Fire.

Taesu brought up another subject to turn his own attention elsewhere.

“The bereaved families are resting now, you said?”

“Yes. Dr. Kim looked after them. They were in such severe emotional shock that he gave them a sedative injection.”

“I see.”

“And about Mr. Kim Hyeokgwon.”

Kim Yeongseon suddenly spoke in a subtly lowered voice.

In that instant, Kim Hyeokgwon’s negative personality sprang to Taesu’s mind.

‘Damn.’

Because of the time he had spent with Factory Manager Na Duyeong, he had failed to pay attention to him.

Kim Hyeokgwon was currently back at the lodging, lying side by side with Jeong Minsu and Brad Kim, warming his back. But Taesu had not had a chance to hear what had happened during the day.

Having jumped to a negative conclusion, Taesu hurriedly asked for her understanding.

“Mr. Hyeokgwon isn’t someone with ill intentions.”

“Pardon? Ill intentions?”

Kim Yeongseon’s face filled with puzzlement.

Taesu immediately realized he had gotten ahead of himself.

Because he was impatient, this sort of thing happened from time to time.

‘Live with your ears open, will you?’

He reproached himself, but the words had already left his mouth.

Still, forcing an awkward smile, he vaguely twisted the point.

“He tends to choose his words in a very blunt way, so sometimes it comes across as harsh criticism even when he doesn’t mean it.”

“I didn’t feel that at all.”

“Is that so? Then what on earth was he like?”

Taesu subtly turned it back into a question.

Kim Yeongseon answered as if calmly recalling it.

“He came to see me before going into the emergency surgery.”

“That would probably have been when Mr. Barun…”

“Yes. It was when I’d disinfected the wounds of the injured people and put bandages on them, and was staying with Mr. Barun’s family.”

At her words, Taesu nodded.

Taesu, too, had caught a glimpse of it while running around to prepare for the emergency surgery.

Sensing that what she was describing had happened after that, Taesu asked politely.

“What did Mr. Hyeokgwon come to see you about, Madam?”

“He said everyone had to go into emergency surgery. He said we must be deeply troubled and anxious, but asked us to gather just a little more courage and hold on.”

“He did?”

Taesu could not easily imagine Kim Hyeokgwon acting that way.

He kept that puzzlement to himself.

Expressing it outwardly would be an act that damaged Kim Hyeokgwon’s dignity.

Perhaps because Taesu handled it wisely, Kim Yeongseon continued calmly.

“He said both surgeries would end well, and that when the time came, the medical staff would be able to lend at least a little strength.”

“I see.”

“It wasn’t just words. After the surgeries were over, he went around looking for the people here, talking with them and checking their wounds. I can’t tell you how grateful I was.”

Kim Yeongseon’s voice trembled faintly.

As if she could not put that gratitude into words, she even dabbed lightly at her tears.

Taesu, on the other hand, found himself doubting his ears the more he listened.

‘Was it someone else?’

It was because the account was so far removed from the person he knew.

There was no need for Kim Yeongseon to make any of this up, so the truth had to be the truth.

And yet Taesu was only confused.

Though inwardly so, outwardly he answered in keeping with the atmosphere for the time being.

“He’s like the eldest brother to us, too, so we rely on him a lot and listen to his advice.”

“I knew he must be that kind of person.”

“More importantly, everyone has calmed down somewhat now, right?”

Taesu shifted the topic elsewhere to clear away his confusion.

Since it was a natural flow, Kim Yeongseon answered right away.

“For now, I think we’ve put out the urgent fire.”

“You worked so hard. Are they still anxious?”

“Well, their husbands aren’t in the village, and the factory manager is lying injured as well.”

“Hmm.”

Taesu felt a little bitter.

It was regret that Kim Yeongseon’s feelings, after suffering and striving more than anyone else, had not been conveyed.

But Kim Yeongseon did not seem to think that way.

“Thanks to Team Leader Go and Sangdu working so hard, I think we made it through today all right.”

