Episode 55

‘A handgun…?’

Hae-woon froze, unable to turn his head in surprise.

“Don’t turn your head. After Part 1 ends, come to Parking Lot, Basement Level 5, F-7.” S

Hae-woon was suprosed by the young man’s voice more than he expected.

Boom!

The musical’s opening music resounded throughout the theater, and when Hae-woon turned to look behind him, there was no one there.

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Yeon-woo’s heart raced as he descended the stairs. The person who appeared behind Hae-woon was Yeon-woo, who had taken his car’s smart key and pressed it against the neck, making it look as if he were aiming a gun.

“Why…? How come?”

Yeon-woo thought of numerous scenarios as he walked quickly downstairs. In his past life as Jeon Su-hwan, he had never been surprised by exploding bombs or flying bullets. However, his emotions were vastly different now, and he had become accustomed to a richer emotional life. his rapidly beating heart seemed to confirm that.

Yet, his 20 years of experience as an excellent agent had not disappeared. Yeon-woo quickly reached Basement Level 5, checked his escape route in case of an emergency, and reexamined his hat and mask.

Tick-tock.

Time passed, and from behind a pillar, Yeon-woo saw the young man who was his target approaching.

“Stop.”

Hae-woon stopped in his tracks at Yeon-woo’s command.

“…Are you really Team Leader Jeon Su-hwan?”

A slightly choked voice came from Hae-woon.

“When Baek Yoo-hyun arrived in Tehran, what was the name of the hotel he stayed at?”

A question devoid of emotion came from behind the pillar.

“…It wasn’t a hotel. He went directly to the embassy.”

As soon as he answered, the next question followed.

“How did you return to Yazd when the car and GPS were both malfunctioning in the desert?”

“I have no idea. Team Leader, you navigated by the stars. You’re no Columbus.”

Hae-woon quickly added before the next question came.

“But, Team Leader, I understand your suspicions, but my memories are still not fully intact. Fortunately, your questions are about things I already know.”

“This is the last question. What did I say before I died?”

At the final question, Hae-woon smiled wistfully.

“…If you stay in the field for too long, someday you’ll get eaten. But I didn’t stay for that long, yet I still got eaten.”

“You’re wrong.”

Behind the pillar emerged a man with a sturdy build.

“It’s cold. I said I should get an extra blanket, right?”

“No, wasn’t that just you talking to yourself?”

Ryu Yeon-woo walked slowly towards him and extended his hand.

Hae-woon stared at his hand for a moment and then grabbed it tightly, causing tears to suddenly flow.

Memories of someone else rushed in, causing a sudden breakdown. Days of investigating alone when he couldn’t turn to anyone for support. Hae-woon had been through a lot, and he had been struggling with his mental health as Baek Yoo-hyun and Hae-woon gradually merged.

“Do you know how hard I worked to find you Team Leader Jeon?”

Yeon-woo patted Hae-woon’s back.

Strangely, Hae-woon felt a bit uncomfortable with his touch.

“Well… you weren’t usually this kind, were you?”

Yeon-woo chuckled at Hae-woon’s words.

“We need to start fresh with a new team and a new life. But… you shouldn’t have died.”

“Yes, I agree. I’m much younger than Team Leader, after all.”

Yeon-woo shook her head.

“That’s not what I meant.”

With a firm tone, Yeon-woo called Hae-woon by his name from a previous life, Baek Yoo-hyun, and asked.

“Yoo-hyun, what was your last memory before you died?”

 

“Um… I heard gunshots over the speaker, and when Team Leader didn’t respond, I followed the manual to destroy the data and open the door for escape. That’s my last memory.”

Upon hearing this, Yeon-woo stroked his chin under the mask and spoke.

“You were not supposed to die. Where you were wasn’t just a safe house, it was a place I personally created. Even within the National Intelligence Service, less than ten people know the address.”

Hae-woon suddenly realized something and looked surprised.

“Are you saying…”

“For now, let’s change our location.”

Yeon-woo said. He looked around at the pillars and the ceiling, conscious of the CCTV, and then began to walk.

Hae-woon quietly followed him.

Click.

Yeon-woo pressed his car key, and P’s car light appeared in a corner of the parking lot.

“Wow, Team Leader, did you reincarnate as a rich family’s youngest son or something?”

Yeon-woo chuckled in response to Hae-woon’s question.

“Not a rich family, just an ordinary house’s eldest son. Get in.”

As soon as Hae-woon got in, Yeon-woo disconnected the power to the car’s black box.

Hae-woon, who followed him into the car, asked.

“But how old were you when you reincarnated, Team Leader? You look young.”

Yeon-woo removed his hat and mask while looking at Hae-woon.

“Wow, where have I seen you before?”

Marveled at his handsome face.

Ryu Yeon-woo, not Jeon Su-hwan, extended his hand for a handshake once again.

“I should introduce myself again. In this life, I’m an actor named Ryu Yeon-woo.”

“Oh! Are you one of the rising stars these days?”

Hae-woon suddenly remembered the field agent he worked with in the lab, who used to watch YouTube during lunchtime and was a fan of Ryu Yeon-woo.

