M 65

“Let’s see, when it opens its eyes… it would look like this.”

With the sound of a switch being turned on, the baby in the program slowly began to move. The virtual newborn yawned peacefully, unaware of the person carrying it. It had an incredibly serene face. Lieutenant Na kept exclaiming in admiration at each of its movements, turning to look at Sehwa. The baby on the screen and Sehwa lying on the chair were blinking slowly with identical expressions.

In contrast, the thoughts of the superior sitting next to him were completely unreadable. Ki Tae-jeong hadn’t spoken except when Sehwa asked if it was dangerous earlier. His hand propped up his chin askew, covering his mouth and chin, making it difficult to guess his expression. Still, he didn’t seem displeased. If he really disliked it, he would have demanded to know when they could terminate it, regardless of who the baby resembled or the presence of the pregnant person. Or he might have urged them to find useful information, like when the gestational sac had settled in Sehwa’s body, instead of running such prediction programs.

“Ahem, these days the trend is to do the surgery even in the middle of the 4th month, but I’m against that. It’s just people showing off their wealth.”

Lieutenant Na cleared his throat softly and continued.

“So if you do decide to have the baby, I’d recommend prioritizing Mr. Sehwa’s health and safety and carrying to at least 5 months full. If we set the due date around then, we should use stabilizers and inducers by at least the 8th week…”

Sehwa’s eyes, which had become somewhat unfocused at the talk of due dates, regained their focus.

“No, I’m not going to have it.”

A sharp gaze fell on his profile at his rather firm voice. Trying not to be conscious of the man sitting next to him, Sehwa emphasized his intention once more. He said no.

“Um… but there’s still time, so rather than deciding right away…”

“Didn’t you say yesterday that my condition wasn’t good?”

Interrupting with this question, Lieutenant Na just smiled ambiguously. Judging by how he awkwardly avoided eye contact, it must be true. Right. That’s probably why he tried to tell Sehwa honestly even before reporting to Ki Tae-jeong.

“So I think it would be better to decide quickly and prepare. I think that would be better for the… child too.”

Sehwa hesitated unconsciously when saying “child.” He already felt this bad… So before that round dot-like thing developed eyes, nose, and ears. While its heart was still tiny. Before it grew up like in the screen image… he thought it would be better to end it quickly.

“…I understand what you mean. But just in case, I’ll prepare for both possibilities. We still have time, so let’s think about it slowly.”

Saying he had only wanted to share good news today, Lieutenant Na handed over the printed hologram. He looked somewhat bitter.

The kidney bean in the belly and the baby from the prediction program were wriggling in the hologram. Sehwa hesitated but eventually accepted both sheets. If he had known they would print it out like this, he would have said in advance that he didn’t need it. It would only upset him to keep something he was going to terminate anyway….

“Mr. Sehwa doesn’t have a tablet, right? I’ve printed out the precautions, so read them. As I’ve said several times, you can’t terminate immediately, so until then, Mr. Sehwa will experience everything normal pregnant person do.”

Lieutenant Na handed him a thick towel to wipe off the gel. Sehwa, holding the holograms in both hands, fumbled with an “Oh.” The hologram was a bit too big to fit in his pocket. What should he do? Lieutenant Na was holding out his hand, and the table was too far away. As he looked around for a place to put down the hologram briefly, a long shadow fell across his face. It was Ki Tae-jeong. He snatched the towel with his large hand and began to rub Sehwa’s abdomen with rough movements.

“I’ll do it.”

Startled, he clutched the holograms in one hand and gently pulled at the edge of the towel. The thought that he should have done this earlier flashed through his mind belatedly.

“Brigadier General, I…”

When he didn’t budge, he called him once more, and Ki Tae-jeong just slightly raised his eyes. It was a skill in itself to curse someone with just a look without even opening his mouth. Sehwa had no choice but to drop his hand that had been holding the cloth.

“Oh right. Mr. Sehwa will need to register a guardian too.”

Seeing Sehwa’s awkwardness, Lieutenant Na spoke up.

“Register a guardian?”

“It means registering someone who can be contacted in an emergency as your guardian in the resident registration. It’s automatically deleted after you give birth. This is a legal obligation.”

Lieutenant Na explained that while it’s common to list a spouse or partner, it’s also frequent for family or friends to do it. Since none of these applied to him, Sehwa felt a bit deflated.

Sehwa hadn’t planned to have the baby anyway, but this confirmed that it really wasn’t feasible. How could someone without any contacts to reach in case of emergency have and raise a child? He felt embarrassed for getting caught up in sentiment earlier because the small face on the screen resembled him so much. Sehwa shook his head briefly, trying to collect himself.

