Chapter 18: Unwelcome Invitations

Your son did something great this time. He saved countless lives, and soon a documentary bearing his name will be released. Sa-yoon longed to tell her that he was doing better than anyone else. His mother, who had praised him for even the smallest achievements, would surely be overjoyed.

“I believe you’ve reached your allotted visits for this month.”

“Allotted. An allotment, you say…”

Sa-yoon was permitted to visit the annex where his mother resided only once a month. Though he wished to stay by her side every day, this was the frequency he had promised Jin Jung-woo.

Sa-yoon’s gaze fell upon Jin Jung-woo’s long-serving secretary. The secretary returned his stare with the same unchanging expression they had worn since Sa-yoon’s mother first knelt in supplication before the mansion’s gates, long ago.

“That’s enough.”

As Sa-yoon settled into the waiting car, the driver departed without a single word. There was no need to state the destination; they moved instinctively towards the headquarters. It felt as if the world believed the only places Sa-yoon could exist were the mansion, a gilded cage, and the military unit.

A profound unease settled over him. While visits to that old man’s mansion always left him feeling sour, this particular one was exceptionally unpleasant.

Sa-yoon rubbed his chest, a gesture of discomfort. Acting on his own impulses should have brought him peace, yet it did not. The aftermath was always the problem, the lingering question of whether his rebellious actions might harm his mother. He shook his head, dismissing the ominous thought.

Despite his threats, Jin Jung-woo would not easily cast aside Sa-yoon’s mother. Sa-yoon was, after all, an incredibly useful stepping stone, and outwardly, a dutiful son with no apparent issues.

This summons, like countless warnings before it, would likely end without major incident. Jin Jung-woo, who valued the perceptions of others, would not provoke Sa-yoon further. The same held true for Sa-yoon himself.

Should another summons arrive, he would pretend nonchalance, step out, and greet them as Jin Jung-woo’s son. He would calmly shake hands in front of others, asking them to look after his father.

“Haaah.”

“What’s with the sigh? Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing…”

Sa-yoon bowed his head, lost in thought once more. His biological father was relatively young for his position. That greedy man would cling to his political seat, causing trouble until his retirement. An immeasurable amount of time remained before Sa-yoon could truly escape him.

“What if that damned old man has a long lifespan too…?”

“…”

Chae-jun, who had been diligently rummaging through a cabinet, glanced at Sa-yoon’s expression. Usually, when his team leader seemed so troubled, it was over something trivial, but today, the intensity of his sigh was profound.

And then the mention of a lifespan. An ominous premonition brushed past Chae-jun. After assessing Sa-yoon’s state, Chae-jun seemed to make a decision, nodding firmly.

“Team Leader, you trust me, right?”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“If you ever need to kill someone, you have to tell me in advance. Even if you don’t tell anyone else, please tell me. We need to deal with it thoroughly before any repercussions arise.”

Chae-jun’s resolute tone caused the tension to drain from Sa-yoon’s shoulders. He was utterly bewildered, wondering what kind of misunderstanding was brewing in that small head of his.

“…What do you think of me?”

“As our team leader, sir.”

Sa-yoon’s sigh deepened at Chae-jun’s less-than-helpful resolve. ‘Killing someone,’ he mused. The thought of the old man posturing in his grand mansion etched another wrinkle onto Sa-yoon’s brow.

How wonderful it would be if he could simply eliminate him. However, Sa-yoon faced numerous constraints preventing him from acting as he pleased. Thanks to his ambition, Jin Jung-woo had ascended to a considerably high position, surrounded by ample security personnel. This made it exceedingly difficult to arrange an accidental death.

Moreover, much as he hated to admit it, Sa-yoon was also benefiting from Jin Jung-woo’s assistance. The old man’s words were true. He had consistently shielded Sa-yoon from unwanted attention at headquarters or prevented him from being assigned particularly high-profile missions.

Though Sa-yoon held a high rank, he was still young and lacked extensive experience. Furthermore, his weaknesses were too significant to simply rely on his skills and act recklessly.

As much as he wished to deal with his biological father immediately, he had to restrain himself. He could not live as a fugitive, especially with his ailing mother to care for.

The options available to Sa-yoon were few. Observing Sa-yoon, who had remained silent for a long time, Chae-jun, lost in his own thoughts, finally spoke.

“You’ve been in a bad mood ever since you came back from the shoot. Surely it’s not Team Leader Han Do-hoon again, is it?”

Come to think of it, there was that issue with Han Do-hoon. The colossal mess created at home had made him completely forget his anger towards Han Do-hoon.

“No, it’s not that. And I have no intention of causing trouble internally; it’s just a pointless commotion.”

“Really?”

“I’m not a child, and what’s the point of fighting amongst ourselves in the same unit? It only sours the atmosphere within the squad.”

