PTT - 17

However, Raon didn’t so much as blink as she stared directly at him. For an operative, the most challenging emotion to handle wasn’t hatred—it was indifference. 

In that sense, Cheon Sung-won’s current reaction was highly satisfactory. Though her scalp stung from his tight grip on her hair, her voice remained calm and composed. 

“What? Are you upset because things aren’t going your way? You look like you want to kill me.” 

“…Hah. Kill you? I’m really into you. But who knows what’ll happen once I have my way with you.” 

Sung-won twisted his lips into an unstable smirk, still gripping her hair tightly as he tilted his chin upward. A fleeting spark of aggression flickered in his murky eyes. With a haughty expression, he looked down at her and spoke. 

“You’ve got a decent face and attitude, but your hair isn’t doing it for me. Long, flowing hair like yours isn’t really my type.” 

“How long are you planning to keep holding onto it? I’m starting to get annoyed.” 

Unbothered by his unsolicited commentary on her appearance, Raon turned her gaze toward the table. She already knew Sung-won preferred women with short hair—it was a common trait among those who had spent a night with him. 

“I don’t feel like letting go. Maybe I’ll just rip it all out.” 

At that, Raon picked up a small paring knife from the table. It had been placed next to a neatly plated dish of fruits. Removing the plastic cover, the silver blade gleamed under the lighting. Her sudden action caused Sung-won to furrow his brow. 

“What do you think you’re—!” 

Before he could finish his sentence, Raon swung the hand holding the knife toward her own neck. Startled, Sung-won reflexively released her hair and leaned his upper body backward. 

The sharp edge grazed her strands, and thick locks of black hair fell silently to the floor. Everyone’s eyes were instantly drawn to the unexpected scene. 

“…This girl is absolutely insane.” 

“You should’ve let go when you had the chance. I hate pain.” 

In an instant, her long hair, which had once reached her chest, was now cut to a length that didn’t even touch her shoulders. Raon placed the knife back on the table and brushed off the remaining strands of hair from her hands. 

Though one side was now noticeably shorter, her beauty remained undiminished. 

“I was getting bored of sitting here like a doll anyway. Why don’t you send me home now?” 

“Not having fun here?” 

“Clearly not.” 

“How about we go somewhere else instead?” 

With a lewd smirk, Sung-won made a circular motion with his left thumb and forefinger, then thrust his right index finger in and out of the hole. 

Raon let out a quiet sneer at his crude gesture—the first time she’d shown any visible reaction. 

“Didn’t you already finish thirty minutes ago? If you want to go again, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” 

“You sure know how to talk pretty, don’t you?” 

“Do you really think that’s pretty? I’m starting to understand your tastes.” 

Raon picked up her clutch and stood up. Just as Sung-won began to frown, her indifferent voice rang in his ears. 

“Aren’t you coming? Weren’t you talking about screwing?” 

Though unseen, she knew Sung-won was likely making a dumbfounded expression behind her. Without looking back, Raon walked toward the door. 

Every step was proceeding perfectly according to the operation plan. Click, click. The rhythmic sound of her high heels striking the floor echoed through the room. 

- “Bold move.” 

Baek Siheon’s voice pierced her eardrum discreetly. Raon subtly raised the corner of her mouth in a way no one could notice. 

/// 

“When was the last time you hooked up?”

“Sorry, but I don’t sleep with guys who ask questions like that.” 

“Do you stay this aloof even in bed?” 

Cheon Sung-won immediately led Raon to a private space—a luxury hotel not far from Itaewon. After swiping the card key and entering the room, the spacious interior came into view. One entire wall was made of glass, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of Seoul’s nighttime skyline. 

“I prefer women who are gentle during the day and fiery at night. But you seem like the type who tries to dominate no matter the time.” 

Looking at his scheming mind filled with sinister thoughts, it was hard to hide her disdain. However, Yoo Raon was a professional operative in the middle of a mission. 

At that moment, Baek Siheon’s voice echoed through the tiny communicator hidden in her hair. 

- “Change of plans, Yeon. Secure Cheon Sung-won’s phone. You can knock him out as long as it doesn’t get too chaotic.” 

Was he trying to speed up the operation? Raon responded naturally, as if replying to Sung-won’s earlier comment. 

“Yeah, what a refined taste you have.” 

“By the way, what was your name again?” 

“Does it matter? I’m not particularly curious about yours.” 

“It might be better if you don’t know. Anyway, you’re not the type who needs to shower before sex, right? Cleanliness is good, but waiting too long kills the mood.” 

“You’ve smudged your lipstick. Hold on.” 

“Why bother applying it when it’ll just get wiped off again?” 

He shot her an annoyed glance, but Raon paid no mind. Standing in front of the mirror mounted on the wall, she pulled out a thumb-sized black lipstick tube from her tweed clutch. 

As she paused while opening the cap, she caught sight of Cheon Sung-won behind her in the mirror. He looked irritated as he checked his phone. 

