As barricades were erected before and after the bridge, cars attempting to cross were forced to detour. In the midst of this, a black sedan broke through the police line and stopped in the middle of the bridge. The person who emerged from the car was none other than Kim Ha-yoon.
Gathered officials greeted him and began reporting on the severity of the situation. Behind them, Kwon So-young stood with a troubled expression.
Helicopters flew overhead, search dogs scoured the land, and marine police bustled about in boats on the river.
“How far has the search progressed?”
“We apologize. We found the car, but not the person yet… The heavy rain and strong currents are making it difficult. We’ve dispatched troops to his home and base, and ordered them to capture him alive if found. We’re doing our best, but the forecast of more rain is our biggest concern…”
A string of excuses followed. No one could be blamed for the uncooperative weather. Kim Ha-yoon dismissed the officers and walked to the bridge railing. He took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Kwon So-young lit it for him in silence.
The smoke dissipated quickly into the air.
“We should have taken him to the lab.”
It was Kwon So-young who suggested keeping him in a regular hospital to avoid suspicion. Her face looked gloomy as she admitted her choice had been wrong. Kim Ha-yoon, with the cigarette in his mouth, leaned on the railing and looked down.
The rapids swirled fiercely. It seemed impossible for anyone to survive if they fell in.
“We’ve lost a valuable resource.”
That was her only concern. Attachment to the test subject. Kim Ha-yoon knew that compassion for him as a human being was nonexistent, and that was what he and Kwon So-young had in common. But this was Matteo. Ire cherished him so dearly. How would he feel when he heard this news? Would he grieve? Would he cry? Or would he rely on me even more…?
Anyone who heard that would call me a son of a bitch, but I didn’t think that was so bad.
Unlike him, Kwon So-young was on the verge of panic.
“He jumped from the fourth floor and was fine. There were witnesses. And he bit a security guard’s neck. I’m already dreading being called in by the old men. You have to block the news. No, maybe I should ask my father. They’re already complaining about budget cuts. If they find out about this, they’ll shut us down immediately.”
Kim Ha-yoon turned away from Kwon So-young without a word.
“Where are you going?”
“To the base.”
“To see him?”
If Matteo was alive, that was the most likely place he would go. If there was anyone he wanted to say his last words to, it would be Ire. Kwon So-young followed, offering advice.
“You should just tell him the truth. That we didn’t kill your father, but saved a dying man.”
The day Matteo collapsed from heart disease, he was already beyond help when he was found. That was also the day Ire’s blood was used to extract the serum. It was Kim Ha-yoon who first suggested injecting Matteo with the serum. To hide the truth, they cut open his chest, leaving a scar, and fooled everyone.
Contrary to expectations, Matteo’s recovery was surprisingly fast, even the doctor in charge was amazed. It proved he had the ability to recover. However, they did not know exactly what the limit was. So, they monitored him through Anna and received reports every morning.
As time passed, expectations grew. Could this save many people? Could my mother, who had been lying like a corpse for decades, open her eyes?
But as he began to show abnormal symptoms, he realized something was wrong. He was arrogant to think he could control him, and this was the result. In this situation, the best thing might be for Matteo to disappear forever. After all, the serum provider was in his hands.
Meanwhile, large raindrops began to fall from the sky. Lieutenant Park, who had been waiting, came with an umbrella and opened it. The rain showed no sign of stopping, and the missing officer reappeared, cautiously suggesting that the search would be difficult in this weather.
The soldiers and police began to withdraw, and Kim Ha-yoon got into the car. It was pouring so hard that he could barely see, even though it wasn’t the summer monsoon season. The river was swelling at a frightening rate, and Kim Ha-yoon ultimately hoped that Matteo’s body would never be found.
“Isn’t it like a hole’s been punched in the sky?”
“I wonder what happened to the team that went to Area C. It must be hard to operate in this rain.”
“Worry about yourself.”
Seo Young-jun cursed as the cue ball missed the pocket. It was Oh Nam-gi’s turn. He made a circle with his fingers to create a support, inserted the long cue stick through it, and aimed at the ball.
