DW | Chapter 1.4

He wasn’t just a Black agent. Even with his untrained eyes, he could see that.

Cha Jaeha was a meticulously crafted assassin and a top predator.

“Yes, that’s a relief.”

Haedeun, nodding slowly, turned pale again.

He suddenly remembered the traveler he’d almost pushed out earlier.

“By the way, Team Leader. I’m concerned about the domestic traveler who seemed to notice the noise and tried to look back. Could they have noticed or something…?”

Cha Jaeha, wiping his wet hands, looked puzzled. He threw away the scarf and used paper towel together, then turned to Haedeun, who was standing there, dazed by the unexpected response.

“Who’s your instructor?”

“Uh? Oh, No…”

“Tell them never to teach rookies again.”

He meant that he hadn’t been taught enough before being sent out.

Haedeun almost blurted out the name of his training instructor from his rookie days.

Feeling like he’d aged ten years, Haedeun quickly changed the subject.

“I mentioned it because I was worried.”

“I’m saying you shouldn’t worry now. Is this your first time on an operation as a pair?”

“No, it’s not my first.”

“Then you should have confidence in the mission you handled. Do I need to check again? We don’t have much time, so confess quickly.”

“In my opinion… I sent them off well. You don’t need to check twice.”

Cha Jaeha glanced at his wristwatch, as if he had more to say but decided to wrap it up.

“Anything else bothering you?”

“No.”

Haedeun replied plainly, washing his hands at the sink while keeping an eye on the outside. No one was coming in at the moment. But he couldn’t be sure that no one would enter after a long time had passed. He couldn’t guarantee the manners of the users, and airport staff might find it strange. His voice rose slightly with worry.

“Team Leader, what do we do now?”

Cha Jaeha, adjusting his sleeve, paused and looked at Haedeun in the mirror.

“We?”

“Yes, me and you, Team Leader.”

“I’m leaving, and 1265 stays here to clean up. Hang around near the gate, and if those two wake up, block them from coming in. The time is.”

Cha Jaeha checked his wristwatch again and continued.

“Until one hour and 13 minutes later, when the Korean Air flight from Bardiff to Incheon closes its doors. The broker we’re chasing is on that flight.”

Haedeun hoped Cha Jaeha would give him a method, like when he handed over the airport staff ID.

“How exactly?”

But his hopeful expectation was thoroughly dashed. Cha Jaeha’s eyes showed a hint of disdain.

It wasn’t a mistake.

“Tell me how to sort the recycling too. It wasn’t the instructor’s problem. How many years have you been doing this?”

The water in the sink was still gushing out vigorously.

Haedeun turned off the faucet and rolled his eyes. He couldn’t understand Cha Jaeha’s words.

Those people were drug smuggling brokers. One was even a murderer.

What if they woke up? What was he supposed to do then?

If he were with Cha Jaeha, it might be different, but he didn’t have the physical strength or weapons to deal with them alone.

“I’ll do my best, but things might go wrong because of me. That broker, the intelligence team has been tracking him for months, timing it perfectly. What if I mess it up? Shouldn’t there be a safety measure?”

Cha Jaeha, listening, suddenly grabbed Haedeun by the collar.

“Uh! Team Leader?”

“Listen, Agent Go Haedeun.”

He never expected to be called by name.

Cha Jaeha’s cold eyes slowly scanned Haedeun’s face, which had turned pale.

He seemed to be telling him to get his act together, meeting his gaze squarely.

His face was expressionless, yet his gaze was strangely sharp, as if it could cut through flesh.

“Open your ears and listen well. There has never been, and will never be, a ‘safe’ measure in the field. The success or failure of the operation is entirely the responsibility of the operative. Judgment is my authority, and the aftermath is my responsibility. Stop interfering with my decisions and do what you’re told. If you understand, nod.”

His threat was quite effective. Haedeun, who had been rolling his eyes, looked directly at Jaeha.

He slightly moved his chin, nodding. The stammered reply was a bonus.

“Are you saying you trust me?”

“I don’t trust people. I make them trust me.”

In other words, he assumed he had dealt with them well enough that they wouldn’t easily wake up. He was confident that as long as Haedeun kept an eye on things, the plane would take off without incident.

Even the smallest details showed it. It seemed this was how Cha Jaeha worked. Trusting nothing, relying on no one, making quick and bold decisions, and repeatedly engaging in risky actions like walking a tightrope.

This was the difference between the world he saw as an agent and the world Cha Jaeha saw.

“I trust you, Team Leader.”

“There must be a better answer than flattery.”

“I can do it, Team Leader.”

When he obediently complied, Cha Jaeha finally released him lightly, as if tossing him aside, and added calmly.

“I’ll decline the send-off. Finish up and update the operation report. Follow the format, on time, accurately.”

Haedeun’s face, frozen with self-reproach, suddenly came to life.

“Can I write it?”

Conversely, Cha Jaeha’s expression hardened rapidly. He seemed annoyed by having to repeat the same explanation.

Haedeun quickly corrected himself.

“Understood. I’ll report immediately. But I have one question.”

He was about to leave, but unexpectedly, he didn’t ignore him and replied.

“Make it quick.”

