The afternoon had begun to fade into evening, the golden light of the sun slowly softening as it stretched across the café windows.
The conversation at the table had quieted.
Not awkward.
Just… settled.
Kang So Ra leaned back slightly, her gaze shifting between the others, observant as always.
Lee Go Eun sat calmly, her attention mostly on her drink—but not unaware of anything happening around her.
And across from them—
Ahn Soo Bin sat still.
Too still.
Her heart hadn't calmed down since earlier.
Not since that moment.
Not since she almost said it.
Say it.
Go Eun's voice echoed again in her mind.
If you don't… you'll regret it.
Soo Bin tightened her grip slightly on her cup.
She glanced up.
Kim So Hee was looking at her.
Not casually.
Not briefly.
But directly.
"…You've been quiet," So Hee said.
Her voice was calm.
But softer than usual.
Soo Bin's breath caught.
"…I was thinking," she replied.
"About what?"
There it was again.
That question.
Simple.
But heavy.
Soo Bin hesitated.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest.
This was it.
If she didn't say it now—
When would she?
"…Can I talk to you?" Soo Bin asked suddenly.
The table went quiet.
So Hee looked at her.
Then nodded.
They stood up.
"I'll be back," Soo Bin said quickly.
Go Eun gave her a small nod.
So Ra didn't say anything—
But her eyes followed them carefully.
Outside, the air was cooler.
Quieter.
Soo Bin stopped walking after a few steps.
She turned.
So Hee stood in front of her, waiting.
Patient.
"What is it?" she asked.
Soo Bin swallowed.
Her hands felt cold.
Her heart—
Too loud.
"I…" she started.
Then stopped.
Why was this so hard?
She had said it in her head a thousand times.
But now—
Standing here—
Looking at her—
It felt different.
"…There's something I've been wanting to tell you," she said softly.
So Hee didn't interrupt.
She just watched her.
And that—
Made it harder.
Soo Bin took a small breath.
"I think I—"
"Lieutenant Kim."
The voice came suddenly.
Sharp.
Clear.
Both of them turned.
A woman stood a few steps away.
Elegant.
Composed.
Her presence quiet—but impossible to ignore.
She held a file in her hand, her posture straight, her expression calm.
But her eyes—
Were fixed on one person.
Kim So Hee.
"…Ha Eun?"
The name left So Hee's lips before she could stop it.
And for the first time—
She looked… shaken.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Soo Bin felt it immediately.
Who…?
Song Ha Eun stepped closer, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
"It's been a while," she said.
Her voice was smooth.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
So Hee didn't respond right away.
Her expression remained composed—
But her eyes had changed.
"…What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Work," Ha Eun replied, lifting the file slightly. "I'm representing a client who was arrested earlier today. Theft case."
Soo Bin froze slightly.
At the station…?
That meant—
"She'll be around," Ha Eun added calmly. "For a while."
There was a pause.
Then—
Her gaze shifted.
To Soo Bin.
She studied her briefly.
Not rudely.
But carefully.
"And this is…?" she asked.
Soo Bin felt her chest tighten.
"Ahn Soo Bin," So Hee said before she could speak. "Intern."
Intern.
The word landed heavier than it should have.
Soo Bin forced a small bow.
"Nice to meet you."
Ha Eun smiled faintly.
"Likewise."
But her attention didn't stay there.
It returned—
To So Hee.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
No awkwardness.
As if—
She had the right.
Soo Bin felt something twist in her chest.
She glanced at So Hee.
Waiting.
Hoping.
For something.
Anything.
So Hee hesitated.
Just briefly.
Then—
"…Not now," she said.
Soo Bin blinked.
Her heart skipped.
"I'm busy," So Hee added.
Ha Eun tilted her head slightly.
"With her?"
The question was light.
But not innocent.
Silence fell.
Soo Bin's fingers curled slightly at her sides.
For some reason—
She didn't want to step back.
"I'll come by the station tomorrow," Ha Eun said after a moment, her voice calm again. "We can talk then."
So Hee didn't respond.
Ha Eun smiled faintly.
Then turned.
And walked away.
Just like that.
But the air she left behind—
Felt heavier.
Soo Bin stood there.
Frozen.
Her heart still racing—
But now for a completely different reason.
"…Who is she?" she asked quietly.
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
So Hee didn't answer immediately.
She was still looking in the direction Ha Eun had left.
Then—
Slowly—
She turned back.
"…Someone I used to know."
That was all she said.
But it wasn't enough.
Not even close.
Soo Bin lowered her gaze slightly.
"…I see."
The moment from earlier—
The one she had gathered all her courage for—
Was gone.
Completely.
And in its place—
Something unfamiliar had settled.
Something sharp.
Something uncomfortable.
Something that felt a lot like—
Jealousy.
Inside the café—
So Ra watched through the window, her expression unreadable.
"…So she's back," she murmured.
Go Eun glanced at her.
"You know her."
So Ra's eyes didn't leave the scene outside.
"Yes."
A small pause.
Then—
"She's trouble."
Outside—
Soo Bin stood beside So Hee.
Closer than before.
But somehow—
It felt like there was more distance between them now.
And for the first time—
Soo Bin felt it clearly.
She wasn't the only one standing in that space anymore.