Chapter 150.1: I Missed You (1)

It was three-thirty on Sunday morning in Korean time. They were still thirty minutes away from landing at the airfield in Osan, but not a single soldier was asleep.

“Should I take a short break in South Korea for a few days?” Gérard asked jokingly.

“Is that even allowed?” Kang Chan said doubtfully.

“No. I would be staying in the country illegally,” Gérard replied shamelessly, to which Kang Chan just smirked. “Captain, can I stay in Korea after I get discharged?”

What was up with this punk? Was he being serious?

“I still have about a year left. I’m debating whether to request extending my service or get discharged. But to be honest, a battlefield without you, Cap, is just plain boring.”

“Who in the world fights battles and puts their lives on the line just for fun?” Kang Chan asked in disbelief.

“I do.” Gérard sounded serious. “I’ve been lonely my whole life. However, after meeting, fighting beside, and lounging around in the barracks with you, I noticed I wasn’t lonely anymore. I was having fun.”

Gérard sighed loudly.

“Unlike you, Cap, I couldn’t even properly save the little newborn chicks. Every time I lost one, I wondered what my reason was for living. However, seeing the looks on the faces of the South Korean special forces made me realize that I want to complete an operation as proudly as they did,” he said as he glanced at the soldiers.

The soldiers looked between Gérard and Kang Chan curiously, unable to understand them since they were speaking in French.

“At least half of the famous Foreign Legion’s special forces team would have died if the Spetsnaz launched a surprise attack on us. The SBS was there too… Even so, not a single one of you died. When I return to our barracks, I’ll find myself among little chicks with bandanas and berets on their heads again. They’ll be attempting to mimic you by practicing their smirks and suddenly aiming their rifles as they walk. It’s a sight for sore eyes!

Argh

!” Gérard grumbled in disgust as he shook his head. “I’m not confident that I can rescue those punks.”

Kang Chan understood a bit of what Gérard was feeling. The little punk was overburdened by the responsibility on his shoulders. If he could successfully get through this alive, he would become a force to be reckoned with. If not, then he would become a corpse.

“Come over to Korea if you ever feel lonely.” Kang Chan grinned.

Gérard, who was looking down at the ground, raised his head up.

“I and Dayeru… We all joined the Foreign Legion because we were lonely. So if the day ever comes when you feel like you’re alone, hop on a plane to Korea. Heck, you can even join the South Korean special forces,” Kang Chan said in an easygoing tone.

“Will you be there too, Cap?”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”

“Well, I’m still coming!”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Kang Chan smirked. Gérard smiled happily.

“What are you two talking about?” Seok Kang-Ho suddenly jumped in, curiosity getting the best of him.

Kang Chan explained their conversation to him. Kang Chan thought Seok Kang-Ho would complain about the proposition, but much to his surprise, Seok Kang-Ho nodded and patted Gérard on the shoulders.

“Come on over anytime. This big brother of yours will teach you the proper ways of life,” Seok Kang-Ho said.

His tone was warm, but the meaning behind his words seemed strange.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“What’s this guy saying?” Gérard asked with a hint of displeasure.

Sigh. It’s never easy when these two are put together. And with Smithen added to the mix…

Kang Chan suddenly felt as if he had just made a big, big mistake.

A series of three short sounds echoed throughout the plane, signaling the men that they had arrived at Osan. The moment they were signaled that they would be landing soon, the soldiers began to feel excited.

Whoosh!

The plane’s engines preparing for landing sounded as if home was calling out to them.

R-R-Rumble.

However, the landing was horribly rough!

It was currently ten past four in the morning.

The doors of the plane opened, revealing a landing strip shrouded in darkness. The soldiers all got up and began to collect their things.

Just then, Gérard saluted Kang Chan from the entrance, and Kang Chan turned around and reciprocated it. However, Gérard wasn’t finished. With the helmet of the SBS held to his side, he saluted the soldiers who were stepping off the plane, sending respect from one special force soldier to another.

Cha Dong-Gyun, Choi Jong-Il, and Kwak Cheol-Ho got off the plane and saluted back in return.

“Those punks could be trouble in the future,” Seok Kang-Ho said as he saw the prideful look in the three men’s eyes.

“Let them be. They should know what it’s like to relish in their victories too,” Kang Chan replied.

Seok Kang-Ho nodded in agreement.

A tourist bus with all of its lights turned off approached the plane on the landing strip.

Kang Chan realized that they were all still wearing military uniforms when he saw the last soldier descend from the plane holding his and Seok Kang-Ho’s clothes.

Kang Chan was the last to step on the landing strip. With the soldiers climbing onto the bus, he glanced back at the plane. It would most likely refuel and fly straight to France from here.

