Seoryeong didn't eat anything for two days.
The clothes Kim Hyeon had once worn, the books he had read, the bowls and cups they used to use together, and the towels they had shared...
The things Kim Hyeon left for Seoryeong were very simple, but everything was still there.
After meeting the doctor, the completely exhausted Seoryeong lay down in the place that still held the scent of his body.
Time passed without her moving even slightly.
Kim Hyeon—the man who had entered her life so quickly—destroyed everything she had built, and then disappeared just like that.
She couldn't help but let out a dry laugh when she thought that maybe Kim Hyeon was indeed a very competent officer.
_But how could the man who used to be so innocent and gentle do something like this?_
The man who even cried when forced to cook, whether it was fish or chicken.
Seoryeong closed her eyes tightly, as was her habit.
When the familiar darkness enveloped her, she heard a voice calling her name.
_"Seoryeong..."_
He was the man who was always considerate of his blind wife, always explaining everything that happened around her.
_"Seoryeong, I'm changing my clothes now."_
_"Seoryeong, I'm checking my phone, okay."_
_"Seoryeong, I'm opening the fridge."_
_"Seoryeong..."_
_"I only see you alone."_
Her closed eyes began to feel sore.
---
The bell at the cafe door rang as someone entered, waking Seoryeong from her long reverie.
That afternoon was an autumn day. The sky was high and clear.
Channa's gaze trembled as if she was caught in a storm. She gaped and kept staring at her phone.
After the news video ended, she immediately took off her earphones. Her gaze at Seoryeong seemed to ask, _"Did you really do that?"_
"Are you alright?"
"My body is fine, but my bank account took a hit."
"What?"
"I got fined ten million won."
"Uh...!"
Channa frowned, worried about the leak of bank account information.
Seoryeong sat in the same cafe, at the same table, as before.
As she was about to bring up what she wanted to say, Channa immediately shook her head, showing wariness and fear.
"Don't tell me... you called me today because of **that** again..."
"I don't have any connections in this field."
_'I knew it...'_ Channa muttered to herself while gulping down her drink quickly.
"I want to kidnap someone."
"...What?"
"Kidnap and hold them for two or three days."
"Wait...! You want to **kidnap** someone?"
"Channa, you spilled your coffee."
Seoryeong offered a tissue with a calm face.
The thought of kidnapping had come to her in the interrogation room, when the Deputy Director's phone rang and everything was closed without any conclusion.
_If only I could hold someone powerful for just three days, it would be very good._
That thought dominated her entire mind.
"You know, if a criminal takes someone hostage, the state will send expert negotiators. The higher the hostage's position, the greater our advantage."
"But the possibility of you getting shot dead is also high!"
Channa shouted hoarsely, her face flushed with emotion.
But Seoryeong didn't look shaken in the slightest.
"If I want to catch a shapeless ghost, I might have to gamble with my life too."
_And if the condition in the negotiation is Kim Hyeon, then it would be perfect._
Seoryeong hoped that the name "Kim Hyeon" that her husband had once used would spread throughout the intelligence unit.
_If she started a fire, someone would definitely show up._
"You… You're really going to go this far?"
"Of course. I'm going to keep going until I catch my runaway husband."
Channa wiped her mouth with a tissue and then let out a long sigh.
But Seoryeong, who had just talked about committing a crime, still looked calm. Her tone was firm, without the slightest hesitation, as if she had thought about this dozens or even hundreds of times.
"You need to be clear. It's not you who wants to catch him, but you want him to catch **you**, right?"
"It's the same thing. Because once I'm caught, I won't let go of him either."
"..."
_First, we have to meet before we can do anything._
Seoryeong said with a broad smile.
Her usually expressionless face suddenly showed emotion. Her flushed cheeks looked bright.
Although the feelings of resentment and anger still lingered, this was much better than her previous blank expression.
Now, she looked like someone truly **alive**.
"So, what exactly do you want to know?"
"I want to know about the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Unit."
"Haaah..."
