As Taeyang drove, the usual comfortable silence filled the car, but today it felt different, charged, almost as if something unspoken was hanging in the air between them. Hana glanced at him from the passenger seat. He was in a good mood, humming lightly, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel. That was… suspicious.
"You're way too happy since morning," she pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Taeyang chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "Can't I just be in a good mood?"
She narrowed her eyes, a playful challenge in her gaze. "Not when you spent the whole weekend looking like you carried the weight of the world on your shoulders."
Taeyang smirked, a hint of something mischievous in his eyes, but didn't answer right away. Instead, he slowed at a red light, finally turning to meet her gaze. His eyes held something deep, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, yet it sent a shiver down her spine.
"Maybe," he murmured, his voice dropping, "something is going to change."
Hana blinked, caught off guard by the way he said it—the almost reverent tone. Her grip on her bag strap tightened instinctively. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Taeyang just smiled, a knowing curl of his lips as he shifted gears. The light turned green, pulling them forward. "You'll find out soon enough."
Hana scoffed, crossing her arms, her earlier suspicion morphing into a genuine unease. "You're acting weird."
"Or maybe," he glanced at her briefly, his tone teasing yet serious underneath, "you're just starting to notice."
Her breath hitched for half a second. She quickly masked it with another scoff, forcing a nonchalant shrug. "Ugh, whatever."
Taeyang chuckled again, eyes back on the road, but she could feel the shift, quiet promise laced in his words. Something was going to change. And for some reason, that thought made her heart race, a frantic drum against her ribs she couldn't quite quiet.
As Hana stepped out of the car, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, Taeyang rolled down the window, his voice cutting through the morning bustle. "Babe."
She froze, her entire body locking up for a second before she whipped around, eyes wide, her mind reeling. "What did you just—"
A slow, teasing smile spread across his lips, utterly disarming. "Don't miss me too much. We'll meet soon."
Hana blinked, her brain short-circuiting. Babe? The word echoed, warm and intimate, in her ears. She scoffed, rolling her eyes to cover up whatever strange, fluttering feeling had just stirred in her chest. "As if," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking off, maybe a little faster than usual, a blush creeping up her neck.
Taeyang chuckled, watching her retreating figure, the sound a low, satisfied hum. His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, his smile unwavering. Soon.
Hana huffed her way toward her office building, her mind replaying Taeyang's parting word. Babe. The elevator doors were just about to close when Jiwoon slipped in at the last second, smoothing his tie with an effortless grace.
"Morning," he greeted, flashing a smirk that seemed to know too much. "You look... unusually flustered. Thinking about me?"
Hana shot him a glare, the lingering embarrassment from Taeyang's comment fueling her retort. "More like trying to forget something annoying."
Jiwoon chuckled, stepping a little closer, invading her personal space with an easy confidence. "Oh? Must've been a guy. Should I be jealous?"
She jabbed the elevator button aggressively, her cheeks warming. "You should be quiet."
He grinned, watching her, clearly enjoying her reaction. "I'll take that as a yes."
As the elevator doors closed, Hana exhaled, staring straight ahead at the polished steel. What's wrong with me? she wondered, a knot forming in her stomach.
First Taeyang, with his cryptic hints and that sudden, intimate endearment. Now Jiwoon, casually throwing flirty remarks at her like it was nothing, his usual playful banter seemed to hold a new edge.
She shook her head, trying to dismiss the unsettling feeling. No. I'm overthinking. They've always been like this… right? The question lingered, an uncomfortable doubt.
Jiwoon glanced at her from the side, noticing her thoughtful expression, the slight furrow in her brow. His smirk deepened. "Still thinking about me?" he teased, his voice a low purr.
Hana snapped out of her daze, crossing her arms defensively. "I'm thinking about how to make you disappear."
Jiwoon chuckled, leaning slightly closer, his presence a warm weight beside her. "Careful, Hana. The more you think about me, the harder that'll be."
Just as she was about to snap back, the elevator jolted to a stop then, complete darkness. The sudden plunge into blackness was absolute, disorienting.
