A Promise Kept
It took two weeks for the temporary identification card to be issued.
In hindsight, it was probably for the best.
It gave young Cheol-jun time to process his grief and put some distance between himself and that traumatic experience.
During those two weeks, Cheol-jun lived at the consulate.
The consulate staff were incredibly kind to him.
They all knew his story.
But even without that sympathy, he was simply an endearing child.
He had an innocent face and round, wide eyes, yet his behavior possessed a maturity far beyond his years.
Though his frame was small—looking even younger than his eleven years—his poised demeanor made him seem remarkably grown-up.
Occasionally, a shadow of sorrow from his painful memories would cross his face, but he managed to pull himself together remarkably well.
In truth, he was an exceptionally rare case.
A child raised by a black ops agent specializing in combat.
He must have moved constantly, always exposed to danger, and likely never received a proper education.
He wouldn't have been able to form normal relationships with others, forced to spend most of his life in hiding.
Naturally, they had assumed his social skills would be severely stunted.
But the boy defied all expectations.
He got along wonderfully not only with the adults but also with the children of the consulate staff.
He loved books so much that he read almost every general interest book in the consulate library during his two-week stay.
Whether he fully understood them was anyone's guess, but his reading speed was astonishingly fast.
Though two weeks was a short time, Cheol-jun had wormed his way into everyone's hearts, becoming a truly beloved figure.
On the morning of the day Cheol-jun was finally scheduled to leave for South Korea,
the consulate staff couldn't hide their sadness, their eyes welling with tears as they prepared to say goodbye.
Jang Su-hyun gently patted Cheol-jun's head as the boy quietly stared at his temporary passport.
Cheol-jun looked up at Su-hyun with a bright, innocent smile.
"How are you feeling?"
"Good."
"Are you scared?"
"Nope!"
Cheol-jun meant it.
Every South Korean he had met so far had been incredibly kind.
"Still... you shouldn't trust people too easily. There are a lot of bad people out there."
"Yes, I know."
It was a lesson his father had constantly drilled into him.
That was why Cheol-jun had remained cautious, even at the consulate.
He pretended not to know things he did, acted exactly how the adults expected him to, and matched his conversation to the level of the other children.
He had made a conscious effort not to stand out or seem too special.
Su-hyun looked up at the departure board and stood up from his seat.
"Alright, it's time for our flight. Let's head in."
"Okay!"
"This is your first time on a plane, right?"
"Yes! I'm actually a little nervous about this part."
"Haha."
· · ·
The flight from Shenyang to Incheon International Airport wasn't very long.
For the entire hour and a half, Cheol-jun stared out the window with wide, round eyes.
Soaring high above the clouds, it still didn't feel real.
Because the clouds were so thick that he couldn't see the ground below, it felt as though he were drifting through a dream.
Whenever the deep blue sea peeked through the gaps in the clouds, he strained his eyes, focusing harder.
He wanted to convince himself, even if just a little, that this was reality.
Su-hyun watched the back of Cheol-jun's adorable head before speaking up.
"Aren't you going to sleep? You barely slept last night. You should try to get some rest."
Cheol-jun simply offered a bright smile.
He couldn't bring himself to sleep.
He was terrified that if he closed his eyes, he might wake up from this beautiful dream.
Suddenly, Cheol-jun's eyes widened even further.
After flying over the endless ocean, the clouds parted, and land began to appear in the distance.
Moments later, an announcement chimed through the cabin.
The flight attendants were instructing passengers to prepare for landing.
Cheol-jun quickly adjusted his seatbelt and swallowed hard.
The land drew closer and closer.
This was South Korea—the place he had yearned for so deeply.
Be happy...
Pressing his forehead and nose against the window, his small lips parted in a silent whisper.
In front of the Incheon Airport arrivals terminal.
"Hey! I'm leaving in a second! I'm just picking someone up!"
"Sir! This is the limousine bus lane. The cameras will catch you instantly! Valet parking is much cheaper than a ticket!"
"Ugh, damn it..."
"Come on, you're driving such a nice car. What's a small valet fee to you...?"
Oh Hyeong-man gritted his teeth and handed his car keys along with a twenty-thousand-won bill to the persistent valet attendant.
"Aigo, thank you, sir! Just give us a call thirty minutes before you need it, and we'll have it ready for you!"
