The next day, the office was quieter than it had ever been.
Too quiet.
The air carried no tension, no spark, just the dull hum of computers and the rhythmic clacking of keyboards. Ga-young sat at her desk, eyes glued to her monitor, her fingers moving fast, as if she could bury her thoughts in code.
Across the room, Min-jae did the same, face unreadable, attention fixed on his screen.
They only spoke when necessary. Short, clipped sentences about work. Nothing more.
Until a sharp ringtone sliced through the silence.
Ga-young flinched. She stared at the unknown number on her screen, hesitation tightening her chest.
Finally, she answered. "Hello?"
"Am I speaking with Ms. Choi Ga-young?"
A man's voice. Deep, official.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"This is Detective Kang Ji-hoon from the Seoul Police Department. We need you to come to the station immediately."
Her stomach dropped. "O-okay. I'll be there."
She ended the call and took a long, steadying breath before standing. Her voice was calm when she approached Min-jae's desk.
"Sir," she began softly, "my attention's been requested at the police station."
"You may leave," he said without looking up.
Her chest tightened. The distance in his voice stung more than it should've.
She lingered for a moment, fingers twisting nervously. "I'll return your coat tomorrow. I had it cleaned and—"
He cut her off, finally glancing up.
"You can toss it in the bin. I don't need it."
The words hit like a slap.
Ga-young swallowed the ache, forcing a bow. "Yes, sir."
And she walked out without another word.
---
The scent of disinfectant and paperwork filled the air. Ga-young followed the officer's direction until she saw them — the men from the night before, now locked behind bars. Her lips parted slightly in disbelief.
"Ms. Choi?"
She turned. A tall man in a beige trench coat extended his hand. "Detective Kang Ji-hoon."
"Detective?" she blinked. "Is it that serious?"
He chuckled lightly. "You don't need to worry. Someone influential requested I handle your case personally." He gestured toward the chair. "Please, have a seat."
She sat, still unsure what to expect.
"I want to apologize for what happened," he continued. "It must've been terrifying."
"It was," she admitted, her voice small.
"You can rest easy now. The men who attacked you are behind bars. And as for Ms. Jang Seo-ra…" he smiled faintly, "a restraining order has already been issued. She won't bother you again."
Ga-young leaned forward, eyes wide. "Really?"
"Really. Oh, and one more thing." He flipped through a file casually. "You don't owe her a single won anymore. Your debt's been cleared."
Her heart skipped. "C-cleared? Paid? By who?"
"I'm afraid that's confidential."
She frowned. "Not even a hint?"
Detective Kang shook his head with a sympathetic smile. "All I can say is — you're safe now, Ms. Choi. And whoever did this… clearly cares about you."
She sat back, the words echoing painfully.
Only one name came to mind. Min-jae.
If it was him… then she'd just made everything worse.
Detective Kang closed the file. "That's all for now. Sorry for calling you during work hours."
Ga-young stood, bowing respectfully. "No, I'm grateful. Truly."
"Just doing my job," he said, walking her to the door. "And remember — if anything happens, call me. You're under police protection now."
"Thank you, sir."
Outside, she found a bench beneath a tall oak tree. She sat, pressing her palms over her face.
"Of all the ways this could've gone," she muttered, voice trembling, "why did he have to be the one to save me again I made things clear yesterday?"
Tears welled. "I said I didn't want anything to do with him… and now this."
She stomped her foot lightly in frustration. "This is so embarrassing!"
Then an idea flickered. "Ji-hye."
She quickly dialed.
"Hey, what's up?" came the familiar voice.
"Can we talk?" Ga-young said quietly.
"What happened? Are you at the office?"
"No… I'm at the police station."
"The what?!" Ji-hye shouted.
"No! It's not what you think. Just—come, please."
"I'm on my way."
---
Moments Later
Ji-hye rushed in, hair barely tied, her eyes scanning until she spotted Ga-young sitting hunched beneath the tree.
"Oh my God — my baby," she said, running over.
"Ji-hye…" Ga-young breathed, collapsing into her arms.
"It's okay. I'm here." Ji-hye held her close, rubbing her back. "Now tell me everything."
"I'm doomed."
"That's dramatic. Start from the top."
"Do you know Jang Seo-ra?"
"Who doesn't? Heiress of ST Enterprise."
Ga-young nodded miserably. "She bought the firm my dad owed money to."
Ji-hye's eyes widened. "The big loan?"
"The biggest"
Ji-hye exhaled sharply. "So what did she do?"
"She… threatened me. Said if I didn't pay by today, she'd make me disappear."
"Disappear?" Ji-hye repeated, horrified. "And you waited until today to tell me?"
"I didn't want to worry you. But someone—someone paid the debt. I just don't know who."
Ji-hye crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter who! You should've called me the moment it happened. What if no one had stepped in? You'd just… what? Accept to disappear?"
Ga-young looked down. "I didn't want to drag you into my mess. You've got a family now—"
"Don't you dare pull that line," Ji-hye snapped, her voice softening after. "Thirteen years, Ga-young. We've been through everything together. You don't get to decide when I stop caring."
Ga-young smiled weakly. "That's exactly why I called you now."
"Why now?"
"There's something else."
Ji-hye squinted.
"I think the one who paid my debt… was Min-jae."
Ji-hye's jaw dropped. "That—actually makes sense. But wait, did you two—"
"Fight? Yes."
"I knew it!" Ji-hye said, snapping her fingers. "When I entered the office this morning, it was like walking into a refrigerator. No spark, no tension, just awkward silence."
Ga-young sighed. "I told him everything. The fake relationship. The bet. All of it."
Ji-hye gasped so loudly passersby turned. "You what?!"
"And he already knew."
"What? How?"
"I don't know. But I said things I shouldn't have. Cruel things. And now I can't even look at him."
Ji-hye sighed, folding her arms. "So the big crisis is: how to thank him without wanting to crawl under a rock."
Ga-young groaned. "Exactly."
"Then keep it simple," Ji-hye said, standing and brushing her coat. "Say thank you. Don't overthink it. He's not in the mood for long speeches anyway."
"So… short and clean."
"Exactly."
Ji-hye started walking toward her car. "And as for that Seo-ra witch…" She smirked. "Maybe it's time we teach her not to mess with the wrong women."
"No." Ga-young shook her head firmly. "That'll only make things worse. I just need to finish paying off the last debt — it's small. I'll handle it."
Ji-hye rolled her eyes. "Fine. But next time, if you keep something this big from me again, I'll personally show up at your house with a frying pan."
Ga-young chuckled. "Yes, Mrs. Hyun-woo."
Ji-hye grinned. "You should get married too, so I can finally tease you with your husband's name."
"Please," Ga-young said, climbing into the car. "I've already had enough drama to last a lifetime."
"Drama?" Ji-hye quirked a brow as she turned the key.
"Grandma and her minions came to visit," Ga-young sighed.
Ji-hye gasped theatrically. "No. Way. Start talking."
The car pulled out of the lot, their laughter trailing behind — a fragile warmth against all the chaos waiting just beyond the next corner.