M 84

“…So I’m thinking of calling a fence I know and asking him to get me some syringes. I think it’ll be more comfortable with ones I’m used to…”

“Do that, then. What about food?”

“It’s not going down well right now… I’ll eat something a little later. I just want to lie down…”

Ki Tae-jeong stared at Lee Sehwa lying alone on the crude waterbed in the hologram. He was receiving regular reports from the men he had assigned, but he was also taking time out of his busy schedule to check on him directly. Until now, Lee Sehwa had never lied once. He hadn’t shown any suspicious movements either. Rather…

Upon returning to the House, Lee Sehwa had hesitated for a long time at the doorway of the small room he used. Then he weakly dropped the clothes he was wearing, went to the bathroom, and came out wearing a robe.

Ki Tae-jeong sighed without realizing it. Lee Sehwa had been uncertain. The permission to wear clothes had been given in the official residence, so he wasn’t sure how to behave here.

Afterwards, the young thing just curled up small as if dead. Though he occasionally dry heaved, seemingly unable to bear the slight vibrations of the waterbed shaking like pudding, he stubbornly remained in that spot.

An inexplicable frustration kept burning in his gut. He should have praised him. He should have been pleased and found it cute to see him behaving so obediently, not knowing he was being watched… but Lee Sehwa’s fragile depression, acting as if all his will had been castrated, kept making Ki Tae-jeong’s insides ache.

“…Rest.”

“Yes.”

As soon as the call ended, Lee Sehwa collapsed onto the bed. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

“Hah… Lieutenant Park.”

Lieutenant Park, who had been waiting against the wall, swallowed hard and stepped forward. They had all been joking idly about eating noodles after the trial, wondering who would have thought they’d hear a baby crying in the Brigadier General’s residence…

Yesterday, the person the aides referred to as “Madam” had wailed that he couldn’t bear it anymore. He had pleaded to be allowed to rest there even for just a day, even if he couldn’t leave the House building, let alone the 4-Hwan.

For someone who had fainted from stress and even suffered bleeding to say this as soon as he regained consciousness… it wasn’t strange for their superior’s eyes to go wild, having found someone he cared about for the first time.

“Continue the report.”

“Ah… yes. The doctor who examined Lee Sehwa that day was originally from the 4-Star and had received tuition and living expenses from Gyeonghan Pharmaceutical’s scholarship foundation since high school.”

“The fact that someone from the 4-Star could set foot in that hospital… does it mean Gyeonghan Pharmaceutical vouched for them?”

“Yes. Given that their employment is relatively recent, it seems they were meant to be used and discarded like this from the start.”

Gyeonghan Pharmaceutical was a mid-sized company run by Lieutenant Kim’s cousin, in which Colonel Kim, Lieutenant Kim’s father, held a significant share.

“Considering how they confessed in tears as soon as they were caught, and their poor family circumstances, they don’t seem to be professionally trained. It appears to be an act committed out of fear of threats or blinded by compensation. Even their attempt to flee seems not to have been on Colonel Kim’s orders, but rather a result of panicking and acting recklessly on their own.”

“That’s uncertain. Anyway, did they tell Lee Sehwa everything?”

“Yes. They definitely told him that his constitution changed due to the drug Lieutenant Kim made. They said they were mainly instructed to insult him by picking on his background, so they only said that much without detailed explanation.”

Ki Tae-jeong kept being bothered by Lee Sehwa suddenly asking about his constitution, specifically why it had changed. So when he reviewed what happened that day, the doctor’s actions seemed more suspicious than even Oh Seon-ran’s, and when they caught and interrogated him, the whole story came out quickly. Almost disappointingly easy.

And Lee Sehwa didn’t reveal a single thing he had heard from the doctor or Oh Seon-ran until the end. He just cried, withering away like a dying plant.

“Send that bastard to Oh Seon-ran.”

“You mean the doctor, sir?”

“Yes. He said she’d treat Lee Sehwa like his own son… This will be a chance to see how sincere those words were.”

The constitution of the chemical experiment subject was quite similar to Lee Sehwa’s. Even he had thought, “Ah, this must be one of Lee Sehwa’s parents” as soon as he saw the documents.

