The hallway buzzed with chatter and footsteps as students flowed out of classrooms, flooding the corridor. Coming out of one of the classrooms was Kanna. She strolled casually through the crowd, her attention fixed on her phone.
She was scrolling through Instamass — more specifically, a page filled with Dae Woo's posts.
Snaps from Marketing class, group photos, and candid solo shots filled the screen. One had him smiling at the camera with sunlight on his face.
Her lips curved into a small smile, lost in her thoughts.
'Wow, he has a nice smile.'
"Hey."
'I wonder if he has a girlfriend...should I ask Sayu...'
"Hey, Kanna!"
'Maybe I should just ask him—no, no way! We don't even know each oth—'
"Can you hear me?"
A hand suddenly waved in front of her face, snapping her back to reality.
"Huh—Ah!" she yelped as she flinched, startled by the sudden contact.
Standing right beside her were Sayu and—Dae Woo.
Both of them stared at her with raised brows and curious smiles.
"Hehe... he, how long have you two been there?" Kanna asked with a nervous chuckle.
Sayu tilted her head, amused, "Long enough to see you doze off in the middle of the day?" while Dae Woo gave a soft laugh that made Kanna's brain short-circuit for a moment.
Sayu leaned in, eyes narrowing on Kanna's phone. "What's on your phone that made you zone out so hard?"
Kanna's fingers fumbled to lock her screen. "N-Nothing! Just, uh… a cooking show!"
Sayu's eyes lit up. "A cooking show?! Show me—I love those!"
Realizing she walked into a trap, Kanna quickly changed the subject. "Oh hey, Dae Woo!" Then she turned back to Sayu. "Wait, how come you two are together? Do you share a class?"
"Yeah, turns out we're in the same Marketing class," Sayu replied casually.
Dae Woo nodded. "We just left from that."
"What about your friends?" Dae Woo asked, glancing around. "No Rin or Mio today?"
"Oh, they haven't come yet?" Sayu asked.
Kanna shook her head. "Actually, Mio has a class right now… and Rin…" she paused, opening her messages, "Rin just texted. Said she's hanging out at a bar or something?"
Sayu blinked. "Oh?"
'She's probably there again.' Sayu smiled inwardly.
The trio walked through the hallway, then suddenly:
Ding!
A sharp buzz cut through the moment, and Dae Woo instinctively pulled out his phone. He swiped up to unlock and read the message on-screen.
[Ji Hoon]: Hey Dongsaeng, you coming yet?
His expression shifted. "Oh… is that today?"
Sayu tilted her head. "What happened? Something wrong?"
Dae Woo rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a small sigh. "My cousin's opening his new restaurant today. He invited me to the soft opening and—" he paused, glancing at the time, "—I completely forgot it was today."
"Oh…" Kanna said softly, unable to hide the slight drop in her tone. "So, you're heading there now?"
"Yeah, sorry. I should go before I'm late."
He was already pocketing his phone when he stopped mid-step, a thought crossing his mind. "Wait... do you guys have class now?"
Sayu and Kanna glanced at each other.
"No," Sayu said. "Just finished the last one."
"Same here," Kanna added.
A smile pulled at Dae Woo's lips. "Then… want to come with me?"
Sayu blinked. "What? You mean to your cousin's restaurant?"
"Wouldn't that be… inconveniencing your cousin?" Kanna added, though a hopeful glint sparked in her eyes.
"It's not at all. You'd be doing me a favor," he said with a playful shrug. "I don't want to sit there awkwardly alone while he's busy."
Sayu opened her mouth to politely decline, but Kanna was already a step ahead.
"Sure! We'd be glad to!" she said, grabbing Sayu's wrist with a grin.
Sayu turned to her, slightly stunned. "Kanna—"
"What? It's free food at a fancy restaurant," Kanna said in a stage whisper. "We cannot pass that up."
Sayu couldn't help but laugh. "I guess you've got a point."
"Awesome," Dae Woo said, beaming. "Then let's go."
The three of them turned toward the exit, sunlight filtering in through the wide hallway windows as they stepped into the next unexpected detour of their day.
* * * * *
Meanwhile…
A sleek, jet-black Lexus coupe pulled up to the entrance of an elegant, high-rise hotel. Its mirrored exterior gleamed beneath the golden hour sun, while a line of luxury cars waited along the curb. Polished stone columns framed the entrance, and the hotel's logo shimmered in gold above the revolving glass doors.
The low purr of the engine cut out as Hayato stepped out, dressed in a dark charcoal shirt neatly tucked into matching slacks. The sharp lines of his outfit gave off a quiet air of maturity, though the faint stiffness in his shoulders betrayed how uncomfortable he felt.
A valet jogged up, bowing slightly.
"Sir."
Without a word, Hayato tossed the keys. The valet caught them mid-air, nodded, and moved toward the car.
Hayato made his way inside.
The lobby was all polished luxury: high ceilings, massive chandeliers, and black-and-white marble floors that reflected the light like ripples on water. Subtle music hummed from somewhere above, and guests sat in clusters around modern sofas. He moved past it all, straight toward the elevators.
A soft chime sounded as the elevator arrived.
He stepped inside, pressed the button for the 20th floor, and waited in silence as the floors ticked by.
Ding.
The doors opened to a quieter, carpeted hallway with minimalist art along the walls and warm lighting overhead. He made his way toward the VIP reception desk.
"Good evening, sir," the receptionist greeted with a professional smile. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes. Under Arisaka."
She glanced down at her sleek tablet, scrolling for a few moments before nodding. "Ah, yes. Please follow me. Your guest has already arrived."
She led him through a short corridor until they stopped before a grand wooden door with golden accents.
Click.
She gently pushed it open and gestured with one hand. "This way, sir."
Hayato gave a slight nod and stepped inside.
Click.
The door shut behind him with a quiet finality.
He stood now in a private VIP dining room—a luxurious space styled like an upscale East Asian fusion restaurant. A large round table with a lazy Susan sat at the center, already lined with neatly plated dishes: grilled fish, steamed dumplings, colorful stir-fried vegetables, and bowls of jasmine rice.
And seated across from the table, elegantly poised with a gentle smile, was none other than:
Haru Kanzaki.