"Why do you have to talk so dirty...!"
Though unseen, it seemed like Lee Ushin's red lips were forming a wide smile.
> "Try closing your eyes for a moment and think. If I were to become a target of a foreign intelligence agency, I would immediately return to the country and kill you and the Deputy Head first."
"What?!"
Na Wonchang was so shocked he stood up from his seat.
> "In this intelligence agency, only two people know my real face, right? Even though I'm not a shadow agent, the fewer people who know about me, the better. Because that way, it will be easier to eliminate them. Of course, done according to seniority."
Na Wonchang swallowed with difficulty.
> "So, start walking a little every day. It's easier to kill a young man in his twenties like you than the older Deputy Head."
"Ugh..."
> "I tried to speak politely, but you understand my meaning, right? I don't trust superiors or colleagues. But if you still want to keep working with me, think carefully about the offer I gave you."
"E-Er... Chief... Have a safe and smooth journey, sir."
> "Hmm."
His low voice, laced with a playful tone, replied.
> "Stay quiet and don't let me have to look for you. And you also don't try to look for me."
Although his words sounded light, Na Wonchang's body shivered all over.
_He used to be an assassin who pretended to be a gigolo._
While laughing and charming women, he would inject poison into the hearts of traitors without hesitation. The term "shadow agent" sounded cool, but in reality, they were just assassins given official permission by the state.
"E-Er... Sorry, I wanted to ask one more thing…"
> "It's over now. Why is your tongue so long?"
Just look—his attitude immediately turned wary. His expression also clearly became sharper.
Although he had never seen his eyes directly, they must be as sharp as knives hidden behind those black lenses.
Na Wonchang hurriedly spoke again to dispel those disturbing thoughts.
"It seems 'Owl' really loves Chief, huh."
> "..."
Suddenly, the person who had seemed annoyed fell silent.
_'Owl' was Han Seoryeong's code name._
"Actually, there was a big incident at the police station last month. Owl came in covered in blood and said it was her husband's blood. Then she reported that her husband was missing. The police officers on duty that night were shocked and immediately started a search faster than expected. If they had been a little late, there might still have been evidence left. Luckily, that wasn't the case…"
> "...Blood?"
A hoarse voice cut in abruptly.
"What?"
> "What blood?"
"After examination, it turned out it was her own blood. But the CCTV footage at the police station showed her face covered in blood, so the police really panicked."
> "..."
"Chief? Are you still listening?"
> "Continue."
"Ah, yes...! So the missing person report was processed faster than anticipated, and as a result, the fake identity she was using was also revealed sooner. I thought it would take two days. It seems she thinks very quickly; I was surprised myself."
> "..."
"I saved the video footage. Would Chief like to see it?"
After that, there was silence.
And the longer the silence lasted, the more Na Wonchang realized that he might have said something he shouldn't have.
"Ch-Chief…?"
He called out with a regretful tone, but there was no answer.
Only the faint sound of teeth grinding could be heard from a distance.
His palms began to fill with sweat.
> "Why didn't you immediately give me a reason why I should watch that video… within three seconds?"
Wonchang's voice trembled.
"E-Er... that…"
He stammered in panic. He himself didn't know why he had asked that, until Lee Ushin clearly pointed it out.
Wonchang scratched his head awkwardly.
_Dealing with a boss like this was more mentally draining than he had imagined._
As Lee Ushin began to count down silently, the coldness in his voice relentlessly pressed down on Na Wonchang.
> "Who would be foolish enough to look for discarded documents? Since the withdrawal order came out, Owl has been destroyed. Understand?"
"Sorry…!"
> "Understand?"
"Understood!"
> "Don't misunderstand, don't speculate, and don't get too caught up in your feelings."
"Sorry…"
_It seems like he had been caught…_
How truly embarrassing.
Wonchang bowed even lower.
But he had learned that having feelings for a target who was under long-term surveillance was normal. Because this job was done by humans, so it was difficult to completely avoid it.
_But it seems I've fallen into that trap…!_
Wonchang felt heat spread from his neck.
> "Wonchang. Do you really think what I did was… marriage?"
