The aroma of freshly fried rice filled the room as Ha-eun stepped in, balancing four plates with practised ease. She smiled as she handed each of them a plate, offering a nod to Hye-su and Hae-won, who accepted with quiet thanks. After all, it was early morning, and, judging by the hushed tension, none of them had likely eaten yet.
Jin-ho reached for his plate, shooting his sister an appreciative but sheepish look. She moved to settle in the chair beside him, a familiar ease in her presence. But Jin-ho leaned over, lowering his voice.
"Ha-eun… give us a minute, yeah?"
Ha-eun's face fell slightly, clearly reluctant to miss the conversation.
"Right… Sure," she took her plate with a small sigh, throwing a feigned pout in Jin-ho's direction as she shuffled back to the kitchen, muttering just loud enough for them to hear. "As if I'm not listening anyway."
Jin-ho's face flushed, but he chuckled to himself before turning his gaze back to the woman across from him.
He set his fork down, glancing between Hye-su and Hae-won.
"So," he began, swallowing thickly. "What happens now? You've found me; I'm here. I get it… I broke some laws. I breached the terms. Are you two going to take me into custody or something?"
Hye-su and Hae-won exchanged glances, both women grappling with the dilemma. Technically, Jin-ho's actions had pushed boundaries they had helped put in place. But did they want to turn him in? They both knew him, knew what he stood for, even if his actions had defied their rules.
Hae-won leaned back, crossing her arms, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
"Well… by the book, we should be apprehending you. Taking you to the board or at least putting you in front of a few committee members. That's the right thing to do," she glanced at Hye-su. "But we both know there's a little more nuance here. We built NexaRealm with flexibility for a reason. And we have the power to… interpret the rules, so to speak."
Jin-ho set his plate aside, clasping his hands together, gaze steady.
"Look," he began, voice low and laced with the weight of his words. "I don't want to drag you two into this. I know what I did—it's no small breach, no little act of rebellion. I broke into NexaRealm, circumvented the rules we created, and manipulated the system. You'd be right to call me out, and honestly? I'm prepared to face the consequences."
Hye-su raised an eyebrow, visibly wrestling with her thoughts.
"But Jin-ho… it's not just you in this. We've been friends and partners for so long. If we just turn around and act like this is any regular violation, like you're just another faceless offender…" She sighed, pushing her food around on her plate, clearly conflicted. "It feels wrong. We know why you did it."
"But where does that leave integrity?" Jin-ho's voice was unyielding, almost painfully honest. "If you cover for me, if you bend the rules just because it's me, then what are we? Shameless. A board of hypocrites. And… what about the others? Evie, Daniel, Matthieu, Prince Tarif—they're not going to look the other way."
Hae-won frowned thoughtfully, fingers tapping a quiet rhythm on the edge of her plate.
"Evie would call for a full audit," she murmured, almost to herself. "She's always been by-the-book and would probably fight us on giving you a second chance. And Matthieu… He would understand your reasoning, but he'd feel the weight of upholding NexaCorp's values. Daniel and Prince Tarif? Well, they're both practical—they'd probably see the pros and cons but might not back us if this all went public."
Jin-ho smiled, a resigned softness in his eyes.
"See? That's the thing. If you two try to shield me, to sweep this under the rug, it compromises everyone. We'd be undermining what we built, what we promised the players, the company—ourselves."
Hye-su's lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze flickering toward Hae-won.
"You're right. We would lose credibility. But…" She shook her head, visibly torn. "It's not that black and white. There's room for mercy, especially since the damage—let's be honest—wasn't intentional. The system was rattled, yes, but you didn't mean for any of this to affect NexaCorp."
Hae-won nodded, biting her lip.
"There has to be a middle ground. Some way to acknowledge what you did without pretending it didn't matter—or making you the villain of it all. But, if we're going to protect you, we'd have to do it with transparency, and that could mean letting the others in."
The room settled into an almost eerie silence, the air thick with unresolved tension. Jin-ho, Hye-su, and Hae-won sat in the quiet, each lost in thought. They all understood the weight of the choice before them—two paths, each with its consequences. One was right by company policy, yet wrong on a deeply personal level. The other went against the law they had crafted together, but it was in line with their history, their friendship, and everything they had built. It was a choice no one wanted to make, a responsibility they each hoped the others might avoid.
