DW | Chapter 3.1

The street in front of the South Korean Consulate in Bardiff was a straight stretch, lined with buildings along a two-lane road. The advantage was that visitors could easily find their way, but the downside was how easily anyone could stand out—no matter what they did.

The Whites dispatched from the National Intelligence Service walked this street only when they had truly important matters to discuss. It had been concluded that walking openly along the street was more secure than whispering in the embassy, where the risk of wiretapping was high.

Haedeun was walking that very street with Kang Shinguk.

Kang Shinguk’s heavy voice scattered like dust on the sidewalk.

“The support officer who got injured back then. The one you covered for. Officially returned to Korea.”

“Oh… that person. Are they okay? I heard they were seriously injured.”

“They said the stab and cut wounds were too severe, and they even suffered hypoxic brain damage. Even if they survive… what kind of life will they have left? The company is in turmoil. The Director is also considering raising the travel warning level for Bardiff.”

“Thanks to that, it became an opportunity for me… but thinking about that person makes me uneasy. Even if they survive, they’ll have to live with the intelligence of a child for the rest of their life.”

“That’s right.”

Silence fell between them.

After passing a pedestrian, Haedeun spoke again.

“What does Team Leader Cha say? Has he said anything specific about me?”

Kang Shinguk groaned, as if he had a lot to say—or had simply been through a lot—and gave a visible shiver.

“Specific? Well, we’re always in touch separately. If you’re anxious because there’s no news, I get it. With that unpredictable temper of his, who knows what he’ll overturn if he gets upset! I lose sleep every night. I wake up every 30 minutes, lying on my left side, then my right…”

Kang Shinguk was the most humble and serious person Haedeun had ever met. He endured unreasonable orders without complaint. For the greater good, he had even agreed to be part of a team led by a much younger subordinate he’d once trained himself. It was the first time Haedeun had seen him so agitated.

He thought he might have misheard, and asked again.

“Excuse me?”

Ahem. Kang Shinguk cleared his throat and changed the subject. “No, it’s nothing. Just pretend you didn’t hear it.”

It was clear he hadn’t misheard.

He couldn’t even imagine what one would have to do to make such a stoic person so colorful. Haedeun’s expression darkened further.

“Was it too soon after all?”

“The Wicked operation is gaining momentum. Now is the right time. Besides… it’s an important moment. If it weren’t for an unavoidable vacancy like this, it would’ve been difficult to deploy you. The higher-ups are still skeptical about sending you to the field. But when I mentioned that Team Leader Cha personally selected you, even the Deputy Director was convinced.”

That was why Cha Jaeha’s influence was needed.

Even if the higher-ups said no—if he needed Haedeun, the situation could change.

He had hoped to be assigned to Cha Jaeha’s team before. It was never accepted.

While pondering what to do, he began hearing rumors that a special team for Bardiff was being formed at the agency. Most Blacks operated solo, not in teams. That meant it was serious. And instinctively, he knew—it was Cha Jaeha’s team.

He applied for a position change that very day. He intended to join the investigation team and look for an opening. Coincidentally, being dispatched to Yoteja felt like fate. Bardiff was such a rough place that there were few applicants, so he was accepted immediately.

“He still doesn’t like me. I think it’ll stay that way. Honestly, from the team leader’s perspective, I probably look like a stalker.”

“That guy is frustrated with everyone. It’d be the same even if it weren’t you. The good thing is that no claims were made to the support division regarding the post-processing issue at the airport that day. Usually, after an operation, there’s a lot of feedback—notes on what to fix, what to improve. But he didn’t say a word.”

He paused, then added with a trace of admiration.

“He can see people. He runs the team strictly based on ability. If there’s something missing, he’d hire even a sworn enemy who killed his parents. He saw the value in you—enough to offset any psychological discomfort.”

Haedeun smiled modestly.

“No. Section Chief Chae Yunbo came later and wrapped everything up. I didn’t do much. The two of them have worked together for a long time, so they probably knew what the team leader wanted.”

“Don’t worry too much. Even if things are a little creaky now, I believe Team Leader Cha will eventually lead you to the end of the Wicked operation. It’s only logical to take a useful guy. Getting permission to join was the hardest part—but that’s done. The second hurdle is not getting on his nerves so he doesn’t say we need to replace the support officer. By the way, what did you decide about the operation funds? Did you set a fixed amount?”

“Oh, I was thinking of visiting irregularly, but they set the date for me. I went yesterday, but the team leader wasn’t there. I think we can maintain the current amount for now.”

Instead of replying, Kang Shinguk let out a short exclamation and paused. While Haedeun was glancing at the passing cars and nearby buildings, he spoke again.

“I was that guy’s instructor. Is that what you were curious about?”

That was exactly right. Haedeun had requested a private meeting with Kang Shinguk to understand Cha Jaeha better. Dealing with him was proving far more difficult than he’d vaguely imagined.

During the training period, the relationship with the instructor often became close due to the intense schedule—sometimes even like family. There were quite a few agents who maintained that kind of bond. Last time, Cha Jaeha had asked who his instructor was, likely for the same reason. Haedeun himself was very close to Noh Sangah because of that kind of connection.

