Chapter 195.2: Things Never Go As Planned (2)

Kang Dae-Kyung drove Kang Chan and Yoo Hye-Sook to the Korean beef restaurant that was right behind the showroom.

Once seated, they ordered sirloin.

.

“Mother, I’ve requested to be admitted into the Department of Political Science and International Relations for college. They’ll be giving me an official leave of absence from school, so I’ll get to study the basics a bit more once I’m back before attending school next year,” Kang Chan said.

Kang Chan thought that Yoo Hye-Sook would be very happy to hear that, but she unexpectedly just nodded.

“Dig in,” Yoo Hye-Sook said, then busied herself by feeding Kang Chan with meat. She even wrapped some in lettuce before giving it to Kang Chan. It was as if she was feeding a child without arms.

Kang Chan ate so much that he felt suffocated.

He thought that Kang Dae-Kyung would stop Yoo Hye-Sook from making him eat too much, but Kang Dae-Kyung just kept grilling meat and putting it in front of Yoo Hye-Sook. Seeing them like this made it hard for Kang Chan to say that he couldn’t eat anymore.

They wanted Kang Chan to eat even just one piece of meat.

Kang Dae-Kyung pretended to be broad-minded and understanding of everything that was happening, but it seemed he felt no different from Yoo Hye-Sook. He wanted his son—who was about to go somewhere far—to have at least one more bite before leaving.

Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook only stopped when they thought Kang Chan had eaten a lot even by their parental standards.

“Mother, I can’t eat anymore,” Kang Chan finally admitted. When he stepped back, Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook looked somewhat satisfied.

“Aren’t you two going to eat?” Kang Chan asked.

“I’m already full just watching you eat. Do you want to have rice?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked.

“No, thanks. I’ve eaten way too much already,” Kang Chan answered. He jutted his stomach forward and showed it to them.

“What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Most likely around four in the morning. They told me that the embassy would send a car over to pick me up.”

“That’s no different than you leaving late tonight, is it? Are you sure you don’t have to pack anything? Not taking anything with you might give you problems later.”

“Yes. I don’t have to bring anything since they’ll be training and taking care of me over there.”

Yoo Hye-Sook tried her best to accept the situation. Kang Dae-Kyung had to have comforted her a lot before meeting with Kang Chan.

“Do you want to go home with us?” Kang Dae-Kyung asked.

“I have a few more people to meet and say goodbye to, but I’ll be home soon.”

“Okay. Don’t come home too late,” Kang Dae-Kyung said, then gestured to Yoo Hye-Sook with a glance.

Once Kang Chan’s parents had driven away, he left the restaurant as well and headed to the coffee shop at the intersection.

He first bought and took digestive medicine, then ordered coffee and sat on the terrace.

Kang Chan was leaving at five am, but he still didn’t feel like he was really going somewhere that far. He would only be gone for six months anyway, and he could also talk to everyone on the phone whenever he wanted. To top it all off, he was going to France, which he was already familiar with.

Kang Chan waited for his dinner to be digested before calling Seok Kang-Ho.

- Where are you?

“I’ve just finished eating dinner with my parents. I’m at the specialty coffee shop at the intersection.”

- One moment.

Why did he say that?

Kang Chan cocked his head.

- The section chief is coming with me. We’re on our way.

Around twenty minutes later, the three people whom Kang Chan said goodbye to earlier arrived at the coffee shop, this time with Jeon Dae-Geuk.

“How can you just up and leave on such short notice?” Jeon Dae-Geuk asked. It was only natural that he would act this way. After all, he didn’t have even the slightest idea of what was happening in the UK. Once everyone was seated, they ordered coffee and requested a couple of other things. After some time, Jeon Dae-Geuk, Kim Hyung-Jung, and Kim Tae-Jin stood up to leave.

“Be safe, okay?” Jeon Dae-Geuk said.

“I’ll be back,” Kang Chan said.

Jeon Dae-Geuk tightly shook Kang Chan’s hand, then turned around.

Kim Hyung-Jung and Kim Tae-Jin also shook hands with Kang Chan again and then followed Jeon Dae-Geuk out of the coffee shop, leaving Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho behind.

“Lanok told me that Ethan was telling the truth,” Kang Chan said.

“Doesn’t that mean things will get dangerous?” Seok Kang-Ho asked as he looked around their surroundings. It was already quite late, so a lot of people were on the terrace.

Kang Chan then told Seok Kang-Ho about what Lanok told him before ending their meeting.

“Damn! That gentleman is quite charming!” Seok Kang-Ho commented afterward.

“Charming?”

“Isn’t he? He stood at a crossroads that was forcing him to choose between his country or a person he held dear. What would you have done if you were in his shoes?”

Kang Chan found himself nodding in agreement now that he heard Seok Kang-Ho’s reasoning.

