Hambaek Flower Restaurant - Chapter 42

Now is not the time to turn back.

I had to leave this place as soon as possible.

The only escape route carefully prepared by Director Park Jae Sun was laid out right before my eyes. Perhaps Kim Tae Rin is the luckiest of all the undercover agents currently existing in South Korea. If I missed this chance, there would never be another opportunity.

Kim Tae Rin tried to think rationally. But she already knew she had made up her mind. Damn it, there had never been any choice from the beginning.

From the moment she reached out her hand to Han Seo Jung, who was sobbing against the school wall, Kim Tae Rin became unable to win against Han Seo Jung.

“How badly, how badly is Seo Jung injured?”

– If it were just a broken leg, I wouldn’t be making such a request.

Kim Tae Rin tried to breathe. Choi Yoon on the other end of the phone was doing the same.

– Tae Rin, I know it’s difficult for you to come right now. But we need you.

Kim Tae Rin knew it too. That if she saved Han Seo Jung here, she would die.

But Kim Tae Rin started the car.

“I’ll be there right away.”

– I’ll be there right away.

Will she come? Will Kim Tae Rin really come?

There was no certainty.

In Choi Yoon’s mind, Kim Tae Rin had truly left. So it wouldn’t be strange at all if she didn’t return here.

No, it would be insane for her to turn around and rush this way. It would be like Kim Tae Rin throwing away her own life.

What should I do?

He bent forward as if exhaling every breath in his body. He rested his forehead on the back of his hand gripping the steering wheel.

Kim Tae Rin cannot be relied upon. The guarantor of Han Seo Jung, whom everyone in the village firmly believes in and waits for, will not show her face here.

When he raised his head again to look at his phone, the call had ended.

There was a sound of someone roughly knocking on the side.

Turning, he saw Jang Yong Sik banging on the car door. He asked urgently.

“Did you get in touch with Tae Rin?”

“Yes.”

“How long will it take her? Did you tell her it’s urgent? She needs to come right now.”

Choi Yoon thought about where Kim Tae Rin might be now. Though it seemed unlikely, if by some chance Kim Tae Rin was crazy enough to return to this hellfire for Han Seo Jung, how long would it take? Even at full speed, it wouldn’t be close.

“Where do I need to go to leave Sosul without going through the checkpoint?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Where do I need to go?”

“There’s a road by the reservoir. But I had Chun Bae block that off. He put up a double fence.”

“How long would it take by car from there to here?”

“About 20 minutes…?”

“Then she’ll arrive in 20 minutes.”

Jang Yong Sik turned pale.

“That’s too late. Why did Tae Rin go that far? It’s not a place she normally goes!”

“She might not come at all. In fact, that’s more likely.”

“Not come at all? Why on earth? Did you tell her clearly that Seo Jung is hurt? Tae Rin wouldn’t do that. Let me talk to her.”

Choi Yoon shook his head at Jang Yong Sik, who had hurriedly pulled out his phone.

“She’ll only answer Han Seo Jung’s number. And she probably won’t answer that anymore either.”

Jang Yong Sik seemed to not understand at all.

“Is Tae Rin that busy? Too busy to come here?”

Busy indeed. She must be frantically running away with her tail between her legs.

Probably after ending the call with Choi Yoon, it became even more urgent for her.

Because now Kim Tae Rin would know that everyone in the village was looking for her for Han Seo Jung’s sake.

It was only a matter of time before she realized there was no one in the village who hadn’t passed through the checkpoint.

Choi Yoon no longer had expectations for Kim Tae Rin. He only regretted not being able to catch the evidence with his own hands.

To let an undercover agent slip away right before his eyes.

He opened the car door abruptly and got out.

The unpleasant heat of midday still lingered stubbornly on the ground as the sunset began.

“Give me Seo Jung’s documents. I’ll try talking to the police one more time.”

“They said the guarantor needs to come, what more can you say…?”

“Give them to me, quickly.”

Jang Yong Sik hurriedly pulled a ziplock bag from his chest. He received it and opened it immediately.

Inside the dirty ziplock bag that Jang Yong Sik said he had rushed to find at Han Seo Jung’s house were crumpled documents like seals, resident registrations, and monster notebooks.

He quickly rifled through and unfolded the papers. He gathered what he needed in his hand, and threw the rest onto the driver’s seat through the open window.

Choi Yoon knew better than anyone why so many documents were needed just to go to the hospital.

It was one of the measures to raise the threshold of medical services for monsters.

Officially, it was to determine if they were truly safe Level 1 monsters who wouldn’t threaten the hospital, but in reality, it was to reduce the number of… In many government proposals, monsters were referred to as specimens. In reality, it was to reduce their numbers.

It actually produced significant results. Since its implementation, the average lifespan of monsters had fallen far below that of humans.

Humans dislike monsters. Those who dislike something believe it should rightfully disappear – that was the stance of the people who came to meet Choi Yoon at the time. Choi Yoon accepted without hesitation the proposal to promote the policy and casually mention it on entertainment shows in the near future.

At the time, he didn’t even know he had a choice. He only attended meetings selected by Lee Kang Woo, and Choi Yoon signed all those documents as routinely as eating meals and sleeping.

