After the terrorist attack in Tehran, the NIS had also entered a state of emergency.
The atmosphere at headquarters was tenser than usual.
Globally, the international community was on high alert, as the attack had occurred just before the trilateral summit between Iran, Russia, and Turkey.
Since Iran declared a national state of emergency, communications and transportation were severely restricted, and inspection measures had tightened considerably.
Government agencies worldwide responded swiftly to any updates but remained low-profile, wary of being drawn into the incident.
There was widespread speculation over who had orchestrated the attack.
The BBC claimed it was the work of an armed opposition group against the Iranian government, while France's AFP reported that a Kurdish militant group was responsible, citing a government official.
CNN suggested that ISIS might have been behind the attack, referring to their recent suspicious activities.
Meanwhile, an Iranian state media outlet dared to allege that the United States secretly funded the attack, discontented with Iran's close ties with Russia.
The already tense international situation escalated dramatically.
The full extent of the damage from the attack remained unclear.
Reports only confirmed that both presidents had escaped unharmed, though their entourages and security personnel had suffered numerous casualties, with many still missing.
Since drones carried out the bombings,
recovering intact bodies and identifying victims would be extremely difficult.
The NIS itself had to act cautiously in its communications with agents on the ground.
The fact that they had been conducting a mission at the exact time and place of the attack could easily raise unjustified suspicions against them.
For now, two facts were certain: First, Park Jeong-ho's family had managed to defect from North Korea amid the chaos in Tehran and were now in Thailand; second, the agent assigned to support Kwon Taekjoo, known as P2, had managed to extract Park Jeong-ho from Kwon Taekjoo's custody and escort him to the embassy.
Kwon Taekjoo's status remained unknown.
It was confirmed that a series of drone bombings had completely destroyed the area where he was last located.
Very few survivors had been pulled from the rubble, and those rescued were found unconscious.
A week had passed since then.
The chip embedded in all undercover agents had not transmitted any vital signals.
In most cases, this meant the agents were presumed dead.
But among all of them, could Kwon Taekjoo… truly be dead?
It was unthinkable.
Director Kwak rubbed his throbbing temples, glancing at the latest updates from the field.
There hadn't been any new information in hours.
Kwon Taekjoo could possibly be among the unidentified and unconscious survivors.
Director Kwak clung to the hope that the chaotic situation was delaying crucial information.
How long had he been waiting like this?
Suddenly, a knock echoed through his door.
He looked up and said,
"Come in."
His secretary entered without delay.
"Sir, we received news from the embassy on site."
"What did they say?"
"Most of the news concerns Park Jeong-ho. He's currently receiving medical care and resting at the embassy. However, his gunshot wounds were deeper than expected, so even after rehabilitation, he may suffer permanent disabilities. They plan to keep him under protection
until he's mobile, then send him to his asylum country with Turkey's help once his new identity is ready."
"And have they decided on the destination?"
"Yes. He requested Switzerland."
"Really? Alright, we'll need to get the paperwork in order. What about the shipment we were trying to secure?"
"They've managed to retrieve it and are looking for a safe way to bring it back. According to Park Jeong-ho, it's a microorganism from the volcanic region of Mount Baekdu. Inhaling it triggers a severe inflammatory response that can kill the host within hours. It's immune to
any known treatment and spreads rapidly, which seems to have caught Russia's interest."
Were they planning to develop a highly lethal, invisible weapon?
It was clear they had considered the potential for amassing a fortune or disrupting the balance of world power.
All of this matched the intelligence provided by Kwon Taekjoo, whose source was reportedly the Russian ambassador.
This confirmed that Ambassador Bogdanov was not aligned with his
country's or his family's agendas.
"Everything has gone smoothly, then."
But even as he said that, Director Kwak couldn't fully relax—he still hadn't received the one piece of news he truly needed.
"Have we still not located G1? Is there no unidentified Asian man among the injured or dead?"
"No, sir. They've searched the area and nearby hospitals from G1's last known position, but there's been no progress. No one remotely matches his description, let alone an Asian man."
The secretary hesitated before carefully asking his opinion.
"Sir… Agent G1 only has one immediate family member, his mother. She's currently in Canada. Should we inform her of his disappearance?"
"… For now, let's focus on finding a body. If G1 is truly dead, we owe it to his mother to return his remains. I'll reach out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance. Mobilize everyone you can to locate him."
"Yes, sir."
The secretary withdrew silently, closing the door behind him.
Director Kwak sank heavily into his chair, releasing a deep sigh.
According to Agent P2's report, Kwon Taekjoo had stayed on-site until the very last moment.
A seasoned professional like him could have pulled out at a reasonable time, but he insisted on pressing forward, putting the mission above his own safety.
Was it arrogance, a belief that he could survive anything?
Or was it patriotism?
A sense of justice?
If it wasn't any of those, then...
'Can't you at least give me a chance to explain myself?'
'I was pulled from the operation under suspicion, accused of things I never did. It feels like all my years of work have been thrown away. How long will I be under probation? If I keep waiting, will anyone ever clear my name?'
'The fate of this country is at stake. We can't afford to worry about your personal honor…'
'If we lose even our honor, what else do we have in this line of work?'
"....."
Kwon Taekjoo had said he wanted a chance to explain himself after failing his last mission in Vladivostok and being accused of conspiring with the Russian ambassador.
He would have done anything to prove his innocence and set things right.
But that wasn't all.
"I have a favor to ask, sir."
