“You are only allowed to study this file here, and then leave.”
The person called CEO Kang handed over a tablet, and they stared at it without a word, only their eyeballs moving. The client’s personal information, other than the name, was all blank. As they quickly studied the operation summary and the room layout, several pairs of eyes briefly glanced at Lee Wooshin’s wet knee. As if he never made mistakes, he simply turned the pages calmly. His dry gaze moved from top to bottom, skipping two to three pages at once—it was difficult to keep up with him. At times like this, the fact that he used to be a black ops agent from the National Intelligence Service felt so real. Kim Hyeon—the name he had once used and discarded— flashed through her mind again, and instantly her mood plummeted sharply.
“The problem is, there’s a high probability that the NIS will be monitoring this event. We’ve already placed our entire security team at the blind spots of the location, but you, Team Leader Lee Wooshin, must sit among the NIS invited guests and keep an eye on them.”
CEO Kang gave instructions while nodding towards Lee Wooshin’s support cane.
---
Some time later, at their home, the atmosphere was filled with a strange silence. Seoryeong felt nauseous just from the smell of the new furniture in her new house, and even maintaining her expression required extra effort. Meanwhile, Wooshin, who didn’t even lean heavily on his cane, was gripping Seoryeong’s hand so tightly that it was sweating. Only when the sound of the automatic door locking echoed did the man intend to open his mouth. But Seoryeong pressed his chest with her hand first and shook her head quickly.
“Don’t say that.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You were definitely going to tell me to stay away, or that you were worried about me, right?”
“But I haven’t said anything yet.”
“I can tell just from the shape of your lips. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard you say that, Instructor.”
Wooshin gave a wry laugh and swept his hair back without a word. On his smooth forehead, a displeased wrinkle appeared.
“Having a female bodyguard take care of male clients with full service like that, isn’t it suspicious? Being told to go into an old man’s room alone, dressing him, accompanying him to the toilet, even feeding him. From a superior’s point of view alone, it’s strange, let alone from the perspective of his future husband—damn it, it’s disgusting.”
“……”
“Logically, why would that old man choose a young female bodyguard?”
“He said his mind isn’t clear anymore.”
Seoryeong conveyed the information from Director Kang in a flat tone. Hearing it, Wooshin smirked while pulling her waist closer. The man’s thigh deliberately insinuated itself between her legs.
“If his mind isn’t clear, Han Seoryeong usually pays more attention to him, huh?”
“What…”
“If you had just said so from the beginning, maybe I would have shown more sympathy, Seoryeong.”
“Ugh… Let go of me…!”
Seoryeong squirmed as Wooshin’s hard thigh deliberately rubbed against her inner leg. Lately, Wooshin had become so reactive even to small things, and he kept pressuring Seoryeong with this kind of attitude. In fact, it was Seoryeong who had proposed marriage first. She had accepted everything— the man’s bad habit of constantly wanting to cling to her body, but Wooshin remained thirsty. That attitude somehow touched the deepest, most sensitive part of Seoryeong’s heart. She pressed her solar plexus and continued.
“He said the client often hurts himself.”
“Ah, that one? So that’s why you felt sorry for him?”
“Is that something important?”
“……”
“It’s normal, isn’t it? If the body is injured, of course blood comes out. That’s natural.”
“No, I mean… haah… never mind.”
Seoryeong looked at the man who suddenly hugged her tightly and took a heavy breath, then slowly added: “What’s most annoying is the half-heartedness. If you’re going to throw something away, throw it away clearly. If you’re going to possess something, possess it completely. But when someone’s attitude is ambiguous like that, there must be a hidden intention, right?”
“……”
Wooshin swallowed hard and looked straight ahead again. Because his body didn’t move at all, the light sensor didn’t detect any movement, and the light went out. In the darkness, they stared at each other as if investigating.
“What exactly were CEO Kang’s instructions?”
“Not much. He just told me to report all the client’s words without exception. Apparently there’s a problem with that person’s memory. I don’t know, but from the company’s point of view, everything is considered information.”
Memory…, information… Wooshin repeated the words in his mind, and his face instantly hardened.
