GB 96

“It’s too early to call it a success.”

“Anyway, their traces have disappeared, right?”

“So? They can disappear. Isn’t the important thing to survive? They escaped at night. What, are they going to swim?” Yoon Moo-hwa put down what he was holding a bit roughly. 

Alyosha shrugged at the teacup in front of him. “The hospitality here is lacking.”

“Do you think this is a café? If you’re on my ship, you should be polite. Mind your manners.” Yoon Moo-hwa coldly rebuked and slumped down across from Alyosha.

Alyosha showed a somewhat optimistic outlook while talking about the recent escapees from the marine prison. “I think they’re dead.”

He grinned ominously, drawing his thumb across his neck. His face, often criticized for being too showy, had a somewhat bizarre aspect when making such playful expressions.

On the other hand, Yoon Moo-hwa, whose handsome face was much more static compared to Alyosha’s, showed no significant reaction. “Dead or not, do your job properly. Searching for drifters is your responsibility, isn’t it?”

“You should say something that makes sense. Drifters wave their arms and shout, or at worst, they’re hanging onto something, but dead bodies can’t be found. They’ve probably become fish food by now.”

“…”

It’s a valid point. While Yoon Moo-hwa agrees to some extent, he can’t shake off an uneasy feeling.

Although the media is still under embargo under the pretext of an ongoing investigation, this prison break was quite significant in scale and severity. It was becoming an established fact that there was external help, and the question was how large this external force was.

And there was another point that particularly irritated Yoon Moo-hwa. The escapees this time were quite prominent and outstanding figures, and above all, among them was…

“Look. I see this as a good sign,” Alyosha said, pouring sugar into his teacup and stirring with a teaspoon. “The scale of piracy is decreasing. With no new recruits, they have no choice but to risk their lives to snatch experienced personnel.”

“Are you joking? Didn’t you see the list? Calypso’s father was among them.”

‘Calypso’ was a nickname given by the navy, referring to the leader of the currently largest and most central pirate group. His father was also an arms broker for pirates, with significant influence in the black market.

In short, this wasn’t an issue that would end easily.

Although Alyosha wasn’t the type to do his job carelessly despite such brainless talk, Yoon Moo-hwa didn’t want to hear such flippant remarks now, even if they were just words.

Alyosha glanced at Yoon Moo-hwa after sipping his overly sweet tea. He could clearly feel that this man, who would normally remain indifferent even if a nuclear bomb suddenly dropped, was particularly on edge. “You’re sensitive, Brigadier General Yoon?”

“It’s not something we can just wait and see.”

“No. It should have been something to wait and see. You’re the type who just does your job. You’re ruthless in handling things quickly, but you’re not the type to enjoy it. But now you’re clearly sensitive.”

“…”

He could guess what Alyosha was about to say. With an annoying premonition, Yoon Moo-hwa turned his head to the side and pretended to be indifferent, resting his chin on his hand.

“Is it because there’s an egg in your nest?” Alyosha asked with a grin.

“Cut out the nonsensical metaphors.”

“Oh? Then let me speak directly. Fine, I prefer that anyway.” Alyosha put down his empty teacup and exclaimed as brightly as the clinking sound of porcelain, “Haero!”

Yoon Moo-hwa’s eyebrow twitched.

“I saw him. He was on the deck. Wow, I thought he’d look like a kid wearing his older brother’s clothes, but the uniform suited him quite well.”

“…”

“You must feel very strange. You, who obsessively tried to keep even his name from spreading casually and blocked the media, have been caught off guard.”

“Alyosha.” Yoon Moo-hwa looked back with a bored expression. With his hands clasped on his stomach and his body stretched out, he muttered, “Want to take a dip in the sea today? I’ve always been curious if only your mouth would float.”

“I’m a good swimmer, so it’d be hard for you to see that sight.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tie you with a rope. Should I even add an anchor?”

Alyosha laughed at the brutal threat of even kindly attaching an anchor to his body. “I’m just happy to see this. I’m relieved. I know your severe brother complex and stubborn personality well. I thought I’d never see the baby again after hearing the rumors.”

“Whatever you heard, it’s just gossip from busybodies.”

Alyosha raised his eyebrows at Yoon Moo-hwa’s reaction, which was quite different from last time when he talked about rumors regarding Haero. “What? You seem to know what he’s been up to.”

“…”

“Come on, tell me what the baby has been doing.”

“Stop calling him ‘baby’. It’s disgusting.”

“No, how did you find out? I kept hitting dead ends when I tried to look into it. It’s as if there’s a security clearance set…” Alyosha’s rambling mouth stopped, hanging open.

Frowning with disbelief, he wrinkled his face.

