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    ‘Your mother’s name is Ha Jinjoo. She is the head of one of the leading corporations in the country that opens the doors to the world.’

    Even if white patches appeared on his face and his emaciated body was covered in rags, he never forgot that fact. That was what sustained the fatherless boy who didn’t even have proper identification in a foreign land.

    “Moeun is right,” Ha Sungrok said.

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    “If you commit a crime, you must be punished.”

    It was a righteous statement. An utterly obvious one. However, Ha Shinsung felt a pang of unease.

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    Baek Sayul drove the point home.

    “The target is Jin Chiwoo.”

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    Shin Haebeom was a powerful figure favored by Kwon Joohyuk, but Jin Chiwoo, his subordinate, seemed manageable. More importantly, the fact that Jin Chiwoo was the one who tortured Gwak Hyeonwoo provided justification.

    Ha Sungrok looked around the room. The eyes of a seasoned lion, crawled back from the depths of hell, gleamed.

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    “I will draw up a petition.”

    Cha Moeun was the first to sign. The team leaders followed, writing their names and stamping their seals. Ha Shinsung was last.

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    “Sung-ah,” Ha Sungrok urged.

    Ha Shinsung silently looked down at his hand. The vermilion ink staining his thumb glowed vividly even under the dim lighting. It was the color of dark, congealed blood.

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    As soon as Ha Shinsung stamped his seal, Cha Moeun snatched the petition. The way she presented it to the boss with both hands bothered him. Ha Shinsung was uneasy. What was the cause of this unease…?

    “The White Lion will plant explosives in Deputy Commander Jin Chiwoo’s personal vehicle,” Ha Sungrok read the petition in a solemn voice.

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    “With luck, we won’t be discovered. If not, we die. And if things go wrong, we commit suicide on the spot by any means necessary.”

    It wasn’t a job for multiple people. It wasn’t a quick in-and-out mission that guaranteed survival. That’s why they needed a volunteer. Someone who could plant explosives directly in Jin Chiwoo’s car. Someone prepared to die.

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    Ha Shinsung looked at Cha Moeun.

    He wasn’t the only one. Everyone seemed to expect Cha Moeun to volunteer. Above all, Cha Moeun, who had always led the most dangerous missions at the forefront, seemed like the most likely to survive, if survival was even possible.

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    As if answering everyone’s expectations, Cha Moeun raised her hand. But the words that came out of her mouth were unexpected.

    “I have a nominee.”

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    Ha Shinsung’s heart pounded.

    “A nominee? Who?”

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    “Jung Ryujin.”

    Ha Shinsung couldn’t believe his ears.

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    “Jung Ryujin from the intelligence team is suitable.”

    “What?!”

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    “A superior is responsible for the death of a subordinate. Especially in this case, wasn’t it caused by an intelligence officer interfering in the terror team’s mission without prior preparation? As Gwak Hyeonwoo’s recommender and the one responsible for this incident, Jung Ryujin should undertake the mission.”

    “Are you crazy?!”

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    Cha Moeun glared at Ha Shinsung.

    “Leave your personal feelings out of this.”

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    “Hey!”

    Ha Sungrok frowned. He raised a hand to stop his son’s protest.

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    Cha Moeun defiantly lifted her chin.

    “Then, who else is there besides Jung Ryujin? Is there anyone more suitable?”

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    “He’s still young!”

    He realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. Bringing up age when facing a life-or-death mission. Cha Moeun scoffed.

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    “Young?”

    “…….”

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    “Gwak Hyeonwoo was twenty-three.”

    Jung Ryujin was twenty-one. They were closer than brothers. They shared a bed in the dormitory, didn’t distinguish their dishes, and even shared a bathroom without hesitation.

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    He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous. But he swore to heaven, Ha Shinsung had never wished for Gwak Hyeonwoo to disappear from this world.

    “Cha Moeun.”

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    Ha Shinsung’s lips twisted.

