INT. SERI'S APARTMENT – NIGHT
The lights are warm but dim. Cozy.
Seri drops her bag, tosses her blazer on the couch, and walks straight to the fridge.
Opens it.
SERI
"…Empty again."
She slams it shut, annoyed.
Plops herself down on a chair.
SERI
(grumbling)
"Cold one second. Suspicious the next.
What's next? A tracking chip under my desk?"
She sighs heavily, head thrown back. Silence.
Then — her stomach growls.
She groans.
SERI
"I need something spicy before I explode."
She grabs a hoodie and a small sling bag. Ties her hair up.
⸻
EXT. STREET ALLEY – NIGHT
Seri walks alone through a dimly lit street.
She's now in a gray hoodie, glasses on. Hair messy in a cute way.
But her steps are determined.
In her hand: a steaming cup of tteokbokki from her favorite stall. Red sauce dripping. Fishcakes and eggs, all in one bite.
She munches while walking home — but she's also ranting… to herself.
SERI
"Oh, Director Kang Jungho, is it?
Just because you're tall and rich and stupidly well-dressed—"
She chomps another spicy rice cake, her lips red from the gochujang.
SERI
"You think you can just… laser-beam stare into my soul?
You're not the only one with eyes, you know."
A beat.
SERI
"I mean… who just removes their glasses like that?
What are you? Superman of Emotional Damage?"
She takes a breath, the spice hitting her hard.
SERI
(mumbling with a mouthful of tteokbokki)
"Note to self… never trust a man with good hair and better suits… they ruin your appetite and your day."
Suddenly, a piece of rice cake slips from her chopsticks and drops onto her hoodie.
SERI
"Seriously—?
Even the food's attacking me now?!"
She pauses. Stops walking.
Looks up at the night sky.
Suddenly — distant shouting.
She pauses.
A few dark figures gathered under a flickering streetlamp.
A man is cornered. Voices are low, threatening. Movement, aggressive.
She rolls her eyes.
SERI
(to herself)
"Not my problem. Not tonight."
She turns to walk away.
SERI (V.O.)
People talk too much already.
One rooftop fight and suddenly I'm Bruce Lee in heels.
But—
A voice cuts through the chaos.
Male. Firm. Familiar.
Her steps halt mid-stride.
She narrows her eyes… cautiously turns her head…
Then squints into the shadows — spicy tteokbokki still in her mouth.
Suddenly her eyes go wide.
SERI
(chokes slightly)
"…Is that—?!"
She lowers her cup slowly.
SERI
"CEO Kang Jungho?!"
She ducks behind a lamppost. Peeks again.
SERI (V.O.)
What in Armani hell is he doing here?
In this alley? Past midnight?
Is this a… hobby??
She bites her lip.
Weighing the moment.
The situation looks serious.
Too serious.
Her grip tightens.
But her feet… are already moving.
The air is thick with tension. Five men stand surrounding Kang Jungho, whose expensive coat contrasts sharply with the dim streetlight and gritty asphalt.
Jungho's breathing is calm but shallow.
His hand briefly brushes his inner coat pocket—he's armed with instinct, not a weapon.
Then—
The sound of soft footsteps.
He stiffens slightly. Looks up—
Im Seri is walking toward them. Hoodie on. Tteokbokki still in one hand.
She stops a few feet away, casual but unreadable.
SERI
(dryly)
"Wow. I came out for snacks, not street theater."
Jungho's jaw clenches.
Their eyes meet.
For a split second, something flashes in his — unease? worry?
He subtly shakes his head, a quiet warning:
Don't.
But it's too late.
The apparent boss of the men — tall, snake tattoo curling out from his collar — turns to Seri.
GANGSTER BOSS
"Back off, girl. This isn't your business."
Seri takes a slow bite of her tteokbokki. Chews thoughtfully.
SERI
"You sure? Because from here, it looks like you're just five grown men arguing with a guy who out-dressed you without trying."
Jungho almost smiles — a corner twitch — but quickly suppresses it.
SERI
(glancing at Jungho)
"Should I come back later when it's more fair? Like ten against one?"
The men shift uneasily. One of them laughs, unsure if she's joking. Another snaps:
THUG #2
"We said back off! This is your last warning!"
Jungho's eyes widen, barely.
He steps forward, low voice only for her:
JUNGHO
(firm, quiet)
"Im Seri. Go home."
She glances at him.
Their stare lingers.
But before she can respond—
He lifts his hand and yells:
JUNGHO
"HEY! Is that a cop drone?"
He points toward the rooftops.
All five gangsters instinctively turn their heads—reflex.
In that split second—
Jungho grabs Seri's wrist tightly.
JUNGHO
"Run..!"
And just like that — they bolt.
Their footsteps echo through the alley.
GANGSTER BOSS
"HEY! Don't run!"
THUG #2
"You're dead if you run!"
Shouts fill the air. Fast footsteps follow.
Jungho pulls Seri behind him as they round a corner. She stumbles slightly — more out of surprise than fear — her tteokbokki cup flying into the night like a tragic snack casualty.
SERI
"My tteokbokki!"
JUNGHO
"Seriously?!"
SERI
"That was dinner!"
The narrow alley stretches like a trap.
They reach the end.
Dead end.
Jungho slows down, chest heaving. Seri, right behind him, gasping.
JUNGHO
(panting, glaring)
"You seriously couldn't just eat your tteokbokki and mind your business?!"
SERI
(wheezing, hands on knees)
"Excuse me, it was a romantic dinner for one! You're the one who dragged me into this cardio nightmare!"
Before she can finish—
One of the thugs reaches them and swings a punch.