“When did you know my name?”

“From the beginning.”

“I thought you didn’t know.”

He twitched an eyebrow.

“I don’t not know anything.”

“It’s just that you didn’t mention it, so I wondered why. Were you uncomfortable with me?”

This question seemed incomprehensible to him. For the first time since meeting him, he showed a hint of curiosity.

“Why would I be uncomfortable with you? Did you cause any trouble?”

Haedeun felt a moment of anxiety. He gathered his patience and kept his mouth shut.

Would it be advantageous to confess? Or to keep it a secret?

While he was desperately conflicted, Cha Jaeha, growing bored, urged him.

“A superior is asking. Do you have hearing issues? Surely you didn’t ignore it.”

Haedeun quietly observed him. His eyes, staring straight at him, seemed to see through his heart. It would be difficult to interpret what kind of person Cha Jaeha was in the future. The only thing he could be sure of was that this man was the most superior human he’d ever seen.

He needed this man.

Desperately.

“This is your last chance. Answer while you can open your mouth on your own. Did you cause any trouble?”

It was a tone like a final ultimatum. In the end, Haedeun spoke.

“I really wanted to join your team, Team Leader. I’ve been singing about it for a while, so everyone around me knows. I asked in case you heard it through the grapevine.”

It wasn’t a lie.

He just mentioned the smallest reason among the many reasons Cha Jaeha might find him uncomfortable.

And it seemed Cha Jaeha found this answer somewhat interesting.

“It’s not a lie.”

“How could I dare lie to you, Team Leader?”

“It’s not the real reason either.”

“……”

“Let’s not see each other again. For both our sakes.”

“I really want to see you again. I’ve been wanting to meet you. Please let me prove I’m a useful agent. So, could you give me your personal contact information? No matter how much I ask your line, they say it’s confidential and won’t tell me.”

Haedeun’s hands were busy as he rummaged through his bag for his phone.

Cha Jaeha didn’t move an inch. He just mulled over the words and spoke in a voice tinged with suspicion.

“Have we slept together?”

Startled, Haedeun dropped his phone. At the same time, Cha Jaeha swiftly caught it in mid-air.

His reflexes were astonishing, almost like magic.

With a nonchalant face, Cha Jaeha leisurely patted the device against his chest and returned it to him.

Haedeun, still bewildered, felt his cheeks cool.

“What? What are you talking about? I’m a man. That’s not it.”

“Or do you have a grudge against me?”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Why are you so clingy when you’re neither a gay bastard nor a dog? What do you want? Why are you here?”

“……”

His words were quite insulting.

He couldn’t ask again because it was true that he’d been clingy without realizing it. Continuing to engage might reveal his purpose.

Too much is as bad as too little.

“I guess I got too excited about meeting you in person. I’ll keep my distance. Take care, you’re probably busy.”

Haedeun, suppressing various thoughts, replied with a smile and saw him off.

Cha Jaeha, analyzing his smiling face, checked his wristwatch and turned away coldly.

“Finish up properly. You’ve worked hard today. Good job.”

“Yes, understood. Thank you.”

Just as he had appeared before him, he vanished without a sound. If he had continued to engage, he might have shown his hand. The unexpected variable had delayed his time, which had saved him.

Left alone, Haedeun’s mind was filled with thoughts, causing him distress. It seemed better to call for help. He touched his phone with wet hands, trying not to think about Cha Jaeha’s presence anymore.

However.

Though he erased him from his consciousness, his subconscious seemed to retain him, as a rough mutter escaped his lips.

“Wow, what a bastard.”

The National Intelligence Service was the most stagnant pool in the country. There were indeed many strange people. Having changed teams several times, he’d seen all sorts of people, but this was the first time he’d encountered such an extraordinary superior. Though wrapped in a polite tone, he was far more self-righteous than superiors who had been verbally abusive or tyrannical. The shocking part was that his eyes and brain seemed to be drawn into his concise gestures and refined actions.

‘It’s like being enchanted.’

Is this why people are so fascinated and intoxicated by dictators?

Grinding his teeth to regain his senses, Haedeun finally found the right person to call.

Clunk.

There was a sound from beyond the restroom partition where the men were locked.

“Gah.”

Startled, he approached quietly. Pressing his ear to the door, there was no further noise. He lowered himself to the floor, unable to erase his pale complexion.

‘Please, please, please, please…’

Desperately pleading, he peeked inside through the gap.

The face of the man, curled up and lying on his side, was right in front of him.

“Ah!”

He almost fell back in surprise.

Instinctively taking a defensive stance, he belatedly realized the man’s eyelids were closed.

The source of the sound was, fortunately, a toilet paper holder that had fallen due to gravity.

“Haa…”

His complexion, which had become pale, cooled again as he struggled to calm his rough breathing.

Haedeun, taking a few staggering steps, leaned against the door and took a deep breath.

Should he be grateful he didn’t show such a sight earlier?

‘I wanted to make a proper first impression.’

As if a rusty machine creaked, he barely turned his neck, and his narrow field of vision was filled with the two firmly closed stalls.

If he handled this well, could he make up for it?

“This is driving me crazy.”

No matter what.

It seemed everything was ruined from the start.