M 118

“But…”

Sehwa looked back and forth between the screen and the tablet.

“That… doctor from before, and the kid who showed up a few days ago too… Isn’t there a reason Lieutenant Kim’s side is hiring even such ordinary people to try and shake me?”

Fortunately, Sehwa wasn’t stuttering much anymore. Instead, he coughed painfully between words, to the point where listeners felt distressed. It seemed as if his vocal cords might tear.

“Well,”

“It was the same when I first tried to enter the game as a so-called player.”

While Lieutenant Park and Warrant officer Choi were just watching, concerned about Sehwa’s throat condition, he calmly recalled his younger days, disregarding their worry.

“The project plan was plausible, and the mark was almost falling for it… but other players started to interfere. They spread rumors to undermine me, saying I wasn’t trustworthy… Even though my words made sense, the clients suddenly only listened to these players who had butted in.”

There could have been various reasons why the clients changed their minds. Maybe they couldn’t fully trust an inexperienced young player, or they were gullible and fell for the fire other con artists had carefully stoked… Or perhaps they were annoyed at having to listen to such a young kid and didn’t want to admit Sehwa was right.

The clients tried to deny Sehwa, citing their mood that day, the players’ attitudes, and even their horoscope. It means they weren’t really trying to discern right from wrong.

The reasons Sehwa always got beaten up without even getting a bite to eat were such pathetic things. Just because they found his actions unlucky, because he looked like a giseh’s brother, because he didn’t know his place and they wanted to teach him a lesson…

Anyway, after hearing the explanation, the military trial and the public opinion battle that Lieutenant Kim’s family was trying to lead didn’t seem much different from the hwatu games Sehwa had experienced so far.

“Rather than laying out everything… it’s much better to bring out the most shocking thing.”

Lieutenant Kim frequenting the House, the transaction statement showing payment to Boss Son… These are easy for the opposition to nitpick. What if they insist he was just getting drugs he was already using, not trying to develop suspicious drugs by exploiting civilians? An officer using drugs wouldn’t even be scandalous enough.

“You didn’t write the complaint because you wanted to prove Lieutenant Kim was a drug addict, right? It’s because the drug he made is dangerous… that’s why you’re holding the trial…”

Sehwa rubbed his throat uncomfortably, blinking a couple of times, then continued speaking between coughs.

“Then, that sample from Unit 1… the fact that its components exactly match the formula written in the document, and that I, who’ve been dealing with Lieutenant Kim for a long time, know how to make that drug… that seems like it would be the most plausible evidence. And…”

“…”

“Actually… because of that drug, I became able… to have a child.”

It was a topic everyone present, not just Ki Tae-jeong, wanted to avoid. Even Sehwa himself.

Sehwa wasn’t bringing this up intentionally to provoke Ki Tae-jeong. He genuinely didn’t understand and was asking him. Why try to go around in circles when there was a performance that could be most effectively showcased?

“You think I haven’t considered the method you’ve just thought of? I’m not saying no because I don’t know about it.”

“…”

“Yes, originally I was going to use you for that purpose. That’s why I made such a fuss, no, such a scene in the shelter to get the drug from Z2.”

“…”

“But you’re sick now.”

After the surgery… no, since getting involved with Ki Tae-jeong, Sehwa had become incredibly weak, both physically and mentally. His heart had been cut so deeply, the shock so great, that even taking a step was difficult.

The bigger problem was that he had taken large amounts of A7 during the surgery. To exaggerate a bit, half of Sehwa’s body was filled with A7 instead of blood.

And with that body, he wants to handle drugs? Even if it’s just tasting with the tip of his tongue for manufacturing, there’s no guarantee what results it might bring.

“…Anyway, the brigadier general… must really want to win…”

“We’ll win without using you in that way. If I were that incompetent, I wouldn’t be wearing a brigadier general’s badge. More importantly…”

Ki Tae-jeong, who was trying to stop Sehwa from saying such nonsense, belatedly realized that the expression he had just chosen wasn’t very good. Especially the part about not using him in that way, which from Sehwa’s perspective might sound like he intended to use him in some other way.

“…More importantly, I don’t see you as just some expendable resource anymore.”

After a moment of hesitation, Ki Tae-jeong awkwardly added an explanation that lacked even a trace of gentleness.

He can’t make Sehwa laugh with trivial words like General Oh Seon-ran anyway. He still doesn’t quite understand what’s so different between the small gifts he gave and the book General Oh Seon-ran brought. If that’s the case, he thought he should at least speak clearly to leave no room for Sehwa to misunderstand.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt any more than this.”

At this blunt declaration, Sehwa took a small gasp. Lieutenant Park, Warrant officer Choi, and Lieutenant Na did the same.

At least, Ki Tae-jeong had never opened up about his feelings in this way before. His words were undoubtedly rough, but that matter-of-fact statement he threw out felt… well, the most sincere among all the excuses Sehwa had heard from Ki Tae-jeong so far.

