Black Paradise Chapter 17.2

“…”

“There wasn’t just one or two strange things. That guy was soft-hearted, a different breed from a tough nut like me, but from around that time, he started actively participating in the rebellion. Not only that, but he kept pushing for extreme operations…”

Suddenly, a weak moan escaped Park Jaeho’s lips, followed by a violent coughing fit. Hack, hack. With the sound of phlegm gurgling, droplets of saliva splattered onto Seo Chaejoon’s desk.

Seo Chaejoon quietly pulled out a tissue and placed it in the old man’s hand. Park Jaeho, whose chest seemed to be in pain, continued speaking after heaving for a long while.

“As soon as you completed your year and left for Paradise, that fellow Daeyeong became a completely different person.”

Park Jaeho couldn’t finish his sentence, but Seo Chaejoon already knew the outcome.

The man he had called soft-hearted had turned into a rebellion leader overnight, taking residents hostage and killing them, pushing for violent and cruel operations.

The rebel resistance was at its fiercest right at that time. Seo Yera, who was the battalion commander back then, was flustered, and Seo Juhyeok, who had just turned 15 and crossed over to District 11, was immediately thrown into the rebellion scene.

Six years after that, the youngest of the Seo family met a brutal death at the hands of the rebels. The District 11 rebels fled to District 23. Jang Daeyeong was executed as a rebellion leader seven years after that.

“But the government residence where you stayed was on that mountain Daeyeong frequented so insistently. Also, after you left for Paradise, Daeyeong started getting to know the truck driver who delivered goods from Paradise to District 11. He said something was delivered every month.”

At that moment, Seo Chaejoon’s fingers, gripping the teacup, flinched. It was a crack that did not catch Park Jaeho’s eye.

“Let me ask you once more, straight to the point. Wasn’t Daeyeong visiting you?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. At that time… embarrassingly, my health was poor, so I was in a position where I only stayed in the government residence and couldn’t make contact with others. ‘Frequented the mountain,’ you say. Could he have been communicating with someone within the military base? I recall that such incidents were quite frequent back then, and my noona had quite a headache trying to root out the moles.”

“Daeyeong, well, he wasn’t the type for that.”

“There might have been a side to him you didn’t know, senior.”

Yes, even Seo Chaejoon was startled the day he first discovered that bear-like man snooping around the backyard of his government residence. He was even more surprised when he heard the man was only two years older than him, and dumbfounded when he learned he was part of the rebel camp.

Even after being discovered by the soldiers guarding the residence, beaten to a pulp, and chased away, Jang Daeyeong would be loitering around the same spot the very next day.

When he was finally brought before him, Jang Daeyeong said, ‘I’m curious about Paradise.’ He said his family shouted in front of the military base every day, demanding that Paradise be opened.

But Jang Daeyeong himself had no such sense of grand purpose. He said that since everyone was clamoring so much about ‘having to go to Paradise,’ he had run out just to hear what it was like.

Because his mind was like a blank slate, he was all the easier to tame.

Unlike his bear-like physique, his body was as nimble as a flying squirrel’s, and his night vision was sharp. Even the soldiers guarding Seo Chaejoon’s residence at the time eventually barely noticed his presence as the days went by.

No, Seo Chaejoon later buried them all in the ground. So that almost no one who knew of Jang Daeyeong’s comings and goings at the residence remained.

“No. No… That kid was a gentle soul who would never, ever do something like that…”

Park Jaeho was right. Jang Daeyeong was a man with almost no rebellious tendencies. He was merely someone born and raised in a rebel family.

That was why he chattered on to Seo Chaejoon about every little thing without hesitation. His stories were information about his family, and also rebel secrets.

Seo Chaejoon, who rarely went out, knew their situation better than his sister Seo Yera, who dealt with the rebels every day.

It was all for free. Because he chattered like a radio. Jang Daeyeong didn’t even know that it was an act of colluding with the ‘enemy.’

Perhaps Jang Daeyeong was reassured, thinking Seo Chaejoon was different from a typical soldier, after listening to the sickly man, cooped up in his residence, sprinkle in criticisms about Paradise as if adding seasoning.

In return, Seo Chaejoon told Jang Daeyeong many stories as well. About the Paradise he was so curious about.

It was an empty, dream-like, unbelievable tale. Jang Daeyeong, unaware that it was poison, gradually became mesmerized by the false, resplendent image of Paradise, free from the threats of natural disasters or viruses.

By the time Seo Chaejoon was leaving for Paradise, Paradise had transformed into an ideal, a religion, inside Jang Daeyeong’s head.

An innocent and foolish person. Seo Chaejoon smiled bitterly behind the hand covering his mouth.

“That guy was executed and died like that, and his parents both got sick and died too. There’s a reason that gentle Daeyeong changed like that.”

Park Jaeho, feeling so wronged, pounded his chest—thump, thump—and vented his pent-up anger for a long while.

Seo Chaejoon wiped his hand, where Park Jaeho’s saliva might have splattered, with a handkerchief and smiled.

