The heat of Joon-woo's hand remained on Seo-yeon's skin as she emerged onto the crowded city streets. The world outside continued to move on—cars blaring, pedestrians pushing by—but within her, she was wavering.
Her mind replayed Joon-woo's hold on her, the deep timbre of his voice in her ear. It had seemed so real. But hadn't he also told her that love was simply a weakness, that trust was just another tactic to be employed?
She exhaled slowly, shaking off the fantasies as she stepped toward the café where she was to meet Hyun-soo. The unmistakable aroma of roasted coffee beans wafted through the air, bringing her back down. In contrast to Joon-woo's reality—full of power struggles and implicit threats—this was familiar. Safe.
Or so it should have been.
