Ha-Joon returned to the suite expecting a few quiet minutes before the evening.
Instead, the moment he opened the door, Min-Ji looked up.
She had been sitting on the edge of the sofa, her phone resting in her lap. The moment she saw him, she stood. "You're back."
Ha-Joon closed the door. "Yes."
Min-Ji smiled and walked toward him. "You took quite a while."
"I was checking on Ji-Ah."
The smile on Min-Ji's face tightened. "Of course."
Ha-Joon noticed. "What?"
"Nothing."
She turned away, then sighed dramatically. "Actually..."
Ha-Joon looked at her. "What?"
Min-Ji lowered her voice. "I don't know whether I should tell you."
"Then don't."
She blinked. "...Ha-Joon."
He walked toward the table and placed his phone down. "What is it?"
Min-Ji followed him. "It's about Ji-Ah."
His expression immediately became more guarded. "What about her?"
"I don't want you to misunderstand me."
"Then explain."
Min-Ji hesitated deliberately. "She's been acting strangely since we arrived."
Ha-Joon said nothing.
"She's always around you."
"She's my secretary."
"I know."
Min-Ji nodded quickly. "But sometimes it feels like she forgets that."
Ha-Joon's eyebrows drew together. "Forget what?"
"That you're engaged."
Silence.
Min-Ji continued before he could respond. "She looks at you differently."
Ha-Joon's expression hardened. "You're imagining things."
"I'm not."
"Min-Ji."
"I'm telling you because I care about you."
Ha-Joon sighed. "I don't want you talking about her like this."
"But what if I'm right?"
He looked at her. "Then I'll deal with it."
Min-Ji stepped closer. "That's exactly what worries me."
She began listing little incidents, twisting ordinary moments into something suspicious.
Ji-Ah staying near him.
Ji-Ah looking at him.
Ji-Ah accepting his help.
Ji-Ah supposedly avoiding Min-Ji.
Each detail was harmless by itself.
But Min-Ji kept presenting them one after another until they sounded like a pattern.
Ha-Joon listened.
His expression remained unreadable.
Yet every now and then, his eyes narrowed.
Not because he believed her.
Because he didn't like what she was trying to do.
"Enough," he said finally.
Min-Ji stopped. "Ha-Joon..."
"I know Ji-Ah."
"Do you?"
His gaze sharpened. "Yes."
Min-Ji looked away.
Then suddenly stepped closer and kissed him.
Ha-Joon froze.
He did not return it.
After a brief moment, he stepped back. "Min-Ji."
She looked at him.
"Get out."
Her face changed. "What?"
"We're going somewhere."
"Where?"
"I'm not discussing it right now."
He picked up his jacket. "Just get ready."
Min-Ji stared at him.
She had expected him to react differently.
Instead, he simply walked past her.
Her hands curled at her sides.
Across the hallway, Ji-Ah had just stepped out of her room.
Her ankle was still sore, so she moved slowly, one hand occasionally brushing the wall for balance.
She happened to glance toward the elevator.
Ha-Joon and Min-Ji were walking out of the hotel.
Ji-Ah stopped.
She watched them disappear through the glass doors.
Her eyebrows knitted together.
Where are they going?
She looked down at her ankle.
Then back toward the entrance.
Curiosity won. Unfortunately.
She carefully made her way toward the reception desk.
The receptionist looked up. "Good afternoon, ma'am."
"Hi."
Ji-Ah gave a polite smile. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Where did Kim Ha-Joon and Min-Ji go?"
The receptionist checked the computer. "Mr. Kim?"
"Yes."
She nodded. "Madam arranged their schedule."
Ji-Ah's eyebrows rose. "Their schedule?"
"Yes. They were supposed to go out this afternoon."
"Where?"
The receptionist checked again. "They're going to Granville Island."
Ji-Ah blinked. "Oh."
The receptionist smiled. "It's one of the popular places for couples to visit. The market, waterfront, restaurants..."
Ji-Ah's expression flattened slightly. "Couples."
"Yes."
"Right."
She looked toward the doors again.
Of course.
She sighed. "Did they leave their key cards?"
The receptionist looked confused. "Why?"
