The rain had turned to a light mist by the time Seol-ah left Harbor Light. The air felt cool against her fingers, but the warmth from her coffee still lingered in her hands.
Eli had stayed inside, promising to see her again soon with a certainty she struggled to understand. She kept looking back as she walked, as if the café might still be watching her.
She stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. The sea wind tangled in her hair and carried the faint sound of a gull crying.
That's when she saw him.
Across the street, leaning against the shadowy wall of a building, stood a man in a dark coat and a wide-brimmed hat. His head was tilted down, hiding his face, but she felt an unsettling certainty that he was watching her.
The light turned green. She stepped forward.
When she reached the other side, the man was gone.
She slowed down, searching the street. The antique clock shop ticked softly in its dim display, and the bookstore's door swayed with the wind. But the spot where he had stood was empty.
A sudden memory brushed against her—a feeling rather than a clear image. Blossoms falling, the weight of her camera, a blurred figure in a dark coat just behind her.
By the time she reached her apartment, her pulse was racing. Jin-ae was in the kitchen, sorting through a bag of groceries.
"Someone was following me," Seol-ah blurted out.
Jin-ae froze, then turned slowly.
"What do you mean?" "A man. Tall. Coat, hat… I didn't see his face."
Jin-ae's expression was hard to read. "You're sure?"
"I-I think so."
Jin-ae set the groceries down and wiped her hands on a towel. "Maybe it's nothing." Her tone felt too casual, as if she were trying to downplay the weight of what Seol-ah said.
Seol-ah frowned. "You don't sound surprised."
Before Jin-ae could reply, a knock came at the door.
Both women looked toward it. The knock came again—three slow, deliberate taps.
Seol-ah moved forward, but Jin-ae grabbed her wrist. "Wait."
An envelope slid under the door, the paper whispering against the floor. Footsteps faded down the hallway.
Seol-ah knelt to pick it up. Inside was a single Polaroid—of her again, walking alone along a street lined with cherry blossoms. The photo was taken from behind.
At the bottom, in neat black ink, was written:
Don't trust him.