“You were the one who suffered the most, Madam.”

“No. I hardly did anything.”

Kim Yeongseon shook her head.

It was then.

Kim Hyeokgwon’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

“Hardly did anything, my ass.”

At that sound, Taesu and Kim Yeongseon were startled.

“Eek!”

“Oh, my!”

Whoosh!

When the two of them turned around, Kim Hyeokgwon came forward at a leisurely pace.

Then, looking at Kim Yeongseon, he added one more thing.

“Everyone was worried because you were working so hard, Madam. So don’t say things like that.”

“Oh, you startled me.”

“Startled? You two are the ones who didn’t hear me even though I made my presence known.”

Kim Hyeokgwon spoke curtly, as usual.

It was a tone Taesu was used to as well.

He once again could not understand why Kim Yeongseon had praised him so highly.

“Hmm.”

With a low murmur, he lightly rubbed his chin.

Kim Hyeokgwon knew that habit of Taesu’s well.

Perhaps because of that, he advised Kim Yeongseon in a chilly tone.

“You’re not feeling well, and there’s nothing good about standing in the cold wind.”

“I’m all right.”

“All right, my ass. If you catch a cold for no reason, you might get put through something horrendous by someone who can’t stand the sight of that.”

Slide.

The tip of Kim Hyeokgwon’s finger pointed toward Taesu.

Kim Yeongseon, meanwhile, realized what he was worried about and nodded.

“I’ll listen to you, Mr. Hyeokgwon. I’ll go inside.”

“Do that. Hurry in and warm your back properly. The people who are coming will come when it’s time.”

“Yes. Then I’ll go first.”

She bowed.

Kim Yeongseon lowered her head in farewell and left.

Taesu and Kim Hyeokgwon stood the same way, watching Kim Yeongseon.

After she had put some distance between them, Kim Hyeokgwon glanced at Taesu and said a word.

“If you have nothing to do, flop down somewhere and rest. Why are you talking about other people behind their backs?”

“…You really are Mr. Hyeokgwon.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kim Hyeokgwon looked at him in disbelief.

But Taesu, on the contrary, was serious.

“I’m saying I heard something far too strange.”

“What strange thing?”

“That someone who looked exactly like you went around here and there, worrying about people and comforting them.”

Taesu said it with a truly astonished expression.

As Kim Hyeokgwon listened, his eyes narrowed.

“Somehow, that feels sarcastic.”

“It’s not sarcasm. Isn’t it surprising? It’s not as if you have a twin.”

“I think stopping around here would keep both of us from getting angry.”

At the same time as Kim Hyeokgwon’s cold warning, Taesu dropped the forced expression and asked.

“What exactly happened?”

“What do you mean, what happened? I did what I always do.”

“But Madam has become your ardent fan.”

When Taesu asked further, Kim Hyeokgwon flinched.

“Ardent fan, my ass.”

“Tell me honestly.”

“They said the Koreans treated the local workers pretty well.”

At Kim Hyeokgwon’s words, Taesu nodded.

“I did get that impression.”

“I heard it directly.”

“I’m curious what you heard.”

“They paid wages on time, often served meat side dishes during harvest season, and even prepared small gifts on birthdays.”

As Kim Hyeokgwon spoke calmly, Taesu gave a slight shrug.

Labor costs in Kashmir were relatively low. So it seemed that even with the same profit, they had been able to be a little more generous.

Apart from that, there was something he found a little puzzling.

“Other than preparing gifts on birthdays, it doesn’t seem like they treated them incredibly well.”

“You say that because you don’t know. If you go to farms run by other foreigners, most of them work people like slaves.”

“Is that so?”

Taesu had never witnessed it, so he could not get a clear sense of it.

Kim Hyeokgwon was fully aware of that as well.

“We mostly moved around the village, so of course you wouldn’t know.”

“That’s true.”

“Around the big cities, there are some farms and ranches. People on this side have to make a living too.”

“And the treatment there isn’t very good, then.”

