PTT - 30

In the end, she couldn’t help but voice the question that had been gnawing at her. Her tone lacked conviction.

“…Have we met before?”

“Hmm, isn’t that line a bit too old-fashioned for flirting? Though I’m sure you didn’t mean it that way.”

Diane chuckled behind her hand, amused. Then, after a moment of contemplation, she gave an answer Raon hadn’t anticipated.

“What can I say? No matter how hard I think about it, I don’t recall ever seeing you. Maybe we passed by each other once or twice in the cafeteria or hallway?”

She smiled awkwardly, genuinely seeming unsure. While Raon saw no signs of deception, her unease persisted. If Diane truly were Jeong Ah-young, this response would only deepen the bitterness in Raon’s heart. Perpetrators often remained oblivious to the weight of their actions—it was entirely shouldered by the victim.

The more one tried to forget certain memories, the sharper they became. Raon had attempted to ignore the scars left on her like a brand, running forward with her eyes fixed ahead. Yet, at the most crucial moments, those memories ensnared her like a trap.

Her right hand throbbed again.

“I see… I’m feeling better now, so there’s no need to worry. You should go back and talk with the others.”

“Oh my, are you sure you’re okay? Well then… see you back in the conference room.”

With a warm smile, Diane nodded and disappeared from Raon’s sight. In truth, Raon wasn’t fine. It would take a very long time for her to truly feel better.

Leaning against the bathroom wall, she tilted her head back, staring at the white ceiling reflected in her eyes. Despite having just drunk water, an intense thirst lingered.

---

“Yeon, are you feeling any better? You suddenly ran out, and I was so worried. But seriously, you’re sweating so much… Shouldn’t you see a doctor?”

“You look pale, Yeon.”

Raon entered the conference room after barely pulling herself together—both physically and mentally. Mabel and Rock greeted her with concerned expressions.

Already exhausted from the intense night before, her body screamed in protest, yet showed no signs of improvement. Forcing a faint smile, she pressed her lips tightly together.

“Yeon, you don’t look good at all. Why don’t you go home early and rest?”

“No, it’s work hours… I can’t just leave…”

“There’s no urgent mission from above right now. Until new orders come in, we can afford to relax a little. The rest of the team will stay on standby at the office.”

“Yeah, Yeon. You look terrible—I’m worried. Take today off, rest up, and come back tomorrow.”

Though everyone on the team shared the same concern for Raon, no one felt it as deeply as Baek Siheon did. He worried that the combination of last night’s rainstorm and their intense intimacy might have left her physically unwell. 

Having barely slept before heading straight to work, her poor condition seemed inevitable. A heavy wave of self-reproach washed over him—had he pushed her too far in his inability to control his own desires?

“…I’ll be fine. But I’d still like to stay until the end of work hours.”

“As your team leader, I’m ordering you to go home, Yeon. With Diane joining us, we have enough manpower. Go home now and rest. Don’t forget to visit the hospital.”

“But…”

“That’s enough. Can you walk to the bus stop? If not, I’ll drive you near your place.”

Within the NIS, a superior’s orders—unless objectively unreasonable—were absolute. Even setting aside personal emotions, none of the team members thought Siheon’s directive was irrational.

Raon’s condition looked that dire. Ray, who had packed away his headphones into his bag, stood up.

“What if something urgent comes up while the team leader is gone? Yeon, I’ll take you home on my bike.”

“Bike? Do you even have a motorcycle license?”

“Excuse me, auntie. I’m an adult, you know.”

“Are you just trying to skip work?”

“Enough. Fine, Ray will drop you off nearby. Yeon, don’t be stubborn—just go home.”

It fell to Baek Siheon to mediate the bickering between the two, like calming a dog and cat. After decisively settling the matter, he lightly patted Raon’s shoulder.

“…I’m sorry. See you tomorrow.”

She knew resisting further wouldn’t change anything. Perhaps the team was right—she might need a short break.

With a conflicted expression, Raon gazed at Siheon before leaving the conference room with Ray. Her mind was tangled with discomfort and complexity.

