Tap— tap—

The crisp sound of high heels echoed through the space, making Channa flinch. The slow, languid footsteps were getting closer.

From that moment on, Seoryeong couldn’t think at all. She slammed the kitchen door shut and locked it, moving on pure instinct.

“I’m not letting you die alone.”

Seoryeong dragged Channa’s limp body into the pantry tucked in the corner of the kitchen. Everywhere she pulled her, blood streaked behind them like a long trail—but it didn’t matter.

She overturned the huge stock pot of doenjang soup she had made for eight people and dumped it all over the floor with a clang. Then, she scrubbed the blood with the soles of her shoes, frantically smearing it away. The loud noise seemed to make the high heels pause, just for a moment.

Finally, she locked the pantry door behind them and held Channa in her arms.

“...Channa-ssi’s condition is really bad. I think... I think she needs a hospital right away. It looks like her neck was stabbed—there’s so much blood...”

—......

The silence on the other end made Seoryeong bite down on her lip. She knew exactly what that silence meant.

That they couldn’t go to a hospital right now. That getting out of here at all would be nearly impossible. But at least he didn’t tack on a smug "See? I told you so." She was grateful for that.

Instead, Lee Wooshin began assessing the situation.

—Where are you right now?

“...There’s an unused pantry in the corner of the kitchen. We’re inside.”

—Press your thumb into the wound.

“What?”

—Press down. Hard. If she’s going to die either way, might as well try something.

Seoryeong shoved her fingers down onto Channa’s bleeding neck, pushing the wound inward. “Nngh...!” Channa jerked, but the torrent of blood finally stopped. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

—Don’t let go. The moment you do, she’ll die.

His words dropped like a weight, making her entire body break into a cold sweat. But it was true—her fingertips were plugging the blood. She thought she could feel the faint pulse beneath them.

That alone was reason enough—Seoryeong could not let Channa die.

—Hur Channa was probably the assassination target.

Wooshin’s voice came cool, almost clinical.

—We failed to consider that she used to be a key asset in the North. The moment she came overseas, a kill order was likely issued.

It had been seven years since Channa defected. No one had expected this.

—Actually, the fact that Hur Channa’s even still alive is strange.

The odd tone in his voice made Seoryeong frown. It sounded almost like he was implying she shouldn’t be.

“Watch... your mouth.”

—Professional assassins don’t make mistakes. The only reason she wasn’t killed instantly...

His voice lowered ominously.

—...was probably to interrogate or turn her. She’s from the North, after all—she’d be perfect to use as a double agent.

“......”

—The only reason she’s still breathing is because it hasn’t started yet.

“What are you...”

—Torture.

“......!”

—They’ll be here any moment now.

He didn’t say who, but it was obvious.

Tap— tap—

The footsteps resumed. Seoryeong’s body stiffened again.

“...She’s approaching the kitchen. I think we’re about to be found.”

The moment she whispered that, thud, thud! The old kitchen door rattled violently.

The intruder shouted in a foreign language and kicked at the door like she meant to tear it off its hinges. The crash of it all rendered Wooshin briefly silent.

She thought she heard him mutter “Fuck...” under his breath.

—Load the gun.

His voice came back, steady but grim.

—Pull the slide, aim for the door.

“......”

—It’s your first shot, so you’re going to miss. Don’t panic. Pull the trigger again. You’ve got no skill and no luck, so you’ll probably lose the gun and get counterattacked.

His brutal honesty made what little hope she had shrivel up and die.

—I’m almost there.

Just then, the door shattered with a crash, pieces falling in a heap as someone stepped inside. Her heart pounded like it would explode—but strangely, the world felt silent.

Everything else faded. Only her eyes, ears, and the heat of her breath were painfully vivid. Even Wooshin’s voice sounded like it came from far away. And yet, only his voice reached her.

—And even if you’re going to die—fire a round no matter what.

“......!”

—So I know which fucker to kill on sight.

It was the tone of someone who’d already decided what to throw away, what to keep. Cold, calculated.

Still, Seoryeong smiled faintly.

Lee Wooshin never wavered. He stayed sharp through every second. Whenever panic threatened to overwhelm her, it was his cutting voice that snapped her back to herself.

He was an asshole—but somehow, his presence gave her a strange sense of security.

Unfortunately, her body didn’t share that comfort. Her left hand was still plugging Channa’s wound. Her right hand—gripping the gun—was slick with sweat and blood.

She [N O V E L I G H T] couldn’t even rack the slide properly.

So she opened her mouth. Bit down on the upper part of the gun and used her teeth to yank it back.

Saliva soaked the slide as she desperately tried to pull it into place. Just then, her eyes met Channa’s. Seoryeong gently stroked her cold, clammy skin.

It’s okay. I’ve got you now. If they come again, this time—

This time I’ll do it.

The pantry door jolted.

“――!”

Her body locked up. She couldn’t breathe.

Wooshin, too, must have stopped breathing. Not a single sound came through the earpiece.

Channa squeezed her eyes shut—but her eyelids still held tension. That gave Seoryeong some hope.

Tap— tap—

The high heels lingered in front of the door... then retreated.

—Don’t be fooled. They already know you’re in there.

Wooshin warned her coldly. She knew. The person on the other side was a hunter—pretending to hesitate just to draw it out.

—Don’t move. Just aim. Wait.

Seoryeong gripped the gun tighter, pointing it at the door. Her hands, arms, shoulders—everything was trembling. The barrel refused to stay straight.

Still, if the door opens—

You shoot. Pull the trigger.

That one thought pulsed in her brain like a drumbeat.

Then—

—Oh, and bite down hard. Your wrist’s going to break from the recoil.

The door burst open.

“――!”

The assassin looked nothing like she had expected. Seoryeong flinched. Her hand slipped before she could fire. Wooshin shouted something sharp, but it didn’t register.

The person who stepped in and grinned at them huddled in the corner was a petite woman.

Dark skin, flashy eyes, hotpants, tank top, high heels.

She looked nothing like an assassin. Not even close.

That split-second hesitation changed everything.

Seoryeong’s hand slipped. The gun fell.

The woman smiled like she was having fun and slashed at Seoryeong with a crescent-shaped karambit.

Seoryeong raised one arm instinctively to shield her face. The blade bit into her arm again and again.

—Fuck, Han Seoryeong!

Wooshin’s voice exploded through the earpiece, but Seoryeong couldn’t respond.

Her focus was on the fingers pressing into Channa’s neck. That was it.

If she let go, Channa would die.

So she didn’t move. Didn’t even scream.

The woman kept slashing until Seoryeong’s arm was ragged flesh. Then their eyes met.

“......!”

Yeah. Those eyes. That strange feeling. I’ve seen that before.

Felt it.

Her body moved before her brain could finish the thought.

Seoryeong grabbed the fallen gun and swung it hard between the woman’s legs.

The assassin doubled over and staggered back.

She felt it—something soft giving way beneath the blow.

The city outing with Channa. That quick return down the alley. The prostitutes luring tourists. The hotpants. The shoes. The overpowering perfume.

“...You fucker. You’re not even a woman.”