-Character Introductions
1. Myeong Jaehyun
-18 years old
-Male
-Anubis squad leader, instructor in charge of the sniper training project
-Black oversized hooded sweatshirt + jeans
-Main weapons are a knife and a handgun
-A sly, cocky human weapon who gets more serious than anyone else in a fight, though he has a bit of a goofy side
2. Park Hayun
-17 years old
-Female
-Anubis apprentice sniper
-From Doremi Orphanage
-Black tank top, leather jacket, cargo pants
-Main weapon is an AWM
-Calm and taciturn. One of the top aces even within Anubis’s sniper training project.
-Brown hair with waves. Usually wears it in a ponytail or pinned back with a hair clip. Cat-like features
A winter with a biting wind blowing.
Park Hayun was hiding quietly in an alley, holding her breath with the muzzle tucked into a tiny gap.
She had a few ice cubes in her mouth.
To keep her breath from giving away her position.
As the ice slowly melted, a siren rang out.
'Park Hayun detected. Park Hayun detected. Return to the waiting room.'
Park Hayun spat the ice onto the ground and stood up.
When she checked the stopwatch, it was about 10 minutes longer than last time, but she still wasn't satisfied.
There was no way she could become a sniper by hiding for only 40 minutes.
When she returned to the waiting room, everyone else was already sitting there.
Hayun: "Where's Instructor Jaehyun?"
Apprentice 1: "He just left. You didn't see him?"
Park Hayun gave a short nod.
Instructor Myeong Jaehyun was such a reclusive person that there was no point in watching where he went.
Hayun: "He'll be back soon."
Apprentice 1: "Hayun, how many minutes did you last today?"
Hayun: "47 minutes."
Apprentice 2: "Wow... as expected... Hayun, what's your secret?"
Hayun: "....It's not even 50 minutes, so what secret are you talking about? With a time like this, I can't even get an F grade."
The apprentices grumbled enviously.
Apprentice 1: "Hey, you're the only one here who can last over 30 minutes, you know? It's already been 4 months since we joined the project, but you still haven't even been here 2 months yet."
Apprentice 2: "For real. Someone at your level is just naturally gifted."
Then, the door flew open and Myeong Jaehyun came in.
As always, he was wearing a black hoodie and ripped jeans.
Apprentice 3: "Whoa... I guess the instructor isn't cold at all.."
Myeong Jaehyun flipped through the files and called them in one by one for interviews.
And as always, the last turn was Park Hayun's.
Hayun fixed her hair again with her hair clip and got up from her seat, heading to the interview room.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Park Hayun.... your time is increasing quickly, but your posture keeps wavering in the middle, which is why you're getting spotted. Let's increase your strength training a bit more, and change your diet too."
Park Hayun: "Yes, Instructor."
Myeong Jaehyun: "And if the gun's uncomfortable, change it. I know the AWM is a good one, but it's true that it's a big gun for you to use. If you don't get at least 80 on next week's recoil control test, I'll force you to switch."
Park Hayun bit her lip slightly.
Being told to change her gun meant she would have to learn everything from the beginning again, so why did he keep telling her to switch...
Park Hayun: "Understood."
That night, Park Hayun was training late into the night.
She ate dinner at 6, worked out from 7 to 10,
and after that, she devoted herself to recoil control practice.
It wasn't actual combat, so there was no need to keep ice in her mouth, but there was an ice box full of ice beside her so she could get used to the unpleasant numbness in her mouth from the cold touch of ice.
She was in the middle of practicing when a black shadow fell over her head.
The moment she tried to turn and see who it was, her hair tied in a ponytail was yanked hard backward, and hot, soft lips touched her cold, stiff lips.
Just as Hayun froze in surprise, the other person's tongue slipped in and the ice was drawn out of her mouth.
When their lips parted, the person in front of Hayun finally came into view.
It was Myeong Jaehyun.
Myeong Jaehyun: "You really want to trash your whole mouth? How many ice cubes did you even have in there?"
