45. One Day, Two Days, and Four Days. (1)

The air was heavy.

The three of us and the man in the white coat were all silent, just looking at each other.

We looked at him, and he looked at us.

I don’t know what the others were thinking, but I know how I felt.

This man is dangerous.

If it’s a gut feeling, then it’s a strong one.

I used to laugh at people who openly threatened to kill or commit suicide, and I still would, but this man is different.

His eyes show no hope, no future.

If he were to pull a knife from his pocket and stab himself without hesitation right here, I wouldn’t be surprised.

He is that dangerous.

To others, and especially to himself.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Turning to the side, I saw that Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk was also looking at me.

Seong Gyu-hyuk subtly shook his head.

Is he signaling that persuasion won’t work?

If so, then…

I slightly nodded at Seong Gyu-hyuk.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk turned his gaze to the man in the white coat and said:

“You said four days.”

The man in the white coat slowly nodded.

“That’s right.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk picked up the thick notebook from the floor and asked:

“This contains everything needed to manage the power plant, right?”

The man in the white coat smirked.

“It doesn’t contain professional details. It’s a manual on how to operate the equipment, what graphs and values are within normal ranges, and how to keep those values within normal ranges.”

“That’s enough.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk nodded and placed the power plant manual on Sergeant Song’s chest.

To the bewildered Sergeant Song, who had just caught the notebook, Seong Gyu-hyuk said:

“You take responsibility for learning from him. Don’t lose the book.”

“…What? Me?”

“Yes. With only four days, you’ll need to stick with him whenever you’re not eating, sleeping, or using the bathroom.”

Sergeant Song’s expression changed.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk looked at him intently.

He meant to keep an eye on him to prevent any mischief, or perhaps to persuade him.

…Can Sergeant Song do that?

Even if President Min Jeong-woo came and tried to persuade him for four days and nights, it might not work.

And the President wouldn’t come to a potentially dangerous operation site, and people like Chief of Staff Ahn Jun-gyu would oppose it.

The main point is to prevent him from committing suicide.

Whether that would work is another matter.

Sergeant Song, not completely clueless, slowly nodded after looking at the Special Forces Commander.

“…Understood.”

“Hmm.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk turned his gaze to the man in the white coat.

“I hope you can teach this friend. I believe you’ve recorded the manual thoroughly, but there’s a difference between reading it and learning by doing.”

The man in the white coat stiffened his face and didn’t answer.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk said:

“You said four days. You also said you’re not being irresponsible. If you’re not here, the power plant should still run normally, right? That’s why you wrote the manual.”

The man in the white coat smirked.

“I wrote the manual, yes. I started writing it as a pastime at night, but I did have that intention. Fine, let’s do it that way.”

He stood up from the control panel and said:

“But I have a condition.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk tilted his head.

“What condition?”

The man in the white coat slowly and deliberately said:

“Give me a gun.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk’s eyelids and eyebrows twitched.

Sergeant Song bared his teeth and looked back and forth between the man in the white coat and Seong Gyu-hyuk.

“What are you talking about… How can you give him a gun? No, it’s too dangerous.”

The man in the white coat didn’t care what Sergeant Song said.

He just kept looking at Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk.

Seong Gyu-hyuk slightly twisted his lips and slowly said:

“…A gun?”

The man in the white coat nodded.

“I said I’m leaving. You’re not going to send me off empty-handed, are you?”

Sergeant Song laughed in disbelief and said:

“But you said you’re not afraid of dying?”

“I’m not afraid.”

The man in the white coat looked at Sergeant Song intently.

“I just said it would be inconvenient to leave empty-handed. It would be nice to have a gun.”

He then extended his hand.

“Right now.”

Sergeant Song looked at the man in the white coat with a bewildered expression and said:

“What nonsense…”

Click!

The sound of metal.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk was taking a pistol from his holster, removing the magazine.

He then removed the round from the chamber and spun the gun in his hand, catching the barrel.

Thud.

…Impressive.

Definitely the movements of someone who has handled guns extensively.

