Ji-eun had never imagined that something as small as curiosity could pull her into danger.
That afternoon, when she noticed the unusual weight in Min-Jae's bag, she hadn't meant to pry—but instinct told her something was wrong. And she was right. For a split second, she saw it—a gun. Cold, metallic, and completely out of place in their quiet college lives.
Min-Jae reacted quickly. He brushed it off, distracting her with casual conversation, but Ji-eun wasn't convinced. The image stayed in her mind, haunting her every step back to the hostel. By evening, her suspicion turned into certainty. She needed proof.
When she got the chance, she grabbed his bag and tried to open it. Her heart pounded loudly, echoing in the silent corridor. But before she could see anything clearly, chaos struck—her foot got caught in a loose shoelace. She stumbled forward, crashing into Min-Jae as he turned the corner.
They fell together.
For a moment, everything froze. Ji-eun landed against him, his arm instinctively wrapping around her waist. Their faces were inches apart, breaths uneven, eyes locked like the world had suddenly paused just for them.
"Do you always attack people like this," Min-Jae murmured softly, "or am I special?"
Ji-eun's brain short-circuited. "I—I tripped!"
"Twice," he added with a faint smirk.
Her cheeks burned. "Okay, my shoelace is clearly the real villain here. You should arrest it."
For a second, he actually laughed—quiet, warm, and completely distracting.
Ji-eun quickly pulled away, flustered, but as she stood up too fast, her ankle twisted slightly. "Ow—okay, that was not romantic at all," she muttered, wincing.
"Why do you have a gun?"
Min-Jae hesitated. Then, with a quiet sigh, he made a decision. He told her the truth.
He wasn't just a student. He was working undercover with the police, tracking illegal activities in the hostel. The gun wasn't for harm—it was for protection. His current mission was dangerous. A drug dealer named Kang-Tae was living right there, in room 302.
Ji-eun was stunned. Fear mixed with disbelief, but also… concern.
"And you thought carrying a gun and acting mysterious was a good plan?" she whispered.
"I thought not tripping into me while stealing my bag was a good plan too," he replied.
She glared at him. "This is not the time."
"Maybe it is," he said softly, his gaze lingering on her a moment too long. "You're still here."
Her heart skipped—at the worst possible moment. She took a step back… and bumped straight into the wall. "Okay, now the wall is attacking me too," she groaned, rubbing her head.
Before she could process it fully, things escalated.
That very night, Min-Jae moved to catch Kang-Tae. Ji-eun, unable to stay away, followed at a distance. The confrontation was intense—words turned into a struggle, and the struggle into a fight. Kang-Tae was stronger than expected, desperate and violent.
Min-Jae tried to control the situation, but in the chaos, he was overpowered.
Without thinking, Ji-eun rushed in.
"Excuse me! Can we not have a fight-to-the-death today? I just survived embarrassment!" she shouted, grabbing whatever she could.
She swung it—badly.
It barely hit Kang-Tae, but it was chaotic enough to distract him.
"That was… not aimed," she admitted.
But Kang-Tae turned toward her instantly and shoved her hard. She crashed into a table, pain shooting through her side as she gasped. "Okay—that really hurt," she wheezed.
"Ji-eun!" Min-Jae shouted.
That moment was all he needed. He lunged forward, overpowering Kang-Tae. Together, in a messy, uncoordinated, slightly ridiculous effort, they managed to subdue him until help arrived.
When it was over, silence filled the room once again—but everything had changed.
Ji-eun leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, her hand clutching her side. "I think… I just fought a criminal," she said weakly. "And lost to furniture."
Min-Jae walked toward her, worry replacing his calm expression. "You're hurt."
"And whose fault is that?" she tried to joke, but her voice faltered with pain.
He stepped closer, carefully holding her to steady her. "You shouldn't have come."
"And let you get beaten up alone?" she replied softly. "Not happening."
For a moment, the tension shifted again—no danger, no chaos, just the quiet pull between them.
But suddenly, Ji-eun lost her balance. Darkness clouded her vision, and she collapsed unconscious into Min-Jae's arms.
"Ji-eun! Ji-eun, open your eyes!" Min-Jae's voice was filled with panic.
The next moment, he lifted her into his arms and rushed.
The hospital emergency ward burst into motion as doctors quickly took her inside, leaving Min-Jae standing outside—helpless, anxious, and blaming himself.
After some time, the doctor came out.
"There's nothing to worry about. She has a minor head injury and some bruised ribs. She just needs rest."
Min-Jae finally let out a breath of relief.
When Ji-eun was shifted to the ward, she slowly regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to find Min-Jae sitting beside her, the worry in his eyes still evident.
"You're… still here?" she asked with a weak smile.
Min-Jae leaned slightly closer, his voice soft.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Ji-eun closed her eyes gently, a faint smile on her lips.
"That's good… because I can't run away now anyway," she joked softly.
Min-Jae let out a quiet laugh, though the concern in his eyes hadn't faded.
Maybe the danger wasn't over yet…
but now, they weren't alone.