Go Eun didn't expect the message.
Not from Kang So Ra.
"Are you available this afternoon? I need your help with something at the hospital."
She stared at her phone longer than necessary.
Her first thought was confusion.
Her second—
A quiet, unexpected anticipation.
"…It's just work," she murmured to herself, quickly typing back a response.
"Yes, I'll be there."
But even as she sent it—
Her heart was already beating a little faster.
By the time So Ra arrived, Go Eun was already waiting.
Trying—and failing—to act normal.
"You came early," So Ra said as she walked toward her, her tone calm but her eyes observant.
Go Eun straightened slightly. "I didn't want to be late."
So Ra smiled faintly.
"Or you were eager."
Go Eun blinked. "…No."
Too quick.
So Ra didn't argue.
But the look on her face said she didn't believe her.
They moved into the consultation room together, the case file briefly discussed—
A defendant needing a medical evaluation.
Standard procedure.
Nothing complicated.
But the work didn't take long.
And neither of them seemed in a hurry to leave.
"Thank you for helping," So Ra said, closing the file.
"It was simple," Go Eun replied.
A pause.
So Ra didn't move.
She just… stayed.
Watching her.
Go Eun noticed.
Of course she did.
"How long are you going to keep staring at me?" she asked, trying to sound unaffected.
So Ra tilted her head slightly.
"Until you stop pretending you're not nervous."
Go Eun froze.
"I'm not nervous."
So Ra stepped closer.
Not rushed.
Not hesitant.
Just… deliberate.
"You always say that," she murmured.
Go Eun's breath hitched slightly as the distance between them shrank.
"…Because it's true."
"Is it?"
So Ra's voice was softer now.
Closer.
Go Eun could feel it.
That pull again.
That quiet tension that made it hard to think straight.
"Then why won't you look at me properly?" So Ra added.
That did it.
Go Eun looked up.
And immediately regretted it.
Because So Ra was already looking at her.
Closely.
Intently.
Like she had all the time in the world to figure her out.
Go Eun's chest tightened.
"…You're doing this on purpose," she said quietly.
So Ra smiled.
"Maybe I am."
Silence fell again.
But it wasn't empty.
It was heavy.
Go Eun turned slightly, trying to create space—but So Ra's hand moved first.
Lightly.
Gently.
Catching her wrist.
Go Eun stilled instantly.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"So Ra…" she whispered.
"Relax," So Ra said softly.
Her thumb brushed slightly against Go Eun's wrist—barely noticeable, but enough to send a shiver up her arm.
"You always tense up when I get close," she added.
Go Eun swallowed.
"Because you don't act normal."
"That's because you're not someone I want to act normal with."
The words landed deeper than expected.
Go Eun didn't respond immediately.
Because she couldn't.
Her heart was fluttering again.
Faster this time.
Louder.
So Ra watched her reaction carefully—then stepped just a little closer.
Enough to blur the line between personal space and something more.
"You feel it too," So Ra said quietly.
Go Eun's eyes widened slightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
So Ra's lips curved faintly.
"You do."
Another pause.
But this time—
Go Eun didn't pull away.
She stayed.
And that alone said enough.
So Ra slowly let go of her wrist—but her gaze never left Go Eun's face.
"Good," she murmured.
Go Eun blinked. "Good… what?"
So Ra stepped back slightly now—but not far enough to break the tension completely.
"Now I know I'm not the only one thinking about this."
Go Eun's heart skipped again.
"…You're really confident," she muttered.
So Ra smiled—slow, calm, certain.
"I don't waste time on things I'm not sure about."
That made Go Eun look at her again.
Properly this time.
And for once—
She didn't look away.