Chapter 150.2: I Missed You (1)
Kim Hyung-Jung took them to a two-story western-style house somewhere in Hannam-Dong. The car entered through the side door that was built on the wall next to the main entrance.
“This is one of the safe houses of the NIS. The director specially gave orders to prepare your breakfast here, Mr. Kang Chan. I’ve never been here myself either,” Kim Hyung-Jung informed them. He then stepped off the car.
The front yard had parking space for about four sedans, but the house itself wasn’t that fancy or large in scale. Aside from the two men who appeared to be agents standing outside, the entrance and living room were no different from any other family house.
Once they had settled in the sofas, an agent brought out ashtrays and coffees for them.
“You can get some sleep in the room if you’re tired as well,” the agent offered.
“Thank you, but we slept soundly on the plane,” Kang Chan responded politely.
Jeon Dae-Geuk offered Kang Chan a cigarette.
“Go ahead and take it! I hate the smell of smoke, but I hate it even more when people leave to just to smoke when I’m around,” Jeon Dae-Geuk grumbled.
Kang Chan let out a light chuckle because Jeon Dae-Geuk’s eyes were blazing with the desire to listen to what happened during the operation.
“Please wait for just a moment. I’ll come back after a short smoke with Manager Kim,” Kang Chan said, not intending to smoke in front of Jeon Dae-Geuk.
When Kim Tae-Jin agreed and Kim Hyung-Jung got up as well, Jeon Dae-Geuk openly showed a dissatisfied but resigned expression.
***
“Hey! Are all the preparations done?” Choi Seong-Geon shouted a little anxiously.
His aide couldn’t suppress his grin.
“General, you have already checked if breakfast is ready ten times,” the aide said with a smile.
Choi Seong-Geon scowled at his aide, then picked up a cigarette. He had been standing in front of the barracks since five, but he felt as if time was taking forever to flow.
“Then what about—!”
“Three kinds of soups, ten kinds of side dishes. We have also prepared fried pork, beef bulgogi, and rice in servings of more than half of usual,” his aide swiftly replied, cutting him off because he already knew what Choi Seong-Geon was going to ask.
“Okay, okay,” Choi Seong-Geon grouched as he glanced at the entrance out of habit. “Whew!”
He let out a long sigh as he looked up at the dark night sky.
The punks had all managed to survive. Two of them had had to undergo surgeries, but he had been assured that they were far from death’s doors.
They did not just come back from any mission. They were up against the Spetsnaz and the SBS, yet they managed to not only survive but return home with victory in tow.
Just the mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine.
He had muttered to himself at least a hundred times that he had done well to stay in the field. Choi Seong-Geon had already given up the opportunity to be promoted twice. Every time he did, his colleagues murmured that he had probably already gone mad, and his wife argued with him asking if he was intentionally staying in the field because he didn’t want to see her.
However, they were all wrong.
The reason behind his decision was solely because he could not bring himself to leave his cherished subordinates. They were so special to him that he treated them as if they were of his own blood.
From winter training, summer training, and joint exercises with foreign teams… they had put all those time into harsh training in hopes that the day would come when the men would be able to spread their wings. Choi Seong-Geon had been determined to make that happen.
Throughout those times of hardships, Cha Dong-Gyun became first lieutenant, and Kwak Cheol-Ho became second lieutenant. Other soldiers were also promoted, but they were all at a standstill because they could not go on operations.
‘The bus didn’t crash on the way here, did it?’
Choi Seong-Geon shook his head. Why was he becoming so timid and nervous?
Swoosh!
Choi Seong-Geon suddenly whipped his head around to look at the entrance, finding a light traveling through the mountains.
‘Are they here? Have they finally arrived?’?he wondered to himself as the bus began to drive into view. Choi Seong-Geon felt the tension in his body immediately ease up. The bus stopped in front of the barracks with a light jerk.
Whoosh.?
The doors slid open. Cha Dong-Gyun was the first to step off the vehicle. The look in his eyes was truly a sight to see. Choi Seong-Geon had always dreamed of seeing the special forces team have such a prideful look in their eyes.
Cha Dong-Gyun and the rest of the soldiers now had the same gaze as the ones that famous special forces teams from other countries had.
“Attention!” Cha Dong-Gyun shouted.
Swoosh!
“Salute!” Cha Dong-Gyun commanded again.
Fwoosh!
Choi Seong-Geon gritted his teeth as he looked at the soldiers. He then lifted his hand to his brows, returning the salute. When he put his hand down, Cha Dong-Gyun gave the order to stand at ease.
These wonderful little punks!
As Choi Seong-Geon took in a deep breath to calm himself down, one of the soldiers quickly handed Cha Dong-Gyun a helmet, which Cha Dong-Gyun then gave to the confused-looking Choi Seong-Geon.
“It’s a helmet from the SBS, sir!” Cha Dong-Gyun confidently announced.