"I'm Mr. Kim's secretary."
Ji-Ah quickly pulled herself together. "He told me to collect some documents from his suite."
The receptionist hesitated. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you access without confirmation."
Ji-Ah nodded. "That's fine. You can call him."
The receptionist picked up the phone. "Mr. Kim?"
Ji-Ah waited.
"Yes, I'm calling from reception. Ms. Park is here and says you instructed her to collect documents from your suite."
A pause.
The receptionist looked toward Ji-Ah. "Is Park Ji-Ah your secretary?"
Another pause.
Then the receptionist nodded. "Yes, sir."
She hung up. "He confirmed it."
Ji-Ah smiled with relief. "Thank you."
The receptionist handed her the access card. "Here you go."
Ji-Ah took it. "Thank you."
She carefully turned around.
Then immediately regretted her decision.
Because walking with an injured ankle was already difficult.
Walking quickly with an injured ankle was apparently a terrible idea.
She limped toward the elevators. Why did I volunteer for this?
The elevator doors opened.
She stepped inside.
When she finally reached Ha-Joon's suite, she looked down at the key card. "Okay."
She swiped it.
The lock clicked. Ji-Ah pushed the door open. She slipped inside and immediately closed it behind her.
She leaned against the door and exhaled. "That was hard."
She looked down at her ankle. "That was very hard."
She rubbed her forehead.
"Now..."
Her eyes moved around the quiet suite.
She was supposed to collect documents.
That was all. At least, officially. But something about Min-Ji's conversation kept bothering her.
The mysterious man. The warnings. The video. And now this sudden trip with Ha-Joon.
Ji-Ah slowly narrowed her eyes. "...Let's see what you're hiding."
She immediately stopped herself. "No."
She shook her head. "Documents first."
A pause.
Then she looked around again.
"...Definitely documents first."
She limped farther into the suite.
Ji-Ah found the documents Ha-Joon had mentioned fairly quickly.
They were exactly where he had said they would be, neatly arranged on the desk.
She picked them up and held them against her chest. "Okay. Documents. Done."
She should have left. That would have been the sensible thing. Instead, her eyes drifted toward Min-Ji's wardrobe.
Ji-Ah stared at it. "...No."
She looked toward the door.
Then back at the wardrobe.
"Absolutely not."
Another pause.
She slowly walked toward it. "...Just one look."
She opened the wardrobe.
Clothes.
Coats.
Dresses.
Sweaters.
Everything arranged neatly.
Ji-Ah moved a few hangers aside.
Nothing.
She checked the shelves.
Nothing.
She crouched down and looked underneath the clothes.
Nothing.
She opened the drawers one by one.
Scarves.
Accessories.
Personal items.
Nothing. "Come on..."
She opened another drawer.
Nothing.
Another.
Still nothing.
Ji-Ah sighed.
"Maybe I'm wasting my time."
She was about to close the drawer when she noticed a thin folder tucked beneath some folded clothing.
She pulled it out.
Her eyes immediately narrowed. It was a medical report. Ji-Ah froze. She looked at the name.
Park Tae-Hyun.
She frowned. "...Who?"
She read further.
There was a doctor's name.
A hospital stamp. A signature. And a recent date.
Ji-Ah's expression changed. "This is recent."
She looked at the report again. "Min-Ji hasn't been to a hospital."
Her fingers tightened around the paper. "So whose is this?"
She checked the name again.
Park Tae-Hyun.
Male. Definitely not Min-Ji.
Ji-Ah slowly sat on the edge of the bed. "Is this the man?"
Her mind immediately returned to the voice she'd heard.
The voice from Min-Ji's room.
The voice that had sounded frustrated.
The voice that had reluctantly agreed to do something for Min-Ji.
Ji-Ah looked at the medical report again. "This can't be a coincidence."
Then another memory struck her.
The envelope.
Min-Ji's parents had given her something before.
They had refused to cooperate with Min-Ji, but they'd told Ji-Ah there were things she needed to know.
Ji-Ah's eyes widened. "The envelope."
She quickly stood.
She left the medical report on the bed for a moment and returned to her own suite.
Once inside, she immediately went to her drawer.