Hana froze, her heart leaping into her throat. "…No way."
Beside her, Jiwoon let out an amused hum, a sound that grated on her already frayed nerves. "Well, this just got interesting."
She groaned, pressing random buttons, her frustration mounting. "Ugh, seriously? Of all times?"
Jiwoon's voice came teasingly close, a whisper in the dark. "Relax, scared of the dark?"
Hana scoffed, trying to inject bravado into her voice. "I'm scared of being stuck here with you."
He chuckled, a rich, warm sound, and she felt him shift beside her. "Come on, there are worse ways to be trapped. At least you've got a handsome guy keeping you company."
She rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see it. "Do you ever stop flirting?"
Jiwoon smirked, and she could almost feel it. "Why, is it working?"
Hana exhaled sharply, a frustrated sound. What is happening with the men around me?!
The elevator jolted suddenly, a sharp, unexpected lurch that threw her off balance. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, but before she could fall, Jiwoon's arms were already around her, steadying her with surprising strength and speed.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The darkness wrapped around them, making everything feel more intense—his warmth radiating through her clothes, the steady rhythm of his breath near her ear, the way his fingers lingered, almost possessively, against her waist. Her own breath hitched, caught somewhere between a gasp and a sigh.
"You okay?" Jiwoon's voice was softer now, devoid of its usual teasing, close to her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
Hana swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "Y-Yeah."
She felt his smirk before she saw it, a subtle shift in the air around them. "You sure? You're holding onto me pretty tight."
Realizing her hands were gripping his shirt, almost desperately, she quickly pulled away, flustered, her face burning in the invisible darkness. "Shut up."
Jiwoon chuckled, the sound low and rich, but his voice held something deeper, a quiet intensity, when he murmured, "You don't have to let go so quickly."
The second jolt was even harsher, a violent shudder that sent Hana stumbling forward again. But this time, something unexpected happened. Her fingers instinctively clutched Jiwoon's shirt tightly for balance, and before she could react, her lips brushed against his cheek—so dangerously close to the corner of his lips, a mere whisper away from a kiss.
Silence.
Jiwoon froze. Hana froze. The only sound between them was their uneven, ragged breaths, amplified in the oppressive darkness. The air crackled with an undeniable tension.
Slowly, Jiwoon tilted his head just slightly, his voice teasing but lower, almost unreadable, tinged with a delicious anticipation. "Well… wasn't expecting that."
Hana's mind blanked, a kaleidoscope of mortification and something else she couldn't name. "I-It was an accident!"
Jiwoon chuckled, a low rumble against her, his grip on her waist not loosening in the slightest. "Sure, sure. Should I make it even then?"
Hana's breath hitched as he leaned in just a fraction, the heat of his body, the faint scent of his cologne, overwhelming her senses. He was testing her reaction, daring her.
The elevator jolted once more, a final, jarring shake—and then, with a soft hum, the lights flickered back on, bathing them in the stark, fluorescent glow of reality. The sudden illumination shattered the intimate bubble they had created. Hana quickly stepped back, putting as much distance between them as the small space allowed. Her face felt hot enough to spontaneously combust.
Jiwoon exhaled a soft laugh, stuffing his hands into his pockets, his eyes alight with a triumphant glint. "Looks like fate's on my side today."
Hana turned away, her face burning, unable to meet his gaze. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a wild drumbeat. What the hell just happened?
Jiwoon was practically glowing as they stepped out of the elevator, the corners of his lips still twitching with a suppressed smile. The whole ride had been utterly unexpected, but he wasn't about to complain.
Hana's lips—so close, her warmth, the way she had clung to him in the dark—it all played in his mind like a favorite scene from a movie, on repeat.
He smirked to himself, stealing a glance at her. She was walking ahead, her back stiff, her ears a vivid red that he found incredibly endearing. Not once did she turn around to look at him, her stride purposeful, almost a march.
Cute.
Jiwoon bit back a chuckle, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. Oh, yes. This just got a whole lot more interesting.