M 37

​Every time the car accelerated, the dark red gloss of the letters shone brightly. It was a color similar to the flames of the bomb that had terrified Sehwa just moments ago. It was Sehwa’s first time driving a car like this, but he had a feeling that if he pressed that button carelessly, it would be dangerous. Surely the car wouldn’t explode, but messing with it at this moment wouldn’t yield any favorable outcome.

​If they wanted to get out of here, they had to turn the steering wheel right now. The vacant lot was a bit wide, but if he kept going straight at this speed, he would crash into the wall in an instant. Moreover, there were ominous warning signs posted on the wall. Sehwa wasn’t sure, but he thought it might be something like a warning about the possibility of an electric shock or something along those lines.​

However, Ki Tae-jeong seemed to have no intention of turning the steering wheel. If Sehwa had thought about the reckless things Ki Tae-jeong had done so far, it was more than enough. Sehwa was shivering and prayed and prayed that this latest car had an escape function or something.​

“Are you ready?”

​Ki Tae-jeong grabbed the bazooka that was resting on the console and stood up. For a moment, Sehwa had an ominous feeling and shook his head. No way…​

​“D-Director…!”​

​This lunatic was planning to shoot not even a small gun, but a bazooka from here? Sehwa didn’t know much about weapons, but he did know that the larger the weapon, the greater the recoil. Moreover, it was a bazooka. Shooting in this situation would undoubtedly transmit a shock to the body of the car. Meanwhile, he didn’t even reduce the speed of the car… Was he actually suggesting they die together? Or did he intend to kill him? Was he no longer useful now that he had obtained the drugs?

“Don’t worry about driving; the car will handle it. And if you don’t press that button.”​

The omitted words were probably ‘You and I both die.’ It was the most frequently heard and suffocating phrase Sehwa had encountered today. From the first time they met until now, Ki Tae-jeong had never said anything that Sehwa liked, this was the worst. ‘If you don’t do as I say, both of us will die here.’

And as if to help Ki Tae-jeong counter-threat, a deafening noise resounded from behind as if something were about to collapse. The old building seemed unable to withstand it any longer.

​“Lee Sehwa!”​

There was no need to ask how to give a signal or what kind of signal to give. It was right now. Sehwa couldn’t make any judgment. He just reflexively pressed the button firmly after Ki Tae-jeong shouted his name. In an instant, his body was thrown backward and then forward. Whether the S stood for sports mode or not, the engine began to rumble menacingly.

​“W-what after this, Director…!”​

The bright red sports car raced at a terrifying speed. The wall, which had seemed far away, was now rapidly approaching within the frame of the front windshield. If they continued like this, a collision was inevitable. Sehwa had never driven a car like this before, and he didn’t know what to press to stop it.​

“It’s going to crash… here!”

Ki Tae-jeong ignored Sehwa’s screams in the background and aimed the bazooka at the building. The exit got further and further away, and that too through a narrow gap in the iron door that had been widened appropriately. The principle was similar to before. If you set a goal and think that you will somehow achieve it, your body will move on its own. When he loaded the bazooka and pulled the trigger, a satisfying recoil rushed through his body.​

The bullet slipped through the gap in the iron door. Ki Tae-jeong saw a small flash of fire inside and threw away the bazooka. At the same time, he felt an unusual shaking. The oil drum that had been uncovered earlier seemed to finally be doing its job as black smoke began to billow like a volcano.

As Sehwa lowered himself on the driver’s seat, an ear-piercing explosion sounded from behind. Even though the distance was rather wide, the car’s body shook uncomfortably.​

​“D-Director, if we continue like this, over there…!”

Sehwa was taken aback by the explosive sound and shouted again, his lips becoming pale. Truly, the wall was right in front of them. Ki Tae-jeong pressed several buttons on the center fascia in a matter of seconds with an expression as if he was wondering what the fuss was all about. The hand that gripped the driving wheel was relaxed.​

​“…!”​

The sound of the brakes resounded loudly. The fiercely charging speed couldn’t be overcome, the car body floated lightly. The case in his arms was shaking, and Sehwa fumbled to grab the item with one hand. All the skin and wigs that were on his face had come off and were all tattered. Salty, sticky tears poured down his cheeks. Sehwa crouched down. He’s going to die. This time he would definitely die. Ki Tae-jeong would escape somehow, and he would be burnt along with the car. The stale tears tasted of ash and oil.

