“I’ve had enough rest. I’m feeling better now,” Y/n said as she walked beside her father through the hallway of the Armten Base. Her father walked with a slow pace to match hers, his hands resting on his hips in his usual, disciplined manner.

“What happened this morning?” he asked, glancing at her.

“It wasn’t anything serious. I think it was my fault, actually. I started talking with some of the soldiers, and they got so caught up in the conversation that they ended up being late for their training.”

Her father let out a short scoff. “No wonder Officer Kim looked like he was in a bad mood.”

Y/n almost rolled her eyes. Was he ever not in a bad mood? she thought to herself but didn’t say it out loud. Instead, she asked, “Did he punish them just for being two minutes late?”

As they turned a corner, her father gave a slight nod. “I think he must have.”

He really is too harsh, isn’t he? Y/n thought. She looked down for a moment before speaking again. “He seemed upset with me too, for distracting his soldiers. Honestly, I feel like if I weren’t your daughter, he might have made me run laps around the training ground as punishment.”

Her father chuckled at that. “He’s not that bad.”

“I suppose,” she replied softly, though she wasn’t very convinced.

They came to a stop in front of a door. Her father looked at her and said, “Since he couldn’t be avoided, I thought, maybe it’s okay if you just have lunch with us?”

Y/n blinked. “What?”

“Would you?” he asked.

