Seoryeong's stomach suddenly growled loudly—adding to her embarrassment amidst all the chaos.
"Ugh…"
But even amidst that embarrassment, her frozen body slowly began to thaw.
Unconsciously, she snuggled even closer, seeking deeper warmth, pressing herself against Lee Wooshin's skin. Beneath his chin, right where the man's pulse beat strongly, Seoryeong pressed her frozen cheek against that warmest spot.
In response, Lee Wooshin unhesitatingly moved his head closer—as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
A strange feeling flickered across Seoryeong's chest.
"Instructor, do you have a daughter?"
"What?"
"Nothing." She shifted slightly. "It's just that you seem very used to hugging someone like this."
An annoyed expression immediately appeared on Wooshin's face. His brow furrowed, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
"What exactly do you think of me, Agent Han Seoryeong?"
"What?"
"Do you think I'm a man with a cheating wife who vents his frustration at work, and is now divorced with a child?"
"Uh. Yeah… maybe…"
Hearing her hesitant answer, Lee Wooshin's jaw tightened. His eyes closed tightly.
Then, as he exhaled a long breath, his body slowly relaxed from the tension. He spoke softly—as if releasing a lock that had been holding him back.
"I don't have a daughter. But my wife…"
His sentence trailed off, as if his tongue had suddenly become heavy.
But Seoryeong could feel something heavy settle onto the man's chest.
"My wife is younger than me, and I'm not good at many things, so I often hug her." A pause. "Maybe that's why I'm used to it."
The content of his words felt gentle.
But his eyes were sharp—full of defiance.
"That's unexpected."
"What's unexpected?"
"I didn't think you'd be so devoted to your family."
Seoryeong replied without thinking.
Wooshin chuckled softly—a laugh whose meaning was hard to decipher.
"Then why did your wife cheat on such a good man as you?"
"…"
Lee Wooshin's eyes slowly opened.
Beneath his half-raised eyelids, his pupils sharply looked down, directly at her. His facial expression held annoyance, and Seoryeong immediately regretted her words.
That accidental surge of curiosity felt like stepping on a landmine.
She hurriedly tried to fix the situation.
"No, I mean… you remind me of my husband."
"…!"
Lee Wooshin's physical reaction was clear—a sudden tension in his body that she could feel through their pressed-together chests.
Seoryeong, thinking it was because he was offended, became even more panicked.
"Of course, you're very different! My husband is like a real Korean rock star!"
"…"
"But for some reason, sometimes you remind me of him."
Lee Wooshin's eyebrows seemed to twitch—dissatisfied with the comparison.
"You once said there wasn't a single good thing about Kim Hyeon."
"I did say that…" She hesitated. "But you're comfortable to hug."
The unfamiliar scent. The strong body. And especially the rough hands that touched women without hesitation—everything felt *unfamiliar.*
However, being in his embrace made the fear within her disappear.
*Just like when she was with her husband.*
Seoryeong frowned and shook her head slightly.
She knew she had to put up a strong barrier against this comfort. She had mentioned Wooshin's wife not to hurt him, but to remind *herself*: there was a line that shouldn't be crossed.
"Have you ever thought about your ex-wife, Instructor?"
"…"
Lee Wooshin's gaze went straight to her.
Then, with a hardened face, he replied coldly.
"What's the point of talking about the past? It only makes me lose my appetite."
Their eyes met at close range—sharp as towering ice walls.
Seoryeong knew very well: Lee Wooshin wasn't the type to be tied down to anything. He was like someone always ready to leave at any moment.
The only thing he seemed to care for was the old accordion he carried during hell week. But even that he would surely throw away after the training was over.
Although he liked to tease the agents, he always called their names from the labels on their chests—a clear and deliberate distance. He didn't even try to hide his indifference toward the participants he was training himself.
"Agent Han Seoryeong, stop thinking about the past."
"…"
"There's nothing there."
Lee Wooshin looked down at the snowy chasm, avoiding her eyes. His gaze was full of defensiveness, and a few snowflakes landed on his sharp facial features.
Seeing that complicated expression, Seoryeong felt something familiar.
An empathy.
A wound she had once suppressed while lying in the medical room.
*Yes… betrayal from the person you trusted most is a wound that no one can understand—except those who have experienced it.*
A life paralyzed overnight. A despair that seemed like it would never heal. And when love turned into a heart-piercing humiliation…
It was a violence that truly **shattered** someone.
Seoryeong bit her lip, suppressing the bitterness.
They did have one thing in common.
*Maybe this was why people liked to sit together and share stories.*
Lee Wooshin, who had perhaps experienced a similar failure—suddenly felt very human. And close.
The sense of camaraderie between them was stronger than she had thought.
