Dudududu!
Five or six gunshots rang out in an instant.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Whoosh!
Pressing his back tight against the corner again, Squad Leader Sam radioed in.
“One down, clear.”
His voice was extremely cold.
At the sound of it, Taesu’s eyes wavered slightly.
It meant that someone had just lost their life to the shots he’d fired.
It had to be one of the terrorists.
Even so, Squad Leader Sam’s expression was icy cold.
It was exactly like the look Taesu gave someone who stood in the way of a patient’s emergency treatment.
The same kind of gaze, but the results were polar opposites.
Taesu’s eyes trembled faintly.
‘A doctor’s purpose is to save lives, and a soldier’s…….’
They were people who achieved their goals by subduing and killing others.
They were different—far too different.
Taesu suddenly felt this moment, standing together with them, become unfamiliar.
And then it happened.
Squad Leader Sam furrowed his brow and focused on his in-ear.
Then he hurriedly lifted his radio.
“What do you mean, not one but two!”
Squad Leader Sam’s irritation-filled voice echoed through the quiet surroundings.
Whoosh!
Swiftly turning his gaze, Squad Leader Sam warned Corporal Guspia and Corporal Alton.
“Threat level to maximum!”
“Sir!”
Clack!
The two men’s tension instantly rose to its peak.
Taesu, too, raised his own tension along with them.
At that very moment—
Clatter!
Someone burst out from the alley they had just passed through.
That someone looked like a local resident.
But he was not a resident.
The difference that made that clear was the rifle in his hands.
The muzzle was pointed this way.
In the instant Taesu took that in, he shouted reflexively.
“That way!”
At the same time, the other man’s loathing gaze fixed on Taesu.
‘Die.’
His eyes were filled with killing intent.
It was clearly a gaze aimed at Taesu.
The moment he saw it, Taesu’s eyes shook violently.
It was the first time he had ever seen the eyes of someone who truly intended to kill him.
It sent a chill through his entire body.
“Hup!”
Taesu felt his body stiffening without realizing it.
Then a hand from behind grabbed him hard and pulled him back.
Whirik!
At the same time, someone covered Taesu with his whole body.
‘Corporal Guspia?’
Taesu flinched and sensed it instinctively.
At that very moment—
Dudududu! Dudu!
Scattered rifle fire rang out from close by and from a little farther away.
“Guaaaagh!”
A desperate scream muddled his ears.
Right after the scream vanished—
“Clear.”
Corporal Alton’s cold voice came through.
It had all happened in just a few seconds.
It was truly a fleeting instant.
Taesu felt every moment vividly, as if in slow motion.
And even now, the terrorist’s face, filled with murderous intent, was vivid in his mind.
“Haa, haa.”
Ragged breaths burst out of Taesu before he knew it.
Then the heavy weight disappeared, and Corporal Guspia called out in a low voice.
“Doctor Choi, are you all right?”
“Guspia.”
“It’s all right now. It’s all right, so you don’t have to worry.”
Corporal Guspia reassured Taesu with a deep smile.
He wasn’t the only one.
Sasak.
Squad Leader Sam and Corporal Alton quickly approached his side.
Both of them wore worried expressions.
Among them, Squad Leader Sam spoke.
“You must have been badly startled. That was a close moment.”
“Hoo. I had reflex training, so I was able to react immediately.”
“Good. Alton, well done.”
Tap. Tap.
Squad Leader Sam lightly tapped Corporal Alton’s helmet in encouragement.
Corporal Alton was more concerned about Taesu than that.
“Doctor Choi. Are you really all right?”
“Yes. I’m… I’m all right now. Alton, I owe you my life.”
“I should be saying that. I was able to react because Doctor Choi shouted.”
Corporal Alton gave a bitter smile.
But Taesu didn’t think so.
He said he had reacted to Taesu’s voice, but Corporal Alton’s muzzle had already been aimed that way.
Taesu had clearly seen it just before Corporal Guspia covered him.
He didn’t want to argue over that.
What was certain was that Squad Leader Sam, Corporal Guspia, and Corporal Alton had saved his life.
They had clearly protected Taesu while returning fire.
The prejudice he had just had about soldiers was erased on its own.
It was true that soldiers achieved their objectives by killing the enemy. But they also threw themselves forward to protect someone.
—A soldier’s honor rises when he protects what must be protected.
It was said to be something Colonel Clark had said.
Taesu had personally experienced the true meaning contained in those words.
Soon, having calmed himself, Taesu stood up.
His gaze turned toward the man collapsed at the corner of the alley.
Drip.
Blood was flowing, but there was no sign of life.
Taesu’s gaze was utterly cold.
“……”
The rifle abandoned in front of him had been aimed at Taesu just moments ago.
For that reason, Taesu did not feel the slightest sympathy for the dead man.
Then Squad Leader Sam subtly stepped in front of Taesu’s line of sight.
“What’s so good about looking at that?”
“He was clearly aiming at me.”
“What?”
“He wasn’t aiming because I shouted. He had chosen me as his target.”
Taesu spoke with certainty, his gaze taut with strength.
Squad Leader Sam seemed to think for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“The enemy knows that you people have entered.”
“They do?”
“People painted white and unarmed. Quite good conditions for making targets.”
“They can’t be unaware that we’re medical personnel.”
