Her face gradually hardened. Like someone whose blood had stopped circulating, Han Seoryeong clenched and unclenched her fists.

She had rarely been this furious at someone who wasn’t even within her circle. Yet now, overwhelmed by the raw hostility she felt toward Lee Wooshin, her teeth ground together and her body trembled.

“So don’t be fooled by your brain. It’s not love—it’s just a scammer’s trick, and you fell for it.”

Seoryeong could usually brush off cheap flirtations like they had nothing to do with her. But the words coming out of Lee Wooshin’s mouth now... she couldn’t ignore them.

Each word stabbed into her like a knife.

“The fact that you still haven’t moved on from that bastard... it just proves how easy you were to manipulate, Han Seoryeong. And yet you’re wrecking your body over someone like that? Does that make any sense?”

“......!”

“This basic training—sure, they call it basic, but it grinds people down to their limits. It’ll drive you insane.”

He pressed his index finger to his own temple, like he was making a point.

What a fucking bastard... He’d been getting under her skin since the moment they met...

She didn’t want to admit it, but it felt like someone had carved open a wound right where she’d tried to pretend there was nothing. She hadn’t even started the training, and yet she was already exhausted.

Lee Wooshin jerked his chin toward the waiting taxi again.

“Those scammers probably don’t even remember you exist—so why waste your life on them? If you really want revenge, go out there and live well. Be happy. That’s your best shot.”

Why did his words hurt so much?

She didn’t know. Her eyes stung so sharply it caught her off guard.

It was true—she had come this far driven by obsession and stubbornness. But what infuriated her more than anything was that she had no rebuttal. She hated that about herself. Loathed it. The urge to rip Lee Wooshin apart surged in her chest.

“...No.”

“Han Seoryeong.”

He called her name again, like a scolding. Her ears burned, probably from how angry she was. She wanted to fire back at him, to curse him out, but her throat felt choked—barely able to swallow the words.

Even so, Seoryeong forced herself to lift her gaze, knowing full well how pitiful her eyes must look.

“Real revenge is... making that bastard suffer too. Making him miserable.”

...Without me. But that part, she buried deep inside herself.

“And even if everything you said is true...”

From between the torn edges of that wound, what oozed wasn’t sadness but a thick, dark loathing.

“I’ll hear it from my husband. Not from some emotionally castrated bastard like you!”

Seoryeong yanked her arm from his grip with all her strength—and got on the bus, not the taxi.

***

She was screwed.

She had just spat that kind of insult at the man who would be her training instructor for the next ten weeks. As far as Seoryeong was concerned, she might as well be dead.

She stared out the bus window on the way to the training camp, struggling to steady her uneven breaths. But the anger boiling in her blood wasn’t dying down.

The more she replayed Lee Wooshin’s words, the tighter her fists clenched. While she tried to rein in the tangled mess inside her, the bus came to a stop.

“Grab your shit and get off!”

At the instructor’s command, the recruits moved without protest.

They had arrived at a private military training camp near the coast. Officially, the documents said it was a kids’ vacation camp. Since the facility wasn’t authorized by the Ministry of National Defense, it had to be disguised like that.

As soon as she stepped off the bus, a wave of hostile stares stabbed into her. Some looked uncomfortable, others annoyed, and a few smirked at her with open ridicule. Not a single glance was friendly.

Nice welcome party, Seoryeong thought, expressionless.

If Lee Wooshin was desperate to drive her out, these men were no different—they just didn’t want her as part of their pack. Maybe they were the bigger obstacle.

No one confronted her directly. But the unspoken glances exchanged between them felt even more dangerous.

It was the kind of tension that could explode with just a spark. That hypersensitive atmosphere lingered all the way into the dormitory.

And the moment Seoryeong set her bag down on the military-style bunk bed, the explosion came—just as expected.

“The fuck? We’re supposed to share a room with a woman?!”

All heads turned at the familiar voice.

“I don’t care if she washes out during training—she will, obviously—but the sleeping quarters should at least be separated! How the hell are we supposed to change or shower with her right there?!”

