Two Suns Cannot Coexist
As the speedboat rapidly closed in, powerful waves slammed into the raft.
The Work Leader, paddling desperately with a half-broken plank, cowered in terror as the surging water bore down on him.
Meanwhile, Han Jaejeong and the others watching from the riverside stirred with unease at the speedboat's sudden appearance.
"That's...!"
Kang Youngman, scrutinizing the boat's silhouette, racked his memory. By then, Jaejeong had already pieced it together.
"It's our navy."
"But why's just one speedboat coming?"
At Youngman's question, Jaejeong glanced at Park Yi-hyun-seok.
But the doctor just stood there blankly, as puzzled as anyone.
What was strange was how the boat showed no sign of slowing even as it neared the shore.
Then, kicking up a massive spray, it charged straight onto the riverbank.
Everyone scattered backward like they were fleeing for their lives.
Once it came to a full stop, a man staggered to his feet aboard the speedboat.
But the moment Park Yi-hyun-seok caught sight of the man's face, his expression twisted like it was seizing up.
The soldiers spotted him next and snapped to salutes in a rush.
The weary-faced man who leaped down was the president—someone they'd all assumed long dead.
Jaejeong, who had noticed the doctor's drastic change in expression, was equally stunned by the president's arrival.
The soldiers' reactions made sense, but Jaejeong and Youngman had no clue how to respond.
This was a guy they'd only ever seen on TV.
A cheerful greeting felt out of place, and grilling him on where he'd been all this time seemed too forward without any prior connection.
It was an awkward spot, no doubt.
Whether he sensed the mood or not, the president stepped off the boat first and approached the group.
"Hello. I'm the president."
The greeting was so mundanely casual that it felt surreal, like they'd all seen a ghost.
What were they supposed to say?
He looked like the last person who belonged in this world.
Bloodstained or not, his suit was impeccably tailored, his hair neatly swept back, and he even wore polished shoes.
Park Yi-hyun-seok bolted toward the bunker without a word.
Youngman, who had been standing there stunned, rushed forward in an instant and extended his hand in a deep, respectful bow.
"Your Excellency. Kang Youngman here. Thank God you're alive."
Jaejeong watched, seeing Youngman bow so deferentially to an outsider for the first time.
But what shocked him more was the president's response.
"It's been a while, Team Leader Kang. Good to see you're still kicking."
"Aigoo, that's ancient history—over a decade ago."
"Time flies. We'll catch up later. First, help me recover the body from the speedboat."
"A body?"
Jaejeong couldn't help blurting it out.
"Ah, sorry. I'm from Gangnam Police Station..."
"No need for formalities. Could you lend a hand with the recovery? He gave his life protecting me."
"Got it. I'll take point."
As Jaejeong moved, Youngman fell in right behind him.
Aboard the speedboat, the two found a single body laid out neatly behind the helm.
The president arrived inside shortly after.
The three stood before the corpse in silence.
But Youngman's eyes widened in shock when he spotted the name tag on the uniform.
"Your Excellency, the fallen captain... is it Kang Jin-hyeok?"
"Yes. That's right."
"No way."
Youngman squeezed his eyes shut.
Jaejeong, overhearing, checked the name tag himself and paled in disbelief.
It was Captain Kang Jin-hyeok—the man who'd coordinated with them from the hospital, aiding their escape and even sending a helicopter.
They'd all been counting the days until they could meet him in person, but never like this, as a lifeless corpse.
Sensing the heavy mood, the president asked,
"You knew him?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Youngman gave a brief rundown of the connection forged with Captain Kang during the safe zone approach.
"Stretcher's ready."
A voice called from outside the boat.
As soldiers entered to handle the body, the three took in Captain Kang's final moments one last time.
The massive bloodstain spread from his side and his deathly pale face told Jaejeong and Youngman it was a gunshot wound.
But they held back from asking what had happened.
The president was wiping at his eyes as he watched the captain's body carried out on the stretcher.
Once the soldiers had fully cleared out, the president glanced around before turning to the two.
"What do you two handle around here?"
"We manage security for the entire safe zone. And we're on critical missions that take us outside—like the recent trip to the power control room during the blackout."
Jaejeong explained calmly.
Only then did the president sigh, his face set with resolve.
"Ha... I see. It's all because of this bag. Too many people have died protecting it."
As the president confessed like a man unburdening his soul, Youngman pointed at the bag.
"Your Excellency, what's in that bag that had everyone risking their lives for it?"
Instead of answering, the president eyed the bulge in Jaejeong's pocket.
"Mind if I bum a smoke?"
"Uh, yeah. Here."
Catching Jaejeong off guard, the president took the cigarette and lighter from his pocket.
"At least I can trust you two with this. Keep what I'm about to say just between us."
Back when the president had been defense minister, he'd outsourced unofficial ops to Youngman, then a mercenary team leader, several times.
He hadn't forgotten the patriotism and zeal Youngman had shown.
