“Uh.”

“Uh?”

Taeui looked at Tou with a surprised expression, then pointed to himself with his index finger and replied “Uh?” as if it was a question. However, his completely indifferent expression did not carry any hint of confusion.

Tou glanced at the clock and moved closer to Taeui. It was not yet 6 AM. Seeing the cigarette on Tou’s lips, Taeui nodded in understanding. So that’s it, this guy woke up early to smoke a morning cigarette.

“Why are you up so early?”

Tou wondered while keeping the cigarette in his mouth. He lightly flicked a few dew drops off the leaf with his finger. Despite his tough-looking exterior, surprisingly, Tou loved flowers and plants—a fact hard to imagine upon first meeting him.

“Uh……. Someone made an annoying phone call early in the morning.”

“Just curse them out and go back to sleep.”

“Yeah……. But that person was persistent.”

“Next time, just unplug the phone.”

“Maybe. Or cut the external line entirely.”

“I can’t understand what kind of crazy person would prank call the UNHRDO branch. We should trace the phone number and catch them.”

“…….”

Taeui stared blankly at Tou. When Tou turned and asked “What?”, Taeui simply shook his head and said, “Nothing.” If he actually went through with it, Taeui would cheer him on.

Taeui squatted down next to Tou, who was lowering himself to flick the dew off the grass, and wetted the tip of his own finger with some dew.

In the end, although he had hung up the phone, he couldn’t get back to sleep. There was still quite some time before work started, but once sleep was lost, it didn’t come back easily. So, he decided to give up sleeping and go outside to enjoy the early morning air.

A blanket of fog enveloped the building. It would probably be quite hot during the day.

He took a deep breath of the misty air, where the light from the sky was obscured by the fog, and at that moment, Tou stepped out with a cigarette on his lips.

“Why are you also up and out this early?”

“I always get up at this time to smoke. Maybe you’ve never been outside at this hour, so you didn’t know.”

Tou smirked and answered Taeui’s question simply. On second thought, it made sense. Though he had woken up at this hour many times, he had never gone outside, so it was understandable that it was his first time seeing Tou at this hour. This man, albeit addicted to cigarettes, was one of the more diligent coworkers.

“Why do you look so upset?”

Tou asked as he glanced at Taeui. He exhaled a puff of smoke and instead of looking at the grass, he looked up at the sky, a gesture showing a bit of his conscience.

“The prank call was very persistent.”

“What?”

Taeui replied nonchalantly and rubbed off the dew on his fingertip. He felt Tou’s eyes questioning him, but his head was too muddled to respond. The details of the call kept playing in his mind, making him uneasy.

“Here, take this. I’ll give you a cigarette.”

Seeing that Taeui looked quite unsettled, Tou offered him a precious cigarette. Yet, his face still looked relaxed, probably because he had stocked up a large quantity when he went to Hong Kong not long ago. Taeui took the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and inhaled deeply. The sharp smell of tobacco filled his lungs.

At that moment, footsteps sounded behind them. Tou turned his head first, and Taeui followed. Through the old building’s window, they saw a man quickly stepping into the Instructor’s room.

“That’s Golding. This guy’s also up early. But why is he wearing a uniform and going into the Instructor’s room so early?……. Could he be going on a business trip?”

Tou muttered naturally. But before he could finish speaking, another Instructor appeared at the end of the hallway, also wearing a uniform like Golding, and entered the Instructors’ room.

Not long after, a third person walked in. It was Jeong Taeui’s uncle. Although he was wearing a neat uniform, his face still showed some annoyance from sleepiness, possibly because he had just woken up not long ago. As he walked down the hallway, he glanced out the window and saw Taeui and Tou standing outside with cigarettes in their mouths. He frowned slightly, intending to say something, but after thinking for a while, he walked into the Instructors’ room without saying a word.

“What…….?”

“I wonder what’s happening? It’s quite bustling this early in the morning. I wonder if something happened overnight.”

