Episode 16 – Masks at Dawn
Morning light filtered through the blinds at CHIPER HQ, washing over tired faces.
Miran sat quietly at the meeting table, dark circles under her eyes. Hair loosely tied, she stared at her cup of tea as though it might answer the ache in her chest. Guen touched her hand lightly. "You don't have to force yourself today."
"I want to," Miran murmured, voice hoarse but steady. "Grandma wouldn't want me hiding."
Across the table, Kevin watched silently, eyes thoughtful. Minjae lounged in his chair, head tilted back, yet his gaze flicked toward Miran often — checking, guarding, even if his face stayed unreadable.
Dohee opened her laptop. "Ready to brief the case," she said, trying to sound normal, though her voice softened when it passed over Miran.
---
The case:
A businessman was found dead in his hotel room, eyes open, expression frozen in terror — no wounds, no poison traces. Just a single card beside him, black, with a white mask drawn in the center.
Alex tapped the screen. "Surveillance shows no one entered his room. But someone disabled a single camera in the hallway for two minutes."
"Signature of a pro," Kevin said. "And that card?"
Guen leaned forward, hair brushing her notes. "Symbol matches rumors of 'Silent Masquerade' — a secret contract killer network. Only whispers, no hard evidence."
Dohee added, "If we prove it exists, it could explode politically. Victim had connections to politicians."
Kevin's voice was quiet steel. "Then we don't stop until we know who ordered it."
---
Outside the HQ:
Hours later, the team scattered to their public lives.
Kevin strode through the towering glass lobby of Han River Holdings, black suit perfectly pressed. Assistants fell silent at his passing; board members glanced nervously as he sat at the head of the table, voice calm, cold, in control.
Behind the mask of a ruthless CEO, his mind kept drifting: Miran's trembling form, Minjae's fierce grip, Guen's steady courage.
When the meeting ended, Kevin leaned back, pinched the bridge of his nose, and allowed himself a single moment to breathe.
---
At the autopsy lab:
Guen tugged on latex gloves, steel scent of antiseptic in the air. The victim from the case lay before her. Her scalpel moved with precise, practiced skill — ribs opened, organs examined.
Colleagues respected her calm brilliance, unaware that every heartbeat she heard also whispered about CHIPER, about danger hidden behind clean white walls.
She paused, noticing something odd: a thin white powder beneath the victim's fingernails. Carefully, she collected a sample for Miran's toxicology analysis.
---
Alex's office:
In an open-plan room full of glowing screens, Alex sat as a respected AI engineer. Fingers flew over the keyboard, but his real work ran deeper: scanning digital shadows for Silent Masquerade.
A colleague dropped by, teasing, "Staying late again, Alex?"
"Yeah," he said with a crooked smile. "Some algorithms won't debug themselves."
But his eyes were locked on a dark-net thread, encrypted messages that smelled of hired death.
---
Dohee's law firm:
Dohee crossed marble floors in heels, hair pinned tight, face professional calm. In court, she argued a small case, voice calm yet sharp as a blade.
Between hearings, she checked her phone: Alex's texts, group updates. Outside the judge's sight, her smile softened, thumb lingering over Alex's name.
In a quiet corridor, Alex sent her a winking emoji. Dohee typed back, "Focus on work, hacker boy."
"Miss you too, lawyer lady," he shot back.
She rolled her eyes, fighting a grin.
---
Miran's lab:
Miran stood before her own workbench, trembling only slightly now. She crushed the white powder Guen had sent, chemicals reacting, smoke curling above glass.
"Cyanide derivative," she whispered. "Untraceable except with very specific reagents."
She typed the result, heart steadying. Even in grief, science anchored her.
A senior scientist patted her shoulder gently, "Glad to see you back, Miran."
She bowed lightly, "Thank you." Inside, pain still gnawed, but she pushed forward.
---
Minjae: dark side glints
That night, neon lights pulsed at a Gangnam club. Minjae sprawled in a private booth, leather jacket unzipped, drink in hand. Around him, laughter, perfume, heat.
A girl whispered in his ear. His lips curved lazily; minutes later, they slipped away to the backroom. Bodies tangled, sweat-slick, heat swallowing thought.
Later, shirt rumpled, Minjae lit a cigarette on the balcony, gaze empty. The girl giggled beside him, but he barely heard.
Inside, music pounded — but darkness coiled quiet in his chest.
---
Back at HQ (night):
The team reconvened.
Miran placed the cyanide results on the table, voice quiet. "Untraceable poison, likely applied to something the victim touched."
Guen added, "I found faint scarring on the victim's fingertips — could mean he was tortured before death."
Dohee frowned, "Could be blackmail, to make him sign something."
Kevin's voice turned cold. "Then someone wanted him dead and silent."
Alex typed rapidly. "I traced the dark-net chatter. The Silent Masquerade has a hidden auction list… and guess whose name is whispered?"
His finger tapped the screen.
Guen's breath caught. "Mine?"
Alex nodded, face pale.
---
Shock and resolve:
Kevin's jaw tightened, voice low. "They're targeting you. You're off the case."
Guen's eyes flashed. "No. If I run, they'll know we know. We have to act like we're blind."
Dohee's brows knitted. "She's right. And if we show fear, we lose the upper hand."
Kevin exhaled, muscles tense, but nodded. "Then we keep her safe. No mistakes."
Miran swallowed, glancing toward Guen — seeing a reflection of her own pain, yet a will to keep fighting.
---
Later that night:
In the dim kitchen of HQ, Alex caught Dohee slipping her phone away.
"Long day?" he teased.
She rolled her eyes. "Lawyer life."
He leaned closer, voice softer, "And hacker life misses you."
Dohee's cheeks pinked, but she swatted him lightly. "Behave, Alex."
His grin softened. "Just checking you're okay."
---
Kevin × Guen:
Guen stood alone on the balcony, Seoul lights spread below. Kevin stepped beside her, silent for a moment.
"You shouldn't risk yourself," he murmured.
"And you shouldn't carry everything alone," she shot back, voice softer than her words.
For a heartbeat, their eyes locked — guarded, heated, stubborn.
Then Guen looked away. "We'll win. Together."
Kevin's lips twitched, the faintest ghost of a smile.
---
Minjae × Miran:
Near the exit, Miran brushed past Minjae, shoulders hunched.
"Eat something," he muttered, voice low.
"I'm not hungry," she whispered.
He stepped closer, voice darkening. "Eat. Or I'll make you."
Miran swallowed, eyes wide, fear sparking. But she obeyed — tiny bite, then another.
Minjae watched, gaze shadowed, jaw tight.
---