Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“You’re so damn annoying.”

Seoryeong stared at the spiteful man.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Your eyes… really damn…”

“I heard the lady who fell was hospitalized due to back pain.”

“So what?”

“If that’s all you have to say, then I have nothing more to say either.”

“….”

“If you’re done with your business, step aside. You’re in the way.”

“Is that how you always are?”

Blatant stares slid smoothly over her smooth forehead and nose.

If he had just been childish, she might have overlooked this level of harassment. But the dirty interest in his eyes as they roamed over her slender figure crossed a line.

It was a child’s competitive spirit, and it was also a sadism on fire, so she finally put down the iron she was holding.

She asked in a voice without pitch. It was a low, bass voice, unusual for a woman. “Do you want to sleep with me?”

“…!”

“I hope I’m not misunderstanding you, but you sound like you want to.”

“…No, what, you’re a f*cking nuts. Didn’t you learn Confucianism?”

“I just thought I’d give it a try.”

He gulped down the lump in his throat. The man’s lips curled into a smug smile. “And if I say yes?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t sleep with just anyone.”

“Then who do you sleep with?”

“Someone at least six feet tall, no more than 80 pounds, woodsy scent, and…”

She recited line after line, minus the emotion, like she was reading a gothic newspaper article.

“Only pen*ses that curve upwards.”

“….”

“I’m not sorry at all, but it’s on those terms or nothing.”

Seoryeong glanced at the man, his eyes darting down to his crotch and back up again. The man’s throat tightened at the words.

“Up, what?”

“You’re supposed to bend over.”

“Do you have some kind of deal? Why the hell do you even bother with that?”

“Because that’s what my husband looks like.”

“Husband…”

He opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. He stood still, as if completely frozen.

“You have a husband?”

“Yes.”

“Shit, you can’t tell me that now!”

“….”

“Damn it!”

He drummed his fingers through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Seoryeong picked up the iron again and meticulously ironed the uniform. It was a peaceful moment until the man, now agitated, pounded on the ironing board.

“Hey, I lost my identification tag.”

He wiped his face, his expression hardening. Embarrassment or shame, the unrelieved heat clung to his skin like a blotchy rash.

“I think I dropped my identification tag in the shower room. Can you find it for me?”

It was the silver military ID tag provided to each member of the Blast Company. His twisted smirk revealed his intent to hassle Seoryeong any way he could.

“Understood.”

As she finished up her task and turned to leave, her arm was suddenly grabbed.

“But do you really have a husband?”

This is just getting ridiculous… Seoryeong felt like she was starting to understand why the lieutenant described the soldiers as patients. Did he mention they often got injured, caused chaos, and received many injections? She wanted to replace the syringe and stab it into the man’s neck herself.

“….”

Instead of answering, she jerked her arm out of his grasp.

Casual interest was irritating, and the warmth of others was still uncomfortable. But more than any of those emotions, the unspoken truth weighed heavily on her heart. She didn’t have a husband.

* * *

The shower rooms were attached to each team’s locker room.

Seoryeong stopped the rolling hanger and entered the nearest room.

Silence greeted her, undisturbed by even a single drop of water. Yet the lingering humidity still clung damply to the uniform.

She searched every cubicle in the shower room for the silver necklace, but all in vain.

How many times did she wander back and forth between the empty locker rooms and the shower room? Finally, she made her way to the last shower stall at the far end.

How many lockers did she check, meticulously inspecting each one? Amidst her exhaustive search, Seoryeong finally found the necklace lying on the soap dish.

“Haah….”

A sigh escaped her lips. I must go back quickly. Just as she was about to turn around—

“….!”

Swoosh—water suddenly poured down from somewhere without warning. Seoryeong’s spine stiffened at the sound that should never be heard.

Has someone… come in? Even as she stood frozen with her shoulders tense, time continued to pass inexorably. Then, suddenly snapping back to her senses, she turned on her heels.

But of all directions—

“….!”

Seoryeong locked eyes with a man who was showering.

Damn it…! I should have gone the other way!

A sense of impending doom seized her body.

The showering man lazily swept back his drenched hair.

Now faced with the naked man, her mind went blank.

“….”

“….”

His eyes were gray.

Her brief admiration made her glad she was wearing a mask.

Despite knowing it was impolite, her gaze wandered involuntarily. Beneath the refreshing jet-black hair, the white forehead and prominent nose. Somehow, he seemed familiar.

As he washed his face with one hand, he glanced at her.

“Wanna shower together?”

The man playfully arched his lips. His face was damp like rain.

Upon seeing his broad shoulders and smooth collarbone, her fingers twitched inexplicably. She felt like she knew that texture. It was a strange thought.

Despite working here for some time and encountering many men, straight shoulders were rare. Most had overly prominent trapezius muscles, rounded shoulders, or sagging postures.

The clean lines from the neck to the shoulders, however, were uncommon here.

My husband also had shoulders just like that… Just like that.

But the man in front of her was nothing like her husband in appearance, voice, or demeanor.

Is he a bit… mixed race?

Not only his pale irises but also his attractive features, eyelashes, and defined forehead were out of the ordinary. Searching for Kim Hyun in the unfamiliar face seemed to have become an unconscious habit now.

“Kids will be coming in soon, so you better leave quickly.”

He glanced briefly at Seoryeong’s uniform and gestured towards the door. Despite the potentially embarrassing situation, the man showed no signs of embarrassment. In fact, he seemed to be sporting a faint smile.

Phew… Seoryeong exhaled the breath she had been holding and nodded politely.

“――!”

Then, it happened. She accidentally bumped into the man’s lower half.