Chapter 93

EP 15 - An Extra in the Political Arena (7)

"Brother, don't you trust us?"

"What?"

"No, the situation is like this. You have a plan, but you won't tell us, right?"

"Kuh...!"

Yang Il-ho, who was eating a kimbap, choked and suddenly stood up, fleeing to the water dispenser. Lee Ho-jeong, wiping the rice grains Yang Il-ho had spat out with a tissue, continued speaking.

"Of course, I trust you, Brother. There must be a way to get out of this situation, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"But it's a bit disappointing that you won't tell us."

"Ugh......"

The more Lee Ho-jeong spoke, the paler Yang Il-ho's face became.

"I understand your caution. But disappointment is still disappointment, isn't it?"

"True."

"The general election is honestly hopeful. If we just push the hunters Brother brought, we can win half of it. The problem is the presidential election. Our party doesn't have a presidential candidate, right? If Won Ok-bun becomes president, it's a given that our heads will roll. It's really hard to bear mentally, isn't it? We're asking you to at least manage our mental health."

"Ugh."

"Since we've entrusted our lives to you, Brother, if you tell us, we can help. It's just unsettling to be on the chopping block without knowing what's happening."

"......Hmm."

* * *

With Han Seung-moon's "Hmm," the office fell into silence.

Lee Ho-jeong sipped her mugwort tea with her usual cold expression, Han Seung-moon maintained his enigmatic smile, and Yang Il-ho poured cold water down his throat with a trembling hand.

How long had it been?

When Yang Il-ho's pupils reached about a magnitude 8 on the Richter scale,

"I can guess where your unease comes from."

Han Seung-moon, who had picked up about two pieces of kimbap, scratched the back of his head and smiled.

"If I hadn't deliberately avoided Won Ok-bun, I could have just brought the hunters and won the general election cleanly. You're upset that I dragged you all into a violation of the election law by trying to catch Won Ok-bun at the Chungcheong defense line, right?"

Lee Ho-jeong's inner thoughts were exposed.

"......Yes. It was almost a pointless gamble. We even risked our lives for Won Ok-bun."

"I know that every foolish act has a reason."

"That's why I'm disappointed that you didn't tell us."

Han Seung-moon understood Lee Ho-jeong's point.

After all, a gambler is more anxious when their hands are tied than when they're losing.

[If my question was rude, I apologize. But since I've worked under you, it's disappointing not to be trusted.]

She didn't add this part.

Because the 'real' reason for her question was not that.

In Lee Ho-jeong's view,

They were politically engineered to be in a perfect position to become—

just before they were crushed.

"We are in a very dangerous situation right now."

She explained why the current situation was dangerous.

"Negative campaigning has turned the entire nation to the center. And the initiative has shifted to the other side. If Won Ok-bun frames the situation well, we're finished, right?"

"......"

"The flaw of the two-party system is this. Whatever the other side proposes, we must oppose it."

For example, if the ruling party proposed something and the opposition agreed, and they cooperated to achieve something, and it all worked out well.

But there's only one stamp to put on the ballot.

Would you choose the ruling party that pushed the agenda, or the opposition that helped?

Moreover, in our political system, the ruling party takes all the responsibility for the successes and failures during their term. Even if the ruling and opposition parties cooperate to achieve something, the ruling party is the only one that benefits.

That's the two-party system.

That's why the two parties always fight. No matter how good a policy looks, there can never be cooperation. The moment the opposition helps the ruling party, the game is over.

Most of the foolish acts in politics stem from this point. Because they must oppose everything the other side proposes, they come up with absurd reasons to do so. It's not that politicians are foolish.

In other words,

"......If Won Ok-bun just proposes a decent policy, we'll all look foolish."

"Do you have something with Yang Pansuk?"

"Me?"

"How did you know? How?"

Han Seung-moon calmly peeled a Chupa Chups and asked. Then, he continued while rolling the stick with his tongue.

"There's definitely a way out of this situation."

"Okay."

"But I didn't know what it was, so I couldn't tell you."

