Chapter 105: Something I Need Permission For

TL: LittlePeach

Crow agent.

It was not an actual title.

It was simply an expression commonly used for a turncoat who had become a local asset, one of those things agents openly talked about among themselves.

An Eagle agent, on the other hand.

'That really is a new one.'

Was it called Eagle because the job was to seek out prey and hunt it down?

Anyway.

From what I heard, it was not particularly urgent.

There was no deadline for completing the job either, so I figured I could slack off for a while and take my time before setting out.

“Please handle that notebook with the utmost care. If its contents ever leak outside, this won’t be something that can be settled by merely stripping either you or me of office.”

“I’ll try to memorize it quickly.”

“Heh. There are quite a few people in there for that, you know?”

“Even so, I’ll give it a try.”

With that, Bureau Director Yang Ui-jin had conveyed everything he wanted to tell me.

As I idly rubbed the cover of the notebook, he continued in a cautioning tone.

“I won’t say that I trust you unconditionally. But remember this much. There are quite a few people at headquarters willing to vouch for your character. Your skills and accomplishments are one thing, but character isn’t something you can simply manufacture.”

“Vouch for me? Who exactly....”

“In Dandong, Russia, Cambodia, Italy, and the Philippines. Every agent who has fought back-to-back with you in the field and risked their life alongside you said you were someone they could trust.”

“Ah.”

“The field agents trust you. That’s why I’m trusting you with the field agents as well.”

Hearing him go on about my character made me feel strangely embarrassed.

Even family members did not readily vouch for one another, and as several faces surfaced in my mind, my heart grew heavy.

“Group Director Oh Dong-cheol put your name on the shortlist for the next Southeast Asia team leader. Right there on the very first page.”

“That’s right. I gave him a positive answer as well.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but I intend to give that position to someone else. Your official title will remain Team 5 leader.”

I did not even have time to smack my lips in disappointment.

He gestured toward the notebook with his chin.

“Of course, that’s only your official title. As far as that notebook is concerned, you’ve effectively been granted group director-level authority. Whenever you have the opportunity, independently check up on the agents listed in there and take whatever action you deem necessary.”

“Ah, yes.”

For that matter, there was still no way of knowing whether the agents in this notebook were actually slacking off on the job.

If they were all faithfully doing their part at their respective posts, then this grand mission of mine would effectively amount to nothing.

But if, by some chance....

“If I discover that one of the agents really is slacking off on the job, what should I do?”

“Recall them to headquarters. Depending on the circumstances, it might end with internal disciplinary action, or we may have to consider legal punishment as well.”

Then, at some point, the smile that had never left Bureau Director Yang Ui-jin’s face finally faded.

“And there will undoubtedly be cases that go beyond simple misconduct or slacking off on the job.”

He was right.

Stay in the darkness too long, and eventually a person starts turning black themselves.

Just like how the NIS called such turncoats Crow agents.

'To be fair, I feel like I’m walking a pretty fine line myself.'

Because I, too, had begun to realize that I was already lingering somewhere along that boundary.

“I’ll leave the judgment entirely to you, since you’ll be the one in the field. Just report the outcome to me afterward.”

Act first, report after.

As I organized my thoughts at those words, Bureau Director Yang Ui-jin tossed back his full glass in one gulp.

“Khh. The liquor tastes especially bitter today.”

Despite saying that, Bureau Director Yang Ui-jin looked considerably relieved.

***

The next morning, after that unexpected late-night drinking session had come to an end.

Speak of the tiger and he appears.

Riiing.

-Mm. Sorry about this. I definitely put your name forward as my first choice, but it seems the bureau director has something else in mind.

Sure enough, it was a call from Group Director Oh Dong-cheol.

Sounding awkward, he broke the news that I had not been selected for the team leader position.

I had already heard about it the night before, but naturally, I pretended I knew nothing and casually laughed it off.

“It’s fine. Really. I’m already running around in the field with the Team 5 leader badge on anyway.”

-That’s probably the biggest reason you were passed over. You’re already carrying out operations just fine as a team leader in the field, so there’s no particular reason to restrict your activities to Southeast Asia.

Even as he tried to console me, Group Director Oh Dong-cheol kept smacking his lips in lingering disappointment.

