Everything happened in an instant. The wine bottle was now half-empty, and the conversation had shifted from anecdotes about their early careers to childhood memories and casual chats about various films, gradually lightening the mood. Jinhwan began to wonder if the barrier surrounding Detective Oh, which seemed as thick as ice, was actually just a veil, easily parted if one was attentive enough to notice. That woman had the rigidity typical of someone who had suffered a lot in the past, yet he felt he wasn't mistaken in reading a need for affection in her smile, a need she might not even be aware of. Even if things took a strange turn, he would always have the wine as an excuse, the perfect scapegoat to hide his boldness behind the guise of intoxication.

What had started almost as an intrusive thought became an impossible desire to keep locked away. He began to crave Detective Oh's lips as a bear craves honey. It would have been so easy to take what he wanted. As that thought formed in his mind, his hands already moved. His long fingers wrapped around her slender wrist, interrupting her cheerful conversation. Detective Oh's eyes widened, realizing from Jinhwan's gaze what thoughts were crossing his mind. She had all the time in the world to stop the situation; she could have moved away, turned her face aside, stood up, or found any excuse to distance herself from him, but she didn’t. As Jinhwan's face drew closer to hers, she found herself longing for his lips on her own.

When their mouths met, it was like being engulfed in fever. Detective Oh felt her body burn under her clothes as Jinhwan's hand cupped her face, drawing her closer. His tongue brushed her lower lip, and she found herself sighing into the kiss that tasted of wine and temptation.

Detective Oh’s tremors had the same effect on Jinhwan as blood would on a shark. He couldn't even explain to himself the reasons behind his desire; it was as if he had finally accepted and understood just how much Detective Oh attracted him. He moved his hands to her hips, pulling her gently toward him. Her knees sank beside Jinhwan’s thighs, and in that moment, their mouths parted, allowing them to gaze into each other's eyes. It felt like they were meeting for the first time. The people they had been up until that moment no longer existed. There was something new in their eyes, a realization that the wine had fueled, but whose roots reached much deeper.

It was Detective Oh who leaned in for the second kiss. Their lips met again, and their hands began to explore each other. Detective Oh's hands caressed Jinhwan's chest, while his hands moved up her thighs, his fingers grazing the sensitive skin just beyond the hem of her skirt. Another sigh escaped Detective Oh's lips as she was about to lose herself in the oblivion when the ringtone of her cell phone brought her back to reality.

“No…” he murmured in a moment of feverish unconsciousness. Detective Ho was almost about to indulge that whim, but then Jin Hwan’s hands gripped her thighs more firmly, trying to bring her back to reality. “It could be urgent,” he said.

Detective Ho needed a few moments to recover, then she slid off Jin Hwan's legs and retrieved her cell phone from her bag. She was surprised to see her neighbor’s name on the screen.

“Hello?”

“I don’t want to alarm you, but… maybe I’m just meddling and it’s nothing serious, but I thought I should let you know… I just saw a guy enter your apartment, but I noticed your car isn’t parked in the garage, so I found it strange.”

Detective Ho stiffened and paled, alarming Jin Hwan. “Thank you so much for letting me know,” she said before hanging up.

“What happened?” Jin Hwan asked, noticing the change in Detective Ho’s demeanor.

“My stalker… just entered my apartment.”