Before heading to Iran, Kwon Taekjoo had made a single request.
All agents understood they couldn't expect any additional compensation for completing their missions.
The director knew that Kwon Taekjoo was fully aware of this, so his sudden request had caught him off guard.
"A favor?"
"Yes. Once this mission is over, I…"
Perhaps his request stemmed from disappointment with the NIS.
Had he suddenly felt an emptiness about the fate of an intelligence agent, whose life was entirely devoted to the nation?
Director Kwak was reflecting on Kwon Taekjoo's request when a commotion erupted outside his office door.
A familiar voice shouted,
"Director!"
followed by his secretary, who was trying to hold back the intruder.
Amid the struggle of someone trying to barge into his office while another tried to restrain him, there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of something hitting the floor.
Director Kwak stood up and went outside to assess the situation.
The person who had burst into his office was none other than Yoon Jongwoo.
His eyes were swollen from crying, and his face was streaked with tears.
The director knew well that KwonTaekjoo was Yoon Jongwoo's mentor and that their bond went beyond mere camaraderie.
He was aware that he should keep work separate from personal feelings, but this time it would be a significant challenge.
Director Kwak looked at his secretary, who was still holding Yoon Jongwoo back with all his might.
His secretary hesitated but eventually stepped aside and left the room, obeying the director's silent command.
"Sir! You're going to find sunbae, right? Sunbae… he has to be alive. I'm sure he's just a little hurt and unconscious somewhere, or his communicator broke, which is why he can't reach us. He's done it so many times before. He'll come back soon, asking us what happened…"
After a police helicopter accident in Tehran triggered a series of explosions, all signs of life from Kwon Taekjoo had gone silent.
It would have been a relief if it were merely a malfunction of the device, but days had passed with no word from him.
More than enough time had elapsed for an elite agent like Kwon Taekjoo to return.
And if he couldn't, he would have at least reported back to the NIS.
The absence of any trace meant that, somehow, he was unable to return on his own.
Director Kwak approached Yoon Jongwoo and patted his shoulder, offering him some comfort.
"We're using every resource we have to find him. And we will find him. So go get some rest. I heard you haven't been home in days."
"Sir, I'll do anything. Just give me the order. If I can hack into the security cameras or satellites in Tehran, I'm sure I'll find Sunbae. Or send me directly to Iran. I'll go look for him myself. Please?"
Yoon Jongwoo sobbed, pleading with his hands clasped together.
He begged like a child cornered with no way out, even though he knew deep down that the director couldn't permit it.
Iran was burning with rage, hunting for those responsible for the terrorist attack, and the entire world was focused on Tehran.
The NIS couldn't afford to make any rash moves to search for an agent who had disappeared amid such a storm.
Moreover, intelligence agents were meant to operate in the shadows.
Even if Kwon Taekjoo had died in the line of duty, they wouldn't be able to bring his body back, and depending on the circumstances, they might even have to deny his identity.
Agents dedicated their lives to the nation, but they could be abandoned at any moment in the nation's interest.
That was the fate of intelligence agents.
"... Sunbae's father and brother died while serving their duty... and now he's the only one left. His mother can't even sleep at night because she worries about him... She asked me to look after him, to check in on him at home, even if she wasn't there. If something happened to
him, how could I face her? What could I possibly say?"
he cried in deep sobs, dropping to his
knees and clutching Director Kwak's leg.
"Sunbae sacrificed too much for all of you! The country can't just turn its back on him like this. We're all still citizens with rights… They can't discard us like spent batteries…"
"We move in the darkness and aspire to the light. We, the nameless, dedicate our lives in search of freedom and truth.
We pledge limitless loyalty and devotion to the nation and its people."
The ideals of merit and service that had been instilled in every NIS employee now felt bitter to him.
Yoon Jongwoo trudged back to his darkened home.
As soon as he was inside, he hugged his
bag tightly and crouched down, the sobs he had been holding back pouring out once more.
He buried his face in his bag and began to cry quietly.
Thoughts of Kwon Taekjoo had consumed him all day.
His mind drifted back to their first
meeting.
After winning an international hacking marathon organized by a U.S. tech company, Yoon Jongwoo received numerous job offers, including one from the NIS.
Ever since he was young, he had dreamed of becoming a white-hat hacker, so it didn't take him long to make a decision.
As soon as he finished his training, he was assigned directly to a real operation.
As part of the support team, he was paired one-on-one with field agents, tasked with providing remote assistance.
His colleagues were quickly paired up with their partners and soon adapted to
their roles, despite their numerous complaints.
But Yoon Jongwoo's partner had been absent for several days. With no other tasks to do, he sat idly for a long time.
Then, unexpectedly, he was assigned to support his partner remotely.
It was his first real mission, and he was tense with nerves. But his partner spoke to him first over the radio.
["So, you're the new rookie who just arrived?"]
Yoon Jongwoo wasn't even sure if that was an appropriate greeting, given the blunt, casual tone.
His first impression of Kwon Taekjoo was far from positive.
Every time they started a mission, Kwon Taekjoo ignored all of Yoon Jongwoo's suggestions, only demanding information when he needed it and doing things his own way.
With his independent and headstrong nature, he couldn't have been a worse partner.
It was as if a dark shadow had suddenly been cast over Yoon Jongwoo's bright and promising future.
Yoon Jongwoo didn't meet Kwon Taekjoo in person until they successfully completed their mission.
He was busy drafting a report when someone approached him.