“Lee Sehwa. As you know well, I…”

At Ki Tae-jeong’s quiet call, the quick-witted aides exchanged glances and slowly backed towards the entrance. Sehwa, seemingly flustered at suddenly being left alone with him, craned his neck and looked around. From the movement of his lips, it seemed he might be trying to call Lieutenant Na.

Ki Tae-jeong was about to mention his usual justifications out of habit, but caught himself and bit his lower lip hard. He had already explained several times that it wasn’t like that anymore, but Sehwa wouldn’t listen to him. In fact, the more he called his name and pretended to be kind, the more distressed he became.

“…So, were you really okay with it?”

How could he approach Lee Sehwa more skillfully… in a way that wasn’t self-centered excuses or overbearing? Not like a soldier or a killing machine. If only he had learned such a way of expression. Not just removing crude and vulgar curses from this blunt tone, but like Lee Sehwa, who could make others feel all the emotions he had at that moment just by writing down drug combinations and detoxification methods…

“Every time other bastards ruined the game you set up, stole your clients, and talked nonsense using you as a drinking snack, was it really okay because it happened all the time?”

Sehwa, who was sitting almost dangling at the edge of the sofa to avoid Ki Tae-jeong, just stared at his own feet with his fists tightly clenched.

“It wasn’t, right? Even if you said it was okay, it really wasn’t at all.”

“That’s… in the past, why now…”

“Because as you said, the military trial is no different. It’s obvious you won’t be okay this time either.”

“…”

“However… since this is a situation I set up on my own, I understood why you might want to see the trial with your own eyes and assess the situation. There must be things you want to say to me after that… Above all, I don’t want to see you faint again because of talking about things like filming.”

“…”

“So I allowed, no, decided that you could attend the trial. Anyway, I should be able to protect you there before any major problems arise. But that’s it. I don’t want to see you suffer any more than that.”

Sehwa blinked slowly. His long eyelashes fluttered, following the movement half a beat late.

…Was this the wrong answer again? He felt his chest area heating up. It hurt as if a fire had been lit near the shirt pocket where he had put the note.

He can wring a person’s heart with just black squares that aren’t even proper letters, but all the words he chooses, supposedly for his sake, are all wrong. No matter how he tries to convey his feelings, they don’t reach him sincerely.

“…Anyway, the trial is in 3 days, and you shouldn’t say anything if possible. Just showing your face and exercising your right to remain silent will be enough pressure for them.”

“…”

“Oh, and since General Oh Seon-ran has already registered you as his adopted child, you need to be careful about how you fill out your personal information. I’ll remind you again before the trial, so just keep this in mind for now.”

“That… process is… all done?”

“Yeah. He’s very busy now, saying he’s going to make you and your child 5-Star residents.”

Sehwa, who had been avoiding Ki Tae-jeong’s gaze all along, suddenly turned his head, seemingly unable to remain indifferent to this statement.

“Can… can the child become a 5-Star resident?”

“It will take some time, but it’s not impossible.”

Pleased to see Sehwa turning towards him and focusing on the conversation, Ki Tae-jeong found himself rambling on about related matters. From the adoption process to how to report a change of residence, and the subsequent procedures… Honestly, most of these were things Ki Tae-jeong, who had never cared much about children, hadn’t paid much attention to, but he pretended to know and explained in detail anyway.

“Ah, the child doesn’t even have a name yet… cough… is that possible?”

For the first time in a while, a slight blush appeared on Sehwa’s cheeks. Compared to before, it was as pale as if he had been dipped in bleach, but it was nice to see even a faint hint of life, as if he had been dyed with flower water. Apparently, the possibility of his child’s status changing was quite encouraging, regardless of his own situation.

“The incubator number is registered, and I’m the biological father, so… It should be easier than changing your status…”

Staring intently at Sehwa’s rounded cheeks, Ki Tae-jeong spoke as if entranced, only to realize belatedly what he was about to say, and bit the inside of his cheek hard.

Ah, shit. It was just yesterday that Sehwa had sobbed, asking him to give up parental rights, to keep that promise. To be precise, not even 24 hours had passed. But seeing his bright expression after so long, he got carried away and spoke carelessly again without consideration.

“Lee Sehwa, that… just now…”

“Yes?”

“…I didn’t bring up that topic on purpose.”

“…Pardon? What…”

“What I said about being the child’s biological father and all.”

“…Oh.”

“I wasn’t trying to ignore your request… It’s just that objectively, that’s the situation.”

He’ll probably look at him with unfocused eyes again and sigh with a tearful voice. Then he’ll stagger away… Now that he’s not even allowed to enter the bedroom, he’ll have to wait here for morning to come. Just staring blankly at the baby shoes Sehwa had tried to throw away and the note he only read today.

“Ah… I see.”

However, strangely enough, Sehwa didn’t show much reaction. Though his expression was a bit glum, he just quietly nodded, saying he understood.

‘…What’s this?’ Ki Tae-jeong, a bit flustered, rubbed his brow bone with his thumb a couple of times. He had rambled on, adding words more pathetically than usual… He thought he had unknowingly hurt him again… 

‘Why isn’t he crying this time?’