After the wild emotional rollercoaster that was this entire morning, Jaewook did something uncharacteristic.
He looked at them all—emotionally fried, half-zombified—and said:
"Let's get out. Take a break. Walk. Grocery shop."
Kang Ho raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say… grocery shop?"
"Yes," Jaewook replied flatly. "We're low on soy sauce. And sanity."
Minah, still holding her bubble tea from earlier, nodded quietly and followed them out.
---
At the supermarket, the calm buzz of fluorescent lighting and soft jazz felt oddly comforting.
Until—
"SNACKS!!"
Hyun Soo skidded into the snack aisle like a child on Christmas morning.
He froze dramatically in front of a towering display of cakes, chips, and Pocky.
"Oh no…" Kang Ho muttered.
Hyun Soo clutched a box of strawberry Pocky to his chest like it was a long-lost sibling. "They restocked! This is fate!!"
Minah blinked. Then smiled—actually smiled—watching him nearly tear up from joy.
Meanwhile, Kang Ho tried to remain emotionally untouched as he scanned shelves for a specialty soy sauce—only to stop in his tracks.
"Korean spicy noodles," he whispered reverently.
Jaewook barely glanced at either of them and said under his breath to Minah, "Don't mind them. They're children. Loud, chaotic children."
Minah stifled a laugh.
He turned to her, more gently this time. "Do you want anything? Snacks? Skincare? That face mask with the creepy panda print?"
Minah paused, then pulled out her phone and typed:
"Skincare. Maybe chips. And that weird grape jelly Hyun Soo likes."
Jaewook nodded, his lip quirking up.
"Done."
------
At checkout, Jaewook casually tossed in a few extra items.
Minah blinked when she noticed the familiar bottles—her favorite shampoo, toner, moisturizer... even the lip balm she thought was discontinued.
She looked up at him.
He said nothing.
Hyun Soo squinted at the growing pile. "Uh, boss? You never do this for us. Can you pay for our stuff too? I have... a bubble tea budget, not a skincare one."
Jaewook shot them a look. "No."
Minah stifled a giggle—and for once, didn't bother hiding it.
---
As they stepped outside with their bags, the cool night air wrapped around them like a silk shawl.
But Jaewook's mood shifted.
His eyes flicked toward the side alley—just for a second. A man standing too still. Watching too long.
Without a word, he subtly moved closer to Minah.
Then rested his hand against her lower back.
Just enough to shield her.
Minah blinked at the unexpected contact. Her heart did a small somersault, cheeks warming. She didn't pull away.
She didn't say anything either.
Not until they were safely in the car.
---
Their next stop: Jaewook's favorite late-night cafe tucked between cozy shops and neon-lit bars. The Seoul nightlife glowed beyond the glass windows like an urban aurora.
Inside, soft jazz played.
Minah sipped quietly on her iced matcha latte.
Jaewook nursed a warm espresso latte like the classy vampire CEO he was.
Hyun Soo showed up with what looked like dessert disguised as coffee—iced, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and all.
Kang Ho, as expected, sipped a no-nonsense flat white and looked mildly disappointed in all of them.
Jaewook glanced around, then looked at Minah. "How's the drink?"
Minah typed, then showed him:
"Perfect. You have good taste."
He raised an eyebrow, lips twitching.
"I know."
-----
The soft hum of espresso machines and warm laughter filled the cafe. To any outsider, it was just another quiet night in Seoul.
But in the corner booth—shadowed by a fake potted plant and angled away from view—sat a man with a cap pulled low over his face.
He watched them.
Minah, smiling softly over her iced matcha.
Jaewook, sitting with quiet pride.
Kang Ho and Hyun Soo, bickering over dessert vs. "real" coffee.
The man raised his phone discreetly.
Snap.
One photo.
Then another.
He typed a message into an encrypted app.
"Subject 47 spotted. With 3 other people. Should I interfere?"
Seconds later, a reply came through.
"No. Watch her carefully. Any suspicious movement, report to me."
"Understood," he typed back.
But just as he was about to lock his screen, another message buzzed in—this one blinking red with urgency.
He opened it.
Read it once.
Then again.
"Subject 47 is a failure.
She's remembering things she shouldn't.
Kill her once she's alone.
President's order."
He didn't react outwardly. Just closed the screen and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Then he sipped his tea, eyes never leaving the table where Minah sat.
Smiling.
Unaware.