​“…?”​

However, no matter how long he waited, the anticipated pain and agony did not come. The sound of the car colliding with the wall and the explosion they had heard so much of today were completely silent. What…? Feeling perplexed, Sehwa finally opened his eyes.

“Why are you so scared?”

Ki Tae-jeong’s bewildered voice settled on the top of his head. Sehwa wiped away the tears with the back of his hand while glancing around. The car… was flying. Well, it would be more accurate to say it was floating low, but still…

“What on earth is this…?”

“These days, cars are equipped with emergency flight functions.”

Sehwa only heard there was such a thing. Sehwa, who had never owned an old car, let alone a modern car, looked out the window with his eyes wide open. Avoiding the wall and the scary electrical devices installed on top of it, the sleek sports car flew around like a butterfly. As it skillfully raced through the narrow gap of the gloomy gray building, a vast expanse of plains and sky unfolded. Even though it was just dead yellow grass, he never imagined there would be such a wide landscape in 1-Hwan.​

“Have you ever seen the sea?”

“… No.”​

“If you go down there, you will. It’s a cliff.”

“… Director, please.”​

Sehwa thought there couldn’t be anything more surprising, but Ki Tae-jeong didn’t give him a moment to catch his breath.

​”I haven’t done anything particularly impressive, but you cry and get scared all the time, so I always tell you beforehand.”

The sky and ground, which had been divided into halves amicably, gradually spread apart. The bright blue sky that seemed to swallow you up gradually filled the window.​

“Didn’t I tell you?”

Ki Tae-jeong said while tearing off the flipped skin and tousling his hair that had been pressed down

​“I am the commander of a combat flight squadron.”​

Ki Tae-jeong wiped the sweat streaming down his neck and smiled reassuringly. Sehwa was unfamiliar with the difference between the ranks of a combat flight squadron and the rank of Brigadier General, but seeing that the word ‘flight’ was mentioned… Ki Tae-jeong probably meant he was in the Air Force. Even Sehwa, who didn’t pay much attention to the news, knew that the Air Force was the highest-ranking within the military.

​Every time Ki Tae-jeong casually touched the steering wheel, much like when he held a gun, the height of the car subtly changed. Sehwa has to admit, Ki Tae-jeong was quite skilled to some extent.​

“I know you’re scared, but you can really trust me this time.”

A haze of light danced along the finely textured hair. While receiving the pouring light directly, Ki Tae-jeong gently increased his speed.​

“In the sky, we’re invincible.”

​The explosion sound was still faintly ringing behind them, and the emotionless man sitting next to Sehwa whispered that the people there should go together into the beyond. Sehwa gazed silently at the point where the boundary between sky and ground disappeared. It was entirely blue, and he couldn’t tell where it ended.

​***​

“Ouch, it stings!”

The powder ointment given by Ki Tae-jeong was effective. The blisters had already subsided and new skin was forming. But it stung and burned just as much. Sehwa grimaced and fanned himself rapidly.

​The destination across the cliff was a small bunker. Ki Tae-jeong described it as a sort of military accommodation for Air Force personnel. If unavoidable circumstances arose during combat flight training, this was a place to rest and relax. It was surprisingly comfortable and clean for a military facility, and it had everything one might need. Ki Tae-jeong complained that it was too narrow, but to Sehwa, it seemed no different from home.

“What are you doing?”

Ki Tae-jeong asked, toweling his hair after a shower.

“It hurts a little.”

“Want some medicine?”

Sehwa reflexively nodded, then hesitated.

“…No, I’m fine.”

“If you eat some when you’re not feeling well, you may feel better.”

“It’s just… I don’t want to get too used to it. I’m not someone who can take that kind of medicine whenever I’m sick…”

​Sehwa once again muttered to himself the promise he made inside that damned shelter. Stay focused, stay focused…

​“And it has no effect anyway because I’m not wearing that… black… patch right now.”

“That… Ah… right.”​

​Ki Tae-jeong, who was about to say something, blurted out his words strangely.​

“Wait a minute.”