Y/N's POV
We reached his apartment.
He didn't say much—just sighed and flopped onto the couch, limbs sprawled like he owned the whole damn universe.
Typical.
I quietly placed his things down like I always do… jacket over the chair, bag by the shelf, script on the table—my hands moving on autopilot.
I didn't even glance at him. Not even a peek.
As I turned toward the door, ready to leave like clockwork, something inside me twitched.
Damn it… why does my heart feel so off today?
It's not pain. Not quite sadness. Just… unconsciously uncomfortable.
Tch.
"Rabinie…"
The word echoed in my head, soft and annoying. Like a song you hate but can't stop humming.
Why am I even remembering that dumb nickname?
I click my tongue again, sharper this time, like it could cut off the thought.
Without looking back, I reach for the doorknob…I was just about to step out when—
BAM!
The door slammed shut behind me.
I flinched, instinctively gripping the strap of my bag tighter.
What the—?!
I spun around, and—
Damn.
Damn it again.
There he was.
Rabin.
Kabedon.
One hand pressed beside my head, the other hanging loose at his side, eyes locked straight on me like he just read every damn thought I had five seconds ago.
The air between us tightened—tense, close, hot.
He was way too close, and I could feel my heart beating in places I didn't ask for it to beat.
I stared at him, wide-eyed.
"W-What are you doing?" I managed, cursing how weak my voice sounded.
He didn't answer right away. Just leaned in ever so slightly, his breath brushing against my skin.
Rabin: "Why are you so quiet today? Hmm?"
I tried to scoff, to roll my eyes again—but I couldn't even blink.
Because damn, he looked serious.
And serious Rabin was dangerous.
Dangerous to my heart… and to my willpower.
"Pull out from your acting, Rabin. It's already home."
I tried to keep my voice sharp, dismissive—like I wasn't secretly screaming inside.
But he didn't move.
Rabin: "What acting?"
His voice was low. Dangerous.
His face leaned even closer—just an inch away now.
I could feel the warmth of his breath brushing my cheek, and dammit—
I stopped breathing altogether.
Okay Y/N… you got this. Left is blocked… but right…
Yes! Escape plan: turn right and—
DANG IT.
His right hand slammed beside my other side, effectively trapping me. Again.
I blinked, speechless.
Wasn't this supposed to happen in K-dramas only?!
He tilted his head slightly, eyes dark and unreadable.
Rabin: "Running away again?"
My heart did a flip.
Me?! Running?! No.
Yes.
Okay maybe a little.
But I couldn't show it.
I tried to act unaffected, even though every nerve in my body was on panic mode.
Y/N: "Tch. You think this is cute?"
He smirked—just barely.
Rabin: "No. I think you're cute… when you're cornered like this."
I stare up at him, still caged in.
My back pressed against the door. No space left to breathe—no space left to think.
I exhale shakily, eyes meeting his for a split second.
Y/N: "So… what now?"
His gaze doesn't waver.
Rabin: "I already asked the question, didn't I?"
I swallow hard. My walls are cracking.
Y/N: "I'm tired…"
It's the truth.
He watches me quietly for a beat.
Rabin: "Let's talk."
Y/N: "Tomorrow. Okay? Tomorrow, we'll talk…"
My voice is soft. Almost pleading.
Because right now, if he says one more thing, I might actually fall apart in front of him.
I gently push past his arm, my hand fumbling on the doorknob.
Click.
The door creaks open, cool air rushing in.
I step out…
But the name slips past my lips in a whisper I didn't mean to let escape.
"Rabinie… Rabinie…"
I'm not sure if I was mocking him, or just… missing him.
But then I hear his voice behind me—low and amused, but laced with something heavier.
Rabin: "I can hear you, you know…"
My breath hitches.
But I don't look back.
I just run.
Straight to the elevator, heart pounding, fingers trembling.
The elevator doors begin to close, and for a second, I feel like I can finally breathe again.
But—
CLANK.
A hand shoots out and stops the doors.
I freeze.
No.
No freaking way.
