Director Hye-su leaned forward, her sharp gaze never leaving Joon-ho.
"Well?" she said, her voice edged with impatience. "You've gotten what you wanted—a chance for your team, a second opportunity to prove yourselves. So why gatekeep anymore? Don't be shy, Joon-ho. Give us something useful. Tell us what we need to know."
Beside her, Secretary Hae-won sat with a tablet in her lap, her fingers poised above the screen, ready to capture every word. Both women watched him intently, the tension in the room nearly suffocating.
But as the silence stretched, Director Hye-su's eyes narrowed.
"Why are you being so defensive?" she asked sharply. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
"I'm not hiding anything," Joon-ho replied, though a flicker of hesitation betrayed him.
"Then why the reluctance?" she pressed. "If you have information that can help us, now is the time to share it. Unless, of course, you're protecting him."
At this, Joon-ho felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He knew he was walking a fine line between honouring his promise to Jin-ho and fulfilling his agreement with the director. Taking a deep breath, he decided it was time to reveal what he had been holding back.
"His name," he began slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Is Jin-ho."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Both Director Hye-su and Hae-won stared at him, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock.
"Did you say... Jin-ho?" Hae-won asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes," Joon-ho confirmed, meeting her gaze.
Hae-won exchanged a quick, uneasy glance with Director Hye-su before turning back to him.
"What's his full name?" she demanded, a hint of urgency creeping into her tone. "Is it... Jin-ho Gyeung?"
"That's right," he nodded.
Director Hye-su's eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked genuinely unsettled.
"That's impossible," she declared, shaking her head. "You must be mistaken."
"I'm not," Joon-ho insisted. "He told me himself. I spoke with him directly."
She leaned forward, her expression hardening.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying? Jin-ho Gyeung is—" She stopped herself, glancing at Hae-won, who looked equally disturbed.
"Director," Hae-won interjected softly. "Perhaps there's been some confusion."
But Joon-ho pressed on, sensing their disbelief.
"If you don't believe me, there's more. He possesses an item—a ring called Nova Reverie."
At the mention of the ring, both women's faces drained of colour. Hae-won's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Director Hye-su stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"Nova Reverie..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The room seemed to close in around them, the weight of unspoken history thick in the air. Director Hye-su took a step back, her composure slipping for the first time since he'd met her.
"This can't be," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else. "He... he disappeared years ago."
"I'm telling you the truth," Joon-ho said earnestly. "I wouldn't lie about something like this. He's back, and he's in NexaRealm."
Director Hye-su regained a semblance of composure, her face hardening once more.
"That's enough," she said curtly. "You may leave now."
Confused, Joon-ho hesitated. "But what about our agreement?" he asked. "You promised that my team would—"
"We'll discuss that later," she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. "For now, please leave the room."
"But—"
"Leave," she insisted, her eyes flashing with a mix of emotions he couldn't quite decipher.
Realizing that pushing further might jeopardize everything, he nodded reluctantly.
"Understood," he said quietly.
As he turned to leave, Hae-won avoided his gaze, her expression distant. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving the two women alone in the suffocating silence.
Outside the office, Joon-ho leaned against the wall, his mind racing. What had just happened? Why had they reacted so strongly to Jin-ho's name? And what did this mean for his team?
Inside the room, Director Hye-su sank back into her chair, her eyes fixed on a point somewhere beyond the walls.
"It can't be him," she whispered.
Hae-won placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"But if it is," she began cautiously. "What are we going to do?"
Director Hye-su closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
"We need to confirm this," she said firmly. "But we have to proceed carefully. If word gets out..."
"I understand," Hae-won replied. "I'll start looking into it discreetly."
"Thank you," the director said softly, a hint of vulnerability in her voice. "And Hae-won... not a word of this to anyone else. Not until we know for sure."
"Of course," she agreed.
The two women shared a moment of silent understanding, the weight of the past pressing heavily upon them. Whatever history they had with Jin-ho Gyeung, it was clear that his reappearance would have far-reaching consequences.
Meanwhile, as Joon-ho walked away from the director's office, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just set something significant into motion—something that was now beyond his control.
As Joon-ho left the director's office, the weight of uncertainty pressed down on him. His steps were slow, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. He had done what he came to do—he'd revealed Jin-ho's name and played his cards just as planned. But the director's reaction had thrown him off completely.