Still, the exact relationship hadn’t been clarified yet. It was surprising that Oh Seon-ran had even obtained a certificate from the head of state regarding this matter… but it was suspicious how he was acting so blindly even though he couldn’t be certain that child was Lee Sehwa.

“It doesn’t make sense. To be so certain about and protective of a child he’s been searching for so long, without even doing a DNA test.”

“Well… if his previous show was sincere, Oh Seon-ran will take care of that doctor himself.”

“And however he deals with that bastard, it’ll be the end of his relationship with Lieutenant Kim’s side.”

If Oh Seon-ran left the doctor alone, it would mean it was all an act coordinated with Lieutenant Kim’s side, and if Lee Sehwa heard this, he would likely distance herself from Oh Seon-ran from now on.

If Oh Seon-ran sincerely stepped up… well, even if it wasn’t ideal, it could be seen as a signal to cut ties with the Kim family. Either way, it wasn’t a loss for Ki Tae-jeong.

“We’re tracking everything – Oh Seon-ran’s movements, his financial flows, the amount and sources of communications he’s using, people coming and going from his residence… everything.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ki Tae-jeong stared at Lee Sehwa’s thin, motionless back in the hologram for a moment, then pressed a button on his wrist watch. Although he was the only one with access to the CCTV anyway, he didn’t want to expose Lee Sehwa’s image for long in front of others. Even if it was Lieutenant Park who knew the whole situation.

The reason he didn’t confront Lee Sehwa yesterday about what he had heard was partly because he had cried so pitifully, but also because he had pleaded to “rest” in the 4-Hwan of all places.

This was Lee Sehwa who had been struggling on with the sole intention of escaping the House. He had even agreed to participate in Ki Tae-jeong’s business because he promised to elevate his status in place of Lieutenant Kim. Of course, fear of his threats played a part, but becoming this proactive wasn’t simply a result of terror.

Ki Tae-jeong fiddled with his phone, which he rarely used normally. Should he… leave a message?

Over Lee Sehwa’s brightly smiling face as he picked up an apple, his pitiful crying face from the infirmary overlapped. Even when they reached the port to move to another area, Lee Sehwa showed no curiosity. Normally, he would have swallowed hard and rolled his eyes around in wonder.

So… even though Ki Tae-jeong had a rough idea of the current situation, he was waiting quietly without pressing him. Seeing Lee Sehwa unable to confront him directly and suffering alone… it made Ki Tae-jeong feel a bit sorry for him. The empty look in his eyes, as if everything had burned to ashes, kept haunting him.

Ki Tae-jeong stared at his empty hands for a long time before clenching them tightly into fists. He couldn’t think of a good way to mend the past days when he had lightly assumed it would be fine as long as Lee Sehwa didn’t know…

But if Lee Sehwa asked to know the truth when he went to pick him up tomorrow… he planned not to deceive him anymore. He would tell him that he had known from the beginning what the drug Lieutenant Kim made was, and that it could have changed his constitution… He would reveal that much.

“If you notice anything suspicious, handle it with your authority as the evidence management supervisor… Shoot anyone who approaches recklessly. Even if it’s Oh Seon-ran.”

“That… Brigadier General… No, I will carry out the order.”

He wasn’t sure how to measure the depth of emotions. He had never dreamed there would come a day in his life when he would worry about such things. Just thinking the short phrase “I like Lee Sehwa” in his mind somehow made him feel a bit nauseous.

But now he could be sure of one thing. He wanted to keep Lee Sehwa by his side. And if possible, he wanted him to smile. Even if he cried during sex, he wanted him to smile brightly without worries at other times.

So if Lee Sehwa asked about the whole story… even if it meant they would have to spend a longer time being awkward than when he found out about the pregnancy, he was planning to be a bit more honest this time. He wanted to try to straighten out this tangled mess of threads, even now.

***

“Wow, is this the office of that amazing Director? It’s so shiny.”

The fence looked around curiously as he entered the office.

“But Samwol, why are you here? I thought you had been taken care of too, since I haven’t seen you in a while.”

The fence exaggeratedly pounded his chest, saying he thought his heart would drop when a bunch of people in military uniforms came rushing to take him to see him.