I look up—and there he is again.
Rabin.
Standing tall, his jaw clenched, a fire in his eyes I haven't seen before.
Why him?! Why always him?!
He steps in slowly, silent at first, then mutters in a low voice, barely contained—
Rabin: "It's getting on my nerves."
Before I can even react, his hand grabs mine—not hard, not gentle either—and he pulls me out of the elevator.
Back to his apartment.
His grip isn't angry. It's desperate. Urgent. His silence is louder than any shout.
Y/N: "What the hell is happening, Rabin?"
"What do you want?!"
My voice breaks—because I'm confused, overwhelmed, and sick of guessing.
He doesn't answer.
Just closes the door behind us. Quietly.
Then he turns his back on me.
Hands on his waist. Shoulders rising and falling. Like he's trying to breathe through a storm.
The silence stretches.
And my heart?
It won't stop pounding.
He's not acting.
This isn't a tease.
Something's different.
He lets go of my hand.
Just like that.
In the middle of his living room, the warmth of his fingers leaves mine, and it's suddenly cold.
He doesn't turn around.
Just stands there, his back to me—like facing me might make it all too real.
Rabin: "It's been a long…"
He pauses.
I can hear the weight in his voice, how hard it is for him to even finish the sentence.
Rabin: "It's been a long time since you talked to me normally."
"What have I done wrong to you?"
The words hit like a slow-moving wave.
Not sharp. Not loud.
But they crash all the same.
And I—
I stay quiet.
Not because I don't want to answer.
But because I don't know how.
Because maybe…
Maybe I don't even know what I'm angry about anymore.
Finally—
He turns around.
Slowly. Like the weight of what he's about to say is dragging every muscle in his body.
And then his eyes meet mine.
They're not teasing.
Not guarded.
Just bare.
Rabin:
"The quiet you…"
His voice is soft, hoarse.
"…is the you that I can't resist anymore, Y/N."
I blink—once, twice.
The words don't even register at first. Because he's never said anything like that before. Not like this. Not when I was vulnerable. Not when he was.
I let out a soft sigh, trying to play it off.
"Ahh… I'll try to be normal with you. It's just that… I'm tired lately."
But even as I say it, I know—
He doesn't buy it.
He doesn't flinch, doesn't blink. He just keeps looking at me like he sees through every word I'm trying to use as a shield.
The silence stretches again.
Wandering my thoughts—
Actually…
I've been too lonely these days.
Not just the "I want someone to text" kind of lonely but the kind where everything just… feels distant. Even myself.
My grandma hasn't come back from the village yet and without her… the silence in my apartment is louder than ever.
There's no smell of warm tea.
No slippers at the door waiting for me.
No soft nagging about me staying up too late or skipping meals.
I come home…
And it's just me.
No welcome.
No warmth.
Just cold air and empty lights.
And sometimes—
It feels like even I don't want to be there.
Like even I'm not waiting for myself.
My thoughts were slipping too far.
Too loud in my own head.
I didn't even notice how quiet the room had gotten—until suddenly,
Rabin snapped.
Rabin: "What are you thinking?"
His voice cut through the silence—sharp,
I flinched, pulled back to the present like a splash of cold water.
I met his eyes for half a second—then dropped my gaze.
Y/N: "Ah… nothing."
I gave a small shrug, forcing a half-smile. The kind that never reaches your eyes.
But his stare didn't soften.
Like always, I went back to my apartment.
Same routine. Same silence.
The hallway felt colder than usual.
Or maybe I was just more aware of it tonight—after everything that happened with Rabin.
I unlocked the door, the key clicking louder in the stillness.
Click… creak… silence.
As the door opened, I froze.
There—on the floor—was a folded piece of paper…Just inside the door.
Someone had slipped it under while I was gone… I stared at it for a moment.
I unfolded the paper.
Not a letter.
Not a message.
A… lease?
I blinked at the bold print.
"Notice of Lease Termination – End of Contract: This Month."
My stomach dropped.
