Misunderstandings Unraveled
Operation success! We needed a place to clear up the misunderstandings—and somewhere to treat the injured as well. The Chunsik Team, a secret organization forged in the shadows of Korea under Team Leader Yoo Han-kyung, couldn't simply haul the agents Shinwoo had taken down to a crowded hospital. The place they ended up at was none other than Elena's house.
"E-excuse us." "Pardon the intrusion..." "...Just come in already."
They had been ready to kill moments ago, yet here they were, offering polite greetings again. The Chunsik Team members, supporting the two injured men, followed Shinwoo inside. Taxidermy deer heads lined the walls, and an old-fashioned fireplace that looked like it might still work sat in the corner. From the outside it hadn't been obvious, but the interior design was distinctly Russian—exotic in every sense.
The team carefully laid the giant's agent and Team Leader Yoo Han-kyung down in the living room. Elena brought over a first-aid kit, and true to their training as special agents, the women immediately began skilled emergency treatment the moment they received gauze and bandages. Watching them work, Shinwoo let out a relieved sigh.
Whew.
But only seconds later, he caught his breath again.
"So... would someone mind explaining what exactly happened here?"
While the Chunsik Team was busy, Elena suddenly leaned in close to Shinwoo, hands planted firmly on her hips in a posture that demanded answers. Six suspicious men had appeared out of nowhere trying to kidnap her. Their leader had called her "Team Leader." And then there was this person named Han Shinwoo, whom they addressed with the utmost respect. It was still morning—she had only just finished breakfast—yet far too many events had unfolded, leaving her mind in complete chaos. She wanted an explanation, and she wanted it from the one person who seemed most central to the entire incident.
***
Fortunately, Lee Do-youn, leader of the Chunsik Team, explained everything that had happened that day—details even Shinwoo himself hadn't known.
"...And that's how it all came about."
"So you're saying you and Shinwoo aren't even friends yet..."
"Yes. And given that she's Russian, we assumed she might be a spy playing hard to get..."
"......Haa."
After hearing the full story, Elena sank into the sofa as if the cushions might swallow her whole. Even I, who had heard it alongside her, was equally stunned.
"You went that far... because of me?"
"Yes... Most men prefer to deal with women who won't listen in exactly this manner..."
Are these people insane? No matter how you looked at it, killing someone so casually was beyond the pale.
"Most men? So if a woman refuses to be friends, other men just try to kill her like this?"
"Well, usually, yes? A woman who won't obey a man is simply too arrogant for her own good."
Lee Do-youn looked at Shinwoo as if he were the strange one for asking. To her, it was obvious. Shinwoo, at a loss for words, let out a sigh just like Elena had.
He was currently sitting on the living room sofa beside Elena. Kneeling in front of them were Lee Do-youn and four other Chunsik Team agents, all braced for a scolding. The two injured parties lay neatly behind them. Now that he understood the truth, Shinwoo turned to Elena, guilt weighing heavily on him. In short, everything that had happened today was because of him. He bore responsibility for underestimating the National Intelligence Service's capabilities.
"Elena. I'm sorry."
"......"
"That day, I only meant to talk to you like we were just having a casual chat. I never thought things would escalate this far."
Shinwoo offered a sincere apology. But he knew better than anyone how difficult apologies were to accept—he had lived through it in his previous life. He had apologized out of courtesy, with no expectation that Elena would accept it. After all, she had nearly died. If he hadn't happened to pass by that street today, she might already be crippled, forced into slavery somewhere in Yanbian. Or perhaps she'd be on a ship in the middle of the Pacific, hauling nets.
So this is what it means to be a man in this world.
He had known men were precious, but experiencing it firsthand made the reality sink in all over again. He had tried to make his first friend, only to create an enemy instead. He had even bought a box of drinks to make a good impression... though the box was nowhere to be found now. Great job, really.
Overwhelmed, Shinwoo covered his face with both hands. The sight of the man looking so troubled made the Chunsik Team members hang their heads like convicted criminals. They were already planning to submit their resignations the moment they returned to NIS headquarters.
But then—
"Why are you making that face?"
The face that had remained expressionless even while killing in his past life was now flushed red, unable to settle whether it was anger or sadness. Elena called out to Shinwoo and met his gaze. Then, doing something she absolutely shouldn't have, she reached out and stretched both of his cheeks with her fingers—partly because he had tried to kill her (even if it was a misunderstanding) and partly out of a sense of fair play.
"...?!"
The Chunsik Team froze, mouths agape. How dare she treat a man like that! Such an enviable—no, such a rude action was technically legal in this world, even if it resulted in being torn limb from limb. But as fellow sinners, did they even have the right to stop her? The subordinates looked helplessly at their leader, Lee Do-youn. She, too, was torn about whether to intervene. Then a thought struck her: it would be shameless to butt in now. It might only make things worse. She quickly signaled for her team to stand down.
