Chapter 88

EP 15 - Extras in the Political Arena (2)

The longer I remained silent, the darker Yoo Jae-kyung's expression became.

Given his already small and frail appearance, he looked like someone who should be taking health supplements, but now, with fatigue and anxiety weighing him down, he no longer looked human.

Regardless, I maintained my silence and organized my thoughts. After all, Yoo Jae-kyung is a seasoned politician.

As expected.

Just as I had anticipated, Yoo Jae-kyung is also acting on Yang Pan-seok's orders. The same goes for Cheong Jung-yeop. Where else could the recording he released have come from?

"......I knew as much, but you sure have a wide reach."

Yang Pan-seok's influence extends covertly throughout the political arena. Perhaps I, too, am moving according to his predictions, or rather, his designs.

So, what? Naturally.

"So, what's this about the extras?"

If I set the stage, you should at least dance.

With a knife in hand.

* * *

"I only received a rough explanation and don't know much more."

Yoo Jae-kyung looked ten years older in just a moment. He carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead. It seemed he was relieved by my friendly approach.

"What's certain is that the operation team set up by the elder isn't just us."

"Us?"

Kim Doo-sik's tone hardened as he reprimanded Yoo Jae-kyung. Despite his imposing figure and bald head, which naturally commanded attention, Yoo Jae-kyung responded hesitantly.

"Given the sensitive nature of the matter... hehe... I'm sorry!"

"Enough. Who is this elder, and what is this operation you keep talking about?"

"I'll explain now. However, the operation was entirely planned by him, and I am merely a tool in that plan. I don't fully understand how it all works. I only know the parts I was instructed to do. Of course, I had no intention of deceiving Commander Kim Doo-sik or Representative Han Seung-moon—"

"Then what is this operation about?!"

"Ah. Yes. Ahem...!"

Yoo Jae-kyung ignored Kim Doo-sik's terrifying gaze and continued calmly.

"Most likely, there are also operation forces planted by the elder in the Blue House's Chief Secretary Office. Our role is to create public opinion from the outside to help persuade Acting President Won Ok-bun. That's why I managed to bring Commander Kim Doo-sik here."

This was a matter related to military affairs.

"......To sum it up."

Yoo Jae-kyung moistened his lips with cold green tea and gave a weak smile.

"Once Acting President Won declares the recapture of Seoul, the game is over."

"How so?"

"We need to figure that out now."

*

"How can Acting President Won declare the recapture of Seoul?"

"Huh?"

"I think it will happen when I get bitten by a mad dog."

"Huh?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh, hmm."

Lee Ho-jeong, who looked as if she had seen something bizarre, stopped in the doorway, holding the door handle awkwardly.

She was wearing hot pink pajama pants and a pajama top. She usually wears heavy makeup to cover the small scar on her chin, so this was a somewhat unfamiliar sight. Still, she is so beautiful that her charm remains, with or without makeup.

"Coming to my house at 2 AM is a bit too political, isn't it?"

"Hey, isn't this the house I saved for you?"

"It's not a house but a residence. The Chief of Police lives next door, so please come in quietly."

"Chief of Police?"

"He used to be the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police, but with his jurisdiction in ruins, he's been under a lot of stress. Come in. It's still cold at night in April."

She took the Spam gift set I handed her and went inside, and I limped in, taking off one shoe at the door and unstrapping my prosthetic leg, hopping into the house.

Lee Ho-jeong turned on the bedroom light and poked Yang Il-ho, who was curled up in a fetal position under the blanket, with her big toe.

"Hey, wake up."

"Ugh..."

Yang Il-ho slowly woke up, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly, he froze as if he had seen a ghost.

I waved lightly in greeting.

"Hi."

"......Why are you here, brother?"

"I missed you guys."

"You don't have any friends...?"

"Ministers Yoo Jae-kyung and Kim Doo-sik are friends, but they're a bit older, aren't they? They're both in their fifties..."

