I fell into a Korean Drama Chapter 5

I barely had time to gather my thoughts after the briefing before Eun-kyung appeared at my side, heels clicking sharp against polished floor

I barely had time to gather my thoughts after the briefing before Eun-kyung appeared at my side, heels clicking sharp against polished floors. Her presence hit like a blade—commanding, direct, impossible to ignore.

“Agent Kang,” she said briskly, not even glancing at me. A tablet was tucked neatly under one arm. “We need to prepare. The safe house lead has been flagged as actionable.”

“Actionable?” I blinked. “Already?”

She gave me a look like I’d just asked if water really rose in the east. “Of course. This is not a wait-and-see operation. Or have you forgotten how things work?”

That sting carried more weight than it should have. I swallowed my protest and forced a nod. “Right. Let’s get to it.”

For a moment, her gaze cut to me—sharp, measuring, like she was trying to decide whether I was an asset or a liability. Then she handed me the tablet. “This is the intel. Memorize it. We’ll brief on the way.”

I scrolled through grainy satellite shots and dossier photos. Three names leapt out in blocky type: former arms brokers turned middlemen, connected to The Broker’s network. The safe house wasn’t just storage—it was where they were moving equipment. Eun-kyung walked beside me like the floor belonged to her. Me? I was still trying not to hyperventilate.

The van ride was silent. Too silent. Four agents sat tense in black seats, the low hum of the engine the only sound. I was wedged next to Eun-kyung, tablet in my lap, trying to absorb intel that refused to stick.

She scrolled on her own device, posture relaxed but focus razor-sharp.

I cleared my throat. “So… what’s the plan?”

“You’ll take point,” she said, not looking up.

My grip tightened. “Me? Why?”

“Because that’s your job.” Now she did look up, eyes pinning me like a butterfly. “Or are you saying you’re not ready?”

She thinks I’m distracted, I realized. Not green, not incompetent—just unfocused.

The System flickered: [She’s testing you. Don’t blow it.]

Gee, thanks, I thought.

“I’m ready,” I said aloud, forcing my voice steady.

Her stare lingered a second before she nodded. “Good. Don’t screw it up.”

The safe house looked like any other rundown building on the block. Faded paint, half-broken blinds, a door that had seen better days. Forgettable. That was the point.

Eun-kyung signaled the team to split. Two agents circled around back. She beckoned me to follow, leading me to a side entrance disguised as a maintenance door.

“You know it makes no sense that Eun-kyung is here right? She is a profiler; why is she preforming a smash and grab? I said to the System.

It was the one time the bastard didn’t respond.

“Keep your head down,” she murmured, picking the lock with practiced ease. “And stay quiet.”

The door clicked open. We slipped inside.

The air smelled of mildew and stale cigarettes. Wallpaper peeled in strips. Every floorboard groaned under my boots, far too loud. Eun-kyung moved like a shadow, weapon drawn, eyes sharp. I tried to mimic her, but I probably looked like a man trying on clothes that didn’t fit.

At the end of the hall, she slipped into a small office. “Cover me,” she whispered.

I pressed against the doorframe, gun raised, heart hammering. Seconds crawled by. Then she emerged with a slim laptop under one arm, a USB drive clutched in her hand.

“Got it,” she said.

We didn’t make it ten steps.

The first shot punched through the quiet like a thunderclap. Plaster burst inches from my head. I dropped back against the wall on instinct, gun in hand.

“Contacts!” a voice barked over comms.

The hallway erupted with gunfire. Four men in dark tactical gear surged from the stairwell—visors down, rifles leveled. These weren’t random thugs. They moved like trained mercs, precise and aggressive. The Broker’s people.

Eun-kyung didn’t flinch. She pivoted, double-tapping the lead man in the chest. He dropped hard. “Move!”

I stared a heartbeat too long. Another round cracked past my head, snapping me back.

“What are you doing?” Eun-kyung barked. “Return fire!”

Adrenaline shoved me forward. I leaned out, squeezed the trigger. The recoil jolted my arm, but my shot found its mark—center mass on the second attacker. He staggered, slammed against the wall, and slid down, leaving a red smear.

Jesus. I just shot someone.

No time to think. Another merc popped out, spraying the hall. I ducked, plaster raining over me. Eun-kyung grabbed my arm and yanked me into motion. “Fighting retreat!”

We fired in bursts, falling back step by step. My aim was disturbingly steady, like my body had rehearsed this for years. One merc dropped with a round through his visor. Another howled, clutching his leg, before Eun-kyung silenced him with a clean headshot.

Still more boots thundered on the stairs.

“They’re reinforced!” she shouted over the gunfire.

“Why the hell are they hitting us now?” I gasped, chambering another round.

“Because they knew we’d come!” she snapped back. “Focus!”

Bullets tore the walls, the carpet, the air itself. Every sound was magnified, each breath sharp as glass.

We broke through into the lobby, guns barking. The last agent from our team was pinned behind an overturned couch, trading fire with another pair of mercs. Eun-kyung dropped one with surgical precision. I took the other, my shot catching him in the throat. He collapsed, gagging, and didn’t get back up.

