The cafeteria hummed with chatter, trays clattering and voices overlapping like a chorus. Han Soo-min sat at the far corner, her spoon barely touching the rice in her bowl. Her eyes kept drifting—first to the exit where Ji-hoon had disappeared, then to the long table where Kang Min-ho sat with a few officers, his posture straight, his every move commanding quiet authority.
It had been years since she last saw him, but the way his brow furrowed when he concentrated, the way his fingers tapped the table unconsciously… it was the same Min-ho from high school. The same boy who used to pass her notes folded into tiny paper airplanes.
But now, he wasn't just a boy. He was a soldier. A man. Someone whose presence demanded attention.
She forced her gaze down. Focus, Soo-min. You're here for the mission, not for him.
"Daydreaming already, intern?"
Her head snapped up. Min-ho stood in front of her table, one eyebrow raised. The cafeteria seemed to hush, curious eyes turning their way.
Soo-min scrambled to her feet, bowing quickly. "N-no, sir. Just… thinking."
Min-ho's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Thinking can be dangerous here." He placed a hand on the table, leaning just slightly closer. "What's your name again?"
Her throat tightened. "Lena Han, sir."
For a moment, his eyes searched hers, and her heart thudded so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it. Then, with the faintest curl of a smile, he stepped back.
"Stay out of trouble, intern."
As he walked away, Soo-min sank back into her chair, gripping her spoon like it was a lifeline. He doesn't know. He can't know. Not yet.
But before she could take a breath, someone slid into the seat across from her.
Ji-hoon.
"Still lying, Soo-min?" he asked softly, his voice like a blade hidden behind velvet.
Her blood ran cold. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, forcing calmness.
He leaned closer, his gaze locking onto hers. "You can fool them. But you can't fool me."
The noise of the cafeteria blurred into silence. For a heartbeat, it was just the two of them—the man she once loved, and the man who could ruin everything.
Ji-hoon's lips curved into a half-smile. "Careful, Soo-min. Shadows have eyes everywhere."
And then, as if nothing had happened, he stood, adjusting his suit jacket, and walked away.
Soo-min sat frozen, the weight of his words pressing against her chest. Shadows. Watching her.
But she wasn't going to let fear win. She had come here with a purpose. She would uncover the truth behind the corporation and the military base.
Even if it meant confronting the two men who held pieces of her past—and her heart.