"Some questions are not answered with words, but with silence that shakes the soul."
🌙 Late Nights, Restless Thoughts
The glass walls of Mira's office reflected her faint silhouette back at her, framed by the city lights scattered beyond. The hour was indecent—long past midnight—yet the glow of her monitor bathed her pale face in bluish tones. Piles of documents, proposals, and spreadsheets sat around her desk, but none of them were receiving the attention they deserved.
She tried. She tried for hours. She read, underlined, tapped her pen against margins, forced herself to focus on logistics and numbers. But her mind… her mind was not here. It kept drifting, slipping through cracks she couldn't control.
Her hand clenched around the pen, finally snapping it in half with a frustrated flick.
"Useless," she muttered to herself, tossing the broken halves aside. Her chest ached—not from exhaustion, but from the storm that had been brewing for weeks now.
Leo Choi Youngjae.
Even his name in her thoughts felt like gravity—pulling her down, weighing her, burning through the thin armor she had spent years forging.
She leaned back in her chair, pressing her palms over her face. She wasn't supposed to be this vulnerable. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about him when she had an empire to run. She wasn't supposed to remember the way his eyes avoided hers these days, the way his shoulders sagged as though carrying something invisible but unbearably heavy.
Something about him was off. He wasn't cold in the same sharp, deliberate way he used to be. This was different—muted, strange, almost as if he was hiding in plain sight.
Her phone buzzed.
She snatched it from the desk, half-expecting a message from him. But it was Jisoo.
"Unnie, you should go home," the message read. "You've been at the office for three nights straight. At least sleep a little."
Mira exhaled a laugh without humor. Sleep. She hadn't truly slept in weeks. Not since everything with Jiwon, not since the dinner, not since Leo's words kept circling her like a curse she couldn't escape.
She typed a quick reply: Look after the department tomorrow. Call the Poster Designing department too. Review the ideas of 2025 till now.
Seconds later, Jisoo responded: Got it. But please, don't drive when you're this tired.
Mira didn't reply. Instead, she grabbed her coat and car keys. She couldn't sit here anymore. The walls were suffocating, the silence pressing against her skull.
🚗 The Drive That Leads Nowhere
The roads were half empty at this hour, glowing under the dull orange of streetlights. Mira rolled the window down, letting the cold wind sting her face. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel.
Where was she going? She didn't know. She didn't care.
All she knew was that her chest wouldn't stop aching, that her mind kept replaying Leo's shifting expressions. His silence at the restaurant. His retreat after moments that almost—almost—felt like something real. His avoidance. His eyes that looked like they wanted to say everything but refused to give her a single word.
She hit the accelerator harder. The city blurred by.
"Why can't I stop…" she whispered, voice trembling against the hum of the engine. "Why can't I let you go, Leo?"
☁️ Strange Distance
Across the city, Leo sat in his dimly lit apartment, the glow of a small lamp casting shadows across the walls. His sister's laughter from earlier still echoed faintly in the hall—Jiwon had been talking on the phone, probably with Mira again. And that fact alone twisted something bitter in his chest.
He poured himself another drink, the burn traveling down his throat like fire. His phone lay silent on the table. No calls. No texts. Not from Mira. Not from anyone.
He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling, his jaw tightening.
He knew she noticed. Mira wasn't blind—she could see the change in him. But what could he say? That the walls he had spent years building around his heart were crumbling every time she looked at him? That his silence wasn't indifference but desperation—because if he spoke, if he confessed, he might never be able to stop?
The thought alone made him want to shatter the glass in his hand.
Instead, he whispered into the emptiness:
"Stay away from me, Mira. Please."
But his voice cracked halfway through, betraying the plea.
Confrontation
Jiwon stood in the living room, her arms crossed tightly as if they were the only shield she had against her brother's piercing gaze. Leo leaned back against the sofa, his jaw clenched, eyes dark with frustration. He had always been the wall — the barrier between her and the world, between her and mistakes, between her and risks.
But this time, she wasn't going to let him silence her.
"Don't look at me like that, oppa," Jiwon snapped, her voice sharper than he expected. "You think I don't know what you're about to say? That I'm reckless? That I let Claire noona spoil me? That I'm just following her around without thinking? I know all of that already — but you don't know the whole story."
Leo's mouth opened, but she threw up her hand, cutting him off before a single word left his lips.