“Lieutenant, is it possible for you to do it? Being the guardian, I mean.”

Lieutenant Na, who had been tidying up the equipment, suddenly coughed as if he had swallowed a fish bone.

“Me, cough, me?”

“If it doesn’t have to be family, I think it would be good if Lieutenant Na could do it since he knows all about my situation…”

“Ah, well, that’s true, but…”

Lieutenant Na’s gaze awkwardly avoided Sehwa.

“Hmm, this isn’t an urgent matter, so let’s decide later. There’s no need for you to stress yourself out unnecessarily, Mr. Sehwa… Oh! Wait a moment. I’ll bring you the printout I mentioned earlier.”

Lieutenant Na, who had been aimlessly moving his eyes, suddenly stood up from his seat. Seeing how visibly uncomfortable he looked, Sehwa awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose.

Of course. Being asked to be the guardian of a lower-class person he barely knows… It’s natural for Lieutenant Na to be flustered. Sehwa just chewed on his dry lips. He would have to apologize properly later. In his desperation, he had only managed to trouble someone unnecessarily.

“…Lee Sehwa.”

“Yes?”

“If it doesn’t matter who does it to the point where you’d ask Lieutenant Na, whom you barely know…”

Ki Tae-jeong threw the towel he had been using to wipe his stomach onto the floor and spoke nonchalantly. At least, that’s how it sounded at first…

“Then can’t I do it? As your legal guardian.”

Sehwa unconsciously retreated backward. Even though he only managed to bury himself deeper into the chair… The man was not at all nonchalant. He knew when he had worn this expression before. When he had refused his invitation to eat together in the past. It was the same face he had when he threatened him, saying he could feed him with his lower mouth if he disliked it so much, making him tremble with fear.

“No, it should be me. Even though you’re going to terminate it soon, it’s still my offspring, right?”

“But, that’s…”

Ki Tae-jeong stood up and looked down at Sehwa. Perhaps due to his looming shadow, his eyes seemed particularly fierce.

“It might be deleted from civilian records, but it remains intact on the military servers.”

Does that mean he shouldn’t inconvenience Lieutenant Na, who isn’t even close to him, let alone a soldier? But… hearing this made Sehwa even more reluctant to list Ki Tae-jeong as his guardian. Doesn’t this mean that somewhere, there will be a permanent record that Sehwa once carried this man’s child, that there was a moment when this man was his legal guardian?

“If that’s the case… wouldn’t it be even more difficult for you, Brigadier General? If it won’t disappear from official documents…”

Before Sehwa could finish speaking, Ki Tae-jeong cursed, “Ah, fvck,” He was searching his pockets, probably for cigarettes, but realizing they were empty, he just clenched his fist tightly. The tips of his pale fingers glistened. It seemed some gel had gotten on them while he was wiping his stomach.

Sehwa just fidgeted with his fingers, surprised by Ki Tae-jeong’s reaction, which was more intense than he had imagined. Was he that embarrassed about having his offer rejected? It’s not like it was a sincere act of kindness anyway. It just seems like he wants to torment and mock him again… There’s no need to tamper with official documents for such a reason.

“Why? Afraid that someday the person you’ll end up fvcking will throw a fit when they find out you were once pregnant with another man’s child?”

“What? When did I ever…”

“You cried your eyes out, asking if I thought you were such a slvt, saying you didn’t want to look like a wh0re when you slept with someone you liked.”

What? Sehwa stared at Ki Tae-jeong, at a loss for words.

“Why are you…”

Sehwa didn’t understand why he was suddenly bringing this up… and even if it were true, it didn’t seem like something to get this angry about…

“I don’t know why you’re saying this… but having a record of you as a guardian in the registry won’t do either of us any good, and I’m not looking for that kind of responsibility from you anyway…”

Before he could finish speaking, Sehwa’s body was lifted like a sheet of paper. Although the force pulling him was strong, it wasn’t as violent as before when he would grab his wrist as if to break it.

“Brigadier General?”

“Get up.”

Ignoring Sehwa’s soft call, Ki Tae-jeong jerked his chin towards the door.

“Since we’re on the subject, let’s go register right now.”

***

“General Oh!”

Kim Seok-cheol dashed to the doorway like lightning. He saluted with such force that even the hangnails on his fingers trembled.

“I’m truly sorry for causing you concern.”

