<50>
"Couldn't sleep?"
Kang Yu-jeong asked with a worried expression as she examined Il-hyun's complexion.
"No. I've been forcing smiles at disgusting people since morning, so I feel nauseous."
At his biting tone, Yu-jeong forced a smile and looked around. It was an inauguration ceremony, a good day, yet Kang Il-hyun's expression was so fierce that anyone who saw him would think he had come to attend a funeral. After greeting the gathering crowd, Kang Il-hyun eventually asked Kang Yu-jeong for headache medicine, and she took some from her bag and handed it to him.
Il-hyun avoided people's eyes as he took the medicine, then went to the bathroom and washed his face with cold water. Pressing his temples against the persistent headache, he checked the time. About 40 minutes remained until the operation. He wiped the moisture from his face and stared intently at his own face reflected in the mirror. Perhaps because he hadn't been able to sleep enough last night, or for some other reason, his eyes were sharper than usual.
After contemplating, he checked the bulletproof vest he wore under his shirt once more, then reached into his jacket's inner pocket and took out his phone. And he called somewhere.
"It's me."
[Yes, Managing Director, please speak.]
"Are you on standby?"
[I'm right on the floor below.]
Il-hyun fell silent for a moment. Park Tae-soo patiently waited for his command.
"Keep him alive for now. Even if he dies, I'll do it myself."
[Understood.]
After hanging up, he laughed hollowly. Crazy. It would be easier to just kill him. What's so pretty about him that I want to see him once more before killing? Spiritless bastard. He smiled a self-deprecating smile, then pulled out a hand towel to wipe the moisture from his face before throwing it into the trash can and exiting the bathroom.
As he came out and walked, Chairman Kang appeared in the distance with Kim Sun-young and Kang Seok-ju. Il-hyun approached him naturally and smiled.
"You've come, Father."
"Yes, you've prepared a lot."
"Assemblyman Yoon and Minister Park have been waiting inside since earlier."
Chairman Kang smiled kindly and nodded, then went inside with Kim Sun-young. Kang Seok-ju glanced around cautiously and hurriedly followed behind them. Watching Chairman Kang's retreating figure, Kang Il-hyun's eyes turned cold. Enjoy it while you can, Father.
***
Ja-kyung moved her neck left and right to relax her muscles. After properly stretching her arms and legs, she went to the window. The tinted window was structured so that the inside wasn't visible from outside well. She placed the rifle on the bipod and extended the barrel out the window. Wang Ryun's voice came through the in-ear.
[Are you all ready?]
"Yeah. What about you, hyung?"
[I'm on standby below. See the blue van?"
Ja-kyung moved to the right and checked the roadside. A blue van was parked in front of a café, and Wang Ryun's sedan was parked beside it.
"Confirmed."
20 minutes to go. She took out a piece of gum, put it in her mouth, and chewed slowly to steady her mind. She sat leaning against the window, waiting for time to pass. When she closed her eyes, absurdly, Kang Il-hyun's face came to mind. She shook her head to wipe that face away completely. Instead, she imagined other things. The island she would live on, the beautiful wife she would live with there, and beautiful children, and... Kang Il-hyun...?
Why are you appearing there? Ja-kyung frowned and waved her arm in the air. Get out. I said get out. But that irritatingly smug smiling face wouldn't disappear easily.
"Fuck."
Ja-kyung cursed and stood up. Now it was about time to work. She put her eye to the scope and aimed at the building where Kang Il-hyun was. She could see faces passing between the windows. And Kang Il-hyun came into the scope.
Soon he would come out to give his inauguration speech. She slowly regulated her breathing and slowed it down. Among the guests were Kang Yu-jeong, Chairman Kang, and including Kang Seok-ju, quite a few familiar figures were noticeable.
After Chairman Kang's greeting ended, Kang Il-hyun rose from his seat. He walked out to the podium and stood before the microphone, beginning to say something. Even though he hadn't dressed up more than usual, today he shone exceptionally brighter.
After finishing his inauguration speech, Kang Il-hyun walked out from the microphone. The barrel that had been aiming at his face slowly pointed downward. Ja-kyung gradually stopped her breathing. He bowed politely to the people. The barrel passed the heart and went further down. And the moment Kang Il-hyun raised his head, her finger pulled the trigger.
Bang, the bullet that flew out pierced the glass window and embedded itself in his left thigh.
Kang Il-hyun staggered and stepped back, and people rose from their seats all at once. Bodyguards rushed in, and in an instant, blinds began to come down. Without missing that split-second gap, Ja-kyung pulled the lever to eject the shell casing and fired the second bullet.
The second bullet hit the right thigh. Blood spurted out, and unable to support his body, he collapsed. The windows were completely covered, and she could no longer see the situation. Ja-kyung took her eyes off the scope and released the breath she had been holding.
