March Novel (Completed) - Chapter 116

Something soft touched his cheek. Sehwa, who was unconsciously rubbing his face as if complaining, realized a few seconds later that it was the feel of the bedding. A chill ran down the back of his neck, and he rolled his eyes to look around. He was indeed on the bed.

Why am I lying here? I was clearly squatting on the floor, weeping pitifully, and then…

Sehwa, whose mind caught up a beat late, hastily got up. He deliberately ignored the slight indentation on the edge of the sheet and slipped his feet into his slippers. The person who must have carried him to the bed when he passed out, the person who must have sat by his side for so long that a trace remained, watching him before getting up… What more was there to say? It must have been Gi Taejeong.

“So, Commander Oh Seonran…”

He moved urgently, carelessly throwing open the bedroom door. Gi Taejeong, who was in the living room in his uniform, and Second Lieutenant Park, who was reporting to him, both looked his way simultaneously.

“…How are you feeling?”

Gi Taejeong didn’t ignore him. He didn’t show any awkward or unnatural demeanor that would remind him of what had happened yesterday. He was just as he always was, throwing out light words as usual. It was almost as if the turmoil of the previous night had been a dream.

“I’m going to meet Commander Oh Seonran outside for a bit.”

“……”

“It shouldn’t take long. After that, I plan to continue working here.”

The man quickly scanned Sehwa from head to toe, then straightened his cuffs. He seemed to have judged that there were no major issues.

“…Do you need anything? Like something to eat?”

While he had temporarily lost his memory, Gi Taejeong had developed a strange habit. Whenever he left, he would briefly tell Sehwa what he was going to do and when he would return. The last thing was always a question asking if he wanted anything.

Sehwa blinked blankly, then rubbed his dry face with the back of his hand. …He couldn’t just brush it off as if nothing had happened.

The day before yesterday and yesterday, over several days, he had revealed everything that remained in him to Gi Taejeong. Although the sentences were poorly constructed, he had removed the biggest stone from his heart, and scraped away most of the lingering tears and resentment. He had also clearly expressed his intention not to continue their relationship after the trial.

Yet, Gi Taejeong was acting as if nothing had happened. Sehwa inflated his cheeks and steeled himself. He couldn’t let it slide this time either. If he let it go ambiguously like this, the man would naturally assume he would move into the official residence, and even when Saessak was taken out of the incubator, he would try to be by his side as the biological father. It was obvious he would naturally try to be with him for Saessak’s birth registration, residence registration… every single moment.

He had to break the endless repeat. Now was the time to properly put an end to this man.

“After you return… please tell me.”

Although his voice trembled like a goat’s at times, his speech was much smoother than yesterday. So much so that Gi Taejeong and Second Lieutenant Park widened their eyes slightly in surprise, looking at him.

“What I need to do… at the trial. You said it was in a few days.”

Gi Taejeong’s hand, which was tightening his tie knot, seemed to slow down for a moment. But then, as if he hadn’t heard Sehwa’s words, he continued to focus on his own task.

“General…”

As Sehwa deliberately took large strides and stood in front of him, Gi Taejeong squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them. So much force was applied that deep lines formed and disappeared in his sculptured eye sockets.

“Anyway, without my story, Captain Kim’s… explanation about the drugs will be difficult…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Gi Taejeong retorted curtly, then, as if realizing his mistake, added more words.

“We’re preparing on our end so you don’t have to step forward, so don’t think about anything.”

Even though he wasn’t acting as intimidatingly as before, Sehwa knew how to act when Gi Taejeong was like this. No amount of pleading or nagging would work, so he had no choice but to give up first.

Sehwa looked up at Gi Taejeong for a long time with tear-filled eyes, then bowed his head deeply. He’d grant anything? He could fix it if I told him? I was a fool for getting so upset when he brought baby shoes. He was the kind of person who made all sorts of conditions and then still did as he pleased.

He wasn’t going to attend the trial as if he were going on a picnic either. Still, he didn’t want to be excluded from a situation where his name was being discussed, a moment that could potentially change his life. He didn’t care if he couldn’t say anything, he just wanted to be there. That was all.

“I’m doing this because I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Gi Taejeong seemed to have read something in Sehwa’s expression as he was about to give up and turn away, and he hastily grabbed him, making excuses.