“It’s unfortunate. Jang Daeyeong… I still don’t remember anything about him. Why would a rebel seek out the son of the leader?”

“…”

“Furthermore, the rebellion intensified after I left for Paradise. If that’s related to Mr. Jang Daeyeong, wouldn’t I be the one who wants to question it more? After all, my youngest brother also died because of the rebellion.”

Park Jaeho’s shoulders flinched. He too had been at the scene where the youngest son of the Seo family was pierced through the stomach with a blade and set on fire. That too had happened under Jang Daeyeong’s lead.

“This is why I say you’re the most suspicious. That Seo Juhyeok bastard chased us for seven years, saying his brother and comrades died. But how can you speak so calmly about the death of your own flesh and blood?”

“I’m just separating public and private matters. If I were the type to rush in without thinking, you wouldn’t be sitting in this spot, senior. You wouldn’t be speaking to me so informally either.”

Park Jaeho, who had been gaping as if at a loss for words, slammed his palm down on the desk. Smack!

“Are you threatening me right now?”

“Of course not. It’s just that I think we need to understand each other’s positions to avoid getting upset. You already know why I’ve returned to District 11, don’t you, senior?”

Park Jaeho had already seen with his own eyes that some drug had been discovered in District 23, and that soldiers had swarmed in from Paradise to investigate, saying the person who manufactured the drug might be in District 23.

Even at the shelter where the people of District 23 were currently staying, men in military police uniforms were coming and going, creating an intimidating atmosphere. That was why the mood at the shelter had been at its worst for the past few days.

“There’s no one! Among us, there’s no one who would make a drug like that! You’re treating us like this just because we were rebels. It’s infuriating enough that we lost our homes, why are you hassling innocent people!”

“Why do you say that?”

“I’m saying what’s not there isn’t there, what else am I supposed to say?! I know everyone in our district. There isn’t a single person who would make and sell such a drug on their own…!”

“You should say there is.”

Park Jaeho, who had been shouting, froze with his mouth agape. His eyes met Seo Chaejoon’s.

It was a gaze that drew people in, one that felt like you shouldn’t look away from for even a moment. His gentle voice had the power to drag even an enemy by the hair and make them listen to the end. It was a leader’s capability that Seo Yoonseok envied.

On the day he completed his year here and was returning to Paradise, Seo Chaejoon had said to Seo Yoonseok, I will become my father’s voice. I will be your eyes and ears. Please do not send me back to that place. I will prove my usefulness.

As the first proof… I will move the rebels, who are a thorn in your side, and bring you my brothers’ heads.

Those tiger cubs who dare to covet our father’s position.

Just like back then, Seo Chaejoon whispered like a snake.

“Cooperate with the investigation with the mindset that there seems to be a manufacturer of that drug among us. If you don’t cause a stir and just wait quietly, then I will conclude the investigation at an appropriate time.”

“What does that…”

“There’s a pile of goods at the port, sent by people who want to help rebuild District 23. That’s all thanks to that very drug. That troublesome district that was treated worse than trash, the only way to get back on its feet is to rely on that drug. Lieutenant Colonel Seo doesn’t teach you things like this, does he? Of course not. Why would he tell you people something so nice?”

“…”

“For someone who is supposed to be the head of a group and thinking of the district, you need to use your head. Fighting isn’t all about swords, guns, and force. You have to use your brain. You have to take what you can take and back out when you need to. You’ll have to think carefully about what’s more advantageous.”

Park Jaeho, with a dazed face, asked haltingly.

“Then you… why are you telling me this?”

“Don’t create variables in my work. The village chief, the people of District 23, you have a strong animosity towards Lieutenant Colonel Seo, don’t you?”

“…”

“That’s why I understand you’re resisting more, knowing that Lieutenant Colonel Seo was the one who reported finding the drug in District 23. But your resistance is so excessive that it gives the impression you’re hiding something. Do everything in moderation. The manufacturer won’t be found among you. Both I and the special mission platoon will stay here quietly in District 11 and then leave for Paradise.”

“And you expect me to believe that now? I don’t know who you’ll pin the crime on later, so how can I trust your words? Huh?”

“You’ll have no choice but to believe.”

As a shadow fell deeply over him, his handsome face took on a surprisingly raw atmosphere. As Park Jaeho instinctively leaned back, Seo Chaejoon leaned forward over the table.

“I will tell you. A way to get revenge on Lieutenant Colonel Seo Juhyeok.”

A deadly light seeped into Park Jaeho’s face. Seo Chaejoon then whispered.

“What if that Seo Juhyeok has a weakness. What if he has someone he needs to protect.”

You must take that from him in the same way. Seo Chaejoon smiled brightly, belying his role as a schemer.

In the room, empty after Park Jaeho had left, Seo Chaejoon was leaning his neck back against the chair with his eyes closed.

In his mind, he recalled the story he hadn’t told Park Jaeho.

Jang Daeyeong. An excellent pawn. After returning to Paradise, he had sent letters several times through the person who transported goods.