“Exit! Now!” Eun-kyung ordered.

We pushed through the doors, stumbling into blinding daylight.

The alley exploded with noise—shouts, engines, another burst of gunfire from the corner. More of them. Six this time, advancing in formation.

I raised my weapon. My pulse thundered. This wasn’t over.

The alley exploded with sound.

Engines roared, tires screeched, boots hammered against wet pavement. Six more of The Broker’s men poured in from the far end—dark fatigues, visors glinting, rifles raised. They moved in formation, disciplined and coordinated.

These weren’t gangbangers. They were professionals.

“Cover right!” Eun-kyung barked, already firing. Two sharp cracks echoed, and one merc staggered back, clutching his chest before collapsing.

I didn’t think. I swung left, squeezing off three rounds. The first went wide. The second clipped brick. The third caught a man in the shoulder, spinning him into a dumpster.

Gunfire strobed the alley in violent flashes. Sparks rained as bullets chewed into metal siding and ricocheted off brick. My ears rang. My lungs burned.

This is insane.

But my body moved on autopilot. Knees bent, shoulders squared, trigger squeeze smooth instead of jerky. Training I didn’t remember having guided every shot.

Another merc leaned out from behind a rusted sedan, rifle aimed at Eun-kyung. I didn’t hesitate. Two rounds punched through his visor. He crumpled.

That made three.

“Oh, God,” I muttered, stomach twisting.

“Stay with me!” Eun-kyung snapped, dragging me deeper into the alley, firing as she moved. “Don’t freeze, Kang!”

More boots. More shouting. Reinforcements.

“They’re boxing us in,” I panted.

“No,” she corrected, voice flat as she reloaded. “They’re hunting us.”

And she was right. They weren’t just pushing—they were corralling. Herding us toward the far end where the alley spilled onto a side street.

“Options?” I hissed.

“Kill them before they kill us.”

Simple. Terrifying.

She vaulted behind a stack of crates, laying down cover fire. I dove behind a trash bin, peeking over the rim. Three mercs advanced in a staggered line, rifles sweeping every angle.

I aimed.
Exhaled.
Squeezed.

One dropped with a hole in his neck. The other two instantly shifted, rifles blazing at my position. Metal screamed as rounds punched through the bin, shards sparking past my face. I ducked, heart in my throat.

Eun-kyung’s pistol barked twice. Both mercs collapsed.

“Move!” she shouted.

We sprinted. Bullets snapped past, chewing up brick and glass. I fired blind over my shoulder, heard someone grunt and fall. My chest heaved, every nerve screaming.

The alley ended in sunlight and chaos. Two black SUVs screeched to a halt, blocking the street. Doors flew open, and more of The Broker’s men spilled out.

“Seriously?!” I gasped.

“Vehicles approaching from the south,” one of our agents crackled over comms. “We just need thirty seconds!”

“Buy it!” Eun-kyung barked.

We dove behind a burned-out van parked crooked across the curb. Bullets hammered the frame, glass exploding around us. Eun-kyung leaned out, double-tapping a gunman trying to flank. I swung wide on the other side, pistol bucking in my hand.

One man dropped. Another screamed, clutching his thigh. The rest pressed harder.

It was a standoff—and we were losing.

Then headlights flared at the far end of the street. Three black vans barreled toward us, tires shrieking. Our backup.

“Vehicles inbound!” a voice shouted over comms.

Eun-kyung rose from cover, dumping her last rounds in a vicious arc. Three mercs hit the ground. The rest scattered as the vans skidded sideways, side doors sliding open. Agents leaned out, rifles barking in disciplined bursts.

“Go!” Eun-kyung grabbed my arm and shoved me forward.

We sprinted through smoke and gunfire, sliding into the nearest van. The door slammed shut, and the driver floored it, engine howling.

Bullets pinged against the steel frame as we peeled away. I collapsed against the seat, chest heaving, hands trembling.

Across from me, Eun-kyung calmly swapped magazines, her expression cool as glass. Not a hair out of place.

“You okay?” she asked.

I barked a laugh that came out closer to a choke. “Define okay.”

Her eyes lingered on me, sharp and unreadable. “You’ve done this before.”

My head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

“That wasn’t rookie shooting,” she said. “But you hesitated. Twice. You look like a veteran acting distracted. Not a rookie.”

I stared at her, throat tight.

She leaned forward, voice low enough only I could hear. “What’s going on with you, Kang? Are you focused, or do I need to start worrying about the man covering my back?”

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

The System pulsed faintly in my vision:
[Warning: Relationship Affinity at Risk.]

I gritted my teeth. “I’m fine,” I lied. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

Eun-kyung studied me for a second longer before leaning back. “We’ll see.”

The van rattled down the street, sirens fading behind us. My pulse still hadn’t slowed. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

I had killed people. More than once. My body had moved like it remembered training I’d never had. And Eun-kyung had noticed.

The System, ever helpful, chimed again.
[Objective: Survive. Secondary Objective: Stop looking like an amateur.]

I squeezed my eyes shut, head falling back against the van’s steel wall.

“I hate you,” I muttered.

[You’ll thank me later.]

But I doubted it.