Ji-hyun had spent years burying the past, drowning herself in lines of codes and endless data streams. As a data engineer, she believed in logic, in patterns, in things that made sense. But nothing about her twin sister's death did.
Three years had...
The sharp crack of the gavel echoed through the chamber, sealing Ji-hyun’s fate.
"Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah will be placed under strict observation under Commander Baek Joon-hyuk."
A heavy silence followed. Then, the doors at the far end of the hall creaked open.
A figure stepped inside.
The tension in the room shifted instantly. A ripple of unease swept through the assembled officers. Ji-hyun’s grip on the wheelchair arm tightened.
An old man.
But not just any old man.
His uniform was crisp, his movements deliberate, and the air around him carried a weight of unspoken authority.
Commander Baek Joon-hyuk.
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The very name sent a shiver down Ji-hyun’s spine. Ruthless. Unyielding. A man known for breaking soldiers before rebuilding them into weapons. And yet, as he stepped beside her, Ji-hyun couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen him before.
No—heard him before.
A deep bow.
"Greetings, Council."
Ji-hyun’s breath hitched.
That voice.
Her mind raced, flipping through memories like a deck of scattered cards. Where? Where had she heard that voice?
Then, like a bolt of lightning—the video.
The grainy, shadowed footage sent to her by the anonymous source. The silhouette of a man standing in the darkness, speaking in a low, measured tone.
Could it be…?
No.
It was impossible.
But as she studied the strong, rigid lines of his physique, the certainty clawed at her.
It was him.
The very man whose voice had haunted her through the screen. The one standing over a group of kneeling soldiers. The one who had spoken just before the second soldier—her sister’s comrade—was shot.
Ji-hyun swallowed hard, masking the turmoil beneath a carefully composed expression.
This changed everything. This wasn’t just about infiltrating the military to find her sister’s killer. Now, she was walking directly into the lion’s den. The doctor’s objection came swift and firm. “With all due respect, Commander Baek, Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah should not be under your jurisdiction. She is the sole survivor of her troop, and there is a high probability that she will be targeted again. For maximum protection, she should be placed under the Colonel’s authority.”
Ji-hyun fought to keep her expression neutral, though relief surged through her veins. Being under Commander Baek meant living under the watchful eye of a man she wasn’t sure was friend or foe. At least under the Colonel, she had a better chance to maneuver. The Colonel gave it some thought before finally nodding. “Doctor Kim makes a valid point. Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah will be placed under my direct protection.” The gavel came down with a decisive thud.
As Ji-hyun was wheeled back to the ward, she could feel the heat of Commander Baek’s anger behind her. His presence was overwhelming, his aura crackling with restrained fury. Once she was settled back onto the hospital bed and the nurse left, silence filled the room. Then, the commander spoke.
“I heard you came back from hell,” he said, his gaze sweeping over the room, as if searching for any sign of weakness in her.
Ji-hyun refused to show any fear. She remained quiet, her body still as she watched him from the corner of her eye.
His voice was smooth, almost casual. “What did you see or hear?”
Ji-hyun turned her head slightly to face him. “Nothing… I can’t remember,” she replied, forcing her voice to be distant, as if she was still lost in the horrors of her so-called captivity.
Commander Baek’s eyes darkened as he stepped closer. “Nothing? Not even voices? Faces? Surely, there is something?”
Ji-hyun flinched, just slightly, as his imposing figure loomed over her. He was testing her, pushing her to break.
She swallowed hard, pretending to give in. Her breath hitched as she hugged her knees, rocking back and forth, her eyes clouded with feigned trauma. “My… my troop… they were shot one by one…” Her voice cracked, her body trembling slightly.
The door suddenly flung open, breaking the tense atmosphere. The doctor stormed in, his expression set in firm disapproval. “No one should be allowed in this room, Commander. You have to leave.”
For a brief moment, Commander Baek seemed as though he wanted to argue, his jaw clenching. But he held his tongue, casting one last unreadable look at Ji-hyun before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.
The doctor sighed, rubbing his temples before turning to Ji-hyun. He pulled up a chair and sat at her bedside, his voice softer now. “Hey, calm down. It’s all in the past.”
Ji-hyun let out a shaky breath, nodding weakly. But deep down, she knew that nothing was in the past. Everything was still in motion. The doctor Sang-hoon looked at her trembling frame and shook his head. "Listen, before you thank me for standing up for you, I didn't do it for you. It's just that Commander Baek is known to be a bad seed."
Ji-hyun nodded slowly, her fingers tightening around the sheets. "But still, I want to thank you for what you did. I don’t have anything to repay you with, but I will forever be grateful."
Sang-hoon studied her for a moment before exhaling sharply. "Just get over your trauma, or you will be discharged for not being in full mental health," he said bluntly, turning towards the door. He paused, his hand on the knob. "Take care, Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah." With that, he stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Left alone, Ji-hyun let out a shaky breath, her fingers twitching as she reached beneath her pillow for her phone. She typed 'Commander Baek Joon-hyuk' into the notes app, staring at the name as if it would reveal the answers she needed. Something about him unsettled her. The way he had pressed her, the way he had watched her—there was something in his eyes that told her he wasn’t convinced.
Before she could dwell on it further, a buzz from her phone startled her. A new message from the unknown number lit up her screen:
'Commander Baek seems to know something.'
Ji-hyun stared at the message, her mind racing. Commander Baek seems to know something. What exactly did he know? And why was she getting this warning now?
Her fingers hovered over the screen as she debated whether to reply, but she hesitated. If this unknown informant had access to military personnel's actions, they were either someone on the inside or someone dangerously skilled at getting information. Could it be Doctor Sang-hoon? He had intervened just in time, but his words made it seem like he had little personal interest in her well-being.
Shaking her head, she locked the phone and slid it back under her pillow. She couldn't afford to jump to conclusions. Right now, her priority was blending in, gaining trust, and uncovering the truth behind her sister’s murder.
Ji-hyun took a deep breath and clenched her fists. The game had begun, and she had no choice but to play it carefully.