---

Ray rode with her seated on the back of his motorcycle. Since team members weren’t supposed to disclose personal information, they planned to head to a subway station near Raon’s neighborhood instead of directly to her home.

True to a Monday morning, the roads were quieter than usual. Wrapping her arms around Ray’s waist—his frame similar to hers—Raon watched buildings blur past. As the traffic light turned green, the wind whipped through the hair beneath her helmet.

Though she typically scolded motorcyclists for being reckless, riding now gave her a glimpse of the freedom they claimed to feel. A refreshing breeze grazed her cheeks.

For those fleeting moments, she escaped the tormenting thoughts and remnants of the past that haunted her.

‘It feels like bungee jumping… like I’m alive.’

She recalled her first time bungee jumping—the catharsis of leaping into the void from high above. This sensation bore a striking resemblance.

After riding for about thirty minutes, they arrived not at the subway station she had mentioned, but in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Parking the motorcycle in a corner of an alley, Ray removed his helmet. Unwrapping her arms from around his waist, Raon glanced around.

“Where are we, Ray? This isn’t the station.”

“Oh, it’s nearby. I wanted to take you somewhere before dropping you off at home. I’m not skipping work, promise.”

“...Somewhere you wanted to take me?”

“Yeah, just follow me for a bit. Won’t take long. Watching you earlier... I felt kinda useless, so...”

It was an unexpected request, but Raon followed him without resistance. The motorcycle ride had somehow eased the suffocating weight that had been pressing on her chest.

Ray’s destination turned out to be the second floor of an old commercial building. After climbing the dusty, creaking stairs, he opened the door to what seemed like a café—or perhaps a tea house—so aged it was hard to tell. Inside, two elderly customers were sipping coffee while playing a game of baduk (Go).

“I’m here, Auntie. Long time no see!”

“We thought you’d frozen to death. Who’s this pretty lady? Did you finally get yourself a girlfriend?”

“Auntie, seriously, stop it! She’s just a friend. Two of my usual drinks, please.”

Ray appeared to be quite familiar with the 50-something woman who seemed to be the owner. He naturally guided Raon to a sofa seat by the window. From a speaker mounted on the wall, soft 1980s Korean ballads played in the background.

“So… is this a café?”

“Sure. Close enough to count as one, right?”

Sprawled comfortably on the sofa, Ray looked completely at ease, as if he were in his own living room. What could have brought him to bring her here?

Before she could figure it out, the perm-haired owner approached, holding two glass cups. Placing them carefully on handmade coasters, she smiled warmly at Raon.

“Is this your girlfriend, Jung-i? He’s never brought anyone here before... How long have you two been dating?”

“Auntie! Seriously, stop! And we’re not like that. I swear on my life—I have zero interest!”

“He may seem prickly, but deep down, he’s a good kid. Still spends all day playing computer games like a child... Please take care of him, okay?”

“Ugh. Really, it’s like reading sutras to a deaf ear... Auntie, I’m embarrassed. Just go already.”

Shocked by the nickname “Jung-i,” Ray shoved the owner away with both hands. Caught awkwardly between the two, Raon could only blink and nod silently. Relatives, perhaps?

She then lowered her gaze to the teacup placed before her. The pleasant aroma she’d noticed earlier seemed to emanate from the yellow-tinted tea.

After finally ushering his aunt away, Ray slumped back onto the sofa and took a familiar sip of his drink.

“That’s why I brought you here—to try this. It’s not poisoned, so give it a sip. I’ve probably drunk this stuff over a hundred times since I was little.”

“Is this chrysanthemum tea?”

“Yeah. Even the flowers in it were handpicked by my aunt—one by one, grumbling the whole time.”

As Raon held the teacup with both hands, warmth spread through her palms even before she took a sip. The golden, transparent liquid gave her the feeling that spring had already arrived.

Taking a small sip, the subtle fragrance mingled with the hot tea, soothing her mouth.

“...It’s delicious.”

“Whenever I drink my aunt’s chrysanthemum tea, all my anxiety melts away, and I feel completely at ease. Apparently, it has calming properties. That’s why I wanted to bring you here. You’ve seemed a bit... off since earlier. Like someone struggling to find their footing.”