Tou murmured. Taeui also tilted his head a bit, pondering while looking at them.

After Taeui’s uncle, other Instructors also began to appear one by one. Almost simultaneously, or a little later, deputy heads also began to emerge. Although there were still about three hours before official work started, the scene was somewhat unusual.

The faces of those entering the Instructors’ room carried a puzzled expression. They weren’t clearly happy or sad, but rather a vague and indistinct mix.

It wasn’t evidently good news, nor was it anything terrible, so what could it be? Whatever it was, hopefully it wouldn’t affect the entire branch.

Just then, Taeui saw Xinlu hurrying down the hallway. Even Kyoho had been summoned so early in the morning, so something must have happened.

Before Taeui could call out, Xinlu, who was looking out the window, quickly noticed him.

“Taei-hyung! What are you doing out here so early?”

Spotting Taeui, Xinlu called out cheerfully while opening the window, and Tou, standing next to Taeui, gave a meaningful smile. “Lucky guy, someone always seems to wag their tail happily whenever they see you.” – Tou teased half-jokingly, but Taeui pretended not to hear.

Though the Instructors had odd, unclear expressions of happiness or sadness, Xinlu’s bright smile suggested that the strange seriousness had yet to reach this floor.

“Couldn’t sleep, so I just came out for a bit. What about you, why are you out so early? And what’s with the Instructors going back and forth……. Did something happen?”

“Ah, the head office sent some news early this morning. It seems they’ve decided on a new Instructor to be assigned to our branch.”

Early this morning.

An uneasy feeling gnawed at Taeui’s mind. As soon as he woke up, some bad news seemed to disrupt the peace. Perhaps that’s why everything happening today felt somewhat unlucky.

“On days like this, it’s best to just wash up and stay quietly in your room, avoiding going out.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, nothing. So, who’s coming?”

“Uh, how would I know?”

Xinlu laughed awkwardly. Indeed, Kyoho had just been called to assist with various chores, so how could he know such things? He might learn sooner than other members after the Instructors’ short meeting, but for now, there was no way to know what was being discussed in the Instructors’ room.

“Why does this feel so uneasy…….”

Taeui mumbled anxiously. He felt very uncomfortable. Small clues swirled chaotically in his mind, impossible to piece together. But even if they were resolved, it might not bring anything good.

“The new Instructor……. Hopefully, it’s not some weirdo.”

Taeui sighed and muttered. Only a few months left here before leaving, but he still wanted to avoid any strange superiors causing trouble in the remaining time. Beside him, Tou exhaled a cloud of smoke into the sky and calmly said: “Well.”

“Depending on which Instructor is brought in, the future for the direct subordinates will be either smooth or troublesome. Well, it probably won’t be a weirdo. Even if they have some quirks, if they’ve been chosen as an Instructor at the UNHRDO branch, they must be exceptionally capable. Though it’s a bit odd for me to say this myself, not just anyone can get in here easily……. Oh, right. Except for you. Except for you, you parachute* kid.”

(*낙하산: Literally ‘parachute’ but can be understood as ‘nepotism hire’)

Tou quickly added on when he caught Taeui’s unspoken gaze staring intently at him. Receiving compliments as a member of outstanding ability was strange enough, but hearing himself being called a ‘parachute’ was quite unpleasant. Taeui grabbed Tou’s ear and tugged it. “Ouch, why are you doing this! What’s wrong! Did I say something wrong!” – Tou stammered, a moment later Taeui released him, locking eyes with Xinlu, who was still standing by the window watching them.

“Aren’t you busy? Don’t you need to go?”

Seeing Xinlu standing alone amidst the lively atmosphere made Taeui ask, to which Xinlu only smiled shyly.

“I should go. But seeing Taei-hyung first thing in the morning really makes me happy.”

“…….Yeah. Me too.”

The unexpected words caught Taeui off guard. But it was too late, his face had already turned red. Lately, if he was mentally prepared, he wouldn’t blush or get flustered to the point of being speechless anymore, but occasionally hearing such sweet words unexpectedly, he still couldn’t help but feel a flutter.