"No. You're not speaking right now. I've been quiet my whole life, letting you decide what's good for me and what's bad for me. You've been my protector, my parent, my everything — I get it. But tonight, I'm speaking, and you're listening."
Her chest rose and fell with the weight of unspoken years, her voice trembling but firm.
"I called for help when I needed it, oppa. Did you know that? That day when I felt like I couldn't handle everything anymore, I didn't just stay still. I called. I reached out. But the one who came wasn't you — it was her. Claire noona. She stood by me, she reminded me I wasn't weak. She gave me a hand when I was drowning. You weren't there… she was."
Her eyes shimmered as anger and sadness blurred together. She took a shaky step forward, her tone softening but not losing its edge.
"You think she's bad for me. You think she's manipulating me. But did it ever cross your mind, even once, that maybe she sees me as more than just your little sister? That maybe, just maybe, she believes in me the way I always wished someone would? She didn't treat me like a burden. She treated me like someone who mattered."
Leo's hands tightened into fists, his knuckles white. He wanted to argue, to shout back, but she didn't give him the chance.
"And yes," Jiwon continued, her voice gaining strength again, "I applied for the job at her company. Not because she forced me. Not because she bribed me with gifts. But because I wanted to. Because I finally wanted to stand on my own feet. You always told me to be independent, oppa, to be strong — so why, when I finally try, do you get angry at me? Why do you act like I betrayed you?"
Her lips trembled now, but she didn't back down. She stared right into his stormy eyes, tears threatening to spill but her chin raised defiantly.
"You don't get to decide everything for me anymore. I love you, oppa, but I can't keep living in your shadow. I need you to trust me. I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing. And if I fall… then let me fall. At least it will be my choice."
Silence filled the room like smoke, heavy and suffocating. Leo's breath caught in his chest, words dying in his throat. For the first time in years, he had no argument, no lecture, no shield of authority to throw back at her. She had spoken every truth he'd buried under his fear of losing her.
Jiwon wiped at her eyes roughly and stepped back, as though she had just fought the hardest battle of her life. Her voice lowered to a whisper, the final strike to his heart.
"She's not bad, oppa. She's the one who made me feel like I could be good enough. And maybe you don't want to hear it, but I need her in my life. Whether you approve or not."
Some Time Alone
The neon lights outside the pojangmacha flickered faintly, painting the rainy street in streaks of orange and red. Leo leaned heavily against the wooden table, his broad shoulders hunched, the faint smell of soju clinging to him like second skin. His friend, Minhyuk, sat across from him, a half-empty bottle between them, watching him with that sly grin he always wore when Leo was on the edge.
Leo had never been good with alcohol. One glass, maybe two, he could handle. But tonight wasn't about limits. Tonight was about numbing everything that Mira's name made him feel. The moment her face floated into his mind, he drank again. And again. And again.
"Hyung…" Minhyuk swirled his glass, smirking. "You've been quiet for an hour. That's dangerous. Means you're overthinking. Tell me, what is it this time? Work stress? Or…" he leaned forward with a wicked grin, "that woman?"
Leo's jaw tightened. The warmth of alcohol spread through his veins, loosening the locks he'd kept shut for years. His lips trembled before words spilled out, low and broken.
"I miss her."
The words weren't loud, but they hit Minhyuk like a bomb. He burst out laughing. "Yah—Leo Choi Youngjae, the man who swore he'd never bend for a chaebol, is sitting here drunk, crying about her? Are you kidding me?"
Leo's fist clenched on the table. His eyes reddened, shimmering with tears he'd never let anyone see. Except now, the soju had stripped him bare. He leaned forward, voice cracking.
"I can't stop thinking about her… Mira. Everything she does, every word she says… it drives me insane. I thought I could ignore it. I thought if I hated her enough, I could kill whatever this is." His voice broke. He lowered his face into his palms, shoulders trembling. "But it's not working. I miss her. Damn it, I miss her so much it hurts."
Minhyuk blinked, then suddenly pulled out his phone, chuckling like a devil. "This—this is gold. No one will believe me otherwise. The great Leo Choi, crying like a baby over a woman. I need to record this."
"Don't—" Leo mumbled, but his voice was muffled in his hands.
Too late. Minhyuk angled the camera, capturing every tear-streaked confession, every hiccup of pain. "Say it again, hyung. Say her name. For the fans."
"I miss… Mira…"
Click. Video saved.
