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“Your skills are impressive. Your punches are clean and precise.”
“Sen... No, Team Leader.”
“Why are you practicing alone? You’ll improve faster if you train with someone.”
When had he arrived? Without a sound, Baek Siheon appeared, handing her a bottle of mineral water with a teasing smile. In truth, he had been watching Raon for the past five minutes, but she had been so absorbed in her training that she hadn’t noticed his presence at all.
“Ah, thank you.”
“No need to apologize. I sent that message pretty late last night.”
“Not at all. I was asleep... Sorry for not checking it sooner.”
Even after becoming an agent, how could she have missed someone entering the gym? Feeling awkward, Raon fidgeted with her fingers as she accepted the water bottle.
The cold liquid slid down her throat, instantly quenching her deep thirst. Watching her with affectionate eyes, Baek Siheon slipped on a pair of boxing mitts.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was worried.”
“…Are you really going to spar with me?”
“Of course. Don’t stop—keep going.”
Surprised, Raon blinked before putting her gloves back on. She slowly approached him, adjusting her stance.
“What techniques should I use?”
“Whatever feels right. Just go with what comes to mind.”
Did this mean he could predict and adapt to her attacks on the spot? A soft chuckle escaped her lips at his confident demeanor. How could she ever stay alert when standing in front of him?
Taking a deep breath, Raon steadied herself into position. With her left foot slightly back and her right arm extended, she began.
Jab-cross, hook, uppercut. Each strike against the mitts produced a satisfying thud. Even though protective gear cushioned the blows, they must have hurt—but thinking about it made her punches unintentionally weaker.
As if reading her thoughts, Siheon smirked, lifting the corner of his lips.
“Don’t hold back. It doesn’t hurt at all. Your jabs are good, but your hooks are a bit weak.”
“…You might regret saying that.”
He managed to make her both let her guard down and laugh. How long had it been since she laughed so purely in front of someone? Clenching her fists tightly inside her gloves, Raon threw a powerful hook with all her strength.
BANG! The loud impact reverberated through the gym, hitting Siheon’s ears like thunder.
“Whoa, retracting my earlier statement. That actually hurt.”
“I warned you. Didn’t I say you’d regret it?”
“You’ve got quite the punch. If we were to fight seriously, I think I’d lose.”
His sly expression, shrugging his shoulders, reminded her of a cunning nine-tailed fox. Though his relaxed and gentle demeanor was endearing, it also made her heart race.
Exhaling deeply, Raon removed her gloves. Unwrapping the bandages around her hands, she finally felt free. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with a white towel, she plopped down onto a nearby chair.
“By the way, did you come here looking for me? Or were you planning to work out too...?”
“I came to see Agent Yoo Raon. Isn’t that obvious? Or would you rather hear me say it directly?”
“…You’re impossible. Haven’t there been any new orders from above yet?”
“Nope. Strangely quiet. Usually, when things get this calm, a big incident follows.”
“Don’t jinx it. You might bring bad luck.”
Though such talk was common in every industry, nothing was more dangerous than complacency. Just when you thought things were slow, an avalanche of tasks would suddenly overwhelm you.
Smiling faintly, his lips curving like a crescent moon, Siheon sat across from Raon on the floor. Their gazes naturally drifted upward.
“…Why are you smiling like that?”
“Just… seeing you makes me happy.”
“Haa. You’re still the same as always, Senior.”
“As always?”
“…Never mind. What are the others up to?”
Baek Siheon, whether in the past or present, still made Raon’s heart flutter with just a single sentence. Though she knew his words were casual and offhand, logic and emotion operated on different planes.
Feeling her neck grow inexplicably warm, Raon turned her head to change the subject.
“Rhea’s been called to the decryption team, and Rock and Mabel are doing shooting practice together. Lately, those two seem to be spending a lot of time together. Wonder if something’s going on between them?”
“Maybe. Rock does seem to look out for Mabel a lot lately.”
