The room went a little quieter.
Not silent. Just the particular kind of attentive quiet that meant everyone in it understood this was the real question. The photograph was the setup. This was what they actually came for.
Haejin looked at her.
He didn't rush it.
"We left together," he said. "Yes."
One beat.
"Suddenly?" He tilted his head slightly, like he was genuinely considering the word. "We decided we wanted to leave. So we left." The corner of his mouth moved just slightly. "I'm not sure what else there is to say about that."
The journalist opened her mouth for a follow-up.
Manager Park stepped in smoothly from the side, calling the next question before she could get there.
★☆★☆★☆
Doyun made a sound beside her.
She looked at him.
His face was doing several things at once, none of them fully formed, like he'd started four different reactions and couldn't commit to one.
"Did you see that," he said.
"We all saw it," Daehyun said, not looking up from his coffee.
