Chapter 21.2

Chapter 21.2

The departure schedule for the day after tomorrow was tight. Thinking that she should start packing as soon as she finished work today, Seoryeong stirred the soup with a ladle.

After standing in front of the stove for a few hours, sweat trickled down behind the hygiene cap and mask. On the next table, another lady was peeling eggs, and each crack of the shell made her ears twitch.

Involuntarily, Seoryeong recalled yesterday. The car filled with the foul odor of eggs during the entire return to the company was silent and suffocating.

Did Team Leader Lee Wooshin make that decision then? Was it okay for him to take me along?

There had been an unsettling feeling, but she hadn’t known anything beyond that.

Seoryeong was never interested in the innocence of the process. However, thinking that they considered each other perverts was a bit uncomfortable.

“I’ll open the restaurant!”

The cook shouted, checking the time. As the ladies filled trays with rice and soup, Seoryeong, in her thoughts, raised her head. Unlike the sub-manager’s reaction, her eyes blinked at something distinctly different.

“You’re going on a business trip, Ms. Seoryeong.”

“Yes.”

“Now that Ms. Seoryeong is leaving, it will be dull here. What a shame…”

Seoryeong looked up while putting side dishes in the tray. She was puzzled by the completely different reaction from the sub-manager.

“Just for a few days, I’ll be away.”

“That’s not what I mean…”

Glancing around, the lady lowered her voice.

“People usually quit when they come back from a business trip. That’s what happens.”

“Who does?”

“People like us.”

“….”

“Even if you ask why they quit, they shut their mouths tight.”

Seoryeong remembered the confidential agreement she signed and brought back.

“If you go on a business trip with that special-whatever team… People quit because of that curse… I liked Ms. Seoryeong as if you were my daughter. What a shame that you’re leaving because of this…”

“Ms. Seoryeong, you have two sons, right?”

“That’s right.”

The lady patted Seoryeong’s shoulder, laughing loudly. Seoryeong swayed in her seat, lost in her contemplation.

People quit just because they went on that business trip?

However, since the rear support team doesn’t go to the field directly, it wouldn’t be an issue of injuries. Then—

“….”

Perhaps it felt like an unbearable sense of guilt.

Hidden behind the mask, she smiled and laughed.

* * *

It was Seoryeong’s first time setting foot on Thai soil. The exotic scenery and unfamiliar smells quickened her heartbeat, but soon, the novelty wore off, leaving her vision and sense of smell weary.

While Korea remained in the grip of winter, Bangkok sweltered in the heat of midsummer, and the humid air proved stifling. The warm sunlight beat down on her skin, threatening to tan it further.

Seoryeong had infiltrated under the guise of a carefree traveler, accompanied by a small team providing support. There were only three staff members: one for medical assistance, one for driving, and one for cooking.

After exchanging formal pleasantries with them, Seoryeong boarded the plane. Their actions were smooth, perhaps due to custom, and conversations were limited to essential words.

Upon arrival, they found themselves in a shabby area separate from the airport. The visible buildings were old and dilapidated. Seoryeong’s group entered a rundown inn, its walls stripped bare, climbing precarious metal stairs with only the framework remaining.

The medic had laid out locally obtained supplies like bandages, syringes, and antibiotics, while Seoryeong organized disguises and instant foods for the team members.

Just as she was trying to catch her breath, something caught her attention, causing her head to snap around abruptly.

***

“So… what are we doing here?”

“It’s for guarding a drug lord.”

She did not bat an eye even after him saying it twice. The duty medic, with brightly bleached hair, found Seoryeong’s reaction amusing and chuckled.

“You probably guessed it would be a dirty job.”

“Well, that’s…”

“The drug lord here in Thailand is called the ‘El Chapo of Asia.’ They say he’s made about 8 billion dollars from drug trafficking. That’s around 10 trillion Korean won. He’s currently on Interpol’s wanted list.”

He grinned, showing his teeth.

“But he hasn’t been caught for ten years.”

The staff in charge of driving brought the car, entered it, and lay down without taking off his shoes. Seoryeong sat down on the worn-out sofa, feeling a bit overwhelmed by fatigue, more than she expected. Then the duty medic suddenly raised his head.

“Miss, do you like money?”

“Not really.”

He clicked his tongue and continued.

“Well, then, if you’re not in a hurry for money, you might want to quit now and go back to Korea.”

“I won’t quit.”

Ignoring his comment, Seoryeong pulled out the cleaning tools she had brought briefly. The file provided by the sub-leader and the prepared materials were for reference, but she didn’t expect to use them for real.

“Unless you’re really desperate for money, most people turn pale and run away. I’ve had an ajumma suddenly holding a cross against me, a grandmother begging to be sent back, crying, and someone swearing to report us to the police. Which side are you on?”

T/N: *Ajumma –  a married or middle aged woman

“I’ll start with cleaning for now.”

“What?”

“I feel like this place needs some cleaning.” Seoryeong casually put on rubber gloves and spoke.

The duty medic frowned.

“Miss, you said you’re not interested in money.”

Seoryeong didn’t respond and closed the curtains.Through the dirty and dusty window, the grayish landscape glimmered faintly.

The place was indeed a mess.

This company itself, or more precisely, the Special Security Team, was the perfect stage for her and her plans.

“What a terrible company,” Seoryeong murmured softly, humming a faint tune.