The coldness of Room 8 always made Yuna uneasy.
The room had been cleaned out days ago—no blood, no documents, no signs of the Black Fang insignia. Just dull concrete walls, a creaky ceiling fan, and the musty scent of age clinging to the air.
Yuna stood quietly beside Joon, both of them scanning old case files they'd brought with them. The dim tube light above buzzed faintly, flickering now and then.
She told herself it was just her nerves.
But something felt… off.
Her back stiffened.
A chill crawled down her neck—not from the room's temperature, but from an invisible pressure. That strange, unmistakable feeling.
She was being watched.
Her eyes shifted slowly across the room. At first, she couldn't see anything unusual. The desk in the corner. The utility shelves. The ceiling fan with one bent blade.
But then her gaze paused.
Top corner of the wall. Near the rusted pipeline.
There was a faint glint—barely visible to the naked eye. Something tiny. Round. Black.
Before her mind could even fully register it, the hairs on her arms stood up.
She didn't know what it was yet—but she knew exactly where it was coming from.
Her chest tightened.
She turned to Joon.
"Sir... can we step outside for a moment?"
He looked at her, slightly puzzled, but nodded.
"Alright."
Once they were in the corridor, Yuna exhaled sharply.
"I—I don't think we were alone in there."
Joon's brows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
She pointed back toward the sealed door.
"There's something in the upper corner. Near the pipe. I didn't notice it at first. But I think... I think it's a camera."
Joon's face darkened.
"In a restricted archive room?" His jaw clenched. "Unauthorized surveillance?"
Yuna nodded, voice steady.
"It felt like someone was watching us."
Joon took out his phone.
"I'm getting cyber division here. Right now."
It was lunchtime.
As usual, Yuna hadn't packed anything. Her stomach grumbled slightly as she walked out of her department building and toward the nearby CU store. The spring sun lit up the pavement, and a light breeze tugged at her coat.
She entered the convenience store, the door chime ringing softly overhead.
Inside, the familiar cool air welcomed her. She grabbed two instant ramen bowls, a protein bar, and her favorite salted peanuts—her usual combo when she skipped lunch prep.
As she turned into the aisle to grab some chopsticks, she paused.
Standing in front of the snack shelf, looking just as surprised to see her, was Mr. Han.
"Ah…"
he chuckled awkwardly, one hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. In his other hand, he held a small basket—with two ramen bowls and… a candy wrapped like a heart.
Yuna raised an eyebrow.
"Good afternoon, sir,"
she said politely, though her tone had a hint of curiosity.
"Good afternoon, Yuna,"
he replied, clearing his throat as if trying to sound casual.
Her gaze dropped to the candy in his basket again.
"Heart-shaped?" she asked, smirking slightly.
"Did someone come with you?"
Mr. Han let out a nervous laugh.
"Haha... no, no. It's just me."
"Really?"
Yuna leaned in with a teasing look.
"Are you sure, sir?"
"Ha... ha... no—not at all—I mean yes—I'm alone!"
he fumbled through his words, clearly flustered.
Yuna gave him a suspicious squint.
"Huh. Really?"
He put a finger to his lips.
"Shhh!" he whispered, glancing around.
Then, in a conspiratorial tone, he bent slightly toward her and said,
"Okay fine. I'm alone. But I'm going to surprise your department head."
Her eyes widened a little.
"Ohhh~" she hummed teasingly.
Mr. Han straightened up, a mock-serious expression on his face.
"And you—don't tell anyone, okay?"
Yuna giggled.
"Of course, I promise I won't, sir."
At the sound of her laugh, something in Mr. Han's face softened. He gently patted her head.
"It'll be hard in the beginning… but don't give up, Yuna. You're doing great. Keep going like this."
Her smile faltered for a moment at the unexpected warmth of his words—but she nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Han."
With that, he headed toward the cashier, still holding the candy close like it was a treasured secret.
Back at the headquarters, Joon sat in his office, going through the files Yuna had compiled—particularly the surveillance report from Room 8 in the basement.
The air felt thick.
Even though he was alone in the room, something about the footage Yuna mentioned made his gut twist. He looked at the screen again. The timestamp. The blinking red dot.
Someone had been watching.
There was no footage saved—just a glitch at that exact moment. And that only made his suspicions grow deeper.
"Who the hell's behind this…"
he muttered under his breath.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his office door. He didn't respond immediately.
The door creaked open anyway, and in walked Haewon, holding a tablet.
