The office building parking lot, long past midnight, was eerily empty.

As soon as Kwon Ji-heon turned off the engine, he closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the sudden silence. The car plunged into pitch darkness when the headlights died, with only the faint glow of streetlights dimly illuminating the dusty dashboard. The shouts of Manager Kim, the clatter of keyboards, and the hushed laughter of colleagues that had echoed in his ears all day seemed to linger like an auditory hallucination.

He got out of the car, pressing his throbbing temples, and the damp, heavy night air pierced deep into his lungs. Inside the confined space of the elevator, he stared at the stainless steel wall reflecting his own expressionless face. The light of the 14th-floor button was the only color.

With a 'ding,' the doors opened, and he walked down the familiar hallway to his front door. His fingers were numb as he entered the password for the door lock. With a 'click,' the door opened, and all that greeted him were his shoes and briefcase carelessly tossed aside, and the cold air. He muttered in the darkness.

"...Just the same, today too."

Without even turning on the lights, he collapsed onto the sofa.