Chapter 107.1

Chapter 107.1

“Can you make a quick trip to Sakhalin?”

The ice clinked softly in the whiskey glass.

At the top floor of Blast Agency, Lee Wooshin sat across from the company’s CEO, Kang Taegon.

He had cleared his morning training schedule, intending to spend the day tending to Seoryeong, but this sudden summons derailed his plans. And now Sakhalin? His expression hardened noticeably.

Kang Taegon was notorious for frequently dispatching female bodyguards to Saint Petersburg. He was also the one who had recruited Han Seoryeong into Blast Agency, a fact that irked Wooshin far more than the rumors of corruption linking the company to the NIS.

The expansive view of the open sky outside made him think of the owl for some reason, an association that only added to his irritation.

Even the memory of it heated his breath.

Earlier, as he prepared for the meeting, Seoryeong, unnecessarily stiff and formal, had insisted on coming along. He had half a mind to tie her to the bed to keep her there. But the way she narrowed her eyes at him, sharp enough to be alluring, made him relent and let her sit in the passenger seat.

Her presence downstairs in the building was a constant distraction.

Before coming up, he had urged her to eat something, but the thought of her sitting among his subordinates, the lone woman in the group, made his temper flare.

After how close they had been last night, she’d probably have a languid expression, barely moving her mouth as she ate. His brow twitched involuntarily at the thought.

“According to your schedule, you still have some time before your trip to Africa,” Kang remarked, his polished black cane resting casually at his side.

Wooshin scanned the room, his eyes briefly brushing over the cane before meeting Kang’s gaze.

“There’s been a request from the Sakhalin Monastery.”

“…!”

Damn it. Wooshin swallowed a curse.

The Sakhalin Monastery—wasn’t that a front for a rogue branch of the Russian Orthodox Church? His mind alternated between burning and icy cold, but his face betrayed nothing. The nature of this mission didn’t sit well with him.

“Russia has been detaining the children of anti-government figures in monasteries. They’ve requested our help monitoring the children until negotiations are concluded.”

“You mean to say… children? In a monastery?” Wooshin’s frown deepened.

“They’re just kids. They can’t exactly put them in prison cells or cramped rooms, can they?”

“…”

“The monastery has a significant number of Asians, you know. The client specifically requested operatives who wouldn’t draw attention. They also want agents who don’t share a common language with the targets. That’s why they reached out to us.”

“Is this an official request?”

“It is.”

Kang’s perfect, effortless smile betrayed no discomfort. Still, the nature of the mission seemed off. Straightforward on the surface, it nagged at Wooshin.

“This is the first child-related mission since you took over the team, isn’t it? I hear most of your team members are single. Soldiers, in particular, have a soft spot for kids. It’s a weakness.”

“…”

“But if you can’t overcome your sympathy, you won’t be able to handle bigger tasks.”

“This feels too minor for our team, doesn’t it?” Wooshin voiced his skepticism.

Kang nodded, seemingly in agreement.

“It is, but the person who urgently requested this is a long-time client and business partner. They specifically want the Special Security Team. That puts me in a bind.”

Wooshin clenched his fist briefly, then released it.

“Fine. I’ll take three operatives. The rookie is out, she’s on medical leave.”

“You mean Han Seoryeong?”

“…!”

Hearing Seoryeong’s name spoken so plainly made Wooshin grit his teeth. It confirmed that Kang Taegon hadn’t lost interest in her. The mere mention of her in this context stoked his fury.

At that moment, as Kang Taegon twirled his glass, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

“Well… The client wanted to invite the entire Special Security Team.”

“Invite us?”

The statement grated on Wooshin’s nerves like an electric wire snapping.

He recalled receiving a report about Han Seoryeong crossing paths with a Sakhalin-based operative nicknamed “Boogeyman” at an event shortly after the death of the Mongolian Economic Development Chief.

Wooshin suppressed his quickening breaths and loosened his tightly knotted tie.

Operatives trained to the extreme never forget a face. It was simply second nature in their line of work.

But if Seoryeong were to meet that operative again at the monastery, what then? In that moment, her image would inevitably lodge itself in the assassin’s memory.

Just imagining the possibility made Wooshin grind his teeth. A wave of nausea churned within him, the revulsion so intense it almost made him gag.

Was it vigilance? Hostility? He couldn’t tell. Was it a man’s instinct or a professional’s intuition? He wasn’t sure of that either.

All he knew was the overwhelming anxiety that made his fingers tremble slightly.

Moreover, Han Seoryeong had once been a high-priority protected individual for the NIS. Although the operation had officially ended, little was still known about Rigay’s personal details.

Under these circumstances, no one could definitively say if it was safe for her to encounter a fellow ethnic Korean. The uncertainty gnawed at him, as though his nerves were being consumed by fire.

“Then we’ll have to bring Han Seoryeong back,” Kang Taegon said with a hearty laugh.

“I gave her a little tip the other day. It’s obvious, isn’t it? She probably took leave to lie low after the fiasco at the quantum cryptography conference.”

“…!”

So that’s where he got his information. Wooshin bit the inside of his cheek.

“Forget her sick leave. Call everyone back.”