Se Ah went to work. Feeling energized, she arrived 20 minutes earlier than usual, yet Jina, the other writer, was still the first to arrive.

“Writer Se Ah, you came in early today?”

“Yes, Writer Jina. Good morning.”

“Hmm?”

Jina circled around Se Ah like a hyena that had caught a scent, scrutinizing her.

“Why… Why are you doing that, Writer Jina?”

“Your vibe is oddly different today. This hairstyle, this makeup.”

Jina’s sharp gaze scanned Se Ah from head to toe.

After work, Se Ah had plans to go to the department store with Kang Woo, so she had put extra effort into her appearance: curling her hair, applying darker lipstick. Jina had quickly noticed these small changes.

“It’s the end of the year. I have plans.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Jina seemed unconvinced but dropped her interest.

“Writer Se Ah, do you have plans for the holiday? You know the atmosphere in the office is quite buoyant, right?”

“Why? Because of Christmas?”

“That, and probably the office will be empty until next week.”

“Something happening?”

Se Ah was always slow on office gossip due to her lack of socializing and not being part of a team. In contrast, the amiable Jina had a wide network, always bringing Se Ah the latest news.

“Writer Se Ah, you’re not on a one-year contract yet, right?”

“No, you get annual contracts once you’re a main writer.”

“When you become a main writer, you also get paid leave. So make sure you become one.”

“Okay.”

“Everyone’s off from tomorrow until January 1st. You knew that, right?”

Se Ah nodded continuously, her face brightening at the thought of the sweet week-long vacation.

“You can take a long break by combining it with annual leave. Of course, you have to complete your handover properly. It would be great to go abroad then.”

“Wow…”

“That’s why so many have applied for leave, especially those in the Star Corps collaborating with G-Comms. Once you’re in such a big project, it’s not easy to take holidays later.”

“Oh… Of course, Writer Jina knows everything. Thank you.”

“You make me want to keep teaching you. Your reactions are so rewarding.”

Jina, pleased with herself, returned to her seat, and only the sound of typing filled the air.

was now beyond its midpoint, working towards the latter half. Se Ah was writing a scene about a competition within the game.

She wondered how many players could enter a channel simultaneously. After contacting the tech team and getting a response, she adjusted the scale accordingly.

Since she wouldn’t be working on the 31st, today was the year-end closing. An email reconfirmed that everyone should leave before 2 PM due to building cleaning.

Finally, 2 PM.

Se Ah happily prepared to leave work.

Kang Woo waited for Se Ah in a public parking lot a block away from the company. He had firmly refused Se Ah’s suggestion to go straight to the department store.

He was still playing along with their secret rendezvous but didn’t plan to keep it up for long. He was just waiting for the right moment.

If they got caught by someone and had to speed up their plans, all the better.

He might not particularly like it, but he found some enjoyment in it. For instance, the heart-racing situation of waiting for Se Ah, who was looking around as she approached from a distance.
Se Ah hurriedly climbed into the passenger seat as if she was afraid of being seen getting into the car.

“Let’s get going quickly. We need to get out of Gangnam.”

Se Ah pushed Kang Woo’s shoulder away as he tried to help her with the seatbelt. She then placed her hand over her forehead, slightly lowering her head as if to shield herself from the sun.

“Think that’s going to prevent us from getting caught?”

Kang Woo tilted his lips as he checked her seatbelt. Se Ah couldn’t resist and coldly pushed his arm away.

“We’re still within the contract period. Stick to the promise.”

“It seems pointless now.”

As he grabbed the parking brake, Kang Woo teased her. Glancing at Se Ah while checking the heater’s temperature, he wondered why her face was turning red.

“Is it too hot? Should I turn down the heater?”

“Just a little.”

“You’re not feverish, are you?”

As he reached to check her forehead, she reflexively blocked his hand.

“…It’s not the car’s temperature that’s making me hot.”

“Did you run here?”

Se Ah exhaled sharply, struggling to muster patience.

“Kang Woo, you’re really unpredictable. Are you a master or a novice? You fluctuate between level 1 and 100. I never know what to expect.”

“What do you mean?”

Se Ah looked at his slowly moving lips with a suspicious gaze.

“You’re really my first, right?”

“I swear to the heavens.”

Se Ah burst into laughter at his solemn confession, like a child.

“I really… I can’t handle Kang Woo… It’s not because I ran here that I’m hot, it’s because being with Kang Woo makes my heart race… Even your casual glances and words make me flutter too much.”

Kang Woo’s lips slowly curled into a smile at her sudden love confession.

“…Seems like you’re the master in love.”