Bittersweet

9_Bittersweet

I opened my eyes in a dimly lit room. My stomach still ached, and I felt my body alive and breathing. Wonwoo opened his eyes, seemingly lost in deep thought, and didn't move.dripping-Just then, there was a knock on the door a couple of times, and then the door opened. The person who came in, perhaps not tired, was Jeonghan.





"How does it feel to be so close to death?"

“Since last time, you keep saying things that don’t make sense.”

"Understand, you know this is all just for show, right?"





Jeonghan smiled innocently, like a child. Wonwoo liked that smile and laughter even when he was tired of it. It was thanks to the freedom he felt whenever he saw that smile. Wonwoo ordered Jeonghan to do various things since he was already here. Asking him to bring him water or feed him some food. He even giggled, saying, "It must have been a while since I've done this kind of thing, sitting in a high place." Jeonghan saw that.It should have been my mouth that was hurt, not my stomach.He said annoyedly. But he did everything Wonwoo asked him to do. After all, it was his fault.








-







Not long after, Mingyu came in. He briefly briefed Jeonghan, who was standing before him, on the day's plans and then took care of Wonwoo. He was worried about how he was doing. Was he still in a lot of pain? Did he take his morning medication? He was worried. It was understandable, because when they lived together, he never even ate on time. It was karma, so Wonwoo was rightly worried and nagging because he hadn't taken proper care of himself in the past.

However, Jeonghan, who had been listening from the side, must have grown tired of Mingyu's nagging and threw a task at Mingyu. He said that if he had time, he should train Soonyoung instead of Wonwoo. Mingyu grumbled that someone else could have done that, but when Jeonghan lowered his voice, asking if he wasn't going to listen to him, Mingyu quickly became sullen and left, saying he would come back later.






"Min-gyu is also really funny. Are you that good?"

“It must have been the influence of that time.”

"No matter how good it is, it can't be right now. Now is the perfect time to show it."

“What have you been showing me since earlier?”





Jeonghan, thrilled by Wonwoo's words, whipped up a novel. It's about the boss of an organization, the person he loves. While working, that person is seriously injured and bedridden, and the author, the boss, is heartbroken just as much as the person's wounds. Ultimately, he puts the organization aside for a moment and devotes himself to his aching love... It's a novel like that.

Wonwoo couldn't understand Jeonghan at all. "Leaving the organization behind"—was that something a boss could say? Unlike Seungchul, he felt so free. It would have been nice if he had a little more structure. But he was determined when he worked, so maybe he should be satisfied with that? No, the question of satisfaction isn't even worth considering. To Wonwoo, Jeonghan's organization was nothing more than a tool, a means to achieve freedom.






"This is enough dedication, you should work."

"Hey, why are you being so stiff? Your lover is doing this for you."

"Okay. I'm not interested."






Jeonghan, seemingly defeated by Wonwoo's reaction, smiled and rose from his seat. He headed toward the door, explaining that no one could enter without his permission, so there was no need to worry about dying. He then told Wonwoo to get some rest and opened the door before leaving. The room was remarkably quiet after Jeonghan left. "There's nothing to do alone. It hurts too much to move." Wonwoo closed his eyes.

What a sweet respite it has been so long.










-








Meanwhile, Seungcheol's side had lost contact with Soonyoung and needed to resort to other tactics. With the spy out, they couldn't rely on those methods anymore. They could either launch a full-scale assault, negotiate, or threaten. He knew he had the upper hand when it came to dealing with people, but knowing Wonwoo had gone over to the other side, he couldn't easily make the decision to attack Jeonghan. If he negotiated, he didn't know what Jeonghan would want. And even if he did threaten, he knew Jeonghan wouldn't be the type to be threatened.

Did he know it would be this difficult to get a stray cat back? They say cats follow their homes more than their owners, after all. If he'd loved his home, he wouldn't have even considered leaving like this. Seungcheol regretted it. He'd given it a certain amount of freedom, only to be repressed again. If only he'd done that, Wonwoo wouldn't have even thought about leaving. These thoughts still haunt him.





First, I sorted through the information I'd previously received from Soonyoung. It seemed like Jeonghan and Wonwoo had developed a special bond. I'd heard they were in love, but would Seungcheol believe it? Of course, that wasn't the case. Living in an organization like this, you know what's true and what's false. Of course, Jeonghan and Wonwoo wouldn't be in love. Back when we were all in the same organization, there were no signs of that happening. And I know that hasn't changed.

The most plausible hypothesis he could come up with was that there must have been some kind of deal. Jeonghan, having learned that Wonwoo was on the run, must have approached Wonwoo first and struck a deal. It was Wonwoo's greatest desire. It was Jeonghan's greatest desire. Ultimately, the two sides compromised, leading to a deal.



This information was summarized here. The jackknife that Seungchul had previously told Soonyoung about Wonwoo. When Soonyoung checked on Wonwoo, the information that the jackknife wasn't there reached Seungchul. Seungchul sighed, wondering if he'd lost interest in this matter. He didn't remember seeing the jackknife at his house either. So where did it go?

Regardless of the whereabouts of the jackknife, it was a moment of certainty that Wonwoo had lost interest in killing. Seungcheol remembered Wonwoo, who, from the moment he first received the jackknife, used it only once, no matter how worn it became. He had let go of his weapon, a weapon he would never easily discard. Seungcheol felt a pang of regret.



And one last piece of interesting information: Mingyu was between Jeonghan and Wonwoo. No matter what happened, Mingyu was always by Wonwoo's side. Even when Wonwoo came to Jeonghan's side, even when rumors spread between Jeonghan and Wonwoo, Mingyu was always there. Seungcheol chuckled at this information.

