Junho was about to speak, the words ready on his tongue, he couldn't let Seri keep thinking like that but the sound of footsteps on the stairs cut through the tension.
Taehyun's voice broke the charged air. "Funny… I leave you two alone for five minutes, and suddenly the air feels different up here."
Seri took a quiet step back from Junho, her gaze breaking away, landing instead on another gown draped elegantly on a nearby mannequin. The charged air between them thinned, replaced by the soft rustle of fabric as she moved.
Taehyun's footsteps reached the landing. His eyes swept the room before settling on her. "Find something you like?" he asked, his tone casual but edged with curiosity.
Seri didn't look at him. "I'll just let you choose," she replied evenly, fingers brushing the cool silk as though it didn't matter either way.
The sound of more footsteps followed. Hanna appeared first, a faint smile on her lips, with Bora trailing close behind, her arms full of glittering fabric. Daejin came last, carrying a single hanger like it was a weapon he'd been forced to hold.
Bora's eyes bounced between Seri and Junho before narrowing with playful suspicion. "What'd I miss?" she asked, already knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer.
Hanna's gaze lingered on Junho for a beat longer than necessary before she finally turned to survey the racks around them. "Find anything you like here?" she asked, though most of what surrounded them were gowns and glittering dresses clearly meant for women.
Junho's lips curved faintly, almost amused. "Not exactly my section," he said, his tone light, though his eyes flicked briefly toward Seri before shifting back to Hanna.
From a few steps away, Seri caught that glance. She didn't let it show, her expression steady as her fingers trailed idly over the fabric of a nearby dress. But her grip lingered a second longer than it needed to.
Taehyun, sensing the shift in the air, stepped in with an easy smile. "Blue would look good on you, Seri."
Junho's gaze flicked between them, a faint crease forming at his brow. How would Taehyun know what suited her? The thought felt ridiculous, but it lodged itself in his mind all the same.
Bora glanced over with a teasing grin. "Yeah, but she's not exactly the feminine type, you know? Put her in lace and she'd probably use it as a weapon."
Hanna's tone was smoother, more measured, as her gaze flicked toward Seri. "Maybe you could pick satin black," she suggested lightly. "It's a safe choice… if you don't like to be extra."
Taehyun laughed, the sound easy and unbothered. "Alright, I'll go get what's best on you, Seri." Without missing a beat, he turned toward Daejin. "And daejin, bring all the dresses to the counter. Every last one."
It was 12:45 a.m.
The hotel bar was nearly deserted, quiet and moody, bathed in soft golden light. The gentle clink of ice in a glass echoed somewhere behind the counter. Outside the tall windows, Kyoto's city lights flickered like restless stars, blurred by the reflection of amber chandeliers.
A faint jazz melody hummed from hidden speakers, drifting more like a memory than a song.
In the far corner, Seri sat alone. Her figure was still, her eyes clouded with thought. A glass of red wine sat untouched in front of her, catching the light like still blood in crystal.
Time felt suspended. The world was asleep, but her mind was not.
She spoke in a low whisper, barely audible over the hum of midnight air.
"I won't let him take another life. Not anymore."
Her fingertips pressed lightly against the glass, then released it as if letting go of a weight she had been carrying for too long.
A low voice broke the silence from behind her, rough around the edges but laced with forced charm.
「ねえ,綺麗なお嬢さん.隣,いいかな?」
Hey, pretty girl. May I join you?
Seri did not turn right away. Her fingers paused on the stem of her wine glass. The soft music kept playing. A beat passed before she slowly lifted her eyes to the bar mirror, just enough to catch his reflection.
「空いてる席は,他にもあるでしょ.」
*There are plenty of other
She finally turned just enough to glance at him. Her eyes were steady but unreadable, her lips curved in a faint smile that did not reach her eyes.
"Unless you are the kind that enjoys danger."
Only then did she look up fully, and the stranger's smirk sharpened into something familiar. Taehyun lowered himself into the seat beside her, still in his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled casually, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"How did you know I was here?" she asked.
"I checked a few places," he replied, taking the water the bartender set in front of him. "Places where someone might go when they need to clear their head. Oh, and I also went to the gym. But it was already closed."