He had openly teased Yoon Moo-hwa about overprotectiveness, brother complex, treating Haero like a baby more than anyone else, but that was just at the level of teasing. But when a joke becomes reality, that’s when the genre changes.

“Hey. You didn’t…”

“Haero didn’t prostitute himself. Even if he had, I’d have no reason not to accept him. He’s doing well in the military.”

Now that he looks, Yoon Moo-hwa’s whole aura has changed. He’s incredibly on edge because of Haero, yet at the same time infinitely gentle. As if he’s carrying something precious in his belly, or as if he has a den with cubs behind him.

Alyosha asked with a stiff face, “Then if not prostitution, what did he do?”

“Don’t call it prostitution. If you spout that nonsense one more time, I’ll put a hole from your palate to your crown.”

“See, you knew. You knew, didn’t you? I thought so, you gloomy bastard. I’m curious, tell me a bit. Huh?”

Yoon Moo-hwa didn’t even blink at Alyosha’s provoking words. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, lowered his eyes languidly, and replied slowly, as if playing a boring game, “I’m not… telling you.”

* * *

“Just a moment.” On his way back to his own ship, Alyosha made a brief detour.

Leaving his adjutant who had disembarked with him, he slipped towards the stern. Haero was standing there, now sparkling clean after the ‘shopping’ work.

“Wait at the stern until I come out.”

“I have work to do too.”

“It’s an order from a superior. Wait, Lieutenant.”

Alyosha had Haero wait at the stern with a brazen order.

Haero was feeling gloomy, looking down at the splashing seawater. ‘Why should I follow orders? It’s not even Yoon Moo-hwa. I’m really busy too. But a superior is a superior. There’s even a saying that if a superior tells you to peel it, you peel it. Still, I can’t help feeling rebellious. Ah, maybe I’m really not cut out to be a soldier, just like hyung said.’

Watching the rippling water surface was great for letting such stray thoughts drift away. Useless thoughts became environmentally harmless trash thrown into the sea rather than chaining one after another.

“Lieutenant!”

Haero turned to Alyosha’s voice. His posture was impeccable, but Alyosha grinned at the unenthusiastic salute.

“I didn’t expect to meet you like this as a medical officer. You finally made it onto a ship. I’m proud.”

“I didn’t expect you to still be on a ship either, Brigadier General. It’s impressive.”

Alyosha responded to the insincere sarcasm with, “You know I’m still your far superior, right?”, acting chummy.

Yes, he was literally acting chummy. But there was no unpleasant, sticky personal interest felt. He was just pretending.

The sailors who had been lurking at the stern saw Alyosha’s sleeve insignia and fled in shock. Thanks to that, or because of it, Haero had to be alone with Alyosha without anyone’s interference.

“I’ll speak quickly and go. Otherwise, the vodyanoy might appear and take me away.”

“What’s a vodyanoy?”

“You don’t know vodyanoy? It’s a creature that transforms into an alluring form at sunset, waits for people to approach, then drags them underwater to enslave them…”

“Why would that be on a warship? There’s no such harmful sea creature.”

“No, it’s a metaphor. So on your ship, there’s a vodyanoy-like… Never mind. Anyway.” Alyosha almost started a lecture on ancient mythology, falling for Haero’s blunt tone, but caught himself.

He came close to Haero and asked quietly, “I’ll keep it short. You, transfer to our ship. It’s better. It’s not the front line or a dry dock, so it won’t harm your promotion chances and it’s the best. Starting out and filling your time here will create bad habits.”

“It’s better to struggle from the start, how can there be bad experiences? I’ve never heard of good experiences and bad experiences being separate.”

“This ship is dangerous. Listen to me, Lieutenant.”

“Is there a warship that’s not dangerous? Even without enemies appearing, ships get injured. And I didn’t come here looking for safety.”

“Oh boy.” He doesn’t give an inch. Alyosha snorted and then raised his hand, making an eerie moaning sound and rambling, “Did I mention my great-grandmother was a gypsy? The power of prophecy flows in my blood. It’s not good for you two to stick together. That’s my feeling.”

“Does the navy believe in superstitions?”

“As sailors, we have to. No one takes superstitions as seriously as we do.”

Haero finally laughed at Alyosha’s brazen act.

Although it was just a brief chuckle that ended with one breath, Alyosha lowered his arm proudly, as if he had achieved his goal.

A skilled medical officer is always a very desirable talent. He had been thinking of taking him along out of curiosity-based interest from the old days, but there’s not even a needle’s space to wedge in.

His eyes swept over Haero’s clear face, which looked full of thoughts. “Do you like Brigadier General Yoon that much?”