Chapter 72.2

Chapter 72.2

Outside, snowflakes were lightly falling. In the middle of the city center, the snowflakes blended into the lights, and the last heavy snowfall that covered the world in white seemed like a dream.

Ki Taemin and Jin Hojae left with their arms around each other’s shoulders, and Yoo Dawit moved to a secluded spot, shaking his cigarette case.

Han Seoryeong watched the team members’ departing figures with a blank expression. It had been fruitful, getting a rough sense of their backgrounds and personalities.

“Sigh.”

The weather was still cold enough that her breath came out in visible puffs. As she buttoned up her coat and started to walk, headlights suddenly blinded her.

It was a Jeep she hadn’t seen before. The vehicle, which looked like it was made for rough terrain, had a design that wandering soldiers would probably like.

The black window rolled down, and through the gap, Lee Wooshin looked up at her, raising his eyebrows.

“Get in. It’s past midnight, and it’ll be hard to find a taxi.”

“You said we should drink responsibly and take care of ourselves.”

“Which is exactly what I’m doing.”

“…”

There was a strange tension in the air, but she opened the passenger door without hesitation. It was only right to make the most of a favor when there was nothing to lose.

As she sat down, she was met with a new scent—a mix of cologne and leather seats. The car was warm, the heater was on, and the seat was perfectly heated, making her relax. Feeling the alcohol hit her a bit more, Seoryeong fastened her seatbelt.

Lee Wooshin smoothly turned the steering wheel and merged onto the road. Sometimes, he had an unpredictable scent. His skin scent would occasionally change, and his clothes carried a wide variety of smells.

She quietly watched the snow melt on the windshield but eventually couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

“But Instructor, aren’t you going without even using the GPS?”

“…!”

“You didn’t even ask for my address.”

“Where do you live?”

He reacted a beat too late, but Seoryeong reached out first.

“I’ll press it myself” and Seoryeong put in her address.

The car quickly fell into silence. They didn’t exchange any words, both simply focusing on the open road ahead.

The wipers scraped across the windshield, and a soft pop song played on the radio. The warm air in the car made Seoryeong’s eyelids grow heavy. Just then, the man who had been staring straight ahead with a stern expression began to speak.

“I first met Jin Hojae ten years ago in the UDT.”

Through her slowly closing vision, she could see his emotionless face. The red taillights of the car in front of them cast an eerie glow over the leather.

“He was two classes below me, and I was struck by his face—it looked like he hadn’t been through a single hardship in his life. He was like a healthy, smooth pebble.”

“…”

“Every time I saw him, I noticed how well fed and well spoken he was. It seemed pathetic, but at the same time, I thought he was genuinely diligent. He was especially devoted to his comrades and loyal to his superiors.”

‘Is he bragging about his subordinate? But his deep, sunken voice didn’t match the content, making it feel out of place.’ Seoryeong soon started nodding off.

“…”

Lee Wooshin glanced at her as she drifted off to sleep, then turned up the radio a bit and continued speaking.

“People who are genuine in every moment are useful once in a while. First, if their appearance is unremarkable, they don’t attract suspicion. Second, they can easily blend in with others.”

“…”

“So I made sure to take a good look at that innocent face, the kind that probably grew up getting spanked by its parents. I watched, observed, and remembered. It’s much easier and more useful to mimic someone else than to draw on my own emotions.”

“…”

“And that’s how Kim Hyun came to be.”

Lee Wooshin let out a short laugh, leaning his head back against the headrest.

“The original version of your husband was Jin Hojae, that bastard.”

His grip on the steering wheel loosened as he muttered under his breath, almost chewing on the words.

Seoryeong was sound asleep, her face peaceful. The navigation system’s loud announcement for a left turn grated on his nerves, so he turned it off and made a sharp right.

“Seoryeong, you’ve got an uncanny knack for spotting the real deal. It makes the fake feel insecure.”