Jin's arrow in half, dead center.
The crowd roared.
Hikari gripped her bow, nervous. Her shot veered left. She winced.
Pushpodhar clapped. "Power's there. Control's next."
So Jin stepped close, adjusting her stance, his fingers brushing hers.
"Breathe."Their eyes locked, the world fading.
Hikari's next shot grazed the bullseye.
Anjali cheered. "Not bad!"So Jin smirked. "She's learning."
Pushpodhar laughed. "Like us, Jin. Three hundred draws—bored yet?"
So Jin snorted. "You bored me first."
Anjali rolled her eyes. "You two never change."
Hikari watched, heart racing. Legends.
That night, they dined on Pushpodhar's rooftop, Kolkata's lights twinkling.
Over spicy biryani, Anjali nudged Pushpodhar.
"Behave, or I'll pull your ear again."
Pushpodhar raised his glass. "To alliances—and old rivalries."
So Jin's smile was tight.
"Rivalries stay old, Roy."
Pushpodhar's eyes glinted.
"We'll see."
Hikari sensed tension.
Anjali caught her eye, whispering,
"They're like brothers—always sparring."
Hikari smiled, then glanced at So Jin.
"Pushpodhar's stories—Holi, Durga Puja—sound amazing."
So Jin nodded, quieter.
"You'll see them."
In the guest suite, So Jin and Hikari settled on separate beds, ceiling fans humming.
Hikari stared at the carved ceiling, So Jin's touch lingering.
Why does he make my heart race?
So Jin, eyes on the dark, frowned. Roy's up to something. What?
Their breaths synced, slow and warm. Sleep came, dreams of arrows and rivalries swirling
.…To be continued…