Hayun blinked blankly for a moment, then saw Myeong Jaehyun casually rolling the ice she had been sucking on around in his mouth, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red.
Park Hayun: "Y...you crazy..!! What are you doing!!"
Myeong Jaehyun let out a sly smile and squatted down beside Hayun.
Myeong Jaehyun: "It's just the two of us, so why don't you relax?"
Hayun straightened her posture again and sat down in the chair.
Park Hayun: "Senior...!!"
Myeong Jaehyun had been Hayun's senior in middle school.
Myeong Jaehyun, a third-year who was student council president, and Park Hayun, a second-year department head.
After Myeong Jaehyun became a high school student, he began living in the organization in earnest, following the atmosphere of his family, and Hayun, who had come from an orphanage, escaped the orphanage and began her life in the organization, and that's how the two met again.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Do you know how shocked I was when I saw you two months ago? Why are you in a place like this?"
Park Hayun: "It's obvious, really... I ran away from the orphanage."
Myeong Jaehyun's brow tightened slightly.
It was hard to tell whether he was displeased about something or worried.
Maybe both.
Myeong Jaehyun: "....Why did you run away from the orphanage?"
Park Hayun: "Well... the reasons are pretty much the same as in a novel. The director's personality is so awful that whenever he drank, he would start a huge scene, so I left."
Myeong Jaehyun: "Were you hurt anywhere? Did the director hit you, or did something hit you?"
Park Hayun: "Well, I usually managed to dodge, but since the little kids just took the hits, I was sometimes hit by thrown objects while helping them get away. But it's fine now. It doesn't hurt anymore."
Myeong Jaehyun ran a hand through his hair.
He looked angry about something.
Myeong Jaehyun: "....He threw objects... huh.."
But Myeong Jaehyun's expression quickly returned to his usual sly look.
Leaning against the wall at an angle, he asked with a snort of laughter.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Anyway, why are you eating so much ice? No matter how much training it is, your lips are all cracked and torn."
Park Hayun: "I hate the numb feeling in my mouth from the ice. I kept sucking on it because I wanted to get used to it."
Her words trailed off.
Remembering the kiss from earlier, her mouth went completely dry.
Park Hayun: "S...so that's why I was... sucking on it.."
Myeong Jaehyun silently stared at Hayun's face.
Especially her lips.
Park Hayun rubbed her lips with the back of her hand, flustered.
Park Hayun: "D...did I get something on my face...? Why do you keep...."
Myeong Jaehyun: "It's just, I suddenly thought you were pretty."
Park Hayun: "Cough..!! W...what...?"
Myeong Jaehyun: "Why are you so flustered? I said you're pretty."
Hayun tried to keep her expression under control as she asked.
But there was no helping the tremble in her voice.
She was a little dazed from the sudden attack.
Park Hayun: "S...senior, do you like me? You shouldn't say things like that so carelessly, you know?"
Myeong Jaehyun crossed his legs and wore a languid expression.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Carelessly? Do I look like I'm joking right now?"
Park Hayun was left speechless by the unexpected answer.
Her eyes went round as she could only move her lips wordlessly.
Just as Myeong Jaehyun was about to say something,
'Emergency. Emergency. Emergency. Herot intrusion. Herot intrusion.
Deploy all personnel. Apprentice snipers are to position themselves by the windows in Building B. I repeat. Herot intrusion...'
Park Hayun immediately stood up and grabbed her AWM.
As Hayun ran toward Building B, Jaehyun grabbed her arm.
Myeong Jaehyun: "You're coming with me."
She slung the gun over her shoulder and ran after Myeong Jaehyun.
The place they arrived at was the alley by Building C.
Park Hayun: "Senior..! This isn't Building B..."
Myeong Jaehyun: "There are already too many people at Building B. You provide covering fire from the second floor."
Herot members were advancing from afar.
Park Hayun: "But I'm still..!"