I could practically feel his frustration through the phone.

“Even if it isn’t me, whoever becomes the Southeast Asia team leader will do a good job.”

-Tsk. That’s actually what worries me. The person who’s going to take over as Team 4 leader is some desk jockey from a domestic division.

“Really? That’s a little unusual.”

-Exactly. Honestly, that bothers me more than your appointment falling through.

Normally, when someone transferred departments within the NIS, most cases involved changing regions while remaining within the same general branch.

Someone stationed in Seoul might go to Busan.

Someone stationed in the Middle East might go to Russia.

But transferring from domestic operations to overseas operations, changing the jurisdictional branch itself, was extremely rare.

When an overseas agent left the field for a domestic division, it was called a ‘promotion transfer’.

When someone working domestically was sent to an overseas division, it was called a ‘demotion transfer’.

That was how starkly opposite the two situations were.

-What was his name again.... Kim Do-hyeon, I think. Something about this guy really rubs me the wrong way. His record from the domestic division is locked down so tight I can’t even see what he used to do....

“...What did you say his name was?”

-Kim Do-hyeon. Why? You know him?

“Hard to say.”

How could I possibly forget that name?

Team Leader Kim Do-hyeon of the Domestic Intelligence Bureau’s Special Intelligence Team.

Every time I returned to Korea, he was the man who came looking for me and made a nuisance of himself.

'He really transferred over. What am I supposed to do about this?'

Apparently, showing him a bankbook containing six billion won in cash the last time we met had been the decisive blow.

Suppressing an incredulous laugh, I smoothly carried on with the act.

“Since he’s already transferred over, I’d still like to introduce myself properly sometime. I have a feeling I’ll end up crossing paths with the Southeast Asia team quite a bit.”

-Really? Yeah, I suppose so. I’ll arrange something soon.

“Thank you.”

That was how my call with Group Director Oh Dong-cheol ended.

Truthfully, I wanted to meet Team Leader Kim Do-hyeon privately at least once.

I planned to give him at least a rough idea of how to make money in Southeast Asia.

After all, I probably bore at least some responsibility for his transfer, so it was purely a matter of conscience.

'Swish a live wire around in a puddle a few times and the money practically comes rolling in on its own.'

Whether he could actually pull it off was a separate issue.

***

After that, I stayed at Bomunsa for a while longer.

“Young man. Have some more peaches.”

“Oh my, look at you. You eat so heartily.”

“....”

Bomunsa was a popular temple.

It was located in the city, and with the Bulgwangcheon walking trail right in front of it, it was also easy to reach.

Even when it was not a special occasion like Buddha’s Birthday, countless temple postulants came by and made all sorts of alms offerings, so all kinds of things ended up being crammed into the mouth of a freeloader like me as well.

Crunch, crunch.

“Young man. You remember seeing me on Children’s Day last time, don’t you?”

“Ah, yes. Of course I remember.”

“I heard back then that you didn’t have a girlfriend. You still don’t, right?”

“Haha....”

I had already been suffering through this the entire time I stayed at the temple.

Did I have any interest in meeting their daughters?

Would I like someone to set me up with a girl?

Every temple postulant I ran into seemed to light up with interest in my dating life.

“I’m telling you, go on a blind date with my daughter. She’s a kindergarten teacher, and she takes after me, so she’s very pretty and proper.”

“Do you happen to have a picture?”

“Here, look. Isn’t she lovely?”

“....”

Whenever that happened, I looked down at the notebook Bureau Director Yang Ui-jin had given me and steeled my resolve.

'Let’s escape.'

First, I considered where I should go next.

There were plenty of options.

Russia, the Middle East, the Northeast Three Provinces, Southeast Asia.

'Southeast Asia is tempting again.'

Even setting aside the Middle East, where I had never been before, Southeast Asia was naturally the most appealing choice among them.

“Want me to set it up? How about tomorrow?”

“....”

Then, one day, just as I was finally making up my mind.

Riiing.

“Huh.”

A familiar number appeared on my phone.

I knew the number, but I could not quite remember whose it was.

'Who is it?'

I had changed phones several times after everything I had been through, so I barely had any numbers properly saved anymore.

Click.

“Yes, hello.”