Lee Ho-jeong, who was bringing out a cup of French Cafe Arabica Gold Label coffee mix from a large supermarket, asked in surprise.

"Brother, have you been with them this whole time? Didn't you leave around 4 AM?"

"That's not it. I had a confrontation with Chon Jin-soon in between. Sit down."

I threw my suit on the floor and crawled into the bedroom in my shirt, stealing Yang Il-ho's blanket to wrap around myself. It was warm, and I couldn't help but exclaim.

Yang Il-ho, on the other hand, was crawling around on all fours, searching for his smartphone, while Lee Ho-jeong

"Damn, you scared me."

"Huh?"

"How did you do that?"

"What do you mean?"

She had already finished her full makeup and was dressed in a suit.

"Are you a magical girl or something? Your clothes changed in the blink of an eye?"

"Do you still watch magical girl shows, Representative...?"

"Anyway, well done. Il-ho, put on a suit quickly."

"Huh?"

I checked the time on my phone.

"Right. If we leave now, we should arrive by lunchtime."

2:42 AM.

The perfect time for a politician to be active.

*

The dawn of the front line is cold.

Is it because of the chilling night wind blowing through the barbed wire, or the occasional artillery fire heard from the slopes of Mount Wolak?

The sentry, exhaling a puff of breath while monitoring the front line, suddenly thought that the bone-chilling cold could not be explained by mere cold or sound.

The night wind blowing through the barbed wire was carrying the dried blood of a fallen comrade, and the occasional artillery fire was evidence that monsters were still descending from the north even at this late hour.

Thus, the dawn of the front line was cold.

The sentry could feel death's proximity, and a creeping unease gnawed at him, as if something was stirring in the darkness.

Slowly, very slowly.

Like red ink dripping onto wet paper, the unnamed soldier on the Chungcheong Defense Line was gradually being tainted by the concept of war.

That day was no different from any other.

At least until he went to eat.

After finishing his watch, he took a brief nap in the barracks, looked at a photo of his parents, who he believed were still alive somewhere in Seoul, and headed to the mess hall for lunch.

A monstrous head, captured by the division commander, was displayed on the base, and the sight of the rotting meat, from which maggots fell every time he went to eat, naturally made his appetite wane. But not that day.

"Mom?"

"What is this...!"

The soldiers began to stir.

It was understandable.

This, this intense, almost violent aroma, was undoubtedly—

"Here, here, take one each."

—chicken.

On top of the food truck, people were distributing chicken in plastic bags, and a man in a suit was holding a red megaphone.

"One per person! Come and get yours!"

The soldier's eyes widened as he sprinted toward the massive food truck. Others were doing the same, and the food truck was surrounded by uniformed madmen.

The soldier thought he had become part of a zombie horde, but who cared? It was chicken.

The man in the suit shouted into the megaphone from the truck.

"Due to budget constraints, they're all Pride Chicken. If you prefer spicy, don't take one and go back!"

"Shut up!"

"Is it really necessary to curse...?"

Of course, no one who preferred spicy chicken would leave. The man who made this joke was truly remarkable.

The soldier chuckled and confirmed the face of the man in the suit.

He was truly remarkable.

Really, truly remarkable.

He was the man who secured a 15% fixed support rate in the presidential opinion polls.

"Ha. Han Seung-moon..."

It was Representative Han Seung-moon. The soldier, moving through the crowd toward the food truck, couldn't take his eyes off Han Seung-moon.

15%.

The soldier, who at least kept up with the news, knew what this meant. It wasn't just a simple support rate; it meant that 15% of the nation believed that the constitution should be amended to make Han Seung-moon president.

"Is he a doctor...?"

"Seems like it..."

"Look, he's got a prosthetic leg. Check it out."

"Right. He does. He's using a cane..."

As Han Seung-moon's name spread among the soldiers, the chicken-blinded soldiers gradually regained their composure.

And the person who cursed Han Seung-moon was likely to be in trouble with the division commander.