After a moment, Hye-su drew a deep breath, her face taking on a calm determination that made Hae-won turn to her with a start.
"We'll apprehend him," she said simply.
Hae-won's eyes widened, a shocked gasp escaping her.
"Wait—Hye-su, you can't be serious. After everything, I never thought you'd choose that!"
Jin-ho's eyebrows shot up, equally surprised, though he held back, waiting to hear more. Hye-su, looking between them, explained further.
"I understand why you're shocked. But if the options are to let him go or take him into custody, I choose a third path. We'll put Jin-ho under a kind of 'custody'—a monitored arrangement, stationed at NexaCorp Korea University under 24-hour surveillance."
Hae-won's disbelief softened, morphing into a look of curious uncertainty.
"So, you're saying he'll… work for us? But not behind bars?"
"Exactly," Hye-su replied, glancing at Jin-ho. "Officially, he'll be listed as a culprit under supervision. But in practice, he'll be working closely with the company, serving NexaCorp and addressing whatever needs arise. He's held accountable and monitored, yes, but still active. With a few restrictions to make sure he doesn't slip away again."
Jin-ho blinked, a spark of hope mixed with trepidation flickering in his eyes.
"So… I'd be under NexaCorp's authority, but not locked up?"
"Correct," Hye-su affirmed, her tone resolute. "And with this approach, the other stakeholders—Evie, Daniel, Matthieu, and Prince Tarif—might be appeased. It's not total absolution, but it's far from punishment. They'll see that action was taken, but one that honours both NexaCorp's reputation and our friendship."
A brief smile played on Hye-su's lips.
"And this way, Jin-ho, you'll be held to your word of taking responsibility—without having to disappear from our lives altogether."
Jin-ho let out a sigh, his fingers brushing the side of his glass as he considered Hye-su's proposal.
"Look," he began, his voice tentative, "I haven't been part of NexaCorp in years. Things have changed, I'm sure. The tech, the team, and even the core mechanics. I mean, it's been so long—how am I supposed to keep up? I'd probably be more of a burden than an asset."
Hye-su, however, was quick to cut through his uncertainty.
"You breached NexaCorp's firewalls, Jin-ho," she pointed out with an eyebrow raised. "Not just one or two, but layers upon layers of the strictest security systems we've ever implemented. If you could pull that off—and come out undetected, for the most part—then I'd say your skills are hardly outdated. If anything, you might be the only person capable of seeing through the framework you helped us design."
Jin-ho's lips pressed together as he looked away, a reluctant smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. The thought of working with NexaCorp again had stirred a mixture of nostalgia and apprehension in him.
"Maybe… but it's not just about whether I can," he admitted, his voice softened. "It's about taking responsibility. I left because I couldn't stay true to myself under those new principles. But maybe… maybe it's time I own up to what happened, and if that means working with NexaCorp again, then…"
He trailed off, feeling the weight of the choice settle in his mind.
"And let's be honest," Hye-su interjected gently, her eyes meeting his. "It wouldn't be so bad, would it? Working with us again? Besides, with NexaCorp so different now, maybe your presence would be a balancing factor we sorely need."
Hae-won nodded thoughtfully, her hand resting on her chin.
"It's not like you'd be rejoining the corporate rat race," she added, her voice steady. "You'd be under surveillance, sure, but you'd have freedom, a level of independence. And if you're the same Jin-ho we knew, you'll bring something special back to the table. Besides," she said with a soft smile, "this way, you'd be back to where you belong."
Jin-ho glanced between the two women, a mixture of gratitude and hesitation in his gaze.
"It's strange… I didn't think coming back would be even remotely possible. Or that you two would even consider giving me this chance," he confessed, his voice thick with emotion.
Hye-su softened, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You may have broken some rules, Jin-ho, but that doesn't erase everything else you've done. We wouldn't be where we are today without you. And if this is a chance to bring things full circle, well… let's take it together."
Jin-ho nodded slowly, a glimmer of resolve sparking in his eyes. He had fled from responsibility once before, but perhaps it was time to confront his past—and help shape the future of NexaCorp, on his terms.