When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 21

The car ride is heavy with silence.

Neither of us speaks. Not a word.

The only sound filling the space is IU’s voice, soft and melancholic, playing through the speakers. I recognize the song—it’s one of those heart-wrenching ones, the kind that makes you feel something deep in your chest, even if you don’t want to.

I don’t know if he put it on purposefully, or if it was just next on his playlist, but either way, it fits. Too well.

I stare out the window, my fingers clenched in my lap, my breathing still uneven.

Han Wool keeps his eyes on the road, one hand gripping the steering wheel, the other resting near the gear shift. His expression is unreadable, but his grip on the wheel tightens slightly every time I sniffle.

I hate that I’m crying.

I hate that I can’t stop.

I bite my lip, trying to keep quiet, but the occasional sniff still slips out. He doesn’t say anything about it. He doesn’t even glance at me.

But he hears it.

He hears everything.

The drive feels longer than it should.

Or maybe it’s just that the weight in my chest is making time stretch unbearably slow.

And then, finally—the car pulls up in front of my house.

The moment he shifts into park, I unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for the door, desperate to escape before my emotions swallow me whole.

But as I step out—

I see her.

Harin.

She’s standing just outside the house, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes immediately locking onto me.

Her brows furrow slightly as she takes in the scene—me stepping out of Han Wool’s car, my face undoubtedly still blotchy from crying.

I inhale sharply, steadying myself. I can already feel the questions forming in her head, the assumptions, the suspicion.

I start walking, keeping my steps measured, keeping my expression neutral.

And then—

“Ye Na.”

His voice.

I stop.

Turn back.

Han Wool is still in the driver’s seat, his window now rolled down. He holds something out toward me.

My phone.

“You forgot this,” he says simply.

I blink, stepping closer to take it from him. My fingers brush against his lightly as I grab the device, and for a brief second, my heart stutters at the contact.

Harin’s eyes dart between us.

I see the way her grip on her necklace tightens slightly.

I see the way her lips press together before curving into something that vaguely resembles a smile.

“So…” she starts, her voice careful, measured. “How did you two end up running into each other?”

I open my mouth, but before I can say anything—

“I ran into her in front of the hospital,” Han Wool says smoothly, his tone indifferent. “So I took her home.”

“Oh, I see.”