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Chapter 30: Nameless Star
TL: Enuma ID
After Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek handed me a memo with an address written on it, the questioning continued.
"There's a great deal I'd like to ask you. I hear you took out most of the North Korean assassination squad single-handedly? Even if it was to avenge Crane No. 13, that's hardly the kind of thing one man just decides to do."
Right.
As it happened, I was rather curious myself how that rumor had spread all over headquarters.
E nù mа̃
I had clearly reported only that I'd visually confirmed the deaths of the North Korean assassination squad.
I'd acted for an entirely personal reason, revenge for Crane No. 13, so I hadn't had the face to go around town bragging that I'd killed them all myself.
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And yet, somewhere along the way, the me at headquarters had transformed into some kind of human weapon who'd butchered that squad to the last man.
"E-exactly, sir! Such valor! What a heroic performance it was!"
But then, for some reason, Team Leader Choi Min-sik, who'd been sitting beside me quietly reading the room, suddenly started chiming in.
I had no idea why this man was suddenly acting so chummy with me.
Ӗ n u m̊ а̇_. id̊
"You know we've all been dying to hear about your exploits? C-come on, those war stories of yours, tell us all about them, in detail. Go on, quickly now."
When I studied him closely, Team Leader Choi Min-sik was winking one eye at me with great fervor.
In that instant, a strange certainty prickled the back of my neck.
Come to think of it, the promotion review for NIS management positions fell right around this time of year.
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Promotion season, when you scrape together every last shred of performance, even the kind you don't have.
Add to that the fact that Team Leader Choi Min-sik had been the situation room's duty commander that night.
Е n̆ u m̄а
The picture painted itself in my head.
'So the culprit was this close all along. He wants me to play along, is that it?'
A report had come rolling in right before his eyes that the North Korean assassination squad infiltrating Dandong had been wiped out clean in a single night.
To a man who needed to catch the last train to promotion, that news must have looked like a pile of gold bars rolling down the street.
So he'd force-inflated his team's numbers with it, and now, in front of the First Deputy Director, he was shooting me looks begging me to just play along with the story.
'What would he have done if it hadn't been me? The nerve of this guy.... Fine. I'll chalk it up as a debt he owes me.'
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Fortunately, though, I had no reason to break a sweat inventing facts that didn't exist.
Because I really had killed most of the North Korean assassination squad by myself.
One way or another, Team Leader Choi Min-sik had heaven's own luck on his side.
"Just got lucky. They were on the verge of a firefight with the Chongqing Society's men, and I'd infiltrated the Chongqing Society safe house right as the attack was about to kick off."
"Oh? And how did you know the safe house's location?"
"As you'll know well from the reports, the Chongqing Society had taken heavy losses in the firefight inside the Kowloon Hotel during the So Se-hyok abduction operation. To make up for the shortage of manpower, they hired several minor outfits in Dandong for cash, and one of them was a gang called the Black Panther Gang."
Е n_u m̈ а_
I laid out the events of that day step by step, like spinning a yarn.
The story of the Black Panther Gang trio who'd barged in to collect protection money right on the heels of Kite No. 3's injury; the business card for the Dandong Paradise bar I'd gotten off them.
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Crane No. 13's death, and the revenge.
The move to the Chongqing Society safe house, the surprise RPG rocket attack, and even the assassination squad's meticulously prepared machine-gun fire.
"This just came to me, but they were using a rifle I'd never seen before. It looked similar to the K11 composite rifle, though it broke down midway before they could put it to proper use, so I never got so much as a glimpse of what it could do."
"Is that so? We'd heard they were developing a composite rifle, but to think they'd already issued it to the Reconnaissance Battalion.... I'll have to look into that separately."
Е ńü m а̃
Of course, I'd worked a certain amount of judicious editing into all this.
I could hardly tell them straight out that bullets don't work on my body.
I dressed it up loosely, saying I'd used the terrain to block the gunfire and hurled myself aside with exquisite timing to dodge by a hair's breadth, that sort of thing.
"Hmm."
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"Whoa. No way.... seriously?"
Even so, it was more than enough to keep the two of them marveling the whole way through.
