Episode 7 – The Confession at Namsan Tower
The police headquarters buzzed with tension that morning. Files slammed on desks, phones rang endlessly, and officers hurried through the corridors. Jae Min sat in the briefing room, his expression unreadable as his superior laid out the newest case.
"The most wanted criminal in the city," the chief said grimly, tapping the board. "A woman. Fluent in English. Ruthless. They call her Lunar Rose. One of her men betrayed her, fed us information… and killed himself afterward."
The words echoed in Jae Min's mind. His jaw tightened.
A woman. Fluent in English. Rarely seen. Lunar Rose…
A surge of determination lit in his chest. "This is the case that will change everything," he murmured under his breath, eyes burning with ambition.
But outside the station, another world unfolded in shadows.
Mira stood before the lifeless body of the man who had dared betray her. Her hand gripped the gun tightly, the silence of the warehouse broken only by her shallow breaths. With a sudden snarl of fury, she lifted her gun and fired into the corpse, the echoes bouncing against the cold walls.
Her men flinched, none daring to look up.
"Put him in the car," she ordered, her voice like ice. "Douse it with petrol. Burn it until not even his shadow remains."
"Yes, boss."
The flames roared into the night sky, devouring the car until it collapsed in a heap of twisted metal. Mira turned her back, her expression calm again. Her empire expanded, her name whispered like a curse in every alleyway. She was a phantom, a rare moon only glimpsed by the unfortunate or the doomed.
And yet… on weekends, she was simply Mira again. Jae Min's Mira.
Every stolen hour with him pulled her deeper into a dangerous obsession. She wanted to bring him into her world, to make him her partner in crime. But then...
One evening, she sat in her apartment, sipping coffee as the television droned in the background. Suddenly, her cup slipped from her hand, shattering against the floor. The hot liquid spread across the tiles, seeping into the rug.
On screen, Jae Min's face appeared, his smile proud as the news anchor declared: "One of the best undercover police officers in the nation Detective Jae Min."
Her breath caught in her throat. Slowly, her trembling hand reached for the gun on the table not to shoot, but to steady herself.
"Jae Min…" she whispered. "You… you're hunting me."
Meanwhile, in his own dimly lit apartment, Jae Min pinned photographs and scattered reports onto a vision board. A shadowy silhouette of Lunar Rose stared back at him from the center. His fingers brushed over her name.
"Miss Lunar Rose…" he muttered, eyes narrowing with resolve. "I will catch you. At any cost."
But even as he said it, his phone lit up. He dialed a number that felt like home.
"Mira, let's meet. Just us. Tonight."
There was silence on the other end before her voice came, calm but clipped. "Give me the location. I'll be there in two hours."
"Namsan Tower," he said, his lips curving into a smile.
The night air was cool when Mira arrived. She wore a bold red dress that clung to her figure, her lips painted to match, sunglasses shielding her eyes even beneath the soft glow of the tower's lights. She climbed the steps with a dramatic sigh, her heels clicking sharply against the stone.
"Yah," she complained loudly, "why did you choose Namsan Tower of all places? I'm wearing heels, Jae Min. My feet are killing me!"
He laughed, crouching in front of her. "Hop on."
Mira blinked in surprise. Then, smirking, she climbed onto his back. "I didn't know you had such broad shoulders, Jae Min-ah," she teased, her arms looping loosely around his neck.
By the time they reached the top, the city stretched below them like a sea of glittering stars. Mira leaned against the railing, her eyes reflecting the lights, her breath caught in the beauty of it all.
Jae Min stepped closer. "Mira… I want to say something."
"Go ahead," she replied, still gazing out at the view, her voice light.
He hesitated, then exhaled slowly. "I don't know how to put this into words, but… I missed you. Every single day. I wondered if you were eating, if you were sick, if you were safe. And now, seeing you right in front of me…" His voice cracked slightly, but he held her gaze. "I think… I'm in love with you, Mira."
Mira froze, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. "Stop joking, Jae Min," she said weakly, trying to laugh it off.
But he cupped her face gently, forcing her to meet his eyes. His voice lowered, deep and certain. "Look at me. Do you think these eyes are lying?"
"W-what are you doing?" she stammered, trying to pull away.
He leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead. His words were a whisper against her skin. "Will you date me?"
Her chest constricted, emotions swirling violently inside her. "Yes… if you let me breathe. It's hard like this."
He chuckled softly, releasing her, his hands resting casually on the railing. "So we're a couple now?" he teased, grinning.
Before she could reply, her phone buzzed. Her face darkened as she answered, her men's urgent voices crackling through the line. "Boss, we need you at the office. Immediately."
She ended the call, turning to leave. But before she could step away, Jae Min grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. His lips crashed onto hers, desperate and raw. Mira's eyes widened, her first instinct was to push him away. But when he pulled her closer, when she felt the warmth of his kiss and the years of longing behind it, her resistance melted.
Her arms trembled before she wrapped them around him, kissing him back deeply.
Then reality hit her. With flushed cheeks, she tore herself away. "I… I have to go."
She hurried down the stairs, her red dress swaying in the night breeze. Jae Min watched her leave, his lips still burning with her taste.
And Mira, her heart racing, her breath unsteady couldn't shake the truth. For the first time in years, the queen of shadows had allowed herself to feel alive.