Ahh, he really liked this guy. Although he sometimes felt awkward and still a bit confused, to him, Xinlu was still cute and charming. If not for the surprising gap between his appearance and inner personality, maybe Taeui would have embraced him long ago.

But how to describe it, sometimes when he accidentally met that unfamiliar gaze, inside it there was a hint of aggressiveness and ambition, making him inevitably feel a bit overwhelmed. It was as if something made him hesitate right before taking a step forward.

In that moment, a colleague called Xinlu’s name from the office and gestured with his hand, prompting Xinlu to say a quick goodbye and leave. Taeui quietly watched his retreating back. His feelings for this guy were still not neatly arranged. These days, his emotions were in turmoil.

Not sure how Tou interpreted that look from Taeui, but he clicked his tongue irritably and muttered to himself: “This is why dating within the branch is forbidden.”

“If you find it annoying, why don’t you find one for yourself.” – Taeui calmly said, raising his head and looking down at Tou with a blatantly challenging gaze. Tou attempted to tug at Taeui’s ear, but he blocked it with a casual wave, then looked up at the sky. The sky was still shrouded in mist.

It was just like his heart. Nothing was clear or bright.

“The sky is really misty. But on days like this, it usually clears up by noon.” – Tou murmured solemnly beside him. Hearing that, for some reason, Taeui felt comforted and nodded slightly. Indeed, ever since stepping in here, nothing had gone smoothly, but perhaps if he stayed for a while, things would gradually settle down.

After finishing his cigarette and exchanging a few words, Tou lit another. This was already Tou’s third cigarette, as there were rumors that when he went out to smoke, he wouldn’t return until he had finished three.

They walked around the front yard, saying little, letting the dew on the grass blades fall.

“Jeong Taei.”

A voice calling his name made Taeui stop. Wrinkles appeared between his brows unconsciously. Not because he disliked the owner of the voice. It was due to the uneasy feeling in his heart.

Strangely, that voice rang clear. The unfounded anxiety in his heart suddenly flooded.

Taeui turned around. A man in uniform was standing there looking at him. A sense of foreboding arose. Nothing good ever happened each time someone in that uniform came to call him. The most notable was the day he and his uncle in that uniform arrived here. Did anything good happen? Absolutely not. Only near encounters that almost ruined his life.

And this time would be no different. Nothing good awaited if he followed that uniform.

“Please come to the Instructor’s office for a moment. Instructor Jeong Changin is calling.”

The man in the military uniform said that. On closer look, Taeui recognized him as the Assistant Instructor who escorted his uncle. Though he belonged to the same branch, they rarely met, as he was usually stationed beside the Instructor and only appeared during official lectures, so interactions with other team members were scarce.

“I really don’t want to go.”

Just like in the beginning with his uncle, Taeui answered sulkily. He had a strong premonition that he shouldn’t go. But Assistant Instructor Kang just gave a wry smile and replied firmly.

“Even if you don’t like it, you still have to go. If you don’t, I’ll drag you there.”

“……..”

Taeui looked extremely troubled. He wanted to tell Assistant Instructor Kang to let his uncle come to see him instead, but there were many people watching. If it had only been the two of them, he would have said it comfortably, but it was improper to speak disrespectfully in front of others. Moreover, refusing might only lead to him being dragged away unpleasantly. Losing face wouldn’t be good either.

“Just go for a little while and come back.” – He quickly stood up and said. Seeing him follow, Assistant Instructor Kang turned and started walking, with Taeui close behind.

Maybe because he first saw him when he was driving, Assistant Instructor Kang always bore the image of a driver in Taeui’s mind. Walking half a step behind, Taeui suddenly asked:

“Do you have to be a driver, porter, and errand boy?”

Only after speaking did he realize his question might be offensive. But Assistant Instructor Kang just smiled lightly, showing no dissatisfaction, and nodded gently.

