"Wow...!"
No one could match Han Seoryeong when it came to climbing the pole.
As a result, even seeing it with one's own eyes, it was hard to believe.
Lee Wooshin briefly considered the possibility of stimulants, but he quickly dismissed the thought. If Seoryeong had truly used stimulants, she wouldn't be showing this kind of **enthusiastic attitude** toward training.
After observing her carefully for some time, he realized that Seoryeong was merely stating facts.
But that didn't mean she was **honest**.
She had simply become detached—no longer feeling the need to lie or seek advantage from others.
Except when it came to her husband.
Kim Hyeon.
About him, a flicker of longing would occasionally appear in her eyes.
But apart from that, Lee Wooshin felt that Seoryeong seemed completely **different**.
In the past, her eyes were always filled with a mysterious smile, joy, or abundant affection. But now, she spoke of rape as if she could kill someone someday.
It wasn't something an ordinary person could easily say.
As time went on, Lee Wooshin became increasingly convinced that the woman he used to know was **not** the same person he saw now.
Her anger. Her abilities. Her plans. Her tendencies. Her nature.
All of it felt **foreign** to him.
It made him feel like he had been deceived—even though he himself had once deceived Seoryeong.
_But why do I feel as though I'm the one who was fooled?_
The doubt of whether the woman he had once lived with was the real one or not continued to swirl in his head.
There was something he had missed.
If he could choose, he wanted to start investigating Seoryeong from the beginning. This feeling was so clear it made his head spin.
But…
_The principle of compartmentalization._
This rule held Lee Wooshin tightly.
Don't try to find out things that are not your business, and don't disclose things you shouldn't know. This was one of the **strictest principles** that all agents of the government intelligence unit had to follow.
Special unit agents only had the task of carrying out given orders—without needing to know the "big picture." Information barriers aimed to prevent disclosure in case of unforeseen events. Therefore, they worked alone, only knowing what was related to their tasks.
Although the information about Seoryeong wasn't entirely accurate, it didn't mean it was unimportant.
So, there was no reason to question further.
"——"
Lee Wooshin took a breath to calm his surging emotions.
Besides, the **"Bird Box" mission** wasn't about Seoryeong—it was about living a married life with her throughout the mission. Both the beginning and the end of the mission had been successful.
So he didn't need to think about this anymore.
There was no need to observe Seoryeong's changes or add unnecessary complexity.
_Nothing was left._
"……"
Lee Wooshin closed his eyes for a moment to clear his distracting thoughts, then looked at the training field again.
His face had regained its calm professionalism.
As he watched Seoryeong climbing the pole, Jin Hoje suddenly asked beside him.
"Chief, do you think Han Seoryeong is pretty?"
"What?"
"Uh... I was just wondering if it's just me who thinks so."
Lee Wooshin felt the anger he had been trying to suppress **resurface**. He furrowed his brow, looking at Jin Hoje—whose eyes were filled with admiration and curiosity.
"Yeah, that... during the running exercise earlier, she looked at me with such an **intense** gaze."
"……"
"No one has ever looked at me like that before. It made my heart feel strange."
Jin Hoje placed his hand on his chest as if feeling an itch.
Lee Wooshin smiled slightly, but the vein on his temple seemed to throb visibly.
"It seems like she fell for me first. After that, I often felt her eyes on me. When I turned around, I saw Han Seoryeong staring at me without blinking. We probably made eye contact..."
Jin Hoje began counting with his fingers one by one.
One. Two. Three. Four.
His fingers continued to fold as Lee Wooshin stared at that hand with a blank expression.
When he reached six fingers, Jin Hoje shrugged his shoulders nervously and continued.
"Chief, I think I'm going to get a girlfriend soon."
"Jin Hoje."
Suddenly, a sighing sound was heard, followed by a **strong grip** on Jin Hoje's head.
He let out a soft groan as his head was pressed down with a force that felt like it could pierce his skull. The usually laid-back and unpredictable superior was now clearly expressing his feelings.
Jin Hoje immediately stood upright.
