Fire.

"Yes. I absolutely refuse."

"So hurry up and gather everyone. I'll go first."

"Doctor Choi."

"We don't have time. You heard the gunshots." When Taesu pressed him harshly, Himan nodded again.

"Understood……. #$%#$%#$."

He immediately said something to his family behind him.

Perhaps it was persuasion, because the mother and daughter who had been in the corner forced their trembling bodies to come over.

The moment they were all gathered together,

Taesu looked back and forth between Himan and his wife and said,

"Just follow right behind me."

"Thank you, thank you."

"It's still too early for that. Hoo. Damn it."

Taesu tried to push it away, but his heart ached.

In a way, they had remained here because of President Gu Seungheon and Taesu's greed.

The agreement had been made to avoid a situation like this.

There was no doubt that the Indian and Pakistani armies were at fault for breaking it.

But he couldn't erase the thought of what might have happened if he had sent them away from the start.

That was what he felt sorry for.

Because he was sorry, he could not allow any harm to come to them.

Squeeze.

Taesu gripped Himan's shoulder even more tightly and said,

"There absolutely won't be any problems."

"I believe you. I do."

"Then we're leaving."

"Yes."

Nod.

Himan's gaze was gradually growing firmer.

Perhaps the intensity Taesu displayed had been conveyed to him.

No, it was surely changing because of the sense of responsibility he felt toward the family looking at his back.

It was enough that Himan had steeled himself.

Taesu gave him a light nod in return and immediately moved toward the front gate.

Soon the gate opened, and Taesu stepped outside.

Whip, whip.

He quickly looked around in every direction, wary of any dangers.

It was just before sunrise, so everything around them was clearly visible.

Dudududu, boom-boom.

Gunshots and the sound of grenades.

Kwa-gwa-gwang!

The sound of mortars continued to ring out as well.

Billow, billow.

Smoke rose here and there.

The village was being reduced to ruins that much.

It was to the point that the word reconstruction felt absurd.

If there was one fortunate thing, it was that the screams that had been ringing out here and there could hardly be heard anymore. It seemed most people had moved to safe places.

So silence had arrived, but mentally it felt even more unsettling.

Fortunately, the area nearby was clear.

Whip, whip.

Taesu gestured behind him with his hand and moved cautiously.

With the wall at his side, he held his breath and moved quietly.

Behind him followed Himan's wife, holding their daughter, and at the rear, Himan moved while holding their son.

Even the children hid the sound of their breathing.

Perhaps because they were at the edge of the village, it felt even quieter.

Taesu lowered the volume on the radio and quietly reported the current situation.

"This is Doctor Choi. Himan and his family secured. Moving to the storage warehouse."

- This is Sam. Doctor Choi, watch out for the soldiers.

- This is Brad. Doctor Choi, two people have currently been attacked, and one was indirectly wounded by a shell.

- This is Doctor Jeong. Taesu, we've secured all the wounded, so don't get worked up and come carefully.

Listening to the radio, Taesu scowled hard.

Were the soldiers really attacking civilians?

He had to hear that clearly.

So he picked up the radio again.

"This is Doctor Choi. Are you saying the soldiers are really attacking?"

- This is Ryan. Unfortunately, it's true. Two Pakistani soldiers are currently dead. We're returning fire with seized weapons.

- This is Guspia. They're trying not to leave traces……. Shit. Dudududu! ……We are engaging. It looks like their intention is to leave no evidence behind.

- This is Sam. Doctor Choi, we are approaching your position now. We need a little more time. And this is different from back then.

Squad Leader Sam's warning struck Taesu's ears hard.

By back then, he was clearly referring to the "Wolf Escape" operation. Squad Leader Sam had refused to hand Taesu a gun until the very end.

Saying this was different from back then clearly meant that he might have to pick up a gun.

Taesu had prepared himself for that as well, so he calmly radioed back.

"This is Doctor Choi. Sam. I have people I need to protect right now too."

- I understand what you mean. Still, we'll get to you as quickly as possible, so please hold on just a little longer.

- This is Mr. Kim. What are you waiting for? I'm so pissed off, just spray them all down!

It was Kim Hyeokgwon, as expected.

He yanked Taesu's endlessly sinking mood right back up.

Taesu smiled coldly.

Even in the midst of that, he did not stop moving while continuously keeping watch on his surroundings.

He also took care not to miss Himan's family following behind him.

Meanwhile, the distance to the tea leaf storage warehouse was gradually narrowing.

There wasn't much farther now.

But the storage warehouse was merely an intermediate stop. If they wanted to move to a safer place, they had to hurry their steps.

As he was moving quickly with that feeling, Taesu suddenly halted.

It was because they had arrived near the field hospital.

The house visible down below was the Indian Army's field hospital where he had been treating patients until yesterday.

They were behind it, and a wall surrounded it, so he couldn't see what was happening.

More than that, Taesu was not pleased to see that place right now.

"Tch."

He turned his head away completely.

It was then.

Shiiik!

A strange sound pricked his ears.

A tearing sound cutting through the air.

This was?

At the same time Taesu's instincts kicked in, he shouted,

"Himan, protect your family!"

"Yes!"

Himan, who had been tense, quickly wrapped his arms around his family.

Taesu reached his back and spread his gown wide.

