Chapter 8: The Stopwatch

Ko Tae-min had been in love with Ha Seo-won for four years, and he knew when something was wrong.

He had known since the phone call on Friday morning, when a cold man had called him and said nothing for a long while.

He had known on Saturday, when the same man laughed at a leaf.

He had known last Monday, when a mask went over Seo-won's face.

Seo-won had looked up at him.

Tae-min did not ask.

He was good at not asking.

He had spent four years learning it.

On Tuesday, his day off, Ga-ram called him at seven in the morning.

"Hyung, don't be mad. Seo-won got locked out of the tower yesterday. His badge is dead. Pyo says it's a security update."

"A security update."

"He's been sitting at home with the lights off. I texted him seven times." Ga-ram's voice dropped.

"Hyung, what's going on with you two? He stood up in front of the whole company and said he made a mistake."

"He's never said that in his life."

Tae-min sat on the edge of his bed in the small apartment above the noodle shop, the watch from Cheongdam gleaming on the dresser.

"I don't know," he said. "But I'm going to find out."

"What are you going to do?"

"Can you get me into the tower?"

Ga-ram was silent.

"I'll lose my seat," he said at last.

"I know."

"I want that seat so bad, hyung."

"I know."

Another long silence.

"Meet me at the east lobby," Ga-ram said. "Wear something that doesn't say fireman."

The Daon Tower stood over Sangam.

Thirty-eight floors of glass, still smelling of paint.

Ga-ram swiped him through a side door in a plain gray jacket and a visitor lanyard.

"Stair B is through there. Fifteen minutes. Then you never saw me."

"Thanks."

"Don't be nice to me. I'm terrified."

The stair was cold and clean, and the paint on the handrail was still tacky.

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