Е̊ ńǔ m̄ а̃ . id̀
Team Leader Choi Min-sik's reaction in particular was really something.
At first he'd sat there on pins and needles, hoping I'd take the hint and embellish a passable story; but the more he listened, the more he grasped the truth, that I really had annihilated the assassination squad alone, and bit by bit his soul left his body.
There was no need to prove any of it, either. The fact that I was sitting here alive, spinning the tale, was the greatest proof of all.
Then Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek nodded, as if chewing over my story piece by piece.
"You said the number killed was twelve, not fourteen?"
"That's correct."
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"Then did you happen to hear about the large explosion on Hwanggumpyong?"
"I witnessed it myself. I was on my way to Hwanggumpyong after receiving intel from Agent Crow when, just then, the administration building went up."
"Hmm. Thank heavens you hadn't reached it yet."
"Yes. Just got lucky."
I did, however, hide the fact that I'd sat side by side with Ri Myong-hak, trading conversation.
Claiming I'd never been there at all made for a far better cover story than saying I'd luckily survived the blast.
Е num̀ à. ī d
The conversation I'd had with him, I intended to bury in my own head and nowhere else.
"I hear you've had plenty of dealings with Agent Crow throughout all this. Is that right?"
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"That's correct."
"For us, it's genuinely difficult to gauge how far we should tolerate their role. Our overseas departments are short on talent as it is, and our people keep getting bewitched by them and slipping away. Don't get too close to them."
"...."
"You may trade favors with them, but in the end you're strangers bound to go your separate ways. Wouldn't you agree?"
Ẁ е b̆ n õ vе l̄ Е̊ n̊ǔ m a
"That's correct."
My clean, clipped answer must have pleased him; Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek broke into a brisk, open smile.
"Always remember this. You are a black agent of the Republic of Korea, chosen by our NIS."
"Yes, sir."
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"Of course, telling you not to fall for their sweet talk won't be enough on its own. In recognition of your service this time, we intend to grant you reward money along with a special promotion."
My current rank was Grade 7 civil servant.
W̆ е̄ b́nо v̈ël E̊n̆ ům̂а̇
A special promotion from here would make me Grade 6.
Before mustering out of the Defense Intelligence Command's Special Task Force, I'd held the rank of captain, which carried Grade 5 treatment, so the special promotion itself wasn't a benefit that meant much to me.
Though at the news of my promotion, the look Team Leader Choi Min-sik was giving me had turned oddly wistful.
Jealous, apparently.
"The reward money is fifty million won. It will be deposited into your payroll account by the end of today. Congratulations."
"...Thank you, sir."
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Before I knew it, my shoulders had squared themselves.
The promotion, maybe not. But money is always right.
"Before long, I'll find you a posting that needs you, somewhere besides Dandong. Until then, stay in Korea, shake off the road, catch your breath, and get some proper rest."
"Understood."
And with that, the questioning ended.
But I still had one piece of homework left.
Enü m̃а̂
*****
By the time I stepped out of the NIS headquarters, shadows had already settled over every corner of the city.
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Fingering the note Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek had slipped me separately, I headed straight for my destination.
The Kolon apartment complex in Bangi-dong.
Fortunately, it wasn't far from the Seocho-dong headquarters.
Stepping out of the taxi and walking on, I found the whole neighborhood brimming with cozy, ordinary life.
Е̌n̂ umá
"Excuse me. Are you still open?"
"Yes, yes! Come on in. Anything in particular you're looking for?"
"I was hoping to buy the newest phone model out right now."
"The newest model? Of course!"
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As it happened, one phone shop still had its lights on in the shopping arcade near the apartments.
Business had been dead, and the shop's boss lit up and sprang to his feet.
Ë n̈ům̀ӓ. і̃d
"Which carrier are you with?"
"It's not for me, actually. I'm buying it as a gift. No activation needed, just the device itself."
"Ah, is that so? It's doable. That'd be what we call an unlocked phone, though. No contract means no discounts at all, so the price runs pretty steep."
"That's fine. Do you have a pink model, by any chance?"
"No pink, I'm afraid.... Is it for a woman?"
