I’ve Been Discharged from the Singles Unit
In a high-end restaurant, Jaehyuk sat across from Alina. She offered him a gentle, radiant smile.
In front of him lay a steak that screamed expensive at first glance. Caught completely off guard by the situation, Jaehyuk could only stare at her blankly.
What… is this situation?
“Why? Don’t you like steak?”
“Uh… it’s not that I don’t like it…”
No matter how he thought about it, Jaehyuk couldn’t understand why someone as stunning as her—someone who surely had men lining up—would treat him this well. He saw himself as an ordinary guy with average looks and slightly above-average height.
Because of that, he genuinely wanted to know why Alina was acting like she was interested in him.
Then, she spoke.
“Jaehyuk.”
“Yes?”
“What do you… think of me?”
“What do I think of you?”
“More precisely… what do you think about someone like me… as a girlfriend…”
Her face gradually turned red as she spoke. She set down her knife and fork and waited for his answer.
“Can I be completely honest?”
She nodded. Jaehyuk looked at her and said,
“If you were my girlfriend, Alina, that would be more than I could ever ask for. But if you’re interested in me, I don’t understand why. You seem way out of my league.”
Alina remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
“When I first saw you… it was simple curiosity. I wondered why this guy was suddenly cursing in Korean in the middle of a New York street. And then there was the way you couldn’t find your accommodation because you’d left your phone behind… Um… how should I put it.”
She paused, as if carefully filtering her words, took a sip of the white wine in her glass, and continued.
“I guess you could call it clumsy charm? It felt a little cute to me. That’s just my personal opinion, though.”
“Hmm… your tastes are… pretty unique.”
“There was a bigger reason. Remember when I guided you to the Ritz-Carlton and it suddenly started raining?”
“Yeah. You had an umbrella with you.”
“The umbrella was small, so we couldn’t both fit under it completely. That’s when you let your own shoulder get soaked just to keep me dry. That’s when I realized how deeply considerate you are. You were the first person who ever looked at me and showed such genuine care.”
Jaehyuk listened attentively, gazing into her eyes.
“That’s when I started to like you. Whenever I lay down to sleep, your face would suddenly appear, my heart would race, and every moment we spent together would replay so clearly in my mind. And when my friends told me that my lips kept curving into a smile every time I sent you a DM on Onstagram, I became certain.”
Then Alina looked straight into Jaehyuk’s eyes and confessed her feelings without holding anything back.
“That I like you, Jaehyuk.”
Her words made him feel that her affection was sincere.
But when he thought about it more calmly, could he really afford to be in a relationship right now?
Jaehyuk was an undercover operative who had infiltrated the most dangerous criminal organization in South Korea. If he started dating her while doing something this risky, she could easily get dragged into danger too. The thought worried him deeply.
“Alina. I can tell how sincere you are. But…”
“Are you pushing me away again?”
“…Yes. The work I’m doing right now… it’s extremely dangerous.”
“I already have a rough idea of what you do.”
“What do you mean? How could you know…”
“You’re a cop. Officially discharged, but still operating undercover.”
Jaehyuk stared at her in utter confusion. She looked back at him with a determined expression that said she had no intention of backing down.
“How did you…”
“I’ll tell you when the time is right. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what kind of work you do. And if you need help, I’ll do whatever it takes to support you.”
Jaehyuk looked at her, completely bewildered by the situation.
“How? You’re just a normal—”
“Who do you think sent the person who saved you in Busan?”
That instantly brought back the memory of the massive man who had fired a pistol and thrown smoke grenades to rescue him from the yakuza at that Japanese restaurant in Busan.
No way… the one who sent that monster of a fighter… was Alina?
“I’m going to help you finish that difficult and dangerous job safely. I won’t let you live in danger. Because you’re the first person I’ve ever truly liked.”
Her words left him both flustered and worried.
How much must she like him to be willing to get involved in something this dangerous?
“You like me that much? Even knowing what I’m involved in?”
“Yes. And if you reject me now… I’ll wait until your work is finished. It might take a long time… but I’ll still wait.”
The look in her eyes was filled with unwavering resolve.
It was completely different from the fragile, delicate woman he had met in New York two years ago—the one who had triggered his protective instincts.
After seeing her words and determination, Jaehyuk was convinced that no matter how much he refused, she wouldn’t change her mind.
But it feels wrong to keep pushing her away so coldly… especially when she’s saying she likes me this much.
With a sigh, he looked into her eyes and said,
“Are you really sure you won’t regret dating me?”
“Yes. I will never regret it.”
Her answer made him realize there was no escaping this. At the same time, the thought of this new connection didn’t feel bad at all.
“Then… let’s date seriously from now on.”
Alina’s face lit up with a bright smile. Jaehyuk raised his wine glass toward her and asked softly,
“How about a toast to mark day one?”
“I’d love that.”
The two clinked their wine glasses, beginning a much deeper relationship. The sound of their glasses touching rang clearer and more refreshing than ever before.
A few days later, in the evening.
Still on vacation, Jaehyuk was waiting for someone at a local pub.
The door opened, and his friends Kang Jihun and Lee Jeonghan walked in. Jihun spotted him and waved.
“Hey!! Park Jaehyuk!!”
Jaehyuk smiled and waved back. The two sat down across from him.
“I heard from Jeonghan. You joined the Crown Hotel?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s the job? Manageable?”
“It’s… just okay, I guess.”
Jihun nodded, but his expression wasn’t particularly bright. It made sense—both of his friends had left respectable public service careers in the police and military to join a notoriously dangerous criminal syndicate.