The news of the rebellion overheating in District 11 was proof that Jang Daeyeong was faithfully carrying out what he had written in his letters.

Seo Chaejoon had told Seo Yoonseok that he would offer him his brothers’ heads. It didn’t seem like it would take long. Seo Yera was outstanding in martial arts and a commander skilled in control. There was no way her head could be taken easily.

What Seo Chaejoon was aiming for was his younger brother, Seo Juhyeok. A younger brother who had just passed 15 and was still green in every way.

But his prediction was spectacularly wrong. Seo Juhyeok grew at a crazy rate in that District 11, using someone’s blood as fertilizer.

As much as the rebels, led by Jang Daeyeong, ran rampant—no, even more than that—Seo Juhyeok pushed them back. Even the taunts of ‘total psycho’ and ‘madman’ were nothing more than proof of his survival.

Time dragged on, and the sacrificial lamb eventually became the most fragile member of the Seo family, the youngest son. He was ten years younger than Seo Chaejoon, and only sixteen.

They said he had run into enemy territory, feeling sorry for the villagers taken hostage by the rebels, and met that fate.

Juhyeok-ah. You tracked the rebels to the end, even when everyone else gave up, to avenge that child. But you don’t know. It’s because you didn’t die, because you didn’t die sooner, that the youngest one died…

Knock, knock. The sound of a knock on the door was heard. Seo Chaejoon straightened his posture and sat up.

“Lieutenant General.”

“Come in.”

The familiar voice made him relax a little.

The man who opened the door and entered was Captain Shin Hyo-gyeong. He had served as Seo Chaejoon’s adjutant for a long time.

“As you instructed, Park Jaeho has been sent back to the shelter. I’ve assigned two special mission platoon members to him and told them to watch and see who he meets and what he does at the shelter.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I want to make it clear that I am not their enemy. Especially Village Chief Park Jaeho… it would be good to get him firmly on my side. What do you think, Captain Shin? Does he seem to have taken my words to heart?”

“He won’t be able to let go of his wariness right away. He’s probably curious why a Lieutenant General of the Seo family is being so favorable towards former rebels. But if we gently coax him for a few days, I think he’ll come around quickly. From what I hear, the people of District 23 have been treated like nuisances here.”

“That would make sense. The rebels who took even innocent people hostage and killed them have returned with a horde of soldiers, there’s no way they would be welcomed… Is it because of the fire in District 23? From the sound of his cough, his health doesn’t seem good either. He must be pushed to his limits, both physically and mentally.”

That was why he was certain Park Jaeho would move according to his proposal.

Nevertheless, a sliver of anxiety dug into his heart, making it feel as though his mind, once like a solid rock, was cracking. He knew where this confusion originated.

“…”

As he lowered his eyes, a clear line was etched between his fine brows. Captain Shin Hyo-gyeong, who was watching him carefully, took a step closer.

Seo Chaejoon’s health had improved to the point where it couldn’t be compared to the past, but his condition still fluctuated unpredictably.

“Lieutenant General. Are you unwell anywhere?”

“No. I think it’s because I’ve been through a lot these past few days. What about Paradise? Have you heard any news?”

Captain Shin closed his mouth as if embarrassed. A light sigh escaped Seo Chaejoon’s lips.

“I see… It seems things are still not good.”

Right before he crossed over to District 11, there had been endless trouble in Paradise.

As expected, Wol-yeong was the problem. He’d heard that the number of people collecting, buying, and selling the leaflets Wol-yeong had spread had even increased. Wol-yeong had, at some point, become a new form of media among the people, a voice demanding truth, a hero opposing the military.

The Paradise Military Police were still having difficulty guessing Wol-yeong’s identity. They had started offering a reward for information, but one person claimed he was a man as tall as 2 meters, while another said she was a courtesan from the red-light district. It was all a mess.

If they carelessly caught the tail of the group-acting Wol-yeong, another leaflet would circulate, so they couldn’t make any rash moves.

Not only that, but even the generals had started causing disturbances, big and small. Things like getting drunk and rampaging in the shopping district, or beating up an adjutant and putting them in a coma. For the first time in his life, Seo Chaejoon learned that drug addiction and withdrawal symptoms came with paranoia.

While it wasn’t a big enough problem to be obvious on the surface, Seo Chaejoon felt uneasy, as if it were the calm before a storm.

The pupils of those addicted to Black now trembled to the point that you could tell they were junkies just by looking closely at their eyes. The fact that no one begged, ‘I did that drug. Save me,’ even when the situation had deteriorated to that point, was because of the false hope Seo Juhyeok had instilled—that the manufacturer of Black might still be alive.

They had urgently gathered all the officers remaining in Paradise to conduct dopamine receptor tests and administered drugs to help those with issues recover, but there was little progress. On the contrary, they found plenty of evidence that they were taking other drugs on the sly.

