RTN 45

Chapter 45

The moment I awkwardly tried to adjust my posture, Baek Ihyun grabbed my hand, wrapping it behind his waist and pulling me closer.

Our bodies pressed completely together, and the metal attachments on Baek Ihyun’s uniform pressed firmly against me.

Reflexively, I tightened the arms that were holding him. Beneath my stiff, tense palms, I could feel his taut back. Strong and solid, like a well-grown tree.

“I’ll move a little.”

Baek Ihyun cupped my head protectively with his hands and braced his legs, securing my body firmly against his sides.

The metal on his uniform—probably insignias—pressed painfully against my chest, and I swallowed sharply. He paused as he adjusted his posture.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“I’m fine.”

I answered automatically. A breath later, Baek Ihyun slid his hand between our tightly pressed bodies. He grabbed something and tore it off roughly.

With my face pressed into his neck, I felt his cool, large hand grip the hard object and pull it through the narrow space between us.

When we pressed fully together again, I no longer felt the sharp edges pressing painfully against me. It seemed Baek Ihyun had removed several metal insignias.

“Tell me if anything else gets caught.”

“Nothing.”

I replied, trying to loosen myself slightly—but something large and solid brushed against my thigh. I wondered if he had a gun in his pocket, but the next moment I realized it wasn’t that. My face flushed.

Immediately, Baek Ihyun bent one knee and twisted his lower body. I slipped along his thigh and was gently set onto the cold floor of the reconnaissance vehicle.

Instead of letting me down, Baek Ihyun had to bend his knees and pull back. Pressing himself firmly against the exposed sharp steel frame of the seat, he leaned forward, cradling me protectively.

“Legs, inward.”

I noticed my left leg wasn’t fully bent. Just as I turned to check, Baek Ihyun pressed the back of my head down to prevent movement.

“I’ll handle it.”

He grabbed my shins. I leaned closer, following his lead, and managed to bend my legs inward.

I had no choice but to fully rely on him, but this posture was far more stable than before.

Suddenly, I realized: this meant I was now in the passenger seat with Baek Ihyun. Once Kim Dowoon sat in the pilot seat, all three of us would be on board. Everyone had thought it impossible—but we had done it.

I couldn’t help but think of the Baek Ihyun I knew—the one who would work silently through the night to solve problems when everyone else gave up.

“Can you hold like this for about fifteen minutes?”

His voice pressed against my chest, mingling with his scent—it was unmistakably my friend.

I pressed my eyes to the back of his neck and tried to control my breathing. My heart raced violently, my eyes burned, and tears welled up—but I didn’t want him to notice any of it.

I had broken down in front of him many times before. I couldn’t afford to falter now. He was no longer just a friend—this was a mission.

“When we start moving, it will shake a lot. I’ll hold you tight.”

“Yes.”

My voice cracked from tension. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak clearly, hoping to match Baek Ihyun’s calm demeanor.

“Yes. I can hold it.”

“Lieutenant Kim Dowoon, check if the hatch is closed.”

I felt someone boarding in the adjacent cockpit. The reconnaissance vehicle wobbled slightly under the new weight, and the sound of metal clicking echoed.

I pressed my face into Baek Ihyun’s neck, holding my breath, listening to the smooth, fluid sounds of the controls.

The vehicle vibrated with a low hum, and a heavy click signaled that external noise was cut off. The door was closed.

Baek Ihyun’s low breathing became noticeable, and his hands around my head loosened.

“Possible.”

“Yes, possible.”

Kim Dowoon’s voice came through. Even though it was a success, his tone sounded strained.

“Uh, commander…”

“Yes?”

“I just realized, there’s another problem. We can’t take Seol Ahyeon out.”

He trailed off, hesitating. A moment later, Baek Ihyun asked:

“Has she adapted to the mask?”

“No, not yet. In fact, she’s never even seen it. I was too accustomed and didn’t think to prepare her. That’s my fault.”

“Then we’ll get her adapted now.”

“Huh?”

Kim Dowoon’s tone revealed the seriousness of the situation. Tensing up, I felt Baek Ihyun move.

His strong fingers lifted my chin. The darkness pressed into my neck disappeared, replaced by a blurred, wet vision. Even though I bit my lips and tried to endure, tears slipped out.

I forced myself to look at him as if nothing had happened.

“Seol Ahyeon.”

Baek Ihyun’s face filled my blurred vision—utterly dry. He asked:

“How’s your stomach? Can you handle it?”

I collapsed on the hangar floor, coughing violently, gasping for air.

My face, reflected on the metallic mask lying on the floor, was a mess of tears, snot, and drool. There was no dignity left to maintain.

The voices around me rose and fell, buzzing in my ears.

I gagged again, sprawled on the floor as bile came up.

“This won’t do.”

“It usually takes at least a month to adapt—how can she do it in one breath…?”

“We didn’t even consider it at first. Just wasted time.”

“There’s less than an hour left.”

I tried to steady my gasping breaths, roughly wiping my wet face with trembling hands.

I thought it would be easy at first. My stomach wasn’t sensitive, I could endure anything, and I wasn’t picky about food.

But the moment I put on the mask, I realized something was wrong.

What I inhaled through my nose and mouth wasn’t water or air. It was something entirely foreign—a strange, semi-liquid, disgusting substance that reeked.

I tried to breathe, but my stomach churned. No matter how many times I tried, my head spun and I instinctively tore off the mask again and again.

“We have to go without Seol Ahyeon. Type A sortie is ready.”

“Should we move everyone else to the track, leaving only the minimum crew?”

“Let’s start by getting these team members out. Time is…”

Many anxious voices spoke, but the most important one—Baek Ihyun’s—was silent.

I struggled to control my uneven breathing and lifted my head. My wide-open eyes fixed on the pair of boots standing directly in front of me.

Baek Ihyun had stood completely still, waiting for me to adapt.

I gasped, picking up the mask from the floor with trembling hands. Just as I tried to press it to my face, it was snatched roughly away.

It was Kim Dowoon. His tone was firm.

“Enough. Stop.”

I snatched the mask back, determined to do it. I had volunteered to go, and I couldn’t let all our preparation go to waste. Most importantly, Baek Ihyun was watching.

Just as I tried again, Kim Dowoon took it away and helped me to my feet.

“It’s not your fault. It’s supposed to be hard. It’s okay if you can’t do it. Even if you’d tried from day one, it would be impossible… Team Leader!”

He thrust me into Jang Seokjoo’s arms. Awkwardly, but securely, Jang held me. My legs dangled in midair. Kim Dowoon quickly said:

“Take her with you to the track. I’ll take the commander and lead the sortie.”

No. It’s not over yet. Baek Ihyun didn’t say to stop. Isn’t this disobedience?

But even when I tried to speak, all I could manage was gasping.

I pushed Jang Seokjoo and stretched my hands as far as I could. Just as my fingertips brushed the mask in Kim Dowoon’s hands, a large, dry hand reached smoothly and took it.

With my desperate fingertips, I briefly felt the tense veins on the back of his hand and the cold surface of the mask.

“Seol Ahyeon.”

I lifted my head. Baek Ihyun held the mask firmly and said:

“I’ll hold you down until you adapt. Do you agree?”