Chapter 330

Start (11)

***

Huff, huff.

Jin Hyuk was so busy cleaning the room that he didn’t even have time to change his clothes. He had rolled up his sleeves and was trying to take off his school vest when he lured Yoo Jin to the living room with ice cream.

“Oppa is busy… Wakes up early to exercise… Eats breakfast, has meetings… Eats lunch, has meetings… Eats dinner, exercises… Goes back to the office to work, then comes home and sleeps right away… Sometimes meets friends outside too…”

Mumble, mumble.

Yoo Jin, treating her brother’s grumbling as background music, devoured an entire tub of ice cream.

Sitting almost lying down on the spacious sofa, Yoo Jin stretched her neck toward her brother’s room.

“Oppa~! Why aren’t you using the vacuum?”

“I need to do a deep clean to feel refreshed!”

Deep clean? Ah, I see.

Uncles living in the countryside often called big cleaning sessions that. They would roll up the mop like a club and scrub the floors and rooms with all their might. Just watching them felt like a workout. After the cleaning, even the countryside house would become unrecognizably pleasant.

Oppa is now scrubbing the room and desk with water mixed with toothpaste.

If you’re not going to use the robot vacuum, why not sell it at the flea market…

Gulp~. That was delicious.

As expected, filling your stomach with vanilla ice cream during your growth period doesn’t hinder development.

“Yoo Jin, let’s go now.”

Jin Hyuk came out with a flushed face, putting on his jacket.

Yoo Jin’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her brother. She was suspicious whether he had actually cleaned or just fooled around. His face looked similar to the day he tripped over his pants and fell.

“Are you going to wear a suit?”

“Yeah, why not.”

If I change clothes and shed more fur, it’ll be troublesome.

“Wouldn’t this be less noticeable? People recognize you when you wear sportswear or casual clothes. Maybe because you’re an athlete.”

“Hmm~”

It seemed quite convincing, as Yoo Jin, with a spoon in her mouth, nodded her head.

*

‘It must have been my imagination. It’s not the clothes.’

The crowd, with their backs to the dazzling store lights, all looked in the same direction.

Their eyes stopped when Jin Hyuk and Yoo Jin stopped, and moved again when they moved.

“Excuse me~.”

“Thank you~.”

Yoo Jin loudly apologized and thanked as she made her way through the crowd.

Jin Hyuk smiled lightly at those who asked for photos, signed autographs, and slowly moved forward. He felt sorry, as if the crowd congestion in the alley was somehow his fault.

“She’s my brother’s younger sister. Not his girlfriend~. It’s not weird~.”

Ah, Yoo Jin. You don’t have to say that.

She really takes after Dad, being so clumsy.

“My brother must be uncomfortable because of me.”

“It’s fine. It’s not the first time.”

Compared to the pride of seeing that little kid grow up so much that she can even go on dates with her brother, the discomfort is nothing.

He stopped in front of a cosmetics store.

It was a store he often visited, dragged by Choi Mi-kyung and Kim Eun-jung, and he heard it was popular among young women.

“Oppa, why?”

“I want to buy cosmetics for Yoo Jin.”

“It’s okay~. Hehe~.”

Seeing her squirm while saying it’s okay, it clearly wasn’t okay. Afraid of losing his sister, he held her hand and led the way.

“Um, um~. You know~. Mom says students shouldn’t use cosmetics.”

While obediently following her brother inside, Yoo Jin chattered.

“Mom is from the old generation. Understand her words as they are, but Yoo Jin, you’re a modern person, so you can live like a modern person.”

Scribble, scribble~. Mom is old-fashioned, I’m modern~.

While Yoo Jin memorized her brother’s words, he looked for a store employee.

“Can you recommend some products for a student?”

“Is there anything specific you’re looking for?”

At the employee’s question, he turned to Yoo Jin.

“What do your friends use these days?”

“They don’t really use color makeup, but tints, lip glosses, lip balms, BB cream, whitening, brightening… Ah! What’s good for acne?”

Blah, blah.

From the mouth of the kid who said she had no idea, words Jin Hyuk couldn’t understand poured out relentlessly.

Watching his sister talk to the employee, Jin Hyuk smiled softly.

‘A girl.’

No matter how unique, smart, or deep she is, Yoo Jin is also going through puberty just like her peers.

Sometimes she laughs like a mad person due to emotional ups and downs, and sometimes cries like she’s lost her country. But that’s because she’s happy and has no other worries, so she can be true to her inner self and emotions, Yoo Jin shrugged. It’s just a phase everyone goes through. That’s why she lives with gratitude toward her dad, mom, and brother. She knows who she owes her happy growth to…

‘Can I brag a little that I brought this peace?’

The siblings are growing up well and normally.

It’s the sight Jin Hyuk desperately wished and hoped for.

“Miss! I’ll take that, that, and that. Ah! And please gift-wrap that and that~.”

Gift?

