Knock, knock.
Two soft, uncertain taps echoed against the sleek wood of the office door. The assistant hesitated a moment, her knuckles trembling slightly, before turning the handle and stepping inside. The air was cold.
He was already there—standing in complete silence with his back to the room, his hands in his pockets, staring out the wall of glass that overlooked the city.
The skyline looked calm.
He didn't.
He didn't greet her. He didn't move. But the tension in his shoulders told her enough. He was waiting.
She forced herself to speak, clutching the tablet in her arms like a shield.
"Sir…?"
His voice came sharp and sudden. "Where is he?"
The words weren't loud, but they struck like a blade. She knew exactly who he meant.
She swallowed. "I… I'm not sure, sir. I tried calling, but he's not answering. I've tried multiple times."
Silence.
It stretched so long she began to feel dizzy, like the walls were pressing in. He still hadn't turned around. He didn't have to.
"Do you know your name?"
"…Yes, sir."
"Do you know your home address?"
"Yes, sir…"
"Your family members?"
"Y-Yes."
"Do you know how to walk? Talk? Eat? Sleep?"
Her eyes widened in confusion. "Yes, sir?"
He finally turned. His eyes were like black glass—deep, unreadable.
"Then why," he said, stepping forward, each word colder than the last, "don't you know where he is?"
The final word cracked like thunder. His voice rose with fury, breaking the perfect stillness of the office.
The assistant flinched. So did half the building.
Everyone outside froze.
Just then, the elevator dinged.
The silver doors slid open with a cheerful chime that felt painfully out of place. A young man stepped out, walking into the hallway with a bounce in his step and earbuds still hanging around his neck. His hoodie was half-zipped, revealing a glittery shirt beneath, and his smile was bright, carefree, and completely unaware.
Then he heard the voice.
The shout still echoed faintly through the closed office door.
The boy paused, blinked, and tilted his head.
"Is he angry again?" he asked, gesturing lazily toward the direction of the storm.
A staff member sighed from behind her desk. "Yes."
He made a small "ah" sound, then grinned as if this was an everyday occurrence. Which, truthfully, it was.
"Who got him mad this time?"
"You."
The smile fell.
"…Me?"
He looked around the room. Everyone had stopped working. Some had even gotten up from their desks, pretending to organize files just so they could hear the aftermath.
"But I wasn't even here," he said, confused. "How can I be the reason if I wasn't even in the building?"
"You weren't here. That's exactly why."
Before he could protest, the large office doors burst open.
"Shine Shiou."
The voice didn't have to be loud this time. It just was.
"Come. Now."
Shine's shoulders slumped as he sighed dramatically, dragging his feet forward like a child sent to the principal's office. "Here we go…"
---
Inside, the office was all glass and dark wood, polished to sterile perfection. The lights were dimmed, the blinds half-drawn, casting long shadows across the room.
He was waiting—impeccably dressed in a black suit that clung to him like a second skin, every line sharp, every breath controlled. His eyes locked on Shine the moment he entered.
Shine closed the door behind him and took a few hesitant steps in.
"You're late," the man said.
"I know," Shine muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry. I overslept a little."
The man's silence was louder than any reprimand.
"I was up late last night working on choreography. I meant to take a nap, but…"
Another pause. Then the sharp click of shoes on marble.
Shine looked up just in time to see him crossing the room with measured, deliberate steps.
"You missed your rehearsal. You missed your fitting. You missed your press briefing," he said. "Do you know what that tells me?"
"That I need a new alarm clock?"
The look he received could've frozen oceans.
Shine winced.
"It tells me that you think the world revolves around you."
"No—! That's not—" Shine straightened. "Look, I messed up. Okay? But it's not like I'm out here slacking off. I've been working every day for weeks without a break. I just… I needed a few hours. That's all."
"You don't get 'a few hours' when hundreds of people rely on your presence."
The words hit harder than expected. Not because of their volume—but because of their weight. It wasn't just disappointment. It was concern—twisted into discipline.
Shine blinked, startled by the sudden warmth that slipped into the man's eyes. Barely there. Barely noticeable. But real.
Then something unexpected happened.
Without another word, the man reached out—and took Shine's hand.
Not gently. Not harshly. Just… firmly. Possessively. Like he was making sure Shine wouldn't disappear again.
Shine froze.
He stared down at their hands, heart skipping a beat. The man's grip was strong. Familiar in a way that made no sense. And for the first time since entering the room, Shine had no idea what to say.
"I called you twelve times," the man said quietly. "You didn't answer."
"I didn't mean to worry you…"
"I wasn't worried," he snapped too quickly.
Shine lifted a brow. "Really?"
The man's jaw clenched, and he looked away for a beat before speaking again.
"I don't like not knowing where you are."
Shine blinked. "That's… oddly specific."
He didn't answer. His gaze drifted to their joined hands again. And then to Shine's face.
For a moment, his eyes lingered—not in recognition, not in longing—but in silence. As if searching for something unspoken. Something lost. Then, as quickly as it came, the softness vanished.
Shine squinted. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
The question broke the silence. The man let go of his hand.
"Just… be more careful," he said, voice returning to its usual cool distance.
Shine looked down, flexing his fingers. "I'm sorry," he said, softer now. "I'll make up for it."
The man's expression remained unreadable. "You already are."
---
Outside the office, the rest of the staff exhaled for the first time in minutes.
"Is it over?" someone whispered.
"For now," another murmured. "Until the next time he disappears…"
But none of them knew what really happened inside those four walls.
None of them saw how his hand trembled for a moment after Shine walked away.