Chapter 161: Infiltration
“Branch Chief.”
“I’ve received the briefing.”
The Branch Chief, who had been summoned by Song A-rin, nodded in response.
“Gangbuk Hospital, you mean.”
“I thought the university hospital was shut down?”
“Gangseo University Hospital was shut down,” the Branch Chief answered in a calm voice, looking at me. “But Gangbuk Hospital is still operational.”
“Aren’t you just playing word games?”
“Something like that.”
The Branch Chief let out a sigh.
“But something feels off.”
“Huh?”
“Let me say it again. During the Gangseo Hospital incident, you and the HR Team dealt a crippling blow, so the Hospital shouldn’t be able to act properly for a while.”
The Branch Chief held up her index finger as she continued.
“They’re not the type to normally show their faces.”
The Branch Chief picked up a piece of paper.
“This is a declaration of war.”
“A declaration of war?”
“Taking personnel from the Management Bureau is no different from a declaration of war.”
The Branch Chief sighed and brushed off her clothes.
“And the Management Bureau, even if we don’t strike first, we thoroughly eliminate anyone who dares to provoke us.”
The Branch Chief opened her eyes, which she had kept closed.
Her eyes glowed red.
“…So there’s no need to worry?”
Mesmerized by the Branch Chief’s confident demeanor, I stared at her. She blinked and looked back at me.
“No? Of course you should worry.”
“Huh?”
“First.”
The Branch Chief deftly snatched the paper from Yu Daon’s hand.
“I’ll hold onto this. They usually use things like this as a medium to summon people to the Hospital.”
“Understood.”
“And, all the HR Team members should stay here together today. Team Leader Heo Chan, you too.”
“Of course I should stay.”
Team Leader looked at the Branch Chief with an expression that said, ‘Why are you even asking?’
“They’re my team members, Branch Chief.”
“Right. I thought that’s the kind of person Team Leader is.”
The Branch Chief smiled contentedly and nodded.
“First. Stay inside the Management Bureau today.”
“Then will we be safe?”
“No.”
The Branch Chief shook her head.
“It’s hard to prevent being summoned somewhere.”
“…”
Then why are we staying here?
“But at the very least, we can all stick together.”
The Branch Chief twirled her hair as she looked at me.
“It’s hard to explain, but the Management Bureau’s coordinates are fixed.”
“Okay.”
“If you all stick together, you’ll probably be gathered in one place.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better if you stayed with us too, Branch Chief?”
“That’s not a bad idea either.”
The Branch Chief stretched with a groan.
“But in situations like this, a preemptive strike is the way to go.”
“A preemptive strike?”
“We’ll raze Gangbuk Hospital to the ground.”
The Branch Chief looked at me.
“The Isolation Team and I will go first and clean up the situation.”
“So the premise is that we’ll get captured.”
“Honestly, it would be fine if you came along too.”
The Branch Chief furrowed her brow deeply.
“But then it would be too late.”
“Too late?”
“They’ve probably made truly thorough preparations this time.”
The Branch Chief looked at me.
“We’re going to strike before they finish preparing.”
“By ‘strike,’ you mean…”
“Literally.”
The Branch Chief nodded.
“While the Isolation Team and I go and smash things up, you, Jae-heon, just need to be prepared for any unforeseen incidents.”
“An accident won’t happen, right?”
“I can’t guarantee that.”
The Branch Chief smiled wryly as she answered.
“But judging by your track record, Jae-heon, it’s probably best to just be mentally prepared.”
“…Understood.”
She’s saying it indirectly, but what she means is: since you’re unlucky, you’d better be fully prepared.
“Then let’s end the strategy meeting here.”
Muttering ‘We’re short on time,’ the Branch Chief stood up.
Watching the Branch Chief hurry to leave, I spoke up.
“Branch Chief.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“…”
The Branch Chief looked at me and grinned.
“Hearing thanks from a kid just warms my heart. I’ll accept the real thanks after this is all over.”
Then, waving her hand, the Branch Chief headed for the door.
Did she really have to act so old?
After confirming the Branch Chief had left,
“Anyway, you all heard that, right?”
I turned around to check on the others.
Everyone nodded.
“Ye-eun, did you bring what I asked for?”
“Yes!”
With brisk movements, Park Ye-eun placed a bundle in front of me.
As she unwrapped it,
“Aigoo, Jae-heon. Are you planning to fight a war or something?”
Team Leader let out a sigh as he looked inside the bundle.
The bundle was full of guns.
“Wow! It’s my first time seeing a real gun!”
“Don’t touch it.”
Stopping Park Ye-eun, who was fiddling with the guns, I looked at Team Leader.
“Team Leader, what should we do about Ye-eun?”
“Hmm…”
Team Leader closed his eyes and placed a hand on his chin.
“To be honest, it would be better to send her somewhere else.”
“Huh?”
Park Ye-eun’s eyes widened.
“I agree.”
“Wait a minute, Oppa! I’m a proper member of the HR Team now!”
“Minors are prohibited from night work.”
“Who brings up labor laws here!”
“Go get the labor office’s consent first.”
“Nooo! Oppa!”
Ignoring Park Ye-eun’s noisy protests, I signaled to Team Leader with my eyes. He nodded, then took Park Ye-eun and walked out.
“There, there. Let’s go play with Eileen unnie!”
“Team Leader! I’m a high school student!”
After sending off the two noisy individuals, I looked at Jang Chae-yeon.
“Chae-yeon.”
“Yeah.”
As if she’d been waiting, Jang Chae-yeon approached me.
“I think I’ll need your help a lot this time too.”
“It’s fine.”
Jang Chae-yeon nodded with an expressionless face.