That trust extended to Jaejeong by association.
As he smoked one down, the president gave a concise account of how he'd ended up here.
"How could that happen?!"
Youngman exploded, his face twisted in fury.
Given his temperament, this was no story he could take lying down.
To him, the onboard coup was as good as betraying nation and people for survival.
And for an old-school guy like him, country and ethnicity were as vital as life itself.
He didn't stop there.
"We need to assemble troops, board speedboats, infiltrate, and wipe them out!"
Jaejeong was seeing Youngman this fired up for the first time too.
"Hey, calm down. Soldiers are still milling around outside."
"...Right. Let's head out, Your Excellency. Everyone's probably waiting."
"One moment. Is Kwon Jeong-woo the congressman really in charge here?"
At the president's question, Youngman nodded knowingly.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"...I see. Understood. Shall we?"
That was when the three stepped off the speedboat.
Not far off stood a familiar face—Kwon Jeong-woo, flanked by Park Yi-hyun-seok and soldiers.
Kwon greeted them warmly.
Kwon Jeong-woo and the president clasped hands without a word.
Once bitter rivals hurling attacks at each other, they were now the last politicians carrying the torch for the Korean government.
"Heaven must be watching over you. Come inside. But what's with the bag?"
Kwon asked with an innocently clueless look.
The president glanced at it like a throbbing sore thumb.
"You know it well, Congressman. The immune's serum. It's cost too many lives already."
For a split second, Kwon's eyes twitched oddly before he smiled.
The serum that should have been with the lost airborne troops was in the president's hands.
"Ah... the serum? I see. We'll talk details inside. Everyone else, back to your posts."
Kwon addressed Jaejeong, Youngman, and the soldiers before heading to the bunker with the president.
As Kwon and Park Yi-hyun-seok entered the bunker, the president glanced back at Jaejeong and Youngman.
Then he gave a meaningful nod.
Understanding the look, Youngman turned to Jaejeong.
"Things are about to get complicated."
"Because of those two?"
"Exactly. They might act casual, but those two can never get along."
"No need for political infighting in times like these."
"It's not politics. They're just incompatible by nature. You know the saying? Two suns can't coexist under one sky."
"...That serious?"
"Didn't you watch the presidential debates?"
Youngman asked, surprised.
"Debates? Cops like me barely see our families, let alone have time for that."
"Right, you're a detective. Sorry, keep forgetting."
"It's fine. Everyone does."
"The world's changed. Your job, your car, your house size—none of that matters anymore. Guess that's why."
"But what was that nod from the president when he looked at you?"
Jaejeong recalled the president entering the bunker.
"Told you. Things'll get messy. Eventually, we'll have to pick a side."
"You saying those two will actually fight in this mess?"
"Isn't it obvious? Especially with that bag the president’s carrying. Even without it, they'd be jockeying for top dog. Throw in the bag, and it'll be brutal. You heard his story earlier."
Jaejeong fell silent.
His face grew pensive, then grave.
"What's so serious?"
"...I don't want any part in political games."
"Same here. But we're already in it. If we wanted out, we should've never given them what they wanted. No turning back now."
Youngman wasn't wrong.
Jaejeong knew it too.
If something like that could go down on a cramped boat, this sprawling safe zone was a powder keg.
Still, one thing nagged at him.
"If the president came here dodging soldiers, don't Kwon Jeong-woo and him have the same goal now? Use the bag for a vaccine or call in foreign aid."
"Sure. But problems arise anyway. Kwon's the one who built this safe zone through hell and back. Now the president shows up like he's just grabbing a share. But the tower won't buy it. If you were Kwon, could you accept that?"
Jaejeong lapsed into thought again.
"See? They're bound to clash, no matter what. And crucially, the president's no pro-China guy. He's tight with the US. Whether we go China, US, or stay put, they'll fight over leadership."
"All that talk about serving the people..."
Jaejeong swallowed a curse.
Youngman shook his head.
"Don't see it that way, lad."
"Why not?"
"They both think they're right. Politicians aren't unique—everyone claims to care about nation and people. They know they'd be nothing without it. They just clash because each believes only they can do it right."
"Hah... over something so petty."
Jaejeong said, baffled.
"It's huge. Imagine you're in charge someday. Some threat shows up just by existing—would you step aside? Never."
"If they're better than me, sure."
"What if they're not, but they want your spot? Could you accept?"
Jaejeong shot Youngman a glare.
"You frame it like that, anyone'd answer how you want."
"Is that so? Time you learned you're wrong. Watch closely—that fight between them. If we go all the way with you, that soft thinking won't cut it."
Youngman looked at Jaejeong like a father eyeing his son.
Hoping he'd make it.
"Power mirrors human desire best. You can't quit life, and you can't quit desire while you're alive."
Passing through the bunker, Jaejeong gazed up at the towering Tower while digesting Youngman's words.
Infected People
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