Choi Seong-Geon’s jaw dropped open as his eyes widened.
“We obtained a total of five helmets. We gave one to the Foreign Legion’s special forces, who came to back us up, but we have returned with the remaining four helmets!” Cha Dong-Gyun explained proudly.
Choi Seong-Geon lifted his gaze from the helmet to look at Cha Dong-Gyun.
“The SBS truly did surrender, sir. Of their twenty-seven members, we killed thirteen and critically injured four others. Additionally, we also heard that the Spetsnaz returned with only four of their members alive!”
Choi Seong-Geon intentionally looked away from him and turned to the faraway sky. The symbol of the unbelievable achievement and the work he had dedicated his entire life to was in his hands. However, he was a general who was in charge of the special forces. It was part of his duty not to reveal his emotions in front of his soldiers.
Choi Seong-Geon gritted his teeth and controlled his facial expressions. Once he was confident he could pretend that he was fine, he turned back to Cha Dong-Gyun.
“Soldiers, at ease,” Choi Seong-Geon commanded.
Cha Dong-Gyun spun around and repeated the same order, then leisurely turned back.
“Have a smoke. Afterward, let’s have breakfast,” Choi Seong-Geon said.
“Yes, sir,” Cha Dong-Gyun responded in a more relaxed tone than he did earlier.
Choi Seong-Geon’s aide was about to carry the helmet for Choi Seong-Geon but paused in his steps when he saw Choi Seong-Geon tightly holding the helmet to his side.
Choi Seong-Geon looked like he was crying.
***
Although they had already finished breakfast, it was still six-thirty in the morning.
Kang Chan wasn’t the type to chat about and revisit what happened in operations, but since Choi Jong-Il had no other choice but to report to his superior officers even if they were retired, Kang Chan was left with no other option as well.
Did they call us here so we could have breakfast together or did they just want to hear stories?
Jeon Dae-Geuk’s eyes and ears were focused solely on Choi Jong-Il. It made him seem like an old countryman listening to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms for the first time. He became so excited when the story reached the part where they took the helmets from the SBS that he ended up spilling his the water in his cup. Nevertheless, the atmosphere remained buzzed.
After breakfast and drinking tea, they had fruit for dessert after.
“What is your schedule like today?” Kim Hyung-Jung asked.
“My parents are in Jeju Island, so I was thinking of heading there and heading back to Seoul with them in the evening,” Kang Chan replied.
“You still have it in you to get on another plane?” Kim Hyung-Jung asked in shock.
Seok Kang-Ho also looked surprised, but Kang Chan wasn’t that tired. Moreover, he strangely missed Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook.
“Do you know where they are?”
“Of course. The agents are always within their vicinity, so we can even contact them now. Given the time, they are most likely at their hotel right now.”
Noticing Kang Chan’s expression, Kim Hyung-Jung quickly picked up his phone.
***
Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook began to pack their belongings as soon as they woke up.
“This has been a really nice trip. I’m really thankful to our son,” Kang Dae-Kyung remarked.
“Really? I feel like I don’t have any strength because he’s not here, honey. I feel a little bad for him too,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.
“This was a present from Channy. If we’re happy, I’m sure Channy will be happy too. Since we all promised to travel together next time anyway, let’s just think of this as a nice experience instead.”
“Okay, I will. But the room is too big for just the two of us, don’t you think? This was probably expensive.”
“There you go again,” Kang Dae-Kyung jokingly said. Yoo Hye-Sook sat down and stopped putting her things in her luggage, and Kang Dae-Kyung patted her on the shoulders from behind. “Let’s have breakfast. We can eat, have some tea, and head straight to the airport afterward to catch our flight on time.”
Yoo Hye-Sook sighed and closed her suitcase. Just then, the sound of a helicopter chopping loudly began to make the windows of their room shake.
“Honey! Do helicopters come to hotels too?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked in surprise.
“I suppose top hotels usually have landing strips for helicopters, but this is my first time seeing a helicopter actually fly over,” Kang Dae-Kyung answered in amazement.
As Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook watched from the window, they could see hotel staff members standing outside as they waited for the helicopter to land. It was so far away that they could only see faint shapes.
“It must be an important person!” Yoo Hye-Sook exclaimed.
“It could also just be someone busy.”
People who were out on walks were all watching the fascinating sight.
When a man stepped off the helicopter, the hotel staff members greeted him.
“Honey, I don’t know if it’s because I miss our son, but he resembles Channy,” Yoo Hye-Sook said yearningly.
“Goodness, dear. You’ll be able to see him when we fly back in the evening, madam,” Kang Dae-Kyung replied with amusement.
He embraced Yoo Hye-Sook around the shoulders as she laughed, knowing it was a stretch.
“It’s nine. We should have breakfast now,” Kang Dae-Kyung said.
Yoo Hye-Sook nodded.
When the man who had gotten off of the helicopter entered the building, the helicopter lifted off again and flew over the sea.
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