"Hey, I just bought this car, so drive it gently... Sigh, look at the time..."
Hyeong-man quickly hurried toward the airport lobby.
He checked the arrival board.
"Let's see... the flight from Shenyang... Whew, it's delayed."
Scratching his head, he furrowed his brow.
To think Jaegang is dead...
Did he know this would happen?
A few months ago, the guy, who hadn't called in ages, suddenly rang him up out of the blue with a request.
He asked Hyeong-man to take care of his son if anything ever happened to him.
The only reason Hyeong-man had rushed to Incheon Airport today was to honor that promise.
Sigh, a son he found late in life?
Did he fall for some woman in China?
Wait, if the kid is eleven now, that means Jaegang got into trouble about two years after he was deployed to China as a black agent?
Hyeong-man had been in China back then too. When on earth did he find the time...?
Regardless, to Hyeong-man, Jaegang was like a real brother.
No, he was more than a brother.
He was the savior who had pulled Hyeong-man's life from the brink of death multiple times.
That was why he could never ignore this request.
If the boy was Jaegang's son, he was as good as Hyeong-man's own.
Ah, wait. It's arrived.
Hyeong-man quickly made his way toward the arrival gate.
The automatic doors slid open, and passengers began pouring out.
In the distance, he spotted a man who looked like a consulate official—likely an NIS agent.
He could tell at a single glance.
They had that distinct, slightly arrogant air typical of white agents.
As Hyeong-man's gaze shifted slightly, he saw a child walking beside the agent, holding his hand tightly.
With round eyes and a slender face, he was a remarkably handsome boy.
Huh? He doesn't look a single bit like that gorilla of a man.
Hyeong-man raised an eyebrow and walked forward.
· · ·
"In the end, we couldn't secure the body. The Chinese public security didn't give us any opening..."
At Jang Su-hyun's words, Hyeong-man scowled.
Though Su-hyun was officially a consulate employee, he was actually an active NIS agent.
In other words, he was Hyeong-man's junior by a long shot.
"Well, nothing we can do about that."
Hyeong-man looked over at the boy sitting a short distance away.
The boy was blinking his round eyes, curiously looking around his new surroundings.
"So, how's the kid's personality?"
"He's great. Kind, polite, and incredibly smart. For a child who just went through such a massive trauma, his recovery has been remarkably fast."
"Whew... Is this the end of the handover process?"
"Yes. I've done all the verification I could in China, and the preliminary investigation is complete. We'll coordinate any additional procedures later. On paper, we processed him as a repatriated stateless compatriot born abroad, so you can take him right away. Please get him a physical checkup first. Since he has absolutely no record of formal education, you should also schedule an academic assessment and a psychological evaluation."
Jang Su-hyun let out a quiet sigh.
Of all people, the guardian Jaegang had designated was this notorious, eccentric senior agent. He had retired three years ago after failing to secure a promotion to deputy director, yet he still frequented the NIS under the guise of an "overseas business consultant," acting as if he were still on active duty.
From what Su-hyun had gathered, the man was also divorced.
Su-hyun had only heard rumors about him; this was the first time they had met in person.
But his first impression was far from stellar.
A thick gold chain, a luxury watch, and a designer clutch bag.
He looked more like a mobster than a former agent...
"Since he's suffered a major shock, there are many areas that will require delicate care. Please, look after him well..."
"Hey, of course, of course! Can I take him now?"
"Yes. For now, you are just his guardian, so please verify your legal authority and cooperate fully with any inquiries from child welfare agencies..."
"Okay, okay!"
Su-hyun furrowed his brow and handed over the items in his hand.
"Here are his temporary ID and passport."
"Okay! Thank you!"
Hyeong-man snatched them up and turned toward the boy.
In the corner of the waiting room, the boy—far too small for an eleven-year-old—blinked his round eyes.
Hyeong-man grinned and waved his hand.
"Let's go, kiddo!"
Cheol-jun stared out the car window, his eyes wide with wonder.
The buildings were all so massive.
And there were far more cars than he had ever imagined.
All of them looked incredibly expensive, too.
When he lived with his father, they couldn't use the internet freely due to the risk of being tracked, so he had only occasionally watched videos. Seeing it in person was infinitely more spectacular.
There were so many people walking the streets, so many restaurants, so many traffic lights...
Shenyang was a major city too, but the atmosphere here was entirely different.
