A knock on the door disrupted her thoughts. Ji-hyun tensed, instinctively gripping the blanket covering her legs. The door swung open, and a nurse entered, carefully balancing a tray of food. The scent of warm soup mixed with the distinct aroma of fermented side dishes filled the air.
The nurse set the tray on the portable table beside Ji-hyun's bed. The meal was simple but hearty—Seolleongtang, a milky beef bone soup, a side of kimchi, steamed rice, and a small serving of kongnamul muchim, seasoned soybean sprouts.
"Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah, you need to eat something... to regain your strength," the nurse said softly, adjusting the utensils before stepping back, watching her expectantly.
Ji-hyun nodded, her expression blank as she slowly sat up, careful not to aggravate the wound on her abdomen. Clutching the spoon, she scooped up a portion of the Seolleongtang, letting the steam brush against her face. The rich broth looked normal, but something about the nurse's presence unsettled her.
The way the nurse's eyes stayed locked on her, the way she stood stiffly, waiting. Too attentive.
A thought crossed Ji-hyun's mind.
She turned slightly, side-eyeing the nurse while bringing the spoon to her lips. At the last second, she faked a violent choke, letting the spoon clatter against the bowl as she coughed harshly.
The nurse reacted instantly, turning her back to rush toward the pitcher of water.
That was her chance.
Quickly, Ji-hyun grabbed a napkin, dipped it into the soup, and let it absorb as much liquid as possible before tucking it beneath her blanket. The nurse returned, pressing a glass of water into her hands. Ji-hyun drank it in one go, exhaling sharply.
"Thank you," she said, her voice weak but composed. "I'm full."
The nurse glanced at the bowl—half of the soup still remained. For a moment, Ji-hyun thought she would insist, but instead, she simply nodded, took the bowl and placed it on the trayleaving the other dishes on her portable table, and walked toward the door. As the door clicked shut, Ji-hyun let out a slow breath, her fingers immediately reaching under the blanket. She pulled out the soaked napkin, its once-white fabric now darkened with a strange, purplish hue.
Her stomach twisted.
Poison.
Her grip tightened on the cloth. Someone wanted her dead.
Her pulse pounded in her ears as possibilities raced through her mind. Was it Commander Baek? The military council? Or worse... had someone already realized she wasn't Soo-ah?
*************************************
The nurse barely made it past the dimly lit hallway before a figure emerged from the shadows, blocking her path. She stiffened, her fingers tightening around the tray.
"I see she drank most of it," the man murmured, his gaze flicking to the half-empty bowl of Seolleongtang resting on the tray.
The nurse nodded quickly, keeping her head down. "Yes, sir."
A beat of silence passed before he dismissed her with a simple wave of his hand. She hurried away, disappearing around the corner. The man remained still for a moment before slipping a phone from his pocket. He dialed a number, waiting as the call connected. The voice on the other end hissed, frustration thick in their tone. "I heard that stupid Lieutenant was found. She knows our secret—"
The man cut them off with a quiet chuckle. "Don't worry. The little bee is caught in the smoke. It won't be long until she's long gone."
Silence stretched between them before the call abruptly ended.
The man exhaled through his nose, slipping his phone back into his coat. He tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
"You should have stayed missing, little bee."
************************************
Ji-hyun sat on the hospital bed, staring at the damp napkin in her hands. The once-white fabric had turned a sickly shade of purple where the soup had soaked in—proof of the poison that had nearly ended her life. Her grip tightened around the cloth as a wave of fury rolled through her. Someone wanted her dead. No—someone needed her dead.
Her mind raced. Was it Commander Baek? He had been too interested in her memories, pushing too hard for details. Or was it Doctor Sang-hoon? He seemed helpful, but what if it was an act? And then there was the nurse—the woman who stood by, watching her, waiting for her to take a sip. Ji-hyun exhaled slowly. No, she couldn't make reckless assumptions. She needed proof. Her fingers reached for her phone under the pillow, but she hesitated. The anonymous sender had warned her before. What if they were watching now?
A knock on the door made her jump. Quickly, she tucked the napkin inside her pillowcase and schooled her expression.
"Come in," she called, her voice steady.
The door creaked open, and Doctor Sang-hoon stepped inside, his usual indifferent expression in place. His sharp eyes swept over her before landing on the untouched Kimchi Jjigae and rice on her tray.
"You didn't eat much," he noted, shutting the door behind him.
Ji-hyun forced a small smile. "I guess my appetite isn't back yet."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "That's strange. You had no trouble drinking the soup earlier." A bead of sweat formed at the back of her neck, but she kept her face neutral. He was testing her.
"Maybe it just didn't sit well," she shrugged, feigning mild discomfort as she rubbed her stomach. "The nurse gave me water, and I felt better afterward."
Sang-hoon didn't respond right away. Instead, he pulled out a small penlight from his pocket and stepped closer, his free hand tilting her chin up. Ji-hyun swallowed the urge to pull away.
"Look up," he ordered.
She obeyed, her gaze locking onto the ceiling as he flashed the light across her pupils.
"Any dizziness?"
"No."
"Blurry vision?"
"No."
His lips pressed into a thin line as he stepped back, slipping the penlight into his coat pocket. "Then you should be strong enough to attend the Colonel's briefing tomorrow morning." Ji-hyun nodded. She knew this was her next step—integrating herself back into the military so she could get closer to the truth.
"Good," Sang-hoon muttered. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, Ji-hyun spoke.
"Doctor," she called softly. He paused but didn't turn around.
"Do you think someone wants me dead?"
A heavy silence followed. Then, without looking at her, he said, "Be careful who you trust, Lieutenant Kang Soo-ah."
And with that, he was gone.
YOU ARE READING
The Algorithm Of Deceit
Short StoryJi-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...
