Chapter 5 – A Dangerous Game

The music was too loud.

Or maybe it was just Hana’s heartbeat.

She stood near the edge of the room, pretending to watch the crowd, pretending not to notice the woman standing too close to Kang.

Yura.

Elegant. Confident. Untouchable.

And right now—smiling like she already owned him.

Hana’s fingers tightened around the glass in her hand. She told herself it didn’t matter. Kang wasn’t hers. There was no reason to feel anything.

So why did it feel like something was slipping?

Across the room, Yura leaned slightly toward Kang, her voice low, almost teasing.

“You’ve changed,” she said softly. “But not enough.”

Kang didn’t react. His expression remained unreadable, cold as ever.

“This isn’t the place,” he replied.

Yura smiled.

“It never is with you.”

Her hand moved—light, deliberate—resting against his arm.

Hana looked away instantly.

She didn’t want to see it.

Didn’t want to feel it.

But the image burned into her mind anyway.

“You’re distracted.”

The voice came from beside her.

Hana turned sharply, only to find Kang standing there.

Yura was gone.

For a second, Hana didn’t speak. Her thoughts were still tangled, emotions she didn’t understand pressing against her chest.

“I’m not,” she said quickly.

Kang raised an eyebrow slightly.

“You’re a bad liar.”

Her jaw tightened.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“No,” he said calmly. “You don’t.”

But he didn’t leave.

That was the problem.

He stayed.

Close enough that she could feel his presence, steady and unshaken.

“Then why are you here?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

Kang’s gaze shifted briefly toward the crowd… toward where Yura had disappeared.

“Business.”

The answer was simple.

Too simple.

Hana let out a small, bitter breath.

“Right. Of course.”

She turned to leave.

But before she could take a step—

“Don’t let her get to you.”

Kang’s voice stopped her.

Hana froze.

Slowly, she turned back.

“I don’t care about her.”

Kang looked at her for a long moment.

Not judging. Not mocking.

Just watching.

“You do,” he said quietly.

The truth hit harder than any insult.

Hana looked away.

Because he was right.

And she hated that he could see it.

Across the room, hidden behind shadows and soft light—

Yura watched them.

Her lips curved into a slow smile.

“So,” she murmured to herself, “that’s how it is.”

She picked up a glass, eyes never leaving Hana.

“Let’s see how strong you really are.”

Outside, the night air was colder.

Hana stepped out onto the balcony, needing space, needing silence.

But even there, she couldn’t escape it.

The image of Yura’s hand on Kang.

The way he hadn’t pushed her away immediately.

The way it felt.

Uncomfortable.

Unfamiliar.

Dangerous.

“You’re running again.”

Kang’s voice followed her into the night.

Hana didn’t turn this time.

“I just needed air.”

A pause.

Then footsteps.

He stopped beside her.

Not too close.

Not too far.

Perfect distance.

“I don’t belong to her,” he said.

Hana’s breath caught.

“And you don’t belong to me,” she replied quickly.

Silence.

Heavy.

Complicated.

Real.

Kang didn’t argue.

But he didn’t leave either.

And somehow—

That was worse.

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