Chapter 67.2

Chapter 67.2

“Achoo!”

After a series of sneezes, Seoryeong curled up even tighter as her body shivered. Every breath she took fogged her balaclava.

She finally pulled down her sweater to breathe the cold air directly. Her lips, already pale, were now turning a deep blue from the cold. Despite the warmth inside her jacket, she felt strangely achy and exhausted.

As her heavy eyelids started to close, smack! A sharp sting spread across her cheek.

“Agent Han Seoryeong, stay awake and keep talking.”

“Yes?”

“If your speech slows or your mind gets foggy, I’ll keep hitting you.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Your breathing has already slowed.”

He had placed his fingers under her nose at some point, and now he scoffed as he pinched and slapped her cheeks. Without pause, Lee Wooshin kept pinching and pulling her skin to stimulate blood circulation.

“Don’t drift off. Stay with me.”

“As you know, I haven’t eaten. I’ve just been drinking water.” She had thought they just needed to wait for the rescue team when she decided to endure, but keeping her sanity with an exhausted body was harder than she expected.

Even she could feel her heartbeat slowing, her muscles stiffening. The fatigue pressing down on her was far heavier than when she was alone in the mountains.

This can’t be happening. I need to join the special team and do a lot of bad things. I have to keep an eye on Lee Wooshin until the end. I need to make my awful husband pay… In her drowsy state, Seoryeong rambled in her thoughts.

Then, shaking her head vigorously, she forced her eyes open.

“Instructor, I think my mouth is freezing shut. I just want to stay still, please don’t pinch my cheeks.”

“No, keep talking and moving.”

“…”

Though her pinched cheeks wobbled, her consciousness grew dimmer.

“Agent Han Seoryeong, can you hear me?”

“…”

“I said, don’t stay still.”

“…”

“Say something, even nonsense. You can’t pass out here.”

“…”

“Han Seoryeong! Talk about whatever crap you like and stay focused…!”

“Hold. Still.” She responded to the instructor’s shouting, but her voice dragged oddly. Her pronunciation was slurred as if she had ice in her mouth, and her vision grew increasingly blurred.

Large snowflakes fell on her face and melted away. If they kept sitting like this for hours, would they both turn into snowmen?

“If you don’t speak clearly right now, I’m going to bite you.”

“Huh?”

“I warned you. Stay awake and move your lips to talk.”

“…”

“Don’t regret it later. Get up.”

Someone brushed her neatly eyebrows. Opening her eyes at the strange familiarity, she met his stern gaze.

He was intently observing her complexion, pressing under her throat with a cold and analytical look.

Still beautiful… Seoryeong thought, gazing at his ice-flower-like eyes from their close proximity.

Not all eyes are this pretty. How were Kim Hyun’s eyes?

Trying to recall something she had never seen was like picturing an empty hole where their wedding photo should have been.

She furrowed her brow, trying to refocus her blurred vision.

I have to stay alert. I can’t let it end like this. She finally managed to pry open her frozen lips.

“Then, Instructor… we… have plenty of time and we’re bored.”

Their breath mingled in the cold air. “Let’s… talk about our spouses.”

As she said that, Lee Wooshin exhaled roughly and planted his thick lips against her quivering ones. His warm breath mingled with hers.

He opened his mouth wider, forcefully transferring his warmth. Hot breath flowed in, filling the space between their tightly pressed lips.

She could feel the wetness of saliva, but his tongue didn’t move at all, only brushing against her lips’ surface.

“Mm…” Their lips met solely for survival. It wasn’t tender, nor was it rough—an entirely restrained kiss allowing only artificial respiration.

When the slippery inside of her lips was sucked in, even the usually cold Lee Wooshin breathed more heavily.

Occasionally, stifled sounds broke out, but he seemed to be meticulously controlling himself.

Even so, their breath mingled indistinguishably. Her frozen lips gradually thawed.

What’s happening right now? Finally regaining some clarity, Seoryeong tried to pull away. But as she tensed her neck to withdraw, her head was immediately grabbed.

“Mm!”

With one hand, he gripped her small head tightly, biting her lips hard enough to stop her from moving.

Frowning, Lee Wooshin opened his eyes and, for some reason, glared at her. He tilted his head, instantly finding a perfect angle for them.

It was only then that the strange, unfamiliar fire in his eyes, which had always been a constant source of warmth, began to simmer quietly.

His eyes conveyed a sinister desire.