Chapter 72
“Moon-soo?”
Park Han-hee called out to me, sensing something off in the conversation.
“I'll explain later.”
“Okay...”
Nam Hae-su seemed unsatisfied with my introduction.
“A shaman? Did you see the future or something?”
“Do you have a conscience? You think that's the future that's coming?”
“Kuh...”
There was no chance of Nam Hae-su marrying Park Han-hee now. Shockingly, he was already married—jealous of me dating her, no less. He had plenty of dangerous flings with female singers and actresses too.
Impossible.
Park Han-hee, who liked me, would never bear his child. He knew that deep down. The same future wouldn't happen.
“Mr. Nam Hae-su? Please leave. We have to fly out tomorrow for the Olympics.”
“...My apologies.”
With so many eyes around, we couldn't keep talking here. Nam Hae-su backed off without a fuss.
“...Moon-soo.”
The moment he was gone, Park Han-hee pressed for an explanation.
“No one knows my past. I got a new resident registration because of amnesia. I don't even know who I am.”
“I already heard about that.”
Once I got famous, all my personal info got dug up. Nothing came of it—no dirt at all—but the lack of a past sparked alien theories. Rumors still floated around.
“The second I saw that guy, some memories came back.”
“Ah!”
“They're still fuzzy, so I can't explain in detail, but he's definitely a very evil man.”
“I think I get that without the explanation.”
“Yeah, probably.”
Taking someone else's happiness and life can never be justified.
“Moon-soo. Tell me if more memories come back.”
“Sure.”
Like I'd felt before, amnesia was the perfect excuse to ignore all cause and effect.
* * *
The Korean national team got a hero's sendoff at the airport.
“Kang Moon-soo! Kang Moon-soo! Kang Moon-soo...!”
“Long live Korea!”
“Fight on! Kang Moon-soo~!”
“Moon-soo oppa! I love you!”
My popularity was on another level. Maybe the government and civic groups were extra careful after that recent scandal? Even without a single Olympic gold yet, I was treated like a national hero.
“The athletes are insanely popular.”
“I'm shocked too.”
“If Han-hee doesn't step it up, he'll get stolen away.”
The swimming coach, sitting next to me, said it loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Unnie...!”
Park Han-hee, on my other side, reacted instantly.
“Oh dear! Feeling insecure?”
“N-no. I trust Moon-soo!”
“That's code for no confidence.”
“Ugh...”
“Never thought I'd see my little sister clinging to a guy like this. What'd you used to say? Men are...”
“Please! Shut up!”
“Introduce her to a nice guy, and maybe I'll consider it.”
“You'd just reject him anyway.”
“They just weren't my type...!”
“You always got dumped first.”
“No!”
“Yes you did!”
The sisters bickered with me stuck in the middle.
“Shh! Quiet.”
“......”
“......”
They finally noticed the stares from the other passengers, athletes, and coaches at my word.
“S-sorry.”
“We're really sorry.”
After bowing repeatedly and apologizing, they settled down. I should've felt more at ease sandwiched between them, but...
Is this plane... okay?
In the romance fantasy novel I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count, seasickness on a ship wasn't scary—I could swim. But now? If the plane exploded or crashed mid-air, I'd be dead before I could react.
“Moon-soo.”
“...Yeah?”
“First time flying? You seem tense. Oh! Amnesia, right—you wouldn't remember.”
“No. Second time.”
I quickly denied her careful question, not wanting to seem dismissive.
Once on a family trip. That's when I first realized how insignificant I was in this world.
Really realized it.
I knew things looked small from high buildings. But seeing the 'high building' I lived in shrink smaller than a fingernail? Sky above sky. Fliers above runners. Galaxy above solar system. It crushed my sky-high ego, turning me into humble dust.
“When was the first?”
“Don't remember.”
I was tense because this old-era plane lacked modern tech. Rumble rumble—The vibrations and noise were absent in modern ones, so I couldn't relax.
“I'm a little surprised.”
“At what?”
“The Moon-soo I know is always calm. With fans swarming, gangsters attacking, cops aiming guns...”
“Disappointed?”
“No. I thought, 'He's just like me.' You always felt a bit distant.”
Swoosh—She leaned her head gently on my shoulder as she said it.
She hadn't made the national team due to skill, but tagged along as a special relation.
“...Better now?”
“Uh... no.”
Thump thump. My heart raced from tension of a different kind.
I get Nam Hae-su a bit now.
He'd started a new life, married a young aspiring actress fresh out of school, but wasn't satisfied. Why assume that? Because I was doing the same.