"Update on the internal staff list and cross-checking with security logs,"
she said, placing the device on his desk.
Joon took it with a nod, his eyes scanning the list.
"Thanks," he said.
"Also," Haewon added, a sly smile appearing,
"I heard someone from homicide bought heart-shaped candy from the CU store."
He glanced up.
"...Mr. Han?"
Haewon shrugged, clearly amused. "He's trying."
Joon exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his chair.
"That's between them. I'm more interested in who was in that basement when Yuna went in."
Haewon's smile faded.
"I've already asked cyber to look into hidden data that might've been wiped. But it'll take time."
Joon nodded again, staring out the window, clearly thinking about more than just the case.
"You trust her now?"
Haewon asked, already knowing the answer.
There was a pause.
"...I do."
"Then you better make sure no one tries to break her from the inside," she said before turning to leave.
The door closed behind her.
Joon looked at the screen again. And this time, his eyes were colder.
Yuna finally reached the headquarters, her steps a little quicker now that the warmth of her lunch bag was starting to seep through the paper. She made her way straight to the cafeteria, avoiding eye contact with anyone passing by.
She placed the CU store bag on a table in the far corner, her usual spot—quiet, sunlit, tucked away from the eyes of the busier officers.
Pulling out her only one ramen cup saving the other one from the night, a packet of salted peanuts, and the protein bar, she carried just the ramen to the hot water section. She ripped the lid open, added the seasoning and sauce, and stirred the mix thoroughly before microwaving it with practiced ease.
A few minutes later, she returned to her table with the steaming ramen and began to eat, slurping quietly. Her eyes half-lidded in satisfaction at the first taste. She opened one of her peanut packets and tossed a few into her mouth between bites.
There was a strange calm to this moment.
Then, just a few meters away, a figure walked down the corridor outside the cafeteria — Joon.
He wasn't looking for her, but his steps slowed when he caught a familiar silhouette through the cafeteria's glass partition.
She was sitting in the corner seat, sunlight cascading through the large glass wall behind her. The golden afternoon light fell over her hair — strands of soft chestnut brown glinting under the sun — pulled up messily in a bun that let her eat without fuss. Her hazel eyes, clear and focused, followed the rhythm of the meal in front of her.
There was something quiet and unguarded about her in that moment.
Joon stood there for a second longer than he meant to, watching in silence. No stone-faced expression, no suspicion — just… watching.
Someone walking past nodded at him, breaking his trance.
He turned and walked away again without a word.
But the image lingered in his mind.
Yuna exited the cafeteria with her empty ramen cup and snack wrappers in one hand, tossing them into the bin near the corridor.
She adjusted the sleeves of her shirt and fixed her skirt and walked back toward her department. The hall was calm, filled with soft footsteps and occasional murmurs from officers passing by.
As she turned the corner toward her office, she nearly bumped into Joon — who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"O-oh," she blinked, startled.
Joon, calm as always, took a small step back.
"You walk fast," he said dryly, but his tone lacked the sharp edge it usually carried.
Yuna gave a nervous laugh.
"I—I was just heading back."
His eyes briefly scanned her face, then he nodded and stepped aside, letting her pass first.
"Did you eat?" she asked suddenly, unsure why.
He paused for a beat. "I will."
A short silence lingered between them — not awkward, but unfamiliar.
Yuna nodded slowly.
"You should. You'll end up getting gastritis if you keep skipping."
Joon raised an eyebrow at that, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Didn't expect a medical lecture from someone who had instant noodles and peanuts for lunch."
Yuna flushed slightly.
"Touché."
For a second, the atmosphere lightened. Joon walked beside her now, hands tucked in his pockets. The clicking of their footsteps echoed softly in the hallway.
"You've adjusted quickly," he said after a pause.
Yuna looked up at him.
"To what?"
"To... all of this."
She smiled faintly, her voice quieter this time.
"Not really. I'm just pretending I have."
Joon glanced at her, not saying anything. But something in his gaze softened — like he understood, more than he let on.
They reached the door of her department. Yuna placed her hand on the handle but turned slightly toward him.
"By the way... thank you," she said.
"For?"
"For listening yesterday. And for not brushing it off."
Joon gave a subtle nod.
"That's my job."
She chuckled softly. "Still."
With that, she stepped inside, leaving Joon standing there in the corridor for a moment longer — watching the door slowly swing shut behind her.
[ End of chapter 8 ]