Chapter 143.1: Just Who Is This Man? (2)
Kang Chan ordered coffee at a nearby specialty coffee shop. After receiving his order, he sat on the terrace and called Michelle to change his reservation to Jeju-do for his parents. He then talked about the building he was planning to buy.
“I’ll pay for the trip upfront. Just text me the bank account number.”
- Will do, Channy. As for the building, I still think the most efficient way we can tackle this is to change the interior of a building that’s still under construction. You’ll be able to move into the building in two months, and since it hasn’t even been subdivided yet, you’ll be able to use everything, including the office and the showroom on the first floor.
“Look into it a bit more. Let’s check out the building together once you’ve reached a decision. I don’t have time to go there this week because of a sudden business trip.”
After his conversation with Michelle, Kang Chan smoked a cigarette.
He felt frustrated and uncomfortable. It was as if he had unfinished business that he was forgetting.
Seok Kang-Ho would run over if Kang Chan just gave him a call, and even Choi Jong-Il was on standby. However, Kang Chan didn’t want to disturb Seok Kang-Ho while he was spending time with his family, and he had trouble making silly jokes with Choi Jong-Il.
‘What would Lanok do at times like this?’
Going home could be the wise thing to do, but Kang Chan would rather stay outside instead of going home and feeling suffocated.
Exhaling softly, he looked at the people passing by.
Michelle definitely would’ve made some time for him if he had said that they should meet up, but he doubted meeting her would make his frustration disappear.
Kang Chan took out his phone and looked for Kim Mi-Young’s phone number. She was the only person that he wanted to see right now.
Can she get rid of my frustration the same way she did when she held my hand at the school cafeteria?
She clearly wouldn’t be able to pick up because she was at her hagwon, but Kang Chan called her nonetheless.
The call rang about four times.
- Hi!
Kim Mi-Young’s peculiar answer made Kang Chan involuntarily smile.
“Where are you?”
- I’m in front of my hagwon. Why do you ask?
“Nothing. I was just thinking about you,” Kang Chan answered, still smiling. He didn’t know he was capable of saying something so cringe.
- Where are you right now?
“Samseong-dong.”
- I’m at my hagwon at Daechi-dong. Can we meet up?
“But you have to go to class.”
- For French lessons. You can just teach me instead, right? Right?
Much to Kang Chan’s fascination, just talking to her made his frustration subside a little.
“I’ll come to you. Where should I go?”
- Come to the intersection at Daechi-dong. I’ll wait at the ice cream shop there.
The ice cream shop wasn’t that far from where Kang Chan was.
“Alright.”
Kang Chan immediately left the specialty coffee shop and got in a taxi. As soon as he got out at the intersection at Daechi-dong, the brightly lit ice cream shop caught his attention.
He opened the door and headed inside. As he did, Kim Mi-Young stood up from her seat.
She seemed to have grown up some more since the last time he saw her.
No, she had actually become mature now.
Her body had been mature for quite some time now. However, her face now looked paler and slender. Even her eyes seemed bigger. She looked like a young lady—or she would have if not for her bangs that were cut right to her eyebrows.
“Have you had dinner?” Kang Chan asked.
“I did. Before class.”
“Do you want ice cream?”
“Yes!”
Smiling brightly, Kim Mi-Young followed Kang Chan to the display stand.
They ordered four different ice cream flavors in a cup, then returned to their table.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to take French classes yet?” Kang Chan asked.
“I’m just doing it because it’s fun. Let’s talk in French if we go somewhere crowded later. Other people won’t be able to understand what we’re saying, right? Huhuhuhu.” Kim Mi-Young smiled as she ate a spoonful of ice cream.
Kang Chan felt his frustration being swept away as he listened to?Kim Mi-Young.
However, as she talked and ate ice cream, Kang Chan could see in her eyes that she longed for him.
She missed him, and she wanted to keep spending time with him like this, but she seemed to have been suppressing her emotions.
“I have a favor to ask you,” Kim Mi-Young said.
“What is it?”
Kim Mi-Young pouted. “The Athletics Club members said that our school’s festival will become the best if you help out. I’ve seen them myself, so I know they regret what they have done. Moreover, when word got out, more students began to wish you’d help out. Even So-Yeon and Ki-Jean want to ask for your help, but they said they can’t bring themselves to call you since they find it hard to ask you for a favor. They also said that you’ll definitely help out if I ask you to…” Kim Mi-Young trailed off toward the end.
