"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility of our future."
(George Bernard Shaw)
Si Jin came to know about this incident the moment he arrived back at base together with Alpha Team. He made a desperate dash to her ward, barging through the door as he entered. Fortunately, what he saw on the bed was not a patient in a really bad shape, but rather, a woman well enough and most importantly, alive. Mo Yeon was attended by Dr Song and Myeong Joo, but above all else, she looked perfectly alright. Si Jin , with a great sense of relieve in his heart, simply approached the sitting Mo Yeon, and then pulled her into a protective embrace as the doctors moved away to the side to give them some breathing space.
"I heard about what happened to you." He pulled back, scanning her body for any signs of abuse. To his relieve, there was nothing but a visible red mark around her neck that caught his attention. "Gwaenchanayo?" He sat down on the chair, holding her palms together and rubbed it gently to sooth her down. Mo Yeon didn't reply though, only looking down to the floor in response. Si Jin sensed something amiss when she was not replying to him. "Mo Yoen-ah, are you alright? Why are you so silent? Does it hurt?" He turned to the two doctors. "How is she? Is she hurt?"
At first, Dr Song wanted to speak out, but a nudge on his left shoulder by Myeong Joo shut him up. Before Dr Song could respond to her impoliteness, his eyes caught the concerned look of Myeong Joo's. Myeong Joo shook her head at him, indirectly telling him that things were not as simple as he thought he was. Dr Song could not interfere anymore, when Myeong Joo humbly requested Dr Song to leave them alone, for she had something to share privately with Si Jin and Mo Yeon. The seriousness of her tone, as well as the concerned look of a best friend towards her colleague, was all that it took to convince him that he should not step in any further. Dr Song let out a soft sigh, showing Myeong Joo and encouraging smile to Myeong Joo and Si Jin before he quietly left the room.
The moment Dr Song closed the door as he exited, Myeong Joo walked towards Si Jin's side, the concerned look on her face telling Si Jin that there were a lot of things he hadn't know. Si Jin needed no second guessing from the expression of her face that the main problem was not on Mo Yeon's physical condition, but rather, more on her state of mind. She took another white polyester chair lying unattended beside Si Jin, and then took a seat beside Si Jin. Myeong Joo placed her right hand on Mo Yeon's left shoulder, probably in an attempt to encourage Mo Yeon. However, Mo Yeon didn't respond to anything at all, not even a word.
The silence in her room was downright eerie. Added to the unusual environment was that her room was dark. The blinds were still untouched, the rays from the outside projecting a maroon-coloured environment that filled the room. God knew for sure how long Mo Yeon had been staying in this condition–a condition fit enough for a mentally-disturbed patient to live in, or where a lonely patient on the brink of death could enjoy his last moments of his pitiful life before leaving it all behind. Myeong Joo gave Si Jin a slightly frustrated look, causing him to be curious. "For goodness sake, sunbaenim, what have you been doing all this time?" She questioned him. "I thought that you will take care of her really well, like you always say you will do, but this state?" She referred to Mo Yeon. "I cannot imagine the worst, sunbaenim..."
Si Jin seriously didn't know what she was talking about. He stuttered, not knowing what to say.
"Mo Yeon is having a serious case of depression, sunbaenim. In this state, she can never get out of the cage." Myeong Joo exhaled sympathetically. Never did she expected that one day, Mo Yeon would fall into this state. It was obvious that Mo Yeon's feeling of responsibility, had already had a profound effect on her. The burden on her shoulders was way too much to carry for someone with a petite body like Mo Yeon. "I can only do my part to give her encouragement, sunbae, but the real responsibility, rests totally on you. You should know better that she needs you more than ever." Myeong Joo slowly got up from her seat, and then left the two in the room to have their own moments together, although she knew that the moment would be met by an immense amount silence and heartbreak in the end.
Finally alone, Si Jin decided to go on. His heart hurt so much the moment he learned that Mo Yeon was suffering from depression, and it was obvious that it was her guilt from her sense of duty that drove her into this state. He felt guilty as well, for letting a woman of his dreams to suffer along with him. A strong, dedicated woman like her deserved more than anything else in this world, not with a man who faced death every single day. He got up from his seat, sat on the bed beside her, and then slowly, affectionately and gently placed her head on his right shoulder, lying his chin on her hair. "Mo Yeon-ah, mianhaeyo." He apologised wholeheartedly. "I'm not a good man. I've failed to protect you."