"A high-school girl."
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"This one here's space gray. Best seller these days. Girls really go for this color too. How about it?"
"I'll take that one, then. And could you do a nice gift wrap, by any chance?"
"Oh, you've come at just the right time! Children's Day is coming up, so we've got wrapping paper, boxes, the whole works, all prettied up and ready. Here, right this way!"
I put the full price of the handset on my card right there, one payment.
At a clothing store nearby, I bought a black brimmed cap as well.
Pulling it down low over my head, I walked into the apartment complex ahead of me.
Ė_n̆ úm̆a. і̊d
"Whew."
With hesitation wrapping itself around my whole body, I barely managed to plant myself in front of the door.
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Checking the building and unit number on the note over and over, I took a deep breath.
I couldn't even say how long I stood there, motionless.
Ding-dong.
The moment I pressed the bell, tension came flooding in.
W̃ ébǹо vе̇ l̇ E n̊ u m̈ а
A belated response came back from inside.
"Yeees? Who is iiit?"
From beyond the front door came a young, clear voice.
I swallowed dryly and steadied my voice into calm.
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"Courier service. Is Yang Hui-ji-ssi in?"
Before long, quick little footsteps approached from beyond the door.
W̊ е bn̂о v̄ ĕl Е̂ n̂û ḿã
Clunk.
"A courier delivery?"
The front door, chain still latched, opened just a crack.
Through the gap, a pair of bright, alert eyes.
Below them, I caught a glimpse of prim, delicate features.
The spitting image of the face in the photo Crane No. 13 had shown me inside Wang Chil's taxi.
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Without meaning to, I broke into a faint, unguarded smile.
"Are you Yang Hui-ji-ssi?"
"Yes, that's me."
"This is a courier package sent by Yang Ho-jun-nim. May I ask your relationship to Yang Ho-jun-nim?"
"Huh? He's my dad!"
The moment she heard the name Yang Ho-jun, every last trace of her uncertain wariness vanished.
Е́ ń_um̌а
As the girl beamed and swung the front door wide open, the smell of freshly cooked rice came rushing out; dinner must have been underway.
The smell of an utterly ordinary life.
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I don't think I'll be forgetting this memory for a long while.
"It's a Children's Day gift sent by Yang Ho-jun-nim. He asked me to be sure to pass along the message that he congratulates you on starting high school, and that he loves you."
"Wow! Really?"
At the words "Children's Day gift", the girl gave a start of surprise.
Ėn̊ u m.а.í d̊
Taking the pink box I held out, she soon broke into a wide, excited grin.
"I'm not a little kid anymore. Honestly, Dad."
"...."
"Thank you! Have a good one!"
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Then, with a clack, the front door closed.
I stood still in front of the closed door for a long while.
Ӗn̂ů m̆а .i d̄
She must have torn into the box the second the door shut; before long, her cheer rang out from the other side.
"Whoa! Mom! Dad bought me a phone!"
"Hm? Hui-ji, what are you talking about?"
"Look at this! Dad sent it by courier! This is the new model that came out a few months ago! I love it so much!"
For a while, the home was noisy with bouncing, leaping joy.
Silently listening to the girl's voice, brimming over with happiness, I found myself leaning back against the cold steel door and slowly sliding down it.
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I sat slumped there for a long time, staring at nothing.
"My goodness. That man, honestly.... He sent all this when he's so busy? Make sure you call your dad today to say thank you."
"I actually called him yesterday, but he must be super busy. He keeps not picking up."
"Then let's write him a letter for Parents' Day when it comes. Dad will be over the moon to get a letter from our Hui-ji, won't he?"
"Yeah!"
I listened a while longer, and only when it grew too heavy to bear did I pull myself to my feet.
Еñ u.m̂ a
Leaving the mother and daughter's cozy chatter behind me, I made my slow way out of the apartment building.
Outside, the chill night air raked past my cheeks.
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"Haah."
I lifted my head without thinking, only to find my eyes closing on their own.
Tonight of all nights, it was too much to look up at the stars that would be hanging in the sky overhead.
*****
Wе́ b́ń ӧv́еĺ Еn ū.mа̀
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