On arriving in Jeju, the driver took them away from the main road and into a quieter area than they expected. The ocean breeze was soft, but the tension in the car didn't ease. Everyone was quiet in their own way.
When they finally stopped, Mi Na was the first to step out, looking around carefully.
"This doesn't look like an investigation spot," she said.
Do Hwan stretched his arms like he had been waiting for this moment all day. "Or it's exactly the kind of place people hide things."
Ji Ah smiled while pulling her suitcase. "Or Annie just likes peace."
Ryan didn't say anything. His eyes were already fixed ahead.
And that was when they saw it.
An elderly home.
Simple. Calm. Slightly old but peaceful. Not what any of them expected.
Mi Na frowned immediately. "This is where she brought us?"
Before anyone could react further, the door opened.
Annie walked out.
She was pushing a wheelchair with an elderly woman sitting in it, adjusting the blanket carefully like she had done it many times before. For a moment, she didn't notice them.
Then she looked up.
And stopped.
Her expression changed instantly.
Annoyance.
Sharp and immediate.
Like she already regretted seeing them there.
But just as quickly, she controlled it, continuing to push the wheelchair forward like nothing had happened.
Ji Ah called softly, "Annie…"
Annie didn't respond. She finished settling the woman under the shade and spoke gently to her.
"I'll be back soon."
The elderly woman smiled. "Don't work too hard, child."
Annie nodded once and finally turned back to them.
Now her full attention was on them.
Mi Na stepped forward. "We need to talk."
Annie looked at her for a long moment.
Then said flatly, "No."
Do Hwan scratched the back of his neck. "We didn't come to fight this time."
Annie looked at him. "You didn't last time either."
That made Ji Ah quietly laugh under her breath.
Ryan sighed like he already knew where this was going.
Mi Na didn't move back. "We were sent here for—"
Annie cut her off immediately. "I don't care who sent you."
Silence.
Only the sound of the wind and distant waves filled the space.
Then Annie pointed toward the building.
"You're here. You work."
Mi Na blinked. "Excuse me?"
Do Hwan leaned slightly toward Ryan. "Is she serious?"
Ryan replied without looking at him, "She usually is."
Annie had already turned away. "Wash the sheets. Help in the kitchen. Don't disturb the patients."
Mi Na frowned. "We are not here to volunteer."
Annie stopped.
Slowly turned back.
And looked at her directly.
"Then leave."
That simple.
No emotion.
Just final.
Mi Na held her gaze for a second, then clicked her tongue and turned away slightly. "Fine."
Do Hwan looked confused. "Wait—so we're actually doing this?"
Ji Ah clapped once, excited. "Yay, I like this place already."
Ryan rubbed his forehead. "This is going to be a long day."
They were all taken inside.
The atmosphere was calm, but the group was anything but.
Mi Na struggled with folding sheets, clearly annoyed at the situation. Do Hwan helped but kept talking to the staff more than working. Ji Ah moved easily around the elderly, chatting like she had always belonged there.
Ryan helped quietly, but his eyes kept drifting toward Annie.
And Annie was everywhere.
Fixing things. Checking on patients. Moving between rooms like she had done this her whole life.
But she wasn't relaxed.
She was watching.
Especially Mi Na.
Every time Mi Na moved near something important or got too close to Annie's space, Annie's eyes would shift instantly.
Ryan noticed.
At one point, he leaned slightly toward her. "You're still doing that."
Annie didn't look at him. "Doing what."
"Watching her like she's going to explode something."
Annie finally looked across the room at Mi Na.
"She might."
Ryan almost smiled slightly. "You don't trust her."
"I don't know her."
"That's not what I asked."
Silence.
Then Annie turned away. "Focus on work."
As the day continued, the work felt endless.
Do Hwan stretched his arms. "I didn't sign up for manual labor, I signed up for investigation."
Ji Ah laughed lightly. "You're doing great though."
Mi Na rolled her eyes while folding another sheet. "I can't believe I'm doing laundry."
Ryan leaned back slightly. "Could be worse."
Mi Na shot him a look. "How?"
"You could be unemployed."
That shut her up.
Even Ji Ah laughed.
By evening, everyone was tired.
Annoyed.
Hungry.
And finally done.
Annie walked back toward them. "You're done."
Do Hwan immediately straightened. "Finally."
Annie ignored him and spoke to one of the staff. "Rooms are ready."
Ji Ah tilted her head. "We're staying here?"
"Yes."
Mi Na frowned. "All of us?"
"Yes."
Ryan added calmly, "Don't complain. You agreed to stay."
Do Hwan immediately asked, "Who is sharing rooms?"
Annie answered without hesitation. "Two men together."
Silence.
Do Hwan froze. "Wait—what?"
Ryan exhaled quietly. "Of course."
Ji Ah covered her mouth, laughing.
Mi Na smirked slightly. "Good luck."
Do Hwan pointed at Ryan. "I'm not sharing with him."
Ryan didn't even look at him. "Unfortunately, neither am I happy about it."
They were led to their rooms.
Simple. Clean. Quiet.
The girls went their separate way, and the two men stood outside their room for a moment before entering.
Do Hwan sighed heavily. "This is abuse."
Ryan opened the door. "After you."
Do Hwan shot him a look. "Don't enjoy this."
Ryan walked in. "I'm not."
The door closed.
Night settled over Jeju slowly.
Inside her room, Annie stood by the window, staring out at the calm island.
Everything looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
And that was what she didn't like.
Because peace like this never stayed innocent for long.
And somewhere deep in her mind, she already knew—
something about this place had changed.