"Okay?"

"There is a way, but I don't know what it is."

"Okay??"

"Just a bit of a guess......"

He trusted Yang Pansuk completely—

He left that part unsaid.

Han Seung-moon began to mutter like a half-mad person. In fact, he was slightly trembling with anxiety, so it wasn't entirely wrong.

"Right. If Won Ok-bun frames the situation well, we'll look foolish. But if she frames it poorly, we'll be heroes, right?"

"Okay?"

"In my view, that's why I've been pushing the situation to a middle ground. Now that negative campaigning isn't working, we have to fight with policies. The moment Won Ok-bun makes a mistake, the game is over."

"......Is there a guarantee that Won Ok-bun will make a mistake here?"

"Uh."

"What kind of mistake?"

"Retaking Seoul."

*

"Taxi!"

In the chaotic streets of Busan, filled with vagrants and refugees, a man hailed a taxi.

The man got into the taxi but didn't say his destination.

However, the taxi started moving.

When they entered a deserted road on the outskirts of the city, the man finally spoke to the driver.

"Acting President Won Ok-bun will announce the retaking of Seoul this evening."

Yang Pansuk, in the driver's seat, took off his sunglasses and smiled broadly.

"Ah, well done. Well done, Seok Chief. You've done a great job."

"I was so scared I thought I would die of fright at this age."

"Sure, sure. You've worked hard."

"Worked hard?"

Seok Jae-bong, the Chief Political Secretary, smiled at Yang Pansuk.

Chief Political Secretary.

A deputy minister-level political civil servant.

A political advisor to the president. Because of his role in connecting the Blue House and the National Assembly, it's usually held by a two-term member of the National Assembly, and Seok Jae-bong was a former two-term member of the Republican Party.

As he handles political affairs, he is involved in almost all state affairs. He meets with the president daily to report on public opinion and assist in the president's political judgment.

Seok Chief was naturally a trusted aide of Won Ok-bun and also one of the spies Yang Pansuk had planted. This was before Cha Jae-geun's death.

This was how Yang Pansuk used people. He created weapons even when there was no purpose. Then, a purpose would arise later.

And Seok Chief was the dagger that pierced Won Ok-bun's heart.

"Thanks to your help inside and out, it was much smoother."

"It's all your ability."

"No, because of the prevalence of negative campaigning, Acting President Won Ok-bun became increasingly anxious."

"During election season, everyone gets a bit anxious."

Seok Chief knew very well that the prevalence of negative campaigning was due to Yang Pansuk's machinations.

How did he move giants like Han Seung-moon, the floor leader, Minister Yoo Jae-kyung, Governor Cheong Jung-yeop, and General Kim Doo-sik?

However, Seok Chief, as part of the Blue House's operational force, did not know the detailed smokescreen. The only connection was Yang Pansuk's instructions. The same was true for others.

Han Seung-moon was the only one who did not receive direct instructions from Yang Pansuk, but everyone secretly assumed they were all connected to Yang Pansuk.

And Yang Pansuk ultimately succeeded.

So, Seok Chief, regarding Yang Pansuk,

Naturally, he couldn't help but feel fear.

"......As public opinion worsened, the argument for a strong move to reverse it gradually gained traction."

"Right. Retaking Seoul. What a noble cause, isn't it? It boosts national pride! It restores the image of the president as a defender of the nation!"

"Haha......"

"Great job, Seok Chief. Or should I call you Seok Director now?"

And Yang Pansuk was skilled at turning fear into trust.

"......Would there be any other way? Sir?"

The taxi was filled with laughter.

*

Hello, my name is Shin Su-gwang.

Uh, um. Hehe...

You probably don't know who I am.

I am the number 3 candidate in the National Party's presidential primary. The now-resigned Governor Cheong Jung-yeop was number 1, and the, Vice Governor of Gangwon Province, was number 2, I think.

And, in the past, I was a regular 40-year-old running a mart in Siheung.

These days, I represent the refugees in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Uh, and.

I am,

Always.

