“So you’re saying... you pulled the slide with your mouth?”

“Yes.”

The man frowned, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

Despite being someone who worked in the harshest field conditions, his skin was flawless, glowing without a blemish. His moderately full, reddish lips parted and closed again, and for a moment, he wore the kind of face that looked like it had made quite a few women cry.

Seoryeong found herself staring at that indecent face without meaning to as she added further explanation.

“At first, I tried to pull it with my teeth, but it didn’t really work—maybe because it was too hard. Then I tried using my lips, but that didn’t give me enough grip either. So I ended up just putting it in my mouth. Not the muzzle, just the body—like I was sucking on it. I only needed to pull it once. The situation was urgent, you know? I had to try whatever I could.”

“......”

“And then it hit my gums—hard. I guess that’s when I got hurt.”

“For someone who’s never even shot a gun before—if you’d slipped or loaded it wrong—!”

The man’s voice rose sharply in frustration, and then he jabbed her hard under the jaw with his index finger.

“You could’ve blown this off,” he said, pressing firmly against her temple before lowering his head like he didn’t even want to continue speaking.

“Seriously, Han Seoryeong, where exactly did it all go wrong for you?”

“...Sorry?”

“Does that so-called husband of yours know about this? That you’re an idiot playing hero, reckless, stubborn—and completely unhinged?”

“......”

“That deep down, you’re just a woman desperate to look righteous and important.”

“Of course he doesn’t know.”

Seoryeong shrugged lightly, and he let out a proper laugh of disbelief.

“But you know... my husband—just looking at my face is enough for him. He doesn’t need to know this stuff.”

“......”

Seoryeong looked down at her injured arm with a blank expression and opened her mouth again. Her voice was calm. Cold. Devoid of any feeling.

“But don’t get the wrong idea. Sure, I felt bad for Channa. But I didn’t charge in there to save her. I did it because I wanted to blame my husband.”

“...!”

“I couldn’t accept the idea that there could be a moment where it’s okay to abandon someone. When you told me to leave Channa behind—that pathetic moment felt like I was being abandoned all over again. So I wanted to prove that my way was right. That you were wrong. That he was wrong. And only if I’m right can I pay them both back in full, someday.”

Even though she sat there in a pathetic patient’s gown, Seoryeong lifted the corners of her lips in a clean, bright smile.

“So this wasn’t some act of nobility or courage. It was all calculated.”

Would someone that calculating really have clung to Hur Channa’s neck until she passed out?

Lee Wooshin let out a laugh through his nose—but only inside.

“Well... I’ll give you this. You probably do like sounding impressive.”

Wooshin didn’t relax for even a second as she spoke. He regarded her like she was someone unfamiliar, something to be cautious of. His guarded expression said everything.

That’s when Seoryeong, swallowing her pride, added bluntly—because it was something she would have to say eventually anyway.

“And... thank you. For your help.”

“What?”

“If it weren’t for you... I would’ve definitely died. Thanks for the gun, too. And the cleanup. Honestly, I kind of liked waking up and having everything already dealt with...”

“Could you shut up for a second?”

“...What?”

“I’m pretty sure that tongue is the root of all evil.”

“...!”

“So could you maybe close your mouth?”

He was smiling pleasantly, but his expression made it obvious he was beyond furious. At some point, he’d walked over and perched on the edge of her bed.

His eyes fell sharply, and his face came closer. The sudden proximity startled her—but there was no affection or warmth in his eyes. Only blank hostility.

“Han Seoryeong, since we’re already on the topic, how about we do a little math of our own.”

“...What?”

“Unless you’re desperately in need of income, quit this company.”

“...Excuse me?”

“You’re not going to be working anytime soon anyway, not with that injury. The company will pay you dispatch compensation and injury settlement. That money should last you six months. Just focus on your recovery. And don’t even think about coming back to Blast Corp.”

He didn’t blink once as he spoke. His eyes made it clear—this wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order.

“I’ve finally got a good enough reason to fire you.”

“......”

“Thanks to you ignoring orders and going rogue, I get to get rid of something that’s been bugging me for ages. I should say thanks for that, but looking at your dumb face, I don’t think I need to.”

He jerked his chin at Seoryeong’s frozen expression.

“Hey—”

She finally came to her senses and snapped back. But his large hand grabbed the back of her head roughly.

His grip was tight enough to make her scalp sting. Locking eyes with her, he slammed each word down like a blow.

“Remember it. The moment you shot and killed someone.”

Her shoulders flinched involuntarily.

The patience she’d shown while being slashed. The rush of adrenaline. The sheer euphoria of firing wildly. The pinpoint focus when she aimed for the vital spots.

She remembered everything. Nothing about it had faded.

“You fired a gun and killed someone—as a civilian.”

“......”

“Just because the company covered it up doesn’t mean you get to act like it never happened.”

His voice cooled into a quiet reprimand.

“But you can still write it off as a nightmare. You can still walk away before it pulls you into something worse. This isn’t the place for you.”

The hand that had been gripping her so harshly loosened as if it had never been tight at all. Light. Careless.

“You’re already far enough off the path.”

Wooshin stood up and retightened the loosened tie around his neck.

There was no longer any expression in his eyes—only the weariness of someone fulfilling a duty, nothing more.

He left her the same way he always came and went: effortlessly. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“If you were one of my agents, it wouldn’t have ended like this. I wouldn’t be giving a kind little explanation like this before letting you go. I’d have carved it into that useless body of yours.”

“......”

“So go back to your normal life. That’s the last courtesy I’m giving you.”

Mist from the humidifier spread between them like fog.

“If you can’t throw people away without hesitation, don’t even look in this direction. Don’t form attachments. Just stick to nursing patients with care and live safely in a world where that’s all that’s expected of you.”

“......”

“I need people who can drop things easily and walk away without a second thought. People like you are useless to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived that way my whole life, but listening to your rationalizations is fucking exhausting.”

Still adjusting his clothes, Wooshin suddenly turned back. He smiled, breezy as if asking her out on a date—but his words left no room for ambiguity.

“So please, let’s never see each other again.”

When Seoryeong didn’t respond, he shrugged and left the room with a bounce in his step. The door closed with a cold, definitive click.

Left alone, Seoryeong couldn’t hide the stunned look on her face.

What the hell just blew through here and left? She flopped back weakly onto the bed.

Her eyelids blinked slowly. She stared at the ceiling in silence. And only then did she finally grasp the situation.

Wait a second... Did I just get fired?

***

A few days passed.

Since the day Seoryeong woke up, Lee Wooshin hadn’t returned to her room even once. It really had been just that—business. Nothing more.

The nurse who occasionally came to check on her would whisper, “There was this really handsome guy who kept stopping by while you were asleep...”

But still—Seoryeong had been fired. That was the only thing that remained, plain and brutal.

She visited Channa’s hospital room once during that time.

The girl lay there like a corpse, eyes closed, unmoving.

Surrounding her were Jung Pilgyu, his wife, and their young daughter, all with strained expressions. They were gathered tightly around Channa’s bedside.

Jung Pilgyu’s gaze landed on her with an oddly sour intensity—but Seoryeong didn’t care. She just stared at the thick bandages wrapped around Channa’s neck for a long time before walking out of the room.

Yeah. She was alive. That’s enough. Even if she can’t wake up right away... as long as she’s alive, that’s enough. I told you I wouldn’t let you die alone.

Walking back down the hallway, Seoryeong finally allowed a small smile to surface.

You know what? I shot that bastard with his own gun.

When she remembered it, the pulse under her jaw pounded hard against her skin.

And somehow... it felt good.