When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 1

I was just Ye Na.
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The night air was cool against my flushed skin as we finally decided to leave the beach. After hours of dancing, laughing, and enjoying the moment, exhaustion settled over most of us—except me.

"How are you still standing?" Ha-ya groaned, dragging her feet through the sand as we walked toward the parking lot.

"Yeah," Woo Joon muttered, stretching his arms above his head. "It’s like you have unlimited battery life. What are you made of?"

"Discipline," I teased, smirking.

Seok Kyung let out a tired sigh. "Must be nice. Meanwhile, my entire body is screaming at me for making it dance that long."

"That’s because you have the stamina of a seventy-year-old," Ha-ya shot back, making us all laugh.

"Rude," Seok Kyung pouted before turning to me. "Seriously though, Ye Na, how are you not even slightly tired?"

I shrugged. "I run on minimal sleep and maximum willpower. Residency training does that to you."

"Ugh," Ha-ya shivered. "Glad I didn’t choose to be a doctor. I like my sleep too much."

We continued walking, their conversation blending into the background as I listened absentmindedly, smiling at their usual antics. The parking lot was full of expensive cars, sleek and polished under the dim streetlights. The sea breeze carried the faint sound of music still playing from the party behind us.

Then, a low hum of an approaching engine made my ears perk up.

A car—a ridiculously expensive one—drove past. It was the kind of luxury that only the absurdly wealthy could afford, sleek and shining under the night sky. Maybe a Rolls-Royce, or a limited-edition Bentley—something so unattainable that even seeing it up close felt like a rare occurrence.

The front window was rolled down.

And then—

A head leaned out.

My breath caught in my throat.

Han Wool.

His dark hair was slightly tousled, the soft glow of the streetlights casting shadows on his sharp features. He looked different, lot much younger, yet somehow diffently a little older. 

For a moment, time stopped.

Then, he smirked slightly, eyes locking onto mine.

"I'm gonna go if you won't come," he called out, voice light, teasing—like this was just another normal night.

I couldn't move.

The world around me blurred as I stared at him, trying to process what was happening. Was this real? Was I hallucinating? My heart slammed against my ribs, my stomach twisting into tight knots.

Before I could even react, someone behind me sprinted forward. A guy—someone I hadn’t noticed before—ran past me and jumped into the same car, talking animatedly with Han Wool.

The door shut. The car moved.

My body reacted before my mind did.

I ran.

I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what I was expecting. But my feet moved instinctively, pushing forward as my heart pounded in my ears.

The car picked up speed. The wind rushed against my face. I pushed harder, my breath ragged, my legs burning as I tried to catch up.

But it was too late.

The taillights disappeared into the distance, swallowed by the city lights.

I stood there, breathless, staring at the empty road. My chest heaved, my pulse racing.

Han Wool.

After seven years.

He had been right in front of me. And then—gone.

"Ye Na!"

The sound of my friends’ voices snapped me out of my daze. I turned, still panting, as they ran up to me, concern written all over their faces.

"Why did you suddenly run?" Ha-ya asked, brows furrowed.

"Yeah," Woo Joon added, catching his breath. "What happened?"

I swallowed, forcing my breathing to steady. The last thing I wanted was to say something ridiculous, something impossible.

"Nothing," I muttered, shaking my head. "I must have been mistaken."

But as I stared at the empty road ahead, my heart whispered otherwise.