He felt sorry for Gérard. The chick would feel bored the entire trip back, but the time had come for everyone to return to their respective positions. There was nothing Kang Chan could do for him.

‘Have a safe flight.’

Kang Chan nodded in Gérard’s direction to bid him farewell, then climbed on the bus himself. He sat in the front seat.

The bus only turned its lights back on once it had gone past the barricades at the exit. They passed by a small intersection, took a left turn, and drove past a large intersection with traffic signals. They now just had to turn left at the next intersection, and the path they were on would eventually merge with roads that civilians drove on as well.

However, the bus unexpectedly took a right and stopped instead. On the road were two sedans and two vans. They seemed to have been waiting for the bus.

The doors to the van opened under the illumination of the streetlight, and three people stepped out.

Swoosh.?

Kang Chan immediately got off the bus.

“Kang Chan!”

It was Jeon Dae-Geuk. The old man seemed to have taken up a bad habit of getting around to places with bandages still wrapped around him. Kim Hyung-Jung, who was right behind him, wasn’t any better.

Kim Tae-Jin, the healthiest and most intact of the three, stood furthest at the back.

A French agent also stepped out of the van. He held his hands together in front of him as he waited for Kang Chan.

“Thank you.” Jeon Dae-Geuk put a hand on Kang Chan’s shoulders with mixed emotions in his eyes.

“Mr. Seok!” he addressed next, holding out his hand.

Turning his head, Kang Chan saw Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee had also gotten off the bus.

“Why don’t we all have breakfast together, just us?” Jeon Dae-Geuk asked.

“Sounds fine. We should send the van off first, though,” Kang Chan replied.

“Understood. You should go say goodbye to the soldiers too,” Jeon Dae-Geuk suggested.

Kang Chan nodded.

“Let’s do it together,” Kang Chan said to the others.

They had just stepped off the bus, but it was only right to bid the soldiers farewell. Leading Seok Kang-Ho, Choi Jong-Il, and the others, Kang Chan returned to the bus.

“We’ll be parting ways here,” Kang Chan declared.

The soldiers all pressed their lips together as they looked back at him. The looks in their eyes were definitely different from before this operation.

“Good work, all of you. I’m glad you all came back alive. Whatever mission you go on next, always keep this operation in your heads.”

“Attention!” Cha Dong-Gyun shouted firmly, and the soldiers all shuffled in position. “Salute!”

Thud.?

Kang Chan looked at all the soldiers inside the bus, then saluted back.

It was a great relief that they had all come back alive.

When Kang Chan dropped his hand, Cha Dong-Gyun shouted, “At ease!”

The floor of the bus rumbled once more.

Lee Doo-Hee received their clothes, and the bus left immediately after.

Kang Chan turned to the French agent who was waiting in front of the van.

“I’ll travel with these men, so you can leave first,” Kang Chan informed him.

“The ambassador is awaiting your call,” the agent stated.

“Right now?” Kang Chan asked in surprise. It was already four-thirty in the morning.

Kang Chan took the phone that the agent handed him.

“Mr. Ambassador!” he greeted.

-Mr. Kang Chan, that was a brilliant operation.?

The snake kept slyly using his emotions to move Kang Chan’s heart.

“Some people waited for me today, so I need to have breakfast with them. I’ll give you another call when I’m back in Seoul,” Kang Chan told him.

-Ah! What a shame. I only have time for breakfast today.

Lanok’s regretful tone was delivered over the phone.

-Top officials from two African countries are visiting South Korea, so I cannot miss it. I will call you once I’m finished with my business.

“Got it. If it’s okay with you, I’ll meet with you even if it’s late at night,” Kang Chan said.

-Mr. Kang Chan.?

Kang Chan sensed that Lanok was about to thank him, so he quickly spoke first.

“Mr. Ambassador. This accomplishment was only possible because you were standing guard behind my back. Let’s continue this conversation when we meet in person, sir,” Kang Chan respectfully stated.

The call ended with Lanok’s laughter.

After sending the French agent off with the van, Kang Chan returned to the group and left immediately.

Kim Tae-Jin and Choi Jong-Il’s party took one car, and Jeon Dae-Geuk, Kang Chan, and Seok Kang-Ho got in the car that Kim Hyung-Jung drove.

Kang Chan sat behind the passenger seat. Jeon Dae-Geuk, who was next to him, used his left hand to softly shake Kang Chan’s right hand.

It made Kang Chan feel shy, but it also clearly conveyed to him Jeon Dae-Geuk’s emotions. Since it warmed a part of his heart, he didn’t say anything about it.