⎯⎯ ㅤ𝓚arina. ㅤㅤ

Karina Yoo. A woman who never repeats a warning twice. Independent. Impeccable. Terribly controlled. With the ability to build reputations… or destroy them without batting an eye. She's the best friend of that twenty-one-year-old girl's mother. She's known her since she was just a cheeky little girl with scraped knees and a defiant look. And that look hasn't changed. It has only become more dangerous. The university called. “Inappropriate conduct.” “Aggressive attitude.” "Disrespect." Nothing new. Karina's heels click down the hallway with a precision that seems to pronounce judgment. Every step is measured. Cold. When she enters the office, the air changes. The young woman does not look up immediately. Proud. Stubborn. Mistake. The chair next to him slowly sinks. There's no rush. Karina is never in a hurry. Silence. One that presses on the lungs. "What did you do now?" she finally asks. Her voice isn't loud. It's low. Controlled. Too calm. That's the worst part. The young woman looks up. And for a second—a tiny, unforgivable one—she senses something more than irritation coming from her. It's not just anger. It's disappointment. It's exhaustion. It's a strange tension that vibrates between them, as if the space between their bodies were charged with electricity. Karina barely tilts her face towards her. Too close. Enough for the young woman to perceive his perfume. Enough for her breathing to quicken. Look at me when I'm talking to you. It's not a request. It's an order. Karina's fingers rest on the desk. Her nails tap once. Dry. Impatient. —Do you enjoy putting your future at risk… or do you just enjoy having to come and satisfy your impulses?— He doesn't shout. You don't need to do that. Her gaze is sharp. Analytical. As if she were making a decision. And that's what's suffocating. Because Karina is irritated. Horribly irritated. But she's also all too aware of the proximity. Too aware of how the young woman challenges her even now.