Bang bang. As if they had been waiting, the entrance door shook. Men's shouts came through the door. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of breaking down the door with blunt tools could be heard.
Ja-kyung took two smoke grenades from her waist, pressed the buttons, and rolled them over there. After a moment, smoke rose at a rapid speed, obscuring the view. While connecting the rope to the waist ring, bang! The door was torn off.
Da da da, at the sound of running footsteps, Ja-kyung ran straight toward the window and threw her body. Crash, the glass window shattered, and her body flew outside the building. Her flung body flew to the lower floor window from the rebound, and Ja-kyung crashed through the glass window, rolled, and landed on the floor.
People working in the office screamed with surprised faces.
After cutting the rope with a knife, Ja-kyung quickly rushed out of the office and started running toward the emergency exit. As she went down the stairs, shouts and footsteps could be heard from above. Bang, bang, the sound of bullets hitting and bouncing off the stair railing felt like her ears were being torn apart.
As she went down, several men were coming up from below as well. Ja-kyung grabbed the railing and leaped up, kicked a man, then took out her knife and rapidly stabbed it into their arms and legs. Someone from below shot, and Ja-kyung grabbed the man who had been stabbed and fell, using him as a shield, then immediately threw the knife, hitting the man with the gun in the throat.
There were more of them than expected. Judging that it would be difficult to escape if she wasn't careful, Ja-kyung ran out of the emergency exit. When she opened the office door and entered, people screamed seeing Ja-kyung covered in blood.
Ja-kyung picked up a chair and threw it at the glass window, then stepped on the windowsill and climbed up. The men chasing Ja-kyung also came running into the office armed. The office soon became a scene of chaos. Ja-kyung threw her body toward the ground below.
Her body fell onto the upper part of a parked car, and the glass shattered. Bullets immediately flew from above, and Ja-kyung rolled her body downward and crawled under the car. She could clearly see bullets bouncing off the asphalt ground.
Just then, Wang Ryun's voice came through the in-ear.
[Where are you?]
"Back entrance parking lot entrance. Come quickly!"
No sooner had the words ended than with a vroom— a roaring sound, a car came to a stop beside her. Wang Ryun opened the door, and Ja-kyung rolled her body and quickly got into the car. Because Kang Il-hyun's subordinates were firing guns indiscriminately from above, the front windshield shattered.
But Wang Ryun paid no mind and started to escape that place at high speed. Ja-kyung let out rough breaths and slumped into the seat. Only belatedly did she feel pain in her arm, and when she looked, it was soaked with blood.
From beside her, Wang Ryun asked with a worried expression.
"Did you get hit?"
"I'm fine. Just grazed it."
Wang Ryun checked behind through the rearview mirror and cursed. Several black cars were following at terrifying speeds. She should be thankful it wasn't rush hour. As they sped through, dodging cars here and there, the pursuing cars also increased their speed, showing no intention of slowing down.
"Those bastards seem pretty worked up."
Wang Ryun's face showed a trace of exhilaration. Ja-kyung reached back to the rear seat and picked up an automatic rifle. A tunnel entrance appeared ahead. Ja-kyung, having inserted the magazine, had an expression that was remarkably devoid of emotion. Wang Ryun slowed down before the tunnel, and the pursuing cars, thinking it was an opportunity, closed in closely.
Bang, bang, bullets flew through the rear window and embedded into the seats, creating chaos. Wang Ryun, ducking his head to avoid bullets, regretted not installing bulletproof glass even in that situation. Ja-kyung kicked off the tattered front glass to tear it away, then signaled Wang Ryun from the middle of the tunnel.
"Start."
Wang Ryun hastily turned the steering wheel. Screech, with an ear-splitting sound, the car instantly spun one rotation and began driving in reverse. Through the wide-open front windshield, Ja-kyung fired the gun mercilessly.
The endlessly fired bullets flew toward the windows and wheels of the pursuing cars. The cars lost their balance, wavered, then tangled with each other, eventually flipping over and overturning. Smoke rose, and the car following behind also crashed with a bang and stopped.
Wang Ryun completely turned the steering wheel to restore the car body to its original position, then laughed heartily.
"As expected, Ja-kyung."
He extended his hand, but Ja-kyung, with an exhausted face, threw the gun to the back and leaned her head against the seat. Through the wide-open front windshield, humid wind blew in, and the smell of blood rose intensely. Even though it was a smell she always smelled, today it made her particularly nauseous. She put a cigarette in her mouth and closed her eyes.
I'm sick of it. This smell too, now.
Kang Il-hyun's last appearance came to mind particularly vividly, and she smiled bitterly.
You brought this on yourself. You were going to kill me anyway.