People passing through the airport lounge glanced at the man in a black robe like a priest. At his feet, a long, hard suitcase was placed, and he was praying. The sight was enough to draw everyone’s attention. He mumbled a foreign language very quickly, which couldn’t be understood, and his red tongue occasionally touched the gaps between his teeth. With a furrowed brow, Kiya began to whisper more quietly and intensely.
“――”
The little boy sitting in front seemed fascinated by Kiya and kept turning back. Behind the cross he held tightly like a breast, their gazes met. Kiya instantly changed his expression and opened his palm. He circled it, placed it on his nose, then moved it like a flying bird. Suddenly, a red nose like Rudolph the reindeer appeared.
“Waa―!”
The boy clapped his hands, exclaiming in admiration. After that, Kiya continued to play with the red nose—making it appear and disappear—to entertain the child. Then, he placed the suitcase that had been under his feet on his lap and began to assemble a weapon directly.
“Hyung, is that a real gun?”
His deft hand movements made the boy’s eyes widen. In an instant, the assembly was complete, and Kiya grinned while pointing the muzzle of the gun at the boy’s forehead. Immediately, the person who seemed to be his parent put on a stiff face and pulled the boy away.
“Bang!”
Kiya pulled the trigger while imitating the sound of a gunshot. Colorful paper like fireworks scattered everywhere. The boy burst into laughter and got off his seat, carrying his bag. Kiya’s gaze then fell on the owl doll keychain swaying on the bag.
“Hyung, can I have that gun?”
“You like owls?”
“Huh?”
“I like that doll. Want to trade it for my gun?”
The boy held the doll hanging from his bag and pouted.
“Hmm… My grandma gave it to me…”
“Do you know the meaning of owls?”
“Owls are birds!”
“True, they are birds. Birds that look like cats. But a long time ago, they say owls were wicked birds that ate their mothers. Especially if an owl cried at night, they say someone in the village would die.”
“What’s ‘die’?”
“You don’t know? It means someone passes away.”
“……”
“But lately, owls often appear in my dreams and keep crying.”
Kiya pressed the red ball on the boy’s nose and asked, “Then, who do you think will die today? Your grandma?”
“Uuh… waaaa―!”
The boy’s face turned red, his lips trembled, and he began to cry. Kiya grinned widely from ear to ear.
---
Seoryeong, wearing the polished leather shoes that Lee Wooshin had cleaned, stepped inside the Orthodox Diocese building. A round dome, white walls, and a large arched door—a Byzantine-style church difficult to find domestically. This unofficial escort operation, being closely watched by Kang Taegon, was a suspicious event: inviting prominent Korean figures who had once received money from Russia to introduce the sect’s new leader. Seoryeong passed through the red-carpeted worship hall, walked along a corridor filled with abstract paintings of saints, and straightened her clothes once more. Every time she exchanged glances with the guards on duty, a tense atmosphere immediately enveloped her. ―Agent Han Seoryeong, are you listening? Her steps paused momentarily. She pressed one side of her ear and sighed. Imagining the man who was most likely watching her from somewhere, her chest felt tight. It felt like all of this was because of the breakfast they had eaten together that morning. Lee Wooshin had held her tightly all night, constantly moving around, as if unable to sleep. Seoryeong woke up several times and always heard his sighing breaths. The man would sometimes pace around the living room, where he hadn’t even turned on the lights, or lock himself in the study without coming out, or bury his face in Seoryeong’s armpit while gently biting her skin all night. Even towards dawn, Seoryeong had heard the sound of the digital door opening, but she pretended not to know. ―I’ve already packed your things and put them in the suitcase. If there’s anything important, we can just buy it there.
“Isn’t this too fast?”
―It’s not like an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, so why would it be fast?
“So, you really want to leave right after this task is finished?”
―Why wouldn’t I? Early in the morning, the man had started talking about marriage. While eating his poorly-made breakfast, they vaguely chose a honeymoon destination. The reception would be simple, just the two of them, and the bouquet had already been ordered—peonies, to be picked up at the airport. Half-asleep, Seoryeong had only replied “yes, yes,” and suddenly all her belongings had been packed by Lee Wooshin. The faster the schedule, the better it should be for Seoryeong, but for some reason she felt the inevitable end drawing closer. While chewing the rice he fed her, she could only swallow water. After this escort mission, they would head straight to Azerbaijan, bordering Ukraine. Lee Wooshin didn’t like that choice because of security concerns and its proximity to Russia. But Seoryeong insisted on seeing the vast expanse of red rocks.