Ki Tae-jeong had really allowed a few days of rest. Of course, he had placed personnel densely all around… But perhaps not entirely forgetting Lieutenant Na’s advice not to cause stress, the soldiers spread out creepily in the corridor didn’t barge inside. Even now, they had only escorted the fence to the living room, not monitoring what was being said.

“But why the sudden need for syringes?”

The fence took out the items he had brought from his bag. Sehwa ran his fingers over the seams of the outer envelope and case. As expected, there were traces of them being opened, and it didn’t seem like they were trying to hide the fact that they had been inspected.

“Auntie, can I borrow your phone for a moment? I’ll write down everything I need.”

“Huh? Even a memo? You’ve already cleared out all your customers except Lieutenant Kim, haven’t you…?”

The fence, who had been watching with her head tilted curiously to see what he was going to ask for, gradually trailed off.

Remember this with your eyes only

I’ll delete it right away

“…You cleared out everything, hm, didn’t you?”

“Yes. This isn’t for customers, it’s for my own use.”

If you ask the human trafficking brokers

Someone will know Oh Seon-ran’s contact info

I mean the military Major general, a very high-ranking person

“You’ll use it? But… you don’t do drugs, do you?”

It’s an errand for the Major General

If you mention the name Lee Sehwa to him

He’ll say he wants to talk to me on your phone

Probably tomorrow

“I need to do some testing.”

It’s something I have to do without the Director knowing

I need to secretly escape from here to the 2-Hwan

“I’ll be away again tomorrow… I might not be able to come back for a while, so I think I need to secure enough supplies.”

“Ah, well…. If it’s about getting tools for administering drugs, especially in large quantities, I am the fastest, hm.”

“That’s right.”

Sehwa decided to hide all the details, including his pregnancy. The more vulnerable he appear, the easier it is to be taken advantage of. Of course, Auntie Fence had been very good to him. She rarely cheated people, so she had a good reputation not just with Sehwa but with everyone.

Still, one never knows. If he gave the impression that things had gone wrong, especially if it seemed like he was trying to run away, Auntie might try to use him at a critical moment. But if he said he was quietly moving on an errand for a high-ranking general, not just a lieutenant… that’s a different story. Whether out of hope for some leftovers or out of fear, Auntie wouldn’t be able to do anything rash.

“…Samwol, how did you get mixed up with a general, not even a lieutenant…?”

Unable to contain her curiosity, the fence asked, barely moving her lips.

“It’s someone Lieutenant Kim serves. You can ask through a broker later. Don’t worry.”

Sehwa replied quietly as if ventriloquizing, then raised his voice again.

“How about it? Do you think you can do it by tomorrow morning?”

“Hm, hmm… As long as it’s not the crack of dawn.”

I’ll go to the House store

Please hide me in something like a cargo box going to the 2-Hwan

I heard they’re in chaos now because of shortages there

Drugs or playing cards or trash heap, anywhere is fine

I’ll manage on my own after that

The hastily made plan was crude at best. He could only hope that the fence wasn’t too malicious of a person, and that Oh Seon-ran would read between the lines. That he was distancing himself from Ki Tae-jeong and needed his support. For now, there was no other way.

“Ah, right. Auntie, this…”

Sehwa rummaged through his old bag and took out the new drug that the fence had asked for before.

“I came too late, didn’t I? But I don’t think I can test new drugs for a while. Because of the medicine I mentioned earlier…”

“Ah… well, can’t be helped. It was just a prototype anyway, not a confirmed deal yet.”

The fence fiddled with an unusually large pill. It felt unnaturally moist and sticky as if it had just been handled, and above all, the texture against his fingertips was clearly metal.

It seems something was hidden inside…. As the fence rolled the pill in her hand for a moment, she recalled the badge Sehwa had shown her from his bag before. The free pass that allowed unrestricted use of the ports, which sold for high prices to smugglers.

“And this isn’t much, but… Auntie, there’s something I want to eat outside, but those people don’t understand when I tell them. If the store is open when you come tomorrow, could I ask you for this as well?”

Hesta Alion Tyranor Hades

More than 30 milligrams

“…No, I thought you were well off, why are you looking for such cheap food?”