A bloodbath had been raging in the plaza for a while. On Seo Yoonseok’s orders, the military police had raided the red-light district and torn apart opium dens and illegal drug lairs. The cheap drug makers were awaiting execution. Although consumption was also a serious crime, Seo Yoonseok couldn’t dare to touch them because they were such big shots, so he had been suffering from stress-related illnesses recently.

Seo Chaejoon stared blankly at the top of his desk. Two teacups with tea not yet emptied, and the tea that had spilled over when Park Jaeho slammed the desk mid-conversation, remained there. Filthy… he muttered, then quietly opened his lips.

“Captain Shin. By any chance, do you remember Jang Daeyeong?”

It was a sudden change of topic, but Captain Shin straightened his back even more and answered immediately.

“I remember him.”

“At that time, everyone who knew that Jang Daeyeong frequented my government residence was buried, except for you, Captain Shin. Now you’re the only one left.”

“…That is correct.”

It was none other than Captain Shin who had buried those comrades.

The reason his comrades died was that they had witnessed Jang Daeyeong snooping around their superior’s residence. However, most of them did not know that the large-bodied man was Jang Daeyeong from the rebel camp. Because they were dealt with before Jang Daeyeong gained notoriety as a rebel.

While Captain Shin, who knew how cruel his seemingly frail superior could be at critical moments, hardened his expression to hide his drying mouth, Seo Chaejoon quietly closed his eyes.

“Village Chief Park Jaeho said that Jang Daeyeong was simple and kind…”

Captain Shin quickly interjected.

“He speaks without knowing. Jang Daeyeong was an incredibly greedy man.”

“Yes… he was.”

Behind his closed eyes, the face of a person he had forgotten popped up.

A means to move the rebels to gain his father’s approval. A piece on a game board. A pawn on a chessboard.

That was Jang Daeyeong’s role. Seo Chaejoon incited the young man, who was bewitched by the stories of Paradise, to actively participate in the rebellion.

First, he got rid of the subordinates who knew of Jang Daeyeong’s existence. He bribed a truck driver who transported goods to and from District 11 and exchanged letters with Jang Daeyeong monthly through him.

A few years later, upon hearing the news of Jang Daeyeong’s execution, Seo Chaejoon thought that his connection with him had ended completely.

“Also, after you left for Paradise, Daeyeong started getting to know the truck driver who delivered goods from Paradise to District 11. He said something was delivered every month.”

Until Park Jaeho had said those words a moment ago.

He had told him not to tell anyone about the letters and to burn them all immediately upon confirmation. Seo Chaejoon, too, had burned all the letters from him on the spot as soon as he read them.

But what if Jang Daeyeong hadn’t? What if he had hidden the letters they exchanged back then somewhere?

“Captain Shin. It seems my return here was fated.”

District 23 was all burned down. Then all he had to do was search here, in Jang Daeyeong’s hometown of District 11.

The rebels had fled after the wanted order was issued. In that rush, they wouldn’t have had the leisure to dispose of their belongings.

Seo Chaejoon’s expression, which had been cloudy as if covered by dark clouds, gradually brightened as if the sun were breaking through.

Captain Shin knew what his superior wanted just by looking at his expression, with uncanny accuracy. He immediately lowered his voice.

“What would you like me to do?”

“The house where Jang Daeyeong used to live, his sphere of activity… The sooner the better. It might be difficult to dig up since it was ten years ago. It won’t be easy to investigate the rebels while avoiding others’ eyes either.”

“I will try.”

“Yes. It’s urgent, so from this moment on, you will move separately from me.”

“Understood.”

Captain Shin nodded with a resolute expression and left the room.

Only after being alone again did Seo Chaejoon lean his neck all the way back against the chair, just like before.

Is this what Jang Daeyeong wanted? I didn’t give him an ounce of attention when he was alive. Only after his death have I come to chase his ghost.

He felt that what he would end up doing in this District 11 was no different from a treasure hunt.

This was all a race against time. The more it dragged on, the sloppier the military would become, and society would fall into disarray. A favorable stage would be set for Seo Juhyeok. It was a gut feeling. ‘Black’ was merely a prop. Now the next stage, and the stage after that… As the puzzle pieces came together, the picture Seo Juhyeok was painting would be completed.

He closed his eyes. Both sides lacked the leisure to refine their plans. The situation was changing rapidly. The key to victory or defeat lay in whether one got their ankle caught in this dirty game and rolled in the mud, or cut off their own ankle to escape.

“One week…”

It was the time limit Seo Chaejoon had set. It coincided with the amount of time he could keep Kwon Ilyeong by his side.

If things didn’t go as planned. It was far from his usual methods, but he was thinking of using the same one. There was no reason he couldn’t. Here, it was allowed.

Seo Chaejoon’s hand repeatedly flicked the lid of the Zippo lighter on his desk.

Click, click… When he spun the wheel, a small flame rose from it. His hazel eyes stared at the flame for a long time.

Ilyeong noticed at a glance that one of Seo Chaejoon’s subordinates, who always followed him around, was missing.

It was a fact he realized after meeting Nam Gi-yoon, rejoining Seo Chaejoon, and heading somewhere in a car.

