Chapter 71.1

Chapter 71.1

“Han Seoryeong, over here!”

As she entered the private room following the guide, Jin Hojae raised his hand first upon spotting her.

One, two, three… Seoryeong glanced around at the people who would become her mentors and nodded politely. They were members of the special security team she had seen during the training camp and on her trip to Thailand.

One of them was the shooting instructor, Ki Taemin, and the other was the instructor, Yoo Dawit, who had blown up the mudflats with mini explosives. Seoryeong unconsciously tightened her gaze and looked at Instructor Yoo, who adjusted his glasses.

There were countless times she had been startled when drones went boom, boom while she crawled over the mudflat, exploding the soggy earth beneath her.

The mud that shot up like a fountain fell toward the team members, and even if she brushed her teeth dozens of times afterward, the bitter taste lingered in her mouth.

As soon as she saw the instructor’s face, memories of that hellish training came rushing back vividly. Hesitating at the entrance, a low voice came from above her.

“What are you doing not coming in?”

“…!”

Seoryeong quickly turned around. The man was wearing a chestnut-colored turtleneck and a well-fitted coat that reached his knees.

In contrast to the black training uniform designed with elastic material, Lee Wooshin’s casual attire felt completely different. He looked like a professional who had only held a pen, not a gun.

Still, his broad shoulders and solid physique couldn’t be hidden, giving off the aura of an action star. Seoryeong stared at him from head to toe.

Maybe it was because she was more accustomed to seeing him soaking wet from seawater, drenched in sweat, or looking fierce while gritting his teeth. Suddenly, this encounter in normal attire felt awkward.

Lee Wooshin tolerated her unrefined gaze for a moment before raising an eyebrow.

“Did Han Seoryeong rest well?”

“I’ve been busy.” “Ah—busy.”

He echoed her words with a teasing tone, wearing a perplexing expression.

“I gave you time to rest, so did you meet anyone while you were out?”

“What?”

“No. For someone who claims to have been busy, you seem to have taken good care of your wounds.”

“…”

“You’ve been pretty thorough with the medication.”

He suddenly bent down and brushed Seoryeong’s nose and cheek. His sharp gaze lingered around the nape of her neck, but the thick sweater prevented it from digging into her skin.

Lee Wooshin pushed her forward in front of the team members with a nonchalant expression. His large hands firmly gripped her shoulders.

“As you all know, this is Han Seoryeong, who passed the last test by binding my wrist. She will be your teammate on future overseas missions, so please help her out, and Han Seoryeong, be sure to learn a lot from your mentors. In terms of experience and age, Han Seoryeong is the youngest.”

The team members, standing with straight backs, applauded vigorously.

“Let’s drink first—!”

As the meat sizzled on the grill and drinks flowed, they began to show their true selves little by little.

Lee Wooshin, having removed his coat early on, was grilling the meat with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“Drink as you like, each person is responsible for themselves.”

He neither stopped his excited subordinates from drinking nor joined in with them. Before long, the drinking party began to circulate among the team members, excluding the team leader.

Seoryeong accepted every drink offered to her by her mentors. At one point, she tilted her head, feeling like all she tasted was plain water, smacking her lips.

Am I already drunk? She wondered, but her stomach didn’t churn, nor did she feel tipsy.

It was strange. Yet, she continued to sip her drink while picking up on the stories of those who were getting drunk.

If the conversation drags on, the true intentions eventually surface, and once alcohol kicks in, one’s true nature emerges.

For her, this gathering was merely a tool to assess her team members.

“Damn it… Anyone who hasn’t deserted, drink up.”

“…”

“…”

Suddenly, the atmosphere grew somber.

Ki Taemin, a member of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group, had been a nationally acclaimed shooting athlete at his athletic high school. However, after being beaten by senior athletes, he fled to the military to catch his breath, only to face even harsher bullying within the unit.

Fearing that he might end up shooting all the seniors, he attempted to desert but was thrown into confinement and never returned to being an athlete.

“I came here because I was sickened by those trashy bastards who pretend to be dedicated and post salute selfies on social media. I figured there would come a time in life when I could shoot with a gun, damn it.”

He was a slender man with a neatly defined appearance, but every word he spoke was filled with anger. Seoryeong and two others raised their glasses.