"Now I see...."
Jeong Taeui gave a wry smile as he saw the person outside the gate, brightly smiling and
waving at him.
"It's been a while, Taeui. You must have had a hard time coming here."
"Well, even if you say I had a hard time coming...my destination wasn't supposed to be here."
Jeong Taeui looked around the airport interior behind the man, noticing the unfamiliar language that was taking over. It was certain that those characters were not Hangul.
"What are you saying? Did you think you'd come all the way here and not see me? That's disappointing."
"Did you think I could come all the way here and not see you? That's not going to happen.—I think it would be more accurate to say that, Uncle."
"Hahaha, anyone would misunderstand if they heard that."
The uncle, who burst into laughter while lightly patting Jeong Taeui's shoulder, was wearing the same uniform as always. It was an ominous uniform that he had never seen in a favorable light.
Something felt off. In fact, as soon as he was about to exit the gate, he had a rough idea of
who might be waiting for him beyond the door. Yes, it could only be this man. He was the only one who would do something like this.
When he departed from Berlin, he had received a transfer boarding pass―of course, his luggage was also directly transferred to Incheon Airport-he boarded the plane without any issues. However, during the layover in Hong Kong, he suddenly found himself stranded.
Right in front of the boarding gate, despite holding a perfectly valid boarding pass, he was pulled out after being told, "There's a problem with the boarding pass you're holding."
Naturally, it was only Jeong Taeui who experienced this. As others looked at him with puzzled expressions, he could only watch as he was dragged out while mumbling, "Huh? Huh? Huh?"
"Sir, your boarding date has been changed to a month later."
When the counter staff, looking flustered, said this, Jeong Taeui shook the airline ticket he was holding and insisted that he hadn't changed it, but to no avail. The flight had already departed, and even though he asked to be changed to the next available flight, a refusal sign was issued as if by some ghostly decree.
"So, you want me to stay in Hong Kong for a month?"
He protested in every way possible, but the result was a cruel verdict. Jeong Taeui mumbled in a tired voice. The staff, looking both puzzled and sorry-and somewhat suspicious-kept bowing to him, but the conclusion did not change.
His luggage, which should have been reunited with him at Incheon Airport, was left there all alone, and so, Jeong Taeui ended up dragging his own luggage out of the gate.
Waiting beyond was his uncle, with a full smile on his face.
"I had a bad feeling ever since the Hong Kong layover was mentioned..."
He had wondered why it wasn't a direct flight. Still, he never imagined that he would be stranded midway despite having a valid boarding pass.
"I'm sorry."
The man standing slightly behind the uncle, with an apologetic expression and an awkward smile, lowered his head. Though he hadn't seen him for a long time, he could immediately recognize him as the uncle's assistant, unchanged after many years. This man was likely the one who had handled the practical arrangements as directed by the uncle.
But Jeong Taeui shook his head and smiled smoothly.
"I suppose Uncle used his superior's authority to force Officer Kang to do this. I can understand how hard it must be to have such a difficult superior."
"Hahaha, Officer Kang was delighted when he heard you were coming and was very pleased, calling around."
"...?"
As the uncle laughed, Officer Kang's awkward smile turned into a grimace. Jeong Taeui tilted his head in confusion. After a moment of rubbing his chin and looking at them alternately, he simply smiled lightly and shrugged.
"Did you miss me that much, Officer Kang? That's nice."
"Officer Kang missed you less than I did, my nephew. Am I not happy?"
"Well...I guess I'll have to wait and see."
"Did you really not want to meet me?"
Seeing the uncle's eyes narrowing and smiling, Jeong Taeui sighed and murmured.
"I didn't think so at all originally, but now, with things turned out like this, I can't help but
think it would have been a hundred times better not to meet. The reason for blocking
someone's path this way seems highly suspicious."
"Haha, there's no need to be so wary. It's not a big deal. Oh, by the way, have you eaten? You must have had some lousy in-flight meal."
"Let's go eat properly first," said the uncle, taking a step forward. Officer Kang, who had
taken Jeong Taeui's luggage, walked briskly toward the parking lot. Jeong Taeui could only shrug his shoulders and follow them.