A long silence followed right after he stopped talking. The squeaking of the old ceiling fan was the only thing that filled the sound vacuum in the room.
"I don't want you to suffer because of what I do, Mo Yeon-ah." Si Jin whispered to her ear. "Nobody asks you to hold that burden on your shoulders to keep me safe. Please don't do it, Mo Yeon-ah. This thing, is not for you to bear." He turned her face facing him, his left index finger holding her chin as he gave her a peck on her forehead. "This burden, has always been mine to carry, from the day I first entered service until now. So please, stop burdening yourself." He unexpectedly shed a tear. "I beg you, Mo Yeon-ah. I can't afford to lose you."
"Why does it always have to be you, Si Jin-ah?" Mo Yeon finally started talking. "Why can't we work things out, like webalways do? Why am I not allowed to share your burden, Si Jin-ah? Why must you carry it all, and leave me at the sidelines?"
Her questions caught him completely off-guard. However, he was quick enough to return to his senses. "It's because, there are some things you just can't handle with only sheer grit, Mo Yeon-ah. What we do, is way different from the burden you've faced in your daily life. Everyday, we faced the risk of death. At any moment, we can be called to war. We live by this mindset, that it is an honour to die for the country we loyally serve, for the people we cared about, and for the person we hold close to our hearts. We are born ready to die, Mo Yeon-ah." Si Jin elaborated. He leaned his forehead onto hers, their eyes closed. "That's why there are certain things I can't tell you, because I know that you will do this."
Their heads leaned on each other for some time, his left hand placed on the back of her head to hold her steady. They allowed the silence to play its part, as they listened to their slow breaths in unison. The warm air brushed their faces, as her right hand found its way around his left wrist.
You know that I love you. Please don't torture yourself this way.
Si Jin felt her grip on his wrist tightening.
I simply can't. I cannot just let you carry it all. We are supposed to do this together, as one.
But–
This is my choice, Si Jin. Please, let me do my duty–as your girlfriend, as your fiancée, as your future wife.
Si Jin opened his eyes slowly, pulling back a little upon hearing her thoughts in his mind. When he did that, she too opened her eyes. They glanced at each other.
Si Jin felt that it was pretty unfair for Mo Yeon to do this way. Her obligations were killing her inside out, changing her personality and her body. She had sustained too much bruises and mental stress, and yet, it amazed him that despite feeling so remorseful of her actions, she placed himself over her. The reason for her depression was that she was contemplating on whether she had done everything in her power to set things right.
She was experiencing a psychological situation where it could be comparable to what most war veterans call the 'soldier's guilt', except that her case was more of a moral dilemma–the questions of right over wrong, and wrong over right. What she did was right in one sense, but wrong on the other. She might have saved Si Jin by putting herself as a shield, but in the process, lives had been lost under her watch. The cons of her actions outweighed the pros.
Si Jin might be the solution of her problem, but he too realised that he could also be her worst nightmare. If Mo Yeon were to know his secret, then whatever she had sacrificed to protect him, might in fact all be in vein. It would be like helping a criminal to hide his wrongdoings.
What the priest said to him that day echoed in his mind.
"One more thing....the secrets that you are hiding, it would be better to let it out now, or neither sides will gain. There will come a moment where you will have to be truthful to the person you love. Don't be ignorant, and suffer in the end, young man. You don't deserve such fate."
Should I tell her now?
He let out a soft exhale.
If I do, I will only destroy her.
Si Jin closed his eyes, and leaned on her forehead again. Mo Yeon did the same.
But if I go on like this, Mo Yeon.....will never be in peace. She's....a victim of my doing.
"What do you mean, that I'm a victim of your doing?" Mo Yeon opened her eyes and gave him a curious look. Her brows knitted slightly, probably wondering why he said that.
Si Jin looked away eventually, as he steeled himself for the inevitable. He knew that one day, Mo Yeon would find out about the truth. It's just that he would prefer it if this came from his own mouth, the person she totally trusts. If any, it would be best if he suffered the guilt instead, and in the end, guarantee Mo Yeon's safety at the cost of their relationship.
If the bitter truth could give Mo Yeon freedom from the hands of Sun Yang, then it was a sacrifice worth taking. As long as she survives, he would tell this worthless secret, and bear the consequences. Let her hate him, hit him, or do anything at all. The secret's a burden he eagerly wanted to let go right from the very start.