His biological father, who already considered Han Do-hoon an eyesore, was headache enough. He certainly didn’t want to get entangled with Han Do-hoon and give his father any more reason to pick a fight.

He had also firmly rejected that strange proposal. Sa-yoon intended to distance himself from Han Do-hoon as much as possible going forward. After all, Han Do-hoon was only scheduled to remain in the country for a few months before being dispatched again.

“Hmm…”

Chae-jun found Sa-yoon’s consideration for the surrounding atmosphere rather uncharacteristic. This was the team leader who would snarl even in front of the commander if something displeased him.

“Our team leader… you’ve grown up so much. You even know how to be mindful of others now.”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing, I’m just a little touched.”

Chae-jun, who had been comically pretending to wipe away tears, fell into a brief moment of contemplation. His playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious downturn of his lips.

“Even so, if you ever truly need to commit murder, tell me in advance.”

“I told you it’s not like that.”

“Because I’ll do it instead.”

Chae-jun spoke with a serious tone.

“You know my skills are better suited for assassination than yours, Team Leader Sa-yoon.”

“You’re saying some scary things.”

Sa-yoon waved his hand dismissively. He had no intention of sacrificing Chae-jun in his own dismal life. Declining the well-meaning but alarming offer, he casually steered the conversation elsewhere.

“It’s fine. It’ll get better with time.”

This wasn’t the first, nor the second, time Jin Jung-woo had infuriated him. This incident, too, would soon be forgotten with the passage of time. Enduring harsh words and threats had become routine for Sa-yoon. It would simply pass, as it always did; the more he dwelled on it, the more helpless and despondent he became.

‘Just forget it.’ ‘If I move past it, I won’t even remember it later.’

Just then, his phone chimed with a ‘beep.’ Sa-yoon checked the newly arrived text message.

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong?”

“The timing is just awful.”

Of all times, it was a message from home. After months of no contact, they were now calling him repeatedly. It was undoubtedly Jin Jung-woo, still vexed by the last incident, determined to torment him further. Sa-yoon pressed his lips together, reading the message: an order to dress formally and report to a specific restaurant tomorrow.

“Is it that person you dislike so much?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if it’s really that uncomfortable, just avoid their calls.”

As he pondered what to do, Chae-jun offered advice from beside him.

“Should I?”

“What’s the worst that could happen if you don’t answer one call? If you’re uncomfortable, you have to show it a little, then the other person will be more careful. There’s a simple way to infuriate someone: avoiding their calls or befriending someone they despise. Those trivial things are the most effective.”

“Really?”

“Isn’t there someone that person dislikes? Just get close to them.”

Though Chae-jun had tossed the suggestion out casually, it struck a nerve with Sa-yoon. The quickest way to rein in Jin Jung-woo was to align himself with his political rivals.

This was precisely the scenario Jin Jung-woo constantly fretted over. It involved playing a tug-of-war between two powerful factions, testing their resolve. By doing so, Sa-yoon could wrest control from Jin Jung-woo.

The fact that Sa-yoon was an ‘irregular’ was Jin Jung-woo’s ultimate card. It was a card that would lead to mutual destruction for both of them. He would not easily play it unless absolutely necessary.

Maintaining just enough tension to keep Jin Jung-woo uneasy, but not so much that he would resort to his last resort. That, Sa-yoon realized, would be the most comfortable way for him to live.

However, this method presented a problem.

One was his concern for his mother. The second was that among the people Jin Jung-woo disliked, there was no one Sa-yoon wished to associate with.

To make Jin Jung-woo nervous, he would need to approach someone even more influential than him. There was a risk of escaping a fox only to find himself allied with a tiger.

“Enough. That’s too bothersome. I’ll just try to avoid his calls for now.”

Perhaps ignoring his calls for a while would ease this discomfort. Sa-yoon had never before evaded Jin Jung-woo’s summons. A minor act of rebellion, as Chae-jun had suggested. Surely, this much would be acceptable?

Sa-yoon pressed the power button on his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He assumed Jin Jung-woo was merely trying to bolster his standing by using Sa-yoon at another meeting with a public official. Jin Jung-woo was a thick-skinned individual; he would manage perfectly well even without Sa-yoon. Besides, even if Sa-yoon went, all he ever did was offer a polite smile and a greeting.

Chae-jun, who had been pulling old documents from a cabinet and stacking them, turned his head to ask Sa-yoon a question.

“Oh, speaking of which, there was a request from the broadcasting station. They asked for some additional filming.”

“Do they need more interviews?”

“No, this time they said they need more footage. I think we’ll be filming a few more combat scenes.”

Sa-yoon frowned deeply. The notion of filming separate combat scenes, as if they were making an actual movie, utterly baffled him.