But Cha Jaeha hadn’t experienced that period. He’d joined early, right after being discharged from the military, and had been hired as an experienced professional. Instead, there had been a separate training program for overseas operations, during which Kang Shinguk had apparently been in charge. He was also the one who had subtly advised Haedeun to treat everything Cha Jaeha said as a command.

Judging by Cha Jaeha’s usual attitude toward people, it was hard to imagine he’d been any more kind to his instructor. Kang Shinguk seemed to pick up on his curiosity.

“What exactly do you want to know?”

There were too many questions he wanted to ask, but he didn’t know how to phrase them.

After carefully choosing his words, Haedeun settled on a question he thought Kang Shinguk might be able to answer.

“He told me not to show my back. To be in the expected place, in the expected form. Does that mean I shouldn’t move until ordered? Is it just about control? How should I respond to something like that?”

“Hmm. I’m not entirely sure… but isn’t it more comfortable to turn around yourself than to see someone else’s back?”

He paused for a moment, then added.

“All the identities he creates here are fake. When the operation ends, he disappears—like he never existed in that place at all. Disappearing is a lonely thing. So… maybe it’s part warning, part control. But there’s more to it.”

“……”

As Haedeun hesitated on how to respond, Kang Shinguk added.

“Actually, even if you ask, I have nothing to explain. Whether we’re close or not. That guy doesn’t give anyone a chance to get close. He’s someone you can’t figure out what he’s thinking. If you’re someone who says ‘yes’ when everyone says ‘no,’ he’s someone who says ‘no’ even when everyone says ‘yes.'”

“Did the Director come here because he was worried Team Leader Cha would say ‘no’ when everyone says ‘yes’? I thought it was strange that someone of the same rank and seniority was here as a team member, even though he’s practically an advisor.”

“I came on the Deputy Director’s orders. The First Deputy Director asked me to go to Bardiff and help, so I packed my bags right away. Our hierarchy is our lifeline, isn’t it?”

“Were you worried about the team leader?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I learned that strong denial is affirmation.”

Kang Shinguk groaned again and lowered his voice.

“Don’t be too upset that he doesn’t trust people and is picky. He’s the harshest on himself. The only advice I can give you is…”

For a moment, a conflicted look appeared on the face of Kang Shinguk, who was once said to be a legendary Black agent. He seemed to be worried about his junior and subordinate. After hesitating whether to speak or not, he seemed to make up his mind and added quietly.

“There might be something in common between you two.”

“With me? I can’t even imagine.”

Kang Shinguk glanced at him and smiled faintly.

“He’s bloodstained too.”

“……”

“You’ll find out eventually.”

It was too eerie a statement to be made with a smile.

It must have been a metaphorical expression.

What was the red secret that Cha Jaeha held?

“I want to get closer, but it’s not easy. It seems like he doesn’t like people.”

As he walked silently, waiting for a response, Kang Shinguk, who had been lost in thought for a while, suddenly murmured lowly.

“Agent Go, do you know what an orchestra conductor, a striker, and Cha Jaeha have in common?”

From his perspective, it was a very random question.

Since he was asked, he responded cautiously.

“Well, talent? Stamina? Reflexes? Uh, a habit of following rules?”

“Extreme sensitivity.”

“Oh…”

“I don’t listen to classical music because of him. I’m afraid I’ll have a fit. Soccer? I don’t watch it! I’m afraid I’ll have a heart attack!”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s just his natural personality! Get closer? Dream on. Even if there’s a minor error in the operation, he meticulously tears you apart with the most polite tone! Every time, I just want to bite my tongue and die…! I’ll go in first!”

As Haedeun stood there dumbfounded, Kang Shinguk shouted and mumbled to himself as he went ahead. He waved his hand behind him as if to say there was no need to follow.

Haedeun politely bowed and passed through the entrance of the consulate.

“What did he do to that gentleman to make him tremble like that?”

It must not have been an ordinary matter to make him shiver like that.

Just imagining it sent chills down his spine.

Shivering, he walked slowly along the wall, organizing his thoughts.

Cha Jaeha came to Bardiff because of a new drug nicknamed Wicked.

In Korea, news of deaths due to Wicked addiction was reported almost daily. Smuggling organizations responsible for the overwhelming proportion of supplies to Korea had settled in Bardiff. The ultimate goal of the National Intelligence Service was to dismantle that cartel and disrupt the smuggling distribution network.

The main operation officer designing this operation was Cha Jaeha. And Haedeun had participated in the Shinwoohoe probing operation three years ago, before the cartel had grown as powerful as it was now. That operation ended in a miserable failure.

Haedeun still occasionally dreamed of that day.

The day when a senior Black agent stood unarmed in front of the enemy with a gun pointed at his forehead.

The moment when Russian-made pistols were fired indiscriminately at the terrified expatriates, regardless of age.

The moment when blood and brain matter splattered like fountains everywhere.

“Damn.”

Again.

It felt like he was about to run out of breath.

✮⋆˙

There was a bar table by the window near the entrance of the bookstore, where the warm sunlight streamed in nicely. It was positioned as if to say you could read the books before buying them, so customers often stayed there to read.

Screech.