    “Who are you taking your anger out on?”

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    “…….”

    “Can’t you hear me? Why are you taking it out on the wrong person? Were you always this petty? Or is this temporary? I hope it’s the latter. Get a grip. Otherwise, I’ll be really disappointed in you!”

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    “Be disappointed then.”

    “What?”

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    Cha Moeun’s voice was cold.

    “I won’t change my mind. I really want Jung Ryujin to do this.”

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    “You’re going in the wrong direction. Do I really have to spell this out for you? The target of your anger shouldn’t be Jung Ryujin, it should be Jin Chiwoo!”

    Baek Sayul grabbed Ha Shinsung, who was about to lunge at Cha Moeun, and forced him back into his seat. The moment he saw the resolute look in the planning team leader’s eyes, Ha Shinsung realized this wasn’t Cha Moeun’s impulsive act.

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    It was their collaboration.

    “Actually, justification isn’t that important,” Lee Rohan, the demonstration team leader, said.

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    “We can make up a reason after we do the deed.”

    “So you’re saying you’ll risk someone’s life based on personal feelings? That’s insane. You’re both crazy. Completely out of your minds.”

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    “It’s not entirely like that…”

    Lee Rohan trailed off.

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    “Sayul-hyung has been planning this operation for a while. Jin Chiwoo is easier to handle than Shin Haebeom, after all.”

    “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

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    “He only planned it. It wasn’t a serious consideration. I heard about it yesterday after I arrived, before the meeting started.”

    “…….”

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    “You should have come earlier. What a spectacle you made in front of the boss.”

    Standing in the club kitchen, the two men picked at the dried fruit and leftover snacks. Lee Rohan, chewing on a piece of mango with browning edges, blurted out, “I didn’t expect Moeun to bring up Ryujin’s name so openly.”

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    “Cha Moeun and Baek Sayul planned this. They’re deliberately screwing me over.”

    No one objected at the time. Except for Ha Shinsung. Even Ha Sungrok, the boss of the organization and the one who brought Ryujin into the White Lion, remained silent. Silence, as they say, is tacit agreement.

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    Juice splattered from Lee Rohan’s lips.

    “What are you going to say to Ryujin?”

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    “What am I going to say?! I’m not letting him do that kind of thing!”

    “The execution date is two days from now. It’s practically decided.”

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    “You think I’ll just let it happen?”

    “Then will you betray us? The boss and all of us?”

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    “…….”

    “Don’t lie. Don’t avoid it either. Tell Ryujin and the others properly. The atmosphere in every team will be shitty, but you have to do better since you’re the intelligence team leader.”

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    Ha Shinsung clenched his fists. The crumpled cigarette pack in his hand fell to the floor.

    White sunlight streamed in through the half-open window. It was a damned morning.

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    ✶⋆.˚

    Ha Shinsung bought a cheese-laden sandwich and tomato juice from a shop in front of the station. As he came out with the packaged bundle, the parking lot was bustling. He took a mask out of his pocket and put it on.

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    Two cars were parked in the center of the crowd. A black Range Rover and a red Chrysler. Ha Shinsung immediately recognized the combination of the two luxury cars, a rare sight on the road.

    It was Shin Haebeom and Jin Chiwoo’s commute. They looked stylish in their perfectly tailored Discipline Training Corps uniforms. Those ceremonial uniforms, only given to officers and above, were impractical luxuries, no matter how you looked at them.

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    Kwon Joohyuk spared no expense on the Discipline Training Corps. After all, a flashy appearance attracts attention. The Corps officers, while performing their official duties as soldiers, appeared in various media outlets, gaining public attention and earning money. The public gave them a nickname mimicking the titles of American superhero movies: First Soldiers.

    They stood out even from a distance. Shin Haebeom, a head taller than the average person, was smiling as he signed a student’s notebook. He was a completely different person from the one Ha Shinsung had seen in the basement of the Discipline Training Corps. The ghostly-faced gatekeeper, puffing away on his cigarette, was nowhere to be seen.

