Han Ji-ah walked ahead with military precision, her boots crushing gravel and glass like they were nothing. Her silhouette moved like a blade through the fog—sharp, unrelenting, untouchable.
Hyun-woo followed.
Like a stray dog chasing someone who clearly didn't want to be followed.
She had told him not to come.
She had explicitly told him to stay out of her way.
And yet... there he was.
Trailing behind like a lost NPC trying to cling to the main character.
He had already seen her character profile flash across his screen earlier. Level 12. Trait: Blade Temperament. Her name wasn't just familiar—she was vital to the plot.
Han Ji-ah. The Coldblade Vanguard.
Hyun-woo couldn't just walk away.
So, of course, she noticed.
She stopped in her tracks, turned, and gave him a look that could freeze the sun.
"You following me?" she growled.
"...Yes."
"Why?"
"I... thought it'd be safer. Y'know. In numbers."
There was a pause.
She stared at him like she was considering murder.
"You fucking idiot," she hissed.
Hyun-woo blinked. "I—I mean, maybe, but—"
"You do realize I will leave you behind the moment you slow me down, right?"
He smiled awkwardly. "I'm faster than I look."
"You look like a someone that reads fanfiction in the dark."
"...That's oddly specific."
"Get lost before I change my mind about stabbing you."
He hesitated.
She sighed dramatically, raking her fingers through her disheveled hair. "You really are a dumbass. Fine. Whatever. Walk five steps behind me. Say one word and I'll pretend you're an enemy."
"Can I at least—"
"One more word."
Hyun-woo wisely shut his mouth.
But he still smiled a little. Because even if she was threatening to kill him every five minutes, she hadn't left him yet.
And that was progress.