The two men began grappling and throwing punches, the sickening thuds of crushed flesh and battered bones ringing out sharply.

“Ah...!”

In the chaos, one of the older women—carrying a stack of trays—was struck by a flailing elbow and collapsed with a thud.

Some of the trays clattered across the floor with a sound like they’d crack, others fell with a clank directly on top of her.

Despite the uproar, the two soldiers—completely unhinged—kept exchanging blows without pause.

The older woman clutched her back and couldn’t get up for a while. Just as Seoryeong quickly peeled off her rubber gloves to go help—

Thwack—! Something heavy struck her head, bounced off her shoulder, and dropped to the floor.

“......!”

There wasn’t even time to laugh at the absurdity. A metal tray had ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ flown into her out of nowhere. Sticky, crimson sweet-and-sour sauce dripped down her face. Kimchi and seasoned greens slid down from her hair. Her forehead, which had taken the blow from the tray, throbbed and stung.

Even amid all that noise, the men showed no signs of stopping. They rolled across the floor, on the verge of destroying the very fixtures. Their inability to cool down seemed clearly abnormal.

So that’s why he called them patients. Testosterone-overdose patients. At last, Seoryeong gave a small nod to the interviewer’s earlier words and helped the fallen woman to her feet.

“I’ll clean the floor today.”

“Huh?”

Then, without moving elsewhere, she lifted the nearby food waste bin. At the grim determination in her stance, the older woman, pale and trembling, barely managed, “You shouldn’t get involved...!”—

And Seoryeong poured the food waste directly over the brawling soldiers.

“Lunch hour is over.”

All sound vanished. Silence fell.

***

Seoryeong hadn’t even had time to properly wash up. She just shook off the food scraps before stepping into the elevator.

Because of her soiled white uniform and the reek of food waste, people’s stares lingered. The others inside the elevator wrinkled their noses and turned away.

“So... I hear you had a run-in with the troops.”

Seoryeong had been summoned and now sat once again, face-to-face with her old interviewer for the first time in a while. He sighed as he muttered with his same hollow eyes.

The man was apparently the logistics division’s department head. Seoryeong suppressed her distaste and bowed her head. What had she said at the end of the interview again...? The awkwardness lingered.

The cafeteria incident had spread like wildfire. Whispers about the young housekeeper who dumped food waste on two soldiers mid-fistfight.

That petty bit of gossip traveled even faster than the story about the vacancy on the Special Security Team.

“I already knew Han Seoryeong was fearless and had no manners...”

“.......”

“All you had to do was feed them—who told you to dump it on their heads?”

Seoryeong bowed deeper. Not as an apology, but because experience had taught her that avoiding eye contact would make things end quicker.

Everyone was like that. The moment they looked into her calm, emotionless eyes, they got even more agitated and fired up.

She looked down at the tips of her shoes, still dirty with food waste.

“Still... the guys fighting were clearly at fault. Breaking chairs and stepping on trays. I get how you feel, Seoryeong. But still...”

“.......”

“One of the guys in the fight is especially hotheaded. He’s got a nasty temper, and he’s seriously pissed at you. It’s made things a little awkward for us. His face was all swollen, and he kept demanding we bring you to him.”

Ah, that bastard... A flicker passed through Seoryeong’s gaze.

One of them had clearly been rougher with both his mouth and his fists. When the food bomb landed, both had frozen in place, but one had recovered quickly—and grabbed her collar as if switching targets.

His eyes blinked rapidly, likely stung from the food, but were filled with violence. Fortunately, nearby soldiers had rushed in and pulled them apart. Still, that sharp, hostile glare he gave her at the end had stuck with her.

“You went too far, Han Seoryeong.”

“.......”

“No one acts like that in those kinds of situations. They’re soldiers. Blast Corp runs on people like them. We’re just here to support and assist. Don’t you get that?”

Ah... At that, Seoryeong finally lifted her bowed head.

“You should probably check the older woman’s back.”

“...That’s what you’re bringing up right now?”

“The soldiers only got a few bruises and maybe a split lip. But that woman’s back won’t heal so easily.”

“You don’t know what matters right now, do you...”

His narrowed eyes twitched with irritation. The department head ruffled his already messy hair.

Blast Corp didn’t just hire model veterans. Plenty of them were problems—men kicked out of the military for incidents or misconduct.

Perhaps because they only knew how to use their bodies, fights were constant.

They were a breed that only behaved within a strict hierarchy or command structure, and once they snapped, things got complicated fast.

“We hired you to clean up, not create messes...”

The department head clicked his tongue and sighed.

“Whatever you do, don’t contact that soldier. Don’t meet with him. Keep your mask on at all times.”

“.......”

“I’m only letting it slide because of Team Leader Jung Pilgyu. Without that, I would’ve pulled the nail before it stuck out any farther.”

“But the woman’s back—”

“Get out!”

He waved her away like he couldn’t stand another word.

Seoryeong didn’t understand why he was so angry. Tilting her head, she turned around, still filled with unresolved questions.

Then, a voice filled with annoyance rang out behind her again.

“At least take a towel!”

“...Sorry?”

“Do something about how you look.”

He crumpled a paper cup and threw it toward the trash can, but it bounced off the rim. Tch... a low curse followed. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Before fully leaving the office, Seoryeong grabbed a towel draped over a chair. Thankfully, it was a clean one that didn’t smell musty.

She draped it over her head and stood in front of the elevator. First, she’d wipe down her head and change clothes. Then tackle the rest of the backed-up laundry...

She went over her to-do list calmly in her head.

Ding—.

The elevator opened.

Because of the towel draped over her head, all she could see were feet.

Filling the elevator were black military boots and immaculate leather shoes.

Guess I’m not getting in. She had no intention of squeezing past that many people in her current state.

Just as she began to step back—

“You’re not getting in?”

A low, unhurried voice sank into her ears. Seoryeong hesitated but didn’t answer—only took another step back.

“You really won’t?”

Even hearing it again, the voice sent the fine hairs on her body bristling upright.

As the door began to close, he lazily pressed the open button. Through the towel’s limited view, she caught a glimpse of a rough hand and a luxury watch.

Then, for some reason, the absurd thought struck her—that he was looking at her very closely. The persistence of his gaze made her chin, her neck, her arms itch.

Seoryeong shook her head as if to throw off the sensation. The man, as if that settled it, released the button without further comment.

“......”

“......”

Why isn’t it closing...?

He had only lifted his hand. He hadn’t actually pressed the close button. Seoryeong, for no reason at all, felt her mouth go dry as she stared down at the elevator floor.

Then, the man—who had stood motionless—suddenly pressed the heel of his shoe into the ground, grinding it hard. She thought she heard a faint, self-mocking sigh above her head.

Just as the elevator doors finally began to close, Seoryeong slightly lifted the towel from her field of vision.

Inside stood a group of soldiers in black uniforms, along with a man in a suit, deep in conversation. Even though she could only see his side profile, the elegant lines of his face immediately struck her—he’s beautiful.

What a strangely handsome man...

Thinking little of it, Seoryeong turned around. Might as well take the stairs. Her tired steps resumed.

Then, an odd twinge at the back of her head made her glance back.

And at that moment, her gaze briefly met the suited man’s—mid-conversation with someone beside him.

Or... had they? Was it just a mistake?

“......”

But before she could be sure, the elevator doors closed completely. Seoryeong stood frozen at the stairwell door, her hand resting on the knob.

He had only passed by—but the look in his eyes, sharp enough to pierce through, left the nape of her neck cold.