I fumbled for my phone and dialed her number—the only number that ever made this place feel like home.
It rang once. Twice.
Grandma: "Hello?"
Y/N: "Grandma?"
Grandma: "Yes, sweetheart ? What happened?"
My voice cracked before I even said the words.
Y/N: "Why is the house lease ending soon? Why didn't you tell me?"
There was a pause on the other end. Then her voice came—soft, tired.
Grandma:
"Oh… is it coming to an end? I forgot to tell you, sweetheart…"
"I was supposed to come back soon, but… my health hasn't been great lately."
I went still.
Grandma:
"I didn't want to bother you too much. You've got work, a busy life… You're doing well, right? So I thought… maybe I'll stay here ."
My chest tightened.
The coldness in this apartment?
It wasn't just about the lights or the silence anymore.
Her voice crackled through the line, soft and slow.
Grandma:
"Sweetheart… go to my room."
"There's a small box on the table. Inside it, there's an envelope—I kept it for you."
I froze, heart sinking deeper with every word.
Grandma:
"Use it to find a new place, okay? Somewhere close to work… somewhere safer. This place is old, baby. Too old for you to carry alone."
I bit my lip, holding back the tears.
She always knew how I felt—without me saying anything.
Even from miles away.
Even now, when her voice sounded so tired, so distant…
She was still trying to protect me.
Y/N: "But… what about you? I should come get you—"
Grandma:
"No.. Let me rest here."
"I'll be fine. You… just take care of yourself first."
"Take care, sweetheart."
That was the last thing she said.
Then—click.
The call ended.
The silence that followed… felt louder than anything else.
I lowered the phone from my ear, my hands trembling slightly.
Without a word, I walked to my room.
The moment I stepped in, the walls felt heavier, like they were breathing in everything I couldn't say.
I sat at the edge of the bed.
And just like that—
the tears fell.
No sobbing. No gasps.
Just soft, quiet tears sliding down my cheeks like they'd been waiting for permission to fall.
I didn't wipe them.
I just let them fall.
Author's POV
The sun had risen.
But she hadn't slept.
Y/N sat curled on her bed, eyes heavy, but her mind wide awake—spinning in circles all night.
Thoughts overlapped. Emotions lingered. The cold in the apartment was no longer just about temperature—it was about time.
And it was running out.
Her eyes drifted to the crumpled lease notice on the floor. The words "Contract Ending" seemed to scream louder in the morning light.
"Next month?" she whispered to herself.
Then her eyes flicked to the calendar.
Her heart dropped.
One week.
Just one week left.
"How do I find a new apartment in just a week?" she muttered, her voice cracking with panic.
Her fingers raked through her messy hair, frustrated, tired, overwhelmed.
She wanted to scream.
Not because she didn't want to leave.
But because she had nowhere she actually wanted to go.
No place that felt like hers.
No warmth waiting behind any new door.
Just more change. More unknown. More silence.
And outside her window, the city moved like nothing had changed.
Still sitting at the edge of her bed, Y/N reached for her phone with a sigh and dialed her manager.
The dial tone barely rang twice.
Manager (calm but blunt):
"Yes, Y/N?"
Y/N hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Y/N:
"Can I take a day off today? Just today. I… I need to handle something."
There was a short silence on the line, followed by a tired sigh.
Manager:
"You can take the day off. But listen—"
"You have to make sure you're on set tonight when Rabin's filming resumes."
Y/N leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
Manager (a bit more tense now):
"That Raya is something else. She's giving the entire Rabin team a headache. Flirting with the art director , ignoring stage directions, snapping at wardrobe—"
Another sigh.
Manager:
"I don't want another rumor circling again, especially not with Rabin. You understand, right?"
Y/N nodded to herself, forcing a calm voice even though her head felt like it was spinning.
Y/N:
"Yeah. Got it. I'll be there tomorrow."
Manager:
"Good. Just… make sure Rabin stays out of mess. Especially Raya's kind of mess."
Click.
The line went dead.
Y/N dropped the phone beside her on the bed and stared at the ceiling.