“And Diane…”
Siheon paused mid-sentence, recalling yesterday’s conversation in the cafeteria.
‘She said they were middle school classmates… That Yeon bullied her.’
His brow furrowed reflexively. Believing Diane’s words outright wasn’t easy, especially since Siheon was certain Raon wasn’t the type of person she described.
Still, now that the topic had come up, it was something he needed to confirm. Lost in thought for a moment, he took the water bottle from Raon’s hand and sipped from it.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Raon. There’s something I want to ask you.”
“Yes… Is it important?”
How could he phrase his question without causing any emotional strain? Carefully choosing his words, Siheon hesitated. Raon tilted her head, blinking curiously, waiting for him to continue.
“Yesterday, Diane...”
Just as Siheon began to speak, the gym door burst open with a loud BANG. Instinctively, both Raon and Siheon turned their heads toward the sound.
“Team Leader, Raon. You need to come out now. The Director is calling for you.”
It was Rock, standing at the doorway. He had clearly rushed over, as his breathing was heavy and labored. Leaning one hand against the doorframe, he gestured urgently for them to follow.
Rock was not someone who easily lost his composure; his usual calm demeanor made the gravity of the situation all the more apparent. Recognizing the seriousness, Baek Siheon and Raon quickly rose to their feet. Had their earlier comment about idleness truly jinxed them? An uneasy tension hung thick in the air as they made their way to the Director’s office.
---
At the Constitutional Court – Same Time
“Quickly, evacuate all civilians! Do it quietly and swiftly—avoid causing panic. Still no exact location on the suspect?”
“Judging by the background, it seems to be one of the courtrooms. We’re currently evacuating civilians while trying to pinpoint his location.”
“Damn it, this is insane. What kind of lunatic… Has anyone contacted the streaming site headquarters yet? Can’t we cut off that bastard’s broadcast?”
“That’s being handled right now…”
The area was already swarming with police officers rushing to contain the chaos. It had all started with an emergency call: a terrorist wearing explosives strapped to his body was live-streaming the entire ordeal.
Upon investigation, they discovered that a user with the ID “Peace3918” was broadcasting himself in real-time, clad in a coat rigged with bombs.
What began as a stream watched by only 30 viewers had skyrocketed to over 3,000 within half an hour. Links to the broadcast were already spreading like wildfire across social media platforms. True to the etymology of the word “web,” websites everywhere were uploading posts about this unprecedented act of terrorism.
“What the hell is wrong with this psycho? And why isn’t he taking hostages or making demands? Just evacuate all civilians, dammit!”
Of course, there was a chance the explosives he wore were nothing but props—but in situations like these, it was protocol to assume the worst-case scenario. One peculiar detail stood out: the words the terrorist spoke during his broadcast.
“I have no intention of harming anyone, haha. So, everyone currently at the Constitutional Court, please evacuate quickly. I value peace above all else. All I want is to communicate with you all and discuss the values of life I’ve come to realize, as well as the injustices of this country.”
His serene smile, as if he were some kind of saint, made the whole scene eerily bizarre. Dismissing him as just another attention-seeker from the internet seemed inadequate given the scale of his actions.
The most plausible suspicion, however, remained: a suicide bombing.
Detective Cheon watched the civilians being evacuated under police guidance, fatigue etched onto his face. Not only were visitors fleeing in panic, but judges and court employees were also scrambling out in sheer terror.
“What about the Counter-Terrorism Center? Have they arrived yet?”
“They’ll be here in ten minutes. Also, the NIS has dispatched a special operations team.”
“Are they seriously going to fight over jurisdiction in the middle of this mess? Fine, whatever—just shut down that damn broadcast first! It’s practically advertising 'Terrorist at the Constitutional Court' to the entire nation!”
“Yes, sir!”
As Detective Cheon watched his subordinate sprint away, he sighed deeply, brushing back his bangs. Something about this situation felt deeply unsettling. His eyes reflected the chaotic scene unfolding at the entrance of the building.
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