Ana slowed her steps as the others moved ahead, her fingers tightening slightly around the card.
It was simple—black, clean, almost empty—but something about it felt deliberate, like it wasn’t meant to impress but to control.
Her eyes traced the name again, and a faint memory surfaced—Rena Company—the same company Yeon once spoke about with bright eyes and admiration.
But Ana didn’t feel that kind of excitement.
What lingered in her chest was quieter, sharper… curiosity mixed with caution.
Her mind drifted back to Rena Gihyun— the way she stood, the way she spoke, like someone who never wasted a word or a movement.
Not warm, not distant… just precise.
Ana’s gaze hardened slightly.
This wasn’t about liking her.
It was about understanding her.
People like Rena didn’t appear without reason—and they never revealed everything at once.
Ana closed her fingers around the card slowly.
If there was something hidden, she would find it.
She always did.
That night, the hotel was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that made every small sound feel louder than it should.
Inside the room, Yeon was already asleep, her breathing soft and steady, completely unaware of the thoughts running through Ana’s mind.
Ana stood near the window, looking out at the endless lights of the city below, her reflection faintly visible in the glass.
For a moment, she hesitated—not out of fear, but calculation.
Then her eyes shifted toward Yeon, softening just slightly.
I won’t drag you into this.
The thought settled firmly.
Without another pause, Ana picked up her jacket and moved toward the door, her steps quiet and controlled.
The door clicked shut behind her, almost soundless.
But she wasn’t unnoticed.
At the far end of the hallway stood Min Cheol, leaning casually against the wall as if she had been there all along.
Her eyes followed her without interruption, sharp and observant, taking in every detail—the way she walked, the direction she chose, the absence of hesitation.
A faint smile formed on her lips, slow and knowing.
He didn’t stop her, didn’t question her.
That wasn’t his style.
Instead, she simply watched her disappear down the corridor, something calculating shifting behind his calm expression.
So… you’ve started moving, she thought, almost amused.
Let’s see how far you go.
Outside, the night air was colder, sharper against Ana’s skin, but she didn’t slow down.
The city felt different now—less like a place to explore, more like something waiting to be uncovered.
The card in her pocket no longer felt light.
It felt like a key.
Or maybe a trap.
Either way, Ana had already made her choice.
She wasn’t the type to step back once she stepped in The club didn’t feel like a place meant for students.
It was darker, controlled—lights low, music deep, conversations quiet but deliberate.
Nothing chaotic.
Everything measured.
Ana paused at the entrance for a second, her eyes scanning the room—not nervously, but carefully.
People weren’t just here to enjoy themselves… They were here for something.
Meetings.
Deals.
Power.
Her fingers brushed lightly against the card before she stepped inside, her posture straight, expression unreadable.
She didn’t ask for directions.
She didn’t need to.
Her eyes found her.
Rena Gihyun sat at the far end, slightly elevated, like the space had already been arranged around her.
No guards.
No obvious attention.
And yet—no one crossed her space.
A glass rested loosely in her hand, untouched for a while now, her gaze already on Ana before Ana even reached her.
So she knew I would come.
Ana stopped in front of her.
Neither spoke immediately.
Rena leaned back slightly, her eyes moving slowly—from Ana’s face, to her posture, to the subtle tension in her shoulders—observing, calculating.
“…You’re late,” Rena said calmly.
Ana didn’t react.
“…You expected me.” A faint smile.
“Of course.” Silence again—but not empty.
It was filled with quiet testing.
Ana didn’t sit.
Not yet.
“You gave me a card,” Ana said, her tone steady.
“People don’t do that without a reason.” Rena tilted her head slightly, as if amused.
“And yet… you came without knowing the reason.” “I came to find it.” That answer lingered.
Rena’s fingers tapped lightly against the glass—once—then stopped.
“…Sit.” This time, Ana did.
But not casually.
Controlled.
A distance maintained.
Rena watched that too.
“You observe before you trust,” Rena said.
“And you invite before you explain,” Ana replied.
Another small smile.
Approval again—but sharper this time.
“You’ve been through something,” Rena said, as if stating a fact, not asking a question.
“People who haven’t… don’t look at rooms like this.” Ana’s eyes didn’t change—but something inside tightened.
“You’re avoiding the reason,” she said.
Rena didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she leaned forward slightly, placing the glass down between them.
“Let’s not waste time pretending,” she said quietly.
“You didn’t come here because you were curious about a company.” Ana held her gaze.
“And you didn’t invite me just to talk.” There it was.
Clear.
Direct.
Rena’s smile disappeared.
Good.
Now we’re talking.
“…I like people who understand conversations without needing them explained,” Rena said.
Ana didn’t respond.
She waited.
Rena studied her for a moment longer, then spoke— “Tell me, Ana… if someone rewrites a part of your life without you knowing…” A pause.
“…would you want to know who did it?” Silence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Ana’s eyes narrowed just slightly.
There.
That wasn’t random.
That wasn’t a guess.
Rena knew something.
“…Depends,” Ana said slowly.
“On whether they’re still alive when I find out.” For the first time— Rena’s expression shifted.
Not surprising.
Interest.
Real interest.
“…Good answer.” The air between them changed.
No longer just testing.
Now— It was a game.
And both of them knew— Neither of them had told the full truth yet.