“So you’re asking me to help with the festival?” Kang Chan asked.
“Yes.”
“Why are you so nervous about it?”
“I was worried that you would find it difficult.”
Seeing Kang Chan Smile, Kim Mi-Young sheepishly waited for his reply.
“Alright,” Kang Chan said.
“You’re going to help?”
“How can I not help out when you’re the one who asked me to?”
“Really? You’re not joking, are you?”
“I am!”
Kim Mi-Young scooped up the ice cream while laughing. “Huhuhuhu.”
“Anything else you want me to do?”
“Nope. That’s all.”
Is Kim Mi-Young my younger sister or the woman I love?
One thing was clear—Kang Chan felt better.
“Were you planning not to ask me for help if I didn’t contact you?” Kang Chan asked.
Kim Mi-Young pouted. She looked as if she was in a predicament.
“Jeez! Don’t ever do that again,” Kang Chan said.
“Alright. I won’t.”
“And don’t study excessively once you’re home just because you didn’t go to French class today.”
“The teacher said that I’m really good. I was told that the teacher was new to our hagwon, but the kids in our hagwon and even the unnies at the front desk fell in love with him. He looks like an actor.”
“What about you?”
“I think of you whenever I see that teacher,” Kim Mi-Young responded while looking straight into Kang Chan’s eyes.
Kang Chan’s heart thumped.
‘Untainted’ was the perfect word to describe Kim Mi-Young’s clear eyes.
***
“Mr. President, this is a golden opportunity to solidify Lanok’s position. Considering the influence that he has as the Founder and first operation committee member of the Eurasian Rail, then we should be the ones asking him for a favor with this operation,” someone argued.
“After analyzing the profits and losses from the trade with the United Kingdom, we expect a maximum of twenty billion dollars in losses. We also have to consider the safety of the Koreans and the international students residing in the United Kingdom,” another person said.
Moon Jae-Hyun sat in the middle of the meeting room. To his left was National Intelligence Service Director Hwang Ki-Hyun. Jeon Dae-Geuk, who was tightly wrapped in bandages, and the third and fourth deputy directors of the National Intelligence Service were present as well.
“What’s the operation’s success rate?” Moon Jae-Hyun asked.
“In Mr. Kang Chan’s words, they’ll lose more than half of the members due to lack of experience.”
Moon Jae-Hyun exhaled softly while pursing his lips.
“Mr. President! When he took command of the operation in Mongolia, he achieved the best result we’ve ever gotten since the establishment of the Foreign Legion’s special forces team. Kang Chan made it clear that our special forces teams need this operation to gain experience,” Jeon Dae-Geuk quickly added.
“This isn’t as simple as it sounds, Section Chief Jeon. Each and every one of those soldiers is the head of a household, a son, and a father. That’s an important matter to consider when discussing whether South Korea needs this operation or not,” Moon Jae-Hyun responded.
“Mr. President.” Jeon Dae-Geuk showed no signs of backing off. “Sacrifice is the fate of soldiers, especially those who belong to the special forces. Have you thought about the special forces teams that can’t do anything but train because they can’t participate in operations? Their pride isn’t shown when they’re training. It shows only when they execute operations.”
Moon Jae-Hyun exhaled softly.
“But the consequences we’d have to bear would be too much if the operation fails. Worst-case scenario, we might even accidentally leave behind evidence that proves our men executed the operation. ”
“Fourth deputy director, that’ll still be a problem even if we go as a backup.”
“But in that situation, we’ll at least have France to depend on. It can’t even be compared to our team failing a solo operation.”
“Now! Let’s make a decision,” Moon Jae-Hyun interjected. “Section Chief Jeon desires to dispatch our special forces soldiers.”
Jeon Dae-Geuk briefly nodded in response.
“The third deputy director wants to dispatch our special forces soldiers to a solo operation as well, while the fourth deputy director is against dispatching them entirely. What about you, Director Hwang?” Moon Jae-Hyun asked.
“Mr. President, this might seem bothersome, but I think it’s best we take the thoughts of the people on the scene into consideration.”
Everyone quickly looked at Hwang Ki-Hyun.
“Brigadier General Choi Seong-Geon is waiting,” Hwang Ki-Hyun explained.
“You want us to talk to him?”
“Yes.”
Moon Jae-Hyun stared at Hwang Ki-Hyun for a moment, then nodded.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om