The night air was damp and heavy when the van screeched to a stop. The guards dumped them out like cargo, blindfolds tight, wrists bound, shivering in nothing but their underclothes. Gravel dug into their knees as they hit the ground, the sound of the van’s engine fading into the distance.

Sae-byeok yanked her blindfold off with Gi-hun’s help, fingers working quickly to free herself. The second her hands were loose, she moved with practiced calm, pulling on her clothes, eyes sharp as she scanned the empty street.

Behind her, Jiji’s voice broke the silence, soft but urgent. “Wait—Sae-byeok… please. Help me.”

Sae-byeok stilled, glancing over her shoulder. Jiji knelt on the ground, blindfold still covering her eyes, hair tangled, wrists bound tightly in front of her. The tremor in her voice made something twist in Sae-byeok’s chest.

With a sigh, she crouched and untied Jiji’s ankles, then tugged the blindfold off. Jiji blinked against the harsh streetlight, relief flickering over her face. She started to stand, reaching instinctively toward the pile where her clothes had been tossed.

But Sae-byeok’s hand got there first. She scooped up the bag of Jiji’s things, leaving her standing in the gravel, skin prickled by the cold in nothing but her black Calvin Klein sports bra and matching underwear. Her wrists were still bound together in front of her.

Jiji’s glare cut through the dark, heated and sharp. “God, I hate you.”

Sae-byeok didn’t flinch. Instead, she stepped closer, closing the distance until the space between them pulsed with tension. Her eyes lingered on Jiji’s lips for a beat too long before she leaned in, close enough for Jiji to feel the brush of her breath.

“Wanna say that again, princess?” Sae-byeok whispered, her voice low, almost daring.

Jiji’s breath caught, fury tangled with something far more dangerous in her chest. Bound, half-dressed, and burning under Sae-byeok’s gaze, she realized hate was the last thing she was feeling.