Walking down the empty corridor, dimly lit by the early morning light, Joon-ho replayed the conversation over and over in his head. The moment he said Jin-ho's name, the atmosphere in the room had shifted. It was as if he had dropped a bomb, and the fallout had left him rattled. What did it mean? Had he saved his team, or had he just thrown everything into chaos? His stomach twisted with doubt.
He stopped by a window, looking out over the campus grounds. The trees swayed gently in the morning breeze, and the usual bustle of students and employees hadn't begun yet. For a moment, Joon-ho allowed himself to breathe. This was supposed to be it, he thought. He had gone in ready, confident that the information he held would guarantee Team 2's future, that their mistakes could be forgiven in exchange for his intel. But now… now he wasn't so sure.
He couldn't shake the image of Director Hye-su's face—her shock, her disbelief. It wasn't what he had expected at all. The negotiations had started smoothly, and he had been in control. But once Jin-ho's name was mentioned, everything changed. The director had dismissed him without another word about the promise she had made. And now, all Joon-ho could do was wait.
His fingers clenched into fists at his sides, frustration bubbling up.
"Did I mess it up?" he muttered to himself. The answer, unfortunately, wasn't clear.
Back in the director's office, the mood was tense. Hae-won had left not long after Joon-ho, tasked with the delicate investigation of confirming Jin-ho's involvement. She moved swiftly, knowing how important discretion was in a matter like this. That left Director Hye-su alone, sitting behind her desk, the weight of her thoughts settling heavily on her shoulders.
For the first time in a long while, Director Hye-su didn't feel strong or in control. Instead, she was overwhelmed. Slowly, she rested her head on her desk, pressing her forehead against the cool surface. Her eyes stared blankly at the scattered papers and documents in front of her, but her mind was far away.
Jin-ho. The name echoed in her head. The name of a man who had been a part of her life for so long, someone she had once trusted implicitly. A colleague, yes. But more than that—he had been a friend. Maybe even more than a friend, though she had never allowed herself to admit it fully.
Her voice came out in a whisper, tinged with disbelief.
"It can't be him…"
But the evidence was there. Nova Reverie—there was no mistaking that. Only Jin-ho could have had access to such a powerful, secretive item. The moment Joon-ho mentioned it, she knew it had to be the Jin-ho she once knew. The man she had worked with, laughed with. The man she had cared for.
Anger flared inside her chest. Why? Why would Jin-ho do something like this? Why would he throw everything away—his career, his future—for what? Some secret vendetta against NexaRealm? It didn't make sense.
Her hands curled into fists on the desk, her knuckles white. Memories of their time together came rushing back, unbidden and painful. Jin-ho had been more than just a colleague to her. She remembered the way he used to smile when he thought no one was looking, the way he would always help others without expecting anything in return. He had been kind, thoughtful, and dependable.
And then, that one incident. The event that had torn them apart, changed everything between them. She hadn't thought about it in years, but now it all came flooding back.
That day… when everything had fallen apart, when her trust had been shattered, she had chosen to close herself off, to put the company first. Jin-ho had disappeared shortly after, without a word of explanation. It was the last time she had seen him.
And now, after all these years, he was back. Not as the man she once knew, but as a mysterious figure, hiding in the shadows, manipulating the system from behind the scenes. It was almost too much to believe.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"Of course it's him."
Of all the people in the world, it had to be Jin-ho.
The ache in her chest was almost unbearable. Regret mixed with anger and confusion. She had pushed him away back then, and refused to reach out after that incident. Maybe if she had... things could have been different. Maybe Jin-ho wouldn't have gone down this path.
But there was no turning back now. She had responsibilities, and a company to protect. Whatever personal feelings she had for Jin-ho, they had to be set aside. This was business. She had to figure out why Jin-ho was doing this, and more importantly, how to stop him.
Director Hye-su raised her head from the desk, her expression hardening with resolve. This wasn't just about her anymore. It was about NexaRealm, about keeping everything they had built from falling apart.
She would find out the truth. No matter what it took.
As she stared at the empty office, a strange, heavy silence filled the air, and the memories of Jin-ho lingered like a ghost she couldn't shake.
What happened to you, Jin-ho? she thought, her heart heavy with the weight of a mystery she wasn't sure she wanted to unravel.