"This place really doesn't change."
Jeong Taeui murmured as he looked out the car window at the passing scenery.
The brightly lit streets, the bustling crowds, and the cars filling every corner of the city.
Yet, if you looked up from the grandeur of the city, you would see the old, dilapidated buildings that seemed ready to collapse with a light tap, and in the alleys between them, laundry hung from long, makeshift clotheslines against the backdrop of the darkened, discolored walls.
Where else could there be a city with such a stark contrast between new prosperity and long—standing decay?
"Really? It seems they're constantly working on Kowloon these days too."
"It's the same as when I was there."
The uncle burst out laughing at what he found amusing in that statement. Jeong Tacui, who
had been watching the scenery through the car window along Nathan Road, glanced
skeptically at the uncle.
"It seems like we're heading towards the port."
"Yes. We've eaten, so we should head in now."
"....Where to?"
"Where do you think?"
Jeong Taeui stared intently at the smiling uncle. The UNHRDO badge on the uniform his uncle was wearing stood out vividly.
"Me too?"
"Of course. I came to pick you up."
The road ahead opened up to reveal the sea.
The car would soon turn right and stop a little further, where a boat marked with the UNHRDO logo would be waiting. Jeong Taeui already knew where that boat would take him. It was a boat he had ridden before and a place he had been to.
"Can outsiders go there freely?"
"Why are you an outsider?"
"...."
Jeong Taeui looked silently at the smiling uncle. As he gazed at the unperturbed smile on his uncle's face, a subtle crease appeared on his forehead.
"Uncle."
"There's something I need your help with, Taeui."
Only then did the uncle's smile slightly fade.
Seeing him smile like that makes me vaguely reflect my father's face and weaken my resolve. Though, I've never managed to win against this man.
Even though he knew it was a fight he couldn't win, Jeong Taeui had a premonition that it wouldn't turn out well, so he frowned and scratched his head.
"Jaeui-hyung is in Riyadh. He was there when I called five days ago. You should be able to get in touch with him easily."
"Yes, I know Jae is doing well. I've heard he's living comfortably without envying the
country's royalty. A colleague who recently went there said that they provide everything
except women."
The uncle's remark about how the country is very cautious with women made Jeong Taeui close his mouth bitterly. It was a reason he murmured only inside his head.
".....If it's not something related to my brother, there probably isn't anything I can help with."
"Why not? There is something perfect for you. You just happen to be passing through Hong Kong at this time; this is an opportunity for you."
".....What's that about?"
It sounded very suspicious. He didn't want to ask, but the car had already stopped at the dock, and ahead was a private yacht ready to set sail at any moment.
"It's not a big deal. I need you to take on a position for about fifteen days. And fifteen days should be enough time for you, right?"
If he knew there was a deadline, it would be futile to resist. Jeong Taeui raised both hands.
But even then, there was one word that caught his ear.
"Position? Who will it be? Why me?"
The position, obviously referring to the assistant role for a UNHRDO instructor, was a job that didn't immediately make sense, especially considering the specific requirements.
"Next weekend, we're entering the exchange training period. For fifteen days."
Ah, Jeong Taeui recalled past experiences. The UNHRDO regularly conducted joint training with other branches, and it seemed that time had come.
"But this time, due to a major reorganization at headquarters, the inter-branch exchange
training has been canceled. Instead, we'll be doing joint training with volunteers from a few neighboring countries. The program will be the same as the exchange training."
"So you're mixing non-UNHRDO personnel with the training?"
"To be precise, they aren't ordinary people. Since we sent official documents to governments and public institutions, they are personnel equivalent to 'public officials.' Moreover, the European branch sent documents to various organizations, including both Israel and Hamas."
"....It will be tough there for a while."
"Of course. On the other hand, our branch sent documents only to peaceful Asian countries, so the joint training will be quite comfortable."
"So? What exactly is my role in this comfortable joint training?"
Jeong Taeui, still sitting in the car, stared at his uncle who had already gotten out. It was
futile, as the car door opened, and Chief Kang pulled him out.