Then, without waiting for an answer, he opened the door and Y/n was left wondering what exactly he meant by ‘us.’

~~~

Y/n sat on one side of the table with her father beside her. Across from them sat Officer Kim Taehyung, quietly eating his meal. Both men were focused on their food, and no one spoke much.

Y/n hadn’t expected Officer Kim to join them for lunch. It seemed like he and her father sometimes shared meals together. 

Even though he rarely showed any emotion, always looking either serious or slightly displeased, y/n could tell from his body language whenever she was around that he didn’t like her very much.

Still, she couldn’t help but watch him. He sat with perfect posture, his back straight and shoulders squared. His movements were precise as he ate, his gestures disciplined, like everything he did had purpose. His large hands, though rough-looking, handled everything with elegance.

He was attractive in a strong, masculine way, anyone could see that, but it was his calm, cold demeanor that stirred something inside her. It made her nervous. Curious.

Especially since he had scolded her earlier that morning. She still didn’t know how she was supposed to act around him now. Should she have greeted him when she entered the room? Smiled or bowed? She had considered saying something, but he hadn’t even looked at her. The moment they walked in, he simply greeted her father and took his seat at the table, acting like she wasn’t even there. As if her father was the only one in the room.

Wasn’t that rude?

Of course she was offended. Why wouldn’t she be?

She turned her attention back to her meal, trying to ignore the silence. She slowly moved her feet forward, resting them on the wooden footrest under the table. The small bells on her anklets jingled softly with the movement.

She noticed it immediately. Officer Kim’s hand froze, his spoon held still halfway to his mouth.

Her heart fluttered as his sharp, hunter-like eyes suddenly landed on her. That gaze held her in place. She couldn’t move. It was intense. She didn’t need to hear him say anything to know, he didn’t like the sound of her anklets.

“Y/n, you should try this,” her father said, snapping her out of her thoughts. He placed a perfectly cooked piece of lobster on her plate. “It’s good.”

She nodded, humming in agreement, but her eyes quickly flicked back toward Officer Kim, eager to meet his gaze again.

But he had already looked away.

Y/n’s heart squeezed, just a little, but enough for her to notice.

Something was definitely wrong with her.

Why was she feeling this way? Why did it bother her so much that he hadn’t acknowledged her? Why did it even matter? Why did she feel so uneasy, so invisible under his gaze, or rather, the lack of it?

She couldn’t help herself. Again, she slowly lifted her feet off the footrest and placed them back on the ground, this time on purpose. The delicate chime of her anklets rang again, intentionally made to catch his attention.

And it worked.

Officer Kim moved. He calmly set his spoon down, placing it neatly on the table, one on either side of his plate. Then he leaned back in his chair, posture perfectly straight, shoulders broad and composed. Finally, his sharp gaze landed on her.

Her heart stuttered in her chest. What was it doing? Why were her cheeks growing warm?

Well, she wanted him to look at her. Now he was.

But he didn’t look pleased. If anything, he looked like he wanted to snatch the anklets off her feet and toss them out the window.

Of course he hated the sound, it was soft and delicate, maybe even pretty. He was probably more used to the sharp crack of gunfire. What did he know about soft things?

God, this man was something.

Still, he didn’t look away. And even though her stomach felt like it had tied itself into a tight knot, Y/n didn’t look away either.

But eventually, he broke the stare. His eyes shifted to her father, his deep voice reverberating through her as he spoke.

“I will take my leave, Mr. Everhart.”

So this wasn’t a formal meal, at least not between him and her father.

“Oh, you’re done?” her father asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, then. I will see you later.”

He stood up. Even in that simple action, his discipline showed. His uniform stretched slightly across his body as he pushed his chair under the table, his muscles flexing naturally with the motion.

Y/n didn’t know where this strange, cave-woman reaction kept coming from, but the sight of him, how sharp and sure he was in everything he did, kept drawing her in. She couldn’t stop staring.

As he stood straight, her eyes were still fixed on him, and at the last moment, his eyes flicked back to her. He held her gaze for one, two, three full seconds. Just three, but she knew she would carry those seconds with her all day.

Then he left.

Y/n’s eyes stayed locked on the door even after it closed behind him. She didn’t even know why. She had stopped questioning it. He just… pulled her in.

“He lost his parents in combat,” her father said softly. She turned to him, surprised by the sudden information. 

“They were my close friends,” he added. “Great people who will always be remembered.”

So her father had noticed her curiosity. Maybe that’s why he brought her here for lunch in the first place. Of course, Officer Kim’s behavior hadn’t been normal.

“His grandfather was also in the military. He was a strict and harsh man,” her father continued. “After Taehyung’s parents died, it was his grandfather who raised him. He taught him that control is more important than emotion. Taehyung joined this base when he was just eighteen. He went through the hardest training we offer. What you see now… is someone who’s been shaped by pain and discipline. The base didn’t break him, but it hardened him. He’s become more stone than man.“

Y/n’s heart ached. She couldn’t even imagine growing up without love, being raised by someone who valued discipline over emotions. No wonder he looked like he carried the experience of years far beyond his age. Suddenly, his silence, his cold eyes, even his disapproval, they all made sense.

The military wasn’t just his job, it was the only life he’d ever had.

“He is the way he is because of the life he has lived,” her father said gently. “So don’t mind his…”

“Silence?” Y/n finished for him.

“Anything.”

“I don’t mind anything, Papa. But… he seems to hate me being here.”

“No, dear,” he assured her. “He just has strong opinions. He believes that certain people don’t belong in certain places. That’s why he first disapproved of your presence at the base. But after I spoke with him, we reached a kind of understanding. He agreed, but I think he still holds on to that belief, deep down. That’s just who he is. It’s not about you, so don’t take it to heart.”

Y/n looked down at her plate, quiet for a moment. But her thoughts were full. She realized that he wasn’t being harsh or rude. He was being careful. Guarded.

Her father added, “I saw you were curious. Don’t take it personally. He doesn’t hate anyone. He’s just not used to warmth.”

Y/n swallowed hard. A part of her felt strangely sad hearing that. But another part understood. Maybe pretending was his way of keeping his distance from everything soft and warm. Maybe, to him, closeness meant weakness. 

“Here, try this as well,” her father said, placing a boiled shrimp on her plate. “Wasn’t the lobster good?”

Y/n gave a small nod, her voice lower than usual. “Yeah. It’s good.”

But her mind was still far away, caught up in thoughts of Officer Kim.

~~~~

It was absurd, really, birthdays weren’t even allowed to be celebrated here.

What did her mother even like about this place?

Maybe it was because the love of her life was here with her.

Y/n sighed, gazing out the window of her room at the massive Armten base building.

She wondered if being happy was illegal in this place.

Maybe happiness was forbidden, not just here, but especially around Officer Kim Taehyung. It felt that way.

Y/n understood him now. She understood why he was the way he was, and maybe she even respected it. But she also understood the others.

The soldiers who were far from home, far from their families, their comfort, their warmth. A moment of joy meant something to them. And yet, no one dared to celebrate. No one even tried to ask for permission.

Because everyone feared Officer Kim too much.

That was ridiculous. Y/n had already been scolded once for interfering, so she knew she should stay out of it. But this was just a birthday. A simple celebration.

What could possibly go wrong? Would the world end if someone cut a cake? Would the sky collapse if soldiers laughed together for a few minutes?

