Seoul had long surrendered to the night.
The rain, falling gently from the sky, danced on the pavement like liquid silver, lit by the flickering neon lights. The once-busy streets were now silent, broken only by the occasional splash of passing cars.
Step after step...
Ha Yoon's heart pounded so hard it echoed in her ears. Her breath was shallow, her legs shaky. Was it fear? Yes. But maybe, more than anything… it was loneliness.
She didn't look back. She couldn't. A misunderstanding at the convenience store had turned into something much worse. A man had accused her of stealing when she accidentally bumped into him. Now, he and two others were chasing her down the street.
People around didn't even glance at her. In a city like Seoul, nobody cared about someone running or crying anymore.
Turning a corner too fast, her foot slipped.
She fell — hard — crashing into a trash bin. Pain shot through her knee. Still, she pushed herself up.
"No... I can't stop now…"
Suddenly, a sleek black car screeched to a stop right in front of her. The window rolled down slowly.
"Again... you?"
That voice — cold, deep, and unmistakable.
Ha Yoon looked up. The rain blurred her vision, but even through the drops she recognized him.
Kang Joon.
That same man who had shouted at a poor barista in a café days ago. The one who looked like he had money, power... and absolutely no patience for people.
"Get in," he said, eyes steady.
"They're right behind you."
She hesitated. Could she trust him? Probably not.
But when no one else had even stopped to look at her, what choice did she have?
She slid into the passenger seat.
---
The warmth inside the car wrapped around her like a blanket.
A soft, expensive cologne lingered in the air. The engine purred silently as Kang Joon drove.
"You again?" he asked, not looking at her. "First you spilled coffee. Now you fall in the street. Do you make a habit of crashing into things every day?"
Yoon bit her lip. She felt small.
"You're very good at mocking people right after saving them. Impressive."
He smirked.
"At least you're still talking. I guess you're not hurt that bad."
She didn't reply. Blood trickled from her knee. Her fingers trembled. And then — silently, uncontrollably — a tear fell from her eye.
Kang Joon saw it. He didn't comment. Just gripped the steering wheel tighter.
He remembered her. The girl from the café.
Back then, while others had looked away in fear or discomfort, she had stared straight at him — almost with boredom. Like he was just another man yelling about nothing important.
"What's your name?" he asked suddenly, voice softer now.
"Ha Yoon," she said, not meeting his eyes.
"I'm Joon. Kang Joon."
"I know."
He raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"You don't exactly blend in," she mumbled. "You're the guy who yelled at a café worker over cold coffee."
He chuckled.
"Yelled-at-café guy. Nice."
"Now you're the helped-in-the-rain guy. Congratulations. That's a promotion."
For the first time in a long time, he laughed. Not fake — not bitter — but real.
The tension melted a little.
She turned to the window. The rain outside still poured. But inside the car, something strange had happened. Something warm, unfamiliar.
Maybe he wasn't just a cold, arrogant man.
Maybe... just maybe... he was someone worth knowing.
---
To be continued...