Chapter 126.1

Chapter 126.1

Despite the events they had endured, the atmosphere felt unusually calm—a sense of peace she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

As they held each other’s gaze, she could see the faint outline of his irises, framed by a sharp border around the pupil, resembling the fins of a shark.

Even though it wasn’t yet the season for flowers, her chest fluttered.

Should I put my contact lenses back in? She was entertaining this absurd thought when Lee Wooshin narrowed his eyes and spoke. His voice, low and displeased, contrasted with the warmth in his expression.

“My neck hurts like hell. Do you have nothing to say about that?”

Ah! He must mean the time I knocked him out.

“You told me to trust you.”

“Well…”

“I don’t like anesthesia. It’s easier to stay conscious for something like stitches. Who knows what could happen on an operating table? If a certain sly someone hadn’t sneakily hit the back of my neck, none of this would’ve been necessary.”

“…”

“What’s with that expression?”

Lee Wooshin raised an eyebrow, pausing. Seoryeong realized she might have unintentionally stiffened her face and quietly sat up.

Avoiding his gaze, she lowered her eyes and began tying up her messy hair. As she smoothed it out and twisted the hair tie twice, she spoke in a flat tone.

“Yesterday, the instructor kept calling for a lovely girl.’”

“What?”

“The instructor’s wife.”

“…!”

“You threw a fit, demanding I send her a message.”

“Wait a minute.”

“But you never gave me her name or phone number.”

“….”

“Is she a celebrity or something?”

Seoryeong noticed the stunned silence on Lee Wooshin’s face, making her wonder if she had struck a nerve.

Come on, doesn’t everyone have someone they once loved? I might have had a ridiculously handsome husband, too.

She ran her hand over her tired face, climbed out of bed, and walked straight toward the door.

She thought things would feel better after some sleep, but the moment she faced Lee Wooshin again, unresolved emotions spilled out like an overfilled pack.

I may be ugly, and she is beautiful but I’d win if we fought. Arm wrestling, actual fighting—I’d win all of it.

An inexplicable wave of self-loathing hit her. Her thoughts felt so childish, something even elementary kids wouldn’t entertain.

Frowning at herself, she almost wished she could go back to their old dynamic of fighting in the mud and glaring daggers at him.

“Wait, Agent Han Seoryeong, this is a misunderstanding.”

Lee Wooshin, catching on a beat too late, tried to stop her. But his injured leg didn’t cooperate, and the sound of him dragging his foot reached her ears.

She finally turned, her face set in an annoyed expression.

“Don’t walk.”

“Don’t go far. That’s all.”

Seoryeong sighed, staring at his unsteady form, and spoke in a detached tone.

“Listen, I’ll keep hating Kim Hyun, but I’ll follow through on the rest of what we agreed to.”

“…!”

“Unless… Are you holding onto your wife the same way I am? Because you can’t let go, you feel guilty and want to keep her in your heart forever while pretending to be all uncaring?”

“What?”

“If you think that’s fair, then I’m not doing it.”

Seoryeong furrowed her brow and added,

“That would feel like living with four people, wouldn’t it?”

Her offhand remark hit harder than expected, sending her mood plummeting.

This isn’t working. Lee Wooshin couldn’t be her accomplice or ally anymore. At this point, he was only getting in the way. A sudden instinct told her she needed some distance from him, and her legs shifted restlessly.

“Sorry, I’m not great at putting myself in someone else’s shoes. I might be okay with it, but—”

She placed her hands on her hips and lowered her head, as if baring her soul.

“You’re not.”

“…!”

“This might sound absurd, but I don’t like sharing,” She simply said.

Seoryeong scratched her furrowed brow, slid the sliding door open, and added,

“So don’t go on walks with the nurse.”

As she stepped out of the room, a loud crash suddenly shattered the air. Startled, she turned around to find a wheelchair toppled over, its wheels spinning aimlessly on the floor.

In the strange silence that followed, Lee Wooshin stood crookedly next to the fallen wheelchair. His face was cold as he stretched out his arm toward her.

“Stop ignoring your instructor and come back here.”

“…!”

“Come closer and talk.”

“What is this?”

“You don’t need to worry about seeing things from my perspective. Just come here.”

He rubbed his face anxiously and shook his wrist as if urging her.

“When did I ever say we should live as four? I said we should leave as two.”

It was impossible to read his face—was he angry or feeling something else entirely?

At that moment, Lee Wooshin spread his arms wide. Seoryeong froze in place, stiff as a board, staring blankly at his calm and casual demeanor. A fleeting look of unease crossed his face before vanishing.

“Seoryeong, my leg is injured, not yours.”

What nerve, snapping like that. And who even spreads their arms like that for support? No matter how much he acted hurt, his healthy complexion and broad shoulders made it clear he wasn’t much of a patient.

Despite being hospitalized, his agile and tightly wound physique looked like he could leap out the window at any moment. He exuded a taut energy, like a violin string ready to snap.

“Think carefully. If I come over there, I’m locking that door first.”

“…”

“By the way, today’s my birthday.”