It felt much freer, more complex, and vastly more diverse.
Wow. There really are so many amazing things.
Even the car they were riding in was incredibly nice.
The roof was made of glass, and when he looked up, he could see the sky.
The man driving glanced at Cheol-jun and pressed a button.
With a soft hum, the sunroof slid open.
Cheol-jun's eyes grew even wider.
He said it would be the same...
But the color of the sky was completely different.
It seemed much bluer, much brighter.
—Let's make sure to look at it together. Though it's probably nothing special.
The memory of that voice suddenly made the blue sky blur and distort.
He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
I've finally arrived. In South Korea.
He already knew how he wanted to live his life.
I'm going to do everything I've ever wanted to do. I'm going to learn everything I've ever wanted to learn.
Because his parents and his father, Jaegang, had all wished for the exact same thing.
I will focus entirely on my own happiness.
Cheol-jun smiled brightly, staring up at the shimmering blue sky through his tear-filled eyes.
Freely...
· · ·
Hyeong-man drove in silence, occasionally wrinkling his nose.
He had always found it difficult to talk to kids, but the atmosphere in the car was proving to be exceptionally awkward.
So, after their initial greeting, he simply observed the boy in silence.
Observation was a deeply ingrained habit for him.
He was carefully analyzing every single one of the child's movements.
The boy was incredibly cautious and restrained.
Normally, an eleven-year-old in a strange environment with a stranger would be asking a million questions.
Even if he was naturally quiet and cautious, he should have at least shown some curiosity.
Yet this child asked nothing, seemingly trying to assess and judge everything solely through his own eyes.
He didn't even look scared.
He was just quietly staring out the window.
He was observing everything in a highly natural manner.
The unfamiliar situation, the strange adult, and the sights of this foreign country.
Hmm... Is the kid just precocious?
The look in his eyes was remarkably mature.
Hyeong-man hadn't spent much time observing modern kids lately, but even he could tell this much.
"Ahem."
The boy turned his head away from the window and blinked at Hyeong-man.
"So, uh... is it interesting?"
"Yes! Everything is amazing."
"Haha, I see. Where did you say you lived before?"
"Yanbian, Dalian, Dandong, and Shenyang."
"Ah, those are pretty big cities too, aren't they?"
"We mostly lived on the outskirts. If we went even slightly into the city center, we'd be exposed to Skynet's facial recognition system."
"Ah, right. Our Cheol-jun is a smart one."
Hyeong-man raised an eyebrow.
He knew about Skynet?
Seeing how naturally those words slipped out, the kid must have known exactly what his father did for a living.
"My dad told me."
"Hmm?"
"He said he saved your life three times."
"Ah..."
"He told me never to trust anyone easily, but that I could trust you unconditionally. He also said I could freeload off you as much as I wanted... wait, was the word 'leech off'? Anyway, he said I could act however I wanted without worrying about what you think."
Hyeong-man let out a chuckle and shook his head.
"Haha. Yeah, that's right. You can trust me."
Cheol-jun parted his lips.
"One hundred million."
"...Huh?"
Hyeong-man blinked at the sudden statement.
Cheol-jun stared back at Hyeong-man with a bright, innocent expression.
"He said he left it with you..."
Hyeong-man quickly nodded.
He recalled a business venture they had worked on together in the past.
They had pocketed a bit of a kickback back then and split it.
"Ah! Right, right. Yes. Jaegang did leave some money with me."
Cheol-jun smiled sweetly.
"It wasn't cash, it was one hundred million won worth of cryptocurrency. My dad said he told you never to cash it out."
Hyeong-man's eyes wavered.
That gorilla of a man... he told the kid even that?
Hyeong-man forced an awkward smile and nodded.
"Ah... right. Yes, he did."
"It's gone up tenfold by now, hasn't it?"
"...What?"
Hyeong-man blinked in sheer disbelief.
"I also know exactly what to do if you try to deny it."
"...Huh?"
"If I call a man named Kim Han-su at the NIS and tell him what happened during the operation to dismantle the illegal gambling dens in Yanbian..."
"Hey, come on! Who's denying anything? I've got it all ready for you! See?"
Cheol-jun smiled brightly.
"Yes, I knew you would."
"...Haha."
Hyeong-man laughed awkwardly.
This kid is definitely something else.