The first priority was rebuilding her stamina.

After getting her stitches removed, she returned to the past as if rewinding her life—training her body with burpees and jump squats.

She followed the brochure’s instructions, got a full medical check-up, and began practicing basic swimming.

And so, she spent two months focused entirely on healing her injuries and restoring her physical strength.

In the remaining time, she studied Blast Corp in detail. The company was broadly divided into domestic and overseas divisions—and surprisingly, their range of operations was diverse.

The more she dug into each department, the more segmented the teams became.

The Special Security Team was listed under the overseas division, but unfortunately, there was no public information about them.

Then, when the designated enlistment date arrived, Seoryeong stood once again in front of the empty wedding frame.

“I’m heading out.”

She imagined her husband’s face in the void.

Because I’m coming to where you are.

And when that time comes... this time, you’ll be the one who has to come get me.

It was the one and only milestone etched into her body like a constellation.

***

Carrying just the single sheet of paper sent by the CEO, Han Seoryeong stood in front of the Blast Corp headquarters.

A thick sports bag slung over one shoulder, she looked up at the building.

Until now, she had only ever passed through the locker rooms, the cafeteria, and the laundry room. She’d never gone to the upper floors.

The assembly location was the 10th floor. She adjusted the strap on her bag and pushed through the revolving door.

Inside the elevator, several men stood dressed in casual civilian clothes like her.

They seemed to know one another, exchanging awkward salutes and chatting quietly.

“Didn’t expect to see Sergeant Kim here.”

“I couldn’t make ends meet on patriotic pay, so I came out.”

“Yeah, I get that... I quit right after seeing Major Park being forced to retire. Still haven’t even paid off my house loan...”

A soft hum filled the silence as the elevator ascended.

Seoryeong placed a hand on the glass wall and looked down at the rapidly shrinking ground.

When the double doors finally opened, what greeted them was a massive auditorium.

The men who had ridden the elevator with her filed out, and Seoryeong followed. Some of them glanced back at her, visibly surprised.

Beneath the high ceiling, rows of chairs were arranged in neat lines, already filled with recruits. Most had noticeably short hair.

Some looked around awkwardly like nervous rookies, while others kept their posture perfectly rigid. Either way, their unease made them seem far greener than the existing operatives.

Some were clearly former soldiers. Others, dressed in windbreakers, had the air of ex-athletes. One even had a knife scar on his face.

The group appeared to come from all sorts of backgrounds.

Maybe this was what it meant to be someone whose only asset was their body. It made sense, given it was a private military company.

The atmosphere was a little tense and a little cold.

“......”

Seoryeong passed through the crowd without much concern. The only woman in the room, she stood out like a sore thumb.

It only took seconds for gazes to converge and a heavy silence to settle in.

Mockery, curiosity, disdain, hostility—all came crashing at once.

But she moved unbothered and took a seat at the far edge.

“You...!”

Someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder. Her upper body was yanked toward the row behind. A familiar face glared at her.

“You—why the hell are you here?!”

Tch, what a pain.

She clicked her tongue inwardly.

“Why the hell is our team’s housemaid showing up here?!”

The food-waste guy was pointing at her with a stone-cold expression.

His neck was flushed red, like he was holding in his breath out of pure irritation.

He immediately moved over and dropped into the seat next to her.

“I thought you ditched everything and quit your job—what the hell is this?!”

His booming voice drew everyone’s attention.

Seoryeong calmly pretended to tie her shoelaces as she muttered in an unusually deep voice for a woman:

“Right? I should’ve just stuck to cooking and laundry... but it didn’t work out.”

Her eyes met his squarely.

“Because someone had to die.”

He blanked for a second at the look she gave him—then scoffed loudly.

“W-what the hell kind of crap are you talking about?! Maybe they just needed someone to cook at camp? But this place is for trainees only, you know? So I’d appreciate it if you left.”

“What was your name again?”

“What?”

“Your name. I’m asking what your name is.”

Seoryeong’s eyes scanned his chest, but there was no name tag.