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    “That Mussolini bastard.”

    Ha Shinsung slammed the car door shut. The glove compartment rattled open. A pistol gleamed coldly between wet wipes and magazines.

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    “…….”

    Gripping the steering wheel, he imagined it. Putting a bullet right between Jin Chiwoo’s eyes. A hole piercing the skull beneath the thin skin. Blood and brains splattering on the asphalt. People screaming, and Shin Haebeom shaking his dead friend’s body and wailing.

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    If he killed Jin Chiwoo now, Jung Ryujin wouldn’t have to carry out the bombing.

    He tucked the gun into his blazer’s inner pocket. But he didn’t get out of the car. Quick-witted reporters were already starting to gather.

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    He could see the ‘First Soldiers’ smiling brightly through the car window. Ha Shinsung didn’t take his eyes off them until the scenery completely changed as he rounded the corner.

    Water splashed from a puddle formed by rainwater. Screams and complaints erupted from the edge of the crowd. Shin Haebeom, turning his head, saw a black Cadillac pulling out of the parking lot.

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    “Sir? What’s wrong?”

    A reporter called to him. The microphone was almost touching Shin Haebeom’s lips. It wasn’t just the microphone. Lenses the size of a human head flashed menacingly in front of him, as if they were going to capture every pore on his face.

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    Deftly dodging the camera that grazed his temple, Shin Haebeom thought to himself, being a clown isn’t for everyone.

    “Sir?”

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    Shin Haebeom smiled brightly.

    “It’s nothing. What was the question?”

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    ✶⋆.˚

    Ryujin was awake. The team member explained that he thought Ryujin had taken the medicine, but he had actually flushed it down the toilet.

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    “I get it, you can go now.”

    The sound of the closing door was chilling. Ha Shinsung placed the sandwich package on the desk.

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    “Hyeonwoo is dead.”

    It was better to face the consequences quickly.

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    “I’m sorry for lying.”

    He opened the sandwich pack. It was still warm. The slightly melted cheese was perfect. The iced tomato juice was Ryujin’s favorite drink.

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    Ha Shinsung picked up the juice cup and turned around. The moment he did, a book flew at his face. It was a thick textbook with a hardcover. The name written in marker on the spine caught Ha Shinsung’s eye. Gwak Hyeonwoo.

    “Hyeonwoo-hyung is dead?”

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    “Yes.”

    “Is that all?”

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    “I’m sorry.”

    Ryujin’s lips trembled.

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    “To who?”

    “…….”

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    “Who are you sorry to?”

    His wide eyes were brimming with tears. Blood vessels stood out in the bloodshot whites of his eyes. It was as if he was determined not to cry in front of Ha Shinsung. Ha Shinsung squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. Nothing had changed.

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    “To you,” Ha Shinsung replied.

    “I’m sorry to you.”

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    “…….”

    “You need to tell the others too. Come out when you’ve gathered yourself.”

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    He pointed to the food on the desk.

    “Eat if you can.”

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    Ryujin burst out laughing.

    “If I can?”

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    “Yes.”

    “Right now, I feel like chewing you up and spitting you out.”

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    Ha Shinsung removed his hand from the doorknob. He strode towards Ryujin, who had gotten up from the bed.

    “You?”

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    “Yes, you.”

    He punched Ryujin in the cheek. The thin body collapsed limply onto the bed.

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    “Say that again. What?”

    “You! You son of a bitch!”

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    He grabbed Ryujin’s red hair. As he lifted the face buried in the blanket, blood dripped down.

    “Again. What did you say?”

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    “Are you fucking deaf?!”

    Something snapped inside Ha Shinsung. He grabbed Ryujin’s hair and pulled him up. He couldn’t tolerate the insolent attitude.

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    He slapped the pretty face of the weak and foolish kid again. Ryujin fell towards the desk. Juice spilled over Ryujin’s head.