-Heh heh. Hey, Hae-chan. Been doing well?

“...Mm?”

Some man abruptly called me by my real name in a voice full of mischief.

-Can you tell who I am from my voice?

As I listened closely to the voice on the other end, a familiar face suddenly flashed through my mind.

But he was someone who should not have been in Korea at this point in time.

“...U-jin sunbae?”

-Well, you got me. Yeah.

“Huh?”

Lee U-jin.

He was none other than Kite No. 3.

I tilted my head without even realizing it.

The Kite designation was given to agents expected to spend half their lives embedded abroad.

Unless something extraordinary happened, they practically never returned to Korea.

-Got time to grab a meal today?

“What? You’re in Korea right now?”

-Yeah. I’m in Korea. Looks like you happened to be here too?

“Apparently so. I was in the Philippines until just a few days ago.”

-Oh, the Philippines. Were you on vacation?

“Yeah, more or less. But what are you doing in Korea, sunbae?”

-I transferred to a domestic division.

“Whaaat?”

He had transferred to a domestic division.

Maybe because I had just heard a similar story, it did not feel entirely unfamiliar.

As I blinked at the sudden revelation, Kite No. 3 chuckled softly.

“All right, got it. You said your family home was in Nowon, right? I’ll come over that way.”

-Good memory. Yeah. I’ll text you the address.

After we ended the brief call, that evening.

“Hey. Over here.”

Kite No. 3, Lee U-jin, waved me over in greeting.

He had tossed the perpetually shabby Wang Chunsam look somewhere aside and was back to the tall, handsome man I remembered from long ago.

Seeing him looking so neat and polished felt strange, but welcome at the same time.

“Been a while. You doing well?”

“Of course. It’s been almost two months.”

“Has it? Feels a lot longer than that.”

“Here, take this. I picked it up on the way.”

“You didn’t have to bring anything.”

I handed him a box of peaches I had bought from a nearby supermarket.

We headed straight to a barbecue restaurant nearby, and once we had taken our seats, I cautiously brought up what had been bothering me the most.

“Where’s hyeongsu-nim?”

“At home. My parents absolutely adore A-ra ssi, so the two of us haven’t even been able to get any proper time alone together.”

“Ah.”

“I told her to slip out and come down later. If we start eating now, she’ll probably be here before long.”

Chae A-ra had lived as a sham married couple with Kite No. 3, so naturally his family would treat her like their daughter-in-law.

Their son had vanished overseas without so much as a word and then returned with a lovely young woman. From his family’s perspective, there could hardly have been happier news.

“But how did you end up getting reassigned to a domestic division?”

“I wasn’t reassigned. I personally submitted a petition up the chain asking to transfer to a domestic division.”

“Oh.... Did something happen?”

I had thought he had settled in well over there. Had I been wrong?

Seeing the confusion on my face, Lee U-jin grinned.

“Actually, I did get some good news.”

“Good news? What is it?”

“Before that, there’s something I need your permission for.”

My permission?

Lee U-jin blew out a sharp breath through his flaring nostrils.

“I’m going to be a dad.”

“Huh.”

“She’s seven weeks along now.”

The news was so completely unexpected that I went blank for a moment.

Before I could even offer my congratulations, he continued.

“If it’s a boy, Lee Hae-dam. If it’s a girl, Lee Hae-sol. I want to take one syllable from your name and give it to my child.”

“Uh, wow....”

The ‘Hae’ from Kang Hae-chan.

That was what he wanted to use.

I had no reason to object.

It was not like names came with copyrights.

Still, I wanted to know why.

“Why my name?”

“You saved my life in Sinuiju, remember? I wanted to preserve that memory somehow. So I thought I’d let my child carry part of the name of the man who saved my life.”

“Oh....”

“A-ra ssi agreed right away too. Someday, when I’m old and retired, I want to tell my kids everything that happened that day. Would that be all right?”

If that was what it meant to him, I had no reason to refuse.

If anything, I should have been the grateful one.

“Of course. I’d be honored.”

“Thanks.”

“Seriously, congratulations.”

“Heh heh.”

At that, Kite No. 3 smiled proudly.

It was the smile of a man who had just realized he was going to be a father.

*****

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