By Zephyria 
“It’s not like I’m comfortable saying this, but there’s such a thing as business ethics, right? Where does this sudden addition of personnel in such a haphazard way come from? You guys wouldn’t let the passenger plane that left earlier take anyone else because it was full, right? People who were so concerned about safety, huh? Now you’re going to dangerously cram people into an already cramped helicopter, I’m really, ha… quite dumbfounded.”
The woman, who had been passionately ranting, turned to the remaining people waiting.
“Everyone, I’m right, aren’t I? Right?”
As if waiting for her words, complaints erupted from here and there.
“Y-yes, you’re right. I’m a bit uneasy about adding more people….”
“It’s too much to suddenly add two people when we couldn’t even bring our carry-ons because of the weight….”
At that moment, a man wearing sunglasses waved his hand dismissively, as if annoyed, and nonchalantly replied.
“Geez, so noisy. It’s not like we have any authority, let’s just follow what the person in charge says, okay?”
No sooner had his words fallen than everyone’s gaze turned to the person in charge. The man called the person in charge was fanning himself with a frustrated expression. He let out a short sigh as if to show off, then opened his mouth.
“You all may not know, but this person here is the Technical Director of Blue Works, an American company. This Maintenance Depot you’re in right now was created through collaboration between our Ministry of National Defense and Blue Works…. Well, anyway, this Transport plane you’ll be riding was made by the director’s company, and he’s so capable that you don’t have to worry about the seating situation. For your information, Blue Works is the world’s number one American defense company, so….”
There was no substance to be found in his rambling words. A middle-aged man shouted at the man who was spouting nonsense like a robot without inflection.
“If he’s such a great person, shouldn’t you just take him? You said there’s one seat left anyway!”
“Well, that’s….”
The person in charge, with a troubled expression, twitched his lips and eventually looked back at Eden, unable to find a suitable answer.
“Director. I’m sorry, but let’s talk separately for a moment.”
Eden left the clamoring people waiting behind and silently followed the man. The person in charge, having settled in a corner of the outdoor area far from the hangar, then took out a cigarette pack from his pocket.
“Want one?”
“No.”
Even at the blunt refusal, the man nonchalantly put a cigarette between his fingers.
“Excuse me for saying so, but do you really need to put your nephew and friend on this Transport plane right now? I heard that the remaining helicopters can take off as soon as the assembly is finished.”
“That’s how things have turned out. Is it possible, or impossible?”
“Well….”
The man scratched his neck and rummaged through his pockets. He seemed unable to find a lighter, and he became slightly irritated. Nowhere in his attitude could even a speck of respect for Eden be found.
“It seems difficult to forcibly add more people to a helicopter that’s already full. As you can see, the people waiting are strongly opposed.”
“I can pay enough money.”
“Oh, dear…. Director, you know it’s not about the money.”
The man slowly put a cigarette between his lips. Eden stared blankly at the man who was constantly acting haughty, recalling his past self who had once uttered venomous words.
‘I’m sorry, but Do Ha-jin is of no use to me.’
What was Do Ha-jin’s expression like when he looked at me then…? As he searched his memory, his pale face and the two hands clenched into fists were vividly drawn before his eyes. Yes, he was very desperate. Kneeling before me, saying he was going to save his brother….
The man, scratching his forehead as if frustrated, continued.
“Director. You know how many people can properly fit on the Transport plane, right?”
‘There are two pilots, at least three soldiers and medical staff to be mobilized for the transport operation, and eight people gathered here. Unfortunately, the maximum number of people who can board the Surion is nine, excluding the pilots.’
“As you saw earlier, there’s not much space. The safety risk cannot be ignored, and if someone has to be left behind, the priority may be your nephew or friend.”
‘Even if you run to the rooftop with all your might, one or two people will inevitably be left behind. It’s a gamble where the person who doesn’t board will surely die, will you still come?’
