The thread between us

Ji Ah wandered through Ryu Hwan's room, her eyes tracing over the intricate decor, the lavish furnishings, and the subtle but expensive artifacts neatly placed around.

"Why is this room so damn big…?" she muttered under her breath. "Is he a smuggler? A mafia don? Who even has this kind of money and space?"

She frowned at the thought, picking up a glass orb from the shelf—only to freeze when a deep voice whispered dangerously close to her ear:

"Hi, sweetie."

Her heart jumped. She spun around—and there he was.

Ryu Hwan stood close. Too close. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement, and the smirk on his lips told her he was enjoying this far too much.

Caught off guard, Ji Ah looked away quickly, lowering her gaze. Without responding, she turned toward the door.

"I'm not here on vacation," she muttered, brushing past him.

Ryu chuckled. "If you walk out now, you won't be able to return. Ever. So unless you've got a way back into N1N… maybe stick around a little."

Ji Ah paused mid-step, silently weighing her options.

(I might need to come back to N1N. And this man… he's the only one who can get me through the chaos here. As annoying as he is, maybe I'll have to play along—for now.)

Ryu raised a brow. "What, cat got your tongue? No worries. If you don't want it, you're free to leave."

"No, no! It's not that," she blurted. "I was just thinking… what exactly would I need to get back in?"

He smirked, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a thin black chain—attached to it was a small dragon-shaped pendant, sculpted in obsidian, shimmering faintly like it held secrets.

"This. As long as you have it, you can enter both this house… and the N1N zone."

"Great, then give it—"

Before she could finish, the pendant vanished from his hand.

Ji Ah blinked. "What the—"

Ryu's eyes twinkled. "Where's the fun in giving it that easily? Find it, and it's yours."

He stepped closer, slowly, deliberately. Ji Ah's heartbeat spiked, but her expression remained composed. She wouldn't let him see how much his nearness affected her.

"It's somewhere in this room," he murmured, his voice low and teasing. "Go on. Hunt it down."

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving her standing alone—annoyed and slightly flustered.

---

A while later, Ji Ah stomped into the hallway, frustration written all over her face. She found haa rin and haa jin nearby, casually lounging as if nothing in the world could bother them.

She threw herself onto the couch across from them, glaring.

"How do you stand that man?!"

Haa rin raised a brow, grinning. "You mean Boss?"

"Who else?! He's insufferable."

Haa jin chuckled. "He didn't hurt you, did he? He's just playing. That's how he is. Calls you his kitten, after all."

They burst into laughter.

Ji Ah's jaw dropped. "HE SAID WHAT?!"

---

Later that evening, while Ryu Hwan was in the shower, Ji Ah returned to the room with quiet determination. She searched every drawer, shelf, and crevice—but no sign of the pendant.

She huffed in frustration, picked up Ember—who was snoozing in the corner—and shook him gently.

"Did you eat it? Huh? Where is it? I know you saw it."

The little dragon screeched irritably. Ji Ah panicked and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Shhh! Not a word or that smug man will—"

Too late.

She heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. Ji Ah darted behind the large desk, heart racing.

Ryu stepped out, wearing only a bathrobe, rubbing his damp hair with a towel. He walked past the window, unaware—or pretending to be unaware—of Ji Ah's presence.

That's when she saw it.

The black dragon pendant hung loosely from a chain around his neck, glinting against his collarbone.

(Of course it is…) she thought with a sigh, eyes locked on it.

She waited. Ryu climbed into bed, switching off the lamp. Silence.

(Is he… asleep?)

Quiet as a shadow, Ji Ah crept forward and perched beside him on the bed. She watched his face—peaceful, still, disarmingly handsome. Her fingers moved toward the pendant.

But the moment she touched it, a hand gripped hers.

"Caught you."

Ji Ah jumped. "You were pretending?!"

Ryu opened his eyes lazily, smirking. "So… what exactly are you doing in my room at this hour? Got some intentions you'd like to share?"

"I just want the damn pendant!"

She reached for it again, but he grabbed her wrist and, in one smooth motion, pulled her down onto the bed—him on top.

"Tsk. You really do keep ending up under me, kitten."

Ji Ah glared at him, breath uneven.

"Let go, you idiot."

He leaned closer, voice low and dangerous. "Not until you answer me. You miss me that much you couldn't wait until morning?"

"In your dreams," she hissed.

Smirking, he unclasped the chain and gently placed the pendant into her hand.

"Don't lose it," he said, his voice suddenly sincere. "Think of it as the key… to enter my world whenever you want."

She froze, surprised by the sudden shift in tone.

For a moment, they simply looked at each other.

And then—

"Well?" Ryu snapped his fingers. "Got your pendant. Planning to sleep here too, or…?"

Ji Ah huffed, cheeks warm. "Huh. In your dreams. I'm going to my room. Bye."

She stormed off with a toss of her hair.

Ryu chuckled quietly, lying back on the bed with a rare, peaceful smile.

"She doesn't remember anything… but that fire in her eyes? That attitude? Still the same."