"There's something I need to tell you.." Si Jin trailed off.
His mysterious demeanour got Mo Yeon very curious. "Tell me what?"
In response, Si Jin turned his head around, staring directly at her eyes. For once, he contemplated about his actions, but he made up his mind to go in with it anyhow.
"The truth....about everything...."
*****
Sun Yang, Si Jin, and Dae Young had a history together, and like all great brotherhood bonds, their relationship began with a humble intend–a military cooperation between two countries of different mentality and ways of approach. Little did they know that one day, they would be fighting against each other, in a brutal fashion.
It all began seven years ago, when Si Jin was still a newly-assigned First Lieutenant of Alpha Team. A young and aspiring officer but no real combat experience, this tour to China was his very first on the field. Obviously, Si Jin was totally excited about it, and also nervous at the same time. The excitement came from the fact that he was about to give his training to the test, while the nervousness which outweighed the excitement was due to the fact that he might possibly lose his life in this mission. At that time, the late Captain Kim Jin Seok was the leader of the team, while Dae Young was Si Jin's sidekick. Si Jin's witty character and outgoing personality eventually helped to form close ties between the ranks of the team to a point where they were all like brothers to each other, sharing a bond so strong that they were a family.
Alpha Team's mission back then, was to collaborate with a Chinese PLASOF team to hunt down two North Korean nationals; both of whom possessed a secret file regarding South Korea's defence blueprint on tackling North Korea in an event a second Korea War erupts. One might think at first the real reason why the Chinese were involved, since this happened to the South Koreans and not the Chinese, but the two North Koreans, who were in fact spies disguised as South Korean military attaché in the embassy in China, also possessed something sensitive that raised warning flags among the members of China's defence ministry and also the Premier himself- China's nuclear weapons technology. Although a lifeline for North Korea's survival, the Chinese Government took this matter as an act of betrayal from a stubborn neighbour. For the first time in the two country's complex relationship, the North Koreans decided to trample China with its puny efforts, and that displeased the Premier greatly.
Since South Korea and China were apparently on the same page on finding that two men, a joint effort was formed. Both sides knew, that if the secret fall into North Korean hands, it would be most likely, and ever will be, that North Korea would try to use this secrets to build up its nuclear weapons programme–as a deterrence to South Korea's counteroffensive plan, and also to remind China that they too were a force to reckon with. This matter would further complicate the conflict between the two Korean neighbours to a brink of war, which would also draw the United States into the conflict as well. The American involvement in the region would attract China and Russia into the fray, and this never-ending cycle of political and military conflict could most definitely destabilise the entire East Asian sector, hurting the economy to the core. This destructive consequences was something the Chinese and the South Koreans never wanted.
Joining with Alpha Team in this mission was the Phoenix Team of the People's Liberation Army Special Operations Force, said to be the most professional team in the force, and also the most brutal. The training the Chinese underwent was way much harsher than that of the Koreans, and also equally brutal. Comparatively, despite the lack of international experience, the Phoenix Team was at some points better than Alpha Team in terms of discipline and doctrine. When the two teams met for the first time at a camp outside the city of Shenyang, there was a great sense of dread. The Chinese, albeit good hospitality, showed no great interest of their presence.
This was the moment, when the teams shook hands, where Si Jin and Dae Young first met Sun Yang, then Captain of Phoenix Team.
Despite being known amongst the Chinese as the Sneaking Foxes, where their espionage skills were second to none, it was Captain Sun Yang who showed Si Jin and Dae Young that this was all the exterior parts. In fact, the Chinese team was actually more friendly when they were in a relaxed state. The Hong brothers, both of whom were under Sun Yang's service back then, provided much life with their nonsensical jokes. The Phoenix Team's multilingual team made it easier for Alpha Team to communicate in a friendly manner, although for most parts, they only shared what they think was safe to be told.
