MOTD Side Story 2.6

Side Story: Return Episode 6

An unknown red bird flew onto the terrace attached to the executive conference room. Eden sat in a steel chair with his legs crossed, letting out a sigh of cigarette smoke.

The bird, twitching its small beak here and there, hopped aimlessly along the railing. It looked poised to fly away at any moment, yet for some reason, its thin legs remained fixed to the rail.

The sight of the red bird stretching its neck toward the sky looked exactly like Do Ha-jin watching TV this morning.

The morning news, covering global affairs, reported that numerous low-cost carriers were establishing new routes between Korea and Japan. As a bonus, it mentioned that airports were bustling not only with people choosing reverse migration but also with tourists flocking to see the lush, restored nature.

While the exciting news flowed through the airwaves, Ha-jin’s gaze remained glued to the TV screen. Eden didn’t need to see his face to know exactly what expression he was making. After staring at the back of that round head for a while, Eden had headed straight to work.

“Whew…”

Just as he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, the door opened. Reflexively, Eden straightened his posture at the sound. However, the voice that reached his ears was not the phlegm-filled tone of the old executives he had been hearing tediously since this morning.

[Our Technical Director. It’s certainly—hard to get a glimpse of your face, isn’t it?]

The person who stepped through the terrace door of stolen [stolen content]visit our sitecontentthe executive conference room was none other than Hugo.

[I wondered where you were hiding, and here you are, holed up in this place.]

Approaching with a swagger, Hugo brought his hand up in a sharp salute. Eden frowned and sat back down. The red bird, likely startled by the sound of the door opening, had already flown away.

Taking a seat opposite Eden, Hugo rested his chin on his hand.

[I heard you had a face like you’d chewed on shit throughout today’s meeting. Is it because the Chairman keeps nagging you about the business trip?]

[It’s not that.]

It was true that during the meeting to announce the technical strategy, there had been pressure to go on a business trip disguised as advice, but that wasn’t the problem. Ever since he had stepped away from weapons development, he had essentially checked out of the company, and he was willing to step down as CTO at any time.

[Then what is it? You were acting so moody I thought something happened. If everything’s fine, let’s go grab some lunch.]

Eden looked at the spot where the red bird had vanished and took a deep drag of his cigarette, his cheeks hollowing.

[Is real-time tracking of the situation in Korea still possible?]

[Huh?]

[You’re in the war room, so you’d know. I’m wondering if any Code Reds have been issued.]

At the sudden question, Hugo’s eyes darted around. Tilting his head, he slowly straightened his slumped shoulders.

[Are you asking that as my boss?]

[I’m just asking, so relax.]

[There’s no such thing as ‘just asking.’ Why, are you planning to visit Korea for a bit? Is the Chairman being that annoying?]

Leaning deep into his chair, Eden blinked slowly.

[Just answer the question. Whether real-time tracking of Korea is still possible, and if there have been any anomalies.]

At the cold tone, Hugo scratched his chin awkwardly and pulled out his phone. After a brief call with a subordinate, he hung up and shook his head.

[They say there are no anomalies. No particular reports from other countries either.]

[…….]

[Well, you almost died in Korea; why would you want to go back on a business trip? I get it. Just think of it as the old man throwing a tantrum and bear with—]

[Ha-jin says he wants to go.]

Eden shrugged as he crushed the last cigarette in his hand. Hugo asked, “What?” as if he had misheard.

[It seems he wants to visit Korea for a while. It’s been a long time since he left, so it’s natural he’d get homesick.]

Only then did Hugo understand the situation, and a short gasp escaped his lips.

[I wondered why you were acting so moody; it was because of Ha-jin?]

A voice of accusation immediately followed. As the nagging continued—about how visiting Korea once wasn’t a big deal and that Eden was being overly dramatic—Eden clicked his tongue.

He knew better than anyone that the current era was safer than ever since the Zombie virus had spread. Even if Zombies appeared again, now that a vaccine had been developed, a catastrophe where half of humanity was wiped out would not happen again.

However, Eden was a soldier who had experienced a real war and a developer who had invented killing weapons. In a wartime situation, the moment you think you’ve seized victory is when you’re most likely to be stabbed in the back, and in weapons development, the final testing phase is always the most dangerous.

Naturally wary and in a position where his profession [Read on Read BL Novels]wm: Read on Read BL Novels -->demanded constant suspicion, it was difficult for him to view the situation as positively as others did. Lately, he felt that this trait of his was simply exhausting.

After that night a few days ago, Ha-jin’s attitude hadn’t changed much, even after their minor argument. If Ha-jin had stubbornly insisted on going to Korea, Eden could have suppressed him with a clear conscience, but seeing him quietly back down instead made his heart feel complicated.

He agonized endlessly, wondering if he was being excessively strict about safety, as others suggested, or if he was crushing Ha-jin’s will with useless worry.

Then again, it was contradictory that he acted normally about Mi-so or Jeffrey going to Korea while being so rigid with Ha-jin. Perhaps he simply wanted to keep Ha-jin suppressed within his embrace, using safety as an excuse.

[…Anyway, you don’t have the authority to block Ha-jin’s choice.]

[…….]

[Are you listening, Eden?]

