It was Squad Leader Sam and Sergeant Ryan, dressed in civilian clothes.
Among them, Squad Leader Sam was holding Taesu by the hand. It wasn't that nothing had been working—his opponent had simply been impossible to face.
Taesu flinched and relented.
"Ah."
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Squad Leader Sam asked urgently.
Taesu, whose heart had pounded three times in such a short span, first pulled together his reeling mind.
"Phew... Huh?"
He noticed the rifle held in Squad Leader Sam's other hand.
Sergeant Ryan was already keeping watch in the direction where they had encountered the Pakistani Army.
In that moment, Taesu could intuit what had happened.
"Sam, so...?"
"It was truly dangerous. I'm sorry we're late."
"No. Not at all... I've owed my life to you again."
"Just treat me to drinks for three days and two nights."
Tap.
Squad Leader Sam deliberately cracked a joke and lightly nudged Taesu.
Taesu found even greater peace of mind at those words.
"Phew."
"You seem to have been quite startled."
"Yes. That being said... Himan. Is Himan alright?"
Taesu suddenly thought of Himan and checked on him and the family.
Fortunately, they had been inside the corner, so they hadn't suffered any harm.
Himan looked back with a frozen face and merely nodded.
Nod.
Only after seeing that could Taesu set his anxious mind at ease.
"That's a relief. Truly a relief."
Setting aside his own shock, he offered them words of comfort.
But it was then.
"Nnngh..."
A groan laden with pain was heard.
Instantly, Taesu and Squad Leader Sam's gazes turned toward the fallen Indian soldiers.
The soldier showed no reaction, apparently killed instantly.
The one who had groaned was the Platoon Leader.
He had been shot three times in the chest and twice in the abdomen. Furthermore, gunshot wounds were visible on his arms and legs, and the floor was turning red with the blood he had shed.
Twitch.
Twitch.
His body convulsed as a physical reflex.
Death loomed immediately before him.
Yet the gaze Taesu directed at him was terribly cold.
Taesu didn't feel even a shred of sympathy.
"......."
Taesu didn't say a word.
But the Platoon Leader opened his blood-filled mouth and squeezed out his voice.
"Cough. O-operation order... F-first... cough."
Perhaps because of his choked-up throat, he couldn't continue speaking.
Even at that sight, Taesu remained cold.
But unexpectedly, Squad Leader Sam pricked up his ears and spoke to Taesu.
"He seems to be trying to tell us the operation outline."
"Even at a moment like this, is he still the Indian Army?"
"He's saying he'll tell us classified information. To you, Dr. Choi."
Taesu flinched at Squad Leader Sam's words.
Could it be a groundless guess?
Yet the Platoon Leader's gaze was fixed on Taesu even now.
And tears hung in both his eyes.
Choke.
Choke.
He coughed up blood repeatedly.
Even so, he tried to squeeze out his voice.
"Ah... morning... cough."
At his continuing words, Taesu finally lowered himself.
"Shut your trap. You're one step away from dying right now."
"Cough... High ground... occupy... cough."
"Who cares about that crap? Don't you know what you really should be saying?"
Taesu pressed him fiercely.
Tears fell drop by drop from the Platoon Leader's eyes.
And the gaze directed at Taesu turned piteous.
Even so, he struggled to continue saying the same thing.
"Mission... accomplish..."
"What, you bastard. What are you trying to say!"
Grab!
Taesu finally grabbed him by the collar.
Then Squad Leader Sam held out a military morphine syringe before his eyes.
Swish.
"I think you'd better hear him out."
"Sam, why do you have that?"
"I was Doctor Sam until just now."
It seemed he had been carrying it for emergencies.
Taesu let go of the Platoon Leader's collar and took it with a troubled heart.
And without hesitation, he plunged the needle near the Platoon Leader's heart.
Plunge!
The Platoon Leader's hazy eyes gradually returned to focus.
Since it had been injected directly near the heart, the effect was immediate.
Perhaps because of that, he began to return to a far more composed expression.
His eyes grew clear, and soon he looked around his surroundings.
There was no doubt his blurred consciousness had returned.
Then the Platoon Leader's mouth opened again.
But it wasn't a word of apology, which Taesu had hoped for even a tiny bit.
It was a continuation of what he had said before.
"Order one. The moment battle commences, swiftly... occupy the high ground... and secure the advantage."
"You bastard!"
"Order two... The Indian Army... for the glory... of victory... does not hesitate... at any sacrifice."
"You crazy bastard. Is this the time for that crap!"
Taesu was furious at wasting such precious time like this.
Words of apology?
He didn't need to hear such things.
Just one sentence would have been enough.
'This isn't what I wanted.'
If he had heard just those words, he could have forgiven him.
But the Platoon Leader hadn't uttered a single word of the sort.
That made Taesu's heart burn even more.
"You bastard!"
"Wait."
Tap.
"Sam!"
"You need to hear this."
"......."
At his resolute words, Taesu furrowed his brow.
Then the Platoon Leader's words continued.
"Order three. After the operation is complete, on the high ground... only the Indian Army exists."
Jolt.
"What?"
Taesu's eyes shook violently.
It was then.
Trickle.
Blood flowed from the Platoon Leader's mouth once more.
Holding that blood in his mouth, he continued.
"Order four... Remove the flags... Erase all traces..."
"What are you saying right now, you bastard!"
