The night clung to the ruins of the old observatory like a secret that refused to die. Wind howled through shattered windows, dragging the metallic scent of rain and rust. A single flicker of light broke the stillness—then gunfire erupted.
Bullets tore through the silence. Jiwoo dropped behind a rusted telescope, her pulse hammering in her ears. Jungwoo was beside her, breath ragged, eyes searching the shadows.
"Who the hell are they?" she hissed, gripping her gun tightly.
"I don't know," Jungwoo muttered, checking his magazine. "But they were waiting for us."
For a heartbeat, their eyes met—two people thrown together by a storm neither had chosen. Trust wasn't something Jiwoo gave easily, but right now, it was the only thing keeping them alive.
Gunfire thundered again. Jungwoo instinctively moved in front of her, shielding her as shards of metal ricocheted past. The echo of footsteps approached, heavy, deliberate—until a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Stand down."
Jiwoo peeked over the telescope. Joonhyuk emerged from the darkness, two men flanking him. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes—those steady, confident eyes—met hers. For a fleeting moment, Jiwoo almost smiled.
"Joonhyuk?" Jungwoo's voice was stunned. "What the—"
Before he could finish, more gunshots cracked through the air. No time to think—only to move. Joonhyuk's team opened fire, the room dissolving into chaos. Sparks danced across metal, the smell of gunpowder choking the air. Jiwoo's instincts kicked in. She noticed the backup gun tucked behind Joonhyuk's belt, reached for it, and in one swift motion, began firing back.
Joonhyuk turned, momentarily shocked—but when he saw her stance, his lips curved into a smirk. That's my girl.
Bodies fell. Shouts turned to silence. The observatory echoed with the ringing aftermath of violence. Smoke curled toward the ceiling like ghosts.
Jungwoo's voice broke the haze. "Take her and get out!" he shouted, firing toward the last two attackers.
Jiwoo spun toward him. "No! I can fight—"
"Jiwoo, go!" he barked. "Now!"
She froze. For a split second, defiance warred with duty. Then Joonhyuk's eyes met hers—steady, commanding, protective. A silent signal.
She hated it, but she obeyed. Together they moved through the ruins, guns raised. One of the fallen men stirred, reaching for his weapon—but Jiwoo turned, steady aim, one precise shot. The bullet struck his temple. Silence returned.
The car engine roared to life. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as they sped through the forest road. The moon followed them like a ghost, pale and distant. Jiwoo leaned against the window, her breathing shallow, exhaustion pressing against her bones.
"You know how to fight," Joonhyuk said after a long silence, his voice low, almost impressed.
She smirked faintly, half-asleep. "You're surprised?"
"More like… reminded," he said, eyes flicking toward her for a moment too long before focusing back on the road.
The drive stretched endlessly, the city lights still far away. Dawn was beginning to stain the sky pink when they finally pulled up outside her apartment. Jiwoo had drifted into sleep, lashes brushing her cheeks, the faintest shadow of peace softening her usually sharp expression.
Joonhyuk killed the engine. For a moment, he just sat there, watching her. A strand of hair had fallen over her face. Without thinking, he reached out, gently brushing it aside. Her eyes fluttered open.
He froze, hand halfway in the air.
"You're awake," he said quickly, clearing his throat. "We're home."
Jiwoo gave a small, tired smile. "You didn't have to drive the whole night."
"Yeah, well… didn't want to risk falling asleep beside you either," he said with a crooked grin.
She rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car.
The morning light was unforgiving when they entered the apartment. Jungwoo and Dr. Min were already there, bent over glowing monitors, screens filled with decrypted data.
"These documents confirm it," Dr. Min said grimly, not even looking up. "Project Crimson was repurposed—for covert operations."
Jungwoo nodded, voice cold. "We need to expose this before more lives are lost."
Jiwoo blinked, still half in disbelief. "How did you even get in here?"
Jungwoo looked up, smirking. "Remember? When we were… closer, you set my fingerprint access on your door."
