Alina's Background
Next morning at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Jaehyuk, Jeonghan, and Jihun were waiting to board their flight back to Korea while Alina stayed with them to see the three men off.
"Mr. Jaehyuk. Here's my Onstagram account address." She wrote her email on a slip of paper and handed it to him, offering a gentle smile as she watched him take it. "Contact me once you arrive."
"I will. I'll definitely reach out."
"If I end up visiting Korea again, I'll let you know."
Alina flashed him a bright smile, and Jaehyuk felt his heart skip at the sight of her lovely expression.
"Ahem... Well... the plane should be here soon."
"You're right."
She spoke with a faintly wistful look in her eyes, and Jaehyuk promised they would meet again.
"Please contact me before you come to Korea. I'll come pick you up right away."
"Yes. It's a promise."
Alina held out her pinky finger. Finding the gesture adorable, Jaehyuk smiled, hooked his pinky with hers, and pressed his thumb against hers.
A short while later, the announcement came that the flight to Incheon Airport was preparing for departure. Jaehyuk, Jihun, and Jeonghan headed for the gate. Jaehyuk waved back at Alina, who was waving at him, when Jihun leaned in.
"Hey, Park Jaehyuk. Are you dating that girl?"
"I wish I was... I don't know. It still feels like we're just talking for now."
"If you're serious, keep messaging her and confess later."
"You want me to confess over DM?"
"Of course not. I think big things like confessions are way better done face-to-face, seriously."
Jeonghan nodded in agreement.
"I agree. While you're staying in touch, if you decide you want to confess, she mentioned coming to Korea for a trip. Just meet her during her visit and do it then."
Jihun turned to Jeonghan, still puzzled.
"But can feelings really pile up that fast after less than a week?"
"Who knows. But what exactly did you do to her, Jaehyuk? How did you get this far?"
"Beats me. I'm dying to know too. What on earth did she see in me..."
The three friends continued chatting as they boarded. Once seated, Jaehyuk looked at Jihun.
"Jihun, do you speak any Russian?"
"Russian? No. I know a little English, though."
"Yeah? Hmm..."
Jeonghan spoke up.
"I know some Russian. Why?"
"Well... I met Alina yesterday and we had some wine. She said something to me... Galuchik? Galu... something like that. Is there a Russian word like that?"
"Galuchik? Was it more like... galupchik?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Jeonghan stared at Jaehyuk with a mixture of surprise and envy.
"That's a massive green light. It means she thinks you're cute."
"Huh? Isn't 'cute' milashka? That's what they say in anime."
"That's for girls. For guys, it's galupchik. Wait—did she really say that to you? Hold on, why would an American say it in Russian instead of English?"
"I'm not even sure it was Russian, but her mother is Russian-American, so I figured it might be. More importantly, where did you learn Russian?"
"Picked it up from a senior in the unit who was fluent."
Jeonghan dodged further questions. The plane carrying the three men and the rest of the passengers took off for Korea.
Meanwhile, after seeing Jaehyuk off, Alina left the terminal and walked to where her Cadillac was parked. She climbed into the back seat instead of the driver's side.
"Did you see him off safely?"
When she settled in, the large East Asian man in the driver's seat asked in English. Alina gave a short reply.
"Yes."
"But... when you graduate, are you really planning to go to Korea to meet him? If the CEO or Madam finds out..."
"......Does he know what kind of person you are?"
"Not yet. That's why I plan to tell him later."
Alina sighed, gazing out the window. Robert started the car and pulled onto the road.
"......But... how should I say it...?"
"Honestly, with someone like you, men would line up to propose. Even Senator Mason's youngest son is said to have a crush on you..."
"I'm not interested. No matter what they do, I don't feel anything, so what can I do?"
"You really do have high standards."
Alina stayed silent, half agreeing. Robert asked again.
"Why do you like him?"
At the question, Alina remembered the first time she met Jaehyuk—how he had shielded her from the rain even at the cost of getting soaked himself.
"......He was incredibly considerate. He was the first person to show me that kind of genuine care without caring about my background."
"True. No one ever approached you just for who you are. They only saw the fact that you're the top successor to Athena."
Athena—full name Athena Corporation, the global conglomerate whose influence stretched far beyond the United States. Alina Kim was the only daughter of its CEO, Raymond Kim, and his designated successor.
"Haah..."
Still thinking of Jaehyuk, Alina let out a troubled sigh as she stared out the window. Robert drove on in silence.
Two years later, inside the Commissioner General's office at the Korean National Police Agency, three people were deep in conversation.
"An undercover operation?"
Junho slowly flipped through the files. Photographs showed high-ranking members of Gangryonghoe meeting with leaders of foreign criminal organizations.
"We've already requested military support. Three agents from our side, two from the Special Forces, and two from UDT will be assigned. The police need to select three people and forward their profiles."
"You're referring to the Pig Project. That operation used only police personnel, and leaks from headquarters got every undercover officer killed. This time we're involving the agency and the military for better security."
"When will the operation begin?"
"Once everyone is selected, we'll deploy them nationwide in a month. All scenarios have already been prepared."
Seungcheol shot Yeonghwan a displeased look, sipped his tea, then set the cup down.
"What's the main objective?"
"Infiltrate the undercover agents into Gangryonghoe, gather intelligence, and use it to bring the organization under state control. That's why we're calling it the Big Brother Project."
"So instead of destroying Gangryonghoe, the state wants to control it?"
"Exactly. As you know, the Pig Project aimed to let Gangryonghoe grow strong enough to crush Hyeonbeompa—the group that controlled Seoul at the time—then neutralize both weakened factions afterward. We succeeded against Hyeonbeompa, but the leaks doomed the rest."
Yeonghwan fixed Junho with a steady gaze. Junho cleared his throat.
"We'll be more careful this time."
"You'd better. We can't afford to repeat the Pig Project's mistakes. If the same thing happens again... it won't end as leniently as before."
Yeonghwan stood and left the office. Once the door closed, Seungcheol bowed his head and exhaled heavily.
"The Pig Project..."
"Chief Ma. Still bothered by it?"
"Of course I am. Twenty officers were sent in to take down Gangryonghoe and got slaughtered for nothing—because someone inside leaked information."
"One survived, though. Thanks to him we have at least some intel on Gangryonghoe now."
"He didn't survive as a police officer."
Seungcheol glared at Junho, who looked away and changed the subject.
"Ahem... Anyway, pick the right people, write up the profiles, and send them to me."
"......Understood."
Seungcheol sighed, knowing he had no power to oppose the higher-ups or the NIS. He rose and walked out of the office, his steps heavy as he trudged down the hallway.
'The Pig Project... Not exactly a flattering name. If you think about it, the pigs might not be Gangryonghoe at all—they could be the officers who were sacrificed like offerings. What a shitty codename.'
With that thought, he continued down the corridor.