"Minho?"
His name cracks out of my throat like it hurts to say.
My hands shake as I replay the exhibition clip on my phone. The video buffer loads, the screen glowing in the dim backstage lighting.
Baek Sujin steps forward on a pristine white stage.Her dress sparkles. The rotating model car gleams beside her. The golden sponsor logo flashes: NOVA Creative.
My heart twists. That's his company.
I have been working on this design for months. How did she get my design before the competition entry.
No, no, this must be edited. A coincidence. Something, anything else. Because why would he do this to me—
The backstage door SLAMS open.
Park Gyeom, my boss, storms inside like he's been running through a fire. He is breathless, hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His phone vibrates nonstop in his hand, incoming calls, messages, a storm of notifications flashing across as he tries to turn the phone off.
"HAN HARIN!"
He doesn't give me time to speak. His fingers clamp around my arm.
"Sir, wait, listen to me—"
He doesn't. "Do you have any idea what you've done to us?"
"I don't know what happened—"
"Save it," he snaps, dragging me down the hallway. "Rank Enterprise is finished. Investors are pulling out. They're saying we're frauds, because of YOU!"
My feet struggle to keep up. "But it's my design! I swear I didn't—"
"Shut up!" His voice echoes against the corridor walls. "You think anyone will believe a nobody like you over an heiress who supposedly studied abroad? Are you insane?"
We reach the double doors leading back to the auditorium.
I dig my heels in. "Sir, please, don't take me out there, please, let me explain"
He doesn't even look at me.He yanks the doors open.
Light explodes across my vision as he drags me towards the stage. My heels scrape against the carpet as murmurs follow us.
I sense a thousand hungry eyes burn into my skin.
Park Gyeom pushes me forward. I hit the floor on my knees, palms burning against the stage surface.
He grabs the microphone.
"My name is Park Gyeom, CEO of Rank Enterprise." His voice is calm now, terrifyingly calm. "We sincerely apologize for this… misunderstanding. We were unaware that one of our designers had plagiarized another's work."
My stomach flips.
"No," I whisper, raising myself halfway. "That's not true"
Flashes explode. Reporters surge closer.
He speaks louder."Effective immediately, Han Harin is terminated. Rank Enterprise will not tolerate theft, dishonesty, or fraud."
I grab his pant leg without thinking. "Sir, please, I didn't do anything, please just listen to me. If we investigate this, we will find out the truth"
He bends down slightly, his voice dropping to a hiss only I can hear."You've ruined everything. One scandal and we're ruined. I will not have this company die because of YOU. Do you understand?"
Then he jerks his leg away so fast I fall back onto the stage.
Cameras surge closer. Reporters raise their microphones, voices sharp as knives. Each flash blinds. Each voice cuts.
"Harin, did you think you could get away with this?""She looks innocent but she's shameless!""Pretty girls always think they can get away with anything!"
Park Gyeom drops the mic, feedback screaming through the speakers. "Rank Enterprise has no affiliation with Miss Harin. We will not entertain questions. We are removing ourselves from this mess."
He walks off the stage. Just like that.
Leaving me kneeling there while the room erupts in murmurs and disgust; as bottles and folded programs thud against the me.
"Fraud."
"Thief."
"Embarrassment."
I don't cry. I just stand. Slowly.
The noise fades into something dull. I push through the crowd. Reporters shove microphones at me. Someone grabs my sleeve. Someone else tries to pull my hair. The smell of sweat and disgrace fills my nose.
Outside, the air is cold enough to hurt. I don't know how long I walk., leaving the people still filming and making it onto the pavement.
The crowd noise fades behind me.The street sounds swell, engines, horns, wind. I raise a hand weakly at the first taxi I see.
The driver notices and pulls over, tires hissing against the curb.
I open the door and sink into the back seat, my body folding in on itself. The warmth of the car wraps around me, suffocating and safe all at once.
The driver glances at me through the inside mirror. "Where to, miss?"
I need answers. Even if they destroy me.
"…NOVA Creative."