A joint practice raid at a Kill House was where the friendship between Si Jin, Dae Young and Sun Yang, flourished. During the exercise in a makeshift warehouse, Alpha Team was suddenly caught in an ambush, and was unable to break free. As an allied coalition force, Phoenix Team was obliged to save Alpha Team, but by doing so, they would let the target terrorist leader escape. Sun Yang, who back then was a person who valued brotherhood greatly, decided to save Alpha Team despite the objections of his team members. Even the Hong brothers decided against this. However, Sun Yang was absolutely adamant with his decision
While Phoenix Team raced to the rescue from the other end of the warehouse, Si Jin and Dae Young were assigned by Captain Kim to make a desperate attempt to distract the opponents. During the attempt, the two of them succeeded, but in the process, the two of them unwillingly caught themselves in a hopeless situation. Trapped between the confusing lanes in a cargo bay filled with stacks of boxes twice their heights, the fighting went into a close-quarter battle, where guns no longer played a vital role in this exercise, except the bodies of the soldiers and their combat knives. It was up-close-and-personal battle, where only the strongest will win.
Opponents attacked Si Jin and Dae Young from all sides–from the left, to the right, to the front and back, from the top of the boxes, and small spaces between boxes. The opponents even sprung into action by crashing into boxes to the duo, using the wooden crates as tools to split the two or to mortally wound them. However, no matter how much they tried, they couldn't dislodge the two Korean soldiers. Si Jin and Dae Young stuck together back-to-back against a series of enemy waves, sweat pouring down their faces.
Si Jin's training was put to the ultimate test that day, and this was his first close-quarter battle. It amazed Dae Young though that an officer like him was still able to hold on his own despite being younger than him and also lacked in experience. However, being stuck in a slightly spacious corner surrounded by opponents, the two had to fight as one. It was either they die, or the opponents die.
The two fought a desperate battle, but fatigue soon set in. The opponents were way too much for them to handle. A kick from the opponent on Si Jin's left arm dislodged Si Jin from his defensive posture and thus separating him from Dae Young. Separated and lying on the ground, the attacker went straight for the kill before Si Jin's tired body could respond any further.
Sun Yang arrived just in time to strike that attacker before the attacker could make Si Jin 'dead', his swift hands quickly did the work. Sun Yang's team arrived to back the Koreans up, and suddenly, the tides changed to their favour. Sun Yang successfully helped Dae Young and Si Jin to escape in the end, but in the end of the day, their mission was a total failure.
Although thus was just a training exercise, the failed mission otherwise showed something positive to both parties–that mutual cooperation was indeed possible once personal doubts were removed and lingering political hysteria was extinguished. Sun Yang's actions showed Si Jin and the rest of Alpha Team that Phoenix Team was not just a team made of ideologically-motivated robots, but also core human values. The failure was compensated by the close brotherhood relationship formed between the two teams. Si Jin and Dae Young in particular, had Sun Yang to thank for.
A day's break allowed both sides to enjoy a rare moment if rest, after three endless weeks of finding the two North Korean spies. The spies were seen heading towards the border using a stolen van that was later ditched when it ran out of fuel, and the spies made a very crucial mistake for leaving behind a map with their next location circled with red ink shown clearly on it. With the lead finally on their grasp, the teams were able to find and predict their movements. For those men, it was a moment worth celebrating for, for they were already closer in reaching their goal. Three weeks of hard work eventually paid off.
Sun Yang decided to bring his new friends Si Jin and Dae Young to visit his family back in Shenyang. He brought them to a nice apartment where he and his family resided, and was then introduced them to his ever lovely wife who was a teacher in high school, and his greatest prize–his daughter. According to his wife, Sun Yang rarely brought his friends home. Si Jin and Dae Young were the first Koreans friends to ever step into the house. They enjoyed a wonderful lunch together, all cooked and prepared with love and kindness by his wife.
That's where Si Jin and Dae Young truly learned about Sun Yang's soft side–a responsible husband and a wonderful father, unlike his commanding demeanour when on duty.
*****
"So...you two....were really close?" Mo Yeon asked, eyes focused on Si Jin's expression.
"Ne, we were back then." Si Jin replied. "We saw how good that man was–a person who's patriotic and caring towards his family." He exhaled heavily. "Who would expect a man like him to turn this way?"
Si Jin got up and poured himself a glass of water. He longed for it on his way back from the meeting with the three men, but had to delay it when he heard what happened to Mo Yeon. Thirst went back to him when he talked about the past. He poured another glass for Mo Yeon, passing it to her.
"He's not a bad person, you mean?" Mo Yeon accepted the glass and drank in sips. What he told her earlier didn't answer her questions on how Sun Yang turned evil though, but she knew that they were getting close to the topic. Then, she remembered something Sun Yang said that day at the City Hall.
He screamed 'My daughter! No!', she remembered vividly.
