Room 1205

Episode 13. A Single Photograph

The next morning.

Yeoju opened her eyes to the sound of the alarm.

 

 

A day no different from usual.

I thought it would start like that.

Until I picked up my cell phone.

 

 

Notifications were piling up.

Group chat room, news notifications,

and-

 

 

Private message to a colleague.

📲 “Yeoju… is this perhaps…?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

My heart suddenly started beating slowly.

One link.

The female lead pressed it without thinking.

And it stopped.

 

 

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A blurry photo.

A window seat at the cafe.

Two people sitting opposite each other.

The face was not fully visible.

 

 

but-

It was him, no matter who looked at it.

And, the person sitting in front of it.

Yeoju.

 

 

The hand stopped.

I scrolled down.

The woman in question is presumed to be a specific hotel employee…

According to a witness, the two people

They seemed to be having a natural conversation…

 

 

The female lead turned off the screen.

I had to breathe.

But, it didn't work out well.

 

 

go to work.

Hotel lobby.

It's the exact same space as usual—

The perspective was different.

 

 

Someone was looking at their phone,

Someone glanced at the female lead.

 

 

Ms. Yeoju.

A colleague approached cautiously.

"…are you okay?"

 

 

 

 

The female lead nodded briefly.

"yes."

 

 

“This… isn’t real, right?”

The female lead paused for a moment.

And he said.

“…It is related to work.”

 

 

It was a lie.

 

 

But now

That was the safest thing to say.

 

 

11:00 AM.

Call manager.

Closed office.

The atmosphere suggested the answer was already decided.

 

 

You saw the article, right?

"…yes."

 

 

Can you explain this?

Short question.

But unavoidable.

 

 

The female lead raised her head.

“…It was a personal meeting.”

 

 

silence.

The manager's expression hardened.

 

 

Then you know that's a violation of the regulations, right?

"…yes."

 

 

No private contact with hotel guests.

 

 

The female lead didn't say anything.

 

 

You could face disciplinary action.

 

 

The words fell.

noiselessly.

Certainly.

 

 

Lunchtime.

The female protagonist went up to the rooftop alone.

A place with no people.

I took out my cell phone.

 

 

 

 

A message had arrived from the Federal Reserve.

📲 Did you see the article?

 

 

The female lead just stared for a long time.

While I was debating whether or not to write a reply—

A phone call came.

 

 

Federal Reserve

The female lead closed her eyes for a moment and then

I answered the phone.

 

 

"…yes."

Ms. Yeoju.

His voice was lower than usual.

 

 

"…sorry."

That was the first thing said.

 

 

The female lead didn't say anything.

“I should have been more careful—”

"no."

The female lead interrupted him.

“…I went out too.”

 

 

 

 

A brief silence.

"now-"

The Fed said.

Is it a hotel?

"…yes."

 

 

I'll be going.

Please don't come.

 

 

It came out right away.

Firmly.

The Fed stopped.

"…why."

 

 

The female lead grabbed the railing.

I tightened my grip.

“…It’s getting bigger.”

It's already gotten bigger.

 

 

"still-"

The female lead swallowed her breath.

“…I can handle up to this point.”

 

 

A brief silence.

Then what about me?

The question fell.

Yeoju could not answer.

 

 

-

 

 

With a single photo,

We can no longer hide.

 

 

And for the first time—

Not ‘us’,

The moment has come for each of us to handle it.

 

 

To be continued in the next episode >>>