“Did you give me this earphone just to talk about that?”
―Kill two birds with one stone.
“Enough. I really want to go in now.”
Seoryeong recalled the building’s interior layout and stopped in front of the room where Rigai Viktor was waiting. ―Seoryeong. The man’s voice suddenly dropped in tone, vibrating in her ear. ―From now on, just think of yourself as being at the bottom of the sea.
“…What?”
―Just think of it as needing to hold your breath for only five minutes… Seoryeong frowned at the nonsensical words. ―Come on, just bow your head for five minutes.
“What does that mean…”
―Just a moment. Don’t look Rigai Viktor directly in the eyes. Just look at the tips of the shoes I polished for you this morning.
“……”
―You know, how shiny I cleaned those shoes since dawn, just so Han Seoryeong’s face would be reflected in them? Seoryeong was speechless at his childish coaxing. What exactly was the meaning of all this? Seeing Seoryeong’s confused face, Lee Wooshin only gave a bitter smile. ―If I said this was an order from Chairman Kang, would you obey?
“Are you serious about wanting me to believe that?”
―Rigai Viktor is someone with many followers, whether you realize it or not. So it’s better not to stare at him for too long. Besides, he’s an unstable person, so don’t offend him. Don’t you know that too, Han Seoryeong?
“……”
―Your boss isn’t someone who would joke about something like this. His tone sounded very cold as he asked, “Not really, right?”
Personal information about the client shouldn’t be shared even with a personal bodyguard like her. But for some reason, Lee Wooshin seemed to know everything. Could Chairman Kang’s concerns be correct, that the National Intelligence Service was interfering in this matter? Seoryeong bit her lip while glancing around for no reason. The atmosphere wasn’t noisy, but it felt sharp and tense. She observed the workers moving the altar and installing new equipment for the event more carefully than usual. ―Don’t show your beautiful eyes to that old man. Just wait. Seoryeong finally couldn’t help but chuckle, sounding a bit out of place. ―I’ll be there soon. That firm tone felt like it held his breath in his chest. But still, there was something in Lee Wooshin’s words that was difficult to understand. As Seoryeong was about to ask back, the thick arched door opened and a foreign man glanced at her from head to toe. His gaze briefly lingered on her neatly tied black hair, then he stepped aside to let her pass. Following the man, her footsteps fell on the thick carpet. The first thing she saw inside was a white robe hanging. Its wide sleeves drooped, and sunlight streamed in from behind, creating a silhouette resembling an imperial robe. The large man led her further inside and knocked on a door. Seoryeong, without realizing it, tried to listen for something, but only silence enveloped the room. As if accustomed to it, the foreign man shrugged and opened the large door slowly. Then, without much talk, he handed Seoryeong sunglasses from his pocket. ―Lower your gaze. That commanding tone felt like it gripped the nape of her neck. Her pride felt trampled, but hearing that voice made her instinctively look down and only stare at the tips of her shoes. The room was tightly closed off by thick black curtains, not a single ray of light entering. There, someone sat with their back to them in a chair. Seoryeong began to slowly raise her gaze from the person’s feet. Compared to the size of the hall-like room, the hunched figure looked very small and frail.
“――”
Thin ankles, a spine protruding up to the neck, hair growing haphazardly like wild grass. The deeply bowed head looked heavy and desperate, and the skin that was beginning to show looked dark and dry. Even though someone had just entered his private space, whether he was unaware or didn’t care, the man didn’t feel like a living human being at all. ―Han Seoryeong, answer. That anxious tone only echoed in her ears. Seoryeong looked around, and fortunately, there were no sharp objects visible nearby. She swallowed the dry lump in her throat and began to step closer, one step at a time, towards the man who seemed to be sinking into a swamp. Whatever was happening, Lee Wooshin said he would be there soon. As she only paid attention to her watch and inadvertently glanced at the man’s back, suddenly— his neck, bent like a twisted tree trunk, turned sharply and stared directly at her.
“――!”
Seoryeong’s body instantly stiffened. It was then that she realized why the foreign man had given her sunglasses. It was a terrifying face. Not just one or two scars, but marks that hadn’t fully healed, as if they had hardened there forever. Seoryeong gasped and hurriedly pressed the in-ear in her ear, then whispered. A cold sensation ran down her spine.
“Instructor… this person… doesn’t have eyes….”