Hey everyone! Apologies for not updating yesterday due to writer's block. I'm determined to balance my writing and studies better, even though it's a bit of a struggle. Can't just drop my homework and dive into drafts, you know? Working hard to come up with fresh ideas for an awesome chapter. Thanks a bunch for all the love - to my readers, upvoters, and commenters. Shoutout to each of you for the incredible support. Your affection means the world to me. Now, let's dive into this exciting new chapter!

---

"Do you have feelings for Jennie?"

"Nah."

"Hard to own up to it now, huh? Like admitting yes will flip everything?"

Yoona fell silent, soaking in the city lights ahead.

"Let's not dwell on this anymore. This chat's the last on the topic. Your feelings are valid. Your choices, too. If it feels right, go for it." Khloe rose, giving Yoona's back a reassuring pat. "So, you're leaning toward the latter. Cool. I still think Jennie's perfect for you, though."

Yoona offered a small smile to her mom. "Helping her move on means giving her the space she deserves."

"Sure about her reuniting with her ex?"

Yoona's gut twitched for some reason, and she winked at her mom. "I think they click."

"Nope. You two click."

"Believe what helps you sleep, Mom."

Khloe playfully punched Yoona's arm, earning a laugh. "Hope you stand by your choices. Got your back, worrywart mode activated. Remember that."

Yoona responded with a gentle smile, expressing her gratitude. "No room for regrets in my book."

---

Early in the morning, Yoona and Seulgi were summoned to the police precinct. Upon arriving, they were directed to the chief officer's main office. Walking in and meeting inquisitive stares, they couldn't help but wonder what was amiss.

"Detective Lim, I'd like both of you to read and respond to this recently published news," the chief officer announced.

Yoona held the newspaper, and she and Seulgi skimmed the headline.

Breaking News:

Renowned actor Lee Minho involved in car accident last night at 6pm. Rushed to hospital, currently in stable condition. Police investigation ongoing.

"Are we being assigned to investigate this?" Seulgi inquired, pointing at the newspaper headline.

"To an extent. But, Detective Lim, I need to address this matter with you first. I found it hard to believe, given that I've never seen you with him before. Have the two of you ever crossed paths?" the chief officer questioned.

Both Yoona and Seulgi exchanged puzzled looks, urging the chief to elaborate. "Let me get straight to the point. We've come across some fabricated evidence. His phone revealed the last person he communicated with was you, Detective Lim."

Yoona gestured to herself in disbelief. "Me?"

The chief nodded, producing a screenshot of their conversation and handing it over.

The messages read:

**YOONA LIM**
"I've been wanting to see you. It's me, Detective Lim. Do you miss me?"

**LEE MIN HO**
"Oh, hi there! Wasn't aware you had my number."

**YOONA LIM**
"I'm a detective, remember?"

**LEE MIN HO**
"Ah, that makes sense. Silly me. I've been missing you a lot, and these unexplainable feelings have been bothering me. I really want to meet you. So, where and when?"

**YOONA LIM**
"Meet me at xxxxx later."

**LEE MIN HO**
"Can't wait."

Yoona's reaction to the conversation was a fake gag, finding it hard to believe that Lee Minho had fallen for such a trick and believed that her number was real.

"Yeah, I've crossed paths with him before, but that was ages ago—about 2 months, I think. We met at a bar, shared a kiss, but it meant absolutely nothing," Yoona explained.

Seulgi's memory kicked in, and she made an "o" sound, recalling the bet they had made that day. "Clearly, he fell for a dumb ploy," Seulgi chimed in.

Yoona lowered the newspaper, her fingers resting on her chin as she pondered, "I wonder who's behind this, trying to set me up." The chief officer seemed caught off guard and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Are you suspecting me?" Smirking, Yoona teased, "I mean, who wouldn't? For all you know, I might be a serial killer." She added, "Just kidding. To put your mind at ease, guys aren't my thing."

Shaking his head, the chief continued, "The media is eager to dig deeper, especially because he's a celebrity. That's why we decided to put up a front, stating that he was drunk driving. It's not about covering up; this is a serious matter because you're implicated. I want this resolved as soon as possible."

Yoona nodded, agreeing with his approach. Internally, she seethed, Who's trying to mess with me now? Just wait until I get my hands on you. I'll make you pay.

After the discussion, they headed to the accident site, but rain began pouring down.

"Any suspects in mind?" Seulgi asked.

Sipping her coffee, Yoona glanced at the wreckage, savoring the ambiance of the rain. "This person better consider themselves lucky, because my enemies are all long gone."

Seulgi rolled her eyes playfully and looked concernedly at Yoona.

"This is going to be a walk in the park. I'll face this person head-on and make sure they regret ever crossing me. Their plan is pathetic—a feeble attempt to get rid of me."

The confidence in Yoona's voice was palpable, leaving no doubt that she was ready to take on whoever was behind this plot.

Seulgi let out a sigh, squinting her eyes at the car wreckage. "Whoever did this seems like a professional, huh?"

Yoona nodded, her agreement apparent. "Absolutely. In all my years of investigating, I've never come across something like this. It's incredibly unusual."

Seulgi's curiosity got the better of her. "Why do you think Lee Minho got dragged into this mess?"

"I'm as clueless as you are," Yoona admitted.

