The mood in the Seoul Metropolitan Police headquarters was heavy. The clacking of keyboards and ringing of telephones filled the air, but in the middle of the noise, two detectives stood stiffly in front of their superior's desk.
Chief Kang didn't raise his voice often. But when he did, every officer in the station could hear.
"Do you two have any idea how pathetic you looked yesterday?" His glare moved between Kim Mi Na and Lee Do Hwan like a searchlight. "Sent out with a direct order, and you return with nothing but excuses. And her slamming the door in your faces."
Mi Na clenched her jaw, her hands curling into fists. Do Hwan, in contrast, leaned against the wall with his lollipop back in his mouth, feigning calmness—but even he straightened when the chief slammed a folder onto the desk.
The sound echoed. Papers spilled.
"It must be her." Kang jabbed a finger at the file. "We received a call from the United States. Directly from their International Bureau of Investigation Division. They've been tracking the same patterns, the same anomalies. Their CIA contact even confirmed it—this writer of yours, this… 'Annie'—she's the expert we need on this case."
Whispers rippled through the open office. Heads turned. Some officers didn't bother to hide their smirks as they glanced at Mi Na.
"She won't even talk to you, Mi Na," one muttered under his breath.
"Maybe Annie saw through her act already," another added, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Our ice queen detective, frozen out again."
Do Hwan chuckled, amused by the comments, but Mi Na's ears burned. She kept her eyes forward, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her react.
Chief Kang ignored the taunts, though the faint twitch at his temple suggested he'd heard them too. "I don't care if she hates your guts, Kim Mi Na. I don't care if she locks her doors, or throws you off her balcony. You will bring her here. And if you two come back without her again…" His eyes narrowed. "Don't bother coming back at all."
The order was final. They were dismissed with a wave of his hand, as though their presence already irritated him.
---
The next morning, Mi Na and Do Hwan found themselves once again at Annie's penthouse door.
But instead of Annie, they were greeted by two figures.
Ji-ah—wrapped in a cozy cardigan, her hazel eyes sparkling with both curiosity and annoyance—tilted her head, arms crossed. "Oh? So you're the ones. The reason she stormed out again."
Ryan stood beside her, his tall frame leaning casually against the doorframe. He wasn't smiling this time. His gaze was sharp, like a blade weighing their worth.
Mi Na stiffened. "We need to speak with Annie. It's urgent."
Ryan arched a brow. "Urgent? That's what you called it last time. And all you managed to do was piss her off."
Do Hwan clicked his tongue, tilting his head with that ever-present grin. "Hyung, relax. We're not here to fight. We just need her to come with us."
"Need?" Ji-ah echoed, her voice laced with disbelief. "Do you hear yourselves? You talk like she's property. Annie doesn't belong to anyone. Least of all you strangers barging in with uniforms and orders."
Mi Na's patience snapped. "Listen—this isn't a request. There's an investigation bigger than all of us. Your friend is involved whether she likes it or not. If she doesn't cooperate—"
Ryan's sharp laugh cut her off. "Cooperate? Annie doesn't 'cooperate.' She decides. That's how it's always been." He stepped forward, closing the distance. His presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavier. "If Annie doesn't want to go, she won't. Even if the President himself begged."
The standoff stretched taut, silence pressing between them.
Do Hwan raised his hands, trying to break the tension. "Okay, okay. We're going in circles. Point is, our boss won't take no for an answer. So either we drag her out—which, frankly, I'd rather not try—or someone tells us where she is."
Ji-ah snorted. "Drag her out? Good luck with that. You'd end up on the floor before you made it past the kitchen."
Ryan's expression softened just slightly, though his tone remained edged. "She left because of you. She hates this kind of pressure. But…" He paused, glancing at Ji-ah, then back at the detectives. "If you're hellbent on chasing her down, I'll make it easier. She goes to Jeju whenever she wants to disappear. It's her place to breathe."
Mi Na's eyes narrowed. "Jeju?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, crossing his arms. "She's got a routine there. Don't bother asking me to call her, though. She won't answer."
Do Hwan grinned, as though the tension had already evaporated. "Jeju it is then."
Mi Na frowned, reluctant but out of options. "Fine. Take us there."
Ryan hesitated, clearly disliking the idea, but Ji-ah piped up before he could refuse. "I'll come too! If Annie's going to be annoyed, better she takes it out on me than you two." She smiled sweetly, though her tone carried steel.
Hours later, the four of them were seated on a flight bound for Jeju Island. The plane droned steadily above the clouds, snow still falling faintly over the mainland below.
Do Hwan stretched comfortably, already imagining the beaches. "Well, this'll be fun. A little trip with friends."
Mi Na shot him a look sharp enough to cut. "This isn't a vacation."
Ji-ah leaned over, whispering with a sly grin. "You know… you're really stiff, Detective. Maybe if you smiled more, Annie would like you."
Do Hwan nearly choked on his lollipop at that. Ryan simply shook his head, staring out the window toward the endless sea.
None of them knew what awaited in Jeju. But one thing was certain—Annie wouldn't be pleased.