“Still, if it gets uncomfortable, tell me. I’ll look around for something better. I got pretty close with some seniors in the business department, and they run solid companies.”
“Well… if you’re offering, thanks. But it’s not that uncomfortable yet.”
Jeonghan nodded at Jaehyuk’s answer and added,
“That’s right. The pay is way better than what I got in the military. I’m pulling eighty million a year.”
“I’m getting a hundred and twenty million. The work’s still doable for now…”
“Salary does matter. But the kind of work you guys are doing… Ah, never mind. On second thought, a dumbass like me shouldn’t be lecturing you.”
Then Jihun asked,
“Have you ordered yet?”
“Not yet. Hey, boss! Can we get an order over here?!”
A short while later, Jaehyuk mixed soju and beer into some somaek and passed the glasses to Jeonghan and Jihun. The three friends clinked their glasses in a toast. Then Jaehyuk asked Jihun,
“Jihun, how long have you and Suyeon been dating now?”
“We hit exactly seven years a few days ago.”
“Whoa… already seven years? Time really flies.”
Jaehyuk took a sip of his somaek. Jihun turned to him and Jeonghan.
“What about you two? Any updates?”
“Nothing for me. Damn it… maybe romance just isn’t in the cards for my life.”
Jeonghan downed his entire glass in one go. Jaehyuk grinned and answered Jihun,
“I’ve officially been discharged from the singles unit.”
Both Jihun and Jeonghan widened their eyes in shock. Jaehyuk showed them a photo he had taken of Alina after accepting her confession that day.
After seeing the picture, Jihun asked Jeonghan,
“Wait, isn’t that the girl we met in New York two years ago? Doesn’t she look just like her?”
“It’s not that she looks like her—she is her. Weren’t you the one who said you lost contact with her…?”
“I did. But she came looking for me and confessed.”
Jaehyuk flashed them a proud grin. Jeonghan suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair and shook it.
“You lucky bastard!! You need to pay ten times the taxes!! No—ninety percent of your entire net worth as tax!!”
“If you’re jealous, go get a girlfriend yourself.”
“Ugh, life is so fucking unfair…”
Jeonghan mixed himself another somaek and chugged it. Jihun asked Jaehyuk,
“Now that you’re dating, have you set up a date yet?”
“We’re meeting on Christmas morning. She said her schedule’s too tight before then.”
“Really? Where are you taking her?”
“K-World.”
“An amusement park date, huh… Nice. But I heard this Christmas might actually be a white Christmas.”
Hearing that, Jeonghan mixed yet another drink and muttered to Jaehyuk,
“A white Christmas…? I’m so jealous it hurts. That’s gonna be insanely romantic.”
He downed the glass again. Jihun stared at him blankly.
“How many somaek have you chugged in one go now?”
“Don’t know. I’m just drinking to get wasted.”
“Hey, take it easy, man. Your turn will come too. Don’t look so down.”
“Will it really…? Sigh… I really don’t know anything anymore.”
The three friends drank for quite a while.
Some time later, a taxi carrying all three pulled up in front of Jeonghan’s apartment. Jeonghan stumbled out of the car.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to walk you in…?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine!! I’m totally okay, you idiots!! See you next time!!”
He waved at his friends, staggered into the apartment building, and pressed the elevator button.
Ugh… I drank way too much for the first time in a while.
Hiccupping, Jeonghan waited for the elevator, stepped inside when it arrived, and just as the doors were about to close, he heard hurried footsteps rushing toward it.
Huh? Someone’s coming…
He quickly pressed the open button. A woman stepped in, bowed her head slightly, and thanked him.
“Thank you.”
The moment he saw her face, the alcohol in Jeonghan’s system seemed to evaporate instantly.
Holy… What the—? She’s insanely beautiful… Wait, am I drunk and hallucinating?
He carefully studied the woman standing beside him.
HAIR: Pure white, like fresh snow
BUILD: Slender, approx. 175cm
IMPRESSION: Mystical, cold beauty
EFFECT ON JEONGHAN: Instant sobriety + severe nervousness
Her hair was as white as snow in a winter field, and she gave off a somewhat icy impression. She was tall—around 175 centimeters—with a slender frame, a delicate face, and large, striking eyes. The white hair gave her an almost mystical aura. Before he knew it, Jeonghan’s gaze was completely locked on her.
At that moment, she subtly shifted her eyes toward him. Jeonghan quickly looked away, pretending he had never been staring at her in the first place.
When he hiccupped and tried to play it cool, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly, as if she found his awkwardness cute. She smiled while he wasn’t looking.
A few moments later, the elevator reached Jeonghan’s floor. They both stepped out together.
What? She lives on the same floor? I’ve never seen her before…
Standing in front of his door, Jeonghan pressed the numbers on his digital lock. Maybe it was because he was drunk and there was a beautiful woman around his age standing right next to him, but he kept getting the password wrong.
The woman, who had been quietly watching, spoke to him in a voice as beautiful as her appearance.
“Try pressing the buttons more slowly instead of rushing.”
“Ah… yes… *hic*… Thank you… *hic*!”
Hiccupping, Jeonghan followed her advice and slowly entered the code. When the lock finally clicked open, his face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly opened the door, stepped inside, and slammed it shut.
Standing in his entryway, he covered his face with both hands and let out a long sigh, mortified by his own blunder.
Oh man… That was so embarrassing!! So fucking embarrassing!! What a disaster…
At the same time, the woman standing in front of the door next to his stared at the spot where Jeonghan had disappeared with a meaningful expression.
She recalled how his face had turned red as he hurriedly opened and closed the door. Apparently finding it adorable, she unconsciously smiled, then opened her own door and stepped inside.