No. Nothing would happen. Everything would be fine.

But her father had been clear, without Officer Kim’s approval, it would be considered a serious mistake. Celebrations, in his eyes, were earned only after accomplishments. Until then, there was no time for them.

So, fine. She dropped the idea.

But no one said she couldn’t bake. That wasn’t breaking any rules, right?

So Y/n decided she’d still do something kind. Something warm and sweet. She would bake a birthday cake.

Officer Kim didn’t have to know. It wasn’t an event. It was just cake. Just a few smiles. That wasn’t so wrong… right?

~~~

The oven chimed softly as Y/n pulled the cake out carefully, her face lighting up.

It was beautiful. A perfect round chocolate sponge with soft, glossy icing layered across the top like silk. She had added little curls of chocolate shavings, decorating it with care. The smell was rich and heavenly, and the surface still shimmered slightly with heat.

She placed it in the freezer to keep it fresh for the surprise. It was for the youngest soldier on the base, it was a kind gesture.

Then she got to work again, this time baking cupcakes.

They came out small, warm, and perfectly soft. Their tops were golden and light, piped with a swirl of cream that looked like clouds. She made enough for everyone. Officers, guards, staff, cooks, every single person received one.

And everyone praised her.

And she knew there was one person left who would neither like them nor appreciate them but still, she wanted him to have them.

Officer Kim.

He wasn’t at the base. He was in his quarters. And even though it would’ve made more sense to send someone else, Y/n didn’t want to.

She wanted to go by herself.

She’d seen a glimpse of him now, a part of his story, and she understood. He wasn’t truly cold or cruel. He had just built walls too high for most people to climb.

“Should I drop you there, Miss Everhart, or would you walk?”

The polite soldier at the gate asked kindly.

“No, it’s fine. It’s not that far. I’ll walk.”

He nodded respectfully and left, and Y/n began her walk, basket of cupcakes in her hands.

Ten minutes in, and she regretted it. She should’ve accepted the ride. It was farther than it looked, and she was already tired.

But eventually, she reached his quarters. The gate stood open, as if quietly inviting her in.

Silence greeted her as she stepped inside.

The ground floor was as quiet and composed as the man who lived there. Minimalist. Disciplined. Every object had its place, neat shelves, clean lines, simple tones. It wasn’t cold, exactly, but it was reserved and controlled. Not a trace of clutter, not a single soft detail. Just like him.

And it was empty.

He wasn’t there.

So she climbed the wooden stairs.

She lifted the hem of her long gown with one hand, careful not to trip, the basket in her other hand. Step by step, she ascended until she reached the landing.

The hallway was narrow and quiet. At the very end, standing with his back to her, was Officer Kim.

He was leaning against the railing, head slightly tilted forward, arms resting loosely. And he wasn’t in uniform.

Her heart skipped at the sight of him.

He wore a plain white T-shirt and black trousers that somehow made him look more attractive and striking. His shoulders were wide and his biceps thick, his back strong and cut like a statue carved in control. He looked… different like this. More human. And maybe even more dangerous in a quiet, effortless way.

Y/n took a few slow steps toward him, heart fluttering. She opened her mouth to call his name.

But he spoke first 

“I don’t remember requesting your company, Miss Everhart.” His deep voice wrapped around her, pulling her breath from her lungs. It hit her low in the belly.

Her voice caught. “How did you know I was here?”

He turned around, and Y/n’s heart did something she couldn’t describe. It didn’t just skip a beat, it stumbled, tripped, and fluttered all at once. 

His hair was messy, slightly damp, the strands falling naturally across his forehead, it wasn’t styled like it usually was during duty. He looked freshly showered. His face was sharper up close, cheekbones cut, jaw strong, lips full and still. His dark eyes held her in place. The kind of face that stole your breath before you even knew what hit you.

She shouldn’t have felt this way.

She didn’t have time to feel this way.

That’s why she’d left romantic relationships the day she found out how little time she had left. But this wasn’t something she could control. This felt too natural. Too instinctive. Like gravity.

“You have a sound of your own,” he said. His deep voice pulled her attention back to him, back to here.

Then his eyes dropped down to her feet. Her gown was long, hiding them completely.

“What is it exactly?” he asked.

She moved her foot gently, letting the anklet chime. “You mean this?” 

“Yes.”

She almost smiled and gently extended her foot forward, allowing her anklets to catch the moonlight. They sparkled as they moved, delicate and graceful.

“It’s from these anklets,” she explained.

He stared at them for a moment, then slowly looked up at her face. Her heart raced at the way he stared at her. 

“It’s annoying,” he said flatly. “I don’t like it.”

Y/n’s smile faded just slightly, but she asked gently, tilting her head, “Is there something you like?”

His eyes didn’t leave hers. She didn’t know why his gaze affected her like that. It wasn’t romantic, it was too guarded and controlled. But still, it shook her.