“Use me as much as you want. I’m ready.”
“It’s not about ‘using’…”
Did she really have to choose that word?
Seeing me hesitate, Jang Chae-yeon smiled softly.
“Relax.”
“…Was it that obvious?”
Jae-yeon pressed her index finger firmly against the corner of my mouth.
“When you’re tense, the corners of your mouth tremble slightly.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Just as you observe me closely, I observe you closely too.”
“…”
“Don’t worry.”
Jang Chae-yeon nodded.
“I’ll do everything I can.”
“…I’ll trust you.”
Jang Chae-yeon smiled softly once more.
“A-rin.”
Leaving Jang Chae-yeon behind, I headed towards Song A-rin.
Click-clack. With a practiced motion, she expertly checked the pistol’s chamber.
“This time will be different.”
“Huh?”
She turned to look at me.
A confident smile was etched on her face.
“I told you I’ve become a bit more useful now, right?”
“You’ve always been helpful.”
“Then say it more often.”
Song A-rin laughed confidently and tapped my shoulder.
“Anyway. Make sure you take good care of Black-Hair.”
“You mean Daon.”
“To be honest…”
Song A-rin looked towards Yu Daon and shook her head.
“I don’t like her.”
“You don’t like Chae-yeon either.”
“Right.”
Why not just say you dislike everyone?
Song A-rin sighed.
“But that doesn’t mean I want Black-Hair to get dragged off to some weird place and tortured.”
“If you were that kind of person, I would have kicked you out of the HR Team. No, I’d kick anyone out who thought that way.”
“…”
Song A-rin’s expression stiffened slightly, then she smiled as if it had never happened.
“Right. Anyway, you can really trust and leave it to me this time.”
“I’ve said it repeatedly, but I’ve never not trusted you, A-rin.”
“Ugh, in situations like this, just say ‘Okay’!”
“…Understood.”
“Good.”
Song A-rin grinned and tapped my shoulder.
“Go and pacify Black-Hair.”
Following Song A-rin’s words, I looked at Yu Daon.
She seemed deep in thought, her eyes closed intently.
She must be scared. Terrified.
I understand that feeling.
I slowly walked towards Yu Daon.
*
Yu Daon does not usually feel fear.
Usually.
She looked at the hospital notice placed before her.
The thought of going through that ordeal again was a nightmare she didn’t even want to contemplate.
And then…
“Don’t worry.”
A voice reached her ears, right in front of her gaze.
A familiar voice, one that made her feel at ease whenever she heard it.
She raised her head and looked at the man.
The man was looking back at her.
A person completely different from herself.
Unlike her, who could do nothing alone, he was someone who could do everything alone. And with others, he could accomplish even more.
Whenever something happened, he was always the first to propose a plan.
That’s why she was also afraid—afraid of whether she could even stand by his side.
“I won’t let anyone take you, Daon.”
The man forced a smile.
Probably a smile meant to reassure her.
But he would never know.
What Yu Daon fears most is not the Hospital.
“Jae-heon.”
“Yes?”
A puzzled expression appeared on the man’s face, which had been trying to smile.
“Don’t overexert yourself, no matter what.”
At the base of the fear humans possess lies the fear of death.
Fear arises from the dread that, as a result of one’s actions, one might get hurt or even die.
In that sense, the person named Yu Daon had no fear.
Because for her, death was a concept that did not exist.
Yet, even she had something she feared most.
She knew the person named Kim Jae-heon.
He was the type to throw himself into mortal danger once more to resolve a situation she was involved in.
He would know full well that it was a death trap, but for the sake of not abandoning the person named Yu Daon, Kim Jae-heon would walk right into it.
That was her fear.
She reached out her hand.
What should I say to him?
It’ll be okay? Don’t worry about me?
Countless words swirled in her mouth and then vanished.
But she was neither Jang Chae-yeon nor Song A-rin.
She couldn’t touch the corner of his mouth and offer words of encouragement, nor could she pat his shoulder like a friend and cheer him up.
Her lost hand hovered in the air for a moment before dropping limply.
“You understand, right?”
“That’s my line, Daon.”
“No.”
Yu Daon shook her head.
“Be careful, Jae-heon.”
She could endure eternal pain.
She could endure decades of torturous surgeries.
No, she was prepared to accept anything she could endure.
But the one thing she could never accept was the death of the man who was forcing a smile for her sake right before her eyes.
Because he was her guiding star.
“As long as you’re safe, Jae-heon, that’s all that matters to me.”
A look of bewilderment appeared on the man’s face.
But Yu Daon didn’t even pay it any mind.
She hadn’t intended to convey her feelings in the first place.
If he just remained as he was, that alone would make her happy.
Looking at him with his bewildered expression, Yu Daon smiled and shouted,
“Shall we get ready!”
In her always lively voice.
*
The night grew deep.
Along with Team Leader, who had taken Park Ye-eun home, the four of us unrolled sleeping bags and lay on the floor of the HR Team office.
“Team Leader.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for you to be here?”
“What do you think a team leader is?”
In the darkness, Team Leader looked at me.
“Well… the head of the team…?”
“Right. The person in charge of the team.”
Team Leader nodded.
“I get paid more, don’t I? My rank is higher than yours too.”
“That’s true.”
“So this is a responsibility I should rightfully bear.”
“…”
“What are you doing? Go to sleep. If you keep this up, you’ll get sleep depriv—”
Team Leader’s words cut off.
“Team Leader?”
“Jae-heon. Something’s coming.”
The moment Team Leader’s words ended,
The smell of disinfectant began to sting my nose.
-Beep… Beep…
A monotonous, dry mechanical sound was heard,
And the five of us were in a hospital corridor.