    The tomato juice staining his pale face looked like blood.

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    Ha Shinsung crouched in front of Ryujin.

    “Does it taste good?”

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    Swollen lips were tightly closed. A look of contempt shot towards him. Gwak Hyeonwoo probably never received that look.

    The thought made a hot lump rise in Ha Shinsung’s chest.

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    He tapped Ryujin’s cheek with his palm.

    “You know what your problem is? You have a poor learning ability. Even an animal that doesn’t understand human language learns to mimic after being beaten enough, but no matter how much I beat you, you never change.”

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    “Stop your bullshit. Murderer.”

    “It’s not me, it’s that fucking Jin Chiwoo.”

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    Ha Shinsung grabbed Ryujin’s chin. He pinned Ryujin’s struggling legs down with his knee and kissed him, forcing his tongue into Ryujin’s mouth.

    Ryujin’s fists pounded Ha Shinsung’s shoulders.

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    “You… son of a… bitch! Don’t touch me!”

    “You’re fucking expensive.”

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    Ryujin’s face was red as he gasped for breath. Even with that face, he wasn’t scary at all. Ha Shinsung stared at Ryujin’s face, covered in blood and saliva.

    “Get a grip, Jung Ryujin. Don’t you get it yet? This is what they want. For us to fight amongst ourselves and self-destruct.”

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    “…….”

    “Don’t get hung up on misplaced affection. You can’t work in this organization with that mentality. Do you think Gwak Hyeonwoo is the only member who’s died at the hands of the Discipline Training Corps?”

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    “Shut up! Shut up! Get out of my face!”

    Ha Shinsung laughed inwardly. The more cowardly the dog, the louder it barks.

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    “You’re lucky you even found his body because you’re part of the White Lion. Want to hear a story from my experience? Where I lived, if your family was dragged away by the security forces, tortured and killed, you’d sell their bodies to the state. For the price of a sack of rice.”

    Ha Shinsung stroked Ryujin’s head.

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    “Get yourself together and come out.”

    The living room television was on. Judging by the maximum volume, it must have been quite noisy.

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    Ha Shinsung threw himself onto the sofa. One of the team members quickly placed an ashtray in front of him.

    Gray smoke clouded his vision.

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    “Look after him for a while.”

    “Yes, sir.”

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    “I’m sorry about what happened to Hyeonwoo.”

    Words of comfort and encouragement poured out. Ha Shinsung was satisfied with the team members’ reactions, which contrasted sharply with Ryujin’s. This was how it should be. This was what it meant to be teammates in the same boat. It was Jung Ryujin and Cha Moeun who were strange, blinded by personal feelings and unable to see the bigger picture.

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    The scene on television looked familiar. It was the sandwich shop Ha Shinsung had visited in the morning. A reporter was shoving a microphone at an employee, and the employee behind the counter was cheerfully talking about the “breakfast” Shin Haebeom and Jin Chiwoo had purchased. It was ridiculous.

    Brigadier General Shin Haebeom ordered a tuna sandwich and orange juice, and Lieutenant Colonel Jin Chiwoo ordered Greek yogurt.

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    The team members grumbled.

    “Damn. Do we really need to know what they had for breakfast?”

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    “Exactly.”

    “Tell them to stop with the hero worship. They seem to forget that they’re just people who eat and shit like the rest of us.”

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    But as Shin Haebeom’s smiling face filled the screen in a close-up, the complaining team members fell silent.

    “Well… Shin Haebeom is handsome. And tall.”

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    The high-collared Discipline Training Corps uniform suited him well. He looked cold when expressionless, but his impression changed dramatically when he smiled.

    “Jin Chiwoo isn’t bad looking either. But he can’t compare to Shin Haebeom.”

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    “Of course not, dummy. You can’t ignore the difference in rank.”

    Ha Shinsung stared intently at the screen.

