As if an earthquake had occurred, her pupils shook, but Ji Na lightly pushed Jin Woo’s broad back, feigning nonchalance.

“Sorting out things is like a mountain of work. Let’s go quickly.”

Jin Woo turned abruptly, as if he might be left behind.

“Tomorrow.”

In an instant, their eyes met closely. Sometimes, when Ji Na gazed into Jin Woo’s deep black pupils, she couldn’t even fathom what he was thinking.

“Tomorrow?”

When Ji Na inquired, Jin Woo offered a light smile.

“See you tomorrow. At the office.”

What did he mean by that, she wondered. Ji Na belatedly realized, absently touching her hair as she momentarily stood in place.

Properly organizing the haphazardly packed belongings turned out to be surprisingly time-consuming. Underestimating it, Ji Na eventually lay on the bed only in the pitch-dark of midnight.

“Wow… If I move one more time, I might end up in the hospital.”

Tomorrow marked the end of her vacation, and she would finally return to work at the office. Ji Na couldn’t help but think of Jin Woo, who would naturally be in the office. She pressed her lips together with a pensive expression.

“Now Jin Woo is no longer at the office…”

The brief time they had spent together kept coming to mind like a habit. When she imagined an office without Jin Woo, a bitter taste lingered in her mouth, accompanied by a deep sense of emptiness.

“I should take a shower.”

Nevertheless, they were in the same company, so she might run into him by chance. As if consoling herself, Ji Na mumbled while heading towards the bathroom. In that moment, she felt someone’s gaze, and she quickly turned around. Outside the window, there was nothing but darkness.

“Ah… Am I too tired?”

She wondered if her heightened sensitivity was to blame. She shook her head in confusion and hurriedly entered the bathroom. Perhaps it felt stuffy because she hadn’t installed blinds. She thought it would be fine since there was no one except her on the rooftop and in the attic room where Ji Na lived.

“I should install them tomorrow.”

After finishing her shower, Ji Na got dressed and came out. While drying her hair, she couldn’t shake the feeling of someone’s gaze from outside the window.

She pressed down her growing fear and cautiously approached the window. She thoroughly inspected the outside, but once again, there was no one to be found.

“This is strange…”

Had she misinterpreted it twice? Was it simply due to exhaustion? Rubbing her tense neck, Ji Na tried to dismiss her unease and sat on the bed as if nothing were wrong. However, the lingering fear wouldn’t fade away. She held her phone close and sent a message.

“Did you get home safely?”
Did I misinterpret it twice? Or is it simply because I’m tired? Ji Na wiped her neck, which had become sweaty and tense. She sat on the bed, pretending to be nonchalant, but the growing fear wouldn’t disappear. She held her phone close to her chest.

[“Did you get home safely?”]

Even though she was in a state of high tension, there was no sign of it in her text messages. She didn’t want to alert Jin Woo. After all, he had expressed concern about whether she could handle being alone, and it had only been a few hours since she confidently reassured him.

[“Yes. Are you done with the sorting?”]

His response came quickly, and Ji Na felt her tension ease a bit.

[“Yeah, it’s all done…”]

Oops, in a moment of hesitation, she accidentally sent the message. To her surprise, Jin Woo called her right away.

“Uh…”

[Dash] Aren’t you going to sleep?

His low voice sounded pleasant through the speaker.

“You…?”

[Dash] I’m going to sleep too.

Jin Woo’s voice made Ji Na burst into laughter.

“What’s going on…”

Strangely, she felt a sense of comfort. It was just his voice, after all.

“Go to bed quickly. You’ve had a long day. You must be tired…”

[Dash] Alright.

“Turns out you’re the hardworking type by nature, huh?”

[Dash] Haha. Seems like it.

His low laughter tickled her ears.

[Dash] I could have worked harder.

There was a hint of regret in his voice, which made Ji Na’s face flush.

“Oh, I should go to sleep.”

At her hurried voice, a gentle laughter spread through his words.

[Dash] I wanted to see you.

While Ji Na was absent from the company, Jin Woo found it difficult. Whenever he had a moment, he unintentionally looked for her here and there.

[Dash] I still need someone to look after me.

His voice whispered with warmth, and Ji Na’s heart trembled.

“Being your supervisor… that would be a big problem.”

Ji Na casually replied, feigning seriousness.

[Dash] Go to sleep quickly. If you’re late for work tomorrow…”

Jin Woo paused for a moment.

[Dash] Someone might be waiting for you desperately in the company lobby.

His serious joke made Ji Na burst into laughter.

“Oh, come on. I’m so relaxed now that I feel like I can go to sleep.”

While they laughed together, Jin Woo’s breathing suddenly stopped.

[Dash] Is something wrong?

His voice became sharp, and Ji Na was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly brushed it off.