An awkward silence hung in the air among the three people in the room.
As I walked down the dimly lit hallway, a sliver of light peeked through a crack in a door up ahead. Curiosity piqued, I crept closer, intending just to peek inside. Instead, I inadvertently swung the door wide open. The room beyond was vast and impeccably tidy, a stark contrast to my own.
Inside, I found the two men I had seen before, both looking to be around my age.
As Lynn opened the door, her gaze was immediately drawn to the magnificent crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling. She quickly redirected her attention to the two men who were staring back at her.
"..."
Was it my mistake, or did my entrance shift the atmosphere to something awkward?
Her eyes suddenly landed on Hwan's exposed torso, causing her to stifle a gasp as she averted her gaze.
W-What? Why are you naked?!
Caught in a clumsy position, neither fully entering nor exiting, she stood frozen, cursing the door that had swung open despite her gentle push.
When the silence stretched on uncomfortably, Lynn muttered sheepishly, "Um, sorry for barging in. I'll just be going now."
Just as she turned to leave, Sahan, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.
"You. You really don't remember?"
Lynn, poised awkwardly to escape, turned back to face Sahan. He stood there in loose-fitting navy leather attire, gazing at her with a cynical expression. His disheveled brown hair complemented his refined looks, yet a hint of edge lingered in his voice.
"...Yeah. Not at all."
A shadow crossed Lynn's face, and she felt the weight of suffocating uncertainty. The realization that these unfamiliar faces knew her was unsettling.
Could I have been close to these guys? If we trained together, they must have been familiar faces. They seemed to be around my age too...
"Um, could you tell me your names?" Her voice wavered, soft and hesitant, as if apologizing for not remembering the names of potential friends.
"...Hwai, Sahan."
Hwan was the first to break the silence, delivering his response with an apathetic air that made Lynn awkwardly avert her gaze, desperately avoiding looking at his unclothed form.
Finding her attempts rather endearing, Hwan snickered lightly and rose from his seat, carelessly throwing on a shirt that hung from the wall railing.
"Come on, you're blushing so hard it's funny. It's not like we haven't seen each other like this before."
Sahan chuckled internally at Hwan's offhand remark. Such a scenario seemed plausible if they had indeed trained together, but Lynn's mind was far from their apparent calmness.
Eek! What? We've all seen each other…?
"So, um, have you... have you seen it all as well?"
But I'm seeing you for the first time!
Hwan arched an eyebrow, confusion etched on his face, while Sahan's expression quickly shifted to amusement as he grasped her implication.
Lynn's words hung in the air, and Hwan's look of disbelief matched Sahan's irrepressible laughter.
"Hmm. It's possible."
"Gasp!"
"It's fine. I've seen it enough that it doesn't faze me anymore."
They found amusement in watching the woman's expressions shift fluidly with each word. Sahan and Hwan had let their guard down, gazing at Lynn with curiosity, as if pondering, What kind of girl is this?
Inside, however, Lynn was in turmoil. Having never been in a proper relationship, the thought that these strange men had seen her naked was utterly shocking.
While she wrestled with her emotions, the two men before her remained perfectly nonchalant, their demeanor starting to irk her.
...I guess it's on me for not being able to recall.
With a sense of resignation, Lynn slouched her shoulders and trudged toward them, each step heavy with deliberation.
Well, if we've seen it all, I guess there's nothing left to discuss.
Wearing an expression of utter defeat, Lynn approached as Sahan and Hwan observed her in silence.
At that moment, her gaze fell upon the bandage wrapped around Sahan's right shoulder. Without breaking eye contact with the injury, she spoke softly.
"This too. Was it from that mission?"
Sahan met Lynn's pure, unblemished gaze and let out a small tsk, smiling despite the gravity of the situation.
"Yeah. I got hurt back then."
"I see."
Her eyes remained on the bandage, and her eyelids drooped low with concern. Sympathy washed over her face as if she could feel the pain herself.
"That must have hurt a lot."
Without realizing it, her hand instinctively moved toward Sahan's shoulder. But as awareness hit her, it halted in mid-air. Sahan's gaze dropped to her suspended hand, his eyebrows raising slightly.
"This one. You're the one who did it."
"What?"
He paused for a moment before speaking rigidly, prompting Hwan to give him a pointed look—a clear message to hold back. Lynn's expression twisted into a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
"I did that?"
"Yeah. During the operation, you tried to help me, but the sword accidentally grazed me."
Despite the explanation, her expression remained rigid. Lynn lowered her head, burdened by the weight of her memories.
"It's painful not being able to remember."
Her voice trembled, betraying her genuine distress.
"I'm so sorry, really. It must have hurt a lot."
"..."
For a moment, they stood in silence, captivated by her vulnerability. Hwan, unable to bear the intensity of the moment, looked away and said in a matter-of-fact tone,
"Time to head back. It's late."
"Oh, okay."
"You'll probably hear it from Sean, but keep in mind that training starts the day after tomorrow."
As she turned to leave, Lynn nodded but was suddenly seized by a thought.
"Who's in charge of my training?"
Hwan reclined lazily against the back of the chair. His intense gaze held hers captive, the dark depths of his jet-black eyes reflecting her uncertainty. He parted his scarlet lips, and his deep, resonant voice filled the room.
"I am."