Chapter 7 – A Cruel and Beautiful Night

Despite sensing someone entering the hospital room, the man on the bed did not lift his eyes, which were cast downward, his lips tightly sealed.

His mindset hadn’t changed since being rescued from the Tamayon hideout, where he had only awaited death.

“……”

“……”

Seated on a wooden chair with one military boot propped up, Tae Seo-jun also remained silent, merely bending his elegant body slightly to cast a soft gaze towards the bed.

The man had grown into a decent businessman living alone abroad, fueled by resentment towards his father’s neglect. The terrorists had pointed a gun at the hostage as if to make a point because the leader of Tamayon had demanded an astronomical sum as a condition for exchange, which that father of his had flatly refused.

This resulted in the gunshot wound to his chest.

Having been abandoned twice by his biological father—once at birth when sent abroad, and once more when kidnapped and ignored—it was natural that his heart was more damaged than the bullet that had torn it. In his mental anguish, he might even wish to deny his own existence.

Publicly, the son of Chairman Han of the <Rian Group> was known to be one. Therefore, this man was undoubtedly an illegitimate child.

This was what Seo-jun had heard from the medic who had met him when he crossed over to the medical ward from the main building.

As he had heard, Seo-jun didn’t rush. He merely explained reality with a calm attitude.

“Our special forces team risked their lives to rescue three people from that dangerous place, and because of one person among them wishing for death, the value of risking their lives has been halved. Who should bear that responsibility?”

“……”

“With morale plummeting like that, would our military want to do such a thing again?”

Despite speaking until his mouth was sore, this guy just wouldn’t listen. Naturally, the wound was festering and terribly painful, and it wouldn’t be strange if he died soon.

Tae Seo-jun, spinning something heavy in his hand with his fingers, scoffed coldly. Then, the man who had shown no reaction finally raised his head and stared intently at Tae Seo-jun’s face.

The reason he widened his eyes was more about questioning and protesting whether it was acceptable for a military doctor to do this, asking if he was going to shoot him with that gun right now. However, his lips pressed even tighter.

Knowing well what a gun was, especially with a hole already under his chest, maybe he needed more to snap out of it.

Tae Seo-jun moved his thumb, making a clicking sound. The sound of the pistol’s slide being pulled back and the hammer being pushed caused the man’s Adam’s apple to twitch nervously.

“You, what are you!”

The man finally spoke.

“Let’s just say I’m a fallen doctor.”

The bullet was loaded in the chamber, and now even a slight touch on the trigger would fire the gun. He seemed resigned as he tightly closed his eyes. At that moment, Tae Seo-jun pulled the trigger.

Click.

“!”

However, the dreadful event did not occur, and the man on the bed trembled his eyelashes in shock.

“I was going to send you off without pain as you wished. Sorry.”

Seo-jun, pulling the slide again, this time placed his long finger on the trigger as if he really meant it.

His life hung on this one shot. Having already tasted one horrific sensation, the man suddenly changed his mind.

“Wa, wait a moment…”

The man who chose to live spoke more clearly.

“Save… me.”

“What was that? Say it again.”

“I want to live!”

As he answered repeatedly, Seo-jun, who smiled faintly, put away the gun.

“I think there’s someone else who would be happy if you went early, but take revenge. You could show them you’re living better. You could grind them up and drink them. Living stubbornly, doing everything you want, and dying slowly without regret isn’t a bad thing.”

While Seo-jun spoke, the man bit his molars tightly and shed tears.

“Ugh…”

It was thanks to a gun. No, thanks to the military officer in front of him, who awakened him. He realized that facing the person who brought despair, even if it meant breaking every bone, was far more relieving than blaming them through death.

“Lieutenant Park.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The military doctor who was called approached Seo-jun and answered.

“He seems like he’ll behave now, so go ahead and treat him. If he refuses again, inform me immediately. Make sure to load live rounds next time. Thanks!”

With a smile, Seo-jun, who revealed that it was an empty gun from the start, left the place with a firm expression, just as when he entered.

***

Seo-jun was walking toward the main building after leaving the medical ward.

Bang!

A tremendous explosion tore through his eardrums.

“Ugh!”

“!”

The sudden bombardment caused the medic walking ahead to collapse onto the dirt ground as if he had been struck down. Seo-jun’s military uniform was stained dark red in an instant. It was the blood of the soldier who had been hit by shrapnel from a suddenly flying shell.

Wheeewooo…

The siren signaling an air raid alert began to wail.

Bang! Boom!

At that moment, another shell dropped from a fighter jet, devastating the largest main building in the base and turning its surroundings into a sea of fire in an instant.

If Tae Seo-jun had not come to the medical ward or had returned to his office a bit earlier, he would have been killed instantly inside the main building. The gap between this life and the afterlife was so thin.

Without needing to check the pulse, Seo-jun, who confirmed the medic had died, began to handle the urgent crisis in an orderly manner with the soldiers who had swiftly emerged from the accommodation building.

This place, a Korean military base surrounded by a hill of rocks, was an optimal fortress. Therefore, merely two fighter jets were insufficient to annihilate it.

Although shells were still falling, Tae Seo-jun, having regained his composure, quickly walked to the underground bunker where the operations room was located, stepping firmly over broken bricks and various debris.

Despite the ongoing shelling, Seo-jun, who had calmed his disrupted breathing, quickly walked to the underground bunker where the operations room was located, stepping over broken bricks and all sorts of debris.

But another shell flying in blocked his path.

Boom!

At that moment, Seo-jun, who had been bounced off, realized belatedly that he was lying on the road he had been walking on, having been hit by a considerable impact.