Channa raised her hand to her neck, looking very surprised.
"Even the children of high-ranking officials don't know for sure what their parents do…!"
She sighed deeply and then continued, "Finding information about them is harder than curing constipation! They're surrounded by security teams, even their home addresses are all fake...! Even if you could find them through ordinary investigation methods… But after that—"
Channa leaned forward on the table and asked, "Can you really defeat all those bodyguards and kidnap him all by yourself?"
"..."
"Can you run away from those who will hunt you down? Can you take someone hostage without getting caught?"
As Seoryeong remained silent, Channa immediately seized the opportunity to change the subject.
"If you're not sure, you'd better learn some skills first!"
Channa hoped that Seoryeong, whose mind was filled with dangerous thoughts, could choose a safer path, even if only a little.
_Earn money like a normal person. Meet a new man. You're still young and beautiful, just date like other South Korean women. Enjoy a free life, without any attachments._
That was the hope Channa had once had for her second older sister who didn't run away to North Korea.
Although she missed her departed family so much, she didn't want to get trapped in those feelings.
That's why she couldn't let Seoryeong—who was as cold as ice—live alone.
"Actually, I shouldn't say this, but if you're near bad people, you have to choose their path too, right?"
"What—"
"If you've already decided on this, then learn well! If you want to cause big trouble, you need a strong foundation, right? Learn the skills first! All the experts are there."
"There?"
"At my company, of course."
Seoryeong frowned slightly.
_Company? The company where Channa worked?_
The name of the company she had heard from the freelance service center began to faintly emerge in her mind…
_Blast? Was that it?_
"If those who used to rescue hostages could do it, then you can also learn how to kidnap hostages."
"..."
After saying that, Channa averted her gaze.
Come to think of it, her words made sense.
Kidnapping wasn't just about having accomplices, but also required skills. And if the hostage was an intelligence official, then to be able to capture him, Seoryeong had to have sufficient strength and expertise.
She had to be able to approach the target skillfully and remain proficient.
"So stop thinking about other things. Get ready and choose what you need!"
_The Deputy Director of the Intelligence Unit who was always surrounded by bodyguards…_
_Blast, huh…_
Seoryeong's eyes began to shine.
This was like a dream job for certain people.
---
The bell at the coffee shop door rang again as someone entered.
Seoryeong immediately sat up straight when she saw a man walk in. The man looked around with sharp eyes, and as soon as he saw her sitting near the window, his body stiffened.
"Han Seoryeong."
His voice calling her name grew louder as he approached.
The wrinkles between his eyebrows became more pronounced.
"What do you want to talk about regarding Channa?"
Jung Pilgyu asked immediately upon arriving.
He hadn't even had a chance to sit down. His face clearly showed that he didn't want to waste even a moment with Seoryeong.
However, the more he pressed, the calmer Seoryeong became.
She looked at him slowly without saying anything.
Finally, the man reluctantly pulled out a chair and sat down.
Without a doubt, anger was burning inside him.
Seoryeong smiled thinly.
The night before, she had threatened Jung Pilgyu to make him meet her.
"I heard you have a family connection with Channa. Brother-in-law and sister-in-law, right?"
"..."
Jung Pilgyu frowned visibly. He looked unhappy that Seoryeong knew about his family.
"That's why I asked you to meet. So that you also get dragged into this mess."
"What―"
But his words were cut off by the sound from Seoryeong's phone.
As she played the voice file, Channa's voice was clearly heard:
> "Don't bother. If you want to get caught, just get in a car."
Seoryeong's face remained calm as she spoke.
"When I tried to cross over to North Korea, I thought it would be good to talk about Channa at the next opportunity."
"...!"
The gloomy expression on Pilgyu's face changed instantly.
"I tried to cross the border, but got caught. Channa taught me that method."
"...!"
"If you want to be truly suspected as a border intruder, you have to do it two or three times. And of course, when the intelligence agency starts investigating seriously, I also get scared."
"This—"
"The first time I might be able to get away. But for the next time, I'm not sure."