“Do you even know what a military trial is? It’s a place where old farts call people in, sit them in the middle, and mess around as they please.”

“……”

“Those bastards sitting as jurors say things like, ‘That guy looks unpleasant, let’s kill him,’ or ‘My friend asked me to let him go,’ and then they vote by a show of hands and kill or save people for fun right there. That’s a military trial.”

“……”

“It’s obvious what kind of nonsense those bastards with armbands will spout at you, so how can I send you there?”

Sehwa lightly shook his held wrist as if he didn’t need it. Despite that trivial movement, which seemed less than Saessak’s breath, Gi Taejeong easily released his grip.

“You dragged me into this because you wanted to win in such a place, to ruin Captain Kim, didn’t you?”

“…Lee Sehwa.”

“Ahem, Mr. Lee Sehwa. There are many ways to testify without having to appear in person.”

Second Lieutenant Park, who had been sweating behind them, watching the two, seized the opportunity to interject.

“This has been mentioned before, but how about filming a hologram containing your testimony with Commander Oh Seonran present? If you briefly speak about the drugs Captain Kim manufactured and the distribution process there,”

“Filming…?”

At Sehwa’s voice, even lower than before, Second Lieutenant Park’s face, which had rarely shown a smile in an attempt to lighten the mood, slowly stiffened. He had just remembered the reason Sehwa’s body was so worn out, the cause of his current stay in the recovery room.

“Ah, that… I apologize. I didn’t mean anything else. What I was trying to say was…”

“That won’t happen.”

Gi Taejeong cut off Second Lieutenant Park’s clumsy excuse and let out a long sigh through his nose.

“I was just about to discuss other methods with Commander Oh Seonran today…”

“……”

“I’ll make sure you don’t have to do things like filming yourself.”

“…Do as you please, but. Anyway, my very existence… is a favorable evidence for you, isn’t it, General?”

“That story is,”

“Then just… keep your promise.”

The atmosphere suggested he wouldn’t even be allowed to accompany them to the courtroom, let alone appear as a witness. If there was no other way than hologram filming, what more could he say? People were already arbitrarily discussing his treatment, and as always, he didn’t seem to be given any decision-making power.

If so, he wanted to secure whatever he could. The child… Saessak would absolutely not live like this. Hadn’t he vowed before that he would rather die together than make him live a life like his?

Sehwa turned away, pressing his rubbery, swollen eyelids, which were puffy from crying so much. He hadn’t meant to look, but he caught a glimpse of Gi Taejeong grinding his teeth. It was only for a fleeting moment, so he couldn’t be sure, but…

And… surprisingly, that was all. The man didn’t call his name, nor did he turn him around for being insolent. Only a faint breeze brushed somewhere on his wrist.

Sehwa knew that Gi Taejeong had tried to hold him carefully belatedly, and that the air fluttered like this due to the movement of his outstretched fingertips, but he walked steadfastly towards the bedroom, looking straight ahead, as if he felt nothing.

“Lee Sehwa is…”

Gi Taejeong threw his uniform cap and flopped onto the sofa.

“He’s in the incubator protection room. I’ve put in a call, so Lieutenant Na will bring him.”

Second Lieutenant Park tapped various parts of his tablet, repeatedly checking if the screen and holograms were working properly. He planned to explain the trial proceedings to Sehwa as briefly as possible, omitting difficult details.

He knew it was insane to put Lee Sehwa on the stand. No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn’t be able to avoid the stoning directed at Lee Sehwa. He would hide him behind himself so he wouldn’t be hit by sharp objects, but the vulgar sight of sharp words flying indiscriminately would clearly be agonizing for Sehwa himself.

“Are you really planning to put Mr. Lee Sehwa on the stand as a witness?”

“…Yes.”

Yes, he knew, but… he just couldn’t win. So, are you going to film me? How can you offer me such a method again? Are you planning to arbitrarily wield my name and life again? Lee Sehwa, with his emotions suddenly extinguished and eyes like glass, had silently asked him that, and in the end, Gi Taejeong had to back down. No, he had no choice.

“Tell Lee Sehwa everything he’s curious about. How Colonel Kim is trying to corner Sehwa… everything that’s expected.”

