M 221

Side Story 3 Episode 24

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Even the sound of an airplane flying overhead still makes her heart drop, but that’s because of that crazy Brigadier General or whatever he was. Ms. Song had no ill feelings towards Sehwa. She could understand that he had unintentionally deceived her.

In this world where everyone has a story, meeting someone who can understand and empathize with you is like finding a star in the sky. Although the time she spent with Sehwa was short, those few days were a time when Ms. Song’s soul felt warmed.

She had seen him cry so sorrowfully. Crawling out in a disheveled state, sobbing as Sehwa was taken away by that terrifying man, but at the time, Ms. Song couldn’t say a word. She didn’t have the courage to tell him not to do that to someone carrying his child, so she pretended not to know. In an effort to save herself first, she had sacrificed that young one to the madman.

After experiencing that chaos at the port of 2-Hwan and returning to the restaurant with her soul drained, Ms. Song belatedly discovered a short letter left by Sehwa in her room. Along with a carefully hidden wad of crumpled bills.

Seeing that, she cried for a long time again. She wondered if he was okay after being dragged away like that, if he was eating well, if he was living with that madman, but how could someone like her know the affairs of a Brigadier General’s family?

As she lived her life, chased by reality, one day, Ms. Song found several crisp lottery tickets in her room. In the very spot where Sehwa had hidden the letter, those scraps of paper that she had never bought were proudly sitting.

There was no explanation, but the moment she saw the neatly stacked lottery tickets, she had a feeling. This must be what that madman left behind…. But why lottery tickets of all things?

The question was immediately answered that evening when she checked the winning numbers. Ms. Song stared blankly at the lottery ticket with the first-prize winning numbers. The other prizes were also worth a considerable amount, and there were even several tickets, so when added together, it amounted to a huge sum that a commoner like her could hardly handle.

She wondered what this was all about. Could it be some kind of compensation? But that madman didn’t seem like the type to give consolation money to a lower-class person like her….

However, no matter how long she waited, no one came to ask about the reason for this or to beg her to return the money, so Ms. Song ended up accepting the unsettling winnings. She made countless excuses in her mind, but in the end, she succumbed to the money. She was disgusted with herself for accepting the money from the madman, but Ms. Song wanted to live too. The desire to finally get rid of the debt that she hadn’t even incurred herself outweighed the pity she felt for Sehwa….

“That’s how life is, who can blame whom?”

Changing the lyrics of an old song as she pleased, Ms. Song poured water into an aluminum pot. There was a time when she couldn’t even close her eyes properly because she was tormented by nightmares. But now, she was humming along to songs and living well. Time was the cure. As she realized when she sent her son away first. Even with a wound that would never heal, people live on. Eating, sleeping, and laughing….

“Huh? Boss, don’t you have any seasoned dried squid?”

“I was a bit busy yesterday, so I couldn’t make any.”

“Aha. I see you have kimchi, so Mr. Jo must have come by?”

“Yeah. He says he can’t eat without it.”

Mr. Lee clicked his tongue and closed the refrigerator door. Originally, Ms. Song’s place was a snack bar, but after catering to the regulars’ tastes and serving them this and that, it had become a diner that sold and gave away a lot of things.

“Uh? Uh uh…?”

As she continued to hum and waited for the water to boil, Mr. Lee, who was sitting on a chair and fiddling with his phone, suddenly raised his voice.

“Ugh. He’s making a fuss again.”

“No… Bo, Boss… Nim, over there… over there…!”

“What is it? Did you sell a winning hand?”

“Heeok… Bo, Boss! Boss! Right now, that’s…!”

“Oh, alright, you rascal. It’s just about to boil….”

As Ms. Song was about to scold Mr. Lee as usual, telling him to eat quietly and leave quickly since it was almost time for the customers to arrive, her face gradually hardened. If she wasn’t mistaken, through the slightly open doorway, there were armed soldiers gathered in a crowd. It was rare to see even two or three ordinary soldiers in this neighborhood, but it looked like an entire battalion had shown up.

“Damn it! Boss, are you a wanted person or something?”

“What wanted person!”

Being targeted by armed soldiers. The most terrifying situation that a civilian could imagine was unfolding in reality. Mr. Lee no longer made nasal sounds, and Ms. Song also dropped her friendly tone. No matter how positively they tried to think about it, it was clear that their destination was this restaurant, so Mr. Lee and Ms. Song grabbed each other’s arms and trembled.