It was clearly incitement, but judging by the silent nods from the others, most of them shared his opinion.

“I didn’t come here to sleep in the same room as a woman. What if something happens, huh? We’d be the ones getting blamed!”

His rant drew murmurs of agreement.

“Yeah, this wasn’t thought through at all.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to give her a private room?”

“Hell no. What, the rest of us don’t know how to enjoy a solo room? We’re all suffering through group life together. If she gets special treatment, that’s discrimination.”

Once the dam burst, complaints from the new recruits came flooding out.

“I heard Blast Corp was one of the best PMCs in Asia, but... maybe that was just hype.”

“Nah, I’m even more excited now.”

One guy ended that sentence with an exaggerated moan, grinding his hips in mock ecstasy.

Laughter erupted. Someone shook their head in disgust. It was chaos. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Seoryeong found it all so stupid it was almost funny. I’m the one who walked into this male den, and even I’m calm. What the hell are they freaking out about?

She stifled a smile. She knew laughing now wouldn’t help her in the slightest.

“Come on. Don’t be so narrow-minded. Who knows—maybe she’s some elite badass.”

“Yeah, Israel has the Caracal Battalion. Mixed-gender. Pretty famous.”

They were clearly talking about her, but none of them addressed her directly.

That was when one guy worked up the courage to speak to her.

“Hey... are you good at fighting?”

“.......”

“What did you do before this? Were you military? Which unit?”

All eyes were on her mouth, waiting for her to speak—but then that familiar voice interrupted again.

“Bullshit unit, my ass. She was our company maid!”

“What?”

“Don’t you remember the woman who cooked and did our laundry? The youngest one there? Yeah, her. She’s the bitch who dumped food waste on me!”

A few of the guys widened their eyes as recognition dawned. There may be no shame in certain jobs, but the looks of disbelief said enough—they’d found another reason to belittle her.

Wow... This place really is a trash heap. I love it. Seoryeong’s eyes sparkled, secretly amused.

Suddenly, heavy boots thudded closer. Seoryeong glanced toward the door. But the guy who had been yelling from the start didn’t notice the presence. He just kept bellowing.

“She’s just gonna cause problems for us and quit anyway! Why should we give up shower time for her, or deal with used pads lying around?! Just get out already!”

“Recruit Seong Wookchan.”

A tall shadow cut through the noise.

Ah, so that’s his name, Seoryeong thought, blinking.

Now in a tight-fit training top, Lee Wooshin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down at the noisy recruit.

“What’s all this racket?”

At the blunt question, Seong Wookchan puffed out his chest and tried to calm his breathing. Just a second ago, he’d been stomping around like a wild colt, but now—because it was the instructor—he adjusted his tone.

“Instructor, I can’t share a room with a woman. What if something happens while we’re sleeping? It’s just too uncomfortable.”

“Woman.”

Lee Wooshin repeated the word oddly. Not that Seong Wookchan noticed—he just kept grumbling.

“So what, are you saying she’s a man? How are we supposed to train when we’ve got to sleep, shower, and change in front of that?!”

“You’re that distracted just because there’s a woman in the dorm?”

“Yes...!”

“What, worried you’ll get a boner?”

“......!”

The sharp jab made Seong Wookchan flinch. Others weren’t much better.

“If you’re that worried about popping a tent every morning, just say so. That excuse would actually be more honest—and believable.”

“N-No, sir...!”

“Out of all the people, they had to pick idiots like you.”

Lee Wooshin clicked his tongue and swept his eyes across the room, his tone colder than steel.

“What if your VIP is a woman—gonna boycott the mission? What if a female agent’s on your team—gonna throw a tantrum?”

“.......”

“Is this class brain-dead or something? Why are there only little punks here? If ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ that’s enough to keep you from completing a mission, you should be cut now.”

The recruits fell completely silent under the scathing criticism.

Lee Wooshin perched on the edge of a bunk, resting one hand on the mattress behind him. His posture was relaxed, his head tilted lazily. One by one, he stared each of them down.