At the repeated call, Eden finally shifted his gaze to Hugo. Standing up, he lightly tapped Hugo’s dazzling blonde hair and opened the glass door.

[I heard everything.]

[What did I say?]

Hugo stuck close behind Eden.

[That I should just take Ha-jin on a business trip. Since a private jet and bodyguards are provided anyway, and the accommodation will be a temporary resort.]

[Exactly. If you’re so worried about safety, just go that way. What’s the problem?]

[Everyone is just dying to send someone on a business trip to Korea.]

[What company would want to waste a guy who’s both physically and mentally gifted? Who told him to be born so perfect? He should’ve at least been ugly.]

[It’s obvious the Chairman paid you, so shut up. Before I rip you and Jeffrey in half.]

At the savage retort, Hugo’s mouth snapped shut like a clam. Glancing at him tentatively, he gave Eden’s shoulder a nudge.

[Ahem… anyway, think about it. Let’s go eat now.]

[Go to the cafeteria first. I have somewhere to stop by.]

[What? Where are you going?]

[The 30th floor.]

At the concise answer, the footsteps following him came to a dead stop. Leaving the bewildered Hugo behind, Eden tapped his card key against the executive elevator.

Once inside the lift, he raised his middle finger toward the stupidly standing Hugo. The doors closed shortly after. Hugo let out a hollow laugh as he watched the numbers on the elevator display soar upward.

Eden’s destination, the 30th floor, was none other than where the Chairman’s office was located.

[Seriously, this guy… he’s absolutely whipped for Do Ha-jin.]

Why play hard to get when you’re going on the trip anyway?

Muttering to himself, Hugo shook his head and walked toward the food court.

---

[Ha-jin, where should I put this? Should I leave it in the storage here, or take it with us?]

Daniel, who had been working with Ha-jin on small-scale regular performances for three years now, shouted while shaking a wooden box. Hearing his name, Ha-jin stopped tidying the seats where the audience had departed and ran over to him.

[Let’s do it together.]

The two of them sat on the stage, which was covered in confetti, and began packing various magic props unauthorized copyclass="wm-strong" style="position:relative;display:inline;">[stolen [unauthorized copy]content]into the box. Daniel scratched his freckled skin and pointed to a box of light bulbs.

[What about these bulbs? If we won’t be using them for a while, let’s leave them in the storage. Or you can take them.]

[Ah, I have to take the bulbs. Nate asked to borrow them for his performance next month.]

At those words, Daniel’s expression twisted grotesquely for a moment.

[Nate asked to borrow these? When?]

[He contacted me the day before yesterday.]

[…….]

[Why? Is there a problem?]

Daniel knew that Nate was a friend who owned every type of trick bulb. There was only one reason why he would ask Ha-jin to borrow a tool he didn’t even need.

‘This bastard said he was giving up on his feelings, but he still hasn’t come to his senses.’

It was only a short while ago that a drunken Nate had grabbed him and confessed his desperate unrequited love for Ha-jin—for the umpteenth time. Knowing that Ha-jin already had a lover, and that the lover was [unauthorized [unauthorized copy]unauthorized copy -->copy]actually another man, Nate was unable to let go of the faint hope that an opportunity might eventually come his way.

‘Ugh. I shouldn’t have gone to see the LA magic show Ha-jin performed in. It would have been better if we had stayed strangers from the start…’

‘Get a grip, Nate. You know perfectly well he has a lover; how many years have you been pining for him?’

‘How can I not?! He’s handsome, cute! And he’s the best at magic among all of us!’

Daniel shook his head, recalling the pitiful voice of his friend.

It was just as they were sweeping up the last of the confetti on the stage after finishing the storage cleanup. The firmly closed door of the small theater opened, and bright light flooded the venue.

Seeing Eden standing with his back to the entrance, Ha-jin stood up abruptly in delight.

“What brings you here? Did you finish work already?”

Eden placed a hand on the shoulder of Ha-jin, who had run to him in a single breath. Plucking a piece of paper off him, Eden replied softly.

“I timed my exit so we could go home together. Are you all finished?”

“Yes, almost. I’ll just pack my things and be right back, so wait a moment.”

Leaving Eden by the entrance, Ha-jin hurried down from the stage. In the meantime, Daniel stepped up and greeted Eden.

[Hello, Director. It’s been a while.]

[It has been a while.]

[I assume you’re on your way home from work.]

Instead of answering, Eden gave a slight nod. His eyes were already fixed on the dark audience seats, illuminated only by the stage lights.

To dispel the awkwardness, Daniel forced a conversation.

[I was actually thinking of having dinner with Ha-jin. Since you’re here, why don’t we all eat at a nearby restaurant…]

[Let’s do dinner another time. I’m in a bit of a hurry today.]

Embarrassment washed over Daniel’s face, despite him being second to none when it came to sociability. Perhaps it was the intimidation that came with Eden’s position, but he felt particularly diminished whenever he stood before him.

[Yes… I understand. Ahem.]

Then again, it would be strange not to feel intimidated by that sharp gaze that seemed to dissect a person without a hint of a smile. Just as Daniel was awkwardly smacking his lips, Eden suddenly spoke.

[I don’t see Nate today. He usually attends every one of Ha-jin’s performances.]