Chapter 442
“...I think H is starting to change.”
“...You’ve felt it too?”
It was an odd sort of conversation to be shared between an elderly couple.
Their hair was streaked with white, their faces bore the features of old age—but their expressions, their movements, seemed far removed from any such thing.
“At first, I started using it under the pretext of needing to avoid suspicion, but now... I’m not sure anymore. If that was really the only reason.”
“Exactly. I mean, even if she’s entered the political sphere, where is all that money coming from?”
“It means she’s gotten close to the core... What matters is that this situation isn’t good. Her personality’s changing too.”
“It must be from the stress. If this keeps going...”
The sentence faded on purpose.
But both the speaker and the listener already had a vague idea of how it would’ve ended.
“This is why I said we should’ve pulled out earlier! Piled on too many missions—”
“But it really was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, wasn’t it? A chance to monitor the direct bloodline of the Koryo Group more closely than ever before. It was too good to throw away.”
“Still—”
“...We just have to manage it properly. Make sure nothing unfortunate happens.”
“...”
The two exchanged worried looks.
Of course, with facial masks and perception filters in place, they couldn’t actually see each other’s faces—but having been a long-standing pair, they could read the mood from subtle cues.
“First, we need to meet and talk to her.”
Disguised as Huh Yewon’s parents, the pair set up a meeting point and summoned Park Hyejeong.
The official excuse was to discuss matters related to the mission and to deliver new orders.
Late at night.
The location: an empty lot on the outskirts of the half-ruined Namdong Industrial Complex.
“...She’s coming.”
A distant light approached.
It pierced through the dark night and gradually took shape—until it revealed itself as a car pulling up in front of them.
Screeech.
It wasn’t the same car she’d used last time. She must’ve changed again.
Even the base model cost about 400 million won, and with a few added options, it easily passed five or six—earning it the nickname a luxury apartment on wheels.
And that’s what Park Hyejeong showed up in.
Clack.
The front door opened and Park Hyejeong stepped out.
She had her cap pulled low and wore sunglasses despite it being nighttime. She was alone.
No driver, no assistant—just her.
She had driven herself. Because letting the AI drive would leave a trace.
“You’re here.”
“You’re late.”
Glancing at the elderly couple approaching, she quickly scanned the surroundings, then habitually pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
“You think it’s easy to sneak out here alone, unnoticed? I’m Huh Yewon, remember.”
“...”
“Hmph—so, what’s this message? Something you can’t say over video call?”
“A new mission’s come down.”
Even before the agent could hand over the paper, Park Hyejeong snatched it.
“What mission? I’m already drowning in work.”
“You’re aware tensions between Incheon and the government have reached a peak. Nothing good can come of this escalating further.”
“...And?”
“I know it’s hard, but I want you to exert some influence. You’ve climbed up in the party ranks, and you’re part of associations like the Market Federation. Try to persuade the mayor.”
“Ha...”
After reading the paper, Park Hyejeong removed the cigarette and blew out a long stream of smoke.
It was almost like a sigh.
“You want me to comply with the National Assembly summons?”
“If things go south and Incheon ends up under lockdown, the entire operation could take a massive hit. We won’t be able to support you properly anymore. It’s not good for the mission to drag on indefinitely.”
“Support, my ass. I’m doing everything on my own. No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
Letting out yet another sigh, Park Hyejeong crumpled the paper.
Her loose, cocky expression grated on the two agents, but for now, they stayed silent.
“The mayor’s a puppet. The real one pulling the strings... is Go Muyeol.”
“...That young master is controlling Mayor Jung Mina?”
“Yeah. How many times have I said that guy’s not normal? Mayor Jung Mina, Party Leader Kim Eun-ji, Floor Leader Joo Hyun-ah, all of them—every single one is his puppet. Politics, law, finance—hell, practically everything in Incheon is under his control now.”
“Then we just have to persuade him to move the mayor—”
“What the fuck—do you even hear yourself?”
Spitting out her cigarette, Park Hyejeong exploded.
“Why do you think it’s come to this in the first place? Because he wants Incheon to break off. That’s how we got here. So what the fuck am I supposed to persuade him about?”
“Are you saying the heir to Koryo Group orchestrated this whole situation just to split off Incheon? That’s... a little too big for one man.”
“The conflict between Incheon and the government began with the elementary school terror incident. Are you saying that was all part of the plan too? That doesn’t make any—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Feeling suffocated, Park Hyejeong pulled out another cigarette.
