[Kei]
Something felt off.
Kei noticed it the moment he stepped into NOCTIS headquarters.
People were staring.
Not openly.
Not obviously.
But enough.
Enough for him to notice.
Conversations stopped when he walked past.
Employees lowered their voices.
A few quickly looked away when their eyes met his.
Kei frowned.
What now?
He had barely slept.
His mind was already occupied with a dozen different things.
The last thing he needed was another problem.
As he stepped into the elevator, his phone buzzed.
A message from management.
Mrs.Yoon would like to see you at her office immediately .
Kei's stomach tightened.
What was it this time?
The elevator doors opened.
A few minutes later, he stood outside the CEO's office.
He knocked.
"Come in."
Kei stepped inside.
Mrs. Yoon sat behind her desk.
Perfectly composed.
Perfectly calm.
Which somehow felt worse than anger.
"Sit."
Kei obeyed.
The silence stretched.
Then Mrs. Yoon folded her hands.
And asked:
"Who is she?"
Kei blinked.
"What?"
"The girl."
His stomach dropped slightly.
Not because he knew what she meant.
Because he had a very bad feeling he did.
Mrs. Yoon's expression didn't change.
"The girl in the video."
Video.
For a second—
Kei's mind went completely blank.
"What video?"
That finally made Mrs. Yoon sigh.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just tired.
As though she already knew this conversation would be difficult.
"You really don't know."
It wasn't a question.
She reached for a tablet.
Tapped the screen.
Turned it toward him.
Kei's blood ran cold.
The video.
The park.
Him.
No-Ah.
The bench.
The pinky promise.
Everything.
His chest tightened.
"What..."
His voice came out hoarse.
"What is this?"
Mrs. Yoon looked at him.
"A scandal."
Silence.
"It's No-Ah, right? "
Kei's chest tightened as he stared at the screen.
Comments flooded beneath the video.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
Maybe more.
His heartbeat grew louder.
"Who posted it?"
Mrs. Yoon's eyes hardened.
"We're not sure yet. "
It hit like a punch.
Kei immediately looked up.
"What?"
"But what we do know is that Jae-Won sent the video privately."
Kei froze.
Then he felt something burn in his chest.
That wretch.
Mrs. Yoon continued.
"He emailed it to the company."
A pause.
"We think that it didn't create the reaction he wanted, so he posted it on social media."
Kei's jaw tightened.
Hard.
Mrs. Yoon leaned back.
"I already warned you."
The words landed heavily.
"I warned you countless of times and told you to stay away from her."
Silence.
"I told you this could become a problem."
"I... "
"Do you know what this does to our reputation, Kei? "
Kei looked away.
Because she wasn't wrong.
And that somehow made everything worse.
Mrs. Yoon's voice remained calm.
Controlled.
But underneath—
there was frustration.
"Jae-Won isn't interested in exposing one video."
Another pause.
"He's interested in destroying people."
Kei's stomach twisted.
Because he knew exactly how persistent Jae-Won could be.
Mrs. Yoon opened a folder.
Then slid several printed pages across the desk.
"Look."
Kei reluctantly reached for them.
The first page was an article.
The headline alone made his chest tighten.
Fans Believe Mystery Girl Is Same Woman Involved In Idol's 'Miracle Recovery' Incident
His eyes moved lower.
Then lower.
And lower.
Every sentence made things worse.
Online users had connected the timeline.
Connected the rumors.
Connected the stories.
Then someone had identified the girl.
No-Ah
Her name appeared repeatedly throughout the article.
Kei felt sick.
The next page was worse.
An interview.
University students.
Anonymous.
But recognizable enough.
Comments about No-Ah.
Where she studied.
What course she took.
What café she worked at.
Pieces.
Tiny pieces.
Yet together—
they formed a picture.
A target.
Kei stared at the paper.
Unable to speak.
Mrs. Yoon finally broke the silence.
"This isn't just about you anymore."
Kei's grip tightened.
"Investors are already asking questions."
Silence.
"The media is asking questions."
Silence.
"The fans are asking questions."
Another pause.
"And he won't stop here."
Kei closed his eyes.
Briefly.
Because suddenly—
he understood.
This wasn't gossip.
This wasn't speculation.
This wasn't harmless.
No-Ah's name was out there.
Her university.
Her workplace.
Her life.
All because of him.
Mrs. Yoon's voice softened slightly.
Not kind.
Just honest.
"You brought her into this."
The words hurt because they were true.
"And now she's exposed."
Kei looked down at the article.
At No-Ah's name.
Printed in black ink.
For everyone to see.