“Anyway, keep your guard up while I’m gone. You better keep an eye out for anything unusual.

“Call me if you have to. I’ll be with the special forces as they train.”

Kang Chan nodded.

“What’s your plan tomorrow?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“I’ll be meeting Lanok at the Nonhyeon Station at around five.”

“Come out an hour earlier, then. Let’s get some coffee before you leave.”

Smirking, Kang Chan agreed. He didn’t know if he could say the same to others, but he saw no reason to stop Seok Kang-Ho from coming out to say goodbye to him.

“Go home early. Ah, right! Did you tell Mi-Young that you’re leaving?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“I couldn’t. I was afraid it would cause her to fail her exams.”

“That’s certainly possible.

Phew

! Well, you can call people anyway, so just tell her later. For now, we should go home,” Seok Kang-Ho suggested.

The two stood up, left the coffee shop, and hailed a taxi. Upon reaching their apartment complex, they parted ways near the entrance.

Kang Chan opened the door and went inside his house, finding Yoo Hye-Sook right in front of the door.

“Channy! You’re home already?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked. She looked very happy to see him, perhaps because she expected her to come home late.

Kang Chan lightly washed up, then headed back out to the living room and had fruits with his parents.

He hadn’t fully digested his dinner yet, but he wasn’t full enough to not get to eat a few slices of fruit either.

“If things get too difficult, remember that you can just come home, Channy. Don’t overdo it like when you work out in the mornings,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kang Chan stayed with his parents for about three hours before going back to his room.

He ran his hand across his desk and computer.

I’ve had enough of this.

From tomorrow onwards, he decided to only think about becoming powerful enough to protect those around him and about the Blackhead’s energy, which could soon make him pay the price for reincarnating.

Kang Chan lay in his bed. He had to sleep whenever he got the chance.

***

Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook were still in the living room when Kang Chan woke up at three. He took a shower, put on a shirt and a suit, then left his room.

Seeing him all dressed up and ready to go made Yoo Hye-Sook burst into tears.

“I’ll call you as soon as I get there, Mother,” Kang Chan said.

Unable to respond, Yoo Hye-Sook just pursed her lips and hugged Kang Chan as she cried.

After comforting Yoo Hye-Sook, Kang Chan turned to Kang Dae-Kyung.

“I should give my son a proper hug.” Kang Dae-Kyung hugged him and patted his back. “Be careful with whatever you’ll be up to over there.”

“I will, father.”

Kang Chan put on his shoes at the entrance and went out to the elevator. Yoo Hye-Sook followed him.

Ding.

“I’ll be back.”

“Be careful,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.

After comforting her one more time, he finally got in the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

“I won’t be long,” Kang Chan added.

As the elevator doors closed, Yoo Hye-Sook covered her mouth.

Kang Chan softly inhaled as soon as he got out of the elevator, the cold air that filled his lungs seemingly calming him down. If he had those kinds of parents in his previous life, he probably never would have even considered becoming a mercenary.

As soon as he walked out of the apartment building, he found Woo Hee-Seung waiting for him.

“Don’t you ever sleep?” Kang Chan asked.

“I can just sleep to my heart’s content after you leave.”

Kang Chan sat in the back seat, and Woo Hee-Seung sat in the passenger seat.

Seok Kang-Ho, who was already sitting on the terrace of a specialty coffee shop in front of Nonhyeon Station, stood up when he saw Kang Chan.

“Do you want coffee?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“Yeah.”

Woo Hee-Seung and Lee Doo-Hee sat at the table across from them.

“Stay out of trouble,” Kang Chan told Seok Kang-Ho.

“Hey! Shouldn’t you worry about yourself? Don’t beat up them too much for no reason, and you should also give in and lose a bit.”

The two lit up some cigarettes as they drank coffee.

Kang Chan suddenly felt as if time was passing by way too fast.

“Did you know it makes everyone feel weird and shittier if something that was always there suddenly disappears?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

When Kang Chan just smirked in response, Seok Kang-Ho grinned, then sighed. “Don’t take too long.”

Kang Chan nodded. After a while, a black van and a sedan stopped in front of the specialty coffee shop.

“I’m going,” Kang Chan said.

Seok Kang-Ho gritted his teeth so tightly that he couldn’t respond.

“Daye.”

Seok Kang-Ho’s cheek twitched. He looked straight at Kang Chan.

“I’m leaving now.”

“Alright.”

Kang Chan then turned and nodded toward Woo Hee-Seung and Lee Doo-Hee.

Rattle.

When he approached the vehicles, an agent exited the van and opened the door of the sedan for him.

A new fight was beginning.

“Mr. Kang Chan, how do you feel?” Lanok asked.

“I feel good.”

Lanok smiled, making him look like he was wearing a jester mask again. Soon after, the convoy drove off.

Seok Kang-Ho just stood on the terrace, his eyes slowly following the sedan.