"No need to worry, I'll approach her respectfully."
"Han Seoryeong is **married**."
"What?"
"She has a husband she loves very much. Although she looks young, she's practically a seasoned wife."
"……"
"I've checked. She's been married since she was young."
Lee Wooshin smiled thinly with a sly expression as he looked at his confused subordinate.
"Why? Don't you believe it?"
"Uh... yes..."
"If you don't believe it, try gossiping about her husband."
"What?"
"But don't even think about doing it when she's holding a **weapon**—because she seems to guard her husband more fiercely than you can imagine."
"……!"
Jin Hoje blinked in confusion before jumping up.
"This can't be! That gaze clearly showed she was interested in me! There's no way I could feel something like that for someone who already has a partner. I'm still a disciplined soldier!"
Lee Wooshin stroked Jin Hoje's neck slowly while whispering.
"Don't make me laugh. She's not just pretty in **your** eyes."
Jin Hoje felt goosebumps crawl all over his body, starting from his ears and spreading.
"So don't say she approached you first, or that her eyes had a special meaning. Other people also find her beautiful. Don't get too ahead of yourself and fall, okay?"
"Alright..."
"Good. Good boy."
Lee Wooshin patted his subordinate's head coldly.
Jin Hoje felt drained and looked back at the training field. When he saw Han Seoryeong still standing on the pole, his mouth opened in surprise without him realizing it.
"She's not just pretty—her body and movements are **incredible**!"
"Shut your mouth."
Lee Wooshin suddenly pushed Jin Hoje's chin, causing him to bite his tongue unintentionally.
He looked at Lee Wooshin with an annoyed expression. However, Lee Wooshin's face now looked **extremely cold**. He stared at Han Seoryeong with a sharp gaze, like an animal instinctively stalking its prey.
Jin Hoje immediately stood upright and closed his mouth obediently.
---
## — Staff Lodging —
Upon arriving at the staff lodging room, Lee Wooshin locked the door and quickly put on his earphones.
After the red light blinked briefly, a cheerful greeting was heard.
As he opened the curtains and observed the movements outside as usual, he asked.
"What about the investigation I ordered?"
—Oh... about CEO Kang Taegon, right? I've checked it out.
"Is there any connection to Seoryeong?"
—There's no clear connection, but it seems his business trip to Thailand caught her attention quite a bit. After that, he frequently accessed Seoryeong's profile.
"..."
—It seems he's also conducting his own investigation. Apparently, he wants to recruit her.
"Seoryeong was offered to join Blast?"
Lee Wooshin frowned upon hearing the unpleasant news.
He had been trying hard to remove Han Seoryeong from his sight—but Blast was pulling her in, making him feel **deeply uneasy**.
"What does he mean by that?"
—It's said to be a desire, or perhaps a habit, of Kang Taegon, the CEO of Blast.
"What kind of habit?"
—Blast has historically paid attention to increasing the number of female bodyguards. They have a history of recruiting usable people from various places for training—mostly lower-tier athletes who need quick money.
"Then what?"
—...After that, they mysteriously **disappear**.
"Tell me more."
—Every time Kang Taegon goes on a business trip to Saint Petersburg, he always takes a female bodyguard. But when he returns, he's always **alone**.
Silence hung between them.
Lee Wooshin sighed softly, but his face remained cold with a frightening expression. The veins in his hand resting on the table stood out clearly.
"That foolish Seoryeong actually chose a **rotten rope**."
—...If Kang Taegon is truly interested in Seoryeong, even if you try to erase her, it won't be easy. Blast will definitely pull her back in.
Lee Wooshin bit his lip softly.
His mind began to race.
_She doesn't know what she's walked into._
_And I'm not supposed to care._
But the compartmentalization principle that had always protected him now felt like a **cage**—trapping him with knowledge he couldn't act on, and questions he wasn't supposed to ask.
He closed his eyes.
_Nothing was left._
That's what he kept telling himself.
But the image of Seoryeong climbing that pole—determined, dangerous, utterly transformed—burned behind his eyelids like a brand.