Usually, four soldiers followed behind Seo Chaejoon, but now there were only three, including the one driving. It could have been a meaningless absence, but the one who had disappeared was a face he had often seen in Paradise.

He remembered him clearly because he had a slight limp and an impressive scar that cut across his right eyebrow.

The man who had been stuck right behind Seo Chaejoon on the rainy day they first introduced themselves, and at Seo Yoonseok’s birthday banquet, was now nowhere to be seen.

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

“Where are we going right now?”

“Hmm… It’s a break time.”

Seo Chaejoon, who was sitting in the seat next to him, answered with a gentle smile. Then he gazed out the car window again, lost in thought for a long while. It looked as if he had fallen into another world.

The conversation with Nam Gi-yoon had felt like it lasted just over 30 minutes. Ilyeong was sure that something had definitely happened in that time.

The military jeep soon stopped in front of a building. It was an ordinary five-story building with peeling paint here and there, and it looked like a factory, but all the windows were blocked, making it difficult to figure out what kind of place it was.

Ilyeong carefully looked around the other side as well. As he had expected on the way here, this was definitely the village at the foot of the mountain. However, while the building with the interrogation room had been on the outskirts of the village, this place was practically the center.

The low buildings standing close together looked similar to the trash village, which felt quite familiar. Beyond them, there would probably be a plaza with a large screen and a research institute.

As soon as he got out of the car, Ilyeong raised his head and looked around. The sharp winter wind whipped through the shirt he was wearing.

In the alleys between the buildings, behind the curtains drawn over the windows, there were wary eyes watching them. In the past few days, the number of outsiders in District 11 had increased abnormally, and the majority of them were soldiers. It was only natural that the nerves of the District 11 residents were on edge. Since they didn’t know what was happening in their own district, they had probably only just barely grasped that something unusual was afoot.

“Ah…! No!”

It was then. A shrill scream erupted from nearby, and something rolled near the jeep’s wheel. It was a ball covered in yellow dust.

The soldiers who were getting out of the jeep also froze. Ilyeong looked in the direction the ball had rolled from. Behind a large tree, a group of kids, who looked to be less than half his height, were gathered together. The faces of the children, who were squawking in small voices, were all pale with fright.

Before long, the smallest of them was pushed by the shoulders and peeked out from behind the tree.

“P-please give it back…”

He spoke boldly, but his face was already half in tears. Even a young child knew to be afraid of soldiers.

The soldiers didn’t move. They did nothing without Seo Chaejoon’s order. Seo Chaejoon had been staring at the ball with an unreadable expression for a while before he looked at Ilyeong.

It was as if he were waiting to see what he would do. Ilyeong thought about going over and handing the ball to him directly, but instead, he just nudged the ball with his foot, rolling it towards the child.

The lumpy ball bounced weakly. As soon as the children hugged the ball preciously in their arms, they quickly ran in the opposite direction.

Ilyeong spoke to their retreating backs in his mind. Right, go far, far away where I can’t see you. Don’t ever kick a ball towards soldiers again.

While they were walking into the building side by side, Seo Chaejoon quietly opened his mouth.

“I’ve felt this for a while, but. Doctor Kwon, you are a very warm person.”

“They’re kids who pose no threat at all. There’s no reason not to be.”

“Still.”

Think whatever you want. Even as he closed his mouth and climbed the stairs, Seo Chaejoon’s words didn’t end.

“You’re tough on the strong, and gentle with the weak. It’s truly impressive.”

“You’re jumping to conclusions over me returning a single ball.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have given it back. In the first place, what’s so great about a ball like that? It didn’t seem to roll very well either.”

A small laugh escaped Ilyeong’s lips.

“Don’t you know? It’s made from a pig’s bladder. On days when they occasionally butcher a pig at the military base cafeteria, they cut it out and toss it over like they’re doing a favor. Have you ever seen a pig being butchered, Lieutenant General? First, they slit its throat while it’s still alive to cut off its breathing, then they soak it in hot water and scrape off the hair. Slicing open the belly comes next, but hot blood is already gushing and spurting out from the moment the throat is slit. The bladder is one of the organs pulled out after shoving an arm into the belly. If you blow air into it…”

“Doctor Kwon…”

Seo Chaejoon covered his mouth as if to say stop, and held out his other hand to restrain him. His face was deathly pale.

It was ridiculous to see him clamp his mouth shut, feeling sick over a story like this, after he had so brazenly blown up the truck driver’s head last time.

Well, who told you to talk nonsense? Thanks to that, he had succeeded in shutting the mouth that was spouting irksome words.

It was a building with no elevator. On each floor, men in military police uniforms gave Seo Chaejoon a hand salute.

He instinctively realized that these were the ones who had come over from Paradise to search for the manufacturer of Black. If that was the case, then this place was…

“It’s a shelter. The residents of District 23 are all staying here.”

Seo Chaejoon only opened his mouth when they reached the third floor. Just a moment ago, his face had looked sick enough to vomit up his insides, but now he looked quite composed.

