Midnight Alibis..

The thrilling chase reached its peak at 11:30 PM. A shadow crossed the hallway outside the creative suite.

​"They're here," Su-ho whispered, grabbing Ji-woon’s sleeve.

​Ji-woon nodded, pulling Su-ho behind a large partition wall. As the suspicious figure crept into the room toward the main computer, Ji-woon prepared to intercept. But Su-ho, trying to be a hero, stepped out too quickly, tripped over a trash can, and sent a stack of plastic bins crashing down with a deafening rattle.

​"Hey! Freeze!" Su-ho yelled anyway, trying to look menacing while tangled in a recycling bin.

​The spy panicked and bolted for the fire exit. Ji-woon didn't hesitate. He dashed past the mess, tackled the intruder right at the doorway, and held him down until building security arrived.

​With the threat neutralized and the designs safe, the office fell completely quiet once more.

​Su-ho was sitting on the floor, dusting off his jeans, looking utterly defeated by his own clumsiness. "I ruined the stealth approach, didn't I?"

​Ji-woon walked back over, his tie slightly undone, breathing a bit heavily from the sprint. He stood over Su-ho for a moment before offering a hand.

​Su-ho took it, expecting to be pulled up, but instead, Ji-woon tugged him forward into a sudden, firm embrace.

​"You're a disaster, Lee Su-ho," Ji-woon murmured against his hair, his arms tightening around him. "But you're my creative director. Don't do something that dangerous again."

​Su-ho blinked, his face turning bright crimson as he wrapped his arms around the stoic Chief's waist. "Does this mean you're buying me a replacement latte tomorrow?"

​Ji-woon laughed quietly—a rare, beautiful sound. "Only if you promise to drink it sitting down."..

The aftermath of the spy incident left Visionary Corp in a state of high alert. To ensure the launch data was absolutely impenetrable, the security team initiated an automated, sector-by-sector lockdown of the executive floor at precisely 9:00 PM.

​Naturally, Ji-woon and Su-ho were still inside.

​"The doors are magnetized," Ji-woon said, his voice echoing in the empty, dimly lit corridor. He pulled at the heavy glass door of the main office suite, but it didn't budge an inch. "We're stuck here until the morning shift overrides the system at 6:00 AM."

​Su-ho slid down against the nearest wall, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Locked in? With no cafeteria access? Ji-woon, this is a tragedy. I have half a bag of sour gummy worms in my desk, and that’s our entire survival ration."

​Ji-woon loosened his collar, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he sat down right next to Su-ho on the carpeted floor. The usual corporate distance between them felt completely irrelevant now. "I think we'll survive the night, Su-ho. Though I'm more worried about what you'll accidentally break while we're trapped."

​"Hey! I've been on my best behavior for the last three hours," Su-ho protested, nudging Ji-woon’s shoulder with his own.

​The playful bickering faded into a quiet, comfortable silence. The city lights flickered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the room. Ji-woon looked over at Su-ho, noticing the faint dark circles under his eyes from days of frantic drafting. Without thinking, Ji-woon reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from Su-ho’s forehead.

​Su-ho froze, his breath catching in his throat. The warmth of Ji-woon's fingers lingered against his skin.

​"You worked hard," Ji-woon said softly, his gaze locked onto Su-ho’s. "The designs are safe because of you."

​"I had good backup," Su-ho whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs. The intense, protective look in Ji-woon's eyes was making it incredibly hard to breathe. Driven by a sudden burst of courage, Su-ho leaned in closer, closing the distance between them until their shoulders were pressed tightly together. "You know... being locked in isn't so bad."

​Ji-woon didn't pull away. Instead, he shifted his hand down to catch Su-ho’s, intertwining their fingers. "No," Ji-woon agreed, a genuine, soft smile breaking across his face. "It isn't bad at all..

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