> **[A 27-year-old woman attempted to cross over to North Korea in the border area of Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, but was apprehended. Police reported that a woman surnamed Han attempted to break through a checkpoint at the Tongil Bridge on the night of the 12th to cross north, but she was caught after crashing into barriers and running through a civilian restricted zone for approximately 3 kilometers...]**
A man wearing a pristine white lab coat was preparing for his morning rounds while listening to the news on television.
He hummed softly and neatly smoothed his graying hair.
After that, he prepared hot water in a kettle, poured tea into a cup, and checked his patient schedule for the day as part of his morning routine.
Every time he looked at his busy schedule, he was always reminded of the past. The hospital that had initially started in this old building had now grown into a large hospital with five consulting doctors.
That success made him feel proud every day.
_Alright, let's see who the first patient is today…_
Suddenly—**Crash!**—the door opened without warning.
"You can't just barge in here…!"
The nurse at the reception desk called out, trying to stop the uninvited guest who was entering carrying a large gift box with a conspicuous red ribbon.
"Doctor, Seoryeong is back."
"...!"
The doctor's eyes widened.
His old, wrinkled face immediately stiffened.
"You came without letting me know?"
"I thought maybe you wouldn't be here."
Seoryeong smiled broadly.
The smile looked bright, but something felt unnatural.
The doctor, who had known her since she was ten years old, immediately realized something was **wrong**.
"The people around me have all been disappearing lately."
"Se... Seoryeong…"
"Sit down, Doctor. I came for a consultation."
Seoryeong spoke as she sat down on the sofa without the slightest hesitation.
The doctor quickly hid his trembling hands and sat back down opposite her with a calm face.
_He knew Seoryeong better than anyone, so provoking an overreaction from her was not a good idea._
It would be better if he started by just listening…
"Would you like some tea?"
"Hmm?"
"I brought you a gift."
The neatly wrapped gift box was slowly opened by Seoryeong.
She untied the bright red ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a set of special teas—Peimers tea, fruit tea, classic tea, and green tea—arranged beautifully.
"It just so happens that the water is boiling too."
Seoryeong walked towards the bar table in the examination room to choose a cup.
Her movements were as if she were in her own home.
The doctor loosened his tie slightly, feeling a tightness in his chest.
"How are your eyes? How are they now?"
"The doctor said they're starting to get better."
Seoryeong stared at the boiling water on the stove without blinking.
"It's a relief it wasn't an incurable disease. Funny, isn't it?"
She gave a short laugh.
Although the news should have been joyful, the doctor still didn't understand why she was laughing like that.
Even so, the doctor just smiled gently and tried to create a calm atmosphere.
_Building an emotional connection and showing empathy were important in the treatment process._
"How have you been lately? Is life treating you well?"
"I'm looking for a job. Have to support myself."
"And your husband?"
"He ran away."
"...What?"
Seoryeong shrugged lightly.
She chose a tea set from the box, opened the package slowly, put the tea leaves into the cup, and then poured hot water.
The pink color of the tea began to spread beautifully in the water.
"I've been trying to be good, just like I was taught."
"..."
"I've been trying to act like a sweet and obedient puppy. Haven't I been good enough?"
Seoryeong continued to speak while tidying up the tea bags.
"You also know I've been trying to be a good person all this time. I cared for and looked after people who were going to die even though it brought me no benefit."
"..."
"And in the end, this is the result."
With calm steps, Seoryeong walked towards the doctor and placed the teacup in front of him.
The doctor began to feel his throat dry, his sweat-soaked hands hidden under the table.
"Where exactly is the problem, Doctor?"
Although her face looked gloomy, the doctor felt that expression looked unnatural.
He hurriedly sipped the tea Seoryeong had given him without caring about the taste—just to hide his true feelings.
"Why do people abandon their children? Why do they run away from the people who love them? And why do they betray the people who take care of them?"
"..."
"And why… did **you** do that to me, Doctor?"
_Clink!_
The teacup she placed on the table made a loud sound unintentionally.
