The Han River shimmered under the low evening light, a ribbon of gold and gray stretching endlessly.
Hye-rin sat on the concrete steps, her arms loosely wrapped around her knees, the last of her fear slowly ebbing away. Min-jae stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, watching the current.
Neither of them spoke for a while. It was the kind of silence that didn't need to be filled.
When he finally turned to her, his tone was easy again — that soft, teasing calm that came naturally to him.
"You look like you're about to jump in," he said.
She huffed. "Tempting. Then at least the reporters wouldn't follow me."
He smiled faintly. "Don't worry. They'd still find a way. Probably write 'Gold Digger Escapes Scandal by Drowning.'"
A startled laugh escaped her — short, unwilling, but real.
He grinned, pleased. "See? You laugh better than you panic."
"Maybe because you're ridiculous."
"That's part of my charm," he replied with mock solemnity. "I've been told it's very effective."