Clack! The ball rolled with a crisp sound, pushing the red ball into the pocket. Oh Nam-gi pumped his fist in the air, raised his score, and hummed. Just then, crash-boom! Lightning struck, and the three briefly stopped the game and looked up at the flashing sky.
“The weather is really fucked up.”
“Your face is fucked up.”
“Don’t start a fight. Why are you blaming me for your bad skills? Get the money ready.”
“I’m going to report you for extortion.”
“Stop fighting and concentrate.”
Suddenly, the lights went out with a snap, and darkness fell. Uh oh? Lightning struck nearby in quick succession. Something must be wrong. As they headed to the entrance to turn on the power, the door slid open and a dark shadow suddenly appeared.
Aah! Oh Nam-gi screamed in a fuss, and Seo Young-jun and Ire were just as surprised. Soon after, the lights flickered on and off before coming on. Realizing that the thing in front of the door was not a ghost but Lieutenant Park, the three breathed a sigh of relief.
“Ire. Captain is calling for you. Come with me.”
He always had a serious face, but today he seemed even more upset. Could something bad have happened? Above all, it was surprising that Kim Ha-yoon was still there and hadn’t gone home at this hour.
Ire told Seo Young-jun and Oh Nam-gi that he would be back soon and followed Lieutenant Park out. The two of them would have to finish the remaining game on their own, but it would probably end in Oh Nam-gi’s victory.
Ire couldn’t read anything in Lieutenant Park’s expression as they walked. He knew that even if he asked why he was being called, he wouldn’t answer, so he kept his mouth shut. They passed through the bridge connecting the buildings and moved to the main building, where Kim Ha-yoon’s room appeared.
When Ire knocked and entered, the first thing he saw was Kim Ha-yoon’s back as he looked out the window. Lieutenant Park disappeared immediately, and an awkward atmosphere flowed as the two were left alone. Ire raised his hand to salute, but hesitated, thinking he would get yelled at like before, and awkwardly went to the sofa and sat down.
“You called for me…”
Kim Ha-yoon turned around. Ire thought that his troubled expression was unlike him. Could something have happened to the team dispatched to Area C? Kim Ha-yoon came to the seat opposite him and stared at Ire. Did I do something wrong…?
As Ire was trying to read the situation, Kim Ha-yoon bit his lip, uncharacteristically.
“I have some bad news to tell you.”
Ire’s breath caught in his throat at the low voice. Only then did he realize that it was not a military matter. The anxiety in his heart instantly swallowed him up, and even though he thought it couldn’t be, he kept having bad thoughts.
“Did something happen to Matteo…?”
“…….”
“I heard he was getting much better….”
Kim Ha-yoon was silent, and that drove Ire even more crazy. He took a deep breath and urged him to tell him anything. He needed to know what was going on. Kim Ha-yoon’s Adam’s apple moved greatly. His face looked pained as he brought up the difficult story.
“He’s missing.”
Ire blinked with a blank expression. The word was so absurd that it made the worst-case scenario of being in critical condition seem meaningless. Missing? Missing? How could a person hospitalized go missing? Unable to understand, Ire asked for the reason and heard an unexpected answer.
“He escaped from the hospital. He took a car and ran away, jumping into the river.”
Ire’s mind went blank with shock. He asked how he could have escaped when his hands and feet were tied, and was told that it happened while he was changing clothes. Ire covered his face with both hands when he heard that he had bitten a hospital worker who tried to stop him, putting him in critical condition. Oh my god.
“I’ll find him, no matter what.”
How could someone who jumped into the river in this weather…? Above all, Ire couldn’t understand why Matteo would make such a choice. Kim Ha-yoon had already come to his side. Ire turned to look at him. His unwavering eyes seemed to be telling him to trust him.
Ire tried to hold it back, but his eyes stung and his throat tightened.
As he took a deep breath to avoid crying, Kim Ha-yoon put his arm around his shoulder and pulled him into his arms.
“Cry if you want to. It’s okay to do that with me.”
At those words, the tears that Ire had been holding back finally burst out.