---
"Hachoo!"
After a series of sneezes, Seoryeong curled up tighter.
Her whole body was shivering, and every exhale fogged up her balaclava. Finally, she pulled down her sweater to breathe the cold air directly.
Her already pale lips were now turning blue.
Even though the jacket felt warm, her body felt stiff and unusually fatigued. As her eyelids began to feel heavy and slowly closed—
**Slap!**
A sharp slap spread across her cheek.
"Agent Han Seoryeong, stay awake and keep talking."
"Huh?"
"If your speech slows down or your thoughts become blurry, I will keep slapping you."
"I'm okay, really."
"Don't lie to yourself." His voice was sharp. "Your breathing has already slowed down."
Sometime ago, he had placed his finger under her nose.
Now, with a cynical expression, he gently pinched and slapped her cheek. Without stopping, Lee Wooshin continued to pinch and pull at her facial skin to keep the blood flowing.
"Don't fall asleep. Stay here, with me."
"As you know, I haven't eaten. Only drank water."
Initially, Seoryeong thought they just needed to hold out until the rescue team arrived. But maintaining consciousness with an exhausted body turned out to be much harder than she had anticipated.
She could feel her heart slowing down. Her muscles stiffening.
The fatigue that hit her was much heavier than when she was alone in the mountains.
*This can't be happening.*
*I have to join the special team. Do a lot of bad things.*
*I have to keep an eye on Lee Wooshin until the end.*
*And make my husband pay for everything…*
In her blurring thoughts, Seoryeong muttered to herself. Then she shook her head hard and forced her eyes open.
"Instructor, it seems like my mouth is frozen. I just want to be quiet for a moment. Please don't pinch my cheeks anymore."
"No. Keep talking and moving."
"…"
Her cheeks, which had been constantly pinched, now wobbled weakly—and her consciousness faded further.
"Agent Han Seoryeong, can you still hear me?"
"…"
"I said, don't be quiet."
"…"
"Talk. Anything. Nonsense is fine too. You can't pass out here."
"…"
"Han Seoryeong! Say anything and stay focused—!"
"Don't… move."
She finally replied, but her voice sounded slow and heavy. Her pronunciation was unclear, as if her mouth was full of ice, and her vision blurred further.
Large snowflakes fell on her face and melted slowly.
*If they continued to sit there for hours, would they turn into snowmen?*
"If you don't speak clearly right now, I will bite you."
"Huh?"
"I've warned you. Stay awake and move your lips to talk."
"…"
"Don't regret it later. **Wake up.**"
Someone gently touched her forehead.
As she opened her eyes because of that familiar touch, she met the man's sharp gaze. He was observing her skin color very seriously, pressing the area below her throat with a cold and analytical look.
*Still beautiful…*
Seoryeong thought as she looked into the man's eyes at close range.
Those eyes were like rare ice flowers. Not all eyes were this beautiful.
*What about Kim Hyeon's eyes?*
Trying to remember something she had never seen felt like imagining the empty space where their wedding photo should have been.
She frowned, trying to refocus her blurring vision.
*I have to stay awake.*
*It can't end like this.*
She forced her freezing lips open.
"Then, Instructor… we have a lot of time and are bored…"
Their breaths mingled in the cold air.
"Let's… talk about our spouses."
---
As soon as she finished speaking, Lee Wooshin exhaled a long breath—
And pressed his thick lips against Seoryeong's trembling ones.
His warm breath mixed with hers.
He opened his mouth wider, forcing the warmth to transfer. Hot breath filled the gap between their tightly pressed lips.
She could feel the moisture of saliva, but the man's tongue didn't move—only touched the surface of her lips.
"Mm…"
Their lips touched solely for survival.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. Nor a passionate one.
Just a controlled kiss that served as artificial respiration.
As the slippery inside of her lip was sucked in, even the usually cold Lee Wooshin began to breathe more heavily. Occasionally, a suppressed sound could be heard—but the man seemed to be restraining himself greatly.
However, their breaths continued to mingle.
Seoryeong's lips slowly began to thaw.
*What is happening now?*
Her consciousness began to recover.
Seoryeong tried to pull away.
But as she tensed her neck to retreat, her head was immediately held firmly.
"Mm!"
With one hand, the man gripped her head—then bit her lip hard enough to prevent her from moving away.
Lee Wooshin opened his eyes, looking sharply at her, and for some reason—looking with a faint anger.
He tilted his head slightly, finding the perfect angle between them.
It was only then that Seoryeong noticed something different.
That gaze, which had always been only warm and mysterious—now began to burn with a strange fire that was slowly smoldering.
Those eyes conveyed something **dark.**
And full of **_desire._**