Seoryeong and her teammates slowly crawled up the stairs to the roof, then opened the door and stepped outside.
They lay under the sun, letting the wound medicine and tears dry together.
Their lives had become a cycle of **falling into bed with bodies covered in dirt stains and constant exhaustion**. Even people who once claimed to be national athletes or professional fighters eventually lost and gave up.
They complained: _"Where in the world do you have to do PT for five hours?"_ and resigned before their time was up.
One day, they had to pile up sacks of rice or bricks all day, then destroy them. After that, they piled them up again. Once finished, they destroyed them again. And so on, continuously.
At that point, they began to realize that the instructor's goal was to make them **give up on training** and **break their spirits**.
In just a week, the people who had previously talked about women became silent with pale faces. They ran out of energy to hate each other and became more humble. The little remaining energy was sucked away by training, until there was no more left to fight over principles.
Instead, they even came to ask for help from Seoryeong—who had finished applying medicine and bandaging their wounds.
"Hey, you should just open a clinic, huh?"
Of course, there were still some people who liked to talk cynically.
---
## — The Third Week, Third Day —
"Huuk… Huuk…"
On the morning of the third day of the third week, they went for their usual jog.
Once again, they gasped for breath as if their lungs would **explode**, and felt a stabbing pain as if something was piercing between their ribs.
When she almost wanted to give up, Seoryeong slowly began to bargain with herself.
_One kilometer is enough. Or two kilometers. Or maybe just up to that point._
She said it while gradually increasing the distance, and once she reached the destination, she increased the distance again.
However, even though she tried to bargain with herself, her throat still felt like it would **tear**, and her breath felt like swallowing needles. Her body temperature rose almost to the maximum limit. Exhaustion accumulated. And today felt more tiring than usual.
_Was this my limit?_
Just as her vision began to blur and she felt like she would fall—
"——!"
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept by.
In that instant, she opened her eyes wide and looked around.
Something touching her flushed cheek was a **faint scent**.
_What is it…? Where?_
Of course, it was…!
She clearly smelled **Kim Hyeon's sweat**.
This time it was real—not the smell of perfume or fabric softener. It was the smell of sweat that only appeared when he exerted himself, the **hormonal scent** she often smelled when having sex with Kim Hyeon.
Seoryeong looked around warily, but no matter how hard she searched, all she saw were her teammates gasping for breath in exhaustion.
As she stared at the instructor running ahead, she thought maybe what she felt was just a hallucination because she was so tired—but the smell was **too clear**.
Even though it was just a false feeling, it made her feel **refreshed**. The blood in her body circulated faster until she couldn't ignore it.
Seoryeong bit her lip and ran to catch up with the instructor.
"Uh…"
The instructor stopped running and looked at her, confused.
"What's wrong?"
The tall and sturdy man looked at her with curiosity. His tanned skin felt **familiar**.
He was a member of the special security team.
_If I asked, "May I smell the sweat here?" he would definitely think I was crazy._
Seoryeong opened her mouth to speak, but finally changed her mind and shook her head.
Then she looked at him earnestly—from his eyes to his nose, from his nose to his mouth.
He had a firm and trustworthy face.
Seoryeong began to compare Kim Hyeon with him in her head, like someone experiencing a certain **attack**.
_What did Kim Hyeon's face look like?_
That's right—his eyes were like this man's, without eyelid creases. A high nose like this. And his chin was also square-shaped and looked masculine, but he had a trustworthy and sincere image.
He was liked by adults and children. Women must have liked a man like him in the sports world.
The image of the instructor in front of her and Kim Hyeon began to **overlap** in Seoryeong's vision.
She opened her mouth and moved her dry lips aimlessly, like someone who had just passed through a desert without energy and finally found an oasis.
_But how could an agent from the government news unit be here?_
No, she should listen to his voice first.
_What did my husband's voice sound like?_
It was a bit hoarse, wasn't it?
Kim Hyeon might have made her blind, but he didn't make her **deaf**.
