SMILE! | Jeong Yunho

Chapter 1

Yunho vigorously scrubs his hands with vengeance, the zesty, citrus fragrance of disinfectant failing to mask the scent of guilt clinging to him like a shroud. Nari's lifeless eyes stare at him accusingly from his memory, a contrast to the carefree smile she once wore in their initial encounters. Her death had been far from flawless. She had put up quite a fight while trying to fight the effects of the sedatives, resulting in a violent altercation that led to her demise. 

Initially, Yunho found Nari's attention towards him endearing, appreciating her dedication as his detail-oriented dental assistant. However, her astute observations began to unsettle him as she started to delve too deeply into his affairs. 

She uncovered inconsistencies in patient records, noting unusual doses of unfamiliar medications. Further suspicions arose when she stumbled upon unlabeled vials in the storage room and heard faint, unsettling sounds emanating from below the clinic. 

Then there was the occasional visitor, a tall man whom Nari dubbed the "silent stranger," who helped Yunho around the clinic yet never interacted with any of the staff or patients, vanishing through the back exit each time. All of these suspicions, combined, heightened her scrutiny. Yunho knew he couldn't risk an unwanted witness. Silencing her indefinitely was the only way to safeguard his secrets.

The consequences of his past actions weighed down on Yunho, the potential of being exposed constantly threatening him. Seoul, the city that had nurtured his monstrous desires and upbringing, had become suffocatingly small. Craving anonymity and a fresh start, he made the reluctant decision to flee to London, his new, uncertain sanctuary.

His current clinic is a modest, little practice, nestled discreetly in a cobbled backstreet, situated on Baker Street. The day-to-day patients are a blended crew—obnoxious beings of the corporate world, the elderly with neglected smiles, and those with insecurities—putting their hopes in his hands to solve. 

Yunho defies the stereotype of a serial killer. Wealth, for him, was a gilded cage. Born with a silver spoon, his childhood unfolded within its cold confines. His parents, titans of the finance industry, were too engrossed in building their empires and maintaining their social status to notice the hollowness that bloomed in their son's eyes. Leaving a void no amount of money could fill. A revolving door of nannies, each as dreadful as the last, offered no solace. Yunho, though bathed in privilege, felt utterly alone.

Intelligence, however, was his birthright. He had graduated at the top of his class from the Seoul National University School of Dentistry. With its precise tools and calculated procedures, dentistry became his canvas. But beneath the veneer of a charming dentist with an award-winning smile, a darkness brewed, a hunger for control that went beyond medical procedures.

His victims never saw it coming. A misplaced medication, violent encounters masked as "accidents," falling prey to his manipulative charm—all meticulously orchestrated to make them vanish without a trace and for his crimes to go unnoticed. No matter the method, death claimed them, leaving only a trail of unanswered questions. However, his victims weren't always confined to the dental chair. Yunho's twisted desires extended beyond the clinic walls, from wealthy socialites at high-society galas, to unsuspecting joggers on deserted paths. 

And then you came along.

Despite the downpour outside, a radiant smile plays on your lips as you push open the clinic door. A nervous giggle escapes you as you explain to the receptionist your reason for coming in today. A chipped front tooth, resulting from a mishap at the cafe you own and work at, marred your otherwise flawless smile. She tells you to take a seat, and you do, patiently waiting for your turn. 

Your time in the waiting room was cut short, as the receptionist's voice chimed in, "You're next for Dr. Jeong." A knot of nervous anticipation tightened in your stomach as you rose, your wobbly legs taking you to the front of his door. As the door clicks shut behind you, your gaze immediately falls on the man sitting in the middle of the room. He stands up smoothly in your presence, his tall and broad build momentarily filling the small office.