"Ah, it's nothing. Among the leaders coming to our branch during the joint training, there
will be people from the South Korean military. As you know, instructor-level personnel need an assistant, and although this person is included in the South Korean military, they are officially part of the United States. So, since the U.S. military is involved in Korea, it would be ideal to have someone who is proficient in both Korean and English as an assistant, and who is already familiar with what the assistant role entails."
Ah.
Now, Jeong Taeui understood the flow of the story.
He nodded, muttering, "I see," in acknowledgment.
Indeed, it would be hard to find anyone more suitable than himself for this role.
Finding someone who knows what an assistant does-and preferably has experience in the position, and can speak both English and Korean-would be challenging.
Jeong Taeui glanced at Chief Kang, who, though meeting the difficult conditions, was still his uncle's assistant.
"Fifteen days, you say?"
"Yes. During the joint training period."
"Well...alright. It shouldn't be too difficult. But."
While watching Officer Kang board the ship with his luggage, Jeong Taeui sighed and raised
both hands to his uncle. His uncle smiled warmly and said, "Thank you for helping."
"Yes, but?"
"Even though it's resolved now, is it okay for someone who was once wanted as an
international terrorist and damaged the reputation of the UNHRDO to take on the assistant
role, especially for such a distinguished guest?"
"Ahaha, why are you worried about that?"
His uncle lightly patted Jeong Taeui's back.
Guiding him towards the ship, he continued.
"Don't worry at all. That was actually more of a concern for Riegrow than for you. And that
matter has already been resolved. Even if Riegrow himself wanted to come back as an
instructor, there wouldn't be any problem."
"Every time I hear such things, I feel like I'm learning about the world's injustices one by
one..."
Jeong Taeui muttered to himself, but his uncle just laughed casually as if it was nothing new.
Well, it probably didn't matter.
There was more than a month left until his aunt went down to the countryside at the end of next month, so spending fifteen days away wouldn't be a big issue. He had already informed Ilay.
Jeong Taeui could fully decide his own course.
"Alright then. I'll take care of the assistant role for the next fifteen days. That's all I need to do, right?"
Following his uncle, who had already boarded the ship, Jeong Taeui stepped onto the ship's boarding stairs. His uncle, standing at the ship's bow and extending his hand, grabbed Jeong Taeui's hand with his large, warm grip and helped him aboard.
It seemed Jeong Taeui was the last to board the ship, as the anchor was soon raised after he was helped aboard.
The ship slowly began to distance itself from the dock. Once it had moved a fair distance,
and seemingly about to speed up, his uncle looked back at Jeong Taeui from the deck of the ship, with the land in the background.
"Of course. Your only task is to ensure the safety of your assigned instructor. Make sure no unpleasant incidents occur with him.— That's all."
With that, his uncle smiled kindly against the backdrop of the now distant land.
Someone once said that the mountains and rivers change, but the people remain the same.
They also said that ten years can change a lot.
But why do those people seem unchanged?
"Hey? You...?"
The man who was anxiously shaking his legs in front of the elevator, and who opened his eyes wide upon seeing Jeong Taeui, was one such person.
Jeong Taeui, who had memorized all their names through similar experiences, lazily waved his hand and said, "Hey, long time no see, Alta."
From the 1st floor to the 7th basement, with an area of about 2,000 pyeong each and a total of a little over a hundred people.
Even though the population density was not high, Jeong Taeui was encountering familiar
faces every few minutes. Even with Tou, he encountered him exactly as he had the first time, with a cigarette in hand as Jeong Taeui was just about to step into the UNHRDO Asia branch building.
"Tae! Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it? You're still alive?!"
"Are you still here too?"
There was no real dissatisfaction with the way the familiar face greeted him with a big smile, even though Jeong Taeui's voice wasn't as warm as Alta's. After several years, meeting faces that seemed as familiar as if he had seen them just yesterday made him feel as if he had just
briefly stepped away and returned.
But still.
Seeing the unchanged appearance made him smile.
"Wow, you suddenly disappeared one day and we all thought you had finally been buried somewhere in a forest by that lunatic Rick!"