This single piece of information seemed to reveal the whereabouts of the jackknife. If Wonwoo met Jeonghan through Mingyu, then if the cause of this behavior wasn't Wonwoo himself, but Mingyu, then Wonwoo's jackknife would be in Mingyu's hands. What that means is that Mingyu has now become Wonwoo's weakness.

A precious person holding something precious. Wonwoo and Mingyu have long been known for their special bond. They were partners, working together, but after work, Mingyu always treated Wonwoo like an older brother, if not more. Seungcheol always watched this closely, meticulously observing Wonwoo's expressions and actions. He knew how to exploit a situation like the current one.

But it was just a hypothesis. It was just an inference based on the circumstances. I had to see everything with my own eyes. It was certain that Wonwoo was on Jeonghan's side, but it was unknown where he was hiding, so I had to somehow extract information from Jeonghan's side and catch Mingyu. If I caught Mingyu, I was sure Wonwoo would show up. Seungcheol immediately gave instructions to rob Jeonghan of everything he could.











-









Mingyu gave a rough explanation of the method he'd chosen to Soonyoung. He said she'd adapt quickly, given her experience in the organization, and was about to leave when Soonyoung asked him a series of questions. Mingyu had to get through it all and quickly go get Wonwoo, but he couldn't because Soonyoung was holding him back, and it was frustrating.

In the end, I answered all of Sunyoung's questions, but then Sunyoung asked me a question while looking at the jackknife in my pocket.I don't think this is how people deal with people here. Do you have a jackknife like this?Min-gyu tries to change the subject to a threat, but Soon-young tells him not to lie.Isn't that Jeon Won-woo's?As he said that, Min-gyu's expression suddenly turned cold and he grabbed Soon-young by the collar.




"What are you?"

"You haven't forgotten who I am, have you?"

“Didn’t you say you would be loyal to this side?”

"How can a spy stay on just one ship? He moves around here and there."




Mingyu, enraged by Soonyoung's sly remark, grabbed the jackknife. The distance and situation made it seem like he could kill Soonyoung at any moment. But Mingyu put the jackknife back in his pocket and released his grip. He wouldn't give in to Soonyoung's provocation. After his conversation with Wonwoo, he promised himself he'd use the jackknife on Seungcheol.

Soonyoung, losing interest, quietly retreated into the crowd. Mingyu watched her for a moment before turning his gaze away. Spies don't share the same boat. That meant he'd return to Seungcheol whenever the time came. He needed to relay this to Jeonghan immediately and figure out a way to deal with Soonyoung.

And above all, we must stop that kid from approaching Wonwoo.











-










It was almost evening when he arrived at Wonwoo's room. Wonwoo, bored and with nothing to do, was sound asleep. Mingyu was about to quietly leave, worried that Wonwoo might wake up. Wonwoo opened his eyes to the sound and called out to Mingyu. Mingyu scratched his head in embarrassment, but Wonwoo, who was bored at the time, grabbed Mingyu and asked him to play with him.





"Who would like that? Rest in peace."

"Who came in and made it difficult for me to rest?"

"I'm worried about that..."

"I know. But habits are hard to break."





Habit. He'd taken so many lives. Would he, too, die in his sleep? From then on, Wonwoo would wake up at the slightest noise. That's why he never slept deeply, and he'd be so exhausted that he'd often find himself snoozing a little bit at a time. Mingyu knew Wonwoo well. He remembers Wonwoo, even at home, flinching and opening his eyes at the slightest movement.

Anyway, Mingyu offered Wonwoo a variety of stories to share, even though he was bored. Mingyu had a lot to say to Wonwoo. He had a lot to say, from worries and nagging to things he'd like to do once he'd gained his freedom. And while he needed to talk about his current situation, he didn't want to interrupt the sense of freedom and liberation Wonwoo was enjoying. He tried to keep the conversation to positive things. He didn't forget to share stories about everyday life, even the ones that annoyed him, but also made Wonwoo laugh.

It seemed like the good atmosphere would continue, but it was Wonwoo who broke it first. When Wonwoo mentioned Soonyoung, Mingyu's expression cooled to the point where it was too late to act. Wonwoo wondered if he really hated Seungchul's spy that much, but in truth, it wasn't that. He was worried about what Soonyoung would do to Wonwoo. He felt like that bastard would take Wonwoo to Seungchul without anyone knowing.





"Brother, let's not talk about that."

"If it's about that, I can't not hear about it."

"...What the...what...is...it."

"What did you say, Min-gyu?"

"I'll stop that bastard no matter what."







Wonwoo seemed to have a rough idea of ​​the situation. He also understood why Mingyu's expression had turned cold. He also understood why Mingyu was so anxious. He might say he would be completely loyal, but how many spies could truly do that? Wonwoo knew. He was impressed and grateful that Mingyu, who kept his jackknife shallowly in his pocket, ready to be pulled out at any moment, would stop him for his own sake, for his own freedom and liberation.

Wonwoo clenched his fist and held it out to Mingyu. Mingyu's cold expression melted, and he looked at Wonwoo's hand. Then, they clenched their fists and bumped them together. Wonwoo spoke to Mingyu with a warmer smile than ever before.






"I've got my jackknife. Everything will be okay."

"Somehow, my brother only uses this jackknife."

“There is a reason for everything we write.”









"Just like I trust you. Trust me, Min-gyu."

I promise I won't suddenly disappear.