Chapter 33.1

Chapter 33.1

After her stitches were removed, Seoryeong worked on increasing her stamina by burpee tests and jump squats like she was back in the old days. She had a medical examination and practiced basic swimming as described in the instructions.

For two months, she focused on healing her injuries and shaping her body.

In her remaining time, she delved into learning more about Blast Agency. It was divided into domestic and overseas departments, and surprisingly, the tasks were diverse.

As she delved deeper into each department, the teams were further divided. The special security team was overseas, but unfortunately, there was no public information about it.

When the day came for muster, Seoryeong stood in front of the empty wedding frame again.

“I’ll be back.”

She imagined her husband’s face there, where there was nothing.

I will go to where you are.

And when I do… this time, you’ll have to come catch me this time.

It was a single milestone imprinted on her body like a scar.

After leaving home, Seoryeong stood in front of the Blast building with nothing but a letter from the CEO. With a thick sports bag slung over her shoulder, she looked up at the building in wonder.

She had never been up to the upper floors, having only been in and out of the locker rooms, cafeteria, and laundry room.

The meeting was on the 10th floor of the building. She fixed her bag and pushed the revolving door open.

Inside the elevator, she found a group of men dressed in light casual clothes, just like her.

They seemed to know each other as they greeted each other cautiously.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here, Sergeant Kim.”

“I couldn’t live off on nationalistic salary so I came here.”

“That’s true… I also saw Lieutenant Commander Park being forced to retire so I left. I still have mortgage left.”

Only the soft noises of humming and hawing returned in the silent tension.

Seoryeong leaned against the glass wall and stared down at the ground, which was rapidly moving away from her.

The sliding doors opened, and the first thing she saw was a vast auditorium. The men who rode with her dismounted, and she followed, causing the men ahead of her to glance up in surprise.

Beneath the high-ceiling auditorium, the recruits sat in rows of chairs. Most of them had short hair.

Some of them looked around with frowns on their faces as if they were new to society, or they didn’t move at all. Either way, their lack of relaxation gave them an air of inexperience that was different from the rest of the crew.

Some seemed to have a military background, while others sported attire reminiscent of athletes. There were even some with crew cuts on their faces. The origins seemed quite diverse.

Is this what happens when a company hire people by their strength and combat capabilities? Since this is a mercenary company, everyone was measuring each other up, leaving a cold and awkward silence.

“….”

Seoryeong walked past them indifferently.It was apparent to anyone that she was the only standout.

In an instant, all attention was on her, and silence flowed. Laughter, curiosity, disdain, hostility—all flooded in at once. Yet, she calmly took a seat in a corner.

“You!”

Just then, someone grabbed her by the shoulders. Her upper body was dragged toward the back seat, and a vaguely familiar face glared at her.

“Why are you here?!”

Ugh, how annoying. She inwardly clicked her tongue.

“Why is our cook here?!”

The man Seoryeong had encountered during a brawl at the agency happened to be part of the group. His scowl bore a sternness that hinted at his displeasure. The redness of his neck and his restrained breath suggested he was grappling with something he didn’t like.

He quickly moved to the seat next to Seoryeong and sat down.

“I thought you’d abandoned your job and quit!”

His booming voice immediately drew everyone’s attention. Seoryeong pretended to tie her sneakers and spoke in an unusually low voice for a woman.

“Yeah, I should have just eaten and done laundry… It didn’t work out.”

Her eyes shot straight to the man.

“And then someone had to end up dead.”

For a moment, he faltered under the weight of Seoryeong’s intense stare before quickly dismissing it with a laugh.

“W-what nonsense are you spouting? Do we need a cook for our camp? Besides, this place is strictly for trainees. It’d be best if you left.”

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“What?”

“Your name, what is it?”