By Zephyria 
It was a fighter jet, unlike a regular reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with missiles on both wings. Comrades armed with mortars and portable surface-to-air missiles were aiming at the aircraft in various locations. Everyone was visibly tense, watching the aircraft circle at a low, steady speed.
“Captain, what do we do? Should we just fire?”
Jang-cheon’s voice came through the wireless device, and Ire ordered them to wait.
“Do not fire first, under any circumstances. Wait until you receive instructions.”
If they had intended to drop bombs here, they wouldn’t be flying at such a low altitude. It was within range of being shot down. Whether it was a drone or a manned aircraft, if we attacked first, it could provide the enemy with a good pretext.
But what if they made us feel safe, only to bomb us unexpectedly? As the altitude dropped, the trees in the forest swayed as if dancing. Some people, feeling the psychological pressure, began to waver.
They asked if we were just going to stand by like this, if they could give the order now, that it was well within range to shoot it down. The problem was what came after. If they shot it down, there was a high possibility of it escalating into full-scale war. Kim Ha-yoon told them to trust him and wait, and Ire believed he wouldn’t break his promise.
Just then, the underside of the aircraft opened, revealing something. Everyone’s faces turned ashen, as this was usually where weapons were stored. Black objects immediately dropped from the aircraft, and terrified curses could be heard over the wireless device.
Ire, who had confirmed the objects with his binoculars, reissued the order not to fire. However, someone, panicked, fired a shell, which cut through the air in a straight line. Damn it!
A subsequent shell accurately hit the tail of the aircraft, and a bright red flame erupted in the sky.
“Cease fire! Cease fire!”
The objects that fell from the aircraft deployed parachutes and landed one by one in the forest. After ordering all personnel to retreat from the forest, Ire watched the aircraft move away beyond the zone. A moment later, a large explosion, a pillar of fire, and black smoke rose beyond the forest.
The ground-shaking explosion and intense heat reached them, and Gangsan, standing beside him, could not hide his shock. Jang-cheon, Gilsu, and Baek Seol, who had been aiming at the aircraft from the research institute’s rooftop, were rushing towards Ire.
Jang-cheon was carrying a mortar larger than his own body on his shoulder.
“What on earth happened? Who disobeyed the order?”
“Who cares? We showed them what we’re made of.”
“Sigh, you idiot. You only think about what you see.”
While Gilsu and Jang-cheon bickered, Ire closed his eyes tightly, then opened them and looked at the forest. Everyone was fleeing the forest, in a state of disarray. No matter how much training they had, fear was not an easy opponent for those with insufficient experience.
Ire quickly led a small group of personnel towards the spot where the objects had landed. As they approached, objects wrapped in black plastic were visible everywhere.
“Wait here.”
He drew his knife from his waist and unhesitatingly ripped open the plastic, and an unexpected item popped out.
“Ah…”
As he let out a sigh of bewilderment, the other colleagues approached.
“What is it? It’s canned food?”
Jang-cheon tore open the plastic bags and pulled out the contents. Most of them were edible canned goods and processed foods. They had received a large supply of food recently when workers came to repair the generator, and this time it had been delivered by aircraft.
The problem was that they had shot it down first. Whether it was a manned cockpit or a drone, this was no different from declaring war on someone offering a gesture of goodwill.
“Damn it.”
As he closed his eyes tightly, Jang-cheon noticed and came closer.
“It’s not a good situation, is it?”
Gilsu chimed in.
“Should we catch the guy who fired the missile and deal with him?”
Ire thought for a moment and handed the canned food he was holding to Gilsu. He decided he had to go to district a immediately, and if they weren’t back by midnight, everyone should evacuate the zone and scatter.
If an air raid were to occur, tonight was the most likely possibility, so he hurried towards the research institute. As he did, he thought hard. Who could have done this? Kim Do-cheol? Or Park Woo-jin?
Currently, Kim Do-cheol had the authority to control the war. He surmised that Kim Do-cheol wouldn’t test the waters like this. Someone cunning, who needed a justification. Reaching the conclusion that it was Park Woo-jin, his fist tightened.
That son of a bitch. He’d been tormenting me since our first meeting, and he’s still causing trouble.
It was time to pay him back in kind.
* * *
“You’d better not move. It would be troublesome if the wound opens up.”
