The rain didn't stop for hours.It poured over the glimmering skyline of Seoul, soaking through concrete, glass, and flashing police sirens. An abandoned warehouse near the Han River was surrounded from all sides—guns raised, SWAT teams crouched, radios crackling with tension.
Inside the mobile command center, chaos brewed. Officers barked codes into radios, trying to stay calm. Somewhere in that crumbling building, six hostages, including a child, were trapped—surrounded by armed gang members from the notorious group Black Fang.
And in the middle of all this, Han Yuna, rookie detective, stood frozen.
Her grip tightened on the holster at her waist. Her heart wasn't just pounding—it was screaming. First field mission. First chance to prove herself. But all they told her was: "Wait for Commander Kang Joon-seok."
She didn't want to wait.
"The longer we stay out here, the colder their bodies will get," she whispered to herself.
Her eyes locked onto the monitor displaying thermal feed—one heat signature smaller than the others. A child. She was tied up, sitting near a beam rigged with a tripwire.
Yuna didn't blink.She made a decision.
Silently, she slipped away.Down the muddy slope. Past the shouting officers. Her boots barely made a sound as she circled the rear of the warehouse. The rusted side door gave in with a faint creak.
Gun in hand, breath steady, she entered.
Inside, it was darker than death. The only light came from flickering bulbs swinging from broken ceilings. Her footsteps were almost inaudible as she moved like shadow—trained, but raw.
She crouched behind a stack of crates and peeked around the corner.
One guard. Smoking. Careless.
She didn't hesitate.Grab. Twist. Drop. Silent. Clean.
Her chest heaved—but she didn't stop.
Meanwhile…
A sleek black SUV tore through the rain and screeched to a halt in front of the scene. Doors flew open.
Kang Joon-seok stepped out.
Tall. Cold. Drenched in command.
Dressed in black tactical gear with a patch of Korea's elite police division on his shoulder. His eyes scanned the perimeter once. Calculating. No emotion.
A SWAT captain rushed to him.
"Commander—there's been a breach. A rookie—Han Yuna—entered the scene without orders."
He paused.
No expression. No words. Just a small shift in his stance.
Then, he walked forward.
Inside the warehouse.
Yuna moved silently past more debris. Her pistol aimed low. She found the child. Tied. Scared. Barely breathing. A gang member stood too close.
Then—
A creak. She turned, ready to fire——but a gun was already aimed at her.
"Drop it."
The voice was low. Steady.She turned her head slowly.
Kang Joon-seok.
Standing just feet away. His gun aimed over her shoulder—right at the man behind her. She ducked just in time.
Bang.The shot was perfect. The man collapsed.
She spun around, furious."You followed me?"
"No." he said coldly.
"You disobeyed."
"And you were going to wait while people died?" she said.
Their eyes locked. Sparks—cold and hot—clashed.
Before either could speak again—
Gunfire erupted.
A steel beam overhead creaked and began to fall.
Yuna shoved the child to safety. The beam crashed just inches from her. She looked up—
Joon-seok dove toward her.
His body shielded hers from flying debris. His hand gripped her shoulder tightly. His scent—gunpowder and rain—was overpowering. His face inches from hers.
Neither said anything. For a moment, time froze.
Then—
They got up. Back-to-back. Guns drawn.
They moved like one.
They moved like one.
She disarmed a man with a swift kick.He shot another between the eyes.They didn't speak. They didn't need to.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Trust.
And the beginning of something neither of them saw coming.
The chaos was deafening—bullets rang out, crates splintered, walls echoed with screams—but their focus never broke.
Joon-seok covered her as she untied the child.Yuna shielded his side as he reloaded mid-motion.In six minutes, it was over.
The gang was down.
Yuna's hands were scraped. Her shoulder bruised. But she held the child close, whispering softly in her ear as the girl cried.
Joon-seok walked over, crouched down beside her.
"She's in shock," Yuna murmured. "But alive."
He didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he looked at her—really looked.Not like a rookie. Not like a subordinate.
Like an equal.
"You shouldn't have gone in alone," he said. His tone was flat, like stating a weather report.
"And you shouldn't have waited so long," she replied.
Their eyes locked again. Tension thick in the air.
Sirens flared outside as backup poured in. The medics rushed in, cradling the hostages away. The warehouse slowly emptied.
Joon-seok stood and extended a hand.
Yuna hesitated. Then took it.
As he pulled her up, his voice dropped low—steel under control:
"You're reckless. Don't let that get someone killed."
Then he turned and walked out, not waiting for a reply.
Three hours later, the official report was filed. Commander Kang wrote it himself.
"Detective Han Yuna engaged without clearance. Took down two armed suspects. Rescued one hostage. Minimal casualties. Outcome: Mission Success."
He didn't mention the beam. Or the gun to her head. Or that she made a call he hadn't dared make first.
Outside the station,
Yuna leaned on a railing, staring at the rain as dawn slowly cracked the sky open.
Footsteps approached.
"You're lucky you didn't get suspended," said a familiar voice.
She smirked. "Am I?"
Joon-seok stood beside her, hands behind his back, gaze fixed ahead—not at her.
"Next time you disobey an order," he said
"you're off the force."
Yuna shrugged. "Next time, give better ones."
Silence.
She glanced sideways, expecting a smirk. None came.
He handed her something. Her badge.
His expression was unreadable. "You made a noise tonight, Han Yuna. Let's see if you can handle the echo."
And just like that, he walked away—into the rising light.
Yuna stood still.
Soaked. Exhausted.
But smiling.
Because she knew one thing now:
She wasn't just in the game. She had pulled the first trigger.
And the war had just begun.
[End of Chapter 1]