March Novel (Completed) - Chapter 44

“Yes. I did reply as you instructed earlier, but…”

As Lieutenant Park trailed off and offered his phone, a deep furrow appeared between Gi Taejeong’s brows as he settled into the back seat of the limousine.

“But what?”

“Ahem, well, you’ll have to see the message content yourself.”

Lieutenant Park averted his gaze and waited respectfully. Gi Taejeong’s languid voice, deep and husky, was thick with the satiety of a long liaison. Just hearing his superior’s slightly hoarse voice gave Lieutenant Park a strange feeling, as if he were peeking into what had transpired between Gi Taejeong and Sehwa, making it difficult for him to meet Gi Taejeong’s gaze.

“Kim Seokcheol kept contacting me after the reply, but I judged it to be beyond my scope of response.”

Gi Taejeong sat the limp Sehwa in the passenger seat and took the cloned phone. Sehwa, wrapped in white sheets, looked like a snowman. Gi Taejeong rummaged through the middle of the sheets to make a place for Sehwa so he wouldn’t wobble. Because the fabric was rumpled, Sehwa’s oversized top slipped out from under his chin. On the collar were embroidered mugunghwa, plum blossoms, and a single star. It was an indoor uniform only a Brigadier General of the Air Force could wear.

A rectangular trajectory of light, filtered through the car window, persistently followed Sehwa’s unconscious face, which looked as if he were dead. The excessively bright light made Sehwa’s already pale face look even more bloodless. Did his eyelashes also have downy hair? His tear-filled eyes had parts that reflected the light particularly brightly. Gi Taejeong didn’t dislike Sehwa’s clearly exposed, pale face, but he thought Sehwa suited a more secretive place. For example, a place like a bunker, cut off from the world with no windows, where he would want to confine him and never let him out. The subtle, gloomy lighting that poured down there… those kinds of things. It was a face that stimulated a base desire to devour it all by himself, without showing it to anyone.

Gi Taejeong suddenly recalled the time Sehwa hesitantly proposed a gamble to him. And the sight of Sehwa secretly breaking off pieces of bread and hiding them in his pocket, fearing he wouldn’t get enough to eat. Sehwa’s unconscious face, still and serene, was like a young animal abandoned in a distant place, waiting for human touch. A foolish little creature who didn’t know that ravenous packs of wolves were panting after him, and who believed the darkness was peaceful, constantly trying to retreat. A stupid, innocent prey, who could step into a bright world with just one step, but hadn’t learned that step, and so just stared endlessly at the light-filled scenery. Gi Taejeong, who had been quietly admiring Sehwa’s sorrowful and pathetic face, then tapped his phone with a bored hand.

“Anyway, it must be a very urgent matter. If you’re bringing up Kim Seokcheol’s message before the field report.”

Gi Taejeong’s eyes, which rolled his tongue inside his cheek and looked at Sehwa once, then at Lieutenant Park once, were chilling. Of course, Lieutenant Park had intended to report the shelter situation first. If his superior hadn’t been out of contact until dawn, he would have done so, naturally.

“I’ve marked all the messages presumed to be sent by Kim Seokcheol.”

The heavy officer’s limousine sped through the gloomy streets of the First Ring. Despite the efficient means of transport like the Port, Gi Taejeong insisted on traveling by car for a certain distance. And not just a jeep, but he specifically ordered a luxurious limousine that clearly showed a high-ranking official was inside. With a license plate etched with stars on a navy blue background, signifying the Air Force, anyone who knew would immediately recognize the owner of the car.

News of the military facility in the First Ring being raided had already spread throughout the military. Of course, this was possible because Gi Taejeong’s subordinates had deliberately leaked the information.

Since the shelter facility was so dilapidated, everyone thought it was plausible, but they also felt a bit uneasy. The motive for the crime, that it was done to save comrades, was plausible, and there were even CCTV records showing the culprits raiding the shelter. Yet, what the culprits had stolen had not yet been revealed.

No matter how many idiots there were, the military was still the military. It was a place where only those who had survived battlefields gathered. They would have instinctively sensed that something suspicious was happening. And if word got around that Gi Taejeong, who wasn’t even on a mission, had passed near the First Ring on the day of the incident…

The suspicious item was stolen from outside the fortress, Lieutenant Kim Seokcheol, who had visited the facility most frequently recently, and Brigadier General Gi Taejeong, who somewhat coincidentally passed near there on the day of the incident. Anyone who knew about the ‘Harvest’ project could immediately piece together the flow of events just by hearing this much.

Of course, when they terrorized the shelter, they prepared thoroughly to avoid leaving any traces. However, Gi Taejeong also thought it necessary to leave room for speculation about who was behind it. They should completely eliminate physical evidence but leave circumstantial evidence. And in a vague form that only those in the know could understand. That way, the jackals would salivate and rush in. The ravenous ghouls, desperate to either destroy or devour the faction Kim Seokcheol belonged to.