The man, who had been nudging her bag with his foot, visibly stiffened.

“We... we’ve met multiple times and you still don’t know my name?! You said last time you knew it! Said you saw my name tag!”

“That was two months ago.”

“What the...!”

“I can read, but I never said you were memorable enough to remember.”

“......”

“So what’s your name?”

“Fucking...”

“Doesn’t sound like something I’d want to call you.”

The man bit his lip, wounded in his pride.

How old is this guy anyway? Seoryeong thought, watching him wear every emotion on his sleeve.

She wasn’t an employee anymore, expected to pacify difficult customers.

She was now in a space where being underestimated meant death.

If she wanted to complete training without trouble, she couldn’t allow his rudeness to continue.

This was the moment to draw a line herself.

“How about you stop showing off now?”

Seoryeong leaned in and whispered—firm and unmistakable.

Their faces were so close they could’ve touched.

“Either fuck me or knock me out. It’s obviously one of those two you’re hoping for. So why bother pretending we’re close or playing nice?”

“...!”

“I can see you’re just dying to pin me down.”

His face hardened completely.

“I can tolerate you being immature. But if you’re dead set on being primitive...”

Her ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) icy gaze sliced through the space between them.

“I’ll act the same way.”

At that moment—ding—the elevator doors opened.

Everyone turned to look—and caught sight of a man.

“......!”

...Why are they here?

The elevator was filled with members of the Special Security Team, and at the front was Lee Wooshin, stretching his neck from side to side with his eyes closed.

They crossed the auditorium in silence, expressions blank, heading straight for the podium.

Around seventy recruits all turned their eyes to the stage.

At some point, Wooshin had popped a candy in his mouth—one cheek bulged as he stepped forward and grabbed the mic.

“Hello. I’m Lee Wooshin, team leader of the Special Security Team, in charge of your basic training.”

His tone was dull and emotionless. Still, everyone’s attention locked onto him.

Over 188 cm tall, his shoulders clearly exceeded the frame of his suit jacket, making it look strained.

The microphone in his hand looked disproportionately small.

The chaotic, murmuring atmosphere quieted instantly.

“Our team will carry out our responsibilities as your instructors during this training period.” 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“......!”

Seoryeong bit her lower lip without realizing it.

From what she’d overheard in the locker room, Blast Corp’s training was conducted quarterly.

Not just basic training, but winter drills, cold-weather programs, autumn tactical exercises, and specialized sessions...

She’d always hear the grumbling from team members.

Of all the damn training cycles, it had to be this one... with him...

It wasn’t just discomfort. For some reason, it was embarrassment.

“The basic training program will be conducted over ten weeks at a private camp.”

The sound of him rolling the candy in his mouth echoed shamelessly through the mic.

Even so, Wooshin scratched at his brow and scanned the room, visibly annoyed.

“Basic fitness, military combat techniques, marine survival, and simulated warfare—we will cultivate talent worthy of Blast Corp through these methods and...”

Right then, mid-sentence—he abruptly stopped.

His gaze had collided with Seoryeong’s.

Like a hallucination, he blinked slowly.

“......”

“......”

The fluid explanation cut off mid-stream. Recruits began whispering in confusion.

Almost two months, huh?

Under the sharp, focused stare aimed at her, Seoryeong gave a slight bow.

It was awkward seeing him again, the man who had fired her.

Reluctantly, she looked away first.

Then—click, a scoffing sound rang through the mic for all to hear.

Seoryeong’s heart skipped involuntarily.

Wooshin cupped the mic with one large hand and turned toward the Special Security Team’s side.

His neck turned with perfect precision, the tension in his jawbone clearly outlined.

What the hell is she doing here?

The faintly muttered words pierced into Seoryeong’s ears.

“I told you to double-check the list. That woman is actually...”

“...She is, sir!”

They bickered in low voices for a moment.

Wooshin closed his eyes and took a long breath.

His chest visibly rose and fell.

A long silence settled over the room.