​Do-hyeon's heart was still pounding against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that matched the heavy silence of the house. He remained on the floor, his back pressed firmly against the front door, holding his breath as he strained to listen. The world outside felt hushed, expectant. He rose cautiously to check the peephole. The street was empty now, but a foul, lingering sense of danger seemed to hang in the air like a cold mist.

​Steadying his hands, he pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hello, Sir... Agent Do-hyeon here," he said, his voice low and urgent. "I need your help."

​Upstairs, the quiet was suffocating. Nova was biting his nails nervously, pacing a jagged path across the room. Anxiety clawed at his chest. Should I go down? Check if Agent Do-hyeon is okay? Without any information, his mind began to construct the worst possible scenarios. Rivert hasn't called even once... he could have at least let me know he was fine. A dark thought flickered through his mind—even knowing who I am, would he still care? Some thoughts leach onto you, draining you from the inside out.

​Finally, Nova couldn't stand the isolation. He headed downstairs; hearing a sharp noise from below, he rushed the rest of the way.

​"Are you okay?" they both asked at the exact same time, their voices overlapping in the tense air.

​A heavy, synchronized sigh of relief escaped them both. The room's atmosphere shifted, transforming from a hallway of fear into a silent arena for discussion. Both had questions and suspicions swirling in their minds; it was finally time to clear the air.

​"So, who were those people following us?" Nova asked, his voice tight with a fragile hope for an answer. "Are they... are they the ones we were running from earlier?"

​"No," Do-hyeon replied curtly, shutting down the unspoken question of who had just been at the door. "It was someone else."

​Nova wasn't satisfied with the dismissal, and neither was Do-hyeon. They looked at one another, neither knowing exactly where to begin unraveling the knots of the day.

​"Last time, when Rivert and I went to the café... someone was following us," Nova admitted quietly. "I caught a glimpse of him, but..."

​Do-hyeon's focus sharpened instantly. "Does Rivert know about this?"

​Nova looked down, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I'm sorry... I thought it would just cause unnecessary worry." 

He couldn't bring himself to meet the agent's eyes. Maybe I should have told him right then, he thought bitterly.

​"So you chose to stay quiet," Do-hyeon's voice was tinged with disappointment, though it lacked the heat of anger. "Do you even realize what Rivert is doing to protect you? And you didn't tell him something this serious? I don't understand why you thought that way, Nova. Now look—we don't even know if these are the same people from the café, or if it's someone else entirely."

​Do-hyeon didn't hold back. He gave Nova a cold reality check that felt like a splash of ice water.

​"I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd created such a mess," Nova mumbled, his voice barely audible. "If I had just told him directly, maybe things would have calmed down."

​Do-hyeon stood up abruptly and walked to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and chugged it down—one gulp, two, then three—until the bottle was empty. The cold water helped him find his professional center again. He returned and sat down heavily.

​"Don't be sorry, but you need to understand that hiding things isn't an option," Do-hyeon said, his tone softening but remaining firm. "Even if your intentions were good, you should have let him know. What if those people are more dangerous than you think?"

​Nova hadn't allowed his thoughts to travel that far. Deep down, he had been paralyzed by a different confusion: were they following Rivert, or were they following him?

​"Because..." he paused, his voice fracturing. "I didn't know at the time... if they were following me... or Rivert."

​Do-hyeon froze. His eyes widened in genuine shock. "What do you mean? Why would they be following you because of Rivert?"

​Nova looked away again, his courage failing him. What will happen if he finds out?

​"Hey, who are you?" Do-hyeon asked.

​The "Hyung" was gone; he was back in "Agent Mode," his instincts screaming that something was fundamentally wrong. Nova didn't answer. The weight of the secret felt like a physical curse.

​"I..." Nova's voice began to tremble. Tears finally welled up, spilling over with a sudden, violent heat. "How can I even dream of a normal life? I thought I found people I could call friends, family... but an unwanted thing like me doesn't deserve a normal life."

​It was the first time he had ever broken down in front of another person. The tears wouldn't stop; they were the release of years of running. I'm sorry, I want to tell you everything, but I'm so ashamed, he confessed to himself. I'm ashamed that I ran away from the very person that Rivert works with.

​A hand reached out, stopping the downward spiral. Do-hyeon stepped in. "Let's stop talking." Seeing Nova shatter made it impossible for him to push any further. I will find out by myself, the agent thought. He gently patted Nova's with-a warm, protective gesture that felt like the heat of a bonfire in the middle of a freezing night.

​"I don't know what you're hiding or how much you know," Do-hyeon stated, his voice regaining its lethal clarity. "But let me be clear: if this secret of yours ends up hurting Rivert... I will never forgive you."

​If someone asked my heart what I am feeling... I have only thought about myself in my mind. Why should I share this pain with anyone else, when it belongs only to me?

​Nova stood alone in the center of the room as Do-hyeon left coldly to clear his head. The longing to belong somewhere is a human necessity.

​"When did I become so greedy for people?"