The walk back to the restaurant felt quieter than before.
Not because the restaurant had become quieter.
Because Ji-Ah had.
Yoo-Na walked a step ahead, humming happily to herself, swinging her room key around one finger.
Ji-Ah followed behind absentmindedly.
Her mind refused to leave the conversation she'd overheard.
"Do something for me..."
"If he wants me back..."
"Fine... this is the last time."
None of it made sense.
Who was he?
Why was he hiding?
And why did Min-Ji sound so...
Confident?
Like she knew he had no choice.
Something's wrong.
Really wrong.
"Ji?" Yoo-Na looked back. "You coming or are you planning to sleep in the hallway?"
Ji-Ah blinked. "Huh?"
"There you are."
"You disappeared."
"I was thinking."
"I know."
"You've had that face since we left."
"What face?"
"The detective face."
"I don't have a detective face."
"You absolutely do."
Ji-Ah laughed softly. "I'll stop."
"You won't."
"...Probably not."
The restaurant slowly came back into view.
The warm lights.
The soft music.
The quiet conversations.
Nothing had changed.
Except... It somehow felt different after what she'd heard upstairs.
Min-Hyuk and Seo-Yeon were actually eating.
Quietly.
No teasing.
No arguing.
Just peacefully enjoying their dinner.
It was so unusual that Yoo-Na stopped walking.
Ji-Ah looked at her. "What?"
Yoo-Na pointed dramatically. "...Look."
"What?"
"They're eating."
"...Yes."
"...Without talking."
Ji-Ah blinked. "...You're right."
Yoo-Na narrowed her eyes. "...Should we check if they're okay?"
Ji-Ah giggled. "They're fine."
"I've never seen them this quiet."
"Let them enjoy dinner."
"...It feels suspicious."
At the same moment... Ha-Joon looked up from his phone.
He had just ended his call with Do-Hyun.
His eyes immediately found the two women returning.
Yoo-Na waved cheerfully from halfway across the restaurant.
Ha-Joon gave the smallest nod in return.
Ji-Ah... Didn't notice. Her eyes remained lowered.
Still thinking. Still replaying every word she'd overheard.
She wasn't looking where she was going. "Ji..."
Yoo-Na started. But it was already too late.
Bump.
Ji-Ah walked straight into one of the waiters carrying an empty tray.
The young waiter quickly steadied it before anything could fall. "Oh! I'm so sorry, miss."
Ji-Ah blinked repeatedly, immediately stepping back. "No! No, I'm the one who's sorry. I wasn't looking."
The waiter smiled politely. "It's alright. Nothing spilled."
Ji-Ah bowed quickly. "I'm really sorry. No worries."
He bowed back before continuing on his way.
Yoo-Na sighed. "...See? I told you. You were thinking too hard."
Ji-Ah rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "...Maybe."
They finally returned to the table.
Ji-Ah quietly pulled out her chair and sat down.
Yoo-Na immediately reached for another bread roll. "...What?"
She caught everyone looking at her. "I was gone for six minutes."
Min-Hyuk smiled. "You came back hungry."
"I've always been hungry."
Ha-Joon, however... Wasn't looking at Yoo-Na. He was watching Ji-Ah.
She reached for her glass. Missed it the first time.
Found it the second.
She looked... Distracted. Far too distracted.
He waited until everyone resumed eating before speaking quietly. "...What happened?"
Ji-Ah looked up. "Hm?"
"You seem absent-minded."
She blinked.
Then smiled. "Oh... It's nothing."
He studied her face for another moment. "...Are you sure?"
She nodded automatically. "Yeah. ...Nothing."
But...
Two seconds later... She leaned toward him slightly across the table. Her voice dropped into a whisper.
"...I heard something."
His attention sharpened immediately. "What?"
"In your room."
Ha-Joon frowned. "My room?"
She nodded. "I heard voices."
"What kind of voices?"
She glanced around the table to make sure no one else was listening.
Then whispered even lower. "...There was another man."
Ha-Joon blinked once. "...A man?"
Ji-Ah nodded. "A male voice."
"It wasn't Hea-In. It was deeper .Older, maybe. He sounded..." She searched for the right word. .Angry. .Like he didn't want to do whatever Min-Ji was asking."
Ha-Joon remained silent.
His brows knitted together almost imperceptibly.
"A male voice..." He repeated quietly. "...Are you certain?"
Ji-Ah nodded without hesitation. "I'm sure. I know the difference. It wasn't Hea-In."
For a brief moment...
Ha-Joon actually considered it.
A man?
Inside the suite?
How?
He replayed the day in his mind.
Min-Ji had stayed in the room.
Hea-In had gone upstairs.
No one else... At least, no one he had seen.
Then logic slowly took over.
The hotel floor required key-card access.
Security was everywhere.
The suite hadn't been disturbed.
No staff had reported anything.
It didn't add up.
He looked back at Ji-Ah.
"...I think..." He chose his words carefully. "...You're probably imagining it."
She frowned slightly. "I wasn't."
"You've been tired."
"We've travelled all day."
"You barely slept yesterday."
"I know."
She looked unconvinced.C"But I heard him."
Ha-Joon's voice remained gentle.
"I'm not saying you're lying. I'm saying..." He rested one hand lightly on the table. "...Your mind is probably connecting things that aren't connected."