Seo Chaejoon’s subordinate, standing in front of him, grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.

Ilyeong sucked in his breath at the sight before him. The people of District 23. It was an encounter with the rebels who hated Seo Juhyeok to death. Ghosts in white clothes were swarming inside.

Click. Lee Ryeohwan lit the end of the cigarette and stepped back.

Seo Juhyeok gently held the end of the cigarette between his lips. Opposite him, the man sitting tied to a chair was sweating profusely and then, literally, grinned. It was a childish smile that came from wanting to escape this situation somehow.

“My goodness, Juhyeok-ah. Hmm. I see you here.”

The face, smiling with eyes curved like a wild goose’s, looked quite handsome.

Seo Juhyeok rested his chin on one hand and spoke crookedly through the cigarette clenched between his teeth.

“So it seems. To think I’d see you, Taejoo, here.”

The person delivered to Seo Juhyeok’s government residence this morning was, unexpectedly, Han Taejoo.

The sender was Seo Chaejoon. He was one of the people added to the boarding list that had been changed right up until departure.

“Well, this is… I’m sorry. You trusted me with a job after a long time. Hmm. I guess I was too engrossed in this work.”

“So you were tailed by Seo Chaejoon.”

“Ah! To be precise, it’s not because of me. It’s because of my father. His complaining outside about me poking around everywhere reached your hyung-nim’s ears…”

With this, Seo Chaejoon’s purpose in bringing Han Taejoo here also became clear. It was a warning and a check.

I know about your informant, Han Taejoo, who is leaking Paradise’s internal affairs to you. So I will keep you in the same place to prevent any funny business. His dear hyung was saying something like that.

“Ha!”

Seo Juhyeok, having read Seo Chaejoon’s intention, laughed with an incredulous look on his face. When a smile appeared on his cold face, Han Taejoo, interpreting it as some sign of forgiveness, quickly relaxed his expression and grinned foolishly.

“But can’t you untie this and then we can talk? I was tied up on the ship too… The Lieutenant General was really too much, with that smiling face. He said I should be grateful that I still have all my limbs, thanks to my family.”

“That’s a fair point.”

“What?!”

Seo Juhyeok gestured at Han Taejoo with his chin. Lee Ryeohwan immediately took a jackknife from his pocket and cut the rope that bound his torso to the back of the chair.

When Seo Chaejoon had delivered Han Taejoo, only his hands had been tied, so meticulously binding him to the chair like a pretty gift box must have been Lee Ryeohwan’s handiwork.

As expected, Han Taejoo’s glare at Lee Ryeohwan was fierce. Even though the rope binding his torso was gone, the handcuffs connecting him to both armrests remained.

“Why aren’t you taking these off? My wrists hurt.”

“I’m thinking.”

“About what!”

“I only trusted you this one time. How I should treat a friend who got caught right away and flew all the way here.”

“…You’re a little flustered, aren’t you?”

“More than that, I’m worried that Seo Chaejoon might…”

Seo Juhyeok didn’t finish his sentence and pressed the shortened cigarette onto the table to extinguish it.

He let out a dry laugh, remembering how Kwon Ilyeong had also provoked him in this way, ignoring a perfectly good ashtray.

I miss you. What might you be doing right now? He had placed a man at the building where Kwon Ilyeong was detained, and the fact that the radio was silent meant that he was safe.

Now was the time for each of them to do their own work. Even as he thought that, the thought of Kwon Ilyeong made his mouth go dry, as if he were suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

In the meantime, the smile vanished from Han Taejoo’s face. It was the face of someone who had understood the full, hidden meaning of Seo Juhyeok’s words.

The probability that Han Taejoo had switched sides to Seo Chaejoon.

It’s not like that, whatever you’re thinking, it’s all a misunderstanding! The sound of the handcuffs clanking rang loudly in the room as he shook his body while squawking.

Seo Juhyeok pressed his temples with his fingertips, watching him ramble, and then opened his mouth.

“What if I can’t believe you?”

“Hey, you…! How many years have we known each other? Even when my dad told me to be friendly with Chaejoon hyung-nim instead of you, I only had eyes for you.”

“The Chairman said that? I’m disappointed…”

“Th-that’s right. It’s all in the past. What’s important is not that, but that I only had eyes for you. I believed you would do great things. That’s why I was so happy when you first asked me for something. The result turned out like this, but… do you think I’d screw you over and switch sides now?”

“Hmm.”

“Look at me! Does this look like someone who’s been living it up by sticking to Seo Chaejoon?”

Han Taejoo, shouting like that, had a dark stubble under his chin from not having shaved for days, and his clothes, unlike his usual taste, were plain. Han Taejoo always wore three or more accessories on his body. The guy was so sincere about his appearance that he couldn’t even part with shiny things in his sleep, but now he had nothing on him. He had been dragged here in a hurry.

“Your father. Does Chairman Han know you’re here? Would he stay still with his temper, when his son has been dragged away?”