Now he felt like cutting off the hand that had brought the pen to those contracts back then.

“What about Seo Jung?”

“She’s getting emergency treatment, but she lost consciousness.”

Over Jang Yong Sik’s shoulder, Choi Yoon could see the neighbors gathered tightly around. Through the gaps, he caught a glimpse of Han Seo Jung on a stretcher. Even that brief flash of red made his chest tighten.

Choi Yoon shook his head vigorously.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you went out first?”

Jang Yong Sik’s gaze turned to Choi Yoon’s shoulder.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

He wasn’t fine. His breathing was labored and he felt dizzy. In fact, he had been like this ever since Han Seo Jung was injured.

Choi Yoon tried hard to reason that it was probably because his shoulder was hurt. But compared to Han Seo Jung, Choi Yoon wasn’t even injured.

“The police said you can leave. You should go out first and get treatment, and we’ll bring Seo Jung out as soon as Tae Rin arrives.”

That won’t happen. Kim Tae Rin is not coming.

Beyond Jang Yong Sik’s worried eyes, Choi Yoon looked at the police gathered tightly.

Can I do this?

He kept losing confidence. What he saw now were police, but Choi Yoon felt like he was facing his ignorant past self.

Above all, his body felt terrible. A chill ran through him as if all the blood had been drained from his limbs.

Jang Yong Sik spoke again.

“Seo Jung getting hurt isn’t your fault. Don’t push yourself.”

“I’ll take Seo Jung out with me.”

He knew what he had to do.

But his wavering heart was the problem.

It’s not like he hadn’t seen people get hurt before, and he had prepared himself for the possibility of seeing such terrible sights from the moment he got involved here, but strangely his emotions were shaken.

Can I do this?

No, I have to. Because…

Choi Yoon brushed past Jang Yong Sik. He strode through the police, pushing them aside.

Because another person can’t die.

Because he was out of breath and felt pain in his chest, Choi Yoon had no confidence in facing the police with a clear mind.

But acting was fine. He had always performed his work perfectly even in all kinds of bad weather, even when on the verge of death.

He had always lived by bringing scripts to life. The opposite shouldn’t be difficult.

Choi Yoon struggled with all his might to flatten this damn present into a mere filming.

Jang Yong Sik and I will probably pat each other’s shoulders saying today was really tough once the cameras are off. And then I’ll move on to the next schedule with Yoo Ji Ho.

So this is a story I know from beginning to end. The ending will flow as determined. The game is in the hands of the main character, me.

So, calmly. The tension throughout his body noticeably relaxes. Even the early heat now becomes just another part of the familiar shoot, the wary gazes of the police flatten into stage directions in the script, and the guns they adjust their grip on become crude props.

I move as I’ve memorized, and so do you, and I’m the main character of this shoot. The supporting actors can’t possibly damage me.

He gripped Han Seo Jung’s documents tightly in his hand.

As Choi Yoon strode unhesitatingly through the police and deep into the checkpoint, one officer blocked his way.

“What is this?”

Choi Yoon took a breath. His voice came out clean. Just like it was possible even on talk shows after staying up for days.

“Even mixed-race minors who cannot prove their identity can enter the checkpoint in special situations.”

The officer furrowed his brow.

From behind, someone who looked like a superior approached and stopped close by. Feeling his sharp gaze on his cheek, Choi Yoon continued speaking.

“There is a principle of higher law taking precedence. In the case of the current military-controlled emergency order, I haven’t heard of it, so it’s probably based on an ordinance limited to the secret area of Jangcheon County. This means it only applies to this place.”

According to the script, please.

Choi Yoon paused to gauge the officer’s reaction. The officer said nothing, his face hardened.

Good. Exactly as directed. Next, I deliver my lines.

“An ordinance cannot violate the law. According to the higher Monster Special Management Act, monsters who may fall short of the government’s Level 1 standards can freely enter and exit any restricted area without a pass, on the condition that they make improvements.”

In truth, Choi Yoon didn’t know if those restricted areas included states of emergency. But he gambled on the fact that the police couldn’t be certain either.

The most accurate method would be to inquire with superiors, but the police Choi Yoon knew here wouldn’t do that.

Because the police wouldn’t want to involve their superiors. Reporting that they let an undercover agent slip away because of one mixed-race child wouldn’t be in their best interests… That’s how I interpreted it during the script reading. I know you perfectly.

The officer kept his mouth firmly shut.

“In the case of mixed-race children of monsters with criminal records, there is suspicion of inherited violence, so they have an obligation to regularly report their recent situation to the Monster Management Center.”

Choi Yoon adjusted his grip on the monster notebook he had been holding all along. That alone succeeded in drawing the officer’s gaze to his hand.

“They must submit a stamp from a confirmer stating there are no special signs of danger and they are maintaining smooth social life, and receive an official seal. In Han Seo Jung’s case, she was a student at Jangcheon High School and submitted the homeroom teacher’s stamp. But…”

Choi Yoon paused. Not for dramatic effect, but because his vision blurred momentarily. He barely managed to stand.

“…she stopped reporting after dropping out.”

He steadied his breathing inconspicuously.

“It seems she wanted to keep her dropping out a secret, and didn’t have any adult humans who could give her a stamp.”