The man who entered had quite an imposing presence. While Kim Seok-cheol recited the excuses he had prepared, General Oh Seon-ran surveyed the interior of the military prison. Even so, this was considered a fairly high-class facility. Of course, being confined here had more to do with family influence than his rank as a lieutenant.

Right. Those damn elders were the problem. It’s fine to inherit wealth, but if that’s the case, they should have raised their children to be functional humans. Even now, he’s addressing a General disrespectfully by using his surname while saluting.

“…So, in my opinion, since it would be difficult for them to provide clear evidence anyway…”

“The listed charges are quite horrifying.”

As if he didn’t want to hear any more, Oh Seon-ran threw the stack of papers on the floor. It was a copy of the complaint submitted by Ki Tae-jeong. Deliberately printed in a small size so it could be tucked away or easily shredded if needed, Kim Seok-cheol had to bring his face close to the paper, as if being sucked into it, to read the text.

“What is this…?”

Kim Seok-cheol’s hands trembled as he frantically scanned the document. Every major crime listed in the criminal code was there. Murder, solicitation of murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking and smuggling, attempted destruction of evidence… Well, those were one thing, but…

“Violation of the National Security Act? Has Ki Tae-jeong gone mad? Does he think he’ll be safe after slandering someone like this…”

“There were several people who passed through checkpoints using the method Lieutenant Kim provided. Of course, Ki Tae-jeong reported that he had secured all the relevant evidence.”

“By checkpoints… Are you referring to the spray?”

“Yes.”

Kim Seok-cheol was momentarily speechless. If you spray the cheap tanning spray that those who do illegal strip shows often use, it temporarily makes it difficult to detect heat. Due to its high content of harmful substances, it’s prohibited within the city, but those very components cause the sensors to malfunction briefly.

Of course, it’s impossible to pass through checkpoints just by spraying something. The fact that some House dregs could enter and exit the city a few times was ultimately due to the money Kim Seok-cheol had slipped into their back pockets. The effect only lasted a few seconds anyway, merely providing an excuse for the checkpoint guards, and even that only worked in 1-Star or 2-Star cities.

“But, General. It’s not just me who…”

Kim Seok-cheol felt genuinely wronged. It was a method well-known among those who brought in prostitutes from outside the city, so how could they use this to nitpick about the National Security Act?

“Then don’t create reasons to be caught like others do.”

Kim Seok-cheol, whose cheeks were sagging like a catfish’s, quietly lowered his head at the sharp rebuke.

“Still, please don’t worry too much. After all, Ki Tae-jeong has no backing, and I…”

Something dropped next to the scattered copies of the complaint. They were various insignias worn by soldiers, including rank insignias that could only be worn on formal uniforms.

“Your esteemed family elders sent these to me.”

Kim Seok-cheol’s face gradually hardened as he stared at the items covered in blood stains.

“Why would the elders… send these to you, General…”

“From now on, your father said he would be a faithful point of contact. In place of his foolish son.”

Kim Seok-cheol quickly wiped away the cold sweat that had gathered above his upper lip. It was the moment he became certain of who the bloodstained insignias belonged to. They were Oh Seon-ran’s personal adjutants, who were either already dead or in a similar state, people he had spent a considerable amount of money to cultivate.

Oh Seon-ran often stayed abroad, citing health reasons. In principle, it’s absolutely impossible for an officer of ministerial rank to stay overseas for extended periods. Rumors suggested various interests were intertwined, but in any case, it was possible because the final approval came from the head of state.

He had heard that the reason Oh Seon-ran was able to rise to the position of General in the first place was to silently serve the head of state like a shadow usually, and then provide support to superiors at critical moments. It truly was the end times if they allowed someone as high-ranking as a General to be away, supposedly to prevent collusion among officers.

“I was and still am opposed to the ‘harvest.’ We’ve already done something similar before, and I can clearly see what the results will be. Yet, do you remember why I turned a blind eye to your foolishness?”

“…You said there was someone you needed to find…”

“Right. I thought that those involved in that experiment 21 years ago, those broker bastards, might catch wind of it and come running again.”

Oh Seon-ran slowly bent one knee to sit, meeting Kim Seok-cheol’s eyes.

“Urgh, G-General!”

Kim Seok-cheol groaned as his hair was grabbed. What little hair he had left was being pulled out in clumps.

“I… I’ll explain everything.”

Kim Seok-cheol clung to Oh Seon-ran with a pitiful appearance, covered in tears and snot. It was torture, especially since he couldn’t even get high, and now he was experiencing pain he had no immunity to.