What Yoo Jin pointed to were cosmetics that adults would use. The product that Choi Mi-kyung recommended to Kim Eun-jung, saying that tapping it on your cheeks would make them peach-like and perfect for attracting guys. I don’t know why girls with boyfriends focus on such functions, but anyway, Choi Mi-kyung, the medical student, definitely said that. Eun-jung, who couldn’t use it herself, regretfully told Yoo Jin to use it.

“Yoo Jin, who’s that for? Your classmate?”

“Eww~! Why would I use Oppa’s money to buy something for a friend? That’s something I should buy with my allowance~. This is for Soo-jung unnie.”

“Ah, Soo-jung?”

“Yes. I picked something that matches Soo-jung unnie’s skin tone, so you give it to her.”

He was touched by his sister’s thoughtfulness.

He had forgotten that the little kid wasn’t so little anymore.

He had never forgotten her, but out of consideration for her exam period, he refrained from contacting or visiting her. Jin Hyuk was also busy juggling being an athlete and a businessman.

They even watched an unplanned movie.

“Stephen Chow’s movies are absurd and silly, but they’re funny.”

Yoo Jin enjoyed street snacks like a child.

There must be many foods hard to find in the countryside.

“Oppa, are you busy during the World Cup too?”

“Yeah. I’m a company employee.”

“Sigh~. This won’t do. I should give unnie’s gift myself. If I leave it to Oppa, he’ll stash it away until it expires~.”

She knows her brother too well.

Having been scolded by Yoo Jin for almost ten years, Jin Hyuk has reached a point where he just scratches his ear and doesn’t get hurt.

“Ah, what a waste.”

“What is?”

“Not being able to do street cheering with Soo-jung unnie…”

Will our Oppa ever properly date at this rate~. Yoo Jin sighed.

Jin Hyuk gently patted his sister’s head and laughed heartily.

“I asked her clearly. She said she wants to focus on her exam period. And she’s not interested in sports and dislikes crowded places.”

“Why~? I find crowded places fun~”

“She said she doesn’t want to trouble the bodyguards.”

“Wow~. Soo-jung unnie has matured.”

What are you talking about, kid.

“It seems the bodyguards who secretly followed her when she met her friends got caught.”

“Then, Oppa, are you watching the World Cup at the company?”

“Hmm? I have separate plans… It’s something I must do.”

“Our Oppa is too busy.”

There’s something he must take care of.

Something only the power handed down by Hong Ki-jun can do.

***

June.

The country was buzzing with the co-hosted World Cup with Japan.

The red crowds took over the city, shouting for South Korea with all their might, a scene no different from the past.

In his past life, he was in the military during the World Cup.

He did high-altitude parachuting, was deployed on reconnaissance missions, and carried out ambush operations in the mountains of Gangwon Province.

‘By the end of the World Cup, I was given live ammunition and boarded a transport plane…’

The special forces were prepared for war, each with tasks like disrupting the rear, destroying key facilities, and assassinating key figures. It was a mission with no hope of return, and they even left wills on the memorial table. Jin Hyuk left his will for Choi Mi-kyung. She was the only person he could consider family.

This life is different.

On weekends, Jin Hyuk visited the underwater research station and watched the West Sea from the depths.

The underwater research station has a total of 8 floors.

Even reaching the first basement floor requires over a minute on the elevator. It’s that deeply embedded.

The first basement floor is a warehouse filled with various supplies and materials, while floors 2 to 6 are research labs where different studies are conducted on each level.

The 7th floor is the situation room, and the 8th floor is a massive cavern, so large that the term “floor height” feels inadequate, housing submarines and various military facilities. It’s where the ultimate military power and all sorts of secrets of the Empire are hidden.

Jin Hyuk was stationed in the deepest and most secure room in the 7th-floor situation room, the operations control room.

“Steve, aren’t you going to watch the World Cup?”

An agent, glancing at colleagues watching the game outside the control room, asked.

With everyone, regardless of age or gender, cheering in the streets or at bars, it’s only natural to be curious about someone who comes to work even on weekends.

“I find watching soccer alone at dawn more fun.”

Even as he said this, Jin Hyuk’s eyes didn’t leave the large monitor.

It was a display that detected and marked obstacles and moving objects in the air, on water, and underwater. Objects longer than 1.5 meters were displayed with varying colors and intensities based on their size.

“Team Leader Hwang.”

“Yes, Steve.”

“Are the North Koreans’ movements similar to last week?”

“Yes, they’ve been frequently violating the NLL recently, claiming to protect their fishing boats.”

Hwang Je-min placed a report on the transparent acrylic and handed it over.

“Our navy is pushing them back as best they can, but with the delay in revising engagement rules, they’re still responding with body checks.”

They were curious about how the North Koreans would react, so they deliberately didn’t press too hard.

Still, they didn’t slack on surveillance, using satellites, radar, and underwater monitoring systems.

“No sign of semi-submersibles.”

“No, just a few patrol boats going up and down.”

“The frequency of collisions has increased recently.”

“According to simple reports from the navy…”

Hwang Je-min trailed off. Seeing him scratch his cheek, it seemed he had something to say.

“What’s your opinion, Team Leader Hwang Je-min, beyond the simple reports?”

