The sky melted into soft hues of orange and violet as the sun dipped low over the horizon. The waves whispered against the shore, brushing the sand with foamy kisses. Hwang Jun-ho stood barefoot in rolled-up pants, his badge and gun left behind for once. Today wasn’t about police work. It was about her.
Yi Seo giggled as she ran into the waves, twirling, her white sundress catching the golden light. Jun-ho smiled—he couldn't remember the last time he felt peace like this. Not since his brother disappeared. Not since the games.
But here and now, he had her. And hidden in his pocket was a small velvet box.
“Jun-ho!” she called out, laughing, “You’re not even getting your feet wet!”
“I’m watching for sharks,” he teased, approaching with slow, playful steps.
She raised an eyebrow. “The fearless cop is afraid of seaweed?”
He chuckled, pulling her close. “The fearless cop is afraid of losing you.”
Her eyes softened, and for a second, the world slowed. His hand reached into his pocket—
—but his phone buzzed.
An encrypted message. No name. Just coordinates… and two words:
“New Game.”
Jun-ho’s smile faltered.
Yi Seo noticed. “Work?”
He nodded slowly, tucking the box back in his pocket. “I… I have to check this out. It could be nothing, but—”
“You think it’s about your brother again.”
He looked down. “Maybe. I need to know. I have to.”
Yi Seo reached up, cupping his face. “I get it. But promise me—when it’s over, no more running. Just us. No more shadows.”
He kissed her forehead. “I swear.”
Jun-ho watched from behind a shipping container. Men in red jumpsuits loaded unconscious participants into black vans. The symbol—circle, triangle, square—flashed in his memory like a nightmare.
They were back.
But this time, Jun-ho wasn’t alone. He had hidden a small tracker in Yi Seo’s necklace earlier—just in case. Because he had a gut feeling that they would try to silence anyone close to him.
And he was right.
Yi Seo returned home. Something was off. She stepped in slowly.
“Jun-ho?”
Silence.
Suddenly—a masked figure lunged.
But before the intruder could act—BANG!
Jun-ho burst in, gun raised. The assailant dropped. Yi Seo screamed, falling into his arms.
“They know about you now,” he whispered, breath heavy. “You’re in danger because of me.”
“I don’t care,” she said, gripping his shirt. “I’d rather be in danger with you than safe without you.”
He hesitated.
Then finally… he dropped to one knee.
Right there. Amid the chaos. In the dark.
“Yi Seo… marry me. Whatever comes next—we face it together.”