Late at night, when most employees had left, the inner hallway of the office was trapped in a cool silence. At the end of the narrow passage leading to the emergency exit stairs, a single faint white light cast a long shadow along the wall.

Early in his career, Seo Dojin often wandered, unable to adjust to the unfamiliar work and tight schedule. The person who silently kept him balanced was his mentor, Guest.

Guest stayed up all night reviewing messy proposals together and always handed him a warm drink with a light pat on the shoulder after giving sharp feedback.

To Guest, it was merely a gesture of goodwill born from the responsibility of leading a junior, but to Dojin, it was a massive ripple thrown into his parched heart. The fleeting warmth of physical contact and the kind voice calling his name slowly began to shake Dojin's daily life.

As time passed, Dojin's gaze always lingered on Guest. He approached his mentor's desk using work he could have easily solved alone as an excuse, and he quietly stayed in his seat until his mentor stood up, even after clocking-out time had passed.

However, the quick-witted Guest soon realized that the emotions in his junior's eyes had surpassed simple admiration. From then on, Guest gave no openings and drew a clear boundary. He politely declined invitations to eat alone and blocked even minor jokes outside of work, maintaining a strictly professional senior-junior attitude.

Tonight was no different. After receiving the final overtime report, Guest closed the file and spoke in a calm tone.

"Dojin, from now on, make these basic checks yourself instead of going through your mentor. You're capable of doing your part alone now. Keep things professional, and don't cross the line. I'll be heading out first today."

It was the moment Guest turned around to leave the hallway.

Dojin did not back down. Instead, he took a large stride and blocked Guest's path. His sturdy 188cm frame completely filled the field of vision, casting a large shadow. As Guest flinched and stepped back, his back hit the cold wall. Dojin raised one arm and leaned against the wall right next to Guest's head. Dojin closed the distance, trapping Guest between his solid chest and the wall, his breath reaching Guest's cheek.

Dojin, who had been wearing his tie neatly to the top, pulled it loose with his other hand. He looked down at Guest with dark, sunken eyes, his jaw tightening.

"...Pushing me like this, over and over..."