Hyun-woo and Seo-jin had kept a distance for over a week, interacting purely by email and shared formal documents. But now. All these notes and shared documents needed to be curated and reviewed, milestones confirmed face to face. Min-su had arranged a review meeting at the Mirage offices. 

The Mirage meeting room was understated, a space designed for focus and quiet contemplation. Natural light poured in from a tall, narrow window, illuminating a large wooden table that dominated the centre of the room. Its dark wooden surface reflecting the clean lines of the space. The walls were clad in light-toned wooden panels, running vertically, creating a serene and sophisticated backdrop that allowed the natural light and the textures of the furniture to stand out beautifully.

Around the table, sleek black chairs were arranged in perfect symmetry, facing each other, no chairs at the head or foot of the table. A large, circular light fixture was suspended low over the table. Its wide, flat design created a striking focal point, suggesting both modern design and efficient illumination. The walls were void of imagery, but a flat screen was mounted, indicating the room's function for presentations or virtual meetings.

The overall impression was one of calm, sophisticated efficiency, a place where serious discussions could unfold in a distraction-free environment.

Seo-jin and her team were seated on one side of the table. Murmurs of their conversation faded as Min-su, energetic and beaming, entered the room and took his seat at the table. Soo-hyun was to his right, Hyun-woo was noticeably absent.

Min-su leaned forward slightly, hands resting against the desk, excitement radiating from him. "Thank you all for making the time for this. I initailly called this meeting to review the documentation that we have all been working on. But. What I realised is how important it is for us to share with you what our vision was, so we can ensure that where we're going, still holds our core message and ethos that I established so long ago. I don’t want this to be lost in the next phase of the company’s evolution.” He paused and looked about the room, gauging people's faces and reactions. “So I wanted us to experience this properly. Not just in models, not just in theory. But on site."

A subtle current of tension rippled through Seo-jin, a stiffening of her shoulders that no one else seemed to notice, but she was conscious of.

"A weekend trip," Min-su announced, letting the words hang for dramatic effect. "To a live case study. One of my fellow architects’ current projects, still in progress around its edges."

Instant reactions rippled through the team. Sang-wook perked up, a wide grin spreading across his face. Do-yeon exchanged a quick, intrigued glance with Soo-hyun, a silent conversation passing between them. Others nodded enthusiastically, murmuring their approval.

"ALL of us? A weekend?" Seo-jin's voice was neutral and controlled, but Do-yeon immediately clocked the hesitation, the quiet alarm beneath her composure.

"That sounds incredible," Sang-wook enthused, oblivious to Seo-jin's discomfort.

"Where is it?" Do-yeon asked, leaning forward, genuine curiosity in her voice. "And what is it?"

Min-su’s eyes twinkled. "It’s a reserve. A private space. Isolated, full architectural immersion, exactly the kind of environment that forces perspective shifts."

Soo-hyun laughed, already amused by the prospect. "I do love a forced perspective."

"Well, yes," Min-su chuckled. "I knew you would."

A small ripple of laughter went through the group, but Seo-jin didn't join in, her face carefully blank.

"Is this mandatory?" she asked.

A pause. Min-su studied her, catching the hesitation for the first time. "Oh. Well. I wouldn’t call it that. But I would say the project benefits from full engagement." He looked around at the eager faces of the others, none of them showing even a hint of reluctance.

"Come on, you’ll survive a weekend in nature," Do-yeon cajoled gently, nudging Seo-jin’s arm.

Seo-jin pressed her fingers lightly against her wrist, tiny, restless movements of control. "Sure. Sounds great." Her voice was flat, lacking any genuine enthusiasm.

Soo-hyun leaned back in his chair. "What an enthusiastic response."

Min-su clapped his hands together, effectively shifting the focus. "Great. We leave on Friday. Transport’s arranged. Be ready. I’m sorry to have cut this meeting so short, but we can review all the work we’ve achieved in the context of the building over the weekend."

As the meeting broke, conversations resumed, a renewed buzz filling the room, but Seo-jin didn't move immediately. She exhaled slowly, her eyes flicking briefly toward the files on the table. A chill settled in her stomach. She already knew the trip wasn’t going to be easy. Not with Hyun-woo involved.

The hum of computers and quiet conversations dwindled as the day wound down. Seo-jin sat at her desk, phone in hand, staring at the blank screen. She hesitated, fingers hovering over the keypad. Then they moved, typing, deleting, rewriting, a silent battle playing out on the small screen.

TEXT: "Are you coming this weekend?"

A brief pause. The cursor blinked, a pulsing challenge. She didn’t press send immediately, locked in her indecision.

"You hesitated."

Seo-jin jolted slightly, her head snapping up. Sang-wook leaned against the edge of her desk, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her phone screen.

"That’s rare for you. You don’t hesitate," he observed, a touch of surprise in his voice.

"It’s just a question," Seo-jin replied, forcing a casual shrug.

"Right. Just a question. To just a guy," he countered, gesturing lazily toward the phone. "Except, when he’s around, you tense like a startled animal."

Seo-jin finally pressed SEND, the sharp click a declaration. She set the phone face down deliberately, her jaw tight. "That’s dramatic."

"It’s accurate," Sang-wook retorted, unperturbed.

A beat of silence. His expression shifted slightly, losing its playful edge, studying her with a deeper intensity. "You were different back in school, weren’t you? With him?"

Seo-jin opened her mouth, a sharp retort already forming, but before anything slipped out, Do-yeon’s voice cut in smoothly from nearby.

"And this is why coffee runs save lives, people."

They both turned. Do-yeon stood there, two cups in hand, a bright, innocent smile on her face as she casually slid one toward Seo-jin. "Rescue operation complete. Sang-wook, you’re welcome."

Sang-wook exhaled, shaking his head slightly but grinning, the moment broken. "Fine. I’ll hold my interrogations. For now." He returned to his desk, leaving the lingering tension in the air.

Seo-jin took the coffee, murmuring her thanks, but her shoulders remained stiff. She set the cup down. Paused. Picked up her phone again, her thumb hovering over the screen. No response. No read receipt. Nothing.

"He hasn’t even read it," she muttered, a low note of frustration in her voice.

Do-yeon, still settling in beside her, glanced over, then shrugged with feigned indifference. "He’s probably busy."

Seo-jin pressed her lips together, exhaling sharply, her frustration barely masked as indifference. Do-yeon leaned back, sipping her own drink, already moving on from the topic, or so it seemed.

Then Do-yeon's phone chimed, a soft, discreet notification. She straightened slightly, tapping the screen. A pause. Do-yeon saw the name. Saw the message, but didn’t say a word. Her expression remained unreadable, a practised mask.

TEXT: HYUN-WOO: “Pickup confirmed. Location and time unchanged.”

Seo-jin kept looking at her own phone screen, expecting something, anything. There wasn’t more.

Do-yeon quickly returned her phone to her pocket, took another slow sip of her coffee, her gaze carefully blank.

Seo-jin set her phone down, face down on the desk, the unread text a silent accusation. She turned to look at Do-yeon, her eyes searching.

"You’re right," Seo-jin said, her voice thin. "Probably busy."

Do-yeon managed a small, practised smile back, a subtle lie hanging unspoken between them.

One screen waited. The other refused to speak.