The rain from the night before had left the streets slick and shining like black glass. Inside the office, the hum of the printer and the clack of keyboards felt louder than usual, as if everyone was trying to drown out their own thoughts.
Kim Nam Shin sat at her desk, pretending to focus on a spreadsheet, but her eyes kept drifting toward the corridor. A pair of uniformed officers had been ushered in by the receptionist moments ago. Now, their low voices and the shuffle of their boots echoed faintly down the hall.
Near the window, Woo Jin-ho was on the phone, his back straight, one hand tucked in his pocket. The faint crease between his brows was the only sign of his unease. When he hung up, his gaze swept across the floor, meeting Nam Shin's for a brief, grounding second before moving on.
---
In the break room, two colleagues whispered over mugs of coffee.
"I heard they're interviewing everyone."
"Everyone? Even us?"
"Of course. Mi-seo was one of us."
Nam Shin poured herself hot water for tea, the steam blurring her vision for a moment.
"She seemed so… happy last week," she murmured without meaning to.
One of them shrugged. "Happy people die too, Nam Shin-ssi. You should be careful walking home."
The words clung to her even after she returned to her desk.
---
By mid-morning, the officers were making their way through the department, notebooks in hand. When it was her turn, Nam Shin found herself in a small meeting room that smelled faintly of coffee and old carpet.
"Kim Nam Shin-ssi," one officer began, flipping to a fresh page, "when did you last see Yoon Mi-seo?"
"Last Friday. We were in the elevator together. She was carrying a gift bag… said it was for a friend's birthday."
The officer glanced at his partner, then back at her. "Did she say where she was going that night?"
"No… she didn't."
When they finally let her go, Woo Jin-ho was waiting outside the door.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, though the tightness in her chest told another story.
"They'll be done soon," he said, his voice calm, like a steady rope she could hold onto. "Do you want to get some air after lunch?"
She hesitated. "I… think I'd like that."
During lunchtime
The cafeteria smelled of soy sauce and fried egg. The usual laughter was replaced by hushed tones and darting glances. Even the vending machine seemed to rattle more loudly than normal.
Woo Jin-ho joined her at a corner table, setting down a tray of bibimbap and iced tea. "Eat," he said simply.
She picked at her food. "Do you think… the killer's watching us?"
He studied her for a moment before answering. "If they are, that's why we don't show fear."
Outside the cafeteria window, a lone black umbrella stood at the far end of the street, unmoving. Nam Shin's gaze lingered on it, but when she blinked, it was gone.
By the end of the day, the office had emptied faster than usual. People avoided staying late, their eyes flicking toward the clock every few minutes.
As Nam Shin gathered her things, Woo Jin-ho appeared beside her. "I'll walk you to the station," he offered.
"You don't have to—"
"I know," he said with a small smile. "But I will."
They stepped out into the damp evening, the city lights flickering in puddles along the sidewalk. Somewhere far away, a siren wailed — high and lonely.
And somewhere even closer, someone was watching.