When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

Chapter 33

The rooftop was quiet, except for the faint rustling of the wind. I leaned against the railing, my fingers gripping the cool metal as my thoughts swirled like a storm. 

Why did Han-Wool ignore me? 

Was he regretting everything from last night? 

Did I push him too far? 

I bit my lip, shaking my head as if I could physically dispel the thoughts. Maybe I was overthinking. Maybe he was just— 

Footsteps. 

I stiffened. 

Someone was behind me. 

Slowly, I turned around, my heart lurching in my chest when I saw him. 

Han-Wool. 

He stopped a few feet away, hands shoved into his pockets, his expression unreadable. 

For a moment, neither of us spoke. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You ignored me." My voice was quieter than I intended, but it carried enough weight. 

His gaze flickered, avoiding mine. "Yeah." 

That one word stung more than it should have. 

I clenched my fingers around the railing. "Why?" 

He exhaled through his nose, tilting his head slightly before finally meeting my eyes. "You can’t smile at me. You can’t talk to me in front of Min-Hwan." 

I blinked. "What?" 

His jaw tightened. "Min-Hwan is a snake." 

I frowned, confusion mixing with the dull ache in my chest. "Min-Hwan? He’s your friend, isn’t he?" 

Han-Wool let out a dry chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "Yes, but no. He works for my father." 

The air suddenly felt heavier. 

"He reports everything back to him. If my father even suspects something, he’ll use it against me." His voice was low, almost bitter. 

I stared at him, processing his words. "But... why would your father—" 

"Because he likes control and this is for your own good," Han-Wool interrupted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Min-Hwan is just another one of his puppets. And if he thinks you’re close to me, he’ll find a way to make it a problem." 

The weight of his words settled deep in my chest. 

"So..." I hesitated. "You’re saying I can’t even look at you in front of him?" 

"Exactly." 

It felt unfair. Like I had done something wrong, even though I hadn’t. 

I nodded, slowly accepting what he wants.

"Okay".

For a moment, it was silence.

Then I decided to speak.

"So last night..." I trailed off, watching his reaction carefully. 

Han-Wool’s eyes darkened slightly. "Last night has nothing to do with this." 

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Then why did you leave?" 

His posture stiffened. "Because you were drunk." 

"I wasn’t that drunk—" 

"You were," he cut in, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. "I didn’t want you to wake up and think I took advantage of you."