Rain poured relentlessly outside the wide glass windows. The city below shimmered in scattered puddles and golden reflections.
Junho stood still, hands in pockets, his silhouette framed against the night. His thoughts were loud despite the silence around him. Everything felt heavier these days… the Japan trip, Seri, Taehyun, Hanna… and this creeping feeling he was missing something important.
A soft knock.
Daejin stepped in, a file in one hand and an umbrella tucked under the other.
"Sir, it's late. The rain's not letting up either. You should head home," he said sincerely.
Junho didn't turn. "You go ahead. I'll just review the Kyoto proposal once more."
Daejin paused, then gave a knowing nod. "Well, don't blame me if your mirror tells you tomorrow that CEO Kang Junho is overworked and under-rested."
A faint, rare smile curved Junho's lips. "Noted."
"Goodnight, CEO Kang," Daejin grinned as he walked out.
Junho turned slowly. Alone again.
The office was too quiet. Rain still tapped. City still glowed. He lowered into his chair and slid the Kyoto file closer, fingers tense as he tried to shift focus.
PAP.
A soft sound echoed. Something had fallen in the distance—metallic, maybe glass?
Junho stilled. He straightened, alert. The hum of the city beyond the glass… then silence.
"Daejin?" he called cautiously.
No reply.
He frowned and looked toward the door. Maybe Daejin hadn't left yet? Junho rose, grabbed his phone. No notifications…and stepped into the hallway.
The lights were dimmed. His footsteps echoed across the marble floor as he walked slowly. He peeked into a side office, empty. Another…dark. He stopped at the pantry. The light was on. But no one was inside. He stepped in cautiously. The scent of leftover coffee lingered. One cup sat on the counter. Fresh.
His gaze dropped to a small spoon on the floor, still spinning in a slow, tight circle like it had just landed.
Junho bent, picked it up. As he stared at the spoon, tension crawled into his shoulders. The rain whispered against the windows.
Then a voice cut the silence…soft, steady, familiar.
"You really shouldn't work so late, Mr. Kang."
He froze. Turned. There she was.
Im Seri stood just beyond the pantry entrance, half-shadowed by the dim lights. Her coat was damp from the rain, her long hair loose, her stance composed with a tired kind of strength.
Junho's voice is quiet, full of disbelief. "Seri…?"
He stands frozen as Seri steps closer…too close. The silence thickens. Her eyes lock with his. His breath becomes shallow. Her face just a breath away from his. Junho doesn't move. He can feel her presence. Her warmth…the storm outside feels quieter than this moment.
Their noses almost touch.
Then, softly, Seri murmurs, "Relax, Mr. Kang…"She lifts her hand, slowly…as if she's going to touch his face.
Instead… She plucks the spoon from his fingers. "…You were about to stir your coffee with a soup ladle." She raises an eyebrow and smirks, breaking the tension completely.
Junho glances down at the giant spoon he'd grabbed without thinking. "I—it was dark…"
Seri, glancing around with a soft tone, says, "Yet it is… so… what are you doing here?" Her voice is low, almost like a whisper. Junho blinks…her tone, her closeness. It sends a pulse through him.
For a second, he thinks—Is she…? No. Not here. Not like this.
But her eyes don't leave his. She's studying him. Deeper than before. And Junho, for the first time, feels like she's not just looking at him… she's looking through him.
"You keep it all to yourself, don't you?" she says quietly. "That power. That silence. Must be exhausting…"
Junho doesn't speak. He can't. How could she know that? Then she shifts away, turning toward the coffee table as if none of that just happened.
"I was just… checking on the Kyoto proposal," he finally says, still stunned.
Seri smirks. "Mmm. Not supposed to be here this late, CEO Kang. It's after-hours, you know." She pours her drink, still casual.
"I stay late sometimes. Gotta keep an eye out… in case anyone decides to turn the office into a dating zone."
Junho raised a brow. "Someone's dating here?"
Seri smiled, the corner of her lips tugging as if amused by his obliviousness. As if he didn't realize it was him who had been dating Han Hanna, very publicly. But of course, she couldn't say that. Instead, she gave him a casual glance and said, "Maybe it's just… the best spot to catch some love." Her tone mocked him sweetly.
Junho's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who are you talking about?"
She didn't answer right away. Just took a slow sip from her coffee, her gaze fixed on him with quiet amusement.
Junho stepped closer. "Why are you…? I never dated anyone. Especially not in this office."
Seri let out a soft laugh. "What a bold confession."
Her eyes sparkled with teasing mischief, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. The air between them grew taut again, not with accusation… but with something more complicated.
