Dahyun blinked several times as she examined Sana's face. It's only that she couldn't figure out what the other woman was thinking, but one thing was certain: those thoughts were profound. Dahyun was about to say something to break the ice that seemed to surround them when a restaurant employee, a waiter, approached them. As a result, Dahyun had to wait for him to finish setting the table and finally leave before she could say anything.

"Are... you sure you don't want to eat?" Dahyun inquired tentatively, not wanting to disrupt whatever Sana was contemplating while zoning out.

Dahyun had no choice but to do it, though. She can't just sit there quietly like no one is in front of her. Plus, Sana was the one who texted her in the hopes of setting up an urgent meeting regarding something.

"Sana?"

The sound of Dahyun's voice made Sana flinch. She's not sure why it startled her, but it was only then that she realized she was drifting away yet again. Sana felt a hot flush on her cheeks, embarrassed that Dahyun was seeing her this way again. Despite the fact that the woman had already seen a lot of this from her.

"Are you okay?" Dahyun asked, but she quickly retracted her question. "Obviously, you're not okay," she muttered, the back of her neck. "Don't you want to eat? I mean, I ordered a lot," Dahyun continued, as if she didn't want to give Sana the chance to say anything. "I can request extra utensils from the waiter—"

Sana cut her off by stating, "Atty. Kim." "It's alright," she said, "I'm not hungry," and her tone almost made Dahyun sorry. For some reason, the latter has always felt for Sana in a way she does not comprehend.

"Okay," Dahyun whispered, presumably shy when she picked up the utensils. But she couldn't fight her hunger. To alleviate her worry, she said, "I'm sorry if I have to eat right now."

"You don't have to apologize, Atty. Kim," Sana chuckled.

"I was so busy and came home pretty exhausted yesterday," Dahyun explained. This also became her way of easing the tension that had enveloped them earlier. "I couldn't eat dinner," she chuckled, "I mean, how could I?" "It's quite difficult to eat with your eyes closed, and you feel like snoring instead."

Sana had a short but hearty laugh as a result of it. Dahyun felt accomplished, despite the fact that she was already used to being the person who brings joy to others she cared about.

"Perhaps you should stop chatting and start eating right now," Sana said, prompting Dahyun to bob her head. "You definitely did order a lot," Sana observed.

"You're welcome to eat with me if you like," Dahyun said, aiming to appear nonchalant. "But I can eat all of them if you insist on not being hungry," she added.

"Sure, you can," Sana replied, smiling.

Dahyun was able to save the conversation by apologizing before it ended. "I'm sorry, I didn't see your message last night; I was already sleeping," she said earnestly.

Sana bobbed her head, saying, "It's okay. I understand most people are asleep at that hour." Seeing that Dahyun merely looked at her as if waiting for more, Sana felt it was necessary to add, "I just had a little hope that you were awake." "I'm sorry if I'm starting to freak you out by asking you to meet me. You know, this isn't the first time," she added.

"Hey, it's okay," Dahyun remarked calmly, wishing to make sure that Sana was in comfort around her. "I truly appreciate people who need me," she admitted, "since there aren't many who think of me first when something happens." "But, Sana, I'm not presuming anything happened, okay? I just want you to know that I—"

"You're pleased that I remembered you," Sana continued to help Dahyun.

"Yeah, that's it," Dahyun agreed, slightly ashamed that Sana expressed it more directly than she did. It's just something about her. When she feels she isn't expressing the appropriate words, her tongue becomes twisted. And so, the words never end.

"I get it, Atty. Kim."

Dahyun was relieved when she heard those remarks. "That's great," she concluded. "Anyway, why did you want to meet me last night?" she questioned carefully, trying not to imply anything.

"I have a favor to ask," Sana began, and her shoulders slumped as soon as those words left . "I'm sorry, I'm not the type to ask for favors because I prefer to find solutions on my own," she continued. "I have friends, but you are the only one I know who could help me right now."

"I'm not just some person you know, Sana," Dahyun added, hoping to relieve Sana's stress. "We should recognize that given how often we've seen each other, it almost feels like we're more than acquaintances," Dahyun shrugged, which made sense to Sana. "Did you know I met you more times than my mom over the past few months?" she chuckled, causing Sana to giggle a little. "All I'm saying, Sana, is that you should take a breather around me; I won't hurt you, and I genuinely want to be your friend."

"I don't know how to express my appreciation to you, Atty. Kim."

Dahyun replied, "You don't have to." "Just keep me in mind whenever you need something."

Sana smiled sadly as she paused. She had the feeling that her tears might start to stream down her face shortly. Perhaps this is due to Dahyun's overwhelming generosity to her.

Sana felt ready to talk again after a few moments. "About the favor that I'm going to ask," she said, "I'd want to explain why I need it first."

"Please carry on," Dahyun said gracefully.

 

 

 

Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Momo, and several other members had already arrived. They were all sitting calmly around the big, massive meeting table, probably waiting for the discussion to begin. But it appeared that Nayeon had no intention of starting it any sooner, as she stared blankly at the table's surface, casually spinning a pen around and across her fingers.

Momo and Jeongyeon sat closest to Nayeon, so they silently feuded through their eyes. They didn't want to say anything, but if they waited any longer, they wouldn't get anything done. And there is still a lot of work to be done for today.