Song Seon-yeong. Valentine. Every time I unconsciously compared my 'ex-girlfriends,' I wanted to bang my head.
“Hang in there.”
“I will.”
Nam Hae-su was probably a mess right now.
* * *
“How dare you use my daughter's name...!”
He hadn't panicked this much even when his assassination attempt on Kang Moon-soo—the man who'd touched his ex-wife Park Han-hee—backfired.
His legs shook, mirroring his unease.
“Chairman. The target just departed.”
“...Preparations?”
“All set, sir. They won't interfere with your grand vision for Korea's future.”
“Good.”
For Korea's future. Back in his youth, ignoring the nation's crisis for Olympic golds, Nam Hae-su had returned with one goal: stop the coming national disaster.
“Don't blame yourself.”
“......”
“To fix this corrupt country, we need heroes like you. That's why everyone volunteered for prison.”
“...Right.”
His secretary completely misunderstood his grim expression. Nam Hae-su didn't correct him.
I'm not wrong.
Knowing his beloved country's future, he'd done so much. Invested in defense industries, disguised suicides for politicians who'd ruin the nation... He'd fought the lonely battle in silence.
Of course,
“Only Chairman Nam Hae-su can save our crumbling homeland.”
“Indeed.”
Now, countless supporters stood by him. Abilities varied, but their love for Korea matched anyone's.
“Just give us orders, Chairman.”
“Hm...”
“Still bothered by something?”
“Kang Moon-soo.”
“Ah! This time we'll finally...”
“No. Capture him alive. I have questions.”
“Understood.”
“Alive, no matter what. No mistakes tolerated—relay that.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nam Hae-su waited anxiously for results.
* * *
It was too quiet.
“...What the?”
Shortly after in-flight meals, sleepiness hit hard. I dozed off without the eye mask and woke to dead silence in the cabin.
“......”
“......”
Everyone, including the sisters beside me, was in deep sleep, unmoving. No one heading to the bathroom, no one watching movies awake.
Is this how old planes are?
No way. I debated calling a flight attendant, but then—
Swoosh—I stood carefully so as not to wake Park Han-hee, her head on my shoulder.
“......”
“......”
I wasn't seeing things or overreacting. First class, business, economy—every passenger deep asleep, undetectable.
This wasn't normal.
New occult event?
I decided to find the missing flight attendants.
Step by step... Scanning sides, ready for ambush, I headed forward to the cockpit, first class, galley.
“This is...?”
Flight attendants huddled in a first-class corner. Men aiming guns at them...
Emergency, plain as day.
Does the captain know?
If the pilots were in on it, this was dire. No guarantee we'd reach the destination.
Or maybe they'd hijacked without thinking of landing. Destination probably changed already.
“You. Check it out.”
“No way anyone's awake already... Ah, got it.”
I overheard them.
“Someone might've skipped the meal.”
A middle-school-aged girl hid behind the attendants.
“B-boss... Isn't that dangerous?”
“Think the guns are toys?”
“Ah! Right, we have guns.”
“Go already.”
“Yes!”
“Wait! Leave the gun—tricky if taken. Hide the taser in your pocket.”
“Huh? Without a gun, I'll...”
“God, do I explain everything? Use the pocket taser.”
“Ah! That!”
“...Tase any awake passenger and drag 'em here.”
“Yes!”
Entrusting passenger watch to this dimwit? The 'boss' cursing her didn't look sharp either.
“Hurry back.”
“Don't stress.”
The others looked relieved it wasn't them.
Attendants subdued only because of guns. Pathetic.
Coming!
No time. My business seat was close.
They'd swarm if they noticed it empty.
Cameras too.
No avoiding surveillance everywhere. Thud. I muffled footsteps and sprinted to economy.
Time race now! Praying the dimwit checked galley, bathrooms, upper deck thoroughly,
“Excuse me.”
“......”
I hoisted a woman my age—athlete-like—over my shoulder, returned to business, sat her down.
Click! Seatbelt secure.
Wow, still out?
Not waking even carried? Meal drugs were potent.
“......”
“......”
“......”
Three women sleeping side by side. More natural than me between sisters.
Next.
I moved her to a back economy seat, then two more the same way!
Finally, lured the dimwit to the rear undetected.
“Hm... Back—mmph?!”
Hiding flat against a partition, I ambushed the careless guy.
Grab! Palm over his mouth to stifle screams, no time for his pocket taser—crack!
I twisted his head, snapping his neck.
“...Clean.”
Thud. Hid the body in the corner.
Time for survival game.
Zzzap! Gripping the stolen taser, I moved forward.