“You could say that. It’s like being a secretary handling all the trivial tasks.”

“Trivial tasks? Why do you have to do those?”

Though he was an Assistant Instructor, his status wasn’t much higher than the members of the branch. Technically, Assistant Instructor Kang was on the same level as the members, enjoying equivalent benefits and rights. In fact, he was more disadvantaged, as he had to support the Instructor after working hours and often work overtime. This wasn’t a place with a clear promotion path; being here for several years didn’t guarantee becoming an Instructor.

To Jeong Taeui’s question, Assistant Instructor Kang replied immediately without hesitation or need to think:

“Because I can see the overall situation from more angles than the branch members. And, being almost always by the Instructor’s side, I can learn many things from someone I deeply respect. That’s a significant advantage.”

Assistant Instructor Kang smiled lightly and added: “Like your uncle, he’s someone worth learning a lot from.” His warm smile made Taeui think his uncle was lucky to have such a dedicated assistant. However, he secretly thought the Assistant Instructor’s ability to judge character might not be very good.

There were four Instructors in the office after Taeui followed Assistant Instructor Kang in. Earlier, he saw a few Assistant Instructors enter, but they seemed to have left at some point. One absent Instructor was the old man in charge of Eoryeong. That man didn’t like sitting long in meetings like this, so Taeui wasn’t too surprised.

Taeui entered and greeted courteously. His uncle stood with his back to the window, holding a cup of coffee and looking outside, while the other Instructors turned their heads to look at him.

“Come in, take a seat.” – Instructor McKin signaled Taeui to sit. Occasionally, he saw McKin chatting with his uncle in the hallway. Usually, McKin seemed friendly, but if anyone inadvertently displeased him, they would face many troubles later. McKin was slightly older than his uncle but was still a subordinate of Rudolph Jantil. Taeui bowed and then sat in the indicated seat. He quickly glanced at the four Instructors and tried to appear calm.

This was the first time, except for full unit gatherings, that he met all the Instructors in one place. Each person here, even standing alone, radiated a distinct sense of authority. Some emitted a gentle aura, while others were as sharp as a blade, but everyone carried a unique leadership quality – a formidable presence that was hard to infringe upon, regardless of rank.

As Taeui looked at these people, he thought that indeed, UNHRDO was not just a fancy name.

“You are Jeong Taeui, a member of Instructor Jeong Changin’s team, correct? I heard you were involved in an accident during a joint training session with the European branch and came to Eoryeong.” – Instructor Golding asked. He had traveled to the South American branch during that time, so he wasn’t present here. Golding’s gaze observed Taeui with undisguised curiosity, making him feel unusual.

This isn’t the first time they’ve seen someone return from Eoryeong, yet he still looked surprised as if it were something rare.

“I heard you were quite close to Riegrow, and the two of you were in Eoryeong together?”

“Ilay? I’m not sure if you could call it close, but indeed we were in Eoryeong together.”

“Not because we wanted to stay together, but because the old man put both of us there.” – Taeui mumbled, adding to the response.

Taeui looked doubtful. His voice seemed gentle, but the content was like interrogating a detained witness. The people who had been meeting since early morning suddenly mentioned Ilay, making him feel like an ominous sign was approaching, looming over like darkness.

“Yes, he contacted me once this morning.” – Taeui responded, abandoning his politeness and revealing his irritation. His response plunged the Instructor’s room into silence again. Even his uncle was surprised, turning away from the window to look at him, but then quickly smiled faintly and got straight to the point.

“Jeong Taeui. You will be an Assistant Instructor.”

“I don’t want to!” – Taeui responded immediately before his uncle could say more. As soon as he heard the word ‘Assistant Instructor,’ an ominous feeling overwhelmed him, making his hairs stand on end. This entire situation was extremely uncomfortable.

He had no intention of wanting to view the situation from various angles, nor did he want to be with the Instructors all the time. Unfortunately, among the Instructors here, there was no one he truly respected enough to want to learn from.

