"Han Seoryeong, over here!"
As soon as she entered the private room with the guide, Seoryeong heard Jin Hoje's voice. He was the first to wave at her enthusiastically.
*One, two, three…*
Seoryeong scanned her surroundings, taking in the people who would become her new mentors, then bowed politely.
They were members of the Special Security Team she had seen at the training camp and during the mission in Thailand. One was the shooting instructor, Ki Taemin. Another was Instructor Yoo Dawit—the man who had once blown up the swamp mud with mini-explosives.
Seoryeong reflexively sharpened her gaze toward Instructor Yoo, who was adjusting his glasses.
She couldn't count how many times she had been startled when drones exploded *boom, boom* while she was crawling through mud, the wet ground erupting like a fountain. The mud that sprayed into the air fell on the team members in thick, filthy clumps.
Even after brushing her teeth dozens of times, the bitter taste had lingered in her mouth.
As soon as she saw the instructor's face, memories of that hellish training resurfaced as if it had just happened yesterday.
Seoryeong hesitated to go further in—until a low voice sounded from behind her.
"Why are you just standing there?"
"…!"
Seoryeong quickly turned her head.
The man was wearing a chestnut brown turtleneck and a fitted long coat that reached his knees. Unlike the black elastic training uniform, Lee Wooshin's casual attire made him look **very different.**
He looked like a professional who usually held a pen, not a weapon.
However, his broad shoulders and upright posture couldn't be hidden—radiating an aura like an action star.
Seoryeong looked at him from head to toe.
Perhaps because she was more used to seeing him soaking wet from seawater, covered in sweat, or showing a serious face while gritting his teeth—meeting him in regular clothes like this felt *awkward.*
Lee Wooshin allowed Seoryeong's innocent gaze for a moment, then raised his eyebrows.
"Has Han Seoryeong had enough rest?"
"I've been busy."
"Ah—*busy.*"
He repeated the word with a teasing tone and an unreadable expression.
"You say you've been busy, but it looks like you've been taking good care of your wounds."
"…"
"You've been diligent with the medicine, haven't you."
Suddenly, he lowered his head and lightly touched Seoryeong's nose and cheeks with his fingertips. His sharp gaze drifted to her neck—but the thick sweater she was wearing protected her skin from his stare.
Lee Wooshin then pushed her forward toward the other team members with a flat expression. His large hand gripped Seoryeong's shoulder firmly.
"As you all know, this is Han Seoryeong—who passed the final test by tying my wrist." His voice carried through the room. "She will be your colleague in the upcoming overseas mission. Please help her, and Han Seoryeong, learn a lot from the mentors. In terms of experience and age, Seoryeong is the youngest."
The team members stood up while giving a round of applause.
---
"Let's have a drink first!"
As soon as the meat began to grill and the drinks flowed, the team members began to show their true colors one by one.
Lee Wooshin, who had taken off his coat from the beginning, was busy grilling meat with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
"Drink as much as you like. Everyone is responsible for themselves."
He didn't stop his drunken colleagues—but he also didn't drink with them.
Soon, the drinking games revolved among the team members—except for their leader.
Seoryeong accepted every glass her mentors offered. At one point, she tilted her head because what she was drinking tasted like water, then licked her lips.
*Am I drunk?*
But her stomach wasn't churning, and her head wasn't light.
*Strange.*
However, she continued to sip her drink while listening to stories from those who were starting to be affected by the alcohol.
_Once the conversation went on for a while, true intentions would emerge. Once the alcohol took effect, people's true selves would appear._
For Seoryeong, this meeting was just a tool to assess who her new colleagues really were.
"Damn it… whoever hasn't deserted, drink."
"…"
"…"
The atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy.
Ki Taemin, a former national shooting athlete from a sports high school, used to be a member of the 707th Special Mission Group in the Army Special Warfare Command. But after being beaten by his seniors, he ran away to the military to "breathe for a while"—only to find that bullying in the military was **much worse.**
Afraid of shooting his seniors, he tried to desert and ended up being confined, never returning to the world of sports.
"I came here because I was sick of those bastards who pretended to be dedicated and showed off their honorable photos on social media." His voice was bitter. "I thought there would be a time in my life when I could shoot with a gun, damn it."
He was a slender man with neat features—but every word held anger.
Seoryeong and two other members raised their glasses.
"If you've never threatened a pastor to blow up a church, finish your drink."
Yoo Dawit was a rare case—someone who had secretly entered seminary before eventually becoming a soldier. But after accidentally dealing with explosives, something in his mind *awakened,* as if hearing his calling.
Initially, he was labeled a traitor—but his stance never wavered. He finally left the seminary, entered EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) training, and was assigned overseas with the 5th Airborne Special Forces Brigade.
He had a wealth of experience there.