Junho turns defensive. "Nothing happened that night. I wasn't…I mean, we didn't…"
"Relax. I don't crash steamy office scenes. I'm just a fixer, not a fire extinguisher." "You really don't have to explain yourself, Mr. Kang. I'm just a typical employee, remember?"
She sips her coffee with a calm that feels like a slap. Junho's jaw tenses. That phrase again…typical employee.
He steps forward, suddenly catching her mug mid-air…almost grabbing her hand in the process.
Seri gasps…startled.
Their eyes meet. Silence. Just the sound of rain ticking softly on the windows. His hand still near hers. Close. Too close. Junho's hand brushes against Seri's as he grips the mug not letting go. The moment lingers. The air hums with something undeniable.
Junho stared at her fully now, his voice low. "Stop making me feel like this… you're driving me insane." His gaze didn't waver. The tension in his jaw, the storm in his eyes, it said everything he couldn't.
If she kept acting like she didn't matter to him, like her presence didn't shift the axis of his world… he really might lose control. She wasn't just getting under his skin. She was already in too deep.
Seri didn't flinch. She tilted her head slightly, calm as ever. "I'm…"
Before she could finish, The pantry door creaks open. A sharp gust of wind sneaks in. They both turn.
Hanna is standing there. Soaking wet. Her eyes shimmer.
Rain clings to her silk blouse, darkening it slightly…strands of hair stick to her cheeks, her breath coming uneven. Her clutch bag almost slips from her fingers.
"…Junho…"
Just that. Nothing more. Like the sound of a glass breaking from the inside. Junho freezes. Seri slowly steps back, distancing herself without a word.
What happened to Hanna? Why was she standing there, soaked from the rain, just staring at them?
Now Flashback at Ryun's luxury apartment building in Gangnam.
Rain drums on the rooftop as Hanna walks under her umbrella, heels clicking steadily. She spots the Woman in White slipping into a white luxury coupe near Ryun's apartment. The engine purrs. The taillights blink.
"Let's find out who you really belong to," Hanna murmurs, sliding into her own car.
She follows at a careful distance. Her phone buzzes…ignored. Her eyes stay locked on the road.
The coupe turns into a luxury complex Hanna knows all too well. She slows, heart tightening, as the woman disappears inside. Fingers trembling, she texts Ryun
Where are you?
The reply came quickly.
Still shooting at Yongin. You okay?
Her heart beat faster. She swallowed hard, then typed slowly, deliberately:
Can I come over to your place tonight?
The phone rings.
"Why do you want to go there? I'm not home," Ryun says gently.
"I just… don't want to be home right now," she replies flatly.
"You're tired. Rest. I'll call you when I wrap," he says.
A pause. Then softly, "Ryun… do you love me?"
A sigh. Then a chuckle. Her grip tightens. She ends the call. Stares at the building, unmoving. The rain keeps falling. The storm hasn't even begun.
The elevator doors glided open with a soft ding. Hanna stepped out, drenched from the rain. Her long coat clung to her figure, and her heels clicked anxiously against the marble hallway. Each step toward the familiar door grew heavier, her heart thudding with dread.
"Please… please don't be him… please don't let it be true…" she whispered under her breath.
A soft creak echoed. Ahead, a door began to shut slowly.
It was his.
Hanna froze. Her body refused to move. Her breath caught. Her eyes locked on the door now sealed before her. Rainwater dripped from her hem. Her fingers trembled. The doorbell chimed inside the apartment.
"Who is that?" Ryun sighed as he got up and moved to the screen near the door. He tapped it.
On-screen, a security guard stood in the hallway, waiting politely.
"Yes?" Ryun asked, brows slightly raised.
"Sorry to disturb, sir. There's a car blocking an assigned resident spot. Plate number ends with 37-NA," the guard replied.
Ryun turned back toward the woman. "Honey, where did you park?"
The woman walked in casually, still fixing her hair with a hand towel. "Um… right side of the entrance. By the wall, I think?"
Ryun let out a small wince. "Honey, that's guest reserved parking. You might be blocking someone."
He turned back to the guard. "I'll come down and move it. Sorry for the trouble."
"No worries. Just doing rounds," the guard replied with a nod.
Ryun grabbed a hoodie and his keys. "I'll be quick," he said to the woman.
She leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the cheek. "Sorry for troubling you."
He gave a faint smile, pulling the door open…
Then the door slammed back in. A forceful hand shoved it open.
There stood Hanna. Drenched. Mascara streaking. Her eyes filled with storm and fire. Her expression was calm, but it was the calm before something dangerous.
"H-Hanna?!" Ryun gasped, startled.