The most important virtue Gi Taejeong valued in tactics was efficiency. There was no reason not to use a method that allowed him to attack the enemy by borrowing someone else’s hands. Now, those who had regarded Kim Seokcheol, or more precisely, his family standing behind him, as a thorn in their side, would automatically start raging with knives in their mouths. Gi Taejeong just needed to add fuel to the fire appropriately and provide the necessary data at the right time.

From the beginning, Gi Taejeong never thought the shelter terror attack would fail. As always, it was arrogance based on evidence and confidence with reason. Everything was flowing so smoothly it was almost boring.

“…Lieutenant Park, what is this?”

Gi Taejeong’s scrolling motion, which had been casual, abruptly stopped.

“It seems Kim Seokcheol regarded Lee Sehwa as… well, more than just a means to cut ties in case of a tail…”

Lieutenant Park carefully chose his words. Gi Taejeong didn’t prefer reports sugarcoated with nice words. However, it was awkward to tell his superior, who had just been intimate with Sehwa, that Kim Seokcheol seemed to have been persistently pursuing his partner for a long time.

“What kind of bastard are you?”

A frosty gaze fell upon him.

“You’re only finding out now that Kim Seokcheol has been doing this shit all this time?”

At Gi Taejeong’s furious outburst, asking why he hadn’t checked when cloning the phone, Lieutenant Park could only hang his head. It was, after all, his fault for not thoroughly checking from the beginning.

“That fat pig, he must be truly insane…”

Kim Seokcheol, perhaps thinking he was being clever, had contacted Sehwa using a new number each time. The numerous messages, arriving from various numbers, were consistently vulgar enough that even a stranger would know they were from the same sender.

Gi Taejeong, unable to control his temper while reading the messages, slammed the phone he was holding against the window. His eyelids burned hot with an inexplicable rage. Various afterimages flashed across his retina: the first time Sehwa revealed his bare face after the patchy tanning spray peeled off; Sehwa’s thin body, limp under the soft bunker lighting; Sehwa’s eyes, folding into crescent moons as he smiled slyly and called Gi Taejeong “customer” while demonstrating how to inject a needle…

“Damn it, seriously…”

So, what was Sehwa’s relationship with Kim Seokcheol? Did Sehwa also give himself to Kim Seokcheol? Did he, like when he was in Gi Taejeong’s arms, not know what to do and then ask with a tearful voice if he seemed worn out? Did he beg Kim Seokcheol not to call him by his name, too? The thought that the sweet, green scent from Sehwa’s cum might have been Kim Seokcheol’s intention made Gi Taejeong’s stomach churn.

“That bastard Kim Seokcheol really has a knack for making people feel like shit.”

Lieutenant Park watched the bulletproof glass crack with a thud each time Gi Taejeong pounded on the window, and thought it was a good thing he had written the incident report in advance. He could just clone the phone again, and all the necessary information had already been recorded. However, this limousine had been replaced less than four months ago. While everyone in the military knew about his superior’s infuriating temper, such a rapid replacement cycle for a limousine was certainly a matter that would invite criticism.

“As I mentioned, as soon as I replied according to your instructions, Kim Seokcheol called. I didn’t answer because it wasn’t the time to ask you for follow-up, but he kept calling frantically for a while, then went silent at some point, and there’s been no contact since.”

Gi Taejeong chuckled and removed his hand from the cracked glass. A thin, chilling breeze seeped through the cracks. The day was bright and sunny, but inside the limousine, it was frozen solid like a winter’s day.

“It must have been after the news of the shelter raid spread. That’s when he shut up.”

Kim Seokcheol wouldn’t be in a situation to care about Sehwa. Since he had even leaked the information about using the stolen goods as a bargaining chip, his esteemed family members would probably be strangling Kim Seokcheol by now. And there were investors too. Whether they would incur the military’s displeasure for dabbling in an unapproved project, whether the safety of the goods could be guaranteed, whether production would be halted before export…

Kim Seokcheol was being suffocated himself; he wouldn’t have the presence of mind to call Sehwa. Gi Taejeong would bet his rank that Kim Seokcheol was holed up in his room, sniffling and suspecting that Sehwa had leaked information.

“He’s not moving yet, perhaps out of deference to his family, but we’ve heard that Kim Seokcheol’s men have moved urgently to the Second Ring. We’re verifying if it’s true, but we believe it’s highly credible.”

“Second Ring… the Second Ring, huh.”

Gi Taejeong had personally confirmed yesterday, or rather today, that that damn drug was quite close to completion. Yet, Kim Seokcheol hadn’t breathed a word to the military. Given his personality, it didn’t seem like he had a plan; he clearly couldn’t put it forward because there were still things to be ironed out. Considering the scale of the items in the shelter, there didn’t seem to be a problem with production… so it was highly likely that it hadn’t undergone various clinical trials.

