episode 2. conflicting emotion.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows in the café, the sense of urgency in y/n grew more palpable. Conversations around them faded into a blur as the weight of their mission settled among the trio. She looked from Rim So to Taehyung, both of them her pillars of support, yet the darkness looming ahead cast doubts in her mind.

"What's our next step?" y/n asked, taking a sip of her now lukewarm coffee, trying to ignore the knot forming in her stomach.

"We gather intel, but we also have to prepare," Rim So said, his expression serious. "If the Sung family is planning something, they won't sit idly by."

Taehyung nodded in agreement. "I'll reach out to our contacts in law enforcement and see if any chatter comes through. It wouldn’t hurt to dig through some of their not-so-legal dealings, too."

Y/n's mind raced as she considered their options. "We need to be careful, we can’t let them suspect that we’re aware of their plans. Let’s create a plan that involves looking as normal as possible while we investigate."

Suddenly, her phone buzzed again, snapping her back to reality. This time, it wasn’t an unknown number; it was from Ae-cha. "We need to talk. I know you're back. Meet me at the park, 8 PM."

Conflicting emotions surged through y/n. Ae-cha had been her best friend and now felt like a ghost from her past. They had parted ways after a fallout that neither of them fully understood, connected by thick threads of shared history but stretched apart by secrets and pain.

Rim So noticed the discomfort on her face. "What’s going on?"

Y/n quickly explained, and both men exchanged wary glances. "You don’t have to do this alone," Taehyung said earnestly. "If you prefer, I can come with you."

"No," she replied firmly, though her voice trembled slightly. "This is something I need to handle myself. I have to face her."

With a deep breath, y/n stood up, ready to confront the past. "I’ll meet you back here after, okay? And let’s keep our channels open."

The drive through Seoul's bustling streets felt surreal. With each passing light, her mind spiraled with memories of Ae-cha: laughter shared in coffee shops, late-night confessions under the stars, their innocent dreams for the future. But those memories came with the heavy weight of betrayal, and the gap between them only seemed to widen with time.

When she arrived at the park, the air was thick with summer humidity, infused with the scent of blooming flowers. She spotted Ae-cha sitting on a bench, her expression unreadable, lost in thought. As y/n approached, she noticed the changes in her friend; though her exterior was still sweet, shadows danced in her eyes, hinting at the burdens she carried.

"This is unexpected," Ae-cha said, her voice flat, eyes glancing away from y/n.

"Maybe, but we can't keep ignoring each other," y/n replied, searching for the right words. "I want to talk about the past... about us."

"Do you really think we can just brush over everything? You skipped the country, y/n! You left when I needed you the most!" Ae-cha retorted, standing abruptly. Emotion spilled over in her voice, each word a crafted dagger.

"I didn’t leave because I wanted to!" y/n shot back, fighting to keep her emotions in check. "I was going through something that you couldn’t understand. The pressure, the expectations… everything about being part of the Kang family suffocated me."

Ae-cha remained silent, visibly hurt but not giving in. "And I was going through something too. Things in the Sung family… it wasn’t easy for me either."

The cold reality hung in the air. It was true; both had been trapped in rich families filled with their complexities and struggles. As their stories intertwined, y/n felt that perhaps they had both suffered in silence.

"What do you want from me? To apologize? To fix something that may be broken beyond repair?" Ae-cha finally asked, a weary edge to her voice.

"I want to understand, and maybe we can – " y/n interjected, but was cut off by a sudden commotion nearby.

A group of men dressed in dark suits had entered the park, their presence aggressive and out of place for such a serene environment. Y/n recognized the insignia on their jackets—it belonged to the Sung family. Her heart raced as she met Ae-cha's terrified gaze.

"We need to go," y/n urged, clenching her fists. But before they could take more than a step, one of the men approached them, a predatory grin on his face.

“Well, well, look what we have here,” he said, voice dripping with menace. "The princess of the Kang family and her pretty little friend. I think we have some unfinished business to discuss."

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