The news was delivered in person by President Gu Seungheon, who had come to the lodging late at night.
"Thank you, and thank you again."
"Seeing you all so energetic makes us feel even better."
"Not at all. Thanks to all of you, we can harvest with peace of mind; you have no idea how grateful we are."
President Gu Seungheon bowed his head again and again.
The expressions of Taesu and, of course, the medical staff grew awkward.
Gim Hyeokgwon, unable to stand the sight, finally spoke up.
"Let's not overdo it. If an elder keeps bowing his head like that, where are we supposed to look?"
"It's just my gratitude……"
"Say it once and we understand……. Mr. President. I don't know how things were in Korea, but this is Kashmir."
When Gim Hyeokgwon cut in sharply, President Gu Seungheon flinched.
"I am well……. aware of that."
"Please carry yourself with more confidence. Only then will your subordinates feel at ease."
"……That's not easy."
"Nothing in life is easy."
Gim Hyeokgwon spoke bluntly even to President Gu Seungheon, who was his senior in age.
He was the type to speak his mind even to James.
Above all, since his advice was filled with such sincerity, it wasn't unpleasant from the listener's perspective.
Still, perhaps just in case, Bread Kim subtly stepped in.
"I think you can take pride in having made it all the way here through difficulty."
"It was only possible because everyone helped."
"They wouldn't have helped for no reason, would they?"
"Ahem."
President Gu Seungheon cleared his throat unnecessarily, dispelling the awkwardness.
Just then, Taesu stepped in with perfect timing.
"So, until when do you think the harvesting will continue?"
"If we harvest about three more times, we'll more or less reach our goal."
"You can't stop there. You have to squeeze hard while you can. That's the only way you won't have regrets."
Taesu reminded him once again how this harvest would end.
President Gu Seungheon seemed to agree.
Even so, his expression was not good.
"You've all been through so much trouble……"
"The patients won't be coming before long."
"Then we'll have to wrap things up as well."
"No. According to the agreement, until the flag is lowered, we can do as we please."
When Taesu clarified this firmly, President Gu Seungheon's expression brightened slightly.
"I see. Understood."
"It must be a shame, but I hope you can leave with a light heart when the day comes."
"We've talked about it a lot among ourselves. We're holding ourselves together so that you won't worry."
President Gu Seungheon replied with a smiling face.
That smile could never be bright.
While everyone wore awkward smiles, Jeong Minsu asked.
"By any chance, have you decided where you'll go?"
"I asked the Master to look into places with a similar environment to here. There were a few candidates."
"That's a relief."
Jeong Minsu smiled thinly, perhaps relieved of her worries.
Taesu stepped forward again before the atmosphere could grow more desolate.
"I don't think talking about that now will do any good."
"Yes. It's late. Please rest well."
"See you tomorrow."
They bowed.
The late-night meeting came to a clean conclusion as they exchanged greetings.
And a few days passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, stability returned to the village, and the number of patients gradually decreased.
Everyone could finally breathe a little easier now.
Jeong Minsu expressed that joy energetically in English.
"Surgery hell, treatment hell—it's all coming to an end."
"The infinite wait in the wards is ending too."
Squad Leader Sam chimed in with a gaunt face.
Taesu actively comforted the PKO soldiers, who had been suffering so much.
"When we go back, we're going to spend one night and two days drowning in alcohol. Got it?"
"We're holding on just believing in that promise."
"It'll definitely be kept, so don't worry."
Thump! Thump!
Taesu pounded his chest and made a bold promise.
A few more days passed.
One dawn.
It was early morning, before the darkness had fully lifted.
Everyone was fast asleep, and a silent stillness hung over the village.
That silence was brutally shattered by a sudden thunderous roar.
BOOM!
Rumble.
The ground even shook.
The medical staff sleeping side by side in the lodging sprang up at the sound.
"What the—!"
"What was that?"
"Uh, ugh……"
Jeong Minsu was dazed, unable to come to her senses.
In the meantime, Taesu and Gim Hyeokgwon nimbly opened the door and went out.
It happened at the same time.
BOOM!
Another thunderous roar rang out.
This time, the two confirmed it clearly.
The source of the roar was the tea field.
And that tea field was now blazing with flames.
Taesu and Gim Hyeokgwon's eyes shook violently at the sight.
"This sound?"
"It's the sound of mortars……"
It was exactly the same as when the wall of Ijambak Hospital crumbled.
No matter how much time had passed, it was a sound they could never forget.
The moment they recalled it, both men wavered so much their bodies staggered.
Mortars didn't fly without reason.
"What the hell. Where are they firing from!"
"Those damned bastards!"
Gim Hyeokgwon tried to dash out with a rough gesture.
Taesu reflexively grabbed him.
"Hyeokgwon-ssi."
"Let go. I'm going to drown every last one of these bastards today!"
Swish!
Gim Hyeokgwon violently shook off Taesu's arm.
It was then.
"Kyaah!"
"Wake everyone up. No, tell everyone to gather!"
Screams and shouts were heard throughout the village.
Gim Hyeokgwon froze upon hearing those sounds.
"Holy—?!"
"They come first."
"You call that a thing to say!"
It was at the same time that Gim Hyeokgwon choked up.
BOOM!