The drugs Sehwa wrote down were all dangerous sleeping pills. Sometimes hardcore addicts suffering from insomnia would order them mixed, but even then in very small amounts. 30 milligrams was an amount only sought by people intending to commit suicide.

“Just… I really want to eat it. Since I can’t come here for a while, I really want to.”

Sehwa erased everything he had written and listed the names of ordinary items. He also wrote down a few snacks from street vendors that he didn’t even crave.

“The director will arrive tomorrow evening. Please come before lunch.”

“Okay, I’ll try to get it.”

“Yes, the important person will take care of the payment. Very well.”

The fence nodded slightly. She seemed to have realized that the “important person” referred to Major General Oh Seon-ran, not the newly arrived “director”.

Then, without hesitation, she swallowed one of the pills Sehwa had returned. It was the pill with a badge hidden inside. Sehwa finally realized the value of this item. Even if he became drowsy from the drug, even if he had to expel the item in a dirty way, the fence judged that safely obtaining this badge was far more profitable. Since it was that valuable, it was fortunate for Sehwa, who had little cash on hand.

He quickly counted the remaining badges in his bag. It seemed enough to resolve the child-related matters. As for where to live… well, he’d figure something out. He had survived well until now. Since everyone was wearing gas masks, if things got desperate, he thought he could do manual labor or something while covering his face.

One month would do. Lieutenant Na had said so. If they were going to separate, one month; even if not, let’s observe for one month. So…

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Auntie.”

Sehwa slowly stood up, clutching his lower abdomen. The fence picked up the empty bag and waved his hand towards her. He seemed to have decided he needed to leave quickly before the drug took effect.

Sensing they were about to leave, the guarding soldiers walked towards the entrance.

Warrant Officer Choi couldn’t move with them this time. He said he had been disciplined for not reporting on time when Major General Oh Seon-ran appeared. Lieutenant Na had clicked his tongue, saying he’d be working hard under Ki Tae-jeong’s supervision for a while.

This was bad news for Sehwa. He could have somehow manipulated Warrant Officer Choi by using Ki Tae-jeong as an excuse, but the strangers guarding outside wouldn’t fall for any tricks. And if Ki Tae-jeong himself comes tomorrow in this situation… Even if he bit him with all his might, it wouldn’t leave a mark.

So Sehwa, after thinking all night, came up with a somewhat reckless plan. Complete escape was impossible anyway. So why not start with something a bit sloppy? Let’s test Ki Tae-jeong one more time. How powerful his tears were to him, and how much he needed this life… more precisely, this child in his womb.

Sehwa took out a patch from the shopping bag he had brought from 5-Star and wrapped it around his wrist, injecting the sedative as usual. He wiped his forearm with an alcohol swab, organized the used needles and instruments, and then… bowed his head deeply.

It felt like a stone was stuck in his chest, making it hard to breathe as if he had been attacked. Sehwa placed his palm on his forehead, then slowly wiped his entire face. He pressed his eyes firmly several times to control the welling tears, but eventually lost strength and dropped his hand. At the same time, Sehwa let go of all expressions.

If things had gone completely wrong, it might have been different, but the recent Ki Tae-jeong, who seemed somewhat sincere towards him, kept making Sehwa hesitate. Should he just pretend not to know? Maybe he was planning to tell him honestly after everything was over…

Of course… Sehwa knew. It was just a desire to avoid the truth. Even if Ki Tae-jeong’s attitude had changed from the beginning, the kindness he now bestowed like charity couldn’t be an indulgence for his deception.

So Sehwa swallowed his tears like pus and practiced in a whisper what he would say to Ki Tae-jeong tomorrow.

He would smile foolishly as usual, kiss briefly as told… and after pulling him into the room, he would show him the prepared items.

With patches wrapped all over his body, he would threaten to inject these dangerous drugs that could kill him immediately if he didn’t send away all the soldiers outside and let him go.

If he didn’t want to see both him and this child die right here, he should let him go quietly… It was ridiculous and pathetic, but it was the best Sehwa could do in the current situation, everything he could put on the line, and his strongest card.

Of course, Ki Tae-jeong might not even blink an eye. He might sneer and dare him to really die. Then, at that time…

“…That would really be the end, I guess.”