He moored the boat at the edge of the pier. He lacked proper clearance, but no one was there to stop him. It was all thanks to having registered the boat beforehand as an official-duty. Hassle-free, no declaration whatsoever needed.
Taekjoo grabbed his suitcase and slipped into a nearby warehouse. Moments later, he emerged in a sharp suit.
Taekjoo passed by the terminal, enveloped in darkness. Upon reaching the main road, he found the cab he had booked ahead. He got in the vehicle and headed for Busan Station.
By the time Taekjoo reached the station, a PA announcement echoed through the platform. It said that the KTX bullet train to Seoul would be departing shortly. Taekjoo followed the crowd to the platform. He saw that the train had arrived early and was waiting. He stepped in through the nearest door, checked the seat number, and found his seat. The late hour meant the train compartment was as quiet as could be.
Bzzzz... bzzzz...
Taekjoo’s phone started ringing as soon as he sat down. It was his personal phone, not the one for work. Just as he had expected, it was his mother calling. Taekjoo cleared his throat and fixed his voice before taking the call.
“Yes, Mother. I just got on the train. Work ended later than I expected. At this late hour, the train was my only option. Even without any delays, I won’t be home until early morning. Get some sleep, don’t wait up.”
Taekjoo recited the obvious lines of a son. His mother proceeded to bombard him with questions. When would the train depart? What time would it arrive? How was he planning to get home from the station? This was her son who only visited once or twice a year, and on those rare occasions, she always made a big fuss. Taekjoo was only able to hang up after vowing to his mother that he would head straight home, without any detours.
Once he had hung up, the fatigue finally found its way to the man. He breathed out a heavy sigh before he knew it. At that point, the train closed its doors and began its journey to Seoul. He rested his head against the seat, his hair still damp. He could feel the humming vibration of the train.
Over the speakers, passengers were told about the train’s stops. The train driver ended his words with Seoul as the period. In the absence of his voice, there was no movement, not a single disturbance, in the space. The lights were dimmed.
Taekjoo quickly felt drowsy from the warmth of the heater. His eyelids, soaked in seawater, drooped again, and again. They drooped heavier and heavier. All the salt must be weighing down on his eyelashes. He had three hours until his destination. Should he get some shuteye? Convincing himself, Taekjoo was about to fall asleep.
Bzzzz... bzzzz...
But then, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. The phone he had used to talk with his mother was still in his hand. Ergo, the one ringing right now would have to be his work phone. Taekjoo tried to ignore it and get some sleep, but the persistent buzzing wouldn’t let him. It kept vibrating. No doubt, it would keep buzzing until he answered. Other passengers started grumbling at the soft but annoying noise.
“Haa...”
In the end, Taekjoo sat up straight and answered it.
- Where are you?
It was Lim Daehyeong, the Deputy Director of the NIS Bureau of Intelligence Activities and Counterintelligence. Taekjoo’s hunches about bad things were always spot on. Unless Jongwoo had sunk to the ocean floor, Mr. Lim would have already received a direct briefing from him about the mission’s execution. Then, why the hell was he calling Taekjoo? Taekjoo had never enjoyed getting a call from Mr. Lim.
“I don’t think it’s any of your business, sir.”
- I just need a quick word with you.
So, was this him getting called in to the office? What was going on?
The only trouble that Taekjoo could think of was the espionage target mission he had just closed. He should’ve dealt with it on the low, undetected. However, Taekjoo did the exact opposite and produced many eyewitnesses. To make things worse, an innocent civilian was taken as a hostage. This was exactly the type of trouble that would have the higher-ups hopping mad. To make matters worse, someone had also reported it to the Coast Guard. It would be a pain in the back to cover this up. Journos might have already gotten a whiff of this. Taekjoo could already hear Lim’s voice—there’s a reason we’re called a classified organization—chewing him out.
Taekjoo knew better than anyone that arguing was pointless, yet he still tried defending himself.
“That was the best I could do for this mission. You know that yourself.”
- Yeah, which is why I’m telling you to come in so we can talk this over in person.
Of course. Classic Lim.
Before this mission, he emphasized several times that tomorrow was the birthday of his dearest mother, who would stay up at night, worried sick about her only son. Several times, he emphasized that tomorrow, he had to go home no matter what happened. And what did Lim say? He promised to let Taekjoo go home to his mother even if the second Korean War broke out.
Taekjoo reminded his superior of the said conversation they had had prior.
“Go easy on me, sir. I told you it’s my mother’s birthday tomorrow.”
- It won’t take long.
Of course, Taekjoo’s plea did not work on Lim. The man’s skin was as thick as it could get, not to mention he was just as stubborn. Taekjoo ruffled his damp hair out of frustration. He looked at the scene outside the window one last time, blurred from the speed of the train, before presenting his final case.
“The train’s already departed. How am I supposed to turn back?”
And it was about then that it happened—the speeding train suddenly came to a stop. Passengers who were listening to music or playing games on their phones looked up, surprised at what was happening.
The train remained unmoving inside the tunnel for a while. Inside the compartment, no announcements were made, and not a single train attendant passed by. Passengers weren’t all that concerned, since it was common for KTX trains to experience minor malfunctions. Those who had strained their necks, trying to assess the situation, soon gave up and tried to pass the time by sleeping.
No, it couldn’t be. Taekjoo tried to tell himself that this was nothing out of the ordinary—or so he wanted to believe. Unfortunately, bad feelings never miss.
- Get off. Quick.
Lim said in a sneaky tone. Taekjoo was about to question what he was doing indignantly, but the PA started making an announcement.
It said that the train had stopped due to a technical problem on the railway, and the train would resume the journey as soon as the problem was fixed. As soon as the problem was fixed. In other words, the train would not move until Taekjoo left it.
- So, are you getting off or what?
The soft nagging continued. Lim’s sweet tone sounded as if he was enjoying this entire situation. And it made Taekjoo want to rebel all the more. He couldn’t care any less about other passengers.
However, so long as the train was not moving, Taekjoo was not getting home either. He looked up at the ceiling as he hung up, annoyed. The phone didn’t ring again. The train did not move either.
For a long time, Taekjoo sat still. Then, he breathed out a heavy sigh as he got on his feet. He took big strides to the corridor. The door opened right away as if it had been waiting for him. Taekjoo walked down the steps, shaking his head in disapproval. The soles of his dress shoes touched the pebbles of the track.
Taekjoo made a call as he walked toward the rear end of the train. Once he was out of the tunnel, the KTX train started moving again. And just about then, someone answered Taekjoo’s call on the other end. It was his mother, and her voice sounded heavier than usual, as though she was apprehensive her son might bail on her, telling her that he was busy with work.
“Mother, it’s me. There’s something wrong with the train, I think I’m gonna be late. No, I said I’d be there this time, didn’t I? I’m just running a bit late.”
Taekjoo spoke in a firm tone as he resumed the walk he had stopped.
“So don’t light the candles yet. Wait for me.”