The blacked-out SUV moved silently through the city, cutting through traffic with unsettling ease as if it owned the roads. Hye-su and Hae-won sat in the back, the tinted windows obscuring their view of the outside world. The engine's hum was the only sound breaking the silence between them and their suited escorts. No one had said where they were going, and every attempt to ask was met with polite, but firm, evasion.
Hye-su crossed her arms, her mind racing with thoughts of Jin-ho. What the hell is he thinking? She had long gotten used to his unpredictable ways, but this felt like another level. The casual wave he had given them on the screen, the easy smile seemed so typical of him, so infuriatingly relaxed in the face of something far bigger than he let on. Why does he always pull stunts like this? She couldn't help but feel like they were again dragged into one of his messes.
Beside her, Hae-won shifted uncomfortably, her fingers playing nervously with the hem of her jacket. Unlike Hye-su's rising frustration, Hae-won's thoughts were swirling with worry. Where are they taking us? What's going to happen? She had always been the more cautious one, and this situation was setting off every red flag she had. She trusted Jin-ho, of course, but the cryptic way this whole thing had unfolded left her feeling vulnerable and unsure of what lay ahead.
As the car continued to glide through the city, Hye-su shot a glance at the driver, then at the men in suits seated in the front. They were professionals, the kind of people who dealt with high-profile situations. But that only deepened her concern. What is Jin-ho mixed up in now?
She glanced at Hae-won, noticing the nervous energy radiating off her friend. Despite her annoyance, she could see that Hae-won was scared, more than she'd let on. Hye-su reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"We'll be fine," she said softly, more to comfort Hae-won than to convince herself.
But even as she said it, she wasn't sure she believed it.
The SUV glided into the underground parking lot of a towering office building, slipping into a VIP spot near the entrance. Hye-su and Hae-won exchanged a glance, both uncertain about what awaited them. Their masked and suited escorts stepped out of the vehicle first, opening the doors for the two women. Without a word, they were guided through sleek office corridors, the faint hum of fluorescent lights adding to the sterile ambience.
Finally, they arrived at a large door, which one of the suited men opened, revealing a spacious, well-furnished room. And there, sitting comfortably on a leather chair, was Jin-ho, his signature playful smile flashing across his face.
"About time," he said with a wink.
"What the hell, Jin-ho?" Hye-su's eyes narrowed immediately.
After they were shown to their seats and the men in suits had exited the room, Hye-su wasted no time. She leaned forward, arms crossed, her gaze locked onto Jin-ho.
"What is this? What have you gotten us into?"
"I don't know either," Jin-ho, ever calm, shrugged nonchalantly.
"You don't know?" Hye-su's voice rose. "You let yourself be taken to some random place without knowing what's going on? This is serious, Jin-ho. We're being hunted down by corporations, developers, and God knows who else."
"Relax, Hye-su. I get it. But trust me, it's not as bad as you think. I figured it'd be easier to just hear them out," Jin-ho, still smiling, raised his hands in mock surrender.
Before Hye-su could respond, a soft knock came from the door. The tension in the air thickened as it opened, revealing four individuals accompanied by two bodyguards. The newcomers weren't much older than Hye-su, Hae-won, or Jin-ho, but they carried themselves with an unmistakable air of wealth and authority.
The woman in the group, a poised figure with sharp features and short, dark hair, stepped forward with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon. My name is Evie Chow, from Australia."
She gestured to the men beside her.
"These are my business partners—Daniel Flores, from Canada, Prince Tarif Afzal, from Saudi Arabia, and Matthieu Chevrolet, from France. We're entrepreneurs with a shared venture, and as you've likely figured out, we're here because of your invention."
The tension in the room seemed to solidify as Evie spoke. Hye-su could feel her guard going up. Jin-ho leaned back casually, but even Hae-won, who usually shied away from confrontation, looked wary.
"Before you get defensive, I want to clarify that we didn't come by this information through any fault of our own. Someone else leaked it—someone completely outside your circle. We're not here to steal anything from you. In fact, we're hoping you'll listen to our proposal," Evie's tone remained friendly as she continued.