The hearty laughter and the hand that clapped on his shoulder were particularly painful. It was because the same spot had been hit several times already. There was Carlo, who, without warning, had scolded him for disappearing without a trace since his escape, and Maurer, who, while buried in his book in the library, had thrown his book as if seeing a ghost the moment he saw Jeong Taeui, and Qing, whom he had encountered coming out of the office, were all the same.
"Hey, I'm heading to the cafeteria. Come with me. You need to eat too, right?"
Dinner time seemed unchanged, as the clock still showed the exact time of old dinners. Jeong Taeui shook his head.
"I already ate."
"Oh, really? Okay, then I'll visit your room later at night. Oh, right, where's your room? Who are you sharing it with?"
Alta, who was asking with the intention of coming over in the middle of the night with
snacks, drinks, and cards, received a vague response from Jeong Taeui, who scratched his head and mumbled, "Well...."
"Basement level 1."
"Huh?...Did you come here as an instructor or something?"
"No, it's not that. I'm a temporary supervisor. I'll be leaving soon though."
"Supervisor? Then why the first floor?"
"That's what I'm wondering..."
Actually, Jeong Taeui himself was puzzled.
After meeting unfamiliar faces every few minutes since his arrival, Jeong Taeui was curious why, despite the years that had passed, all these people still seemed to be exactly where he remembered them. The accommodation personally guided by his uncle was on basement level 1. As far as Jeong Taeui remembered, that floor was supposed to be reserved for instructors and above. It didn't seem likely that only the internal structure of the building had
changed.
"This is basement level 1, Uncle."
"Yes, I know. And you should know that my room is just around the corner. It's the same
room as before."
"Nowadays, do supervisors and instructors stay in the same room?"
Jeong Taeui looked skeptically at the room his uncle had personally opened. Opening the door to the corridor revealed a small living room, and inside, there were two doors that seemed to lead to bedrooms. According to what his uncle said, the right one was probably for external instructors.
"No, as before, instructors stay on this floor and supervisors stay on basement level 6."
"Then why am I sharing a room with an instructor?"
"The bedrooms are separate, so what's the problem? Besides, this is much better than the three-person shared rooms, right?"
"Well, that's true...."
Jeong Taeui scratched his head.
It must be because he's a temporary supervisor, so he just accepted it simply and nodded. His uncle, who started the shoulder pats, smiled warmly.
"Be sure to take good care of your instructor. Since you're sharing a room, you must ensure nothing unfortunate happens to him. The role of a supervisor is very important."
To his uncle's playful tone, Jeong Taeui replied in jest.
"Ahaha, are you saying the instructor I'll be protecting is some kind of ill-fated person who lives precariously surrounded by enemies?"
"Haha, no. If there were two such people, how could one handle it? Your assigned instructor is a very ordinary and average person."
Jeong Taeui laughed, saying, "It was just a joke," and entered the room. As he placed his bag on the sofa in the living room, his uncle, who still had work left, didn't enter but spoke to him.
"Then unpack and rest for now. The external people will be arriving next week. Well, next
week is only a few days away, but make sure to rest well until then. After that, things will get busier."
His uncle, who mentioned that he would let the supervisor know if he was bored and could get the key to his room to read a book, lightly waved goodbye and walked away.
The luggage, consisting of just a few pieces of clothing, was quickly set aside, and Jeong
Taeui went straight to the first floor to get the spare key to his uncle's room from the
supervisor.
In the meantime, he had already crossed paths with several familiar faces and now was facing Alta.
"Basement level 1...well, it might be a bit inconvenient to visit at night."
"Don't worry. I'll come down to the 6th floor later. Just prepare some beer and wait."
Alta, who had been pondering seriously, brightened up upon hearing Jeong Taeui's words and exclaimed, "Got it, leave it to me! After dinner, it's free time, so come by anytime!" and patted his chest.
Left alone after Alta disappeared towards the cafeteria, Jeong Taeui muttered, "Nothing really has changed," and smiled.
"Then let's head to Uncle's room...I wonder if there are more books now."
Leisurely descending the stairs, Jeong Taeui twirled the key on his finger. It was a Mickey
Mouse keychain the supervisor had given him, so he wouldn't lose it.
"..."
Come to think of it, there was one change.
Xinlu.