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    He was definitely handsome. The proportions of his prominent nose, distinct philtrum, and arched lips were perfect. He could debut as a celebrity with that face. But if he had to find fault, it wasn’t impossible. Ha Shinsung pointed at the screen with a cigarette between his fingers.

    “If you look closely, he has a hooked nose. His chin is too sharp. He looks good-natured when he smiles like that, but not so much when he’s expressionless. If you break it down, there’s nothing good about him. His eyes, nose, and mouth all have the look of a cunning traitor, a merchant.”

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    “Come on, who believes in physiognomy these days….”

    The team member who had spoken carelessly was smacked on the head by a senior. Ha Shinsung realized he had made a fool of himself. But there was no way to take back what he had said.

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    “Shut up. Turn it off.”

    The moment the television was turned off, the doorbell rang as if on cue.

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    “What? Was someone supposed to come?”

    “No, we haven’t heard anything…”

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    The team members looked at each other blankly. Ha Shinsung stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. He had a bad feeling.

    “Team leader.”

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    “Go back to your positions.”

    Ha Shinsung stood close to the shoe rack. He pulled out the gun from his blazer’s inner pocket. The smooth barrel of the Desert Eagle, fitting snugly in his palm, gleamed under the hallway light.

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    “You’re really going to do this?!” Ha Shinsung yelled. Cha Moeun and Baek Sayul pretended not to hear. They walked in without taking off their shoes, trampling through the living room of another team’s quarters, and flung open the bedroom door. They didn’t respond to the intelligence team members’ questions.

    Ha Shinsung blocked the door to Ryujin’s room.

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    “What are you doing?”

    Cha Moeun scoffed.

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    “Get out of the way. We’re busy.”

    “Explain what you’re doing right now!”

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    “Can’t you see? Does our intelligence team leader have eyes in the back of his head?”

    Ha Shinsung glared at Cha Moeun. He couldn’t understand what about Gwak Hyeonwoo was making her act like this.

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    “Stop it, Cha Moeun.”

    “You signed the petition. We thought you understood what we were talking about.”

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    “Nothing’s been decided yet.”

    “Yet?”

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    He was speechless at the blatant mockery. Ha Shinsung looked up and saw Baek Sayul ushering the intelligence team members out the front door.

    “Don’t touch my team!”

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    “I’m just sending them on a quick errand.”

    Baek Sayul, tucking his wallet into his back pocket, said, “There’s a nice bakery nearby. Did it just open? The door was open, and the smell was so good, it made my mouth water. You know I’m crazy about croquettes. So I sent them on a quick errand. Don’t take it so personally.”

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    “If you want croquettes, send your own team!”

    “Since when did we start dividing into ‘your team’ and ‘my team’? That’s hurtful.”

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    Ha Shinsung laughed.

    “Is that really something a senior should say to me?”

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    Cha Moeun lifted her chin.

    “Don’t mess with Sayul-sunbae. Do you want to be humiliated in front of your team?”

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    Ha Shinsung clenched his fists. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had signed the petition, but only the date and the contents were decided. That meant the person to carry out the mission hadn’t been confirmed yet.

    Selecting a team member for a mission required the consent of all five team leaders, as well as the boss. The two people in front of him were completely ignoring this obvious fact. Ha Shinsung’s lips twitched.

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    “When someone tries to resolve things amicably, you should have the sense to play along. Do I look like a pushover because I’m being patient?!”

    “I really don’t understand.”

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    Cha Moeun took a step back and crossed her arms. Ha Shinsung gripped the doorknob tightly.

    “Don’t pretend you don’t know. You’re sending my team member to his death!”

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    “That’s right, sunbae.”

    “You don’t trust my planning.”

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    “That’s not what I meant!”

    Baek Sayul stood in the same posture as Cha Moeun.

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    “Of course, my plan isn’t perfect. But we’ve always taken risks. There’s no reason to hesitate now, and no time for it either. Or… do you have a reason for hesitating, Shinsung?”

    Cha Moeun’s voice became triumphant.