“If possible, please understand. I’m the only safety manager for this transport operation, so I have to minimize the risks….”
‘From the start, I’m not someone who can guarantee any safety to you. Even if there’s plenty of room on the Transport plane, there’s no reason to take you. You can’t help it if I’m being cold. I don’t even attempt things with a high probability of failure.’
“Director?”
“…….”
“Director, are you done with what you wanted to say? Then I’ll be on my way….”
“I’ll explain to Yoo Jun-sang later. Please add the personnel.”
The person in charge forcefully exhaled cigarette smoke, as if he had no intention of hiding his annoyance this time.
“Director. I can only carry out the instructions I received from the commander. Communication is cut off, so I can’t even reach the higher-ups right now. If at least the people waiting were cooperative, I would help in any way I could, but why does someone who should know keep….”
“…….”
“Anyway, we’ll just hand over the disassembled Transport plane as agreed with Blue Works in advance. If you need help, ask the civil servants who are left here. They’re all people with nowhere to go, so they’ll be at the Maintenance Depot for the time being….”
“There’s someone I need to save.”
When Eden grabbed him again, the person in charge checked the watch on his wrist and muttered quietly.
“This is driving me crazy.”
At that moment, both fists clenched tightly on their own.
Ah, so this is how it must have felt. Knowing you’ll be rejected, crumpling up the last bit of pride you have…. Trying to save your people no matter what.
Eden, who had only known how to wield power his whole life, was feeling helplessness for the first time. A pale smile hung on his face as he confronted the arrogance and recklessness that had coiled like a snake within him.
After composing himself, he grabbed the person in charge who was trying to leave again.
“Please.”
Eden bowed deeply to the man, just as Ha-jin had done to him in the small theater warehouse.
“If you just let them on, I’ll make sure the compensation is generous.”
‘If you give me a role, I’ll do whatever you tell me… Please put Mi-so and me on the Transport plane too.’
A futile appeasement, a low posture that would not give any impression to an arrogant powerful person. Nevertheless, a lingering attachment that could not be given up….
Knowing it was a futile struggle, he bowed his head without hesitation. It was closer to courage than submission.
The man, who had been acting haughty all along, stopped Eden, who was bowing his head, with a somewhat surprised expression.
“Director, oh, why are you doing this. I would naturally want to help if I could. But you know Jinsoo Construction, right? The guy wearing sunglasses earlier is the youngest son of that family… The others are all somewhat related to our Ministry of National Defense….”
The man continued to ramble on.
“The person who spoke up earlier is the chief deputy of the opposition party…. No matter how much I appeal to them about how great you are… The Transport planes remaining in the Maintenance Depot are under our jurisdiction anyway….”
In the end, it meant that no matter how high your status is, protected by a powerful country from a distant land, there was nothing you could do in the land of Korea. In addition, the man did not forget to add that even if the relationship between the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and Blue Works were to be strained in the future, the possibility of Korea’s recovery was slim anyway.
“Anyway, I’m sorry, Director. I’ll be going first.”
Even after the man left, Eden stood there for a long time, looking down at the asphalt floor. The heavy smell of fuel wafting from somewhere made him nauseous.
Fantasies of splitting the person in charge’s head with an ax, cutting off the limbs of the struggling people waiting, and seizing the Transport plane swirled and confused his mind. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t suppress the burning impulse. His fingertips trembled.
It was around the time he was concretizing the plan, recalling the structure and flow of the hangar and the number of civil servants. Suddenly, a familiar voice shook his ears.
“Jeong Tae-geon.”
It was only a few steps away. When he slowly raised his head, a reddened face filled his vision.
“Why are you doing that there.”
Ha-jin’s upright gaze stopped Eden’s cruel fantasies at once. He could no longer continue thinking with the whip-like gaze.
“……”
“…….”
While silence filled the void, a yellowish sunset fell over the two of them. The musty smell of fuel, as if a large amount of banknotes had been burned together, was still floating in the air.