Myeong Jaehyun took out a knife and a handgun from his waist with an easy smile.
He loaded them with smooth, familiar movements.
Myeong Jaehyun: "It's okay, you can do it."
In the end, Hayun ran up to the second floor and took her position by the window where shadows fell.
She set up her rifle as usual, but her hands were shaking.
This was real combat, and the fear that she could die from one mistake hit her for an instant, but she shook off the thought and cleared her head.
The Herot members who had broken through the steel door were about 20 in number, and only Jaehyun and Hayun were near Building C.
Hayun aimed at one who looked like their leader and fired.
A hit rang out, and when the leader fell, the remaining members began to panic.
In the meantime, Jaehyun started taking them out one by one with his knife and handgun.
Hayun dealt with the members approaching from behind Jaehyun.
At first, the thought that she had shot a person gave her goosebumps, but once she thought that if she didn't shoot, she would die, it helped her empty her mind and keep it cold.
Then, Hayun made eye contact with one of the Herot members, and the two fired at the same time.
The bullet Hayun fired hit that member's heart, and the member's bullet lodged in Hayun's shoulder.
Hayun sank down for a moment from the searing pain.
This was the first time she had been hit, even though she had only ever fired a gun before.
But she staggered back to her feet and leaned against the gun.
About 10 minutes later, all of the Herot members were killed.
Myeong Jaehyun, who had rushed straight up to the second floor, found Hayun leaning on her gun.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Park Hayun!!"
Park Hayun turned around with a pale face. Her vision was slightly blurred from the pain.
Park Hayun: "Sen...ior...."
Myeong Jaehyun was horrified to see the bullet lodged in Hayun's shoulder, but after checking the location, he felt a little relieved.
Myeong Jaehyun: "It didn't hit anything vital. We just need to remove the bullet."
Myeong Jaehyun lifted Park Hayun right then and headed to the infirmary.
When they reached the infirmary, Myeong Jaehyun sat Hayun on the bed and skillfully took out the anesthetic, scalpel, and tweezers.
As soon as he applied the anesthetic near the wound, the pain quickly dulled.
In the meantime, Jaehyun carefully removed the bullet and stitched up the wound.
The expression on Hayun's face, twisted in pain, slowly relaxed.
Park Hayun: "Haa...."
Looking at the neatly stitched wound, Hayun smiled.
Park Hayun: "Senior, you can do this too?"
Myeong Jaehyun: "Don't move around too much. If the wound opens, it'll tear even more."
Myeong Jaehyun's face was dead serious.
He seemed a little angry too.
Myeong Jaehyun: "I shouldn't have left you there. I should've sent you to the bunker right away. ....I'm sorry."
Park Hayun: "Senior, I'm fine. Don't apologize."
Hayun looked at Jaehyun with a slight smile.
It was a clear expression that had not been seen much lately during the sniper project.
Park Hayun: "I was proud to protect you too."
Jaehyun stared at Hayun intensely, then stood up.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Ha.... you're really...."
Wiping his face with one hand, Jaehyun lowered his head and pressed his lips to Hayun's.
It was a deeper, more intense kiss than the one from a few hours earlier, when he had moved Hayun's ice over.
Their breathing wavered unsteadily as their breaths mingled.
Even so, Jaehyun carefully supported Hayun's back, trying not to touch her shoulder.
As Hayun's breathing grew more labored, Jaehyun slowly pulled his lips away.
A silver thread stretched between their lips, then snapped.
Park Hayun: ".....I thought I was going to suffocate."
Jaehyun burst out laughing at Hayun's words.
Myeong Jaehyun: "You said you were fine when you got shot, but you're about to suffocate from just a kiss?"
Park Hayun: "My lung capacity isn't that bad, you know? It's just that you're a little too good at it, senior."
Myeong Jaehyun's face came right up to Hayun's eyes.
Myeong Jaehyun: "Then shall we test it again?"
It looked like the two of them were going to have a long day.
Hehe, I kinda liked it....