"So, that's what he meant that day...." She trailed off, eyes turning to the side, hands on the glass. She closed her eyes before letting out a seemingly dejected sigh. "I knew that this was not so simple. Sun Yang indeed had a family."
Si Jin was curious about what she was talking about. "He told you that?" Si Jin suddenly found himself tensing slightly, probably feeling insecure about all the rubbish Sun Yang was capable of telling to an innocent woman like her. Sun Yang not only had a gift of manipulating people's minds to his advantage, he too had a very good tongue. As far as he knew, Sun Yang told him once that he was a debater back in high school, so much so that even his teachers told him not to join anymore debating competitions because his skills were so good that he won nearly all of the events he participated in. In fact, Sun Yang had a very sharp tongue. His insults could even hurt the strongest person when he was angry.
People say that the pen is mightier than the sword. For Sun Yang's case, it's the mouth that is mightier than the gun.
That's exactly what Si Jin feared. Sun Yang could say anything bad about him to her, and in the process, influence her into thinking that her boyfriend was indeed a two-faced person. If he could easily manipulate the toughest criminals to work for him, then influencing Mo Yeon was just a piece of cake.
"He didn't tell me. He was....in a state of trance, I would say..."
"Trance?" Si Jin couldn't believe his ears. Sun Yang? Trance?
Mo Yeon nodded her head. She took another sip from her glass as Si Jin sat beside her on the bed. He had already finished drinking his water. "That day, he nearly strangled me to death.." Mo Yeon tried to recall.
Si Jin's fury boiled slowly but in a steady rate when he heard what Sun Yang did to her back there.
"...but at the last moment, he suddenly released me."
Si Jin felt relieved all of the sudden.
"He had this strange expression on his face. I don't know how to explain it, but his eyes, they were not there. It was like, he was lost." Mo Yeon recalled. Si Jin noticed her hands were starting to tremble. Her expression tensed as she tried to retell everything from the start. He could tell that the trauma from that incident was beginning to set in. It's just that she didn't know about it yet. He let her continue though, careful enough to monitor her changes. "He started wandering around, muttering this and that, his daughter, begging at someone to let him go."
Mo Yeon remembered every second vivdly, but the more she recalled, the more tense she became. Little did she realise that she was traumatising herself through that means, and when it finally came to the part where Sun Yang stabbed her, Mo Yeon flinched, teeth gritting and brows knitted to a scowl as she closed her eyes. Her breathing became heavy as her fists clenched. The pain from that stab, she could still feel that moment so clearly–the total emptiness she was feeling, the pain, everything.
Si Jin held her steady. "Don't force yourself. You don't have to tell me everything."
You don't have to tell me everything.
Somehow, those words rang alarm bells in her head as she tried to straighten her mind from the traumatic reminiscence.
And then she remembered.....the two separate events where she was face-to-face with Sun Yang.
"I already am a monster...Mo Yeon, thanks to your namchin."
She recalled their first encounter at the borderfront before Si Jin arrived to the rescue.
"...your boyfriend....is not so good after all."
Her mind traced next to the incident at the cafe in the city, her second unexpected encounter with Sun Yang.
"Si Jin doesn't tell you a lot of things! He never will, because he is a coward! He's a pathetic weakling holding a gun! He claimed he was defending his country, a patriot, but in fact, he cowers behind while he let his dogs to the job! Do you think that he is a good man, Kang-sonsaeng? If you still think that he still is, then think again!"
Her mind recalled once again the words Sun Yang said at the City Hall.
"Looks like Si Jin has influenced you a lot, I see."
"You know nothing." She remembered challenging him.
"I know nothing?" Sun Yang scoffed. "Yah, Kang Mo Yeon-sshi, I think you've got it all wrong. I DO know a lot about everything. In fact, WAY more than you do."
And then came the moment where he strangled her.
"I'm letting you know fear! Si Jin might have thought you a thing or two, but I'm sure he never told you how a man like me works! You are really a fool to believe that Si Jin is a good man! Let me tell you again–Si Jin's not a good man!"
Mo Yeon felt a little bit dizzy all of the sudden, probably from all the stress of remembering. However, her heart was uncertain. As Si Jin tried to let her rest on her bed, Mo Yeon opened her eyes and held his left wrist with her right hand. She gave her a worried look. "I can't stop thinking, Si Jin, about why Sun Yang said that you are a bad man." She turned her body to face him, placing his hands which were on her shoulders earlier on her lap. "I wish that you can tell me.....what happened between the two of you. Why am I the victim of your doing? What did you do, until this good man you said he was become this way?" She asked. "Can you please be honest with me?"
