Chapter 243.2

Chapter 243.2

The throbbing in his temples began again. The pain that started in his forehead quickly spread throughout his skull. Helplessly, his eyes twisted in discomfort.

It had already been eight months since Han Seoryeong started her training.

She was growing stronger and developing day by day. He even thought that she might not need his protection anymore… Han Seoryeong was a goal-oriented person who would surely accomplish something.

However, the traces of bruises he secretly checked after she fell asleep weighed heavily on Lee Wooshin’s heart.

You wouldn’t know how I feel when I apply medicine to your swollen toes…

When he found blood on her training clothes, he felt how deeply it tore at him, and the gun marks left on his palm complicated his feelings even more.

While he was proud and happy about her growth, a greater and more intense anxiety would overwhelm him… Seoryeong, who was likely focused solely on her training, probably wouldn’t know.

‘As a senior and expert in the National Intelligence Service, I highly value your abilities, but at the same time, I feel the urge to keep you as a delicate flower in a greenhouse, which torments me every moment. The contradictions of a man clash like this endlessly.’

“Instructor, I’m back. I’ve returned.”

Whenever he saw her walking differently than usual, he drank cold water several times a day. There seemed to be a bruise on her left knee.

Even while looking at Seoryeong, who greeted him with a tired voice, he nodded casually.

And during the time she was showering, he had to silently listen to the small moans that escaped her lips, which had become the daily routine of a man who had endured the past eight months.

When night fell and she fell asleep, only then did Lee Wooshin quietly rise. The bruises etched on Seoryeong’s limbs were illuminated by the moonlight, becoming vivid.

‘Was this due to the endurance training, or was it from martial arts sparring?’ He was burning inside, but he didn’t bother to ask. He knew better than anyone how the training of agents flowed.

However, he could not experience it for her, so he bit down on his heart, which was heating up. Pretending to support his wife’s dreams, he swallowed digestive medicine like a drink. Without it, he felt he might collapse under the weight of her burdens.

‘….’

His fingertips trembled as he applied the ointment. Her knee had indeed turned purple. Every time Seoryeong flinched in her sleep, his heart crumbled.

‘I want to protect you. Even if it means ruining your dreams and future, I want to break your will…’

Lee Wooshin laughed softly as he listened to the gentle sounds of his wife’s breathing. It was a slightly sharp laugh.

What kind of wounds will you bring back tomorrow, Seoryeong?

Just thinking about it made his head throb.

“Haah…”

Lee Wooshin leaned his forehead against the doorframe. With each heartbeat, a pain surged through him as if he were being stabbed with a knife.

He waited quietly for the pain to subside, but the pressure tightening at the back of his head only grew stronger.

‘Seoryeong, actually, my schedule today is…’

*

Han-Gru Mental Health Clinic.

Specializing in Couples Counseling.

Director: Lee Hansoo.

Lee Wooshin’s eyes habitually scanned the desk.

“You’ve completed all the tests at the neurology department. The MRI, CT, and EEG all show normal results. But you mentioned that the migraines haven’t disappeared, correct? According to your chart, the headaches started about eight months ago.”

“That’s right.”

To be precise, it was an unexplained migraine and insomnia.

“In fact, this unexplained condition is more common than you might think. Our bodies honestly reflect our current mental state. Usually, headaches occur when we experience extreme stress. If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask what you do for a living?”

“I’m a housewife.”

“Excuse me?”

The doctor blinked rapidly and moved his pen unnecessarily. Lee Wooshin was certain that the paper would be filled with meaningless doodles, so he crossed his legs.

The distance from the entrance to the window was 4.2 meters. It was the third floor, but it was a height from which emergency escape was possible. He even checked the hallway situation reflected in the cabinet glass. One nurse, two patients.

Lee Wooshin became aware of his unconscious behavior and chuckled softly. Habits could be quite frightening.

Still, he sat on the sofa farthest from the potted plant. The plant would be the most suitable makeshift weapon. He slightly raised the corners of his eyebrows.

“Then… Has there been anything particularly different in your daily life compared to eight months ago?”