“Is war breaking out again?”
“It’s not certain yet.”
“Look at these transaction records, and you still say it’s not certain?”
“Ah, they seemed to be drastically reducing weapons exports for several weeks, but they were just hoarding them for themselves!”
The Cenaline hackers rummaged through the Gostin data that Hyungoh and Hunter had hacked, murmuring among themselves. As Theo had predicted, when signs of Gostin preparing for war appeared, he immediately called Enya to report the situation.
Hyungoh sprawled on the plush sofa, watching Theo’s back through the window. With the phone pressed against his ear, loosening his tie with rough hands, he looked like a company employee irritated by the very act of having a phone call with a boss he didn’t want to speak to. Whether it was because of his neat attire that contrasted with Theo’s usual character, or because the atmosphere itself felt like an ordinary company… Comparing a mafia to ordinary office workers, how strange. Hyungoh thought absentmindedly.
“Why do those guys love war so much?”
“Their pride as authentic Sicilian mafia reaches the sky, so they push forward in the old way, crudely.”
How big could a war be anyway? Are they going to start World War III or what? A man stirring his coffee with a teaspoon glanced at the data and snorted.
“Are they going to have open gunfights in the middle of the city in this day and age? Where are they going to use all those weapons, New York? Or Chicago? They might as well say they’re going to wage war in front of the White House.”
Hyungoh stared curiously at the man who was laughing and making ridiculous jokes.
How can he be so reassured? Doesn’t he know that half of the famous terrorist incidents in cities were accidents that happened due to tensions between mafias?
Let’s be generous and assume he doesn’t know those facts due to media misinformation. Even if it’s not a famous city, how can he say such carefree things when gunfights happen all too frequently in areas that are slightly out of people’s attention? The more Hyungoh pondered the man’s words, the more incredulous he felt. He doesn’t understand the seriousness of the situation at all. How can a hacker belonging to a major mafia organization be so naive?
“Your positive attitude is quite refreshing. Do give my regards to Snow White and the seven dwarfs living next door.”
Hunter entered the conference room with a mug of hot chocolate from who knows where. His gentle tone had sharp thorns embedded in it. The man raised his eyebrows and took a step toward Hunter.
“Got a problem with what I said, Mr. Gargamel?”
Recalling the mischievous Gargamel from the Smurfs, Hyungoh couldn’t help but snicker. Though there wasn’t much physical resemblance to Hunter, the mere fact that he was being teased made Hyungoh laugh. Childish but funny. Hunter noticed Hyungoh snickering secretly and shook his head.
“You seem to have very little interest in how society works overall, friend. You might have been recognized for your skills as a hacker, but you seem unqualified as an organization hacker.”
“Hahaha! What guts! Isn’t the newcomer who just arrived acting like he knows too much?”
“Why are you getting so excited, Andre?”
When Andre, the man with wide-open eyes, forced a laugh and took another step toward Hunter, the man beside him tapped his back. Faced with an agitated opponent, Hunter calmly took a sip of his hot chocolate.
“What’s going on? Why the atmosphere like this?”
Theo finished his call and opened the door. He deftly inserted himself between Hunter and Andre, sensing the unsettling current between them.
“I thought we finally got a decent newcomer, but isn’t his nose pointing too high in the sky, Mr. Cooper?”
“This is maddening.”
As Hunter muttered quietly while glancing at the ceiling, Hyungoh burst into laughter again. To call someone who was once even an underboss a ‘decent newcomer.’ Plus, seeing Hunter genuinely frustrated made it even harder to contain his laughter. He quickly cleared his throat and coughed, but in the quiet room, nobody missed Hyungoh’s laughter.
Andre shot a glare at Hyungoh with a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief. His colleague standing behind tried to defuse the situation by taking the team members outside.
“I was gone for how many minutes and it’s this chaotic?”
Theo asked in bewilderment at the instantly chilled atmosphere.
“I was just surprised. Those kids thought that ‘war’ is something that couldn’t happen ‘in this day and age.'”
“……Ah.”
Theo laughed cynically.
“What would these greenhouse flowers, who’ve never had a drop of blood on their hands, know?”
Born into well-fed and comfortable homes, even graduated from Ivy League schools, such talents. Theo sneered. They’ve lived in a different world from us who’ve seen all sorts of hell from the bottom, Hunter.