Meanwhile, Shinwoo stared blankly at Elena.
"Elena...?"
"Why go to such lengths?"
"...What do you mean?"
"You're a man. If you wanted to be friends, you could have just ordered me to."
Elena followed Shinwoo's gaze every time he tried to look away—she needed to hear his answer. From the very first impression, he was an entirely different creature from any man she had ever known.
First of all, his appearance... is nothing like a typical man.
Men were usually either obese or painfully skinny. Or short like her father. But this boy had a tall, well-built frame and a handsome face. Honestly, he was good-looking. All the men she had seen before were attractive simply because they were men, but he stood out even among them. He made even the famously handsome Yoo Duhak look like a chubby pig by comparison. He was easily in the top 0.1% of men—or perhaps the most outstanding man in the entire world.
That only made Han Shinwoo harder to understand.
"Why go through so much trouble just to get close to me when there's a much easier way?"
Elena's voice grew more intense. The watching Chunsik Team members were equally curious. A man who wanted to be friends with a woman so badly that he came all the way to her house on the weekend? That kind of plot wouldn't even appear in a third-rate melodrama—because it was too unrealistic for anyone to relate to. It would be more believable if someone slapped their daughter-in-law over a single pack of kimchi. Shinwoo was simply that different from other men.
Elena waited for his answer, thinking of her father. But what she heard was—
"Because..."
It was far simpler than she expected.
"It's the right thing to do."
Elena’s expression deflated instantly.
"...What?"
"Well, it's true. Becoming friends through orders? That would make you a subordinate, not a friend."
Shinwoo spoke with conviction. He casually voiced knowledge that this world would call fourth-dimensional thinking—because in his mind, it was simply the correct answer.
Elena, the listening Chunsik Team, and even the now-conscious Yoo Han-kyung and the giant's agent fell silent. An indescribable emotion welled up inside them. Not knowing how to express it, Elena's lips trembled. Then she suddenly remembered Shinwoo from earlier—the boy who had desperately called her name when she was in danger, who had shielded her with his broad back, who had charged ahead to catch the fleeing criminals.
What if her father had been in Shinwoo's place instead?
The answer came to her instantly: he would have run away without a second thought—daughter or not. Because unlike Shinwoo, her father was an ordinary man.
Elena's head slowly lowered. Even in this situation, the unprecedented reality that she had been protected by a man replayed in her mind. She couldn't bear to show her face. It had never burned this hot before. It was shameful, unbecoming of a noble young lady. So instead of lifting her head, she took both hands from his cheeks and clasped one of Shinwoo's hands tightly between her own.
The Chunsik Team flinched again—this time even their leader, Lee Do-youn. No matter how you looked at it, Elena had now touched a man twice without permission. She moved to intervene, but a hand grabbed her arm. It belonged to none other than the barely conscious Team Leader Yoo Han-kyung.
Just stay still for now.
But...
Do you want to die? Stay still.
The warning, delivered silently through lip movements, came from someone whose thigh bone had been gouged out. Its ferocity made Lee Do-youn break into a cold sweat and fall silent.
Meanwhile, Shinwoo was thinking it was about time to leave. He hadn't made the best impression, and it was true that she had nearly died because of him. He was already imagining disappearing and either switching classes or transferring schools the next day. Come to think of it, he had never even attended elementary school. If he transferred now, would his younger sister Mijin end up with him as her senior?
But Elena refused to let go of his hand.
"...Elena?"
He had tried to give her some space, but she held on tighter—then did something even bolder. She guided his clasped hand between her ample breasts, right in front of her sternum, where the two soft mounds pressed together. It was a place no man should touch so casually. Even Shinwoo, who had grown up without friends or family, knew that much.
Yet Elena kept his hand there, her face as red as a ripe tomato, as she gathered her courage to meet his eyes. At that moment, Yoo Han-kyung was internally debating whether to just kill her.
Then Elena spoke.
"I'll do it...!"
She gathered even more courage.
"You just have to do it, right? That whole 'being friends' thing...!"
"R-really?"
"Yes! It's no big deal... I've never had a friend either, so I'll be your first! So don't even think about running away or avoiding me!"
How had she known he was planning to run? Did she read minds? Either way, Shinwoo had unintentionally made his first friend. His face began to brighten again.
The NIS agents watching felt deeply uncomfortable with Elena's boldness, but at least tonight called for a toast.
"Team Leader...!"
"Yeah. Let's celebrate our first success. Drinks on me when we get back."
"Yes!"
"Ah, of course you lot will still be disciplined. What were you thinking, trying to fight a man?"
"T-Team Leadeeer...!!"