Si Jin went silent for a moment, wondering whether this should be done. He knew that the moment of truth was here. Still, he couldn't imagine the damage it could cause to Mo Yeon's spirit.
Now or never. Can hide no more. She deserves to know....
Si Jin's mind returned to the day where they eventually found the two North Korean spies.
*****
Yalu River
China-North Korea Border
The chase for the two spies eventually brought the teams to the China-North Korea border, the last escape window for the spies. Once the spies got through the gates back to their own country, China's secrets would be out, and South Korea would be vulnerable. The time was now to get hold of this two men and silence them for good.
The problem was, these spies didn't come alone in the first place. Apparently, the spies had brought along a group of well-armed North Korean Special Operations Force operatives. The group played no part in the espionage, only to secure the escape route along the border. By the time the joint team knew about the existence of this North Korean force, there's nothing much they could do. The focus at that moment was to get the spies. The rest -were expendable. This would be the first battle involving three special forces units from three different countries, and the fate of the entire Korean Peninsula was at stake.
The gathering of the spies with the operatives took place in an old wheat factory that was already in a derelict state. The joint team had already arrived there earlier. Now, all it took to kick-start this operation was just the presence of these spies, and some calculated timing. They didn't have to wait long for the spies to appear.
The mission was clear - kill all of them and leave nothing behind. Normally, the Chinese would just take hold of them and then pursue for mutual agreements through peaceful negotiations, but this time however, the Chinese would not play the nice guy anymore. The nuclear secrets were too great to fall into North Korean hands. They would no longer compromise for such actions.
The spies met with their extraction force just as planned. It was time to act.
Smoke grenades were thrown into the building complex, surprising the North Koreans into disarray for a moment. As the complex began to fill with suffocating puffs of smoke, the joint team raided the building from two directions to block off any possible chance of escape. However, the joint team was about to learn, that to eliminate the enemy, they would have to fight till they die. The North Koreans recovered quickly, and as the smoke cleared, a vicious gunbattle erupted.
The debris and rubble and large empty tanks provided perfect cover for both parties, utilising them to the maximum. For a moment, it seemed that the battle was going to a stalemate, since not even one was wounded or killed after some time. They were stuck to their positions, unable to move a few feet further from their cover since all shots were concentrated on the covers rather than the men itself. One small mistake could mortally wound a soldier, or worst, kill him on the spot. This situation was advantageous for the North Korean party though, for the stalemate allowed them to find some time to device a plan of escape. Finally, when the time was ripe, the North Koreans quickly engaged their plan.
The North Koreans headed to the direction where Alpha Team was covering. This was supposed to be a good thing for Alpha Team, but the problem was that the North Koreans had formed a tight security ring around the spies, and all fire were soon directed to Alpha Team. The heavy shower of bullets was enough to make Alpha Team lower their heads long for the North Koreans to escape.
Si Jin saw a moment of opportunity to ambush the opponents before they could escape, and without much thought, he sprung into action. This surprised Captain Kim who tried frantically to call him back but to no avail. The rest of the team tried to follow Si Jin, but the heavy gunfire from the enemy only allowed one person to get to Si Jin. The person was none other than Dae Young. At that moment, everyone in the team, including Dae Young, thought that Si Jin had gone completely crazy. Him going against a group of well-trained North Korean men was suicidal.
However, they didn't know that Si Jin already had a plan in mind - a daring plan indeed. Si Jin rushed silently ahead of the opponent through the flanks, and when he was absolutely certain that he was well ahead of them, Si Jin took out two flashbang canisters, pulled out the pins using his teeth, and then threw them over the wall beside him and over to the incoming North Korean party. In sync with the blast of the flashbangs which immediately sent the opponents to a daze, Si Jin jumped over the wall, rolled twice on the floor, drew his sidearm, and with quick succession, took out a number of the dazed North Korean operatives. He managed to get one of the spies, but it took way too long for him to deal with the rest of the opponents alone, and that gave enough time for the remaining spy to regain his senses and moved away from the scene. Si Jin's actions allowed the joint team to catch up and eliminate the rest of the North Koreans, but one North Korean soldier managed to escape.