She gave a soft, amused chuckle. "Thinking at the gym? That is a peaceful destination for an existential crisis."
"Punching a sandbag works wonders when you cannot punch the real villains."
"I do not swing unless I have to."
"That is why I found you here instead."
He signaled the bartender again. "Beer. Cold. And whatever she is having, refill it."
Leaning an elbow on the bar, he tilted his head toward her with a teasing smirk. "So, do you have a plan that involves me? I am dying to swing my sword again. It has been a while. Great exercise, you know."
"This is not some RPG game, Taehyun."
"Maybe not. But I have great stats in chaos and dramatic entrances."
She sipped her drink, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "I will keep that in mind."
His gaze flicked briefly to her arm, then back to her eyes. "Is your arm doing better?"
"It is still there. Still stings when I forget it exists. But I have had worse. I will live."
"Yeah," he said softly. "You always do."
"Was that admiration or concern?" she asked.
"Both. I would prefer not to see you bleeding again anytime soon."
"Then do not blink."
"I will not."
She did not respond. She only smiled faintly and let her eyes drift back down to her drink. It was not an answer, but it was not a denial either.
He watched her for a moment, then leaned in slightly, his tone softer. "I do not know why, but I get the feeling you want to end this on your own. You do not want Junho involved. Am I right?"
"It is not about what I want."
"But it is. You would rather bleed in silence than let him carry any of it."
After a pause, she said quietly, "He has already carried enough."
"Do you really think he will step aside?" Taehyun's voice was low, almost certain. "I do not think he can just sit and watch."
Seri swirled her drink slowly, the reflection of the bar lights dancing across her eyes. "If Junho uses his power to see into Takeda, it might put him in more danger than any of us expected. This is not just about chasing one man. There are gangs, corporations, people we have not even identified yet."
She paused, her voice firmer now. "I need to plan this carefully. Every step has to be the safest it can be."
"So what is your plan?" he asked.
Her eyes stayed steady on him, her lips curling faintly. "Are you ready to hear it?"
"I did not come here for a bedtime story," he said, chuckling softly and lifting his glass. "I came because I am always ready for you, especially when it involves a dangerously crazy plan."
The bar was nearly empty. Low jazz hummed in the background. A few sleepy guests lingered over their drinks.
At the far end, Seri and Taehyun sat close, their voices low, focused. Plans were whispered over half-finished drinks.
Unseen by them, a figure sat quietly two booths back. Still. Silent. His face was shadowed, a glass of water before him, untouched.
He watched them through the bar's mirror, their reflections flickering in the dim light. He listened. He heard everything.
When Seri mentioned the gala, the risk, what she would do alone, he lowered his eyes in thought.
Then he rose. The chair barely creaked. The glass stayed full. He walked out. The door closed softly behind him.
They never knew he was there. But he knew.
And now, he knew exactly what she was planning.
At the same time, somewhere several floors above, steam curled lazily from the hotel bathroom. Bora stood in front of the wide mirror, a glittery pink headband keeping her hair back as she smoothed a thick layer of face mask over her cheeks. Her phone balanced precariously on the edge of the sink, playing upbeat music that clashed with the quiet elegance of the suite.
She leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting her work like a surgeon before a major operation. "Tomorrow's the big day," she murmured with a grin, patting her skin gently. "Gala glow… activated."
Her suitcase lay open on the bed just beyond the bathroom door, an explosion of sequins, silk, and three different pairs of dangerously high heels—none of which she planned to walk more than ten steps in.
Bora hummed, already picturing the cameras, the lights, and her grand entrance.
Two rooms down, Hanna sat cross-legged on her bed, laptop open and email pulled up. She scrolled through the script for tomorrow's live interview, muttering each line under her breath like a mantra.
"Welcome to Gala Leaders Unmasked… tonight, we pull back the curtain on Kyoto's most influential figures…" She paused, frowning, then read it again, adjusting her tone until it sounded sharp, confident, and effortless.
Her eyes darted to the highlighted notes in the margins, questions marked do not skip and she rehearsed them with crisp precision, already imagining