It was right then.

Kwa-gwa-gwang!

With an explosion, the wall of the house next door literally burst apart.

Because it was close by, dirt and stones poured down on Taesu.

Papak, pak, pak.

The stones became weapons and battered Taesu's back.

"Khuk!"

"Doctor Choi!"

"Stay just like that!"

Even in the midst of the pain, Taesu did not budge and endured it as he was.

That moment was brief.

When the feeling of blows striking his back disappeared, Taesu grimaced and turned his head to look.

The wall of the house next door had collapsed.

And at Taesu's feet, small stones had fallen and were rolling about.

They were smaller than a fist.

Taesu was even more surprised by that fact.

'It hurts this much?'

"Kheu."

In truth, what burst out of him was a groan.

His damned back seemed to suffer every time something happened.

Even so, Taesu was able to smile.

That was because Himan and his family had suffered no harm at all.

Just then, after confirming that his family was safe, Himan turned around. And when he saw Taesu grimacing, the corners of his eyes drooped.

"Doctor Choi."

"I'm fine……. Sseup. It hurts, but I'm fine."

"But……. But……."

"Everyone's safe, right? Then that's enough. Now let's move."

Taesu quickly turned his head away to avoid Himan's guilt.

There was nothing for him to feel sorry about.

He moved first again along the wall.

Avoiding the collapsed wall, he used the wall of another house.

Sasak.

Because of the tension, he didn't even feel the pain in his back.

Reaching their destination came first.

Just as they turned the corner like that,

Something dark and pointed abruptly stuck out from around the corner.

A gun barrel?

The moment Taesu registered it,

Two Indian soldiers holding guns appeared.

Startled, they urgently swung their gun barrels toward Taesu.

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Taesu's mind.

But there was only one conclusion.

"Himan!"

Whip!

At the same time, he once again turned his back and protected Himan and his family.

They would shoot.

They would definitely shoot.

He could now imagine the bullets digging into his back.

'It's going to hurt like hell.'

He would rather die cleanly, but pain was not welcome.

But it was strange.

"……."

He heard no gunshots, nor did he feel any pain.

Instead, other words reached him.

"@#%#$%!"

"@%#$@%!"

Taesu could not understand Hindi.

But Himan, who had likewise turned his back to protect his family, flinched.

"They're saying not to shoot."

"Who is? Them?"

"I think so."

"Stay exactly as you are."

"Yes."

When Taesu warned him, Himan once again held his family tightly.

Even then, no gunshots rang out.

So Taesu cautiously turned his body around.

In front of Taesu were gun barrels.

Even so, no sparks flew.

Feeling puzzled, Taesu slowly raised his head. Then, after confirming who they were, his expression twisted without mercy.

The ones facing him were none other than the platoon leader and the eighth patient he had operated on the first day.

The two of them seemed to recognize Taesu as well.

Their gun barrels began to waver.

"D-Doctor Choi. It really was Doctor Choi."

The platoon leader acknowledged him with an awkward and uncomfortable face.

But for Taesu, whose anger had risen to the top of his head, there was no situation more irritating than this.

"So this is all it amounts to?"

"……."

"After selling me out like that, is this the result? I'm asking if you're pointing a gun at me because of it."

Taesu poured out his irritation and rage without restraint.

The more he did, the more violently the platoon leader's and the soldier's gun barrels shook.

"It's not that……."

"It's not? It really isn't!"

In the end, Taesu shouted.

At the same time,

Tadadang!

Gunshots rang out.

Taesu reflexively turned his head and closed his eyes.

It wasn't that he didn't dodge; he couldn't dodge.

Because Himan and his family were behind him.

But it was strange.

He felt no pain.

The gun had fired right in front of him, so why?

Rustle.

Taesu cautiously opened his eyes.

His eyes widened when he saw the platoon leader and the soldier. They were collapsing, bleeding from their bodies.

Thud.

The moment the two of them fell, Taesu's gaze quickly swept all around.

Because he was at the corner, he couldn't see anything.

Without lowering his guard, he carefully took one step toward the intersection.

At the same time,

Over there.

Near the field hospital, Pakistani soldiers were aiming their guns.

Their expressions twisted in an instant.

Then he caught sight of them quickly readjusting their guns and trying to fire.

And then,

Dudada!

Gunfire rang out.

Taesu quickly shrank back around the corner.

But a person could not be faster than a bullet.

'This damned curiosity of mine.'

In the end, it seemed that his curiosity would get him a view of the sky as well.

But this time too, Taesu felt no pain at all.

Why?

While Taesu stood there in confusion,

Step.

He sensed footsteps approaching the corner.

Taesu quickly pulled himself together and raised the tension throughout his entire body.

How he had survived was a question to settle later. First, he had to escape the next danger approaching him.

'Two……. One……. Now!'

Seizing the timing, Taesu nimbly turned the corner and thrust out his hand.

Since the opponent had come right up close, it was an attack that absolutely should have succeeded.

But nothing was going his way today.

Thud!

His all-out attack was blocked absurdly easily.

'Damn it!'

Taesu tried to prepare for the counterattack that would come.

Then a familiar and welcome voice reached him.

"Doctor Choi, it's Sam."

"It's Ryan."

At those voices, Taesu froze for a moment and properly looked at the people before him.