Jin-ho glanced over at Hye-su, raising an eyebrow as if to say, See? Told you so.
But Hye-su wasn't sold. She folded her arms tighter, her mind racing with questions. How deep had this leak gone? And more importantly, what could these people possibly want from them?
With the group settled into their seats, the room fell into a brief silence, leaving Hye-su and Hae-won to wonder what kind of proposal was about to be laid out before them.
Hye-su crossed her arms, her expression hardening as she met Evie's gaze.
"Look, we're not interested in whatever you're selling. We're students, not some corporate lackeys. We're not looking to collaborate with anyone."
Evie raised her hands, palms outward in a gesture of peace.
"I understand where you're coming from, Hye-su. But I think you're jumping to conclusions. We're not here to steal your project or to push you into anything you're uncomfortable with. We're here to talk. Nothing more."
Jin-ho, leaning back in his chair with an unreadable expression, stayed silent. He wasn't backing Hye-su's stance, but he wasn't opposing it either. Hae-won, sitting next to her, shifted uncomfortably but remained quiet, choosing to follow Hye-su's lead.
Evie's eyes moved between them, reading the room, and then she continued.
"You know, I'm not here to convince you of anything. I just want to ask one thing: how do you plan on progressing the Realm device if you refuse to collaborate with anyone?"
"What are you talking about? We've already built the prototype. We've proven it works," Hye-su's brows furrowed.
"Yes, you have," Evie agreed, her tone calm and non-confrontational. "And it's a marvel, don't get me wrong. But how do you plan on taking it beyond a student project? The Realm device isn't just another tech demo or a fancy gadget. It's groundbreaking. But you need more than just an idea to turn it into something that can change the world."
Jin-ho's eyes flickered with curiosity, though he remained noncommittal, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. His silence was making Hye-su anxious—he wasn't supporting her refusal, yet he wasn't speaking up either. It was frustrating, to say the least.
Evie leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering as she posed the question that seemed to strike right at the heart of the matter.
"How are you going to move forward without resources? Without funding, research teams, testers, marketing, and everything else that comes with developing a world-changing device? The Realm device is phenomenal, but it's also far from finished. You're students. You don't have the kind of money or infrastructure needed to take this to the next level."
Hye-su shifted uncomfortably. She hated to admit it, but Evie had a point. For the past few weeks, all they had been focused on was the leak. The endless barrage of emails, calls, and unsolicited offers had left them exhausted. They weren't thinking about how to push the project further—they were just trying to hide, to escape the chaos that had overwhelmed them. But deep down, she knew they couldn't hide forever. This was bigger than them now.
Evie, sensing the shift in Hye-su's demeanour, pressed on, her voice gentle but firm.
"I get it. You're tired. Overwhelmed. You didn't ask for any of this attention, but now it's here. And sooner or later, you're going to have to make a choice. Either you step up and take control of the situation, or someone else will. Trust me, hiding won't work for long."
Hye-su glanced at Hae-won, who was nervously biting her lip, her eyes darting between Hye-su and Jin-ho. Hae-won had been following Hye-su's lead the whole time, but it was clear she wasn't so sure anymore. And Jin-ho? He looked like he was still weighing the situation as if waiting for the right moment to speak.
"I'm not saying you should partner with us right away. I'm just saying you need to think about the future. What's your plan? Do you have one?" Evie took the silence in stride, letting her words sink in.
The question hung in the air, heavy and unavoidable. Hye-su opened her mouth to retort, but no words came. She hadn't thought that far ahead. None of them had. They'd been too caught up in the whirlwind of their invention's success—and the chaos that followed it—to think about what came next.
Evie's eyes softened as she offered a small, understanding smile.
"Look, I know this is overwhelming. But the truth is, the three of you are sitting on something that could change the gaming industry—hell, maybe even more than that. And I get why you'd want to protect it. But if you keep running from the attention, if you keep hiding, someone else is going to swoop in and take control. And then, you'll have no say in what happens to your creation."
Hye-su clenched her fists, realizing that what Evie said was true. They had been running—trying to avoid the storm that was inevitably going to catch up with them. They had thought they could escape it, but in reality, they were only delaying the inevitable.