The evening air carried a strange tension, one that Soo Bin couldn't quite explain. Ever since the events at the station, her mind hadn't been at rest.
So Hee's words.
Her gaze.
The way she shut people out so easily…
And yet—
Not her.
Soo Bin had just stepped out after work, adjusting her bag over her shoulder when she heard a familiar voice.
"Soo Bin!"
She turned.
Lim Won Young was walking toward her, smiling brightly, as if nothing had changed between them.
"You've been avoiding me," Won Young said lightly, stopping in front of her.
Soo Bin blinked, a bit surprised. "I've just been busy," she replied, her tone polite but distant.
Won Young chuckled. "Then let me make it simple—let's be friends."
Before Soo Bin could respond, another presence stepped in.
Cold.
Sharp.
Immediate.
Kim So Hee.
She didn't say anything at first.
She just stood there—eyes fixed on the scene in front of her. On Soo Bin. On Won Young. On the distance between them.
Her jaw tightened.
Something in her chest snapped.
"Bin."
The way she said it—low, controlled—made Soo Bin turn instantly.
"Lieutenant?"
So Hee stepped closer, her presence overwhelming, her gaze unwavering. "We need to go."
Soo Bin hesitated. "But I was just—"
"I said, we need to go."
This time, there was no room for argument.
Won Young frowned slightly. "Lieutenant Kim, we were in the middle of—"
So Hee finally looked at her.
And the air changed.
That calm, composed demeanor was still there—but beneath it was something darker. Sharper.
"She's not available."
The words were simple.
But the meaning behind them wasn't.
Soo Bin's heart skipped.
She's… not available?
Before anything else could be said, So Hee reached for Soo Bin's wrist—not roughly, but firmly—and led her away.
Soo Bin didn't resist.
She couldn't.
Not with the way her heart was racing.
The car door shut with a soft click.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Breathing felt louder inside the confined space.
So Hee gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles tightening slightly before she let out a slow breath.
"You're too easy," she said suddenly.
Soo Bin blinked. "What?"
"You let people get close to you too easily," So Hee continued, her voice low, edged with something raw.
Soo Bin frowned slightly, confused. "I was just talking—"
"I don't like it."
That stopped her.
Soo Bin turned fully toward her now, her heart pounding. "Lieutenant… why are you acting like this?"
So Hee finally looked at her.
Really looked at her.
And whatever she had been holding back—
Snapped.
"Because I hate seeing you with other people."
The words came out sharper than before.
Honest.
Unfiltered.
Soo Bin's breath caught.
The air between them shifted instantly—no longer confusing, no longer subtle.
Something real.
Something undeniable.
So Hee leaned slightly closer, her voice dropping, intense and unwavering.
"Every time someone stands close to you… talks to you like that… I want to pull you away."
Her eyes didn't leave Soo Bin's.
"I don't want anyone else around you."
Soo Bin's chest rose and fell rapidly, her thoughts spiraling.
This wasn't anger.
This wasn't irritation.
This was—
Before she could process it fully—
So Hee spoke again.
Clear.
Direct.
Commanding.
"Be my girlfriend."
Silence.
Soo Bin froze.
Her mind went completely blank.
Her heart?
Out of control.
Of all the things she expected—
This wasn't one of them.
She stared at So Hee, eyes wide, lips slightly parted.
"...What?"
So Hee didn't look away.
Didn't soften.
Didn't take it back.
"I don't like repeating myself," she said quietly. "Be mine."
The intensity in her voice sent a shiver down Soo Bin's spine.
This wasn't a question.
It wasn't hesitation.
It was certainty.
Possession.
Desire.
Soo Bin let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, her lips slowly curving despite the overwhelming emotions rushing through her.
Her heart was racing.
Her mind spinning.
And yet—
She wasn't scared.
She was… excited.
But she didn't answer.
Not yet.
Because where was the fun in making it easy? 😏