He stared at me. Calm. Almost affectionate.
“He's very good at appearing righteous. It’s one of his strengths.”
My fingers flexed once at my side. I could be loud. I could confirm Soo-jin's accusation. Show them a volatile Griffin Hale, proving the point in real time.
I held back. Breathed.
“Who has observed this?” Kang asked.
Soo-jin glanced toward the door.
The sound of hesitant footsteps. People who didn’t want to be here but couldn’t refuse.
Two people entered. One was a security contractor I'd seen during load-in, mid-thirties, shaved head.. Behind him, a tour assistant who frequently trailed at Soo-jin's shoulder.
Nervous.
The contractor cleared his throat. “Chief Kang. I observed Mr. Hale deviating from the assigned protocol.”
“Specify,” Kang said.
“Physical contact with Rune outside standard protective necessity.” He lifted his phone. “I documented two incidents:one during an airport arrival and the other in a hotel corridor. Prolonged contact. The idol responded by seeking proximity.”
It was a story phrased to sound true.
The tour assistant spoke next in a soft voice. “I was asked to document concerning behavior patterns. Mr. Hale has been overly invested in one idol, prioritizing him over group safety.”
Overly invested.
I watched Kang.
I didn't panic.
Soo-jin nodded toward the monitors.
A venue supervisor tapped keys. A security log filled a screen, with timestamps, access entries, and routing approvals. Black and white evidence.
“If we’re discussing access manipulation,” Soo-jin said gently, “we should examine the data.”
I leaned forward. There was a routing override markedApproved by: Consultant Specialist, my title. A corridor access request tied to my clearance code.
The evidence was elegant and devastating.
Someone had built a version of the night where I was a problem and the system was only responding. It was the same shape as Redwater.
Same system of blame.
They’d built a version where caring looked like compromise. Where protection became proof of failure. Where I could be right about the threat and still be wrong about everything else.
I pictured Rune onstage, his chin lifted under the lights. Choosing visibility in the face of erasure.
If I failed here, and the system decided I was unstable, it wouldn’t only end my career again. It would pinpoint Rune as the reason. Everything Soo-jin wanted.
Soo-jin spoke to Kang again. “I understand you value professionalism. Stability. Chain of command. So do I. That’s why I’ve been trying to keep things contained.”
Kang turned toward me. “Griffin.”
I spoke carefully. “Those logs aren’t accurate.”