He needed to get back up, but his body wouldn’t respond. As blood spread from his head, which had hit the ground hard, and his body soaked the dirt, Seo-jun’s consciousness grew fuzzy.

But as countless starlights pouring from the dark night sky filled his deep eyes, Seo-jun managed to delay his collapsing consciousness for a moment.

Is it okay for the sky to sparkle so brightly when the ground is hell? 

Thinking of her, who looked more beautiful with her clear eyes at what could be the last moment of his life, was really funny.

If I miss that winter night I spent with her for just one day, I must be really crazy, right?

The thought didn’t go any further. With a ringing in his ears, her face spun around in his mind.

“Ugh……”

Seo-jun couldn’t help but chuckle.

What overlapped in his increasingly blurry vision was the Milky Way scattered like jewel dust in the night sky and the flames blazing from the ground.

Now, no sound could be heard. Seo-jun slowly closed his eyes.

It was a cruel yet beautiful night where no expression could be made anymore.

***

There is such a thing.

Something that was difficult before but is even more difficult now. Something you can’t do if you don’t know, but knowing makes it even harder. Something daunting due to the overwhelming aftermath of an incident is standing in front of the camera where the spotlight is focused.

Yet, having finally done that fearful thing, how could she not be happy?

Though she was a bit nervous, the large eyes that boldly faced the camera sparkled even more today for that reason.

“Very good! So-yeon, stay in that position for a little longer!”

The image of So-yeon captured on the screen was as beautiful as a goddess. Because of that, the expression of the director, who continuously exclaimed in admiration, was filled with excitement.

“Okay, going for a zoom shot now!”

As the director spoke, dozens of lights flashed on simultaneously. And the bright light gloriously captured her mysterious silhouette.

Eom So-yeon’s height, when adding the height of high heels, was 175 cm. Although she wasn’t as tall as a runway model, her fantastic body proportions and elastic curves were comparable.

Her small face with neatly arranged features also resembled a porcelain doll crafted with meticulous care.

It was a stroke of luck that she hadn’t injured her face in a recent sudden accident.

It was mid-last year, six months ago.

The horrendous accident that occurred then left a long scar about 8 cm on the back of So-yeon’s head.

Having barely secured a supporting role in a film called <Temptation of the Gods> after overcoming fierce competition, So-yeon was severely injured on the first day of shooting when part of the set collapsed. A steel structure fell from the ceiling, engulfing So-yeon, who was immersed in her acting.

However, what pained So-yeon more was the harsh reality of this industry. Her role was quickly handed over to someone else. Moreover, having developed a phobia of cameras, So-yeon struggled for months.

But today, as she resumed her activities breaking that hiatus, So-yeon’s tightly closed lips were firm with determination. Although it was just a commercial, she really wanted to succeed this time, as it was a desperate opportunity she had to seize.

“The sub-model is quite pretty. Is she a new actress?”

“That’s Eom So-yeon. She was selected for a supporting role in the movie that Jung Hwa starred in last year. But there was an accident, you know.”

“An accident?”

The two women chatting in the corner of the set were the manager and coordinator of Yoo Jung-hwa, the main model of the CF being filmed and currently considered the top actress.

“Yes, she was the only one injured in that accident, and her supporting role was immediately replaced by a new actress. She has enough acting skills and academic background, but luck hasn’t been on her side. This CF is probably her first shoot since that incident.”

“Academic background?”

“Yes. She graduated from S University. You have to be good at studying even if it’s an acting department to get in there.”

The coordinator, new to the industry and unaware of the circulating rumors, blinked with curiosity, prompting Seong Jin-ah, a manager seasoned in the industry, to share everything she knew, even forgetting the task Jung-hwa had given her.

“She was in Canada until recently, but it seems like nothing she’s done since returning has gone well. At least she’s now signed with the famous CN Entertainment, so that’s somewhat fortunate.”

“Anyway, I’m really envious. At twenty-six, it’s not too late. If she went to that school, she must have been born with both beauty and brains.”

“It seems so, right?”

Buzzz…

Seong Jin-ah, who had been chatting for a long time without noticing the time, crumpled her face like paper as soon as she answered the phone. She was intimidated by Yoo Jung-hwa’s scolding, which was sharper than usual.

As if they had never been gossiping, the two women hurriedly ran to the waiting room, and at that moment, the director’s shout echoed loudly inside the set.

“Cut!”

Having safely completed the long-awaited shoot, So-yeon barely moved her trembling legs behind the camera.

“You did great!”

Do-soon, who came running with her bobbed hair fluttering, patted So-yeon on the back, saying she did well.

“Was I okay?”

“Don’t worry. You were so beautiful. See, you can do it!”

“Ha…”

A sigh of relief met So-yeon’s lips, forming a faint smile.

But looking closely, Do-soon’s attitude, seeming unsure of where to rest her gaze, was somewhat unusual. So-yeon asked her the reason.

“Why are you like this? Your eyes are drooping like you’re about to cry.”

“I’ll tell you later. I need to take care of you first.”

“Tell me now. What happened?”

“Well… I just saw an article…”

As So-yeon pressed, Do-soon hesitated in her response.

“Our Seo-jun oppa…… his discharge date is only a few days away, but there was a big bombing at the deployment unit……”

The story coming from a face filled with dark clouds could hardly be good news, but knowing it was about him, So-yeon couldn’t help but press Do-soon.

“So, what happened?”

“He died! Sob sob……”

“……!”

That can’t be!

Heaven. No, all the gods of the world, you can’t really do this to me!

With all thoughts suddenly halted, So-yeon slumped into a chair.