Minhyuk laughed so hard he almost fell from his chair. "Ah, this is going viral between us, I swear. You'll thank me tomorrow."
Leo's head hit the table with a dull thud. The world spun, his eyes heavy. He passed out before he could fight back.
🌙 The Next Morning
Leo woke to the shrill buzz of his phone. His temples pounded, mouth dry as desert sand. Groaning, he reached out blindly and grabbed it.
A notification blinked on the screen. His heart stopped.
[Sent to: Mira Han] – 1 video
His blood ran cold.
"No…" His trembling thumb opened the chat. There it was. A thirty-second video. Him, drunk, broken, crying Mira's name into his hands. His face red, tears staining his cheeks. His voice cracking like a lost child.
Leo shot up from the bed so fast he almost tripped over himself. "No, no, no, no!" His throat burned as he shouted. He bolted downstairs, nearly breaking the railing as he slammed into the living room.
"Minhyuk!"
His friend was sprawled on the couch, snoring. Leo stormed over, grabbing the phone from his hand. "You bastard, tell me you didn't—"
Minhyuk stirred, eyes half open. "What? Morning already? Hyung, you were hilarious last night…"
"You SENT IT TO HER!" Leo's voice cracked. His chest heaved, panic clawing at him. "Why the hell would you send it to her?!"
Minhyuk blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing again. "Wait—did I actually press send? Holy crap—"
Leo lunged at him, shaking his shoulders. "Delete it! DELETE IT NOW!"
The commotion brought Jiwon down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. "Oppa… what's going on? Why are you screaming so early—"
Her eyes landed on the phone screen still glowing with the message. The thumbnail of her brother crying like a child. She froze, then… burst out laughing.
"Oh. My. God." She held her stomach, bending over in laughter. "Oppa, you confessed to her like this? Crying? This is priceless! I wish I could frame this moment forever."
Leo's face burned crimson. "Jiwon, shut up! This isn't funny!"
But the more he panicked, the harder they laughed. His humiliation twisted into something deeper—a raw ache that only sharpened when he realized what the video truly revealed: his truth. He did miss Mira. He couldn't run anymore.
As Jiwon wiped her tears of laughter, Leo's chest tightened. His hands shook. His heart whispered what his pride never let him say:
I can't live without her.
🌆That Evening
It didn't take long to find her. Mira always left trails, even when she didn't mean to. The video had been sent, but she hadn't replied. Instead, through hushed whispers at the office and the discreet GPS ping from a contact he'd once sworn he'd never use, Leo found himself standing before a luxury hotel—the Han Group's crown jewel.
Her hotel.
The lobby shimmered with marble and gold, security guards posted like sentinels. Leo barged in, ignoring their warnings. "I need to see her."
"Sir, you can't enter without—"
"Move!" He shoved past, climbing stairs when the elevator took too long. His lungs burned, but he didn't stop. Guards followed, radios buzzing, footsteps echoing behind him.
By the time he burst onto the rooftop, the sky was streaked in hues of violet and fire. Mira stood at the edge, wind tugging at her hair, her posture strong but her eyes unreadable. She turned, lips curving faintly.
"You're persistent, Choi Youngjae."
The guards caught up, one reaching out. "Ma'am, should we remove him?"
Mira's hand lifted gracefully. "No. Leave."
They hesitated, then stepped back, retreating to the stairwell. The rooftop was theirs alone.
Leo's chest heaved as he stumbled closer, the words clawing up his throat. "Why didn't you answer me?"
Mira tilted her head, studying him. "What was there to answer? You already said everything last night, didn't you?"
His face burned. "That… that wasn't me. I was drunk—"
She laughed softly, a sound that cut deeper than any blade. "Funny. Drunk words are often the most honest. You said you miss me. You cried for me. And now, here you are, breaking into my hotel like a madman."
Leo froze. Her eyes gleamed with something sharp, unreadable.
He swallowed hard, voice breaking as he stepped closer. "Mira… tell me honestly. What do you want from me?"
The wind howled between them, carrying her silence like a challenge.
Then she smiled—soft, dangerous. "The same thing you've been running from."
Leo's heart thundered. He clenched his fists, staring at her like she was both salvation and ruin.
And finally, his voice dropped, low and trembling with the weight of everything he'd buried.
"Answer me this, Mira… If I give in—if I let myself fall for you—will you stay… or will you destroy me?"
To Be Continued...