She looked down at her plate. "...Maybe."
He gave a small nod. "Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow will be a long day. We're walking most of Vancouver. You'll need your energy."
Ji-Ah sighed softly. "...Okay."
Even though... Deep inside... She still didn't believe she'd imagined it.
Dinner slowly came to an end. People began standing. Putting on their coats. Collecting bags.
Ha-Joon glanced at his watch. Then stood. "I'll head back first."
Everyone looked toward him. "I still have some work to finish."
Ji-Ah immediately groaned. "There it is."
He looked at her. "What?"
"Work." She folded her arms dramatically. "You're always working."
Min-Hyuk nodded. "She's right."
Seo-Yeon smiled knowingly.
Ji-Ah continued. "You told us this trip was for work..."
She pointed a finger at him. "...but also to relax. So relax."
He quietly picked up his coat. "I'll try."
"No." She shook her head firmly. "Not 'try.'"
She smiled. "Enjoy Canada while it lasts."
Her voice softened. "You don't get vacations very often."
"So..." She shrugged. "...Enjoy this one."
Ha-Joon looked at her for a long second.
Then... A small smile appeared. "...I'll remember that."
He slipped on his coat. "Mrs. Park."
She looked up. "Yes?"
"Eight o'clock."
"Sharp."
She saluted dramatically. "Yes, sir."
"Don't be late."
"I won't."
"You probably will."
"I absolutely will."
He almost laughed.
Almost.
Instead, he shook his head.
"Good night."
"Good night."
The others echoed the farewell.
They watched him disappear toward the elevators.
Yoo-Na leaned closer to Ji-Ah. "...He's definitely smiling more."
Ji-Ah looked down at her drink. "...I noticed."
One by one...
Everyone headed back upstairs.
The excitement of arriving in Canada had finally caught up with them.
Even Yoo-Na yawned every few minutes. "I'm sleeping the moment I reach my bed."
"You said that an hour ago," Ji-Ah teased.
"I mean it this time."
Ji-Ah eventually reached her room.
She brushed a hand through her hair, letting out a tired breath.
"...Finally."
She reached into her coat pocket.
Nothing. "...Hm?"
She checked the other pocket.
Nothing.
Her handbag.
Nothing.
"...No..."
She frowned. "My key card?"
She searched every pocket again.
Still nothing. "...Seriously?"
She let out a small groan. "My phone..."
She remembered almost instantly.
It's inside the room.
"So is my charger. And everything else."
She looked up at the door. "...Great."
For a moment she considered calling Yoo-Na.
Then remembered... She couldn't.
She didn't have her phone.
She stared at the doorknob.
"...Well... Let's just see."
Without much hope...
She twisted it.
Click.
The door opened.
Ji-Ah froze.
"..."
"...I.. ..Didn't lock it?"
She stepped inside cautiously.
The room was exactly as she'd left it.
The curtains were still open.
The suitcase remained beside the bed.
Nothing had been moved.
Nothing looked disturbed.
She slowly closed the door behind her.
"...Maybe..."
She looked toward the bedside table.
There...
Lying neatly beside her phone...
Was her room key card.
She blinked. "...I never took it."
She let out a relieved laugh. "So I really forgot to lock the door."
She tapped her forehead lightly. "Good job, Park Ji-Ah."
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
The screen lit up.
Seo-Jun Calling...
She answered with a smile. "Hello? Mrs. Park."
His familiar voice came through. "Everything alright?"
She sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm fine. You?"
"I'm surviving."
She laughed.
"I heard you're in Canada already."
"We are."
"How's Chairman Kim?"
"Still working."
Seo-Jun sighed dramatically. "As expected."
She smiled. "What about Seoul?"
There was a brief silence.
Then Seo-Jun answered with the seriousness of someone delivering national news.
"...Hanryeon Food and Hanryeon Tech have officially declared war."
Ji-Ah blinked. "...What?"
"The employees. Not the companies."
"Oh." She relaxed. "What happened?"
Seo-Jun sighed again. "The Hanryeon Food employees insist food is more important."
Ji-Ah nodded. "...Reasonable."
"The Hanryeon Tech employees responded by saying people can't order food without technology."
She covered her mouth to stop herself laughing. "No..."
"Oh yes. It escalated. Someone made comparison charts."
Ji-Ah burst into laughter. "They made charts?"
"They held a vote. They made banners. They've somehow turned the cafeteria into two rival territories."
Ji-Ah laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes. "I leave Korea for one day .And the companies start a civil war?"
Seo-Jun chuckled. "We're managing."
"Barely."
She leaned back against the headboard, still smiling. "You people are impossible."
"So I've been told."
"Tell everyone to behave."
"I'll try."
"...Though I doubt they'll listen."
"They won't."
They both laughed.
After another minute, Ji-Ah yawned quietly.
Seo-Jun noticed. "Go sleep."
"I was about to."
"We'll handle everything here. You enjoy Canada."
She smiled warmly. "We will."
"Good night, Mrs. Park."
"Good night, Seo-Jun."
The call ended.
Ji-Ah placed the phone beside her pillow.
She looked once toward the city lights outside her window.
Then... Without realizing it... Her thoughts wandered back to the voice she'd heard.
The deep, reluctant voice hidden inside Ha-Joon's suite. "...I know I heard you."
She whispered it to the empty room. "...Who are you?"