“He wouldn’t stay still. He takes it a step further. Is the old man senile? Far from stopping it, he pushed me on my way, telling me to get close to you and come back. I was dragged here right from my sleep at home. My father opened the door. I told him I was being dragged to District 11, but my father saw it as a chance to spy on your situation.”

“That’s quite welcome news. Did my side seem closer to victory?”

As he had thought while reading Han Taejoo’s letter, all the businessmen were sensitive to rumors and atmosphere. This was because the direction of their business could change depending on who sat in the next leader’s seat.

Until now, everyone had been on Seo Yoonseok and Seo Chaejoon’s side. His father and brother might feel regret for those swept up in the rumors created by Wol-yeong, but they were a pack of jackals that had always flocked to the side with more meat to tear off. Like bats, they stick here, then stick there.

Seo Juhyeok gestured with his chin towards Han Taejoo’s left arm, which had brought him an interesting story. Lee Ryeohwan diligently undid only the handcuff on that arm. Han Taejoo shook his hand, making a fuss, saying he thought his whole wrist was going to fall off. His right hand was still bound.

“It would be correct to say that the number of people testing the waters on your side has increased, Juhyeok. Until now, they naturally thought that taking your hyung-nim’s line was the safest, but the way things are going in Paradise lately is unusual. Take this incident, for example. The fact that someone as high-ranking as a Lieutenant General from Paradise is moving directly to District 11 gives the impression that the matter is serious. The Lieutenant General himself couldn’t have been unaware of the repercussions…”

“It’s all a show. It’s to say that since a Lieutenant General-level figure personally moved to reinvestigate, no one should question the results anymore.”

“You can think of it that way too.”

For once, Han Taejoo nodded with a serious face.

“Still, there are more people on the Lieutenant General’s side. It’s hard to say for sure that they’ve completely switched over to your side.”

“You’re so cold, my heart aches.”

“You’re full of it.”

“Should I put the handcuff back on?”

“No… That’s not it, there must be a way, right? It’s already started. The military faction fight for the next leader’s seat. Though I doubt your hale and hearty father will give up the position he values more than his life.”

“I have to make it so he has no choice but to step down.”

“Is that Black? Paradise has certainly become a mess, but the Leader himself hasn’t touched Black. Same for the Lieutenant General.”

“That’s one method. A method to muddle the solid Seo Yoonseok camp. At first, I was thinking we should all just do drugs together and go to hell amicably.”

That didn’t work out. Since the supplier is clearly alive, if he falls into someone’s hands, my side will be attacked instead.

Frustrated, Seo Juhyeok took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth. Looking at Lee Ryeohwan standing stiffly behind Han Taejoo, he was somehow managing to maintain a straight face, looking as if he couldn’t hear anything.

Han Taejoo, following Seo Juhyeok’s gaze, also lowered his voice.

“But what’s with him? Is it okay for him to listen to us talking like this here?”

“Major Lee Ryeohwan. Currently the battalion commander of District 11.”

Han Taejoo’s face immediately crumpled.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Damn it… I really hate soldiers now. They’re so damn arbitrary.”

Seeing the way Han Taejoo was glaring, it seemed he had developed a deep grudge against Lee Ryeohwan when he was tied to the chair.

Clank, clank. Han Taejoo shook his right arm, caught in the handcuff, and then, with his eyebrows furrowed in a V, started fawning over Seo Juhyeok again.

“I’m ready to bet everything on you, Juhyeok-ah. Is there anything you need?”

“There is.”

“What is it? Just say the word.”

“A truly decisive blow.”

A runaway tank that will definitively push Seo Chaejoon aside. A clear case of corruption involving Seo Yoonseok and Seo Chaejoon that anyone can see. Although the amount of corruption data collected so far is substantial, there was a high possibility that those slippery old men could wiggle their way out if they put their minds to it.

He needed a single blow that left no such loopholes.

“Right, then I’ve come at the perfect time. Take this off.”

Han Taejoo demanded confidently. And he grinned like a mischievous boy.

“In my pocket is a USB. Yera noona asked me to give it to you.”

“I believe you must have been very shocked by the recent events. Your homes burned down, and you barely survived, only to be told that there is a drug offender among you. How surprised you must be. Furthermore, since a special mission platoon has been dispatched separately from Paradise, you must be very worried that the sparks might fly your way.”

The eyes of those looking at Seo Chaejoon, who spoke in a sweet and gentle tone, were all filled with wariness.

Ilyeong, too, listened to Seo Chaejoon’s speech-that-wasn’t-a-speech and looked around at the faces of those dressed in white one-piece garments. Every one of them had a dark, dead complexion and was stick-thin. Why us, who were rebels? The question that arose on their faces was all the same.

“However, the purpose of the special mission platoon is not to interrogate or torture you. It is to protect you. This place is safe. No soldiers from any unit other than myself and the special mission platoon will be able to lay a hand on you. You just need to answer a few of our questions.”