“It’s Lieutenant Kim elders’ business if you are lacking, not my concern, but it’s problematic when your stupidity affects me too.”

“G-General…!”

“Who are you to mess up something that even the head of state has approved, huh?”

Oh Seon-ran was looking for someone in their early 20s. He said there was no information on their name or gender. He didn’t know the exact details, but at first, he said they were in their late teens, and as time passed, he kept increasing the age. Kim Seok-cheol thought he might be looking for young meat while trying to maintain some conscience.

The reason Kim Seok-cheol got involved with him in the first place was because of this issue. When Oh Seon-ran found out that Kim Seok-cheol frequently went outside the city, he said he would overlook some minor infractions if Kim Seok-cheol would send reports on suspicious individuals seen in the outskirts.

So when the ‘harvest’ project came up, Kim Seok-cheol naturally thought Oh Seon-ran would help. It was the perfect bait for the brokers he was looking for. His guess was right. Although he outwardly opposed it, he tacitly allowed Kim Seok-cheol to use his name behind the scenes, making it easy to proceed with the work.

Oh Seon-ran said he only needed information on brokers who approached claiming they could provide test subjects for the ‘harvest’ like before. He said the longer they had been operating underground, the better. He didn’t need money or anything else, just that information.

He did say it would be even better if he could find someone in their early 20s with an unclear identity rather than a broker, but Oh Seon-ran didn’t seem to expect that much. It seemed he thought Kim Seok-cheol couldn’t find something he himself couldn’t find a clue about. And it was true. How could a mere lieutenant find someone that even a general-level officer couldn’t find, someone not even registered in the resident registry, someone whose gender was unknown?

So he had been leaking false information about working with players like Maejo and Moran, while hiding information about Lee Sehwa. He didn’t think Oh Seon-ran would remain unaware forever, but he thought it would be enough to keep things quiet for now, since he was a person preoccupied with other matters and constantly moving abroad.

“The content of what your esteemed family elders said and what you’ve been reporting to me are completely different. Didn’t you tell me that someone named Maejo was in charge of drug manufacturing?”

“Well, that…”

Well… Kim Seok-cheol thought Oh Seon-ran would naturally snatch up Lee Sehwa as soon as he saw him if he had a taste for pretty young guys. Kim Seok-cheol wasn’t planning to hide it forever. After setting up Lee Sehwa, he was going to explain that although he helped with the work, he wasn’t very useful and was far from the person the General was looking for, so he didn’t mention him… Kim Seok-cheol thought that kind of explanation would suffice. Considering the relationship with the family elders, he thought Oh Seon-ran wouldn’t be able to severely reprimand him. But…

“I did mention it in passing. But he’s just a guy with a pretty face, nothing more… Argh!”

The hand gripping the back of Kim Seok-cheol’s head tightened gradually. Oh Seon-ran’s anger was more intense than expected. Did he see a photo of Lee Sehwa? Even then, until recently, he had been going around looking shabby, so the impression would have been different from his original appearance.

“G-General!”

Kim Seok-cheol clung to Oh Seon-ran, choking on his words. It felt like his scalp was being completely ripped off. No, it might have already been ripped off.

“He’s an insignificant guy, and unlike the person you’re looking for, his identity is certain. So…”

It wasn’t a lie. Although they say his gambling-addicted father bet him as a stake when he was a newborn, Lee Sehwa was clearly registered in the resident registry. The information came from money handlers, so it couldn’t be false. Even if he was a gambling addict, Lee Sehwa’s father definitely existed, so Lee Sehwa didn’t meet the conditions Oh Seon-ran had set.

Moreover, even if Lee Sehwa had made a name for himself as a drug dealer, he didn’t have the capacity to form factions. He was young and looked the way he did, so he was just getting pushed around everywhere. With that status, there’s no way he could have connections with influential brokers who had ties to military personnel. No matter how Kim Seok-cheol thought about it, omitting information about Lee Sehwa didn’t seem like it would be such a big problem.

“If you want young kids suitable for concubines, I can introduce you to plenty. So…”

Before Kim Seok-cheol could finish stammering out his words, sparks flew before his eyes.

“What I’m looking for.”

Oh Seon-ran struck Kim Seok-cheol’s cheek hard. It sounded like he was hitting his jaw with a hammer rather than the edge of his hand.

“Is not something like a concubine.”

Without giving him time to make excuses, or rather screams, Kim Seok-cheol’s sturdy head was whipped back and forth.

“It’s my child, you filthy bastard.”