❥ || chapter thirteen

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Monday arrived far too quickly.

After the almost kiss with Sunghoon, the weekend blurred into a haze of what ifs and replayed moments. My heart wouldn't stop fluttering every time I thought of the way his voice had dropped, how he'd leaned in so slowly, like he was afraid I might shatter. And how close we'd come to something that felt too big for the quiet spaces between us.

I walked into the office still floating somewhere between regret and longing. It was foolish, I knew that. I wasn't here to fall in love. I wasn't even supposed to get attached. I was supposed to survive the story. Rewrite it. Escape.

But then there was Sunghoon.

And then, there was Heeseung.

He was already in the office when I arrived, seated in the far corner by the window. The morning light caught the sharp angles of his face, and his fingers tapped impatiently on the keyboard. Minchae hovered nearby, her usual presence like a shadow glued to his side. But Heeseung's posture was different, tense, alert. Like a cat who had spotted a mouse and was ready to pounce at the slightest movement.

I barely had time to settle in before Sunghoon appeared beside me, two steaming coffees in hand, that easy grin lighting up his whole face.

"Morning," he said, holding one out. "I got your favourite."

I smiled automatically, my fingers curling around the warm cup. "You remembered?"

He bumped his shoulder lightly against mine. "Of course I did."

We weren't even trying to hide it anymore, the way we gravitated toward each other like magnets, the shared jokes that lingered longer than usual, the way our eyes met and held just a second too long.

That is, until I felt the weight of someone's gaze.

I glanced up. Heeseung's was watching us.

No, he was staring.

His eyes, usually guarded and unreadable, were sharp and dark, locked on the small moments Sunghoon and I shared. Mouth tight, brow furrowed, his jaw clenched like he was swallowing something bitter. I'd never seen him look like that before. Not even in the show's most dramatic scenes.

"Minchae," Heeseung said suddenly, his voice curt and clipped. "Can you give us a minute?"

She blinked, startled. "Uh- sure."

He stood abruptly and walked toward us, closing the space between us faster than I expected. He stopped just a breath too close, his gaze flicking from Sunghoon to me and back again. My stomach twisted into knots.

"Eunseo," he said, voice low but steady. "Can I talk to you?"

Sunghoon's smile faltered. "Everything okay?"

Heeseung ignored him. "It's about the marketing file you submitted last week. It won't take long."

I swallowed. "Um. Sure."

I followed Heeseung into the hallway, hearing Sunghoon's footsteps fade behind me. Once we were out of earshot, Heeseung turned abruptly to face me.

"Really?" His voice was low and pointed.

I blinked. "What?"

"You and Sunghoon."

I crossed my arms defensively. "What about us?"

"You're getting too close."

There was something in his tone, a mix of disapproval and something darker. Jealousy, maybe? Or something he didn't want to admit even to himself.

My heart hammered in my chest. "We're just friends."

Heeseung scoffed, a bitter edge to it. "That didn't look like just friends."

I took a step back, feeling cornered. "Why does it matter to you?"

His jaw tensed. "It doesn't. Not really."

But his clenched fists betrayed him. I could see it in the way he wouldn't meet my eyes, how his fingers twitched at his sides like he wanted to grab something but didn't know what.

"You've been acting strange," he added, voice softer now. "Distant. Distracted."

"I've just been... thinking a lot," I said quietly.

He nodded slowly, eyes narrowing like he was trying to read a hidden message. "You're not like you were before."

I blinked, unsure what he meant. "Before what?"

"Before everything changed."

It wasn't a confession, not exactly. But it was the closest Heeseung had come to admitting that he felt something too, that he had noticed the shift between us.

"Why do you care?" I whispered.

He didn't answer at first. Then, his voice softened, almost vulnerable. "Because I thought maybe... we had something."

The words caught me off guard. It was the first time he'd said anything remotely like that, anything that broke through his usual guarded façade.

Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the quiet hallway, stunned and breathless.

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When I returned to my desk, Sunghoon was gone.

The rest of the day crawled forward. I couldn't focus. Heeseung kept stealing glances at me from across the office, his eyes like thunderclouds gathering. Minchae, bless her, tried to act normal, but even she sensed the tension thickening the air.

Later, after the last of the team filtered out, Sunghoon found me in the supply room, pretending to sort through paperclips to calm my racing thoughts.

"You've been off today," he said gently, leaning against the doorframe.

I jumped, startled. "Sunghoon- hey. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

He folded his arms, eyes soft but concerned. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

He raised a brow. "That's your third lie this week."

I swallowed hard. "Sunghoon..."

"I know something's wrong. You're anxious all the time. You flinch when cars pass by too quickly. You keep checking your phone even though you never text anyone. And when we were out the other day... it felt like you were saying goodbye."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"I'm not-" I started, but the words caught in my throat.

He stepped closer, the space between us shrinking. "Eunseo. What are you hiding?"

I looked up at him, really looked, and felt the familiar ache swell in my chest. His eyes were so open, so trusting. He deserved the truth.

But the truth would change everything.

"I'm just scared," I said finally, voice trembling.

"Of what?"

I hesitated. "Of losing things. People. Of... not being able to stop something bad from happening."

He studied me silently. Then asked softly, "Are you talking about me?"

I shook my head too quickly. "No. Of course not."

He didn't believe me. I could see it in the way his lips pressed into a thin line, the subtle clench of his jaw.

"I care about you, Eun," he said softly. "I need you to trust me."

I looked away, ashamed. "I'm trying."

But I wasn't. Not really. Because the more I trusted him, the more I risked everything.

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The next few days passed in a blur of tight smiles and stolen glances. Heeseung was colder, but not indifferent. Watchful, like a storm gathering strength. I caught him lingering around Sunghoon's desk more than usual, inserting himself into conversations, asking me to help with small tasks that didn't need help at all.

It was subtle, but unmistakable.

He was jealous.

And I didn't know how to feel about it.

Part of me still wanted Heeseung to be the perfect lead from the show, the charming, distant man who delivered flawless lines and made my heart race from afar. But the Heeseung standing before me now was messy. Vulnerable. Flawed.

And somehow... that was worse.

Because it made choosing even harder.

One evening, after everyone had gone home, Sunghoon caught up to me by the front doors.

"Walk you out?" he asked, voice soft.

I hesitated, then nodded.

We stepped into the cool night air, the city lights glowing softly around us. The street was quiet except for the distant hum of cars and the occasional bark of a stray dog.

"Do you think people can change their story?" I asked suddenly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He glanced at me, curious. "What do you mean?"

"Like, if everything feels written already... do you think there's still a way to change the ending?"

Sunghoon stopped walking. His gaze was steady.

"I think," he said slowly, "that maybe some endings aren't meant to be changed. But that doesn't mean we stop trying."

His words felt like a lifeline.

He reached for my hand. I didn't hesitate this time.

His fingers wrapped around mine like a promise.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, the world feeling quieter, softer, like it was holding its breath with us.

That night, I stared at the ceiling, heart pounding.

I was losing control of the story.

Heeseung was no longer just the aloof lead. Sunghoon was no longer just the secondary character fated to fade.

And I was no longer a passive observer, just trying to go home.

I was in it now. Deep.

And soon, I would have to choose.

But how could I choose between two hearts: one I was supposed to love, and one I couldn't help but fall for?

And how could I save someone I wasn't supposed to love at all?

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