Hwang Je-min, who served up to the rank of major in the Navy Intelligence Command, was recruited based on Hong Ki-jun’s advice that to become an outstanding leader, one must be able to place the right people in the right positions. He has a sharp sense for data analysis and situational awareness. Someone like him would surely have insightful views.

“Looking at the deployment identified by our advanced equipment…”

Hwang Je-min approached the display and pointed to a specific location.

“Many patrol boats have come down. The ones waiting behind them are torpedo boats. I sent a coded message to the navy just in case…”

“And?”

Jin Hyuk urged for an answer.

“Given the sensitive waters, they’re just exchanging small arms fire and keeping an eye on each other. They’re only visually tracking the patrol boats in front of them and physically chasing them. They’re either not taking it seriously or the command’s responsiveness is lacking.”

“Or their attention is elsewhere?”

“Yes. That’s what I think.”

“Cover position.”

As Jin Hyuk spat out the words, the control room agents quickly locked the doors and lowered the blinds.

It was a prearranged shielding code within the control room to block sound and light.

Hwang Je-min activated the soundproofing device. It was a measure to ensure no sound leaked outside the control room.

“Since when?”

“A week ago.”

“Why didn’t you report it?”

“It happens occasionally…”

“It’s fine. I’m not trying to reprimand you, so speak freely. From the tone of your voice, it doesn’t seem like a common occurrence?”

“Yes, actually, they don’t usually come down this much. Compared to our navy, their mobility and hull durability are inferior, and repair costs are high if damaged. They’re not fond of colliding with our high-speed boats unless necessary.”

Hmm.

Hwang Je-min, who had tilted his head once, handed over another report covered in black paper.

“This is the intercepted content.”

Huh.

After skimming the report, Jin Hyuk let out a bitter laugh.

“Are they saying let’s bump into each other out of anger? Is that what it means?”

“Yes, we requested intelligence gathering from Triple S regarding this, but no external factors were found.”

“So, it seems like a simple provocation attempt?”

“Yes, that’s correct. It feels like they’re just grinding their teeth, wanting to clash once. How much have they suffered from our high-speed boats recently?”

Some things never change.

Human behavior.

In similar situations, around the same time, they often do similar things.

When Hong Ki-jun was scolding and warning them, they were quiet, but while he was busy preparing for space projects, they started stretching again.

“How far up the chain of command does this conversation go?”

“First, the communication we intercepted wasn’t shortwave.”

“Meaning… only between ships?”

As Jin Hyuk raised an eyebrow, Hwang Je-min nodded once and drew a circle with his index finger around the largest, reddest dot near the NLL.

“The origin tracking confirmed that the communication only occurred in this area. The communication range only included patrol boats and nearby guard boats.”

“It could be orders from above. Someone outside could have made a deal. They wouldn’t move easily just for oil money, right?”

“That makes sense, but that’s all we’ve confirmed so far.”

Jin Hyuk uncrossed his arms and rested his chin on one hand.

‘What’s the best way to handle this…’

Does the military know about this? Assuming they do, it’s safer to act as conservatively as possible. If we assume the military doesn’t know and send a submarine to sink a North Korean warship without military consent, not only the military but also the US watching the West Sea would view us unfavorably.

Then, it’s better to just warn North Korea that we’re watching and not to act rashly. No matter what North Korea says, the world won’t believe them anyway.

If they’re rational and value their lives, a warning from us should make them cautious.

The deliberation didn’t take long.

“Can we communicate?”

“We’ll hijack the patrol boat’s frequency.”

Hwang Je-min, holding the handset and operating the switch, gestured to another agent, who then operated the switch in turn.

“We’ll cut the wiretap.”

Whether it’s South Korea, the US, or other watchers, they won’t be able to listen to the North Korean patrol boat’s communication.

Static.

“Is this the North Korean West Sea vessel?”

– …….

The mechanical noise decreased, and murmuring voices could be heard, clearly indicating a connection, but they seemed hesitant, perhaps panicking.

Hwang Je-min urged again.

“Is this the North Korean West Sea vessel?”

– Who are you? How did you connect?

The mere act of calling them North Korea should sufficiently convey that the communication attempt was from South Korea. Confirming the connection, Hwang Je-min nodded and handed the handset to Jin Hyuk.

What should I say? What did Chairman Hong Ki-jun say when sending messages to North Korea? “If you mess around, Pyongyang will be a sea of fire”? “Sinuiju underwear run”? No, Hong Ki-jun’s messages are too strong.

‘We’re watching everything. If you keep causing trouble, Chairman Hong Ki-jun won’t stay quiet. Yeah, that’s good enough.’

Taking the handset, Jin Hyuk put on a solemn expression.

“You wanna mess around?”

Damn. Why doesn’t this habit of saying nonsense when thoughts get too long go away?

Is this a war stance?

Sigh~. Jin Hyuk, with the handset to his ear, bowed his head deeply.

Oops, Hwang Je-min, who had his eyes tightly shut, slowly shook his head. Steve, if you’re going to do that, wouldn’t it be better to send a submarine and quietly sink them…?