She pulled out the envelope she'd kept underneath her clothes.
It was thicker than she remembered. Ji-Ah sat on the edge of her bed and opened it carefully.
Papers spilled across her lap. School records. Medical documents. Old bills. Official forms. Photographs.
Ji-Ah picked up the first medical record. Then stopped. The name wasn't Min-Ji's. She picked up another. Same thing. Her eyes moved faster.
"Wait..." She found a school record. The student was a boy. Five years old. The name on the document was:
Park Tae-Hyun.
Ji-Ah's mouth fell open.
She grabbed the medical report she'd taken from Min-Ji's room.
She compared the name.
Same.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"No way."
She picked up another document.
Tae-Hyun had been receiving medical treatment.
His school records showed he was still attending elementary school.
There were payment records.
School information.
Medical bills.
Nothing about Min-Ji.
Nothing that explained why his records were hidden among her belongings.
Then Ji-Ah found a photograph.
She stared at it.
It was old.
The image showed a much younger Min-Ji standing beside a little boy.
The boy looked about five.
He was thin Not too thin, wearing an oversized sweater and worn-out shoes.
Min-Ji looked younger too.
Neither of them looked wealthy.
The background was a small, aging house with peeling paint and a narrow doorway.
Ji-Ah turned the photograph over.
There was handwriting on the back. Her eyes widened. A phone number.
And a short note:
If you find this, please call this number.
Ji-Ah stared at the words. Her mind began racing.
"The same name..." She looked at the picture. Then at the documents. Then back at the picture.
"So..." She swallowed. "Is he her brother?"
Her eyes widened further.
"Or..." She couldn't finish the thought.
The possibility was too serious.
She picked up her phone.
Her thumb hovered over the number.
What if this is nothing?
She looked at the photograph again.
What if it isn't?
She pressed call.
One ring.
Two.
Then someone answered.
Silence.
Ji-Ah slowly lifted the phone closer to her ear. "Hello?"
Nothing.
She swallowed. "This is Park Ji-Ah speaking."
A long exhale came from the other end.
Then the voice spoke. "I know that voice."
Ji-Ah froze.
Her eyes widened.
She knew that voice too.
The same deep voice she'd heard through the door.
The mysterious man.
She sat completely still. "You..."
The man interrupted quietly. "I want to meet you, Park Ji-Ah."
Ji-Ah's fingers tightened around the phone. "You have questions."
She glanced down at the documents scattered across her bed. "And I think you want answers."
Ji-Ah swallowed. "Who are you?"
"I'll tell you when you come."
"Where?"
"I'll send you the location."
The call ended.
Ji-Ah stared at the screen.
The entire conversation had lasted less than a minute.
Then her phone buzzed.
A location appeared.
VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver.
Ji-Ah stared at it.
A public garden.
Quiet paths.
Plenty of people around during the day.
Still, something about the message made her uneasy.
She sighed. "This is getting worse."
She gathered the documents carefully.
Then grabbed her phone again.
She opened David's contact.
Her fingers moved quickly.
I need to go somewhere now. Can you send a car?
She paused.
Should she tell him why?
No.
Not yet.
She deleted the explanation.
Then sent the message.
Ji-Ah looked toward the door.
She could ask Yoo-Na to come.
She could tell Ha-Joon.
She could tell someone.
But then Min-Ji would know immediately.
And if this man really was connected to her...
Ji-Ah needed answers before anyone else knew what she had discovered.
She slipped the documents safely into her bag. "I'll go alone."
She immediately shook her head. "That sounds like a terrible idea."
She thought about it.
Then sighed.
"But if I bring someone..."
She looked at the photograph again.
"...I might scare him away."
Her phone buzzed.
David had replied.
I'll arrange transportation.
Ji-Ah nodded slowly.
She stood, carefully testing her injured ankle.
It still hurt.
"Wonderful."
She picked up her coat.
"An injured ankle, a mysterious man, Min-Ji's secrets, and absolutely no idea what I'm walking into."
She looked at herself in the mirror.
Then at the photograph tucked safely inside her bag.
"Let's find out who Park Tae-Hyun is."
She opened the door.
And stepped into the hallway.