Jungho dodges and blocks, gritting his teeth.
A second man lunges — Jungho manages to land a hit, but he's clearly not at 100%.
Another punch gets through —
Jungho takes a hit to the jaw.
SERI
(freezes, horrified)
"Whoa, whoa—did you just let your face get punched?!
That's like… the money-making part!"
Jungho wipes his mouth, eyes blazing.
JUNGHO
"Run, Seri!"
He steps forward, trying to shield her —
But another thug blocks her exit.
THUG #3
(grinning)
"Too late to run, sweetheart. You're already part of this mess."
He steps too close.
His hand reaches out—grabbing her wrist—
THUG #3
"You don't look like much of a fighter—"
BAD MOVE.
CRACK!
In one explosive move, Seri twists his wrist, knees his gut, and spins a full elbow into his temple.
THUG #3 DROPS LIKE A BAG OF RICE.
Silence .
Everyone stares.
Even Jungho.
SERI
(adjusting her sleeve)
"You were saying?"
THUG #2 (nervously)
"Bro… did she just—"
SERI
(muttering as she adjusts her hoodie)
"All I wanted was tteokbokki and peace…"
Jungho is blinking, stunned.
He's bleeding slightly — but more baffled than anything.
She fights like she's trained.
Like it's not her first time.
And just like that, the energy has shifted.
Seri cracks her knuckles.
SERI
"Alright, gentlemen. Who's next?"
The silence hangs
Then—
ALL THUGS RUSH HER.
Jungho's eyes widen.
CRACK! — elbow to the chin.
WHACK! — sweep to the legs.
THUMP! — reverse punch straight to the gut.
One by one—
They go down like dominoes.
Fast. Precise.
No wasted movement.
Jungho stands frozen.
All five men?
Down. Groaning. Moaning. Laid flat.
Seri straightens her hoodie, barely winded.
She turns to him, brushing a strand of hair off her face.
SERI
(calmly)
"Still want me to go home?"
Jungho doesn't answer.
He's staring.
Not at her.
Through her.
He's calculating.
That wasn't just kickboxing.
That wasn't self-defense.
JUNGHO (V.O.)
She's not here by accident.
And I don't think she's here for a paycheck, either.
He takes a slow step back, eyes narrowing.
JUNGHO (V.O.)
So what are you, Im Seri?
A spy? A shadow?
Are you here to protect me—
Or kill me?
The tension in his eyes tightens as Seri slowly walks toward him.
Deliberate. Calm.
Almost… predator-like.
JUNGHO (V.O.)
This is it. This is how it ends.
Death by hoodie girl.
She steps closer.
One foot.
Half a foot.
An inch.
She's right in front of him now.
Jungho tenses.
His eyes flicker in panic — he flinches slightly, hands ready, as if she might strike—
But she just lifts her hand…
And gently fixes his crooked glasses.
SERI
(dead serious voice, soft)
"If that fight made me drop even one rice cake…
I'm billing it to your corporate card."
Jungho blinks.
She smiles—just a little. Mischievous.
His heart? Skips.
JUNGHO (V.O.)
What the hell is wrong with me.
They sit side by side on the curb in front of a dimly lit convenience store.
A can of coffee in Jungho's hand.
A small bottle of water and a box of bandages in Seri's.
SERI
(grumbling as she opens the bandage)
"If you can't handle gangsters, maybe don't make midnight appointments with them."
JUNGHO
(dryly)
"It was supposed to be one man.
A client. That's all."
SERI
(shooting him a glare)
"And you believed that?"
He shrugs.
JUNGHO
"…Apparently, they RSVP'd as a group."
She rolls her eyes.
Then—without warning—leans in and presses the alcohol pad gently to the cut on his cheek.
JUNGHO
(startled, pulls back)
"Yah—!"
SERI
(stern, holding his chin firmly)
"Still this stubborn after getting punched?"
He freezes.
SERI
(muttering)
"You got jumped, nearly died, and still acting like a spoiled chaebol with a paper cut."
JUNGHO
(quietly)
"…They were from a company I consulted for.
Let's just say… the deal didn't go as planned."
SERI
(applying the bandage)
"Did you insult their fashion sense?"
He gives a faint chuckle, but it fades quickly.
A pause.
Seri's eyes drift for a second —
To his glasses, slightly tilted on his face.
She squints a little.
SERI
(casual tone, but sharp eyes)
"You always wear those?
Even at night?"
JUNGHO
(instinctively touching them, defensive)
"…Helps with migraines."
SERI
(nodding slowly, almost too slowly)
"Right. Stylish migraines."
She says nothing else—
But her glance lingers one second too long.
JUNGHO (V.O.)
Did she notice something?
No… she couldn't have.
Not from that.
He sips his coffee, trying to stay composed.
JUNGHO
(softly)
"How'd you learn to fight like that?"
SERI
(quiet, hesitant)
"I was trained…
since I was a kid."
Jungho turns to look at her.
SERI
(after a beat, voice barely above a whisper)
"My little sister… she used to get scared easily.
Even thunder made her cry.
So I told her:
'If anything bad ever comes near you…
I'll punch it first.'"
She gives a light laugh, but there's no humor in it.
SERI
"Then one day…
something bad did come.
And I wasn't fast enough."
Jungho's smile fades.
He sees it now—clear and raw behind her calm exterior.
She blinks fast, the tiniest shine in her eyes.
But she doesn't let them fall.
SERI
"So I made sure…
no one would ever have to save me again."
She finally meets his gaze — steady but tired.
Strong, yet full of something fragile.
And Jungho?
He's speechless.
Because even without using his power—
He feels everything.