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    “If you understand, move aside. We’re busy. We have to prepare him for a solo mission in two days, so we’re working our asses off.”

    “You’re a real bitch.”

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    “That’s why I’m crushing you.”

    Ha Shinsung asked for time. It was a humbling request. Cha Moeun, with a look of pity, brushed off an invisible speck of dust from Ha Shinsung’s shoulder and whispered, “Five minutes.”

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    The room was still a mess. Ryujin was haphazardly stuffing his belongings into the old Boston bag Gwak Hyeonwoo had brought with him.

    Ha Shinsung asked, “What are you doing?”

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    “…….”

    “What are you doing?!”

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    “…….”

    Ha Shinsung strode over and grabbed Ryujin’s arm. The bag, precariously perched on the edge of the bed, fell, spilling its contents.

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    “Let go! Don’t bother me!”

    “Explain, Jung Ryujin. What is the meaning of this?”

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    “Don’t ask others to do what you can’t.”

    “What?”

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    “Why are you asking me for an explanation you can’t give yourself?!”

    Ryujin’s thin shoulders heaved. After catching his breath, he said, “The team leaders outside, they’re here for me, right?”

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    An arrow of rage pierced Ha Shinsung’s mind.

    “Did you call them?”

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    “Yes.”

    His lips trembled. Why hadn’t he realized? No matter how pressed for time they were, Cha Moeun and Baek Sayul wouldn’t barge into another team’s quarters and risk a security breach. Why hadn’t he thought of it? That Jung Ryujin, devastated by the news of Gwak Hyeonwoo’s death, might do something reckless. Why had he left this ticking time bomb alone? Why!

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    “You!”

    Ha Shinsung gritted his teeth. Betrayal was unforgivable. He could never forgive being played like this.

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    As he raised his fist, Ryujin’s eyes widened.

    “What? Are you going to hit me again?”

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    “You….”

    “Go ahead. Beat me up and rape me. That’s your specialty. Deceiving and using people, fulfilling your own selfish desires, that’s what a team leader does best.”

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    Ryujin bent down and gathered the scattered belongings. Ha Shinsung muttered defensively, “You agreed to it.”

    “On the condition that you’d spare Hyeonwoo-hyung.”

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    Ryujin scoffed.

    “I trusted you, team leader.”

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    “I didn’t kill Gwak Hyeonwoo.”

    “I know. That’s why I’m going.”

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    Ha Shinsung frowned. His voice trembled slightly.

    “Do you… understand what you’re saying?”

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    Ryujin looked up.

    “Yes. I do.”

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    His face wasn’t filled with resolve. Rather, it was pale. Ha Shinsung knew when someone made that expression. It was the look of a broken spirit. Ryujin was like that now. His spirit was crushed, and he had lost the strength and will to protect himself.

    Ryujin, slinging the Boston bag over his shoulder, said, “Get lost.”

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    “Think again. It’s not too late.”

    Ha Shinsung grabbed Ryujin’s wrist.

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    “I can talk to Cha Moeun.”

    Silence.

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    “Jung Ryujin. I know you’re angry at me right now, but they’re not going to help you. Do you have any idea how angry Cha Moeun is at you? And Baek Sayul, that sunbae just wants to succeed at something so he can brag. So he can save face as the planning team leader. So he can somewhat atone for Gwak Hyeonwoo’s death! You’d figure it out with a little thought, why are you being so stupid?”

    “I hate it here.”

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    It felt like he’d been hit in the back of the head.

    “What?”

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    “Like you said, I’m stupid, so I don’t understand complicated things. And I don’t want to understand anymore. I just hate it here. I think I’ll be okay as long as I’m not here.”

    “Are you serious?”

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    “I can’t breathe here!” Ryujin shouted.

    “Just leave me alone now.”

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    “Jung Ryujin, are you really crazy?”

    “I was crazy, because I trusted you, team leader! But not anymore. I won’t be swayed anymore, and I won’t be beaten like a dog. I won’t just sit still and wait for someone else to fix this situation!”

