God of Blackfield

Beep, beep, beep, beep. Click.

Home! I’m finally back home!

The house felt a tad stuffy when they opened the door and entered. However, the coziness that welcomed them inside was incomparable to the hotel.

“Goodness! The smell!” Yoo Hye-Sook exclaimed as she headed to the veranda. However, before she could reach it, she flinched and turned back to Kang Chan.

“They said it’s okay,” Kang Chan assured her.

Swish.

Kang Chan opened the curtains and the balcony window. He knew there were agents on this apartment’s rooftop and the rooftop of the opposite building.

“Oh, this is still here,” Kang Dae-Kyung remarked in surprise as he looked at the chicken on the table. It was the very same chicken that they had ordered to eat for their movie night but abandoned because they had to rush out of their home.

“Can we still eat that?” Yoo Hye-Sook wondered aloud.

“Of course not. Do you want to get sick?” Kang Dae-Kyung asked.

“Not really,” Yoo Hye-Sook furrowed her brows at her husband. She didn’t actually seem mad, though. “Can you get the vacuum cleaner, dear?” she asked.

“What about Channy?” Kang Dae-Kyung objected.

“Our son just got back this morning,” Yoo Hye-Sook asserted.

Kang Dae-Kyung burst out into laughter.

“Let me change into something more comfortable, then I’ll get the vacuum cleaner,” Kang Chan chimed in.

“Oh, right! Honey, we should change clothes first too,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.

They cleaned their house as intensely and fiercely as the operation Kang Chan went to.

With determination, Yoo Hye-Sook washed the bedding and clothes they brought from the hotel, and Kang Dae-Kyung and Kang Chan were tasked with vacuuming and mopping. The whole cleaning process took about two hours.

“Done. Is this good enough?” Kang Dae-Kyung asked. He sounded tired.

“Yep. Thank you, Honey. You and Channy should go wash up now. Give me the clothes you were wearing while cleaning,” Yoo Hye-Sook answered as she dashed back into the kitchen again.

How could they go take a shower while she was still so busy taking care of their home?

Yoo Hye-Sook scolded and asked Kang Dae-Kyung and Kang Chan why they followed her in, but the two just focused on helping her by washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen.

“Whew! I finally feel like I’m back home,” Yoo Hye-Sook exclaimed as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

Kang Chan couldn’t help but smile.

“Father really is a lucky man,” Kang Chan said with a grin.

“Right?” Yoo Hye-Sook agreed pleasantly.

“Hey! Are you really trying to score brownie points for yourself right now?” Kang Dae-Kyung shot at Kang Chan.

“I was just being honest,” Kang Chan replied innocently. He was glad that they could all smile.

The three had a cold glass of juice and then showered, changing into lounge clothes.

While Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook looked into vacation homes that they could go to, Kang Chan returned to his room. The soldier who broke his finger and the others who died in the recent operation randomly popped into his mind.

Just like Kang Chan, those soldiers likely had their own families as well—people who were waiting for them to return so they could laugh and chat together again.

Kang Chan let out a low sigh.

He would actually prefer it if someone sarcastically snarked at him right now like back in Africa. Although he talked all big to the soldiers about not feeling guilty, it wasn’t easy to shake off feelings like this. Perhaps this was why he acted so impudently to those people when he first met them.

Letting someone inside one’s heart was always scary. Men who had faced life and death together could relate to his thoughts right now.

Kang Chan let out a deep sigh and picked up his phone. The time had come to contact the people who had been waiting for his call.

The call was answered as soon as he pressed the call button.

- Monsieur Kang!

“Mr. Ambassador, I’ve returned back home,” Kang Chan greeted him. He felt as if this sly snake probably already knew that, though.

- This has got to be one of the most difficult operations I’ve ever witnessed or learned of. You just made something impossible possible in the most wonderful way.

Kang Chan just laughed.

- If you have time, would you like to have some tea with me?

“That goes without saying. I would be happy to see you again, Mr. Ambassador,” Kang Chan replied.

- You have no idea how much it pleases me to hear you say that, Mr. Kang Chan. I have too many appointments today, but how does tomorrow sound?

“Should I call you morning tomorrow then?”

- Around then would be great, but if it’s all right with you, let me be the one to initiate the call.

“Not a problem, Mr. Ambassador,” Kang Chan agreed.