Once again, Seoryeong and the other two downed their drinks.
"Only those who have tried it in water can drink!"
*'What?'*
Seoryeong hesitated for a moment. The other team members immediately showed strange expressions, while Jin Hoje continued to drink without hesitation.
*Ah!*
Only then did Seoryeong realize—they were talking about *sex.*
As she prepared to lower her glass, Lee Wooshin—who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol so far—suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"…!"
Seoryeong's eyes widened.
The man looked at her while slowly taking a sip of his drink, as if wanting to hold her gaze longer.
"Wooo—!"
Low and meaningful cheers echoed from around them—but amidst the commotion, their gazes remained locked.
Lee Wooshin's jaw moved slowly, and his Adam's apple bobbed steadily. Seoryeong's wrist, still held in his grip, felt ticklish and trembled.
"…"
"…"
_I've done it in the bathtub with my husband too…_
_I was embarrassed then, but I liked how he calmed and guided me._
But now, seeing others experience it too, she felt… *relieved.* And somehow, she also felt like she belonged to the same circle.
Finally, it was Seoryeong's turn to speak.
Her three mentors looked at her with expectant expressions—full of hope and curiosity. After a brief pause, she opened her mouth.
Even with her eyes closed, she could actually make everyone drink.
"Whoever hasn't lived as a blind person, please drink."
The three men immediately downed their drinks in unison.
"Whoever hasn't had a fake marriage, drink."
Again, three heads tilted back simultaneously.
"Whoever hasn't been suspected by the police for trying to kill their husband, drink."
Everyone fell silent. Their gazes were fixed on her.
"If all your neighbors haven't disappeared overnight, drink."
"If you've never tried to defect to North Korea, drink two glasses."
"…"
"Crazy."
Ki Taemin, who had been drinking non-stop, grumbled in admiration—"*Damn…*"—a sound mixed with impressiveness and disbelief.
Seoryeong listened to the instructors' complaints, then turned to Jin Hoje, whose face still looked cheerful and lively.
Even though he had rolled around many times during training, the man still reminded her of Kim Hyeon.
_The face I imagined with blind eyes… it was like that._
Slightly tanned skin. A sturdy neck. Broad shoulders like a swimmer.
His eyes kept looking at her—until finally he dropped a piece of meat from his chopsticks.
From the side came an annoyed clicking sound.
"You're supposed to eat the meat with your mouth, not your eyes. And this is your third drink."
"What?"
"If you get caught staring at a man, what did I say would happen?" Lee Wooshin's tone was sharp. "With chopstick skills that bad, what do you think you can do out there?"
"…"
"After survival training, you haven't had a proper meal, have you? So just face your plate."
Seoryeong was surprised—but finally nodded slowly.
After returning from training, to soothe her damaged stomach, she could only eat soft food for several days. It was true—today was the first time she could eat properly.
Jin Hoje approached suddenly and said, "Oh, right! Team Leader, has your rib gotten better?"
*Rib?*
*What rib?*
Seoryeong's gaze immediately turned to Wooshin.
But Lee Wooshin remained calm, showing no sign of answering directly. He looked at Jin Hoje, as if asking for an explanation.
"Oh! You didn't know? He had a slight fracture in his rib last fall. If it's fractured, every time you lift your arm, you'll break out in a cold sweat. Just lying down or taking a breath will be excruciatingly painful."
"You hurt your rib *back then?*"
Seoryeong asked, looking at his side.
*So when he hugged me with that fractured rib—and then climbed the ice wall again?*
She frowned at the thought.
"Don't make a big deal out of something trivial."
"That's not what I meant."
_It's just… working under someone as tough as you is quite difficult._
But she didn't say it.
Lee Wooshin just threw a piece of meat onto her plate, as if telling her to stop worrying and just eat.
Suddenly, Jin Hoje—who had just chewed some meat—brought up a new topic.
"By the way, I saw something interesting on YouTube. There was an interview with a guy named Jonna Mendez, a former CIA chief of disguise. Apparently, that facial disguise technique we only see in movies… **it's real!**"
All eyes immediately turned to him, curious.
"Not only is it real—but they say the technique has far surpassed our imagination! If the bone structure is right, people can change gender, race, and no one will notice. They say if a disguised person walks past you, you won't even feel anything strange." He leaned forward. "The CIA calls it a kind of *'overhead mask.'*"
"But if it's already been publicized, doesn't that kind of spy technique become outdated?"
Ki Taemin interjected.
Jin Hoje nodded.
"Yeah, that's probably why they dared to talk about it. But this is the interesting part—"
He looked at each team member one by one before continuing.
"How would you feel if someone close to you turned out to have a **fake face?**"
---
At that moment, Lee Wooshin's hand—which was flipping the meat—immediately stopped.
And Seoryeong lifted her head from her chopsticks.