Operatives at the National Intelligence Service were required to possess countless skills, but among them, Yoo Raon valued one above all: decisiveness. 

The ability to strike with precision at the optimal moment. Sometimes the weapon was a knife, sometimes a gun, and sometimes even a single well-placed word. 

And at this very moment, Agent Yeon’s weapon was the fake lipstick she always carried. 

“I’m not really into red lipstick. Why do you keep applying it for so long… Ugh!” 

Unable to endure the prolonged silence, Sung-won approached her from behind—only to let out a short, thick groan. In just three seconds, Raon had opened the lipstick cap and jabbed the hidden tranquilizer needle into his neck. 

“Haa.” 

With lightning speed, she spun around and subdued the man, exhaling slowly. Sung-won staggered, shaking his body as the needle embedded in his neck took effect. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed. 

Thud. As he collapsed forward, Raon brought her fingertips to her right ear. 

“Target neutralized. I’ll report back after securing the phone.” 

She lightly tapped the unconscious Cheon Sung-won’s shoulder. As expected, he didn’t budge. 

Wearing gloves retrieved from her clutch, Raon began operating his phone. After a few taps on the screen, the fingerprint lock screen appeared. 

“Let me borrow your hand.” 

Though she knew he was already unconscious and couldn’t hear her, Raon calmly spoke. Using his right thumb to scan his fingerprint, the screen unlocked, revealing the home screen. 

The first thing she accessed was the messaging app. Scrolling through with her fingertip, she checked for any suspicious content. 

However, whether intentionally deleted or because he rarely texted others, there were no notable messages. 

Next, she entered the gallery and frowned. An album titled ‘ㅇㅈ’ was filled with photos of women sleeping or passed out drunk—clearly taken without their knowledge. 

Disgusted, she muttered a quiet curse under her breath as she continued examining other apps. The hundreds of photos and videos alone were enough to prove Cheon Sung-won’s guilt. 

‘Is this it?’ 

Among the five pages of apps, one red logo caught her eye—a messenger application called Waikur. 

Unlike ordinary mobile messengers or texts, this app allowed secret chats. Since chat histories weren’t stored in the cloud and could only be accessed on the device itself, it was commonly used by businesses—and criminals.

Intuitively, she was certain that something important lay within this app. Frowning slightly, Raon pressed the red W-shaped logo. After a brief loading screen, a password input window appeared. It required an eight-digit combination.

“1989… 0329.”

After a moment of thought, she entered the eight digits of Cheon Sung-won’s birthdate, which she had seen in a confidential file. Predictably, an error message popped up, indicating the wrong password.

She considered a few other possible combinations but hesitated—inputting incorrect guesses could lock her out or trigger additional security measures.

Deciding it would be safer to leave the phone untouched, Raon carefully placed it inside her clutch. Ray, waiting back at headquarters, would handle the decryption.

Surveying the impeccably tidy hotel room one last time, she prepared to leave the scene. 

Just then, something caught her eye. Pausing as she was about to exit, Raon bent down and examined the nape of Sung-won’s neck. 

Partially hidden beneath his shirt was a tattoo no larger than two finger joints. Two capital Vs overlapped in opposite directions, with a single vertical line drawn through their center. 

‘What an unusual tattoo. What could it mean?’ 

The design was far from ordinary, its meaning not immediately clear. But there was no time to dwell on it. She needed to return as quickly as possible to deliver Cheon Sung-won’s phone. 

Yoo Raon turned toward the door, her crimson lips parting slightly. Her dark eyes gleamed momentarily with sharp intensity. 

“Mission accomplished. Agent Yeon, returning to headquarters.”

Intuitively, she was certain that something important lay within this app. Frowning slightly, Raon pressed the red W-shaped logo. After a brief loading screen, a password input window appeared. It required an eight-digit combination.

“1989… 0329.”

After a moment of thought, she entered the eight digits of Cheon Sung-won’s birthdate, which she had seen in a confidential file. Predictably, an error message popped up, indicating the wrong password.

She considered a few other possible combinations but hesitated—inputting incorrect guesses could lock her out or trigger additional security measures.

Deciding it would be safer to leave the phone untouched, Raon carefully placed it inside her clutch. Ray, waiting back at headquarters, would handle the decryption.

Surveying the impeccably tidy hotel room one last time, she prepared to leave the scene. 

Just then, something caught her eye. Pausing as she was about to exit, Raon bent down and examined the nape of Sung-won’s neck. 

Partially hidden beneath his shirt was a tattoo no larger than two finger joints. Two capital Vs overlapped in opposite directions, with a single vertical line drawn through their center. 

‘What an unusual tattoo. What could it mean?’ 

The design was far from ordinary, its meaning not immediately clear. But there was no time to dwell on it. She needed to return as quickly as possible to deliver Cheon Sung-won’s phone. 

Yoo Raon turned toward the door, her crimson lips parting slightly. Her dark eyes gleamed momentarily with sharp intensity. 

“Mission accomplished. Agent Yeon, returning to headquarters.”