“Do you know why there are so few female bodyguards at Blast Corp? There used to be some, but most were recruited unofficially, and almost all of them were sent to Russia. Now they’re all gone.”
“Why…?”
Russia? That word instantly caught in her throat.
“Maybe they were also given missions like Han Seoryeong. And then… eliminated.”
“……!”
“That must be highly classified information that shouldn’t leak. If so, then you’re in danger too.”
His firm tone indicated certainty. As he gripped both of Seoryeong’s arms tightly, his anxiety seemed to spread through the touch of their skin. The sensor at the door turned on again. His face, illuminated by faint shadows, drew closer.
“Then, do you still think I’m being too nosy?”
“……”
“If you want to marry a generous man, I’m sorry, but you’ve got the wrong person. I don’t trust companies like that. I won’t hand over my Han Seoryeong to bastards who just want to use her once and then discard her.”
Those words sounded like a growl, making her reflexively fall silent for a moment.
“I’ll give you one in-ear a day before the mission.”
Suddenly, Lee Wooshin lifted Seoryeong’s body and placed her on his lap, then began to limp towards the living room.
“Wait, Instructor…!”
“Han Seoryeong always gets more curious when she’s forbidden. So this is a kind of safety measure from me. If you still want to go into that widower’s room, make sure you have a direct line connecting you to me.”
“Why go to such lengths…!”
“Of course I have to be strict. Do you want to make me a widower so soon after getting married?”
Her body reflexively trembled. She almost averted her gaze, but she forced herself to keep looking into his eyes. Feeling guilty and uncomfortable, she hurriedly changed the subject. At the same time, due to the discomfort from her injured leg being stepped on by Seoryeong, he hugged the man’s neck to slightly relieve the weight on his body.
“Isn’t Rigai Viktor just an ordinary criminal?”
Why did all of this feel so overblown…? Wooshin raised one eyebrow, as if surprised she knew that much.
The man’s face hardened, looking displeased, then he turned in the opposite direction. His sharp jawline seemed to tighten.
“Do you still remember the casual chats of the special team members?”
As soon as she heard that, the noisy voices of the seniors echoed again in her head. They said his whole family died in an accident, and his lineage was cut off, right? From the family of the Russian Prime Minister, if she wasn’t mistaken. His wife was Korean, they said…. But what lingered more than those unimportant foreign rumors were the cheerful faces of the team members joking together.
“The Solzhenitsyn family tragedy. That client was the one who blew up the house.”
“……!”
“Too famous to be called an ordinary criminal.”
He smiled weakly. Seoryeong didn’t miss the subtle change in the man’s face, like a mask suddenly shifting its expression. How powerful was that person to bring down the entire family of the Prime Minister? How deep was the hatred he harbored? Seoryeong sank into thoughts that seemed to have nothing to do with her. Wooshin clicked his tongue and sat her down on a dining chair.
“And do you remember the contents of the file? Where is the venue?”
“Ah… The Korean Orthodox Church in Daegu.”
“Good, you memorized it. That means, if you’re unlucky, you might run into Kiya.”
Her heart fluttered as if she were stealing something.
“Actually, I intended to make a bigger fuss, but I held back for the sake of my pride as a bride-to-be. Enough bad luck already, let’s not invite more.”
Kiya… might come? But the feeling that arose wasn’t disgust, nor fear—rather, it was anticipation. Kiya’s words, which had once sounded like fanatical ramblings, were now slowly starting to make sense to her. Seoryeong suppressed a laugh that almost burst out. Since when did Kiya know everything? If I meet her again… then…
“What else are you thinking?”
Suddenly, her chin was gripped roughly. Wooshin stared deeply into her eyes, for a long time. Their gazes pierced each other and finally locked. Seoryeong hurriedly closed her lips. It was as if melting wax was used to seal the other person’s mouth. But Wooshin still embraced her passionately. His warm tongue filled her open mouth, exploring the roof of her mouth gently but firmly. Seoryeong closed her eyes tightly and imagined herself wearing a wedding dress. In an exotic, unfamiliar place, they vowed forever while looking at each other. And the only guest who would remember that day was… I have to meet Kiya.