When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 16

And lifts me into his arms.

Princess style.

I gasp. "WHAT THE—"

Han Wool doesn’t even look at me.

He just keeps walking.

Through the water.

With me in his arms.

I blink. Hard.

My heart is going crazy.

"You—" My voice stutters. "Put me down."

"No."

I scowl at him. "Han Wool, I—"

“Do you want to fall and drown?” he cuts me off, tone dry.

“…It’s knee-deep water.”

“Do you want to get wet?”

I clamp my mouth shut.

Han Wool keeps walking, eyes fixed on his path, his arms completely steady under me.

I stare at his face.

For the first time since seeing him again, I realize just how much he’s changed.

His features are sharper now. More refined. The softness of youth has given way to something... more.

And yet—

Something about this moment feels painfully familiar.

Like I’ve been here before.

Like we’ve been here before.

But Han Wool—

He just keeps walking, completely unaware of the way my heart is racing.

Completely unaware of how, despite everything—

Despite all the fighting, all the ridiculous enemy energy between us—

Right now, in this moment—

I don’t hate it.

The moment his feet touch solid ground, Han Wool shifts me in his arms and—without a word—sets me down.

I step back, adjusting my footing, my heart still an unsteady rhythm in my chest.

He exhales, hands on his hips, eyes scanning the other side of the lake. “So,” he mutters, voice laced with exhaustion, “are we done? Can I go home now?”

I swallow. “Do you… remember anything now?”

He closes his eyes briefly, as if willing himself to stay patient. Then he sighs and shakes his head.

Nothing.

I bite my lip, refusing to let the disappointment show. “Try looking around. Just for a second. Maybe something will come back to you.”

Han Wool lets out a humorless laugh, running a hand through his damp hair. “Ye Na…” He finally turns to face me, looking—genuinely—exhausted. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove.”

My fingers curl into fists.

“I’ve never been here before,” he continues, gesturing around him. “I don’t know this place. No matter how much you want me to, I just don’t.”

His words sting, but I force myself to hold my ground.

“Why are you doing this?” he asks. His voice isn’t mocking or sharp this time. It’s tired. “What do you want from me?”