“Huh? But…”

Originally, he had only intended to briefly tell him, Captain Kim’s family is trying to pin all the blame on you… and that was it. He had planned to emphasize until the day of the trial that he should remain silent no matter what he heard, as they were bastards accustomed to dirty instigation.

However… as he returned to the hospital and pondered the layers of loss Lee Sehwa must have secretly endured, even that seemed like deception. Hadn’t yesterday’s Lee Sehwa knelt and sobbed again at the kindness he had arbitrarily tried to bestow?

“But if he knows too much, there’s a high possibility that Mr. Lee Sehwa will go off in an unexpected direction. To minimize variables,”

“Still, he won’t turn to Captain Kim’s advantage.”

Sehwa would eventually realize that it was better to assert his innocence for the sake of the child, to follow his lead. Still…

“Of course, it’s not bad to have a contingency plan, so we’ll have to adjust the direction somewhat.”

“By adjusting the direction, you mean…”

“If there are things I can compromise on, things I can adjust… prepare them for now.”

Second Lieutenant Park stared at Gi Taejeong with his mouth agape, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

“General…”

“I’m not backing down to Colonel Kim’s side. That bastard, I’ll completely destroy him until the end… but there are other bastards, aren’t there? If there are guys who can definitely throw their votes my way, even if Lee Sehwa says something that falters…”

Gi Taejeong let out a cynical laugh as he said this, finding his own actions absurd. He could do this much. He was even prepared for this… Why had he made Lee Sehwa cry so much before?

“Delay their discharge, and let it slip that I might help them with their businesses a little.”

Will you know what I’m willing to give up because I don’t want to make you cry anymore? No, you probably don’t even want to know now.

“…Because I can give up this much too.”

“General.”

Behind Second Lieutenant Park, who was just gaping blankly, Warrant Officer Choi’s voice was heard.

“I’ve confirmed that the items you ordered for the official residence have been properly placed, and there was a lot of accumulated mail, so I brought it.”

Warrant Officer Choi bowed his head through the open door of the recovery room and entered.

“I’ve only selected the ones you should probably check.”

Leaving Second Lieutenant Park, who was frozen by his superior’s unexpected declaration, Gi Taejeong accepted the bundle from Warrant Officer Choi with a bored expression. The purpose of sending mail in this day and age was obvious. Pleas for donations, nonsense invitations to social gatherings within the military…

“What’s this?”

As he indifferently flipped through the envelopes, something tucked inside fell to the floor. It was a small envelope with nothing written on the outside.

“Ah, they say it was in your uniform pocket when it was laundered before, General. I checked the laundry room video, and the person in charge immediately sealed it in a storage envelope upon discovery, and confirmed that it hasn’t been touched since.”

“Something from my clothes?”

He didn’t remember putting anything in his pocket. Gi Taejeong frowned slightly and examined the small envelope. Its size and appearance were very suspicious. If there had been a problem, for example, if a bomb had been planted, it would have exploded in the mail storage box within the official residence before reaching his hands, so it probably wasn’t anything serious, but…

“Open it.”

Warrant Officer Choi, who had taken the item back from Gi Taejeong, took out a scanner and carefully examined it, then cautiously tore open the outer surface with specialized equipment.

“It appears to be normal.”

What Warrant Officer Choi handed him after the inspection was disappointingly trivial. The contents were a crumpled piece of paper with a strange shape.

“Just in case, pay special attention to Lee Sehwa’s hospital gown and meals too.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll check immediately.”

“They’re the kind of guys who’d put something like this in my clothes pocket, so why would they leave Lee Sehwa alone?”

He didn’t think they’d plant a bomb in the most prestigious hospital in the 5th Star, but they were the kind of guys who’d slip in nasty anonymous letters to spoil someone’s mood.

Gi Taejeong expressionlessly unfolded the piece of paper, smaller than his palm. It was so crumpled that white lines were deeply indented along the folds. And what was written inside was…

“General? What’s wrong?”

Warrant Officer Choi, who had been clicking his tongue softly, suddenly widened his eyes and stared only at the piece of paper, asking in a flustered voice.

“Is there something wrong?”

“……”

There, in the messily crumpled memo… was full of crooked handwriting that was clearly Sehwa’s.