Seo-yeon tried to convince herself she was imagining things.
People visited schools all the time.
Parents.
Office workers.
Inspectors.
There was nothing unusual about a stranger in the hallway.
Except—
He didn't leave.
The final bell rang.
Students poured out of classrooms like water escaping a cracked dam. Noise filled every corner of the building—laughter, complaints, the relief of temporary freedom.
Seo-yeon packed her bag slowly.
Deliberately.
Her hands moved carefully, though her mind was racing.
If he was just visiting, he would be gone by now.
If he wasn't—
Her fingers tightened around the zipper.
She stood and stepped into the hallway.
Her eyes moved instinctively toward the far end.
He was still there.
Not speaking now.
Just standing.
Watching.
Her heartbeat slammed against her ribs.
He wasn't pretending anymore.
He wasn't hiding it.
He was observing.
Waiting.
Her body screamed at her to leave.
To run.
But running would confirm something.
Running would make her prey.
She forced herself to walk normally.
One step.
Two steps.
Closer.
His eyes followed her.
Calm.
Patient.
Certain.
She passed him.
Close enough to see the details of his face.
Early forties, maybe.
No visible anger.
No visible threat.
Just composure.
And then—
He spoke.
"Han Seo-yeon."
Her entire body froze.
The sound of her name in his voice shattered the fragile illusion of safety she had been clinging to.
She turned slowly.
Her throat was dry.
He wasn't looking at her like a stranger guessing.
He was looking at her like someone confirming.
"Yes," she said quietly.
His expression didn't change.
But his eyes sharpened slightly.
"I thought so."
The words were simple.
But the meaning beneath them was not.
He knew her.
Not personally.
But deliberately.
Her heart pounded violently.
"How do you know my name?" she asked.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small notebook.
He flipped it open.
Checked something.
Then closed it again.
"Your father," he said calmly.
The world tilted slightly beneath her feet.
"He mentioned you."
Her blood ran cold.
Her father never mentioned her to strangers.
Never exposed her.
Never invited danger into her world.
Unless—
He had no choice.
The man smiled faintly.
Not kindly.
Not cruelly.
Just professionally.
"Tell him I stopped by," he said.
Then he walked past her.
Just like that.
Leaving her standing in the hallway.
Her heart hammering.
Her breathing uneven.
He hadn't threatened her.
He hadn't hurt her.
But somehow—
He had done something worse.
He had confirmed that danger knew exactly where to find her.