When Taesu asked seriously, Squad Leader Sam shook his head.
“It seems they don’t care.”
“Then there’s a high chance we’ll continue to be targeted.”
“That is true, but you don’t need to worry. The battalion is sending personnel in small units to open up the route.”
Squad Leader Sam answered with a firm gaze.
It contained the message that they themselves were close at hand.
Honestly, Taesu trusted Squad Leader Sam and his squad members more than the battalion forces.
Then Taesu paused.
“Wait a moment. You said we’ve been exposed?”
“Sir, that’s right.”
“This is my first encounter just now…… Then who was it?”
Taesu asked, pointing out each point logically.
Squad Leader Sam was momentarily flustered, but soon composed himself and spoke.
“Mister Kim was in brief danger. The situation ended without any problems. Truly.”
“Everyone is safe, correct?”
“No one was hurt. Doctor Jeong is the same.”
“And the squad members?”
When Taesu asked again, Squad Leader Sam answered firmly.
“All personnel are safe.”
“Then that’s enough.”
“I brought you here, but I’m sorry for making you feel endangered. We’ll be even more thorough with our vigilance.”
Squad Leader Sam was regretting having pushed so forcefully in Malnoi.
But Taesu wasn’t.
“You’ve already saved me once. You’ve proven your words that you would protect me.”
“It would be right not to create dangerous moments in the first place.”
“There are two ways to do that.”
When Taesu began, Squad Leader Sam showed interest.
“What are they?”
“One is for you to go to the terrorists and persuade them to stop shooting and surrender.”
“That feels considerably difficult.”
“Fortunately, the second is easy.”
As if intrigued by Taesu’s words, Squad Leader Sam immediately asked.
“What is it?”
“We hurry up and finish emergency treatment and rescue of the wounded, then leave this damn neighborhood.”
“I’ll choose the second option.”
The moment Squad Leader Sam finished speaking—
Corporal Guspia subtly cut in.
“I like the second method too.”
“Same here.”
Corporal Alton agreed as well.
Once their opinions came together, Squad Leader Sam spoke.
“Then we’ll set out again. There isn’t much farther to the destination.”
“Let’s go.”
“Move out in close formation……. Red, situation resolved. Moving again.”
Squad Leader Sam’s voice grew quieter as he reported over the radio.
Then Corporal Guspia and Corporal Alton drew in close on Taesu’s left and right.
Suk, suk.
They paid no heed to discomfort, watching every direction—front, back, left, right, even above and below.
Within that, they themselves did not exist.
Only Taesu’s safety existed.
Taesu sensed it too.
So he tightened his tension to the utmost.
Only when one was prepared to protect oneself did one earn the right to be protected.
That was how unforgettable the danger to his life he had just felt would be for the rest of his days.
So he made a firm vow deep in his heart.
‘Chief, when I get back, I’ll greet you properly.’
All of them were elite soldiers personally selected and trained by Colonel Clark.
So it was only natural that he felt grateful to Colonel Clark.
Of course, there was also the part where he had driven him into a deathtrap, but Taesu had made the promise first, so that could be called even.
That thought lasted only a moment.
Sak, sak.
They moved even more cautiously, lowering even the sound of their footsteps.
After that, they continued moving without any particular problems.
They were turning through alley after alley when—
Halt!
Squad Leader Sam suddenly stopped and focused on his in-ear.
At that moment, Corporal Guspia and Corporal Alton tightened their guard over the surroundings.
Just as tension began filling the area again—
Whoosh.
Squad Leader Sam sharply turned his head and spoke to Taesu in a low voice.
“They say Mister Kim has made contact with the wounded.”
“What’s their condition?”
“The remaining distance to the destination isn’t far. I wouldn’t particularly recommend having that conversation here.”
Squad Leader Sam spoke cautiously.
It was because this was a moment related to emergency patients, and he had expected how Taesu might react.
But Taesu overturned that expectation.
“Then let’s move quickly.”
“What?”
“Surgery to the doctor, war to the soldier. Okay?”
“Okay. Moving out again.”
Squad Leader Sam hurried his steps a little more.
It could be taken as an expression of gratitude for Taesu’s understanding.
Conversely, Taesu considered it only natural.
It was certain that from now on, at least on a battlefield, he would try to listen to what they said.
After passing through a couple of alleys at a brisk pace—
Squad Leader Sam stopped in front of a half-destroyed two-story building.
“This is it.”
“No one’s standing guard?”
Taesu asked with a puzzled look.
There was no way soldiers would leave an important point so carelessly.
Of course, reaching emergency patients was important.
First of all, Kim Hyeokgwon should be administering emergency treatment.
And after what had happened earlier, Taesu had begun paying attention to securing at least a minimum level of safety.
At Taesu’s question, Squad Leader Sam subtly blocked him with his body and gestured.
“There, and there.”
“Mm? Ah.”
Only after staring hard at the places he indicated did Taesu understand.
Snipers had taken position in the surrounding buildings.
It would not be an exaggeration to say this building was in the snipers’ grasp.
That was enough to confirm.
Taesu said to Squad Leader Sam,
“I’ll go in first.”
“We’ll guard the surroundings. Call if you need us.”
“Of course. Then.”
Sasak.
At the same time as he answered, Taesu hurriedly ran into the building.