Si Jin saw the spy running away, while Dae Young caught a glimpse of the last North Korean soldier attempting to cover the spy's retreat. The two men gave chase to their respective targets, wasting no time as the rest of the team struggled to catch up with the two men's quick pace.
Si Jin caught up with the spy, grabbing the spy's shoulder. Instinctively, the spy fought back. The man threw punches towards Si Jin, but he managed to evade those punches. Si Jin discovered a weakness in the spy's stance,and seeked to take advantage of it. However, before he could do so, the spy pummeled Si Jin towards the direction of a large hole, covered only by a thin film of blue canvas. The canvas broke when they fell onto it, causing them to fall into the hole below.
The last North Korean soldier, who was in fact then Lieutenant Ahn Jung Joon, saw what happened when he arrived at the scene, and without second thoughts and also bound by his mission to protect the spy at all costs, Ahn Jung Joon jumped into the hole, disregarding how deep it was. He was extremely lucky though, that the hole wasn't so deep, but from that height, a person's bones could break.
In the dusty, dimly-lit hole that was apparently a part of an old tunnel, Ahn Jung Joon looked around him frantically to search for his target. Despite feeling a great deal of pain on his knees and also his bloodied left hand, Ahn Jung Joon never felt uneasy. This will was immediately broken, when he turned to his right and saw Si Jin kneeling on the rubble with great pain, and in front of Si Jin, was the body of his target, chest pierced by a long steel pipe.
It was obvious that the spy was dead. There's no way a man could survive a lethal pierce in the heart. Ahn Jung Joon's mission had failed.
The sight of his dead target angered Ahn Jung Joon to the core. He took out his combat knife, and charged at the seemingly dazed Si Jin despite his bad state. Halfway through, while Si Jin, who sustained some injuries from the fall and was bleeding in the head, tried to regain his composure, someone grabbed Ahn Jung Joon from the back through his neck, and then threw him to the ground. Ahn Jung Joon suffocated under the strong hold on the neck by the Korean soldier's muscular right hand which belonged to no one else but Dae Young. Dae Young rappelled down to the hole using a thick rope, and managed to get hold of the North Korean before he could do much damage.
The mission, overall, was a complete success.
*****
Everything began right after that successful mission. The secret was saved, the spies were all gone, and they got a prisoner. Three weeks later, Lieutenant Ahn Jung Joon of the Korea People's Army Special Operations Force, was returned to the North in exchange for a South Korean spy caught for the same reason and who was already nearing death row during that period of time, at Panmunjom. Peace returned to the peninsula for a time being. Alpha Team returned back home right after the end of the joint collaboration, and after a final friendly hug exchanged between Si Jin, Sun Yang and Dae Young, they parted ways.
This was the last time Si Jin saw Sun Yang until two years later.
However, during that two-year period, Sun Yang slowly changed.
Two months after the last collaboration, Sun Yang and his six-men Phoenix Team was involved in a mission to eliminate a dangerous terrorist cell operating near the China-North Korea border. The terrorist cell had been supplying North Korea with weapons, aide and information–and some of them were ex-military. For six years, the government had tried to eliminate this terrorist cell, but their elusiveness was what's preventing a successful removal. The terrorist cell's intentions were basically political - to create a radical Manchurian state free from Communist control. Since its foundation, the cell had been growing in terms of supporters and support, especially from North Korea who preferred to have a more liasable state to ally with rather than the reserved People's Republic of China.
Three Chinese teams, Phoenix Team included, were assigned to destroy the cell for good before it could spread its wings further. The mission brought them to the outskirts of the city of Harbin, where an old factory district was used as the terrorist's base of operations.
However, during that process of 'cleansing', under the heavy hail of bullets directed against each other, Sun Yang saw something he never thought should be there.
A large group of children locked in a large room - probably kidnapped and then sold to the black market as slaves.
That's when he realised, that this cell was more than just a terrorist group, it was a human trafficking cartel.
There was a mistake. Intelligence never told them that.
And now, they were about to fry the entire complex down along with those kids like eggs on the frying pan.