She stared, caught between annoyance and embarrassment. "Right. I'll change that."
Without another word, she turned and walked to her room, too tired to argue.
Joonhyuk watched her disappear behind the door. Something in his chest twisted—part relief, part worry.
Across the city, at the NIS headquarters, Director Han watched surveillance footage on a wide monitor. The grainy video showed Jiwoo and Jungwoo inside the observatory—and a young man with them whom Han didn't recognize.
He leaned back in his chair, expression hardening. "Who's the boy?"
"Still running facial recognition, sir," an agent replied.
Han's voice turned to ice. "Find out. They're becoming a liability."
"Orders, sir?"
"Eliminate them," he said flatly. "All of them."
"Orders copied, sir."
That afternoon, Jiwoo's phone buzzed with an encrypted message.Meet at the old train station. Come alone.
Her eyes narrowed. Before she could even react, Joonhyuk—leaning against the counter with coffee—glanced over.
"Could be a trap," he said casually.
She turned, startled. "You shouldn't look at someone's messages, you know. It's disrespectful."
He grinned. "Oh, my savage queen. Forgive me."
Jiwoo couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. "Fine. I'm not going."
But later that night, the house was too quiet. The ticking clock echoed like guilt. Sleep wouldn't come. She got up, slipped into her jacket, grabbed her gun, and left a short note on the table.
By the time the city lights faded behind her, the night had swallowed her whole.
The old train station was silent, its once-grand arches draped in ivy and dust. A single figure stood under the flickering light of a lamppost, back turned.
"You're braver than I expected," the woman said, her voice calm, almost amused.
"Who are you?" Jiwoo asked, keeping her hand near her weapon.
The woman turned slowly, eyes sharp, lips curved in a knowing smile. "Someone who wants justice served." She handed Jiwoo a small flash drive. "This holds proof of Director Han's betrayal. Use it wisely."
Before Jiwoo could speak, the woman melted back into the darkness, leaving only the echo of her words.
The next morning, sunlight spilled across the living room. Jiwoo was slumped on the sofa, fast asleep. Joonhyuk came down the stairs, stretching—and nearly jumped when he saw her.
"Why—why are you sleeping on the sofa?" he said dramatically, clutching his chest.
Jiwoo blinked awake, rubbing her eyes. "What?"
"You didn't go last night, did you?" he asked, voice half-teasing, half-suspicious.
"Well…"
"So you did go," he said, folding his arms.
"Am I alive and healthy right now?" she countered, crossing her arms too.
"Yeah."
"Then stop panicking. I got something." She pulled out the flash drive. "Let's call Dr. Min. She'll know what to do."
Joonhyuk smirked. "Oh, an anonymous woman gave you something in the dark? Sounds suspicious."
Jiwoo threw a cushion at him. "Shut up."
He laughed, ducking. "You're impossible."
By afternoon, Dr. Min and Jungwoo arrived. Jiwoo plugged in the flash drive, the files flashing to life on screen.
"This is it," Dr. Min breathed. "The evidence we need to bring him down."
Jungwoo's jaw tightened. "Then we act fast."
Jiwoo nodded. "We take the risk. Together."
At that same moment, inside NIS headquarters, Director Han's phone buzzed.SECURITY BREACH IN PROGRESS.
He stood, staring at the screen. "They're coming," he muttered.
The storm broke loose before midnight. Jiwoo and her team burst into the headquarters, alarms screaming overhead. Red lights painted the walls like blood. Director Han stood waiting in the central command room, calm, smirking.
"It's over," Jiwoo said, gun steady in her hand. "We have everything we need."
Han chuckled, his laughter hollow and cruel. "You think this is the end, Agent Kang?"
Her pulse skipped.
He leaned closer. "No, dear. This is where it begins."
And then the alarms blared louder—doors sealing, metal shutters slamming down around them.
The building locked down.
And Jiwoo realized too late—they had walked straight into the trap.