PTT - 74

All members of Special Team 4 were granted a ten-day reward vacation. Mabel and Rock planned to travel across the country by train, while Ray declared he would spend his entire break holed up in a PC bang, determined to finish all the latest games he hadn’t had time for.

Meanwhile, Yoo Ra-on and Baek Si-heon boarded their flight to the Maldives as planned. Though there was no direct flight, requiring a layover, being with each other made the journey effortless.

Above all, Ra-on couldn’t sleep from the excitement of her first overseas trip. She had visited Macau and Japan during her time with the Industrial Security Team, but this was her first time flying for personal reasons rather than work.

Knowing how much she’d enjoy it, Si-heon had deliberately booked her a window seat. Watching her gaze out the window like a child filled him with affection. He had to exercise restraint to avoid public displays of affection with hundreds of passengers around.

〈Are you really this excited?〉

〈…Is it that obvious?〉

〈Yes. It’s written all over your face: “I’m so excited about this trip!”〉

〈Well, I’ve never had the chance to travel this far. Since joining the agency, I haven’t had much personal time.〉

After devouring every last piece of fruit from her in-flight meal, Ra-on wondered what the menu would be on the return flight. Though their round-trip flight to Russia had been just days ago, she was already drowning in excitement beyond her own comprehension.

After the long flight, they finally arrived at Male Airport. Stretching her arms high above her head, Ra-on yawned deeply. Though they had reached the Maldives, they still needed to take a speedboat to reach their island accommodation.

Si-heon headed toward the dock, pulling a 24-inch suitcase packed with luggage. The sea before them was breathtakingly beautiful. Its mysterious hues stretched endlessly, shimmering under the cascading sunlight.

Unable to contain herself, Ra-on let out an exclamation and grabbed Si-heon’s hand. From the moment they boarded the plane, everything had felt surreal, but now it truly felt like stepping into a fairytale landscape.

“Alright, let’s put on our sunglasses. The sun is incredibly strong.”

“Wow… I finally understand why people want to honeymoon in places like the Maldives or Boracay.”

“Does that mean we’re on a honeymoon? We make a great couple.”

When she put on oversized sunglasses that covered half her face, her vision dimmed slightly, though the glare disappeared.

“Well… I’ll save these for later. For now, I want to see everything with my own eyes.”

“Then do you want to stay here and look around for a bit? I’ll go get the speedboat tickets—it’ll only take five minutes since they’re right over there.”

“Yes, go ahead. I’ll check out… those dolls over there.”

In front of the pier, small stalls lined up like a flea market. Intrigued, Ra-on dragged her suitcase closer and browsed through the displays. One item, in particular, caught her eye.

“How cute… Are these handmade?”

Ra-on muttered to herself as she examined the handcrafted dolls. Each animal doll was unique in shape and size. A Maldivian man, presumably the owner, approached her with fluent English.

“These are all handmade dolls. My wife sews them, and I sell them here. Feel free to browse without any pressure.”

“This one… is it a wolf doll?”

“Yes, exactly. The fox, rabbit, and wolf are our most popular items. But for a lovely lady like you, I’d recommend this cat doll.”

“Oh, I’m not buying for myself… I want to give it as a gift.”

Ra-on picked up a doll to inspect its stitching. The meticulous craftsmanship suggested it wouldn’t fall apart easily. Holding both a fox and a wolf doll in her hands, she pondered seriously.

‘Which one should I choose… They both remind me of Senior.’

A wolf wearing a fox mask—this was how Ra-on saw Baek Si-heon. Beneath his mischievous smile lay the sharpness and persistence of a wolf. She wanted to buy it before he returned, but choosing just one proved difficult.

‘Should I just get both? Are they expensive?’

As Ra-on lifted her head to ask the price, an incident occurred. Someone among the tourists browsing the stalls quietly unzipped her crossbody bag.

But today was an unlucky day for the pickpocket who dared target Yoo Ra-on.

“…!”

Though startled by the sudden intrusion, Ra-on reflexively grabbed the thief’s wrist and twisted it—a product of her finely honed instincts. Spinning her body, she tossed the doll to the ground and drove her left fist into the man’s solar plexus.

She then leaned forward and kicked his chest with precision. Thud! The loud impact drew everyone’s attention. She had only intended to subdue him, but her movements naturally flowed into a kick.

“Hahk, keuh!”

“Ah…”

The pickpocket collapsed, clutching his chest and coughing violently—he had clearly been struck hard.

The entire ordeal lasted just ten seconds, leaving the tourists wide-eyed. Everyone stared at Ra-on with admiration.

‘Great… I hate being the center of attention.’

Awkwardly smiling, Ra-on picked up the fallen wolf doll. After dusting off the dirt, she scratched her cheek.

“Well, I dropped this, so I’ll buy it. How much is it?”

“Wow, miss. You seemed delicate, but where did that power come from? Are you CIA or something? Everyone’s amazed.”

“No, just… I’m into boxing. I’ll take this one too.”

Airport security arrived shortly after and arrested the thief. Tourists continued to Mabel at her actions, mimicking her moves. Picking up the fox doll, Ra-on bit her lip as the vendor laughed heartily.

“No, no. I’ll give them to you as gifts. Thanks to you, we had quite the show. If that thief had targeted our stall, it could’ve been disastrous.”

“Really? Is it okay for me to accept?”

“Of course! Please take them gladly.”

Cradling the wolf and fox dolls in her hands, Ra-on smiled faintly. Though embarrassed by the attention, receiving unexpected gifts lifted her spirits.

After thanking him, she stuffed the dolls into her bag. Just then, Si-heon’s amused voice reached her ears.

“Pretty impressive, Yoo Ra-on.”

“…Senior. Were you watching the whole time?”

“I wasn’t trying to, but there was no need to intervene—it ended so quickly. Wow, that guy must’ve been in real pain. I’ve been hit by you before, even with padding, and it knocked the wind out of me. Truly worthy of being our company’s ace.”

“The ace is you… Never mind. I’m a little embarrassed.”

With a playful expression, Si-heon wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She had perfectly subdued the thief without his help. Poor guy—choosing Ra-on as his target was a grave mistake. Even Si-heon felt a twinge of sympathy for the man coughing and clutching his chest.

“I booked the earliest boat departure. We can board in five minutes.”

“We’re leaving right away? Great. Oh, Senior. Here…”

Ra-on pulled out the wolf doll she had tucked into her bag, dusted it off, and handed it to him.

“…It’s a gift.”

“You almost got pickpocketed buying this?”

“Yes. I was debating between the fox and the wolf. But in the end, nothing happened, right?”

His eyes sparkled as he accepted the gray wolf doll. Turning it over in his hands, he kissed it lightly.

Smirking meaningfully, he whispered softly so only she could hear:

“Am I the fox or the wolf today? Guess, Yeon-ah.”

“Well… Right now, you definitely seem like a fox.”

“That might change once we’re at the resort. Excited?”

“Hmm… I am, but also a little scared. The wolf seems like he’s been starving for a while.”

Maybe teasing was contagious. Shrugging playfully, Ra-on extended her hand. Intertwining their fingers, they walked toward the pier where the boats awaited.

Shards of sunlight danced across the clear blue water. Seagulls cried overhead, welcoming their arrival.