M 136

“Have these bastards gone crazy!”

It had been about 30 minutes since he opened his eyes. Colonel Kim had been shouting at the top of his lungs from the moment he woke up until now, without getting tired. He appeared more upset about being restrained by mere underlings than being suddenly dragged here.

“Hey, Ki Tae-jeong!”

Colonel Kim rudely called out the name of the Major General with a reddened face. Usually, he would speak politely and maintain decorum, but now it seemed he had lost all sense of propriety.

Anyone would be confused if they were suddenly hit and knocked unconscious on their way to work. Waking up in a musty warehouse with the face of your sworn enemy right in front of you… yeah, it’s understandable to be pissed off. 

Ki Tae-jeong nodded, taking a crisp bite of an apple.

“Have you really gone crazy? How dare you kidnap-“

Before he could finish his sentence, Colonel Kim’s head was violently thrown back. Several bone-crushing sounds followed, and finally, he slumped helplessly on the chair with his tongue sticking out.

“Tsk.” Ki Tae-jeong clicked his tongue softly. Even though he had been gentle, the man couldn’t even withstand five punches before ending up in that state. And this was with just one hand, as he was holding an apple in the other.

“I tried to resolve this nicely. If Colonel Kim had just known his place and kept his mouth shut, I wouldn’t have had to raise a hand.”

Ki Tae-jeong threw the half-eaten apple to the floor and shook his wrist.

“First, let’s clear up a misunderstanding. I’m not the one who made Colonel Kim a dead man.”

At the mention of “dead man,” confusion clouded Colonel Kim’s eyes.

“Dead… man? What do you mean…?”

“Kim Seok-cheol’s arson affected quite a few people, and when you tried to pull tricks like filing for bankruptcy, things escalated. Do you think I would commit such a reckless act in broad daylight just because of some personal grudge? I’m a reasonable person. I’ve even made a vow to live a good life from now on.”

“Ugh, uh, uh…”

“The victims who went crazy because of the stupid things your son did decided that if it’s going to be like this, they might as well kill you, Colonel Kim, and at least get the insurance money. Your family has even agreed to give up all inheritance rights after your death. How about it? Do you understand the situation now?”

At the mention of “your family,” Colonel Kim, who had been looking like a dying fish, suddenly flapped violently. It seems he never dreamed that someone from within his own family would turn against him.

“I was wondering why Kim Seok-cheol was acting so exceptionally stupid, but now I see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“How… dare…!”

“Dare? You should be grateful, Colonel Kim.”

He tapped Colonel Kim’s cheek lightly, urging him to come to his senses.

“Anyway, we’ve managed to maintain the legacy of Gyeonghan Pharmaceuticals, and as you wished, that bastard Kim Seok-cheol is still in the military. You, Colonel Kim, will be processed as having suffered an unfortunate accident, so you won’t face the dishonor of having to return your rank insignia.”

Those affected by the 2-Hwan fire incident didn’t have more influence than the Kim family. However, when all of them were gathered together, the story changed.

Even those who disliked Ki Tae-jeong began to side with the victims, saying this was clearly Gyeonghan Pharmaceuticals’ fault. After crunching the numbers, they concluded that if this incident wasn’t properly resolved, their own property rights might not be guaranteed if something similar happened in the future.

Above all, this was the type of incident that the esteemed Leader absolutely despised. Why give discontented people a reason to unite when everything could be solved with money?

“Although I did some instigating behind the scenes, if it weren’t for the misstep of filing for bankruptcy, things wouldn’t have escalated this far. I regret that.”

“Ugh, kugh, my, my muh… money, cough…!”

“Of course, it seems that even Colonel Kim’s inheritance won’t be enough for full compensation, so we’ve decided to settle by distributing some of Gyeonghan Pharmaceuticals’ shares.”

What exactly are money and power?

Colonel Kim’s relatives saw this as their opportunity and rushed in, claiming they would inherit the family business. Even people whose names he had never heard before came forward, desperately seeking someone to support them, saying they had family secrets, assets, or something hidden to offer. The fierce competition among distant relatives trying not to miss this golden opportunity to become direct heirs was beyond disgusting.

If they thought about it a little, they would realize that supporting Colonel Kim would be more beneficial. If they lost shares and had their hands tied like this, they would inevitably end up with much less than what they originally received.

Yet, they didn’t seem to care. They thought it was better to wear even an illusory crown than to wait for Colonel Kim’s favors while sucking their thumbs. What’s the point of that?

Perhaps they were relying on the family’s seemingly unbreakable reputation. They might be overconfident, thinking, “Our family won’t fall so quickly, we’ve always managed before.” From an outsider’s perspective, they looked like complete idiots, but in their drunken state, they were the only ones who couldn’t see it.

Well, that’s probably why that bastard Colonel Kim thought he could send people to a 5-star hospital to stage a hostage situation. He must have been confident that as long as he didn’t harm Lee Sehwa, just capturing and threatening him wouldn’t be a problem, and no one would dare challenge him.

“How… how can you… bring a person… like this… ugh…!”

“That’s right. You shouldn’t do things recklessly. But now, I couldn’t care less about things like promotions.”

When he was fixated on retirement or becoming an elder, it was crucial not to give others any reason to criticize him. He had been obsessed with maintaining a righteous image, ensuring his victories were recorded fairly in court records, and preventing anyone from interfering with underhanded tactics.

But now, none of that mattered at all. It’s enough to be in a position where he can protect himself and Lee Sehwa. It’s not like he hasn’t gained anything, so this is sufficient for now.

“Anyway, for various reasons, Colonel Kim has become a person who died in an accident as of today. Of course, I have no intention of letting you die so easily.”

Ki Tae-jeong smiled brightly, his face blooming like a water-filled rose.

