The office was empty, the late hour leaving only you and Jaeyun behind. As always, you’d stayed later than everyone else, determined to finish the project that had consumed your every waking moment. You couldn’t afford to fail—not when Jaeyun was right there, breathing down your neck with his stupid effortless charm.

You didn’t even notice him until you heard the soft click of the door closing. You looked up from your desk, your heart sinking as soon as you saw him standing there, arms crossed, his gaze focused entirely on you. There was something different about him tonight—something darker in his eyes, something sharper in the way he looked at you.

“What do you want, Jaeyun?” you asked, your voice colder than usual, masking the anxiety that flared in your chest.

He took a step closer, the tension between you thick in the air. “I want to know why you hate me so much,” he said, his voice low, almost dangerous. “I’ve tried to figure it out, but I can’t.”

You scoffed, looking away. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

You slammed your pen down, standing up to face him. “You don’t get it, Jaeyun! You just waltz in here like it’s nothing, like success just comes to you, and you take everything I’ve worked for without even trying! I’ve fought for years to get to where I am, and you—” You cut yourself off, shaking your head, too angry to finish.

“I didn’t take anything from you,” he said, stepping even closer. “You act like we’re enemies, like I’m the reason you feel like this, but it’s not about me, is it?”