Sun Yang frantically called for the abandonment of a proposed airstrike - which was supposed to be relayed if the situation was not to their favour. At that moment, the Chinese were fighting a battle that was never supposed to be disadvantageous. It became clear to Sun Yang, that the terrorist group was larger than anticipated, and that intelligence had failed to recognise the opponent's links to human trafficking. What's worst was that the infrared beacon had been placed, and the jets were coming. Sun Yang desperately tried to call off the airstrike, removing the beacon too. During that chaotic and confusing scenario, he too called for his forces to retreat. However, it was too late. The command had already had the place locked on, and an aircraft had launched a missile.
In the end, Sun Yang managed to get his forces out, but in the process, those innocent children he failed to save, perished in a massive inferno along with the terrorist group.
Sun Yang and his team was credited for the 'successful' removal of the 'national threat', but the images of the massive inferno, and the sounds of the children's scream in his head, continued to traumatise him. He fell into depression. It was at that moment where he too lost his faith in the doctrine and the policy he had been abiding like a robot for all of his years in the military. He began to show what the military considered as an 'abnormal change in behaviour', murmuring to himself when he was alone, and became frequent in missing out vital military briefings. There was also growing tensions amongst his men. Sun Yang became a hot-headed person, venting his frustration for no apparent reason, and would also torture new recruits if they didn't meet his demands. The command ordered him to undergo psychological evaluation, but even that failed to cure his worsening mental state.
His family became increasingly concerned for him. The problem was that when he was nt on duty, he became a good father and a great husband, when he was on duty, he became a monster, pissing off his commanders for his frustrating demeanour. In the end, the disgraced Captain was removed from the force, thus ending his career in a bad way.
When Si Jin decided to pay him a visit one day, Si Jin was deeply shocked by his sudden change. Sun Yang became a drunkard, living a messed up life. Si Jin, who was told about his condition and what made him that way by Hong Guan, tried to bring Sun Yang back to life, but the trauma was too much for Sun Yang to simply let go just like that. Si Jin failed to convince him, despite putting in tons of effort.
Sun Yang became involved in the dark side when he was beaten up brutally by a gang of loan sharks for not being able to return the money he borrowed from them. The anger in him, and all that guilt he had been keeping in his heart, was finally vented out when he retaliated, beating the loan sharks with his military skills. Eventually, the boss of the loan shark group, who was in fact very far-sighted, saw potential in Sun Yang, and decided to recruit him. Sun Yang fell under the manipulative spell of the boss, and he became a part of the dark gang, bashing innocent people for not being able to return their money. His skills earned the respect of the boss, and Sun Yang rapidly rose in rank. When a police raid in the boss's compound ended with the boss getting killed, Sun Yang, who had popular support by the majority of the members, eventually led the gang.
That was when Sun Yang became increasingly ambitious, seeking to expand the group into something more - effective. He became involved in weapons smuggling operations, and also got involved in drug-related activities. The once small group of loan sharks grew into a large underground network, its wings spreading all across the country. He also developed links with the Russian mafia and the North Korean black market schemers, and established secret links with politicians inside the Communist Party sphere as well. With that powerful link in his hands, he became the most powerful underground lord in China, so much so that he was able to influence political changes in his own secret ways. During that time of greatness, he expanded his business to the rest of the world, establishing international underground links with the Mexican cartel, the FARC guerillas in Colombia, Taliban forces in Afghanistan, Islamic separatists in Africa and the Middle East, and he even had interpersonal links with a French Mayor, who was corrupted to the core.
His rapid rise to the peak of deviltry did not go unnoticed though. The Chinese Government began to focus its sights in tackling Sun Yang's underground network, which by then had already infested the country like a plague. The Ministry of State Security began its efforts to bring Sun Yang down, sending in spies that silently sneaked in among Sun Yang's ranks. However, Sun Yang was always, and somehow, able to sniff those spies out, and those few, met a terrible fate.
Stories about his elusiveness reached Si Jin and Dae Young's ears, and that surprised Si Jin to the core. Never in his mind had he thought that one day, Sun Yang would become this way. What's worse was that Sun Yang's evil wings had already touched Korean soil, following the takedown of a human trafficking ring somewhere in Incheon whose links were tied to Sun Yang's underground network by the police.
That was when Si Jin realised–that they were about to meet again one day–as enemies.
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End of Chapter Eight
Next Chapter: The reason why they became enemies.
Happy reading!
Romanised Korean Words & Expressions
Gwaenchana: Are you okay
Sunbae: Senior
Mianhae: I'm sorry
Namchin: Boyfriend
Sonsaeng: Mr/ Mrs/ Miss
Yah: Hey