Everyone was gone. The meeting room had emptied. Only two remained. Taehyun sat casually on the couch, legs crossed, files in hand but his mind wasn't relaxed. Junho walked slowly across the room, eyes distant… until he reached the wide office windows. He looked out briefly. The view is stunning, powerful just like him.
Then… click.
He closed the window shutters. Slowly. Silently. Light faded. Tension rose. He turned. Walked toward Taehyun, now still on the couch. Then, Junho lowered himself onto the opposite couch…face-to-face. No more distractions. Just air heavy with unspoken things.
"So tell me… why do you think this project will succeed?" His voice was low, calm.
Taehyun leaned back slightly. A small, confident smile tugged at the corners of his lips. But his pulse? Racing. He knew this wasn't just a business question.
"Because you're the type who doesn't move unless it's worth winning," Taehyun said casually.
Junho's gaze didn't budge. "…Hmm." No smile. No answer. Just calculation behind his eyes. Then he slowly took off his glasses. Deliberate. Controlled. Like lowering a weapon after pulling back the trigger… but not firing.
Taehyun didn't blink. But there was a flicker. His palms began to sweat. His spine straightened slightly.
Three seconds passed. Four.
And then… The door burst open.
"Mr. Kang," Seri said, breathing steady, voice firm.
Taehyun stayed still, but his palms were clammy now.Junho looked up, blinking once…glasses now back on. Behind her, Taehyun exhaled quietly, masking it as a yawn.
Seri angled her tone deliberately, drawing his attention. Every word was measured, designed to pull his focus away from Taehyun and back to her. "If we're going to make this pitch international, you'll need to approve the press framework before the delegation arrives," she continued, cool but direct.
She walked further in, placing a folder onto Junho's desk…carefully, like it was a reason, a shield… and a warning.
"That couldn't wait?" Junho asked, suspicious, guarded.
Seri was now standing in front of him, her gaze steady and unflinching. She didn't say a word…just looked at him. A deep, silent stare that said more than any explanation could. A look that told him, quietly but firmly… that's enough. "Should I wait?" she asked, voice calm but the edge in her tone felt like a warning.
Junho stared at her, eyes locked like he might need to surrender first… before this woman pulled the emotional trigger he wasn't ready for. Then he looked down briefly, jaw tight. "You can go, Mr. Lee," he said.
Taehyun met her gaze subtly. He knew. Junho narrowed his eyes. Something about this felt off. But Seri had already turned away, her expression cool…carefully distant, like a curtain pulled just before the truth slipped through.
"I'll email the soft copy, too. Just in case," she continued , turning to leave. Calm, precise…but not without sending a clear message. She was watching.
"Well… I guess my job is done here," Taehyun said, grinning lightly as he rose.
"Hmph," Junho muttered, not even hiding his irritation.
Taehyun gave a polite nod and turned to leave, his steps deliberate, almost theatrical. Unbothered on the surface… but too smooth to trust.
Junho leaned back, eyes narrowing. He adjusted his glasses. Not reading anymore. Just thinking. The silence in the room grew thick, like the air had weight. His fingers tapped once on the armrest… then stilled.
The door creaked open quietly.
Daejin peeked in, holding two cups of coffee. His steps slowed when he saw Junho's expression. Tense, distant, like his mind was somewhere far from this office.
"I tried to read him and all I saw in 3 seconds was… a giant house?" he muttered to himself. He paused. Frowned. "Who thinks about marble floors during a meeting?" "I did. In his brain," Junho replied flatly.
"You okay, sir? You look like you just toured someone's mansion," Daejin asked, poking his head in.
Junho didn't move for a moment, then took the cup with a sigh. "I tried to read him… and all I saw was a house."
Daejin blinked. "Like a mental fortress?"
"No. Like an actual house. A big one. Marble floors. Silence. Not even a trace of what he was thinking."
Daejin raised a brow. "Maybe he's boring. Or hiding something behind all that property value.Well… at least he's rich."
Junho stared at his reflection in the coffee. "Either way… it's not nothing."
Taehyun exited the elevator, adjusting his sleeves with a sigh of relief until…
"Going somewhere, Mr. Ken?" Seri appeared suddenly from behind the wall.
Taehyun jumped back, dramatically clutching his chest. "Oh my god—! I wasn't ready to meet death like this!" He grinned. "You really are not ordinary, just like Kenji said…" He leaned closer, mock-whispering, "How'd you know he was gonna use it on me?"