Just then, Yoona's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, pressed the red button, and explained, "I need to speak to one of the officers real quick." With that, she made her way over to a busy officer who was jotting down notes.

Seulgi's mind raced as she pondered the sudden appearance of this person who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, throwing their lives into disarray. Could this mean that she might be dragged into this situation too?

Her thoughts were interrupted by her own ringing phone. She pulled it out and saw Jennie's number. Ah, right. Irene had given Jennie Seulgi's number in case she couldn't reach Yoona. Though that was a rarity—so, what could it be about?

"Hello?" Seulgi answered.

"Hey! Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all. What can I do for my cousin's girl?" Seulgi playfully teased, fully aware that Jennie was probably blushing.

"So, if you're not busy, does that mean Yoona isn't either?"

Seulgi's attention shifted momentarily from the crash scene as she scanned for Yoona. "Yeah, that's the case. Is something up?"

Jennie heaved a sigh on the other end. "I've called her a bunch of times, but she keeps rejecting my calls. I also messaged her, but she's left me on read."

Please don't let it be what I'm thinking.

"Really?" Seulgi asked, heading toward her cousin.

"Yes, I don't know if something's wrong."

She's upset. My cousin's an idiot for making her feel like this.

"Call her again. She'll answer now. Hang up, and she'll call you back," Seulgi advised.

"Okay. Thanks, Seulgi."

Ending the call, Seulgi gave Yoona a friendly pat on the back. Yoona raised an eyebrow, silently questioning. Seulgi mouthed, "Answer your phone if she calls."

As Yoona felt her phone vibrating, she squinted her eyes and remarked, "Who am I to obey your command?"

Seulgi playfully rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "At least hear her out. It must be important if she's tried calling you so many times."

"And so—" Yoona began, but her words were interrupted when her phone rang again. Shaking her head in slight annoyance, she nodded to Seulgi, who smiled knowingly.

Yoona walked away, returning to the location of the car crash.

"What's up?" she curtly inquired.

Jennie's voice came through, a hint of shyness evident—probably embarrassed for calling Yoona and anticipating a warm response. "Hi."

Tapping her foot impatiently, Yoona snapped, "Get to the point, Jen. I'm quite busy right now."

Jennie hesitated before continuing, "I was at the store earlier, and I bought my favorite ice cream. Just as I was about to leave, it started pouring rain, and—"

"And you're expecting me to come pick you up?"

"No! I-I mean, yes. I told my manager you'd pick me up and drive me home."

I'm sorry, Jennie.

"I'm actually really busy like I said, so I'm sorry. Can't your manager come get you instead?"

"I-I, well... I don't want to inconvenience him. He has some errands to run today, and I can't take a cab because I left my wallet at home."

Jennie winced at the sharp tone in Yoona's voice. She couldn't figure out what went wrong—everything seemed fine between them last night. Or at least, she thought so.

Curious, Yoona asked, "Who paid for your ice cream?"

"My manager covered it for me."

"I can't pick you up right now—"

"I understand. I-I'm sorry if I bothered you. I shouldn't have called—"

"Just let me drive you home if she don't want to."

Yoona squinted her eyes and frowned upon hearing a new voice chiming in. What the heck is he doing there with her?

Rubbing her temples in frustration, Yoona approached Seulgi, who was in conversation with the officer she had spoken to earlier. Seulgi excused herself as Yoona signaled her over.

"Send me the location of the store you're at. I'll be there in a minute," Yoona requested.

"Sure thing," Jennie responded.

"What's up?" Seulgi asked, concerned.

"I need to go out for a bit. Can you hold down the fort here for me?" Yoona requested.

Seulgi smiled reassuringly. "Of course. Take your time. I've got this."

With a nod, Yoona hurried to her car, borrowing an umbrella from one of the officers on her way.

As Seulgi resumed her conversation with the officer, she shook her head slightly, thinking, How long is Yoona going to keep suffering from hiding?

---

Gripping the steering wheel of her car tightly, Yoona's heart sank as she witnessed a bittersweet scene of Jennie's ex-lover and Jennie outside the store. Her gaze fixated on them, she watched as the two conversed, laughter evident in their expressions. Jennie seemed genuinely happy, flashing a bright gummy smile.

A surge of anger coursed through Yoona's veins as she glared at the guy. He reached out and took the girl's hand, pulling her onto the street in the rain. Unmindful of their soaked appearance, they continued to laugh, the guy even dancing playfully, making Jennie laugh even harder. It was almost as if they were lost in their own world of happiness.

Bitter laughter escaped Yoona's lips, and she shook her head in disbelief. Am I really standing here, watching some damn cliché movie? Tsk.

She was about to drive away, unable to stand it any longer, when she abruptly changed her mind. The guy was leaning in, poised to kiss the girl, who was stepping back slightly. Yoona couldn't believe her eyes.

Grabbing the umbrella next to her, Yoona stepped out of her car and quickly walked towards them. "Jen," she called out. Startled, the two turned to her, offering awkward smiles.

Jennie ran up and hugged Yoona tightly, causing the guy to jump a bit too. "Uh, Jen, you're getting wet," Yoona commented.

Jennie smiled sheepishly and gave her a shy smile. Holding the umbrella now, Jennie watched as Yoona removed her coat.

Yoona draped her coat over Jennie's shoulders, takin