The last few days had been fraught. Final revisions and extended content details had been discussed to establish if it was relevant or not. Meetings had taken place at both companies, but today they were at the Mirage office.

The team stepped out of the meeting room into the main office space together, light banter trailing behind them.

Further down the room, Hyun-woo stood beside a colleague at a shared desk, pointing to a floor plan on a screen. He was mid-sentence, but he turned slightly at the sound of familiar voices. His eyes briefly met Seo-jin’s, then Min-su’s. He said a quiet word to his colleague, a nod, and their conversation ended. He made his way over to the group.

"Thought that meeting would run another hour," Hyun-woo said to Min-su.

"We kept it civil. Surprised?" Min-su quipped, a knowing look in his eye.

"A little," Hyun-woo replied, a faint, almost smile playing on his lips.

He turned to Soo-hyun, offering a rare, genuine nod. "That layout adjustment from earlier clean work. It made more sense than mine."

Soo-hyun blinked, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected compliment. "Oh... thanks?"

Hyun-woo shifted, his gaze finally settling on Seo-jin. It was brief, but this time, there was no retreat in his posture, no immediate withdrawal. "The mockups from this morning are looked solid," he said evenly.

Seo-jin nodded, accepting the gesture, a small "Thanks" in reply.

A beat of quiet. Then he glanced to Do-yeon. "Appreciate you checking in the other night."

Do-yeon’s expression remained cool. "That wasn’t for you," she stated flatly.

He nodded, absorbing the blow without flinching. "Still. Thank you."

He stepped back, his composure still guarded, but his intent more visible now. A man showing up, piece by piece. Hyun-woo readied to leave.

"We’re heading out for a drink," Seo-jin offered gently, her voice soft, tentative. "If you’re free..." It wasn't a challenge, just the simple offer of normalcy.

A pause. Hyun-woo shook his head. "I’ve got somewhere I need to be."

She nodded, masking something behind a polite smile.

"He actually does have somewhere to be," Min-su interjected, stepping in smoothly. "Don’t take it personally, for once."

That landed, a quiet reassurance. Seo-jin glanced at Hyun-woo, a quick search in her eyes, then let it go. "Alright. Another time then."

Hyun-woo offered a quiet nod. Then he was gone. Do-yeon caught Seo-jin watching him go. 

As the others said their goodbyes, Do-yeon leaned into Seo-jin's shoulder, whispered under her breath, so as not to be heard by the others. "You're not disappointed, are you?" 

"Only a little," Seo-jin replied quietly. "But I think... I'm more relieved."

They headed toward the elevator, a lighter mood settling between them.

The group had made it outside, walking down the bustling street, heading for their drinks. From behind them, the loud drone of a motorbike emerged from the office's underground car park, its sound heightened by the confines of the exit ramp. They turned to see where the noise was coming from, watching as Hyun-woo sped from the exit, expertly weaving into the flow of traffic.

"That boy will be the death of me," Min-su muttered, shaking his head.

"Don't tell him... but I love that bike," Sang-wook confessed, a grin spreading on his face.

Seo-jin watched Hyun-woo disappear from view, a light smile playing on her lips. He did have to leave after all.