The office lights glimmered against the polished floor as dusk descended over the city. Aoi sat at her desk, fingers poised over the keyboard, trying her best to focus. The documents on her screen blurred together, and her coffee had long gone cold. The only thing that stood clear in her mind was Ren's smile — the one she hadn't seen in person for three days now due to their conflicting schedules.
She missed him.But she was strong. She had to be.Even with the persistent stares, whispered compliments, and... Naruse.
"Still here, Aoi-san?"The smooth voice slid into the quiet like a knife in velvet.
Aoi's fingers froze.
She turned, forcing a polite smile. "Ah, Naruse-san. Just finishing some reports."
Naruse leaned against her desk, too close. He wore his usual confident smirk — the kind of smile that made others swoon, but only made Aoi feel... cornered.
"You always work too hard. You know, I could help you relax... maybe over dinner?" he offered, voice low and rich.
Aoi blinked, maintaining her calm facade. "Thank you, but I already have someone waiting for me."
Naruse chuckled. "Right, that mysterious fiancé of yours. No one's seen him. Some people think you made him up just to push guys away."
Aoi's eyes flashed for a second. "I don't lie. And I don't need to prove anything."
He tilted his head. "But wouldn't it be fun to test how loyal you are?"
Aoi stood abruptly, gathering her files. "I think this conversation is over."
But before she could walk away, Naruse reached out and caught her wrist — not hard, but firm enough to send a chill down her spine.
"Just one kiss," he whispered. "If you're really as in love as you say, one kiss won't change anything, right?"
For a moment, the air froze.Then—
Aoi's eyes darkened. A smile — a dangerously sweet one — curled her lips.
"Touch me again, Naruse-san," she said, voice sweet as honey and sharp as a blade, "and I promise, you'll never be able to use that hand again."
Naruse faltered. He let go, his expression flickering between amusement and unease.
"I see... the ice queen has claws."
Aoi stepped closer, closing the distance on her terms. "I'm not an ice queen," she whispered. "I'm a woman in love. And I would do anything — anything — to protect that love."
As she turned and walked away, her high heels echoed with power.
In her heart, there was only one name — Ren.
But across the room, Naruse watched her go with a new expression.
Intrigue.Challenge.Obsession.
He licked his lips.
"This is going to be... interesting."
The office had mostly emptied for the evening, leaving a heavy quiet in its wake. Rows of desks stood deserted under a dull amber glow. The quiet hum of machines and the distant city lights outside the tall glass windows made the floor feel like its own little world — a lonely one.
Aoi sat alone at her desk, her blazer draped across the back of her chair. The room was warm, but her skin was cold. Her perfectly curled hair had begun to loosen. Her eyes burned from the long day in front of the screen, yet her heart ached for something more pressing than exhaustion.
Ren...She hadn't seen him properly in three days. Their schedules clashed — late meetings, long commutes, piled-up deadlines. She only heard his voice over rushed calls, only read his warmth through the brief "good morning" and "good night" texts they managed to exchange.
She missed him desperately.
She reached out and absentmindedly scrolled her messages. There it was — his photo. A candid one she'd taken back in college while he was scribbling notes, completely absorbed in his thoughts. The corner of her lips twitched into a soft smile, just for a moment.
Only a few more weeks, she told herself. The wedding is over. The new home is ready. We just have to make it through this.
But not everyone made that easy.
Click.Click.
She recognized the sound of his shoes before she saw him.
"Still here, Aoi-san?" Naruse's voice was smooth as always, too practiced — like an actor playing 'concern' as a role.
She didn't look up at first. "Yes. Just wrapping things up."
He walked to her desk and leaned in with that annoyingly familiar smirk. Dressed in his sharp gray suit with the top two buttons of his shirt undone, Naruse knew how to weaponize charm — and he used it carelessly, like a child with fire.
"You've been here late three nights in a row," he said. "People are starting to wonder if you live here."
She smiled thinly. "Work keeps piling up."
"Or maybe you're just avoiding going home?" he added, resting a hand casually on the edge of her desk.
Aoi's fingers stiffened slightly, but she said nothing.
"You know," Naruse continued, voice low, "no one's ever seen your fiancé. Makes a guy wonder if he even exists. Or maybe he's too busy to care?"
That was his mistake.
Aoi raised her eyes. Slowly.
The smile on her lips didn't reach her eyes.
"I don't need to parade my fiancé around for you to believe me."
Naruse chuckled. "You're right. I believe you. But wouldn't it be more fun if you just… forgot about him? Just for one night."
"I don't need fun," she said, standing now. "I need people who respect boundaries."
But before she could walk past him, his hand shot out — fingers brushing her wrist, not aggressively, but intentionally.
He leaned in. "What if one kiss could show you something better? You might be loyal, Aoi-san… but that loyalty's wasted if you're always alone."
For a moment, silence.
And then—
Aoi looked up at him. Her expression shifted. It was no longer neutral. It wasn't angry, either.
It was dangerous.
She stepped closer.
"Do you know what I do when pests don't understand warnings, Naruse-san?" she said, voice sugar-sweet and deceptively calm. "I stop being polite."
Her hand rose slowly — not to strike, but to rest two fingers against his chest. Gently, deliberately. Her nails grazed the expensive fabric.
Then she leaned up to whisper:"Touch me again without permission, and I'll break your fingers. One by one."
Naruse faltered. The fake charm slipped. He took a small step back.
But Aoi wasn't done.
She smiled again. "And if you think my love is weak just because I don't flaunt it, you're wrong. I don't need to show him off to the world. I already own his heart. And he owns mine."
She turned, finally gathering her files.
"This conversation never happened," she said, calm once again. "Try something like that again, and I will report you."
She walked away, her heels clicking like warning bells. But as she reached the elevator, her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.
She was strong. She had to be. But that strength came at a cost.
Where are you, Ren… I need you.
Back at her desk, Naruse rubbed his chest where she had touched him, a shadow flitting across his face.
"That fire," he muttered to himself. "She'll be fun to break."