When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

chapter 6

The sky had deepened into a rich shade of blue by the time I stepped outside. The air carried a slight chill, the kind that made most people hurry home-but I wasn't in a rush.

The weight of what had just happened pressed at the edges of my mind, but I shoved it down. I didn't want to think about Han Ul, the basement, or the look in his eyes when he smiled.

I walked home alone, my footsteps light against the pavement. The streets were mostly empty.

By the time I reached my apartment, exhaustion had settled deep in my bones. I unlocked the door, stepped inside, and shut the world out behind me.

Dropping my bag near the couch, I headed straight to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. The silence here was different from the silence at school-it wasn't suffocating.

It wasn't heavy with expectation.
It was just... empty.

I leaned against the counter, staring at the faint reflection of the overhead light in my glass.

I was lucky to live in a penthouse. But honestly, I preferred an apartment-quiet, calm, free from disturbances.

This penthouse was just for show. The people who owned it had no conscience. Greedy for wealth, even when they had more than enough. I had seen my father punish the poor and destroy their land. Sometimes, they would come here, standing outside, begging him to spare them. But most of the time, I was the one who heard their pleas more than he did.

I had been a child then. I couldn't do anything.

I was lost in thought when I heard giggling from upstairs.

Beak Harin.

I ignored it. I should.

But then, a male voice.
Or... was I imagining it?

Mom and Dad weren't home-I hadn't seen their shoes at the entrance.

Then who?
Did Beak Harin bring someone here?

I wasn't going to follow my curiosity. I had already failed to control it at the right time today. And yesterday.

I turned toward my room. But just then, she appeared at the top of the stairs, giggling and squealing in delight.

She wasn't alone.

Someone was carrying her in his arms.

And it was none other than my former teacher from Daehwa High School.

What?

Was this... a teacher-student relationship?

They hadn't seen me.

I reacted before I could think, slipping out of sight.

If I could get away unseen, that was for the best.

If she caught me witnessing this, she'd make my life even more of a hell than it already was.

I crouched down under the counter, pressing myself into the shadows.

I needed to stay hidden.

"You know what? I already told them to give you the top score, so don't worry," Mr. Jin said.

I knew it. But I didn't want to hear this conversation. Just leave already.

"Oppa, without you, I would never be able to survive."

That's so cringe.

You wouldn't survive alone anyway. You always depend on others. You're powerless.