I didn't answer the call again after that.

Not because I was scared.

At least, that's what I told myself.

I was just tired.

Tired of glitches.

Tired of weird coincidences.

Tired of feeling like something invisible had quietly started rearranging my life while I wasn't looking.

So I ignored the unknown numbers.

Deleted the emails from MUSE Entertainment without opening them.

And most importantly—

I stopped watching anything related to Kim Taehyung completely.

Clips,

livestreams....

Everything.

If this whole thing was somehow connected to him, then fine.

Distance solved problems.

Right?

Well...

It didn't.

Three days later, my keycard stopped working.

I stood outside the office entrance, repeatedly tapping the card against the scanner while people walked past me awkwardly.

Red light.

Again.

Red light.

Again.

I let out a frustrated breath.

"Seriously?"

A security guard finally walked over.

"Can I see your ID?"

I handed it over immediately.

He frowned at the screen.

"That's strange."

"What?"

"It says your access was revoked yesterday."

My expression went blank.

"...what?"

"That shouldn't happen unless HR approved it."

Cold crept slowly down my spine.

"No one told me anything."

The guard looked uncomfortable now.

"Maybe go upstairs and ask?"

I did.

And somehow, that was worse.

Because nobody looked surprised to see me.

Not my coworkers.

Not my team leader.

Not even HR.

It was like they'd already discussed this before I arrived.

"We were planning to contact you this morning."

The HR manager folded her hands neatly on the desk.

My chest tightened immediately.

"There's been another issue."

Of course there had.

A blurry screenshot appeared on the monitor beside her.

An email.

Sent from my account.

To a client.

My stomach dropped.

Because I had never seen that email before in my life.

"That's not mine."

"The timestamp says otherwise."

"It was edited."

"Can you prove that?"

Silence.

I hated silence now.

Every version of it.

"We tried to give you time," she continued gently. "But things have become increasingly unstable."

Unstable.

The word echoed strangely in my head.

Like it meant more than my job.

"We think it would be best if you resigned voluntarily."

I stared at her.

For a second, I genuinely couldn't process the sentence.

Then suddenly—

everything clicked into place all at once.

The glitches.

The files.

The phone calls.

Kim Taehyung's warnings.

My hands went cold.

No.

No, this wasn't happening.

I stood up too quickly, nearly hitting the chair behind me.

"This is insane."

The HR manager looked startled.

"I understand you're upset—"

"No, you don't."

Because none of them understood.

None of them could see it.

Something was happening.

Something is wrong.

And somehow I was trapped in the middle of it.

I left the building fifteen minutes later carrying the same cardboard box I used to joke about with Minji.

How ironic.

The elevator doors closed slowly in front of me.

And for the first time in days—

my phone stayed silent.

The silence should've felt comforting.

Instead—

it felt expectant.

Like something waiting patiently for me to give up.

The elevator dinged softly.

Doors opening.

Ground floor.

I stepped out slowly—

then stopped.

Someone was standing in the lobby.

Black mask.

Black hoodie.

Head lowered slightly while staff hurried nervously around him.

At first, I almost walked past.

Then he looked up.

And my heart nearly stopped.

Because even hidden behind a mask,

I recognized him immediately.

Kim Taehyung.

....

My breathing turned uneven instantly.

This wasn't possible.

Why would someone like him be here?

The lobby suddenly felt too small.

Too bright.

Too real.

For one long second, neither of us moved.

Then,

very slightly...

his eyes softened.

Like he finally found something he'd been searching for.

Or someone.

And quietly,

so quietly I almost thought I imagined it,

he said:

"...I told you not to ignore me."

------------------------------AUTHOR'S NOTE😉----------------------------------

Hi guys!!💖I'm back with the next chapter, and with this little appearance in the Author's note today, I'm gonna clarify this chapter's title for y'all (for those who haven't understood it yet ^0^).

Error 403 basically means the server received your request — but refused to give you access.

So unlike 404 where something is missing, 403 feels more like:

"you're not supposed to be here." 

That's all! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In the end, thank you so much for being so supportive. I really love reading your comments, so pls feel free to leave as many as you want!! Seeing your reactions and emotions throughout the story is honestly one of my favorite things ever. 🤗 (And pleasee~~🙏 leave some theories too!! Can you guess what will happen next?? 🙈)

I'm so grateful for your patience and support!

Love youuu~!😘

(Oops, nearly forgot! 😅 One more thing I wanted to ask y'all is abt the OFC's name. Do you want me to give her a specific name, use Y/N, or just leave her unnamed? If you want her to have a name, pls let me know your fav name in the comment box! Now byee~ see you in the next chapter~! 💖)