They both headed to their office and started working. Tae ho entered her office and saw that she was distracted. The grin on her face signalled that it wasn't something right she was thinking about. He didn't care much and left the office.
Tae Ho leaned against the wall, casually watching So Hee as she finished a phone call. A smirk played on his lips as he waited for the right moment. When she finally put her phone away, he sauntered over, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"So Hee," he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "I heard some interesting things about your so-called boyfriend. Quite the scandal, isn't it? Didn't think you'd go for someone like that. What's the matter? Couldn't find anyone better who actually knows how to love?"
So Hee's face tightened, but she didn't say a word. She just turned and walked away, her expression a mask of indifference. Tae Ho laughed softly to himself, thinking he'd won.
Later, Tae Ho got into his car, chuckling softly as he recalled how he had rattled her. The smug grin still plastered on his face, he reached for his flask and took a hearty sip. Almost immediately, a strange sensation washed over him. His vision began to swim, colours blending in a dizzying whirl. His head grew heavy, and the once-familiar surroundings of his car morphed into a surreal, nightmarish landscape. Before he knew it, he slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious, as the world around him faded to black.
When Tae Ho woke up, his head was pounding. He tried to move but realized his feet were tied to the chair and his hands were cuffed behind his back. Panic set in as he looked around the dimly lit room, unfamiliar and foreboding. Shadows danced on the walls, and the air felt thick with menace.
Suddenly, he felt a cold, hard object press against the back of his head. His chair was roughly spun around, and he found himself face-to-face with So Hee. Her eyes were dark and unreadable, but the rage simmering beneath them was unmistakable.
"Pressing a knife against my lips wasn't enough that you had to bring up my so-called boyfriend," So Hee said, her voice low and dangerous. "You think you know everything because of a few posts on social media?
Tae Ho, always one to push boundaries, smirked. "Oh, come on, So Hee. You're not really going to—"
Before he could finish, she pulled a gun from his waistband and placed it firmly against his lips, silencing him. The cold metal sent a shiver down his spine.
"Try me," she whispered. "One more word out of that mouth and I'll end you right here."
The room seemed to close in around them, the tension so thick it was suffocating. Tae Ho could see the determination in her eyes, and for the first time, he realized just how far she was willing to go to protect her secrets.
Suddenly, something hard hit tae ho's head and he fainted. As he got back his conscious he was in his car.
After this encounter, both met in the office. Tae Ho was still shaken but tried to act normal. As he entered So Hee's office, she looked distracted, her mind clearly elsewhere. He pretended not to notice and went about his work.
Later, when he left the office, he realized So Hee wasn't there. He saw her in the parking lot, standing by her car. Her presence there, instead of her office, was unsettling. The memory of the gun pressed against his lips was still fresh, and Tae Ho knew that So Hee was not someone to be trifled with.
Tae Ho waited, but So Hee didn't return. He decided to leave, but just then, his phone rang. It was So Hee. Her voice trembled, and he could hear her heavy breaths. Concerned, Tae Ho tried to ask where she was, but the line went dead.
Panic surged through him as he rushed back to the office. Bursting through the building's doors, he ran frantically, calling her name, but So Hee was nowhere to be found. His legs shook, and he struggled to breathe. Desperate, he flung open his office door—and there she was, lying unconscious on the floor, dried tears staining her face.
Tae Ho's heart pounded as he rushed to So Hee's side, his hands trembling as he tried to shake her awake. No response. His mind raced, unsure of what to do. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed her phone and dialed the emergency number. His voice shook as he explained what had happened, his eyes never leaving So Hee's pale face.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a man on the phone hurried in. Tae Ho froze, staring at him. The man looked familiar, but Tae Ho couldn't figure out where he had seen him before. His eyes widened when he saw So Hee on the floor, unconscious.
"Don't worry," the man said quickly, kneeling beside her. "I'm her friend, and I know about her fainting spells. This happens sometimes."
Tae Ho stepped back, still processing everything. His heart twisted in jealousy as the man gently lifted So Hee's head, whispering something softly into her ear. The way he acted—so natural, so close—made Tae Ho's stomach churn.
After a tense few minutes, So Hee's eyelids fluttered open. She blinked slowly, trying to regain her bearings. Tae Ho stepped forward to help her stand, his hand hovering near her shoulder. But before he could touch her, So Hee turned toward her friend, leaning on him for support. She didn't even glance at Tae Ho.
"Thank you for calling," the man said to Tae Ho, his voice polite but distant. "I'll take her home."
Tae Ho stood frozen, watching helplessly as So Hee walked out, leaning on this mysterious man, leaving him behind. His chest tightened, the bitter taste of jealousy and confusion gnawing at him. Who was this man? Why did So Hee trust him so much? And why had she leaned on him instead of Tae Ho?
Just before they disappeared, So Hee glanced back over her shoulder. Her eyes met Tae Ho's for the briefest second—a flicker of something unreadable in her gaze. Then she was gone.
Tae Ho stood alone in the empty office, his mind spinning with questions and the unsettling realization that he didn't know So Hee as well as he thought.