Kwon So-young nagged him incessantly in front of the dressing room. But Kim Ha-yoon was not one to listen. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He had lost a little weight, but he still thought he looked presentable. As he came out, dressed neatly in a suit for the first time in a while, Kim Seon-oh had also arrived.
“The committee?”
“They’ve called an emergency meeting. All military and police officials have been gathered.”
Kim Ha-yoon sneered as he tied his tie. They had been warned, yet they didn’t understand and stabbed him in the back. He cursed them, saying they couldn’t even tell right from wrong, even though they might have been spared if they had just bowed their heads. Then he took a pistol and put it in his pocket. Seeing that, Kwon So-young frowned.
“Don’t shoot my father. My name isn’t on his will yet.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled and walked outside, with Kim Seon-oh following closely. The sun was bright as they left the hospital. He scowled and took out a cigarette, but Kim Seon-oh slyly took it away.
“Confiscated. Sister So-young said it’s forbidden for now.”
Kim Ha-yoon sighed and walked to the car. He was enjoying the afternoon when unexpected news arrived. They had sent relief supplies to Zone D, and they had shot down the aircraft. The media had been blocked, but the news spread quickly, and people were agitated again.
“Park Woo-jin ordered it?”
“He insists he sent relief supplies, and they were indeed relief supplies. The last transmitted video suggests it was an accidental incident, not an attack ordered by him, but we can’t know for sure right now. There’s no way to prove it, so it looks like they might cover it up.”
Kim Ha-yoon thought for a moment and ordered someone to be sent to the gate. He said a distinguished guest would be arriving soon, and although he wanted to greet them himself, he had other things to do, so they should escort them politely. Kim Seon-oh guessed without being told that the guest he mentioned was Ire.
The two then drove to the location where the meeting was to be held. Along the way, they noticed sparse flowers blooming by the roadside and realized spring had arrived. The car stopped at a traffic light, and a family crossing the intersection caught his eye.
The child, as if on an outing with their parents, was jumping with joy. Then, dropping the ice cream they were holding, the child burst into tears. Watching the child cry in the arms of their mother and father who were comforting them, Kim Ha-yoon smiled bitterly.
It reminded him of a pale face, barely receiving sunlight from underground, and a small hand offering him a shriveled snack that had been carefully saved in their pocket.
“Damn it, am I dying? I’m thinking such useless thoughts.”
Kim Seon-oh asked why he was talking to himself, and he shook his head, saying it was nothing. Soon, the car arrived in front of the committee building, and Kim Ha-yoon and Kim Seon-oh got out and walked up the stairs. He had to stop several times due to pain in his abdomen as he ascended.
“Are you going to be alright?”
“Ha, if I have someone I hate later, I’m going to put a hole in their stomach. They need to feel how much it hurts.”
Upon reaching the entrance, a security scanner appeared. As they passed through, a warning sound went off, and a security officer immediately called for the team leader. The team leader, seeing Kim Ha-yoon after a long time, bowed so deeply his back bent.
“I heard you were in pain, are you alright now?”
His complexion darkened as he checked the scanner screen with his eyes. Seeing him hesitate to say something, Kim Ha-yoon looked down at him menacingly.
“What is it?”
“Uh…”
The security team leader swallowed hard and pressed the entry button. He made light of it, saying it was nothing, that the machine had been acting up lately and it was time to replace it. His continued presence in that position, despite his age, was likely due to his social skills.
After passing the scanner, they got into the elevator and soon arrived in front of the conference room. Just before entering, Kim Ha-yoon rotated his head left and right, then slowly pushed the door open. All eyes turned towards them, and Kim Do-cheol and Park Woo-jin were among them.
“My word. Isn’t that Kim Ha-yoon? I heard he was very ill. He looks fine.”
Everyone stood up awkwardly and chimed in. They expressed how worried they had been and how glad they were to see him back, offering greetings that were far from welcome. Kim Ha-yoon walked towards the seat of honor in the center.
Park Ji-hoon, the vice-chairman, was sitting in the seat designated for the Acting Supreme Chairman. He glanced around nervously, then quietly stood up, bowed, and moved aside. Kim Ha-yoon sat in that seat and leaned back into the chair.
“I always liked looking down from above.”
He scanned the people gathered, and several avoided his gaze. It was easy to guess who had sided with the vice-chairman. He straightened his back and brought the microphone to his lips. All eyes were focused on him. Their expressions showed an intense curiosity about what he would say and how much he knew.