In The Dark (SNOWDROP)

"it's not important"

❄︎ — chapter 8 — ❄︎

Jang Hanna found Joo Gyeokchan in the dark printing room, inspecting a few photos that had just come out.

"Gyeokchan-ssi," she called.

He turned upon hearing his name.

"Oh, great," he mumbled under his breath. "Sunbaenim?"

Hanna stopped right next to him. "Can I talk to you?"

Gyeokchan's sense of snark took over the respectfulness he should've used. "I don't know, can you?"

Hanna rolled her eyes. "Follow me."

Gyeokchan put down the photos and followed her out of the printing room, out of the factory, even. She stopped by her Jeep in the parking lot.

"Why are we out here?" Gyeokchan asked suspiciously.

"I didn't think you'd want to talk inside where someone could hear us," Hanna said.

"Talk about what, then?"

"An old target of yours," Hanna said, turning to face him. "Haegeumseong 1."

❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎

"Ya, Sooho."

Sooho snapped himself out of his thoughts. He'd gotten back to the office only an hour before, but he couldn't make himself focus on his work. His mind kept drifting back to the Evergreen bookstore and the daughter of the ANSP director.

Lee Kangmu stood next to his chair. He looked slightly amused.

"Lim Sooho with his head in the clouds? What on earth happened?"

"Uh... nothing, hyung," Sooho said.

Kangmu laughed. "Sooho-ya, you know how much I hate it when you try to lie to me."

"It's not important," Sooho insisted, trying to stop him from prying further. "What's going on?"

Kangmu's smile fell from his face. "Do you know where Jang Hanna went?"

Sooho frowned. "I think she went to talk to Joo Gyeokchan. Why?"

"Joo Gyeokchan?" Kangmu echoed. "What does she need to talk to him about?"

"Something about more information on Haegeumseong 1," Sooho said, shrugging. "She won't leave the case alone. She thinks she can solve it."

Kangmu rolled his eyes. "That sounds like Hanna, all right. I should never have given her that file..."

"Hyung," Sooho said, his voice falling to a whisper. He glanced over at Lee Eungcheol, but he was far too absorbed in some computer work to listen. "Why do you and Hanna noona always act so weird around each other?"

Kangmu stiffened. "What?"

"The first day she came back," Sooho said. "She asked me to never let her be alone with you. She avoids talking to you at all costs. What's going on between you two?"