"Order five. Do not... hesitate. Everyone... is the enemy... If you cannot kill... you die."
"Everyone is the enemy? Erase all traces and remove the flags too?"
Taesu was reeling from a continuous series of shocks.
That this was the Indian Army commander's order.
And it was an order issued using the lives of his own soldiers as collateral.
Taesu couldn't believe it.
It was then.
The Platoon Leader's clear gaze rapidly blurred.
It seemed he no longer had even any blood left to spill.
"Doc... tor... Choi."
"What, you bastard!"
"Again... nice to... see..."
Tap.
The Platoon Leader couldn't finish his words and drew his last breath.
At the same time.
Trickle.
The last tear hanging in his eye fell.
The Platoon Leader's eyes remained open.
"......."
Taesu's eyes trembled.
Then Squad Leader Sam spoke in a low voice.
"If you leak operation details to outsiders during wartime, you are subject to summary execution."
"......."
"I believe the Platoon Leader came to find Dr. Choi prepared to die."
"......."
"He traded his life for our safety. So he wouldn't be tormented for the rest of his life."
Pat.
Squad Leader Sam lightly brushed Taesu's shoulder and comforted him.
It couldn't be a groundless guess.
Nor could it be an attempt to whitewash the memory of the Platoon Leader.
Squad Leader Sam didn't possess such sentimentality during an operation.
It was clear that everything he had just said was the truth.
Because of that, Taesu's shaken gaze couldn't easily steady.
Even in such turmoil, Taesu moved his hand.
Tremble.
He gently closed the Platoon Leader's eyes with his trembling hand.
And he spoke in a faint voice.
"The bastard... had honor."
"Dr. Choi."
"You son of a bitch. You should've survived with us. Or you should've stayed the fuck hidden and never come out."
Thud.
Thud.
Taesu weakly struck the blood-soaked chest of the Platoon Leader.
Squad Leader Sam tried to stop Taesu.
"Please stop."
"You bastard. And then you say you were happy to meet me again? Cut the crap, you bastard."
"We've stayed in one place too long. We need to go."
"Meeting you was the worst thing in the world. Never again, never again... Fuck!"
Thud.
Taesu finally poured out his grief.
He had thought he met an Indian soldier who felt human for the first time in a while.
He had been about to say they should meet again sometime.
He never dreamed their last meeting would be like this.
The way he had done nothing but pour out resentment hurt his heart so much.
Clench.
"Kuugh..."
Taesu finally clutched his own chest.
Then Himan approached from the side.
Clink.
Himan, who had taken out the military dog tags, spoke quietly.
"Ishuka. That's his name."
Only now did he learn the name.
Even though he had lingered around them all this time, he hadn't known.
Taesu really didn't know anything about Platoon Leader Ishuka.
He hadn't even realized that he might be the one who owed an apology.
Rustle.
Taesu took out a white cloth and covered the faces of Platoon Leader Ishuka and the soldier who had died beside him.
And he spoke gruffly.
"I'm going. Since you're down, rest easy, you bastards."
It was irritation bursting forth from a reality that couldn't be more heartbreaking and tragic.
And Taesu rose from his spot.
Rumble. KABOOM!!
It felt like the sound of gunfire was growing more intense and louder.
The radio, which had been quiet for a moment, grew busy again.
- This is Guspia. The main force is coming up. It seems all troops have been committed!
- This is Antoni. Escape imminent. All personnel receiving this transmission, move quickly!
- This is Dr. Jeong. Taesu. What are you doing? Hurry up and come!
- This is Mr. Kim. Sam, Ryan. Haven't you found Dr. Choi? Bring him here quickly!
Taesu didn't budge even after hearing the radio transmissions.
Now that it was a situation where they could delay no longer, Squad Leader Sam reached out his hand.
At that moment, Taesu rose from his spot.
Taesu's eyes, as he raised his head, were bloodshot.
But the voice he let out held no trembling.
"Let's move out."
"I'll open the way."
Rustle.
Squad Leader Sam and Sergeant Ryan positioned themselves front and rear, keeping watch on all sides.
Taesu's gaze turned once more to Himan and the family.
His previously cold expression had already changed back to a gentle one.
It was Taesu's consideration so that they wouldn't grow anxious.
"Himan, are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
Simultaneously with those words.
Clack.
Taesu picked up Platoon Leader Ishuka's rifle.
Squad Leader Sam glanced at him but didn't say a word.
Thus Taesu, gun in hand, also joined in keeping watch.
To survive.
It was a decision to survive as Ishuka had wished.
Shortly after.
Taesu and the group arrived at the tea leaf storage warehouse.
Roar.
The storage warehouse was spewing crimson flames as it burned.
"Damn it. We'll move as quickly as possible."
Squad Leader Sam's voice grew urgent.
At that moment, Sergeant Ryan's shout was suddenly heard from the rear.
"Enemy in the rear!"
"Himan, to the side!"
Swish!
Taesu, Himan, and the family quickly moved to the front of the tea leaf storage warehouse.
They were within the flames' influence, so heat could be felt.
Even so, there was nowhere else to go.
At the same time.
Ratatat! Tatatat!
An engagement began.
And for the first time, Squad Leader Sam issued an operational command to Taesu.
"Dr. Choi, suppressive fire!"
"...Okay."
Taesu answered coldly and adjusted his grip on the rifle.
And utilizing the burning tea leaf storage warehouse, he fired at the enemy.