Morning came quietly.
For once, there was no argument.
No rushing.
No uncomfortable silence.
Just the soft sound of the city waking beyond the bedroom windows.
Yerin stood in front of the mirror, fixing her hair while Do-hyun sat on the edge of the bed, checking his phone.
She glanced at him through the mirror.
"You've been staring at that screen for five minutes."
"I'm reading something."
"That doesn't look like reading."
He didn't answer.
Yerin turned around.
"Do-hyun?"
He finally looked up.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
He locked his phone.
"I'm fine."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You have the exact face you make when something is wrong."
He stood.
"Maybe I just didn't sleep well."
Yerin watched him carefully.
She didn't believe him.
But before she could ask again, his phone vibrated.
Do-hyun looked down.
His expression changed instantly.
The warmth disappeared from his face.
Yerin noticed.
"What is it?"
He didn't answer.
"Do-hyun."
He slowly unlocked the phone.
One message.
No name.
No number saved.
Just words.
You should have listened.
His jaw tightened.
Then another message appeared.
Next time, she won't be spared.
Do-hyun's fingers stopped moving.
Yerin saw his expression.
"What happened?"
He turned the phone toward her.
She read the message.
Her face went pale.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Yerin whispered,
"They're talking about me."
Do-hyun looked at her and nod.
Yerin immediately reached for her phone.
"Ji-hoon."
Do-hyun looked at her.
"Call him."
She dialed.
It took several seconds.
Then—
"Yerin?"
"Ji-hoon."
Her voice was tense.
"What happened?"
"Do Hyun got a message."
There was silence on the other end.
"What kind of message?"
Yerin read it.
Ji-hoon didn't respond immediately.
When he finally spoke, his voice had changed.
"Send me a screenshot."
She did.
A few seconds passed.
"I knew it."
Yerin looked at Do-hyun.
"Knew what?"
"That they were getting closer."
Do-hyun stepped closer.
"Ji-hoon."
"Yes?"
"How much have you found?"
Another pause.
"Enough to know this isn't random."
Yerin frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means someone is deliberately targeting our family."
Do-hyun's expression hardened.
"Who?"
"I don't know yet."
Yerin took a breath.
"Then you need to come back."
"I can't."
"Ji-hoon—"
"I'm already too far into this."
Yerin closed her eyes.
She knew arguing wouldn't change his mind.
Then she remembered something.
"Ji-hoon."
"Hm?"
"Do-hyun already knows where you are."
Silence.
Yerin glanced at Do-hyun.
"He knows you're abroad."
Another silence.
Then Ji-hoon asked,
"He knows why?"
Yerin looked at Do-hyun.
"Yes."
Ji-hoon didn't react the way she expected.
He simply exhaled.
"Okay."
"That's it?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I thought you'd be angry."
"I would be if it were someone else."
His voice became serious.
"But if it's Do-hyun..."
He stopped.
"I trust him."
Do-hyun looked away.
Yerin continued.
"He won't tell anyone."
"Make sure he doesn't."
"He won't."
Ji-hoon was quiet for a moment.
"Then we work together."
Yerin looked at Do-hyun.
"For real?"
"For real."
The call continued.
Ji-hoon explained what he had discovered abroad.
Names.
Companies.
Financial movements.
Meetings that had happened quietly.
People who appeared unrelated but somehow kept appearing around the same network.
Do-hyun listened without interrupting.
Occasionally, he asked a question.
"How long has this operation been running?"
"Longer than we thought."
"How long?"
"Years."
Yerin's expression darkened.
"Years?"
"Yes."
Do-hyun looked toward the window.
"Then our fathers didn't suddenly become connected to this."
"No."
Ji-hoon's voice lowered.
"They were connected long before we knew."
Yerin's stomach tightened.
"What about Dad?"
"I don't know exactly how involved he is."
"Then why was his name in that report?"
"Because someone wants it there."
Do-hyun looked at Yerin.
"Or because someone is trying to make us believe something."
Ji-hoon was silent.
"That's what I think too."
Yerin looked between them.
"So what do we do?"
Do-hyun answered first.
"We investigate."
Ji-hoon agreed.
"Quietly."
"No families," Do-hyun added.
"No friends," Ji-hoon said.
"No one else."
Yerin nodded.
"For now, just us."
The call ended later that morning.
Yerin placed her phone on the table.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at it.
Do-hyun remained beside her.
"You're scared."
She looked at him.
He didn't pretend otherwise.
"So am I."
She looked surprised.
"You?"
"I'm not afraid of the people behind this."
"Then what are you afraid of?"
He looked directly at her.
"Losing you."
Yerin became quiet.
Do-hyun reached for her hand.
"I'm not going to let them turn you into a target and expect me to stand there."
"I'm not helpless."
"I know."
"Then stop looking at me like I'm going to break."
"I'm not."
He paused.
"I'm looking at you like you're someone I need to protect."
Yerin's expression softened.
"And what if I want to help?"
"Then help."
She smiled faintly.
"That was easier than expected."
"Don't get excited."
She laughed quietly.
For a moment, the tension eased.
Then Do-hyun's phone vibrated again.
He looked down.
A new message.
His smile disappeared.
Yerin noticed.
"What now?"
He didn't answer.
He opened the message.
A photograph loaded.
Yerin.
It had clearly been taken without her knowing.
She was walking outside a café.
The photograph was recent.
Very recent.
Yerin stepped closer.
"Where did they get that?"
Do-hyun's eyes hardened.
Another line appeared beneath the photograph.
We told you to stay away.
Neither of them moved.
Yerin slowly looked at Do-hyun.
"They're watching me."
Do-hyun locked the phone.
"Apparently."
Her voice became quieter.
"What do we do now?"
He looked at her.
"Now?"
He took her hand.
"Now we stop waiting for them to make the next move."
Far away, Ji-hoon's phone lit up at the exact same moment.
He looked at the message.
Then at the photograph.
His expression changed.
Because there was something in the photograph that neither Yerin nor Do-hyun had noticed yet.
Someone was standing in the background.
Watching her.
And Ji-hoon knew exactly who it was.
...To Be Continued...