“Un-until when…”

A woman with hollow cheeks raised her hand and asked. Seo Chaejoon smiled benevolently.

“Do not worry. It will not take long. We plan to cross over to the 23rd Evacuation District soon. There was a message from the Leader to do our best in the reconstruction and relief efforts for District 23.”

It was a relief effort he was pushed into sending because he felt the sting of Wol-yeong’s leaflet produced by Seo Yera, yet he was taking so much damn credit for it.

The people of District 23 seemed cautious and sensitive. They were completely isolated in this District 11.

It was obvious they would be mistreated by the soldiers, and since they had mercilessly killed even the innocent people of District 11 and then fled, only to return, it was natural that no one here would welcome them.

Ilyeong carefully watched their gaunt faces. He thought they would be special and different since they were rebels, but now that he was facing them, they just looked worn out.

Everyone lives with an ember inside them. It seemed these people had burned up that ember in the rebellion 10 years ago and exhausted all their energy.

“Were you nervous?”

As he stood silently, leaning against a distant pillar, Seo Chaejoon, who had at some point emerged from that scene, came up beside him and held out a cup from which steam was rising.

The savory smell stimulated his empty stomach. Seo Chaejoon smiled beautifully from behind his glasses.

“Eat. It’s soup. I’d like to treat you to a proper meal, Doctor Kwon, but as you can see, I don’t have time to eat either. Let’s have a simple meal.”

“That can’t be good for your health. I heard you are of weak constitution.”

Seo Chaejoon narrowed his eyes slightly behind his glasses, then took a sip of the soup. Though his face was elegant as if he were drinking tea, he was replenishing his energy to live through the rest of the day. And then, he took his lips off the cup, let out a long sigh, and spoke.

“My physical condition is always up and down. Lately, thankfully, I’ve been in very good condition. So now. I have to do my best now. I don’t know when the opportunity will come again. Because I don’t know when my health might worsen.”

“…”

“I have no intention of running away or backing down using something beyond my control as an excuse.”

Seo Chaejoon seemed to be making a promise to himself rather than talking to someone else. His face looked more tired than ever. No, should I say it looked anxious? The thought occurred that perhaps Seo Chaejoon was being pushed to his limit.

People tend to become bold when they feel rushed. Colonel Jamie Moore, who was probably in hell now, had been the same. He had tried to kill Ilyeong to see an end to it before the cruise arrived in Paradise, because he sensed he would be cast aside by the Seo father and son.

If that was the case, how would Seo Chaejoon change when he realized he had no place to retreat to?

“More importantly.”

Seo Chaejoon quickly wiped his expression clean and placed the mug he was holding down on the table next to him with a thud.

“What are your impressions? This is the first time you’ve met the District 11 rebels… the people of District 23, whom you’ve only heard about.”

“I have no thoughts.”

“Don’t be like that.”

Haaah… After letting out a long sigh as if to make sure he was heard, Ilyeong opened his mouth in a calm voice.

“To be honest, it’s different from what I expected. They look more ordinary than I thought.”

“It’s because their roots were pulled out. The principle for weeds is to pull them out and dispose of them whole, but for them, only the roots were chopped off. Since the roots are gone, all the leaves have withered.”

“…Are you saying the weeds are the rebels, and the roots are the leaders?”

Seo Chaejoon neither confirmed nor denied, but smiled slightly before opening his mouth.

“That’s why I understand a little of Juhyeok’s heart, who despises those people. They are unworthy of even the name ‘rebel.’ They are murderers. When the roots were attached, they were almost like a cult. They would do anything if it was the leader’s will. I found that grotesque, but… it was also convenient.”

With an unreadable expression, Seo Chaejoon’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and after a short silence, he closed and opened his eyes.

“Do you think Juhyeok will succeed in killing all those people?”

The muttered words sounded even more chilling because there was no malice in them. It was a harmless question, like a child’s. Ilyeong, who had been at a loss for words for a moment, opened his mouth.

“…Lieutenant Colonel Seo will not do that.”

“Are you sure? Juhyeok set fire to District 23 even 10 years ago. He could have caught the rebels within a year if he wanted to, but he deliberately dragged it out for seven years. Everyone called it madness. They treated him like an uncontrollable madman, saying his way of thinking was extreme because he had been exposed to such violence since he was fifteen. I agree. Honestly, many people probably think this fire was also Juhyeok’s doing. Don’t you think so, Doctor Kwon?”

He remembered the countless sparks that had flown between him and Seo Juhyeok after they reunited. The times they didn’t trust each other, the times they doubted. His throat tightened.

“He said it was a wildfire.”

“Couldn’t that be a lie? People don’t change easily.”

“Then and now are different.”

“In what way?”

Ilyeong looked down at Seo Chaejoon. The spirit emanating from the man, who was shorter and smaller in stature than him, was quite overwhelming. However, Ilyeong continued speaking without being intimidated.

“Because I am here. Mr. Seo Juhyeok has already saved me multiple times.”

Upon hearing Ilyeong’s words, Seo Chaejoon looked a little surprised.