Jihyo had to be the one to say, "Ms. Lim." That reduced the tension between Jeongyeon and Momo, but surely, they would still argue about it after the meeting.

Nayeon arched her brows and set the pen down beside the papers in front of her. She coughed softly after realizing that everyone was already present. That cough was a sign that she would begin the meeting at any second now.

"I had scheduled this formal meeting so early in the hopes that we might address the serious matter at hand as soon as possible," Nayeon explained, looking intently at their expressions one by one until her gaze locked with Momo's. They were the only ones who knew what would be brought up.

Nayeon stood up, trying to be more official in such a serious discussion. But as soon as she stood up, the words she was ready to say vanished. And nothing like this had ever happened before. Nayeon is usually well prepared for these types of meetings, but this time felt different. She seemed to be bothered by something.

Momo, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon exchanged glances, both perplexed by Nayeon's behavior. Jeongyeon cleared loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear in order to get Nayeon's attention. Except that didn't even faze Nayeon.

"Nayeon," Jeongyeon said quietly, her eyebrows strained. "Hey, Nayeon," she had to say again, this time clutching the woman's wrist.

Nayeon gave Jeongyeon a brief glance before returning to her seat. Her breathing seemed heavy for some reason, indicating that something was wrong.

After examining Nayeon for a while, Momo felt it was necessary to ask, "Are you okay?" And before the woman could respond, she spoke again, "You don't look okay, Ms. Lim." The other participants of the gathering concurred silently as they crossed glances.

Nayeon couldn't keep pretending that everything was fine. So, after some consideration, she cast a meaningful glance toward Momo. As a result, the latter lifted both eyebrows in wonder.

Nayeon asked Momo, "Can you take over?" "I've got to go somewhere," she explained.

"But—"

"Momo will continue the discussion on my behalf," Nayeon remarked before Momo could even say a single word. All the other members of the meeting were still surprised for a reason. And this is because Nayeon never allowed anyone else to handle a situation for her, expecting that it would be something crucial. "Please pay attention to her and cooperate throughout the discussion," she continued.

"What's going on?" Jihyo inquired of Jeongyeon, who simply shrugged.

"I apologize for the delay, but I'll make things right another time," Nayeon said flatly as she rose up, pushing the chair back with the back of her knees. "Mo, please," she whispered quietly, gently patting the woman on the shoulder.

 

 

Shirou walked down the streets, carrying a paper bag in one of his arms. He was still thinking about his actions and concluded that Sana was completely right. If he didn't make decisions so quickly, perhaps there wouldn't be a problem like this. But Shirou is aware that he did not make this decision solely for himself. He truly wanted to help Sana and her father.

A voice called out, "Mr. Shirou!" and so he came to an abrupt stop. When he looked in the direction of the voice, his expression changed to one of uneasiness. Shirou considered ignoring the presence, but he couldn't because the person jogged near him.

Nobody can really blame Shirou, Sayuri, or even Sana if they began to despise Nayeon for the sake of their lives. They were all witnesses to Nayeon's father's unempathetic withdrawal of the plea. Even though they know it wasn't Nayeon's fault, they are reminded of the bitter past. And that is the reason why they don't want to bump into this woman in any particular instance.

Nayeon removed her sunglasses and hung them on the collar of her shirt before speaking. "Is Sana here?" she inquired. Shirou's expression almost forced her to move out of the way, but she remained standing. Nayeon is here because she is concerned about Sana, so even if she was asked to leave, she probably wouldn't.

"No, Sana isn't here," Shirou said flatly, about to take a step back when Nayeon spoke once again.

"Something happened last night," Nayeon stated, causing the man to freeze. He was especially curious if Sana had told Nayeon about what had happened. But he was second-guessing himself. Shirou knows how much Sana hates Nayeon, so she would never tell the other woman about this.

"Am I right?" Nayeon's brow furrowed as she observed the man's expression. "Was there a robbery? Did anyone try to hurt you three?" she started asking questions, clearly worried.

"W-what?" Shirou stammered, surprised by the assumptions. He almost believed Nayeon knew something, but now he was certain the young lady's guess was merely a hunch. "Nothing like that happened," Shirou said, his palm catching his forehead.

"So, what happened to your face?" Nayeon asked, still concerned despite the fact that this was clearly not her problem. "Those injuries appear to be new; is somebody threatening your lives or anything?" she continued to ask, leaving Shirou motionless. Nayeon's guess was correct.

"Look, Nayeon," Shirou remarked, derisively dismissing the question. "If you're searching for Sana, she's not here," he said. "You can either wait for her to return, or you can come by another time."

"Can I wait for her now?" Nayeon questioned, even though it should be her decision and there was no need to ask.

"I really wouldn't advise it," Shirou shrugged, feeling obliged to deliver a simple explanation. "Sana comes home pretty late these days, so you'll have to wait for hours," he explained. "Then again, it's up to you."

"I can wait for her," Nayeon said right away. It was as if she hadn't given it any thought. "I'll wait," she confirmed after a few seconds.

Shirou could only respond, "If you insist," before taking a step away. In any case, he was already in front of the house.

"All right," Nayeon muttered as she turned around to follow the man. But as they got to the door, Shirou slammed it close to her face. "Yeah, I'll wait in the car," she said to herself, having no other option but to return to her nearby parked vehicle.