Of course, whether anyone got in trouble or not, the chicken was still chicken, so the soldier managed to get one.

He ran back to the barracks and, while tearing into the chicken with his comrades, realized about 16 minutes later.

"......But isn't this a violation of the election law?"

*

"Damn. Damn it...!"

While distributing chicken to one unit and moving to the next position, Yang Il-ho was pale, staring at his phone.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

"Article 112 of the Public Official Election Act! I'm just flipping through the entire law! I'm trying to figure out how not to get in trouble!"

Yang Il-ho was in a panic. After all, both he and Ho-jeong were planning to run in the upcoming general election (they hadn't registered as candidates yet), and if they got caught up in the Public Official Election Act, it would be the end of their political careers.

Moreover, as my assistant, he was considered a campaign worker, leaving no room for escape.

I clicked my tongue and muttered.

"You're not a lawyer, so why are you flipping through the law—"

"I am a lawyer!"

"Oh, right."

"Aaaah—!"

Seeing him grab his head and go into a frenzy, I smiled and patted his back.

"Hey, you passed the bar exam at the youngest age. Why don't you know the law? There's an answer to every situation. You just don't know it yet."

That's what the man from Apgujeong said. It's a quote I still like.

But this guy doesn't seem to know it.

"How can I get out of this situation? I'm not Kim Kichun!"

"Hey, that old man was really something. When he got caught by the election law, he argued that it was unconstitutional and got out of it. You should take a page from his book."

Mentioning the greatest legal trickster in constitutional history, Yang Il-ho, who seemed to know a bit of history, immediately countered.

"Did the Constitutional Court really find his argument valid? It was because Kim Young-sam backed him...!"

"You know that."

"Huh?!"

It means you just need to control the judiciary. Of course, I didn't say that out loud, given the recording.

"Why don't you know the world, a law student?"

"Ah, I'm going to explode...!"

"Anyway, just follow me."

We're not a rule-of-law country, after all.

*

We toured military bases in a food truck, stripping the food business division of GS Group to the bone, distributing chicken. Of course, it wasn't just chicken; there were pizzas, pig's feet, and all kinds of food.

We mainly selected foods that people go crazy for.

While the staff distributed the chicken, I shouted into a megaphone.

"Everyone! There's plenty of chicken!"

There isn't.

"Everyone can have one chicken, okay?"

No, they can't.

"Please line up and take yours!"

To give chicken to all the soldiers, we would need 500,000 pieces. Of course, in the worst food shortage in history, where even rice was being auctioned online, it was impossible to secure such a quantity.

Even for a few units in the eastern part of the Chungcheong Defense Line, it was insufficient. Still, I kept telling the "one chicken per person" lie.

Why?

"Stop! Over there! Hey!"

"Cease distribution! Cease distribution!"

Because it was obvious that civil servants and military police would intervene and cut off the distribution. Even more surprisingly, reporters followed us.

Kim Doo-sik must have handled things well.

I smiled inwardly and approached a middle-aged inspector who looked like he was from the election commission.

"What are you doing?"

"Hey! You, what's this about Han Seung-moon during the election period...?"

The civil servant, who was getting angry at me, pointed at me with a stunned look. I cautiously offered him a handshake.

"Ah, nice to meet you."

"Why are you... here...?"

He seemed bewildered even as he shook my hand. We were surrounded by reporters in that position.

*

"Ah, yes. Acting President. Yes, yes. I understand. I will take immediate action. Yes."

Phew. A sigh escaped Yoo Jae-kyung's lips. In his study on the second floor of his two-story house, he leaned back in a leather chair and pressed his temples.

At 50-something, or perhaps because his life had become a living hell as a minister, he noticed that the wrinkles on his forehead had deepened.

Thinking back to his days as the budget director, he carefully wiped his glasses.

- Bang!

"Dad!"

"Knock before you enter."

Despite trying to sound serious in front of his daughter, she ignored him and urgently shouted.

"TV! Dad, look at the TV...!"

"Can