At Taesu’s words, Kim Hyeokgwon gave a bitter smile.

“If the treatment there were good, I’d be working there. All I’d have to do is interpret comfortably.”

“That makes it hit home.”

“It seems there was almost none of that discrimination here. They worked together, played together, that sort of atmosphere.”

Kim Hyeokgwon continued with the main point.

Only now did Taesu understand why he had reacted so cynically when Hanto said he was being treated considerately by the ranch owner.

He did not know what things were like over there, but here was certainly different.

Thanks to that, Taesu could accept it right away.

“I got the strong impression that they were all good people.”

“Right. But…”

“Why does it feel like your words are trailing off?”

When Taesu asked lightly, Kim Hyeokgwon scratched his head roughly and answered.

“Because all kinds of damn people live here, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean a few bastards were stirring up anxiety.”

“Hmm.”

Taesu’s curious expression instantly turned serious.

Kim Hyeokgwon immediately added.

“Saying things like the army would soon come storming in. That this place would become a pit of fire. Things like that.”

“That’s a bit much.”

“That’s why I sent everyone home.”

When Kim Hyeokgwon paused for a beat, Taesu added perceptively.

“And then you personally went house to house to ease their anxiety.”

“The funny thing is, once I faced them like that, they all became such meek little lambs.”

“That’s a trait of people who try to steer public opinion.”

“I’m saying this as someone whose blood is half from this side, but that sort of thing is a bit severe here.”

Kim Hyeokgwon spoke plainly even about the flaws.

Rather, he despised that characteristic.

He had said he had lived suffering more discrimination than anyone because he was mixed-race.

Even if such a man criticized them harshly, there was nothing to say.

Taesu, in particular, trusted his words completely.

“Then once tomorrow comes, the problem might stand out again.”

“Damn it. People really have rotten personalities. Everyone’s saying let’s overcome this together, but there are always people who have to sprinkle chili powder over it.”

“That problem really is unexpected. I hadn’t guessed at all.”

Taesu’s expression grew somewhat serious.

It was fortunate Kim Hyeokgwon had discovered it quickly and dealt with it.

Could there be any other hidden problems?

Taesu was going over it inwardly.

Kim Hyeokgwon asked lightly.

“So, you’re going to proceed with harvesting the tea leaves?”

“Yes. I simply couldn’t tell them to give up.”

“After hearing Dr. Jeong’s account, I understood that feeling too.”

“But it’s not something that will happen just because we’ve made up our minds.”

Taesu mentioned the realistic problem.

At that, Kim Hyeokgwon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“According to Dr. Jeong, Dr. Choi boasted that he would sweep away both armies.”

“Do you believe that?”

“No.”

When Kim Hyeokgwon said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Taesu felt all the strength drain from him.

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

“Still, that means you have some kind of method, doesn’t it?”

“I do. It’s called the ‘Even a mutt has the home-field advantage’ operation.”

Taesu confidently revealed even the name of the operation.

But Kim Hyeokgwon’s expression gradually turned serious.

“Am I on the slow side when it comes to comprehension?”

“No. I think the moment you heard the operation name, you’d catch on right away.”

“Was my Korean studying lacking?”

Kim Hyeokgwon still could not get a grasp on it.

As if he truly could not stand it, he even turned his body toward Taesu.

Rustle.

And he was about to ask again.

It was then.

Flash.

For an instant, a faint light passed across both their eyes.

At that moment, Taesu and Kim Hyeokgwon froze in place.

Taesu asked first.

“Could it have been a firefly?”

“Are Korean fireflies bright enough to sting the eyes?”

“No.”

“Then wouldn’t there be only one other thing?”

Kim Hyeokgwon spoke meaningfully.

Just then, light brushed past their eyes once more.

That was not the end of it.

Vroooom.

The sound of a car also began to reach them gradually.

At that moment, Taesu and Kim Hyeokgwon nodded in the same way.

“They’re here.”

“They’re here.”

After exchanging one sentence each, the two of them turned and stood facing the mountain road.