Kim Seokcheol had openly roamed outside the fortress using the Port. Even after becoming a lieutenant, he only went down to the Fourth Ring, but he used to freely frequent the First and Second Rings. His purpose was obvious: to take drugs and gamble. Yet, when he visited the shelter in the First Ring, he was quite cautious. If it were Gi Taejeong, he would have openly sought out the First Ring even more. He would have brought real drugs and acted like he was drunk on cheap pleasures. But Kim Seokcheol, foolishly, was overly cautious when visiting his treasure trove, making his movements easy to predict.

“You had a few logistics warehouses photographed during the inspection a few weeks ago, right? The ones that only have warehouses in the Second Ring.”

“Yes. We’ll deploy people primarily to those areas.”

“Since there was no separate production process in the shelter, the drug manufacturing site must be in the Second Ring. It’s highly probable that clinical trials are also being conducted there.”

“This time, Kim Seokcheol will rush in like a moth to a flame to avoid being raided, won’t he?”

“Probably.”

That’s what Gi Taejeong was aiming for by doing this troublesome work.

The Second Ring had a jet reconnaissance aircraft hangar. It was also a place frequently visited by the fighter wing Gi Taejeong commanded. This was Kim Seokcheol’s second mistake. If it were Gi Taejeong, he would have set up base in the Third Ring, which didn’t have large hangars, even if the risk was a bit higher… Kim Seokcheol clearly felt a thrill from secretly tinkering with suspicious items in the Second Ring, hidden from the Air Force’s, from Gi Taejeong’s, eyes. At this point, Gi Taejeong almost felt sorry for the people who had joined forces with Kim Seokcheol. How many people were being played by that timid, perverted bastard’s antics?

“Oh, by the way, should we have the ‘owners’ ready in the Second Ring as well? Those prisoners, I mean.”

The real criminals who had lent their faces to Gi Taejeong and Sehwa were currently confined in Gi Taejeong’s official residence.

“Of course. And leak information that the robbers are now lurking near the Second Ring. That’ll make Kim Seokcheol furious and act out even more.”

Since they were first-class criminals who could be summarily executed anyway, Kim Seokcheol would try to kill them immediately without hesitation. And given Kim Seokcheol’s impetuous personality, he would undoubtedly excitedly blabber and interrogate them about where he hid the stolen goods, where he got information about ‘Harvest’… such important details.

Gi Taejeong intended to raid the scene. He had sufficient justification. He would say he visited the hangar in the Second Ring and then came directly after hearing news of the traitors’ remnants appearing. While there, he would pretend to pick up suspicious items dropped by the prisoners and then submit a complaint to the military, stating that he had heard Lieutenant Kim Seokcheol’s utterly unforgivable remarks… that was the plan.

“Anyway, filing the complaint shouldn’t be difficult…”

Gi Taejeong pressed his thumb and forefinger against his prominent brow bone, firming his resolve. Now was not the time to think about what kind of relationship Kim Seokcheol and Sehwa had. Submitting the complaint was just the beginning. Using this incident as an opportunity, he had to completely shoot down Kim Seokcheol and his family. Only then would no one ever dare to cause him such a headache again.

“Ah, and bring Lieutenant Na here.”

“Yes. Is it because of Lee Sehwa?”

Lieutenant Park glanced at the sleeping Sehwa, who looked dead to the world.

“He certainly overdid it.”

“That too… but there’s something I need to confirm regarding Sehwa’s constitution.”

“Are you talking about pregnancy?”

“No. That constitution that doesn’t get addicted. There’s something strange about it…”

Just as he was about to continue, something white suddenly dropped onto Gi Taejeong’s shoulder with a soft thud. It was Sehwa, who had been sleeping, completely wrapped in the sheets. Even the officer’s limousine, known for its comfortable ride, couldn’t help but be affected by the winding, rough roads of the First Ring. Sehwa’s white body, waddling like a penguin in sync with the car’s vibrations, brushed against Gi Taejeong’s shoulder, then bumped his head against his side, slowly falling onto his thigh.

Gi Taejeong gazed at Sehwa’s head, which felt almost weightless, and his round, raised cheek, then let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.

“Is he really sleeping?”

It was absurd how Sehwa reacted when his own story came up, as if he had been eavesdropping. And cute, too. Anyway, that was just an expression; he didn’t seem to be truly conscious. Most importantly, Sehwa was not the type of person to rest his head on Gi Taejeong’s lap of his own accord. If he had a personality that could act so cute, if he had such guts, his life wouldn’t be so miserable right now. He would have already found a customer and left this place.

Gi Taejeong gently touched Sehwa’s shoulder, thinking, “Should I wake him up and tease him?” Gi Taejeong imagined Sehwa’s already large eyes widening in surprise if he knew whose lap he was sleeping on, and gently shook him. But…

“…What is this?”

Sehwa’s profile, which rolled limply the moment Gi Taejeong’s hand touched him… was drenched in sweat. His slightly long hair was clumped together, gripping the back of his neck, and the pale skin exposed beneath it was entirely red, as if cross-hatched. Gi Taejeong placed the back of his hand on Sehwa’s flushed cheek. His entire body was burning with fever, so much so that Gi Taejeong unconsciously frowned slightly.