But right after Taeui’s firm refusal, his uncle still smiled and continued immediately:

“Just do it. From today, you are no longer in my team. You will move to the team of the new Instructor and be an Assistant Instructor there.”

“I already said I don’t want to!” – Whether losing face in front of the other Instructors or not, he didn’t hesitate or care anymore. He felt that if he wasn’t determined to refuse right now, that cursed name ‘unlucky’ would grab him by the neck and drag him along.

“You don’t even know who the new Instructor is to refuse.”

“Precisely because I think I know, that’s why I don’t want to.”

Taeui opened his eyes wide, looking at his uncle and responding angrily. His uncle didn’t even seem surprised. The moment he saw his uncle’s calm face, the ominous feeling Taeui didn’t want to believe became more and more real, making him shiver with a chilling spine.

“Wasn’t it said that there is no direct transfer between the European and Asian branches?” – Taeui spoke as if clinging to a slim hope that his intuition was wrong. He had heard somewhere that although not explicitly stated in the regulations, there was usually no direct personnel transfer between the European and Asian branches. Especially not in this…….

“This time, the situation requires it. The appointment of the Instructor should have been decided immediately, but this case has various factors leading to prolonged discussions. Now the decision is made, it cannot be undone. It not only relates to the branch but also to the situation at headquarters.” – His uncle said.

Taeui glared at his uncle with a blaming look, even though he knew it wasn’t his uncle’s fault. But this decision made no sense. Even if they chose anyone in the world, that person couldn’t be him.

“Unacceptable! The man who killed Instructor Kippenhan, and now you’re putting him in that position?!”

Unable to hold back anymore, Taeui stood up and voiced his strong objection.

Everything in this conversation pointed to one person. Ilay Riegrow. That man would come and be the Instructor for this branch. Not only that, but he would also fill the vacant position left by Instructor Kippenhan – someone he had killed.

Ethics aside, the vehement opposition from the team members would be considerable. To start with, just having him come from the European branch was an issue, let alone being Riegrow – Crazy Riegrow. A person all the members of the Asian branch both hated and feared.

“Yes, exactly. That’s why among the long-term members here, no one is suitable to be his assistant. It needs to be someone new who has recently joined, someone without deep animosity toward the European branch. That person is you, Jeong Taeui. Moreover, for some reason, Riegrow seems to have a good impression of you.”

“Never like this! I don’t want to. I have the right to refuse, don’t I?” – Taeui responded immediately with seriousness, this was not a joke. He stared at his uncle, then at the other Instructors. If these people hadn’t collectively lost their minds, they wouldn’t have come to this decision. Mad or not, they should be clear-headed enough to go mad, but how could they come to the conclusion to invite that person here as an Instructor? If they weren’t careful, the members could collectively protest to the point of turning this small island upside down.

“Jeong Taeui. You do not have the right to refuse. This is not a suggestion, it’s an order. Unless you leave the UNHRDO, you cannot defy an order from your superiors.”

“…….So can I quit?”

“No.”

At least not yet.

When Taeui glanced at the other Instructors and quickly asked this, his uncle immediately shook his head and mouthed a reminder: ‘Not yet, because the half-year period we agreed to hasn’t ended.’

‘Uncle! Why do you keep pushing me into danger like this! Isn’t just living with bad luck at the branch enough without you doing this as well?’

The words he wanted to say were on the tip of his tongue. If the other Instructors weren’t there, he might have shouted that he would quit, that he would leave this place despite it being his uncle, father, or brother. Even though he knew shouting wouldn’t change anything.

However, since the other trainers were present, and also to save some face for his uncle, Taeui suppressed his feelings and hesitated, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, his uncle waved his hand to signal that the conversation was over and told him to leave. Recognizing this immediately, Assistant Instructor Kang quickly led Taeui out of the Instructors’ room.

While still mumbling words of protest, Taeui was ‘kicked’ out of the room without being able to say anything more.