It felt like she had been sorting out her thoughts in the car for a long time. By the time Heeju arrived home, the sun was already sinking low on the horizon.

She had spent the entire day scouring fish markets and aquarium shops, tirelessly searching without noticing the passage of time. Only after turning off the car’s engine did she realize she’d had her phone off the whole day.

“Oh…!”

She hurriedly turned on her phone and stepped out of the car. At the same time, a forceful grip yanked her around. Covered in sweat despite the chilly weather, Baek Saeon stood before her, his face pale and drawn.

“You… this whole time… phone off?”

His hands trembled.

“Where have you been, doing what?”