Struggling with a failing mart,

Even though I couldn't,

Send my child to a cram school,

He grew up,

So bravely,

To become a freshman at Ewha Womans University Medical School,

Shin Su-jeong,

And I am her father.

And.

Also.

Right now.

At the Chungcheong defense line,

I am the father of

Shin Su-chul, a soldier defending our country's strong defense...!

Yes...!

Ah,

I'm sorry.

Tears are just streaming out.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry...

Ah,

That...

Where was I?

Yes.

That...

Last night,

Acting President Won Ok-bun,

Said,

We should retake Seoul.

I,

Acting President Won Ok-bun.

I actually admire her a lot.

Even though I'm a National Party candidate,

Hehe...

I admire her.

Yes.

Because, when I was representing the refugees in the Seoul metropolitan area,

I fought a lot with corrupt local government officials.

They wouldn't accept the refugees.

They wouldn't build facilities.

They made them sleep on the streets.

But Acting President Won Ok-bun built shelters for us.

So I really appreciated it.

But,

It's still a bit uncomfortable.

After all, we don't have homes. We don't know when we'll be kicked out.

We're treated like beggars.

In fact, we've all become beggars, haven't we?

Right?

I want to go back to Seoul.

Of course.

And.

Our daughter was killed by a monster.

Right in front of me. She was... chewed up.

I,

So,

I want to storm into Seoul.

Crush the monster's heads with tanks. Burn them alive. I want to wipe them out from the Korean Peninsula.

But,

Yes.

But!

But! Damn...!

I want to avenge our Su-jeong,

But I'm afraid our son will die too.

If Su-jeong's revenge means

Our only remaining son, Su-chul, dies,

I think I'll die too.

......Seoul.

The largest gate is closed, but there are still many gates. The monsters that came out then are hiding in the subway, so it's very dangerous.

And.

Apart from that.

If we,

Abandon the Chungcheong defense line and move up,

The reserves will be mobilized again.

Someone will have to walk into the middle of the monsters.

Ultimately, they will die, right?

......I,

If,

To avenge my daughter,

And get our home back,

My only remaining son has to die,

I'd rather live as a homeless beggar for the rest of my life.

Even if I'm treated with contempt? Yes?

Even if I only eat one meal a day?

If my son in the military dies to feed me, I'll vomit every day and starve to death.

Everyone.

I, I have one request.

I know it's a shameless request.

......We,

If we don't retake Seoul, it's not—

—cut.

I paused the video I was watching on my phone.

Below the video, the number 22,153,923 views was displayed.

When I pressed the back button, the Naver main page appeared. This man's face was plastered all over the news. When I picked up the remote and turned on the TV, the face of this Shin Su-gwang appeared.

"......"

I,

Know the ins and outs of many political newcomers.

The political arena,

Does not tolerate the emergence of political newcomers. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it kicks away the ladder.

The established political world is such an entity. Thoroughly prioritizing their own interests, these monstrous power figures in society. And the goal that everyone aspires to.

Anyway.

That's why there are no meteoric political newcomers.

Even I, because Yang Pansuk had his son investigate the other candidate, received the gold badge.

Because if the one I pushed at the last moment wins, it's 100% the achievement of the public affairs committee chairman, and it means adding a useful lineage member.

In other words.

Every political newcomer climbs into the political arena to align with the interests of the established political world.

In other words,

[The internet speech of National Party presidential primary candidate Shin Su-gwang is causing a sensation. It's breaking records for the fastest number of views, and it's capturing the attention of the entire nation...]

[As Shin Su-gwang emerges as a new presidential candidate for the National Party, the debate over the difficult issue of retaking Seoul is intensifying...]

[Everyone! What kind of fight is this? Are we supposed to be dragged into the reserves and die in Seoul?! Who was it that released the reserves to seize power...]

There are no main characters in the political arena.

Only directors or actors.

So Shin Su-gwang, this man, is not a meteoric political newcomer who stirs national empathy,

But rather,

Thoroughly planned by 'someone's' hand,

EP 15

An Extra in the Political Arena

END