“If not, why would soldiers, and only those squared-away ones, suddenly appear in droves like that!”

“How would I know, you idiot!”

What is it? What could it be? The problem was that there were too many possibilities. The most concerning thing was that damn lottery ticket. The fact that that devilish guy had given it to her was only Ms. Song’s suspicion. What if it was something that shady people had embezzled…? And that she had belatedly become involved…?

“Heeik, why are those bastards suddenly like that!”

Mr. Lee, who was only peeking out and looking outside, screamed.

“Tell me quickly, Boss. Let’s confess and find enlightenment!”

“I don’t know anything, I tell you!”

The murmuring, as if they were exchanging radio messages, was becoming increasingly ominous, and the soldiers who had been standing in two rows suddenly began to move in unison. They were widening the distance enough for two or three people to pass through, and the angles were so precise that it was chilling, as if they were doing a mass game.

And it might be a delusion, or rather, she hoped it was… the sound of propellers turning was also getting closer. This wasn’t an area where helicopters or fighter jets flew, and there were no tall buildings to land on, even temporarily.

“No way….”

Ms. Song desperately tried to suppress the ominous thoughts that kept coming to mind. All of these omens were pointing to one person, but she still tried not to let go of the last thread of hope. It couldn’t be that person, could it…? Seriously, how could something like that happen again in her life?

“Crazy, Boss! Did you see the hand signal just now? Lieutenant General is here, Lieutenant General!”

How would I know the hand signals that soldiers use…? Stunned by the shock, Ms. Song only swayed limply as Mr. Lee shook her. Anyway, a Lieutenant General is here? If it’s a Lieutenant General… then isn’t that higher than a Brigadier General? Whatever the rank, it seemed fortunate that it wasn’t that madman….

“Ugh, you son of a bitch!”

Mr. Lee kept yelling meaningless curses while crying.

“Ugh, be quiet!”

A deafening roar was approaching right in front of them, but the soldiers guarding the front of the restaurant didn’t even flinch, even as the sandstorm that was blowing covered their entire bodies.

Ms. Song and Mr. Lee could no longer keep their eyes open in the strong wind that seemed like it would blow the building away. The sliding door was shaking violently as if it would be pulled out at any moment, and the tables and chairs were being dragged around by the whirlwind that was stirring inside the restaurant. The two could only hold onto the rattling door with their trembling hands.

After some time, a sound like a thick rope hitting the wall or roof of the building resounded clearly through this commotion.

“Fuck. They said there’s no medicine without side effects….”

Mr. Lee was now suffering, with snot running down his face, and Ms. Song, who was blankly holding the door, barely managed to hold back her tears. The noise of the helicopter gradually subsided, and as the hazy dust that had turned her small restaurant into ruins slowly settled, someone’s silhouette, tall and elegant as if they were not of this world, walked towards them.

“Salute!”

The salute echoed loudly, and Ms. Song lowered her head, trembling. It had only been one encounter, but the beautiful madman she would never forget in her life was waving his hand and smiling brightly at them.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

A distance that had become so close that she couldn’t hide the fact that her teeth were chattering from fear. Even while clearly seeing Ms. Song in that state, the man asked about her well-being in a calm voice. As expected of the madman who had dragged Sehwa away like a dog….

“Br-Brigadier General, what are you doing here….”

“Hmm, shall we sit down and talk first?”

As he was about to pull out a chair and sit down as he pleased, the man frowned as if he had finally noticed the dusty state of the restaurant. You’re the one who made it like this, you crazy bastard! Ms. Song desperately tried to hide her trembling hands while trying to hold back the urge to scream, and Mr. Lee quietly screamed next to the sobbing Ms. Song, “It’s a Lieutenant General! What Brigadier General!” Damn it, how would I know? Brigadier General and Lieutenant General, they both start with the same consonant, Ms. Song was truly just pissed off at this situation.

“The thing is, my wife is pregnant.”

“…Pardon?”

What… kind of bullshit is that…? Ms. Song couldn’t help but ask back in a crooked tone. Perhaps excessive absurdity overcomes even fear. Seriously…. After making such a fuss about taking Sehwa away, he ended up marrying someone else? And even having a child with that person…? How could a person be like that while wearing a human mask…?

“You remember him, right? My dear, or rather, Sehwa.”

“Th…, y-yes…?”

“I heard that Sehwa used to eat the food that you made for him.”