Lee Ushin was different from ordinary people.
No matter how long he knew someone, he never formed emotional bonds with anyone. Even with the women he had been in relationships with, he could still be so cold.
And when he talked about killing the Deputy Head, whom he had known for ten years, Wonchang's body immediately broke out in goosebumps.
> "Owl was just a target. And the role I received was 'husband.' Now that this crazy mission is over, why dig it up again? Don't look back, and don't think about it anymore."
Lee Ushin said it as if he truly didn't understand.
> "Or do you feel bad for doing this to an ordinary person? Or is this confusing you, Wonchang?"
"No… It's not like that!"
_Ah… this damn mouth…!_
Wonchang gently slapped his own lips.
> "Then tell me, where is there agent training that doesn't teach about sex? I'll enroll you. Because our Wonchang must have been raised with morals and clean from all sin, right?"
Although his face flushed with the sarcasm, Wonchang hurriedly calmed his thoughts.
"No, not at all!"
> "If you understand, never mention the name 'Owl' in front of me again."
His tone, which had been full of humor, immediately became flat.
"But…!"
And at that moment, the phone line was disconnected.
_It seems the team leader is really angry…_
_I acted like an amateur just now._
A real field agent shouldn't feel anything towards a completed mission.
Wonchang buried his face on the keyboard and let out a long sigh. Then he took off the headset that was almost blasting his ears and let his body relax for a moment.
Finally, he bid farewell in his heart to the smiling face of 'Owl' on the screen, before turning off the monitor.
The two-and-a-half-year **"Bird Box"** mission was finally over.
---
The world felt upside down.
Seoryeong aligned her body so that her hips and shoulders were in a straight line, then focused her strength on the tips of her feet. She was standing on her hands, using the wall as support, and looking down at the floor.
After steeling her resolve to catch her husband—or at least let her husband come and catch her—the first thing Seoryeong did was to restore her body.
She began to eat regularly after days of not eating, and continued her treatment at the eye clinic. Now, her vision had returned enough to live a normal daily life.
"Huh... Huh..."
She smiled when she felt her body weight evenly distributed on both arms.
She hadn't felt this sense of controlling her body as she wished for a long time. Everything felt like it was getting back on track.
"Ugh...!"
However, when the memory of the marriage she once thought was full of happiness turned out to be part of a sinister plan, that thought made everything in front of her turn white.
Seoryeong fell to her knees on the floor.
She hugged her own body.
_To her, all of that was everything in life… was her entire real world…_
"Kim Hyeon... Kim Hyeon..."
A soft voice escaped her lips.
But every time the pain surged, she would grit her teeth and stand again in front of the wedding photo.
The photo she had prepared with all her heart and displayed as a symbol of her pride—
Was now just an **empty frame**.
The first thing she noticed after her vision returned was that empty photo frame.
_The face that was once so joyful when she received that frame… What kind of expression did Kim Hyeon have then?_
_It's funny, isn't it?_
"Kim Hyeon... you bastard..."
She flipped through her phone desperately, but found nothing in the gallery.
_She should have saved his picture, even though she couldn't see it then…_
A wife who doesn't even know her own husband's face—
Who doesn't know but still insists on looking for him—
Even though she felt suffocated by despair, she didn't want to give up.
And that was what made her start planning her next move.
---
"You said you wanted to consult about a crime… What exactly do you mean…"
Channa's usually sharp eyes trembled violently on that bright and coolly windy day.
"I don't know anyone in this field."
Seoryeong, not knowing where else to turn, finally contacted Channa, an employee from the all-purpose service center.
At first, Channa seemed surprised to receive the call, but soon after, she began to ask about Seoryeong and said that she still often thought about her. She happily accepted the invitation.
And after that…
"I've already surveyed the Tongil Bridge and the southern part of the Imjin River. I think instant noodles, corn, and raincoats will be enough. I wanted to get your opinion, is there any additional preparation needed? Oh yeah, I also got information that it would be best if we stole a fishing boat. I'm also considering the Incheon or Ganghwa areas in Incheon province—both look interesting."