“Still… they were shockingly unaware.”
How can a hacker involved with a mafia organization be so lacking in alertness? Hyungoh scratched his head.
“Well, the boss seems satisfied enough. After all, hackers are the type who don’t care if the world splits in two as long as they’re treated well.”
Hunter and Hyungoh glanced at each other.
“Especially these ones, they’re even more obsessed with reputation, you know? They want the title of ‘Cenaline organization hacker,’ not ‘the same criminal bastards who joined a murderous group that kills thousands and lives just fine.'”
“……Aren’t they the same thing anyway? Just called differently.”
“The connotation is different.”
They’ve already stepped into the filth but pretend not to see it. They enjoy all the benefits of being Cenaline organization hackers, but ignore the fact that they’re fucking criminals too. Theo continued in an irritated tone. In short, they’re fucking selfish bastards.
“The boss knows that, so she indulges them. If they knew how many terrorist attacks happened because of the weapons deals they contracted, how many tens of millions of people were shot, and how many tens of cities were devastated, they couldn’t act so brazenly.”
It’s just a matter of time before their mental health breaks. Theo put his feet back on the desk. Hyungoh sealed his lips, unable to retort. His heart grew heavy.
“That’s right. Even if the responsibility you must bear is too heavy and painful, you shouldn’t pretend not to know.”
Noticing Hyungoh’s darkening expression, Theo suddenly realized his mistake. Did I babble unnecessarily again? Theo resented his own mouth and rubbed his face roughly.
“That’s right, you shouldn’t pretend not to know.”
Hunter agreed with a tone mixed with amusement. Hyungoh looked up at him standing next to him.
“Just because you look away doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
“What?”
“I’m encouraging you, Hyungoh.”
Leaving those words, Hunter walked out holding documents. Watching him enter a single-person office across the way, Theo got up from his seat. Why is he going in there alone? Theo was about to follow Hunter but suddenly hesitated as if remembering something.
“By the way, Hyungoh. What were you talking about with Hunter earlier?”
I don’t know what it was, but it seemed like you were talking about me. Theo’s eyes grew cold. Hyungoh tilted his head and then realized he had been discussing Theo’s father with Hunter just before. Right, Theo caught our eyes then. I wonder if he noticed. Hyungoh opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to answer.
“Well… it’s true we were talking about Theo, but…”
“But?”
“We didn’t say much. He roughly asked how you’ve been, and I said I don’t know well… um, something like that.”
“I thought I heard a familiar name from Hunter’s lips.”
“What? What name?”
Hyungoh denied with all his might. He didn’t particularly want to relay the truth Hunter had spoken to Theo. The major reason Theo liked Hunter was because he killed his father, but in reality, it wasn’t Hunter who killed him. He judged that revealing this now wouldn’t do any good. What good would it do? He’s already troubled with war preparations and such, it would only cause more confusion.
Above all, those two should resolve their issue themselves. I don’t want to get involved. Ask your uncle instead. Hyungoh even acted to deceive Theo.
“Hmm… never mind.”
Theo stared at Hyungoh with suspicious eyes before turning away. Only after he had completely gone outside did Hyungoh breathe a sigh of relief.
Hyungoh lay down on the desk and fiddled with the powered-off monitor screen. He felt like he had more things to worry about.
With no one around, miscellaneous thoughts habitually came to mind. I’m such a bat. First Gostin, and now I’m attaching myself to Cenaline. Hyungoh clicked his tongue bitterly.
Maybe there’s nothing wrong with what Theo said. In the end, I too was the type who didn’t care if the world split in two as long as I was treated well.
Hyungoh let his hand drop limply on the desk as he fiddled with the monitor. Wait. If war really breaks out this time, does that mean I’ll be able to meet Michael?
Thoughts of Michael lingered longer than usual that day. It seemed to be getting worse gradually. To the point where he wondered if he had really missed Michael this much.
If war really breaks out, what expression should I wear when I face him? Will we end up pointing guns at each other? Hyungoh laughed as if sighing. This isn’t a scene from some tragedy. Is this a setting where once-friends become enemies overnight and reunite?
Even if such a thing were to happen, Hyungoh knew well that there was nothing he could do. His increasingly heavy heart pressed down on him bit by bit.