As she struggled to light it, her hands trembled, and she pointed accusingly at the agents.
“Do you even know what the biggest problem with this operation is? It’s that you—don’t—trust—me. Got it?”
“...”
“You don’t trust me. That’s the real problem. I reported that guy was swallowing Incheon whole—when was that again? And you’re still saying this shit.”
“We’re just pointing out what’s reasonable. What you’ve reported so far... it’s been exaggerated. Separating Incheon from Korea? That’s—”
“See? I try to talk—don’t believe me. Try to persuade—doesn’t work. And you think you’re supporting me somehow? Without even a shred of basic trust?”
“Calm down. We’re sorry. It’s just... hard to believe.”
“Haa...”
Rubbing her face and turning in place, Park Hyejeong continued.
“Pass it up the chain. Incheon’s separation? It can’t be stopped. That guy’s dead set on it.”
“You...!”
“Let’s take it slow, okay? Slow! I’m part of the intelligence council. I’m the chair, for fuck’s sake.”
“...”
“Peace Now Incheon Party, we passed 150 seats in just three months. We’re heading toward 200, 300. I’m Deputy Chair of Policy there. I set the direction of our party, you understand?”
“...”
“Shit—no, in the Incheon Public Security Alliance or whatever, I’m a core executive too. With one word, I can move tens of thousands.”
“...”
“Whether Incheon splits off or not, I’ll keep working. So just wait.”
Finally, she managed to light the cigarette.
“Hoo... Oh, and this.”
Blowing out smoke, she showed the crumpled paper to the agents.
“You could’ve just given me this at home. Why make me come all the way out here, on edge like this? I’m °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° already strung tight as hell every day.”
“It was a directive from above—to deliver it somewhere absolutely empty.”
“Wow. So thorough. Really impressive.”
Gnashing her teeth on the cigarette, she glared, then tossed the crumpled paper to the ground and turned toward her car.
At first, she seemed ready to just drive off—but then she sighed and walked toward the trunk.
Beep.
The trunk opened smoothly.
Park Hyejeong pulled out a small bag and brought it over to the agents.
“If I wire transfers, it could be traced. For sensitive stuff, use this.”
“You...”
“Mom. Dad. Please. Let’s do this right, yeah?”
“...”
“...”
She shot each of them a final glare, then got into her car and vanished before they could say a word.
“...In the end, we couldn’t bring it up.”
“...”
The real reason they’d called her out to a place this deserted
was to suggest withdrawing from the mission.
Because Park Hyejeong... was starting to seem unstable.
They had planned to tell her it was time to stop.
Of course, this wasn’t something the higher-ups knew.
While the upper ranks continued to see the situation as a golden opportunity and were pushing for it to continue, they would never allow her to quit.
“Can’t be helped. We’ll just have to... keep a closer eye on her.”
“She looked like she was under a lot of stress.”
“She’s infiltrating enemy territory, after all.”
They were disguised as Huh Yewon’s parents too, but it was still different from being on the front lines like Park Hyejeong.
“Let’s go.”
“...Yeah.”
The two agents took the bag Park Hyejeong had given them and got into the car, heavy-hearted.
The empty lot returned to silence.
The air shimmered.
And a figure emerged from nothing.
“Huh Yewon’s ‘parents’... they’re spies. Park Hyejeong’s pair.”
Touching the device near her ear, she scanned the meeting site with quick, efficient movements.
Unfortunately, the agents had cleaned up thoroughly—no usable traces left behind.
Not that it mattered much anymore.
—Oh. Not bad.
“...What do you mean, not bad?”
—I thought you’d get caught right away, waddling around like that. You’re a little bulky, aren’t you?
“I—I’m not fat!!”
—Come on, the other agent’s supposed to be seasoned. How’d they miss our pudgy Ddan-ddo?
“Eek...!”
—Anyway, good job, my Ddan-ddo.
“Wh—what do you even think I am...!”
—You did well. It was your first real field mission, and you handled it.
Ddan-ddo trembled, then let out a long sigh.
—That aside, just as expected—they were spies.
“Yes. I recorded their conversation. We’ve got video. It’s solid.”
—Good. That’s enough. Come back. I’ll let you have cake. No walk.
“Oh...! Tha—thank...!”
Just as she started to thank him, she felt like something was off—
And Go Muyeol ended the call.
Left alone in the stillness, Ddan-ddo trembled again, then lashed out and kicked the ground for no reason.
“I’m a person too...!!”
No one was listening.