“Throw him into the 2-Hwan drug den as he is.”

“Yes, sir.”

“W-wait…!”

Annoyed by the slurred pronunciation, he struck Colonel Kim’s face once more before standing up.

Colonel Kim, who had called Sehwa a lowborn, a commoner, a bug… will soon find himself in that very position. As a dead man, without even a name or identity, he won’t be able to get a single grain of rice without begging from the very drug addicts he so despised.

“I’ll emphasize once again, this wasn’t something I did alone.”

“Ugh, ugh…”

“If it weren’t for Colonel Kim’s so-called prestigious family, I wouldn’t have done something this reckless.”

After realizing that his current predicament was due to Gyeonghan Pharmaceuticals’ relatives who used to grovel before him, Colonel Kim seemed to have lost his mind. His body was stiff with rage, looking as if his brain might explode at any moment.

How long could this bastard, who had backed out of basic military training claiming it was too difficult, endure? Captain Park said it might be difficult even for three months, but… Ki Tae-jeong thought differently. Bastards like him are surprisingly tough. Just look at Kim Seok-cheol, who’s still enduring even after losing his wrist. Greedy people don’t die easily. And he hoped for that. It would be boring if he died right away after all he’d done.

“How many people have stepped up as representatives of Gyeonghan Pharmaceuticals now? Five?”

“Yes.”

“Tell them we’ll support whoever reveals the most dirt on the Kim father and son. That way, we can at least retrieve his rank insignia posthumously.”

“I’ll relay the message.”

As he opened the warehouse door and stepped out, he saw the sky of the 2-Hwan, clearer than before. Ki Tae-jeong narrowed his eyes to check the visibility, then moved without hesitation.

Would Sehwa be shocked if he knew? Still, he thought this was quite a moderate way of handling things.

He’d heard somewhere that it’s good not to see blood for a hundred days after a baby is born. Rather than a hundred days… was it twenty-one days? Anyway, there was something more strict, but by the time he learned about it, he had already taken a knife to the face right in front of the child.

So Ki Tae-jeong decided to ignore customs like the twenty-one days and instead resolved to be a generous person until the child’s hundredth day. After all, these things are what he makes of them.

“Will you be traveling by helicopter? Or by port…”

“Let’s take the helicopter.”

Although it wasn’t the best weather for air travel, he couldn’t waste time on the roads.

Today, he was supposed to have lunch with Sehwa. He hadn’t actually gotten his agreement yet, but if he just showed up and stared quietly, he would sigh and make room for him. That counts as a meal appointment, right?

Ki Tae-jeong checked to make sure there was nothing dirty on his face or clothes. Even if it wasn’t superstition, he didn’t want to dwell on cruelty anymore. Sehwa or General Oh Seon-ran might find it ridiculous that this is what he considers being generous, but he was sincere.

Sehwa’s goodness was innate. It wasn’t a matter of his upbringing or environment. His resolute desire to be a good person, even in the worst situations, was indeed something he was born with. It was a kind of God-given talent that he didn’t possess even a speck of. But now, becoming a good person like Lee Sehwa? Of course, that’s impossible.

However, he had promised Sehwa that he would become even a little bit of a better person. He vowed to show a changed self while waiting for Lee Sehwa to fully forgive him.

So he had to do something. Even if he couldn’t completely overhaul his way of life and thinking, he wanted to improve to a level where Sehwa would feel he had changed significantly.

It would be a lie to say there’s no sense of emptiness after letting go of his lifelong ambitions. What was all that struggling and scheming for? Whenever such thoughts surfaced and he felt a sense of existential doubt, he thought of Lee Sehwa. Like magic, the storm in his heart would subside.

Ki Tae-jeong sat in the pilot’s seat and ran his hands over the familiar controls. It’s a strange thing. He had given up everything that was once his reason for living. Yet, in the end, he doesn’t regret the time spent. It wasn’t particularly frustrating or terrible to remain a dog of the military. Instead of his world being shattered, he could now hold Sehwa in his arms, making him look forward to the days ahead.

***

“Discharge? Already?”

“Not right away, in about a month.”

Sehwa busily moveed his spoon and chopsticks. His gaze was vaguely fixed somewhere on the table, not on Ki Tae-jeong.

They had agreed to be by each other’s side even when sick and in pain. But that passionate promise was made just a few days ago. Although he didn’t show it, Ki Tae-jeong also had moments several times a day when he wasn’t sure how to treat Sehwa. They couldn’t pretend nothing had happened overnight.

Sehwa still called Ki Tae-jeong “Brigadier General.” He would be getting along fine with others, but when slowly conversing with Ki Tae-jeong, he would suddenly stutter. Yesterday, when he unexpectedly visited and he said he was going for a check-up, he accompanied him to the examination room. On that short walk, he suddenly started limping. For Sehwa, some moments from the past were still vividly ongoing.

The time they were apart wasn’t that long. But the small misalignments between the two had started accumulating long before they parted ways at the 5-star seaside. Considering that, the weight of accumulated memories is not so light.

So Ki Tae-jeong didn’t crave anything. He only hoped for more time to pass, and for Sehwa to eventually open his heart. For now, there was nothing he could do but wait patiently. He should be grateful just to be allowed to visit unexpectedly like this and exchange words.

“I can’t live in the hospital forever… Thank you.”

As the chef who came up to the protected room for every meal served a warm steamed egg, Sehwa bowed his head slightly. It was one of the side dishes that Sehwa, who had lost his appetite, still frequently ate.

“Discharge…”

Ki Tae-jeong muttered while drinking water.

“Then… where will you stay?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking where you’ll live after you’re discharged.”

Hoping that his voice didn’t betray any expectation, Ki Tae-jeong asked as nonchalantly as possible.