Another mortar round echoed.
But this time, it wasn't the tea field.
It fell toward the village, and near the lodging at that.
Perhaps because the sky was faintly brightening, they could see dust clouds rising. Some house had clearly taken a direct hit from the mortar.
Taesu and Gim Hyeokgwen shouted with ashen faces.
"You crazy bastards!"
"You dog-like scum!"
"Run!"
Tap-tap!
Taesu ran shouting, and Gim Hyeokgwon immediately followed.
It was the moment they passed through the main gate at the same time.
The village was already a scene of chaos.
"Kyaah!"
"#%$#%."
"Get the children first, save the people!"
People running in all directions.
People screaming.
People flat on the ground, trembling.
The peaceful morning had become a living hell.
They trembled.
Taesu and Gim Hyeokgwon clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white.
They didn't even realize their fingernails were digging into their palms.
Their fury erupted to the very top of their heads.
But this was not the time to vent their anger.
Just then, a shout from Bread Kim came from behind.
"You need to grab the radios!"
Clatter!
Taesu and Gim Hyeokgwon quickly grabbed theirs.
But they had no idea what to do or how to do it.
In this situation, Gim Hyeokgwon's composure could shine brighter than Taesu's.
His eyes, which had softened considerably, turned cold as they once were.
And he spoke to Taesu and Bread Kim.
"You two take care of the patients first."
"In this situation, you want us to look after soldiers?"
"Who said to look after those bastards! ……I mean the factory manager and Ritesh."
Gim Hyeokgwon shouted, then paused briefly before continuing.
Taesu and Bread Kim nodded at the same time.
Among them, Bread Kim moved a beat faster.
"I'm going first!"
Tap-tap!
"Me too……. Ah, Minsu."
As Taesu went to get Jeong Minsu, Gim Hyeokgwon said.
"I'll control things here. Go quickly and get the factory manager first!"
"Understood. We'll update via radio after."
Tap-tap!
Taesu didn't delay any further and dashed toward Factory Manager Na Duyeong's house.
Then, Gim Hyeokgwon's voice came over the radio.
\- Sam, are you lying flat in this situation?
\- Baby transmitting. Announcing return to PKO status effective immediately. Over.
\- Can you reach headquarters?
\- Going to retrieve the concealed lunchbox. Will communicate with Command Center ASAP. Over……. ?!
Taesu simply held the radio in his hand as he ran.
"Why, what now!"
Squad Leader Sam had never been so infuriating, cutting the radio like a morning drama cliffhanger.
Gim Hyeokgwon seemed to feel the same way.
\- Are you kidding me right now? You should tell me what's going on!
\- Flock of rising sparrows detected!
\- Are you saying the Indian army is pushing up? Is this their doing?
The moment Gim Hyeokgwon's heated radio transmission ended.
\- This is Alpha, pigeon flocks are also taking flight!
\- It's driving me crazy, so just use names. So Ryan, are you saying the Pakistani army is coming up too?
\- Affirmative. Moving in five military trucks, ETA to village under five minutes.
As Sergeant Ryan's transmission ended, Squad Leader Sam's voice continued.
\- This is Sam, same situation with the Indian army.
\- What did you say?
Gim Hyeokgwon's voice trembled, perhaps from confusion.
In that brief moment, Taesu pressed the radio button and shouted.
"These bastards have colluded!"
\- Otherwise there's no way they'd react simultaneously like thi—.
His voice couldn't finish.
Because of another incoming mortar.
BOOM!
Shells fell indiscriminately on the tea fields and throughout the village.
The frequency was increasing rapidly.
Now it was clear both sides were firing.
Taesu was not in a good situation either.
BOOM!
A shell fell quite close by.
The shell even scored a direct hit on a house.
"Damn…… Hoo. You bastards!"
Taesu's expression changed drastically in real time.
Because the house that had been hit was fortunately empty.
Dust clouds billowed from the aftermath of the shelling.
Taesu paid no mind to such things and roughly pushed through.
Factory Manager Na Duyeong's house was now close.
The moment the destination came into view, the gears in Taesu's head began to turn.
A shiver ran down his spine.
He soon realized the reason this disaster had occurred.
It was because the number of patients had decreased recently.
"We worked our asses off to save you, and this is how you repay us. You fucking bastards."
There was no doubt they had used them as much as they could, and now sought to satisfy their own greed.
Taesu was enraged.
It was the first time in his life he had felt such white-hot fury.
What angered him most was that they had initiated shelling despite knowing civilians were here.
Crunch!
His eyes gleamed with terrifying ferocity, as if his teeth would shatter from how hard he gnashed them.
Taesu wanted to tear apart anyone who appeared before him.
His surging rage continued unabated.
But Taesu kept his priorities clear.
He had to evacuate people to safety first.
That was why he had come to find Factory Manager Na Duyeong, who was unsteady on his feet.
BANG!
Taesu burst through the main gate.
At the same time, Factory Manager Na Duyeong's loud voice was heard from inside the inner room.
"Did you find it?"
"I'm looking for it."
"I told you to put it away properly, so just how well did you put it away?"
The sounds of bickering with Bong Yunju were heard.
What could they possibly be looking for at a time like this?
Taesu's face contorted horribly.