"I'm not working here just to babysit a delusional girl with a fantasy crush," Seri said, arms crossed. "I watch every step. Including yours."
"Remind me not to play chess with you," Taehyun laughed softly.
Seri just gave a slight smirk. Subtle. Controlled. The kind that didn't give anything away. She was, as always, completely unreadable… and utterly unpredictable.
Taehyun said, "So… Kyoto's in a few days. Is this where you finally let me in?"
He tried to sound casual, but his eyes stayed sharp, watching her closely.
"You've done well, Mr. Lee Taehyun. Charming your way in, feeding them exactly what they wanted to hear." She turned to face him briefly. "Now leave the rest to me."
Taehyun lifted a brow, feigning offense. "Oh, so now I get graded?"
Seri folded her arms, watching him with steady eyes. "Let's just say you've made my job… a lot easier," she replied sternly, though a faint smirk curved her lips.
He chuckled under his breath, leaning slightly toward her. "I aim to please."
"Don't."
"Can't help it." He grinned wider, unfazed
They walked through the glass doors side by side. A gust of wind swept past them, a silent signal that everything was shifting, faster than it seemed.
At Hanna's corporate studio wing inside her entertainment agency, rain poured steadily outside the tall glass windows. The sound of distant thunder hummed beneath the fluorescent lights as she stepped into the restroom…poised, graceful as ever in heels, her hair perfectly in place after the shoot.
She walked to the sink, set down her designer clutch, and washed her hands with composed elegance. As she reached up to fix her lipstick, her eyes flicked toward the mirror, catching a woman beside her.
The woman was dressed immaculately in a white tailored outfit. Draped over her arm, a bright pink luxury bag. Her long hair was styled, her demeanor polished. On the counter, resting near the faucet…a bright pink phone case, matching the bag almost identically.
"Lavender and citrus?" Hanna tilted her head, casual yet probing. "Quite a bold mix."
"Mm. It sticks, doesn't it?" the woman smirked in the mirror. "I like things that feel… memorable."
Of course. Hanna knew that scent well because she used it too. Thank God she had picked a different fragrance today. "You seem committed to that color. Pink phone, pink bag… Obsession or coincidence?"
"Definitely obsession. Most of my things are this shade. Even my slippers."
Hanna let out a small, amused breath. Not quite laughter. But her gaze lingered now, heavier.
Suddenly, the woman's phone buzzed from the pink bag. She picked it up, still smiling. "Hello, honey… I'm still in the washroom. I'll text you once I arrive." She hung up and laughed. "Sorry. Men are always so impatient when they're waiting, aren't they?"
"You're lucky. To have someone waiting on you." Hanna smiled faintly, folding the paper towel. "Trust me…" She turned slightly to leave, then added softly, "…until they stop."
"Oh… sounds like you've been in that situation, huh?" the woman giggled.
"I've learned not everything stays perfect forever."
"I get it. I'm just… lucky, I guess. He's an actor, you know." She leaned in, whispering, "There's been a lot of rumors swirling around him. Scandals , interviews, fans…but thank God, he still chooses me."
"Wow. An actor, huh? Must be hard… all that attention on him."
"Yeah, sometimes it feels like I'm dating the spotlight too. But he always makes it clear. I come first."
"So… is he someone I'd know? A big name?"
"Oh, come on. I can't tell you that!" The woman leaned closer, brushing her hair back with a subtle flick. "But I'll say this…"
She adjusted a small necklace…a silver charm that Hanna immediately recognized. It was a limited-release gift Lee Ryun had given out at his film premiere last year. "He's been working on this new project lately. A lot of secrecy. But you'll probably see more of him soon. He said once he wraps things up with the PR company… we might finally go public."
"PR company?"
"Yeah. He's been dealing with one lately. Said it's been… complicated." "Oh no. I've said too much, haven't I?"
"Not at all," Hanna smiled coldly. "You've said… just enough."
The conversation stopped right there.
Hanna's fingers tightened slightly around her clutch. Her smile remained, but her eyes had turned sharp…calculating. Behind that poised exterior, something had cracked… just enough to let the fury in.
Everything the woman had said… every perfume note, every same-colored item, the necklace, every soft smirk and careless word. It all pointed to one person. Him. Ryun. And suddenly, it wasn't just about suspicion anymore. It was personal.