The apartment buzzed with life, the clinking of dishes, the murmur of voices, and the soft hum of the television. Hae-won and Ji-hoon had just finished a simple dinner—nothing too fancy, but enough to fill their stomachs. They'd been walking on eggshells all day, navigating the fallout from the court hearing and the rumors swirling around them. But tonight, they were determined to unwind.
It was a Thursday, the day after the chaotic court session, and neither of them wanted to face the world just yet. They'd spent the afternoon dealing with paperwork and more public scrutiny, but now it was time for something different. Movie night.
7:00 PM – Movie Night Begins
"Pick a movie, Ji-hoon," Hae-won said, flopping onto the couch. Her legs stretched out in front of her, and she leaned back, pushing a throw pillow behind her head for comfort.
Ji-hoon glanced at her, grinning. "You know I'm terrible at picking movies. What about you?"
"I don't know, I just want something funny," Hae-won said. "Something that'll make me forget about today."
He raised an eyebrow. "So, you want a rom-com or something more… dramatic?"
"Something with less drama, please. I've had enough of that this week."
Ji-hoon snorted. "Yeah, drama's been a bit overwhelming, huh?"
"Tell me about it," Hae-won said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed the remote and started scrolling through the options on the streaming service.
As the seconds ticked by, the tension of the past week seemed to melt away. In that small apartment, the weight of the world felt distant. Just two people, with nothing but each other and a movie to distract them.
7:15 PM – The Chaos Begins
Hae-won finally landed on a comedy. She hit play, and within minutes, the opening credits rolled. She snuggled deeper into the couch, half-laughing at the ridiculousness of the movie's opening scene. Ji-hoon, despite his initial reluctance, soon found himself chuckling along with her.
This was nice. They didn't have to worry about the court case or their complicated relationship for a while. It was just them, escaping into a world of ridiculous humor.
But then—ding—her phone buzzed. It wasn't an alert she expected.
"Hold on," she muttered, reaching for her phone.
A message from Min-ji popped up.
"So, you think you can just waltz in and steal my spot with Ji-hoon? You really think you're better than me? This isn't over. Watch your back."
Hae-won's eyes narrowed. "Great…" she muttered under her breath, trying to suppress the anxiety gnawing at her stomach.
Ji-hoon, sensing her shift in mood, paused the movie. "What's wrong?"
Hae-won hesitated, but then showed him the message. He read it, his eyes darkening.
"Min-ji again," Ji-hoon said, his tone shifting to something more dangerous. "She's crossing the line."
"I don't know how much more I can take," Hae-won whispered, dropping the phone onto the coffee table. "She doesn't get it. She just won't stop."
Ji-hoon stood up, pacing. "Let me handle her."
"I don't want you to fight her. Not again."
"I won't," Ji-hoon said, kneeling down next to her. "But she's threatening you, and that's crossing a line. You're not going to deal with this alone anymore."
Hae-won bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. "I didn't ask for this… any of this."
Ji-hoon's hand hovered near hers, the warmth of his touch reassuring her despite the chaos. "You didn't, but we're in this together now. All of it."
Just as Hae-won was about to speak, a loud knock echoed from the door.
"Are you expecting someone?" she asked, already feeling the tension building again.
Ji-hoon stood up and went to the door. Opening it revealed Yun-seok—one of Ji-hoon's friends and his personal bodyguard.
"Everything okay?" Yun-seok asked, his voice calm but with an underlying sense of urgency.
Ji-hoon stepped aside to let him in. "I thought we'd have a peaceful night, but of course, drama always finds a way to follow us."
Yun-seok glanced at Hae-won. "There's been another rumor circulating about you two. Some of the other students are starting to get... curious. And not in a good way."
Hae-won rolled her eyes. "I can't even have a quiet night without everything blowing up."
Ji-hoon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not just the rumors. Some people are more… aggressive about it."
As they spoke, the phone buzzed again. Hae-won didn't even need to look. She could guess who it was.
Min-ji, once again.
"Ji-hoon, there's something you need to see," Yun-seok said, his tone serious. "It's not just words this time."
8:00 PM – Chaos Unleashed
They rushed to the living room, where Yun-seok had already pulled up a video on his phone. The footage was grainy, but it was clear enough—Hae-won was being followed by a group of girls from her old school. They were whispering behind her, laughing cruelly.
"Look at her now," one of them said on the video, the voice sneering. "Guess she's with the rich boy now. Must be nice to live off someone else's money."
"I heard she was desperate enough to take it," another voice chimed in. "I wonder how far she'll go for it."
Hae-won's stomach churned. She grabbed her phone again, checking social media. Sure enough, the video had already gone viral. The comments were pouring in—each one worse than the last.
Ji-hoon, standing beside her, felt the anger burn within him. His jaw clenched, and the frustration in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Who do they think they are?" Ji-hoon growled. He could feel the rage building—anger that he had always kept under control, now threatening to explode.
Yun-seok looked at him and shook his head. "Let's deal with this quietly. Don't make a scene. This is not the time."
But Ji-hoon was already walking toward the door.
"Ji-hoon, wait!" Hae-won called after him, rushing to catch up. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to end this. Once and for all."
8:30 PM – Confrontation
The school was quiet at this hour, but Ji-hoon didn't care. He stormed through the entrance, Hae-won trailing behind him. They stopped at the group of girls who had made the video—standing in a huddle and gossiping as if they were untouchable.
One of them noticed Ji-hoon first and her eyes widened.
"Oh, look who decided to show up," she sneered. "What, you're here to protect your little charity case?"
Ji-hoon didn't even flinch. He took a step closer, his gaze icy. "You think this is funny?"
The girl scoffed. "You don't know her like we do. She's just using you. A girl like that doesn't belong with someone like you."
"That's enough," Ji-hoon said, his voice low and dangerous. "Apologize to her. Now."
The girls looked at each other, confused. One of them stepped forward, her expression mocking. "Why should we apologize? She's not even—"
Ji-hoon cut her off, his anger building. "You're going to apologize, or I'll make sure everyone knows what kind of person you are."
Hae-won stood behind him, heart pounding. She had never seen this side of Ji-hoon before—cold, calculating, and terrifyingly powerful. She didn't know whether to feel safe or scared.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Fine. Sorry. Happy now?"
Ji-hoon nodded. "Apologies don't fix everything, but they'll do for now. Stay away from her. All of you."
With that, he turned, pulling Hae-won by the hand as they left the group behind. But as they exited the school gates, the flood of messages and gossip followed them—echoes of a battle they weren't sure they'd won yet.
9:00 PM – A Quiet End
Back in the apartment, Ji-hoon slammed the door behind them. The weight of the confrontation still hung heavy in the air.
Hae-won sat down on the couch, breathing heavily. "I didn't expect that."
Ji-hoon dropped beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. "You didn't have to go through that alone. I won't let anyone treat you like that again."
She looked up at him, her heart racing. "Thank you," she whispered.
And just like that, the chaos outside seemed a little further away.