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    Ha Shinsung ran a hand through his hair. For the first time, Ryujin felt like a stranger.

    Cha Moeun flung the door open. Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

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    “What a drama queen.”

    “You said you’d give me time.”

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    “I did. Five minutes.”

    Cha Moeun’s wristwatch glittered. Baek Sayul, who followed her in, smoothly took Ryujin’s Boston bag.

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    “Don’t make that face. Ryujin will do well.”

    “Are you serious?”

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    “Of course.”

    The words “As if you actually mean that” rose to Ha Shinsung’s throat. But instead of shouting, he trembled, clenching his fists.

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    Don’t go.

    Don’t go, Ryujin.

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    Words completely different from his thoughts came out of his mouth.

    “What if! What if I said I was wrong, what if I apologized for everything that’s happened… would you not go?”

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    Ryujin laughed.

    “Fuck off.”

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    <Ryujin 2>

    “I’m going to college,” Hyeonwoo hyung said. My first reaction was disbelief. He gave an embarrassed chuckle, shrugged, and explained that he could apply to a school with lower entrance requirements based on family background.

    “It’s an admissions track that focuses heavily on grades, so they say I have a chance. You should do the same later.”

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    “You’re saying that even knowing my grades?”

    “Come on. Our Yeonwoo could easily be top of the class if he put his mind to it. The top ranks would all have to move down a spot.”

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    “Top of the class, my ass. Even a stray dog would laugh at that.”

    I took a deep drag of my cigarette. Hyung didn’t make a face, but the cheap tar smell didn’t suit him – the good student, the filial son who diligently helped his mother at their snack bar.

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    When I ground out the butt against the wall, his expression visibly brightened. Embarrassed, I snapped at him.

    “Manage your expressions, will you?”

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    “That’s what happens when you keep doing things that are bad for you.”

    “Damn it… like I don’t know that.”

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    He smiled. The kind of smile that disarmed any sarcasm I was about to throw his way.

    We stepped out of the alley and joined the stream of students heading to school. Hyung walked beside me.

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    “Don’t stick so close. It looks like we’re friends.”

    “We are friends.”

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    “Nothing good comes from hanging out with me. I’m no help to you.”

    The smile vanished from his face. He looked dejected, like a rained-on puppy.

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    “Why would you say that?”

    “It’s already a miracle I even got into the same high school as you… I don’t want to burden Imo. I’m not going to college. I’m going to work.”

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    “Still, study. You never know how you might feel later on.”

    “We’re just different, hyung.”

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    Hyeonwoo hyung always wore a pained expression whenever I said things like this.

    “Don’t say that.”

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    We walked in silence for a while, staring straight ahead. Then he asked,

    “Do you still see Noona?”

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    “Yeah…”

    “Even now?”

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    “Not now. Maybe because I’m with you. Imo said that Noona feels sorry towards you and your family… that’s why.”

    Hyeonwoo hyung’s voice dropped.

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    “I always say this, but Yeonbi Noona didn’t do anything wrong.”

    But the world didn’t see it that way. That was the problem.

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    As we reached the main road, I felt stares clinging to the side of my face. Burning stares. Hyeonwoo hyung seemed to feel them too, hunching his shoulders. Just knowing that someone dislikes you is draining.

    He gripped my hand tighter. Hyeonwoo hyung gave a small smile.

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    “Let’s go to the shop together today.”

    “Ugh, why? Are you going to make me work again?”

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    “Hey, it’s not like that. Mom misses you. She even bought rice cakes, saying she’d make them for you.”

    “You eat them.”

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    “Don’t be like that. You love our tteokbokki.”

    “I do, but… I feel bad.”

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    “Then you can do the dishes again.”

    “Ugh, I knew it.”

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    I scratched the back of my head, and Hyeonwoo hyung burst out laughing, punching me lightly on the shoulder.

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