He raised his face and found Seoryeong staring at him with a cold gaze.
Then she smiled… a smile that shouldn't have appeared in such a situation.
"In the old days, ordinary mafias used to poison those who betrayed them through tea."
"...!"
The blood in the doctor's body felt like it was all draining out.
He began to rub his neck frantically.
Seoryeong's beautiful eyes were still empty and emotionless, as usual. But that gaze had never changed since she was a child.
Seoryeong was the type of person who, when she wanted something, she had to get it… by **any means necessary**.
"I... I…"
"You made me a patient with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. If it weren't for that, I would have already been in prison."
"Ugh…"
"You're scared, aren't you?"
"I... I…"
Suddenly, the doctor jumped up from his chair and pushed Seoryeong with all his might.
_Even though it was only a small amount of poison, it was enough to damage internal organs._
He felt pain in his stomach and tried to flee the examination room.
However, his legs went weak and he fell before he could get out.
"Never turn your back on me, Doctor," Seoryeong said while pressing her knee into the doctor's spine.
"Ugh..."
"Who told you to do this?"
"I... I don't know... Aaargh!"
Seoryeong pressed harder until the doctor screamed in pain.
She put her arm in the doctor's mouth and turned up the volume of the TV.
"Mmmhhh!"
"I have to know. This must be related to my husband. I'm sorry, but when it comes to my husband... I can't stay silent."
"Ugh..."
As soon as she released her hand, the doctor gasped heavily and saliva dripped from his mouth.
"I-I really don't know anything... I just did as I was asked..."
"What request?"
"They just wanted to see his treatment records... belonging to Han Seoryeong..."
"Treatment records?"
Seoryeong tilted her head slightly with an expressionless face.
"And you also forged the diagnosis documents?"
"...But they said it wouldn't affect her at all..."
"Sorry, but I was arrested while trying to cross over to North Korea."
"...!"
"And now I know the whole truth."
The doctor took a long breath.
His body began to slump, as if accepting his fate.
Meanwhile, Seoryeong rose from her knees and sat leaning back on the sofa, exhausted. She drank her tea without interest, her attitude looking relaxed but full of defiance.
The doctor stared at her in shock, the wrinkles around his eyes starting to twitch visibly.
"You... you..."
"Who exactly came looking for you? Where are they from?"
Seoryeong wiped her wet lips with the back of her hand.
The doctor began to realize that he had been lied to by his own patient all this time. Or perhaps, the accumulated misunderstanding and fear over this time finally exploded.
He rubbed his neck and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I don't know if they were trying to calm me down or not, but they said they were from a government agency. There were no ID cards. But in the end, they gave me a business card from a printing shop."
_A printing shop? Or a publisher?_
Seoryeong muttered to herself while taking a long, heavy breath.
Her mid-chest felt painful for no reason.
Not because anything hurt her, but because deep down, she still wanted to believe in Kim Hyeon.
_Why should she believe the words of strangers who came from that miscellaneous affairs service center?_
_Who exactly were they...?_
But she could no longer lie to herself.
Hearing the suspicious reaction from intelligence and the doctor's confession, all her reasons crumbled. The truth began to slap her painfully.
A trap that had been set so clearly, but she had never noticed it.
Only she was foolish.
Seoryeong covered her face with her hands.
A feeling of defeat engulfed her entire body.
_Kim Hyeon, you really lied to me, didn't you..._
_And you left me too._
_Not just disappeared, but left—completely left._
"The doctor who taught me how to wear that mask, right?"
"Mm... yes."
"Today might be our last consultation session."
"What..."
A feeling of weariness began to press down on her shoulders.
A few days ago she was still trying to cross over to North Korea and got caught. Now she was preparing to look for a new job and had to find a husband who had left her.
"I'm going to destroy that mask."
"...!"
She wanted to live a gentle and loved life, but none of it was real.
Even the married life she thought was her happiest time turned out to be just someone's act.
Love and trust were just meaningless lies.
The only thing real was her own face—the one without pretense.
"Goodbye, Doctor."