The station hummed with its usual rhythm, phones ringing, officers talking, keyboards clacking—but Ahn Soo Bin could barely focus.
Her gaze kept drifting to the corner of the room where Kim So Hee sat, reviewing files. Calm. Composed. But alert, as if sensing the invisible tension in the air.
Because she wasn't alone.
Not really.
Ha Eun had returned.
It had been two years.
Two years since she had broken So Hee's heart.
Two years of silence.
Two years of So Hee trying to move on.
Two years of Ha Eun pretending the breakup was due to "busy schedules," a lie that had kept So Hee from knowing the truth.
Now she was here again.
"Are you really okay with this?" Soo Bin whispered to Go Eun as she passed by.
Go Eun's eyes were sharp, unwavering.
"No. But pretending is better than panicking," she replied softly, her tone calm but deadly serious.
Soo Bin swallowed. Her fingers gripped the edge of the desk, heart hammering.
Across the room, Ha Eun moved gracefully, handling her client's paperwork with the same elegance So Hee remembered.
Every now and then, her gaze flicked to So Hee.
And every time, So Hee's hand twitched slightly.
She didn't look away completely.
She wouldn't give Ha Eun the satisfaction.
Soo Bin noticed the subtle signs—the faint pause in So Hee's breathing when Ha Eun's heels clicked across the floor, the brief tightening of her jaw, the almost imperceptible shift in her posture.
Her chest constricted.
Why is my heart racing like this?
Later, near the break room, So Hee was alone, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
Ha Eun approached, folder in hand.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked lightly.
So Hee froze for a heartbeat. Then shook her head.
"No."
Ha Eun tilted her head, calm, unbothered.
"You've changed."
"…People change."
Her tone was neutral, but the weight of their shared past hung between them.
Two years. Two years of dating. Two years of memories that neither could completely erase.
Ha Eun stepped closer.
"I… I shouldn't have left like that," she said softly.
So Hee's eyes narrowed.
"I don't want to hear excuses," she said firmly.
"I just…" Ha Eun's voice faltered. "I had reasons—good ones."
Soo Bin, passing by the doorway, stopped mid-step. She had never seen So Hee like this. Calm, composed, but visibly shaken.
Her heart ached.
Ha Eun's gaze softened.
"You've always been… amazing," she whispered.
So Hee's response was cold, clipped:
"And you've always been…" She paused, searching for the words. "…untrustworthy."
Ha Eun's eyes darkened slightly.
"I was wrong," she admitted. "Two years… I realized what I lost. And I want another chance."
Soo Bin's chest tightened. Possessive heat spread through her.
Another chance? You don't deserve her.
So Hee didn't move. She kept her distance.
"You had your chance," she said quietly but firmly. "And you threw it away."
Ha Eun didn't flinch. She remained close, unyielding.
"I know. But I… can't walk away again. Not from you."
Soo Bin stepped forward slightly, tension rising.
"Stay away from her!" she hissed, voice low but dangerous.
So Hee's eyes flicked toward Soo Bin. A faint blush touched her cheeks—not from embarrassment, but… something else.
Ha Eun's eyes met Soo Bin's briefly. A small smirk.
"Is this… the new one?" she asked softly, almost teasing.
Soo Bin stiffened.
"Yes. And you stay away from her," she said, voice firmer this time.
Ha Eun's expression softened, almost regretful—but she didn't step back.
"So she has someone caring for her now," Ha Eun said quietly. "Good. I'm happy for her."
But So Hee's lips pressed into a thin line.
"I'm fine. Don't test me," she said softly, and then turned away, picking up her coffee.
Soo Bin exhaled sharply, tension easing just a fraction.
Go Eun and Kang So Ra both shot Ha Eun sharp, disapproving looks from across the room.
She's not welcome here, Go Eun's eyes seemed to say.
Not ever, So Ra added silently.
Ha Eun caught So Hee's gaze for just a moment before moving back to her client's files.
And for the first time in the day, So Hee let herself take a shaky breath.
But inside…
Her heart still ached.
For reasons she wouldn't admit to anyone—least of all herself.