The city didn't care.
Traffic moved. Screens blinked. People rushed past like nothing in the world had shifted.
And Ji-Ah—
walked in like she belonged to that rhythm.
Composed. Calm.
Smiling.
The kind of smile that made everything look… normal.
Ji-Ah sat down at her desk like it was a normal Tuesday.
Smile on.Posture perfect.
Crisis? Deleted.
Then she opened her drawer.
Pulled out a box.
And started packing.
Neatly. Carefully.
…But also—
she paused halfway through packing her stapler.
Looked at it.
"…You were loyal," she murmured.
Soo-Min blinked from across the desk.
"…Ji-Ah?"
Ji-Ah looked up—bright smile.
"I'm resigning."
Like she just announced lunch.
Silence.
Do-Yoon froze mid-step.Kai-Wen almost dropped his file.
Hye-Rin narrowed her eyes immediately.
"…You're what?" Soo-Min asked.
"I'm resigning," Ji-Ah repeated, nodding like she was convincing herself too.
Then added—
"I don't like it here."
A pause.
"…Actually, that's not true. I like the chairs."
She patted the chair.
"…I'll miss this chair."
"…Ji-Ah." Hye-Rin's voice cut in. Sharp.
"What happened?"
Ji-Ah smiled again.
Too calm.
"I just realized something," she said.
She picked up a pen.
Put it in the box.
Took it out again.
"…This is my pen."
Put it back.
Focus.
"Yes."
She nodded to herself.
"I can't stay at that house."
Now the room shifted.
That wasn't a joke.
"It's not meant for me," she continued.
Still smiling.
Still packing.
"I've done my work. Reports finished. Files updated. I even organized Seo-Jun's chaos—"
She paused.
"…That alone deserves a bonus."
Do-Yoon stepped closer.
"You can't just quit like that."
Ji-Ah turned to him.
Dead serious.
"Oh, I can."
She opened her drawer again—
pulled out a white envelope.
Placed it gently on the desk like it was fragile glass.
"…Prepared yesterday."
Soo-Min whispered, "…You planned this?"
Ji-Ah nodded.
"…I plan everything."
Beat.
"…Except my life."
She stood up suddenly.
Grabbed the envelope.
Grabbed a random folder.
Not hers.
"…This is important."
"Ji-Ah—that's Seo-Jun's—"
"Even better."
The walk to Seo-Jun's office felt longer than usual.
Heels clicking.
Measured.
Final.
She knocked once.
"Come in."
She walked in without hesitation.
Seo-Jun looked up.
Already tired.
"…Why do I feel like something is about to go wrong?"
Ji-Ah placed the envelope down.
"I'm resigning."
Seo-Jun blinked.
"…You just got here."
"Yes."
"…And now you're leaving?"
"Yes."
Silence.
He adjusted his glasses slowly.
"…Why?"
Ji-Ah leaned forward slightly.
"You know what your problem is?"
"…I regret asking already."
"You don't have sense."
Seo-Jun froze.
"…Excuse me?"
"That Min-Ji girl?"
Seo-Jun nodded immediately.
"…Yes."
Ji-Ah pointed at him.
"Exactly. You know."
"…Know what?"
"That we don't like her."
A pause.
Seo-Jun nodded again.
"…We don't."
They both stopped.
Realized what they just agreed on.
Professionalism left the building.
Ji-Ah sighed.
"…See? Even you know. And still nothing."
Before he could respond—
she grabbed his folder.
"…Ji-Ah."
"I'm taking this."
"You are not—"
"I'm giving it to the CEO."
"That is literally my job."
"Not today."
She walked out.
He followed.
Because of course he did.
The office floor shifted the moment she stepped into the main corridor.
People noticed.
Whispers started.
And then—
Ha-Joon stepped out of his office.
Perfect timing.
Of course.
He stood there—
calm.
Cold.
Untouched by the noise building around him.
Like chaos needed permission to reach him—and never got it.
Ji-Ah didn't hesitate.
She walked straight up to him.
Seo-Jun just behind her—already regretting everything.
Ji-Ah walked straight up to him.
Placed the folder down on a desk nearby.
Then—
"I'm resigning."
No emotion.
Just clarity.
Ha-Joon looked at her.
"…Is that so."
"Yes."
She nodded.
"I don't like saying bad things about workplaces…"
A small pause.
"…So I'll just leave."
Then—
her eyes sharpened slightly.
"But you already said enough."
The air shifted.
Ha-Joon's voice stayed calm.
"If you're leaving over something trivial—"
She laughed.
Short.
Dry.
"My existence is trivial to you?"
Silence.
That one landed.
She straightened.
Hands steady now.
"I was wrong to choose you," she said.
Quiet.
Honest.
Sharp.
Behind her—Seo-Jun stopped moving.
Yeah. This was not a meeting anymore.
"If you marry Min-Ji," Ji-Ah continued,
"You'll regret it."
Ha-Joon didn't hesitate.
"I will marry her."
Flat.
Final.
"No one else."
Something in Ji-Ah paused—
like the last flicker of something…
gone.
She nodded once.
"Then do it."
She picked up the folder—
placed it back down properly.
Straightened it.
Because of course she would.
Then turned.
Walked away.
Halfway—
she stopped.
Turned slightly.
"…Also, your filing system is terrible."
Seo-Jun closed his eyes.
Of course she said that.
Ji-Ah faced forward again.
And this time—
she left for real.
And the office?
Still standing.
Still breathing.
But somehow—
everything felt… slightly unbalanced.