Chapter 106.2

Chapter 106.2

Leaning forward, Lee Wooshin continued to toy with her toes without lifting his gaze. His voice carried no discernible emotion.

“Russia? So, not from an English-speaking country? That’s unexpected.” Seoryeong’s gaze lingered on his glossy black hair and well-defined features, appreciating them anew. Without realizing it, she blurted out her thoughts.

“That’s fascinating. I almost went to Russia once.”

“…”

He paused. Seoryeong blinked, her words suddenly tumbling out in a flurry.

“I used to do gymnastics in school. Back then, they sent the best students to Russia for intensive training. Do you speak Russian? I even learned the Cyrillic alphabet back then.”

“Did you end up going?”

“No. I quit gymnastics and school before I could.”

“Does your husband know?”

“Know what?”

“That there was a time in your life you’re so eager to brag about.”

“…!”

Did I come across like that? She shook her head, her expression turning curt.

She might have been good at gymnastics as a child, but it wasn’t something she particularly loved.

“Why didn’t you tell your husband about this?”

He seemed genuinely curious, idly stroking the top of her foot. The light touch sent an odd tickle through her chest.

Seoryeong pulled the blanket up to her neck, feeling oddly exposed despite speaking so freely for the first time.

“I was afraid of saying the wrong thing,” she admitted.

“…”

“I wanted to show him only my best sides, which made me overthink everything. If I started sharing little things, he’d eventually learn I quit gymnastics, that I didn’t have friends in school, and that my personality isn’t great. I was scared to show him my true self.”

“…”

“So I couldn’t speak up easily. I guess I was just too…”

She paused, her eyes drifting to the ceiling.

“Desperate.”

Her voice had grown calm, almost detached. Lee Wooshin stared at her, unblinking. His eyes betrayed a subtle crack in his composure, though he didn’t seem to notice it himself.

He almost looked… unsettled.

“Instructor, you wouldn’t know what that’s like, would you?”

Seoryeong tossed out the question casually.

He couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to swallow feelings out of fear that the other person might get tired of you. After all, he always looked at her like she was naive.

The embarrassment of oversharing hit her belatedly. She scratched her forehead and tucked her feet back under the blanket.

The silence stretched, faintly charged. Seoryeong’s mind whirred, and then she bared her teeth in a sudden grin.

“But even you must have had at least one worst moment, right?”

“…!”

“For me, it was yesterday, and you caught me at it.” Seoryeong confessed.

She’d completely broken down, thinking Kim Hyun’s body was lifeless. She still didn’t know why it bothered her so much, but she figured it was because she’d exposed her most vulnerable side to Lee Wooshin.

She hated that he’d seen her so utterly defenseless.

It felt unfair to be the one to reveal more weaknesses. It was a matter of pride.

Lee Wooshin’s steady, intense gaze pierced her silently. Seoryeong pulled the blanket higher, covering the red marks left on her chest, hips, and thighs, and spoke.

“I hate that I’m the only one showing weakness. So enough with the nails. You should share something too.”

She firmly believed that was the only way their relationship could remain balanced and transactional.

Lee Wooshin turned his body fully toward her, grinning like he was thoroughly amused.

“Ah—so what you’re saying is that after sleeping with the instructor, you’re feeling off, embarrassed about yesterday, and to balance things out, you figure dragging something out of me might make you feel better—am I right?”

His tone was mocking, sharp as he laid out the situation.

Seoryeong flinched, but she figured denying it would only make her look worse. “Yes,” she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

At that, Lee Wooshin burst into laughter, pulled her foot out from under the blanket, and started biting at it playfully.

“What are you doing?!”

“How is it even possible for such a twisted personality to be this adorable?”

“…!”

“Don’t want to see your crooked toes fixed again?”

“Get your mouth off my foot!”

The feel of his lips brushing against her foot made Seoryeong yelp. He pretended to bite, teasing her like someone playing with a baby’s foot.

She could feel her pulse thrumming against her sole.

Why is he laughing like that? His warm, gentle gaze made her chest flush with heat. He was cold when silent, but his smile, soft and disarming, made her uncomfortable in a way she couldn’t stand.

“But now, how am I supposed to feel sorry for this?”

Leaning one hand on the mattress, Lee Wooshin stretched his body languidly.

“Almost every moment of my life has been the worst.”

He started folding his fingers one by one as he spoke detachedly.

“When I was eight, my parents died. By fourteen, I was truly alone. And as soon as I became an adult, the people I trusted and followed stabbed me in the back before dropping dead themselves. Which one do you want to hear about? Go ahead, Agent Han Seoryeong, pick one.”

“….”

“They’re all shitty, so any choice is bound to be entertaining.”

With a blank face, he rubbed the back of his neck. He spoke as if rummaging through a childhood talent show—lighthearted, almost flippant.

“But since you asked for just one…”

Abruptly, Lee Wooshin lowered his gaze.

“The worst day also happened to be the best.”

For someone like him to have a “best day”…

“What was it?”

The question slipped out before Seoryeong could stop herself. She immediately regretted it, blinking rapidly in embarrassment. He rubbed his jaw, looking mildly troubled.

He’d spoken so freely about death and betrayal, yet something told her he might keep silent about this. Her gut instinct was right. His deep, shadowed gaze locked onto hers.

“My wedding day.”

Just then, Lee Wooshin’s phone rang urgently, shattering the moment.

It felt like a cold splash of water, waking them both.