_Or am I already crazy?_
_Is my body still moving normally? Or is there a lack of oxygen in my brain?_
Her thoughts began to break into pieces, the sounds mixing into chaos.
However, Seoryeong felt like someone very thirsty, and her eyes began to blur.
She tried to speak—to sound natural, as if it were normal.
"Instructor, don't wash that shirt, okay…"
"Yeah?"
"That shirt—if it's too sweaty, mix baking soda with water and apply it first, okay."
"Ah…"
_Before washing clothes, pay attention to the warning labels too, okay, so they don't get damaged…_
"How many fingers is this?"
Suddenly, he raised two fingers and wiggled them.
_What is this…?_
His V-sign still looked cute.
_The longer I look, the more I feel that our heights seem almost the same, and his somewhat stiff attitude is also similar._
_But still, Kim Hyeon couldn't possibly be here…_
However, seeing something similar like this slightly reduced the **thirst** she felt. Even though she knew something was missing, she couldn't do anything.
_Just looking at him already makes me feel more relieved…_
As she stared at the man in front of her anxiously, a large hand covered her eyes.
The pressure on her temples made her head bump into something hard. The sweet scent of candy wafted from the hand covering her eyes, feeling out of place.
"Don't just daydream. Quickly continue running."
The cold voice slightly soothed her hot skin.
When she turned her head, she saw expressionless eyes staring at her.
At that moment, the instructor she was fixated on nodded briefly and continued running.
She stared at his receding back, unable to resist licking her dry lips.
Suddenly, the loud sound of fingers snapping brought her focus back.
"Will you be able to focus or not?"
"……"
He slapped her back hard, urging her to keep running.
Seoryeong bit her teeth and immediately ran again.
The pain she had temporarily forgotten resurfaced when she met Lee Wooshin. Even though her ankle was sprained, running was still **painful**.
Lee Wooshin continued to walk backward with his long strides, looking at her with a cold gaze.
"I've seen you daydreaming while staring at men **twice**, Han Seoryeong."
He gritted his teeth softly.
"Try letting me catch you for the third time."
"……"
"I admit you're great with knives, but I've never supported workplace romance."
After giving a clear warning, Lee Wooshin continued his steps without paying any more attention to her.
Seoryeong stared at his receding legs in silence while panting. She knew if she said something wrong, she could be blamed for something else. And right now, she didn't have the energy to argue.
Suddenly, he stopped walking, put his hands on his waist, and looked at the ground.
_What is he doing?_
Seoryeong pursed her lips slightly in confusion, before he approached again.
His frowning face came closer until he **flicked** Seoryeong's forehead.
"Ouch…"
His fingers touched the forehead he had flicked indifferently.
Seoryeong was surprised and speechless, while Lee Wooshin only chuckled softly and frowned.
"It still hurts that much, yet saliva is coming out just from seeing a passing instructor? You're not a dog. If something comes out, it should be tears or snot—not **saliva**."
"Since when has saliva been coming out…"
"Looks like you can still run. Want to make it seven kilometers?"
"……"
Seoryeong felt goosebumps and fell silent.
The scent of Kim Hyeon still lingered faintly at the tip of her nose.
"Don't try to find a **replacement** for your husband here."
"……!"
"There's no such thing here."
Lee Wooshin snorted irritably, then left the training field.
Seoryeong felt as if she had been stabbed in the pit of her stomach again, making her startled.
_Everyone knows that my husband couldn't possibly be here._
She wasn't looking for a husband. She was merely drawn in by a certain resemblance.
Like a heart pounding at the sight of a snake. Or the shock of seeing a pot lid.
It wasn't because she had any deeper feelings for the stranger, but rather because all those traits aligned with **Kim Hyeon alone**—which was truly pathetic.
_If I can't find Kim Hyeon, perhaps I'll have to live meeting people who resemble him, experiencing only fleeting moments of happiness._
Just thinking about it made life seem **bleak**.
That day, Seoryeong ate her last meal again.