And for the first time—
he wasn't worried about himself.
He was worried about her.
☆ ☆ ☆
[No-Ah]
No-Ah stared at the front door.
Maybe she should go.
Maybe she shouldn't.
The debate had been repeating inside her head for nearly twenty minutes.
Her backpack sat beside the couch.
Ready.
Waiting.
Unlike her.
Her phone remained face-down on the table.
Unread messages.
Unread notifications.
Unread everything.
Because every time she checked—
things got worse.
Eventually, she forced herself to stand.
University.
Just go to university.
Pretend everything is normal.
Maybe people wouldn't care.
Maybe nobody would mention it.
Maybe—
The thought died before it could finish.
Because even she didn't believe it.
Still.
She opened the door.
Stepped outside.
And froze.
Something hung from the front gate.
A piece of cardboard.
Attached with string.
For a second—
she didn't understand what she was looking at.
Then she read it.
LEAVE HIM ALONE.
Below it—
written in thick black marker:
STOP RUINING HIS LIFE.
No-Ah stared.
The world suddenly felt very quiet.
Someone had come here.
Not online.
Not anonymously behind a screen.
Here.
To her house.
To her gate.
Her chest tightened.
Because that realization was somehow worse than every comment she'd read.
Much worse.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
She looked up and down the street.
Nobody.
Nothing.
Just silence.
No-Ah slowly stepped backward.
Then another step.
Then another.
Until she was inside again.
The door shut.
The lock clicked.
She stood there for several seconds.
Motionless.
Then quietly slid down the wall.
And sat on the floor.
The sign remained outside.
Waiting.
Like proof that things had changed.
And weren't changing back.
☆ ☆ ☆
[Yun-Ra]
Yun-Ra had been uneasy all day.
No-Ah never missed class.
But now...
As the silence stretched, the feeling became worser and worser.
By lunchtime—
she couldn't focus anymore.
Was No-Ah okay?
The moment class ended—
she left.
An hour later, she arrived outside No-Ah's house.
And immediately stopped.
Her eyes narrowed.
The cardboard sign still hung from the gate.
The message was impossible to miss.
For a second—
Yun-Ra simply stared.
Then a cold, sinking worry settled in her chest.
Not just anger.
Not just frustration.
Fear.
Because she knew No-Ah.
And this—
this would break her.
"…No-Ah."
Her voice came out quieter than she expected.
Then anger surged through her.
Hot.
Instant.
Protective.
She marched forward.
Ripped the sign down.
And crumpled it.
Hard.
"What is wrong with people?"
The words escaped before she could stop them.
This wasn't gossip anymore.
This wasn't curiosity.
This was harassment.
And worse—
it had reached her home.
Yun-Ra took a steadying breath.
Her hands were still shaking slightly.
Then she headed inside.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
She found No-Ah in her room.
Sitting beside her bed.
Staring at absolutely nothing.
No-Ah looked up.
Forcing a small smile.
A terrible one.
One that didn't reach her eyes.
"You're supposed to be in class."
Yun-Ra ignored that.
Instead, she sat beside her.
Close enough that their shoulders touched.
No-Ah looked away.
"I'm fine."
Yun-Ra immediately snorted.
"No, you're not."
Silence.
No-Ah didn't argue.
Which worried Yun-Ra even more.
Because normally—
she would have.
The room grew quiet.
Then Yun-Ra spoke softer, her earlier anger fading into something more careful.
"I had a bad feeling all day."
No-Ah's fingers tightened slightly in her lap.
Yun-Ra continued, voice lower.
"So... How's the situation with Kei? "
A pause.
"... I saw that sign."
No-Ah's breath hitched faintly.
Yun-Ra exhaled slowly.
"I came here because I was scared."
Silence.
No-Ah stared at the floor.
"I didn't want to bother you."
That answer nearly made Yun-Ra cry from frustration.
Because it was such a No-Ah thing to say.
Even now.
Even after everything.
Yun-Ra bumped her shoulder gently.
"You're an idiot."
No-Ah let out a small, broken laugh.
But it faded quickly.
Yun-Ra looked at her properly then.
Really looked.
And finally realized how exhausted she seemed.
How overwhelmed.
How alone.
So she said it again, more firmly this time.
"You're not going through this by yourself."
No-Ah's smile faltered.
For a moment—
she looked like she might cry.
But she didn't.
Instead, she nodded.
A small nod.
Barely noticeable.
Yet somehow—
it felt important.
Yun-Ra stayed there beside her.
Not leaving.
Not moving.
Just present.
And for the first time that day—
No-Ah didn't feel completely alone.
☆ ☆ ☆