Professional soldiers are different.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk, holding the barrel, extended the grip toward the man in the white coat and said:

“You said you’re leaving in four days. I’ll give you the ammunition then.”

This is quite clever.

I was also hesitant about giving him a gun, but Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk had a plan.

The man in the white coat looked at the pistol Seong Gyu-hyuk offered, then laughed bitterly.

“Right. I asked for a gun, not bullets.”

“Commander, don’t give him a gun! He’s too dangerous! Dangerous, I tell you!”

Sergeant Song stepped forward and protested to the Special Forces Commander.

Seong Gyu-hyuk didn’t respond.

The man in the white coat slowly walked over and took the pistol from Seong Gyu-hyuk.

Then, without hesitation, he pressed the barrel to his eye.

He seemed to be checking if the gun was loaded and if he could see through the barrel.

Moreover, his thumb was on the trigger, as if he found it convenient.

Who in their right mind would put a gun to their face and put their finger on the trigger, even if the gun is unloaded?

This guy clearly has never handled a gun before.

Click.

His thumb eventually pressed the trigger.

I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.

He just accidentally pulled it.

“Oops.”

The man in the white coat, startled by the click, moved the barrel away from his eye.

Looking at the man who had just pointed a gun at his own eye and pulled the trigger, the expressions of me, the Special Forces Commander, and Sergeant Song all changed.

Our faces were a mix of disbelief and shock.

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk, narrowing his eyes, looked the man in the white coat up and down and said quietly:

“…Don’t point a gun at your face.”

The man in the white coat looked at Seong Gyu-hyuk and said:

“Why? The bullets are all out, right?”

“Even so, that’s… sigh.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk seemed to lose his words and sighed.

Sergeant Song, with a bewildered expression, said to the man in the white coat:

“Whether there are bullets or not, you shouldn’t point a gun at anyone. Did you not serve in the military?”

The man in the white coat, looking at Sergeant Song, slowly nodded.

“Ah, I see. Understood. I’ll be careful.”

“No, really, what the hell happened to you, sir? Your mind must have snapped-“

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk firmly grabbed Sergeant Song’s shoulder and pulled him back.

Then, he slightly bowed his head to the man in the white coat.

“Excuse us, but we need to go down for a moment. I need to report the situation to the President. The method you mentioned, such as turning off the power, requires our approval.”

The man in the white coat, despite hearing Sergeant Song’s insults, didn’t seem to care.

He was just examining the gun with curiosity, turning it this way and that.

His face was full of interest.

He’s never touched a gun before.

The man in the white coat looked up at Seong Gyu-hyuk, a smile on his face.

“Ah, right. Understood. I’ll wait for you here.”

“Yes. We’ll be back soon.”

With that, he grabbed Sergeant Song’s shoulder and dragged him out.

As he passed, he nodded at me.

I nodded back and followed them out.

Click, click.

The sound of the man handling the gun came from behind.

Another click…

That’s not good for the gun.

As we descended the stairs, Sergeant Song, freeing his arm, protested to the Special Forces Commander:

“Why did you give him a gun? Didn’t you see that man? He’s really dangerous. I’ve never seen anyone like him in Seo-rae Village or anywhere else in my life. He gives me the creeps. How could you give a gun to someone like that?”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk, with a stern face, said:

“You’re right. That man is not normal. He’s dangerous, with or without a gun. A gun is just a tool. Violence comes from people, not tools.”

Sergeant Song, speechless, opened his mouth but couldn’t respond. The Special Forces Commander, seeing this, bared his teeth and said:

“Your role is to keep an eye on him and learn how to manage the power plant. Follow my orders when we’re in the field.”

Sergeant Song, still unconvinced, huffed but couldn’t find the words to argue and turned away.

“I don’t seem to fit in the field. Please exclude me from future operations.”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk, placing his hand on his hip and looking at Sergeant Song, sighed.

Then, he gently rubbed Sergeant Song’s head and said:

“Let’s go. Come on, Seong Hoon.”