“Discipline,” he said.

“Have I done something that shows a lack of discipline?”

“I’m sure you’ve caught on by now,” he said calmly, “that I don’t enjoy unnecessary conversation. Nor do I like people in my personal space. Yet, here you are. If this is discipline, then what isn’t?” 

Y/n lifted the basket in her hands a little to show him. As she did, the bangles on her wrist chimed softly, adding another faint, musical sound to the air. She saw his eyes flicker briefly, he clearly didn’t like that sound either.

“I baked cupcakes for everyone,” she said gently. “You weren’t there, but I wanted you to have them too.”

His eyes didn’t leave her. “I’m not a sweet tooth.”

“They aren’t that sweet,” she replied quickly. “They’re soft and—”

“Miss Everhart.”

“Yes, Officer Kim?”

“Your life must be like cupcakes. Sweet. Pleasant. But not everyone is as thrilled about it as you are. So why don’t you go spend your time where it actually makes sense?”

Her smile dropped completely this time. “Why do you dislike my presence so much?” she asked.

“I don’t dislike you or your presence,” he didn’t blink. “I just don’t like your constant cheerfulness, this eagerness to embrace life. What’s so great about it?”

He didn’t know. But she did.

Especially when she didn’t have much of it left.

“In the end, we all die, right?” he said, as if that proved his point.

“Yes. But must we not live before we die?”

“Sure, we can live. But everyone lives differently. You can’t assume your way is the right way. And one thing we both know for sure, your way of living is not mine. That means we shouldn’t be in the same place. You are clearly the one out of place.”

“One who wants to live can live anywhere, regardless of the place.”

“Great pep talk.” He replied dryly. “But that doesn’t work in real life. Maybe in the movies.”

“Our ideologies don’t match. But that doesn’t mean you’re right and I’m wrong.”

“Except, I am right.”

“You’re too cocky, Officer Kim.”

“And you’re too naïve, Miss Everhart.”

Something in her cracked. She didn’t mean to say the following words. They came out on their own, as if her heart had spoken before her mind could stop it.

“I may be naïve,” she said, “but at least I didn’t stop living after losing people I loved. I didn’t let life break me. I took happiness from it, even when it hurt.”

His expression shifted. His brows furrowed, his jaw tensed. Something flickered behind his eyes, a sharp, pained spark of memory. But then it vanished, and anger replaced it.

“What did you say?” he asked, his voice low and laced with displeasure.

She knew she had gone too far. It was his story. His pain. She shouldn’t have stepped into it. But it was already too late to take it back.

“I understand the pain you must’ve gone through at a young age, but—”

“Quiet,” he snapped.

He took a step forward, his expression hardening. Y/n instinctively flinched, her grip on the basket weakening. It slipped from her hands and fell to the floor with a soft thud.

Y/n flinched, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

He didn’t look at the basket. He didn’t care.

“You think you understand everything?” he hissed, advancing on her, backing her into the railing behind her. “You think you’ve got everyone figured out?”

He stepped closer until he was towering over her, his hands gripping the railing on either side of her waist. Her breath caught as she realized just how near he was, so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body and catch the minty, spicy scent of his shower gel.

Her hands shook as she clutched them to her chest, not because she feared him, but because she feared what her body was doing. Her hands were trembling. Her breath was shortening. This wasn’t good.

Not again.

Not again in front of him.

Why did these episodes always come at the moments she most needed to stay strong?

“You’re beyond annoying, Miss Everhart,” he growled.

His jaw was clenched too close to her sight, his angry eyes fixed on her as if he was trying his utmost to compose himself. His features were painfully beautiful, his sharp cheekbones, his sculpted lips, but he was ice-cold, inside and out.

“Leave,” he hissed, his breath warm on her face.

“Officer—”

“You came to my quarters without my permission,” he cut her off sharply. “I have every right to tell you to get out.”

Her head spun. She blinked, but the world swayed in front of her. Her chest tightened painfully, her breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps. She hated this feeling, hated that it was happening again. And worse, that it was happening in front of him for the second time.

Before her vision could clear, his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. The pressure was tight. Her bangles shattered against his palm with a sharp crack. She wasn’t sure if he was hurt, but he didn’t seem to notice. He didn’t stop. He began pulling her with him.

Her feet stumbled to keep up. The hallway blurred as her legs grew weaker, barely holding her up.

Just a little longer. Please.

She whispered the words in her mind, praying for her body to cooperate. But her strength was gone.

By the time he reached the third stair and she, the top, her legs gave out.

She fell, but not to the ground, straight into his arms.

Her cheek landed against his chest. It was warm. Strong. Safe, somehow.

And then, darkness.