Not as Baek Yoo-hyun but as Hae-woon, he also shook hands with Ryu Yeon-woo and introduced himself properly.

“I’m Hae-woon Han, a prosecutor at the Busan Western District Prosecutor’s Office.”

“Hmm, it’s you? The Love and Hope House.”

Yeon-woo nodded, recalling the previous conversation.

“Haha, I had only vague memories back then and couldn’t make sense of it.”

Hae-woon carefully examined Yeon-woo’s face, which was illuminated by the parking lot lights.

“Huh, did you save the country in your past life? Oh… you did save it.”

Despite his somewhat stern appearance, Yeon-woo’s face had a blessed look compared to himself. Hae-woon nodded, having heard legends about the cases Team Leader Jeon had solved since he joined the National Intelligence Service for training.

Yeon-woo chuckled at Hae-woon’s quirky remark.

“You’re still making meaningless comments.”

“You’ve changed a lot. I’ve never seen Team Leader smiling before.”

In fact, Yeon-woo seemed brighter now than before. Today, he had met an old acquaintance from his past life, and his previous personality seemed to emerge more.

“By the way, what do you mean by your memories being ‘wobbly’?”

Hae-woon shared the events he had experienced so far, including those that had resurfaced.

Speaking to someone else and getting things off his chest made Hae-woon feel clearer in his mind.

Yeon-woo thought deeply after hearing Hae-woon’s story.

‘Why is it different from my case?’

Yeon-woo sometimes thought that the influence of Ryu Yeon-woo, the high school student who was the original owner of this body, might have made his personality brighter than it used to be.

He had suffered to the point of attempting s*****e and struggled with depression, but according to his younger sister So-hyeon, he was timid and even kinder than anyone else.

“Hmm, is it a difference in mental strength… maybe?”

“What do you mean?”

Hae-woon asked, prompting Yeon-woo to explain his hypothesis.

Originally, Ryu Yeon-woo’s ego had weakened as he suffered from harassment, so when the strong ego of Jeon Su-hwan entered, it had little influence. However, Hae-woon’s prosecutor ego was strong and was in conflict with Baek Yoo-hyun’s ego, gradually merging with it.

“Well, it makes sense.”

Yeon-woo had to reveal some personal information to discuss the hypothesis and share information. He didn’t completely trust Hae-woon yet, but there was no one else to confide in about reincarnation.

“But the problem is why the two of us.”

Hae-woon responded to Yeon-woo’s statement.

“I feel that it’s my divine mission, something given to me by God.”

“I didn’t know you were such a devout believer.”

Yeon-woo distanced himself slightly in the car.

Hae-woon was taken aback and waved his hand.

“Yes? No, that’s not it. I’m referring to the ‘Heaven’ in the national anthem or something like that…”

Yeon-woo quietly smiled as he watched Hae-woon scramble to explain.

“You’re joking. Well, it seems you’re still adjusting to your changed personality.”

Yeon-woo stopped joking and spoke seriously.

“If both of us died, it very likely means there is someone within the National Intelligence Service intentionally involved.”

“Yes, and it could be someone in a high position.”

Hae-woon’s comment received a nod from Yeon-woo.

“It might not be just a person, but a faction. I didn’t pay much attention to internal power struggles within the National Intelligence Service in my past life, but there were a few suspicious individuals.”

After Yeon-woo finished speaking, Hae-woon asked a question that had been on his mind.

“Team Leader, have you ever made a report using a public phone in Daejeon?”

“Hmm? How do you know about that?”

Hae-woon explained how he had come across that information.

Yeon-woo shook her head, looking a bit nervous.

“You did something very dangerous, trying to access the database with your previous passcode.”

“I had to because I was desperate…”

“That report was about the last mission we undertook. I intended to use that report to sever my connection with my past life.”

“Ah, you mean the illegal arms trade involving North Korean intelligence?”

Yeon-woo nodded in response to Hae-woon’s question.

“I remember most of the operation in Iran now. It haunts me in my dreams every day.”

“I obtained information about a name, ‘Baek Sol’. At the time, I thought it was the name of a North Korean intelligence officer, but now I think it might not have been a person’s name from the beginning.”

Yeon-woo pondered on his words, and Hae-woon kept thinking about the word ‘Baek Sol’.

“First, we should investigate that side.”

“The current base is in Busan, right? Find this person and gather information from them. Besides, even if they leak that I died, it won’t be a problem. They can’t reveal the name ‘Jeon Su-hwan’.”

“Alright, Team Leader.”

Hae-woon responded with a salute, and Yeon-woo smiled.

“I’m not a team leader anymore. Just an actor with many dreams.”

Then, he glanced at the name ‘Baek Sol’ written in his notebook and spoke again.

“Whoever used us won’t be spared, but for now, embrace your new life and enjoy it. After all, it’s you, Baek Yoo-hyun, and Hae-woon who share it.”

Hae-woon nodded and promised to investigate carefully and cautiously.

Meanwhile, as the two of them conversed in the underground parking lot, the South Korean entertainment news was buzzing with Ryu Yeon-woo’s name.