~~~

When Y/n opened her eyes, everything was blurry.

The lights above her were too bright, and for a moment, she couldn’t figure out where she was. A soft hiss reached her ears. It was oxygen. There was an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose, helping her breathe. Her head felt heavy, her limbs weak, and her chest still tight, but the air was slowly easing its way back into her lungs.

There were nurses around her, speaking softly to one another, checking her vitals. But once they saw her eyes open, they gave her a small nod of reassurance and quietly left the room. That’s when she noticed someone sitting beside her bed.

Her father.

She turned her head slowly, and there he was, his eyes tired but filled with relief. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek, his palm warm against her cold skin.

“Are you okay, dear?”

She couldn’t speak yet, so she simply nodded, compelled by the comfort in his voice. He let out a heavy breath.

This wasn’t the first time it had happened. She’d collapsed before, more than once. But lately, it had been happening too often. 

And though she had learned how to live with it, how to smile and carry on like everything was okay, the truth was, it wasn’t. It was exhausting. It was painful. Just because she had accepted it didn’t mean it hurt any less.

She was only human.

She tried to smile, thinking of the words Officer Kim had spoken, “your life must be like cupcakes.” A small, hollow scoff left her nose. If only it actually was and not just a pretension.

A tear slipped from the corner of her left eye.

She didn’t want her father to see it, so she gently turned her head to the side, resting her cheek on the pillow. But when her eyes opened again, she was caught off guard.

Officer Kim.

He was standing outside the door. The tear fell silently from her eye, soaking into the pillow, but her vision cleared, and with it, the image of him sharpened.

He was still in the same white shirt and black trousers. His hair looked messier now, as if he had been running his hand through it again and again. And for the first time, he didn’t look completely composed. His posture wasn’t as stiff, as controlled.

There was something different about him.

Her heart gave a slow, unsure beat.

Then her eyes dropped to his hand, his right fist clenched tightly at his side. It was bleeding. Red stained the skin of his knuckles, and through his fingers, she could see pieces of her broken bangles. One of them was peeking through, shattered, but still in his grip.

She glanced at her own wrist, it was bare. All the bangles were gone. He must have taken them off, one by one, and kept them. But why was he still holding onto the broken pieces? Why was he clenching them so tightly that it made him bleed? Did he not realize it? Or… did it not matter to him?

Why would he hold onto something that was causing him pain?

Why wouldn’t he let go?

“You gave me a big scare this time,” her father said, bringing her attention back.

She looked at him and nodded weakly, letting him know she was okay now. She could breathe again. She was better.

He took her hand gently and kissed the back of it, as if thankful she was still here. But even with his touch grounding her, her gaze slipped past him, back to the doorway, to Officer Kim.

But before her eyes could settle, her father’s voice came again, drawing her back.

“Thank God Officer Kim was around,” he said, quieter this time. “He didn’t even know about your condition… or why it happened. But still, he acted so fast.”

She turned her eyes slowly to look at her father, her brows beginning to knit together in a quiet, stunned confusion.

He didn’t know?

Her father continued, “But I had to tell him, dear. I couldn’t keep it from him anymore. He seemed shaken. I’ve never seen him like that before… not ever. So I told him everything.”

Y/n blinked. Her lashes fluttered like she wasn’t sure if she’d heard correctly. A deep breath filled her lungs again, this time slower. 

“But don’t worry,” her father added gently. “He promised to keep it a secret. As you wished.”

She nodded faintly, but her eyes were already drifting back toward the door, as if needing to see him again. To find proof that he had really been there.

But the space was empty now.

He was gone

And yet the truth remained.

He really didn’t know. 

To be continued…