Next up was Michelle. However, the call just kept ringing until it dropped on its own, connecting Kang Chan to the voicemail greeting in the end instead.

Is she busy?

Come to think of it, he hadn’t given the drama any attention in quite a while now.

Kang Chan also had two missed calls from phone numbers he didn’t recognize and one from Director Yoo Hun-Woo. He could probably get to these later.

Kim Mi-Young hadn’t contacted her yet since she was probably busy preparing for her exams.

“Channy! What are you up to?” Yoo Hye-Sook called for Kang Chan. She sounded brighter than usual, most likely because they were finally back home again. As he opened the door and stepped out, the scent of sesame oil greeted him.

“What are you cooking? It smells so good in here,” Kang Chan asked with amazement.

“The kimchi I left out got perfectly fermented, so I made some noodles with them. Come have some, Channy,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.

She set down a bowl for Kang Dae-Kyung, then stretched more noodles high over her head and plated them in another bowl for Kang Chan.

“That looks really good,” Kang Chan remarked.

“Your mother’s bibim-guksu is famous,” Kang Dae-Kyung joked.

“You should eat with us, Mother,” Kang Chan urged her.

Kang Chan only started eating his bibim-guksu when Yoo Hye-Sook sat down and picked up her chopsticks. The well-fermented kimchi, combined with spicy and slightly sweet seasoning, was so delicious that he couldn’t hold back his smile.

“Slow down, no one’s going to eat your food!” Yoo Hye-Sook rebuked him with a happy smile. Kang Chan could only imagine how uncomfortable someone as exuberant as her must have felt pent up in the hotel.

“Right, were you able to find a vacation home?” Kang Chan asked.

“Yup. There was a vacation home that seemed nice near the streams of Gapyeong. How does the day after tomorrow sound?” Kang Dae-Kyung asked.

“That’s all right with me,” Kang Chan responded.

Aside from his meeting with Lanok tomorrow, he had nothing in particular on his schedule.

“Honey, can you roast chicken for us during our vacation?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked Kang Dae-Kyung.

Kang Chan turned to Kang Dae-Kyung with a curious expression.

“Your dad makes the best chicken to pair with beer,” Yoo Hye-Sook explained.

“Your wish is my command,” Kang Dae-Kyung replied. He then ate a large mouthful of noodles. The food at the hotel didn’t suit his tastes that well.

“Honey! Slow down,” Yoo Hye-Sook said. She put more noodles in his bowl while stopping him from eating so fast.

While they were talking, they decided that Kang Dae-Kyung would make the reservation. After finishing his meal, Kang Chan went to his room and flopped down on his bed.

After meeting Lanok, I’ll talk about visiting the other agencies, and…

However, his eyes were heavy with sleep. The horrible sprinting, frequent catnaps, and intense fights—all of that was over now.

Kang Chan drifted off to sleep.

***

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

Buzz, buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Kang Chan’s eyes shot open. He glanced around at his surroundings.

It was still midday.

He picked up his phone from the desk and saw Michelle’s name on the screen when he turned it on.

“Hello?” Kang Chan answered.

- Channy? Did I catch you when you were sleeping? Sorry.

“It’s fine. It was about time for me to get up anyway,” Kang Chan said.

- I couldn’t pick up earlier because we were in the middle of filming. Are you okay?

Michelle could be considerate sometimes.

“I saw you called?” Kang Chan asked.

- Yeah. I was hoping to give you the documents for the building registration and talk about giving the employees a reward since the drama will be done next week.

Kang Chan pulled himself up. He could have Michelle take care of a bonus for the employees, but he should probably take the documents from her.

“Do you have time later in the evening?” Kang Chan asked.

- I had dinner plans, but I can cancel them.

Kang Chan laughed.

“Let’s just have a drink together after your dinner appointment. Where’s a good place for us to meet?” Kang Chan asked.

- Hmmm. Once I’m free, I’ll head over to your house and call you when I get there. I’ll probably be there at around nine.

“Sure. Sounds good.” After making plans with Michelle, Kang Chan hung up and looked at his phone screen. It was a little over three in the afternoon.

After what happened over the last few days, his stamina still didn’t seem to have recovered. That was only natural, though, considering he would have to rest for an entire day to recuperate from the amount of running he did.

Anyway, I wonder what they’re doing out there.

Click.

When Kang Chan stepped out of his room, he smiled at what he discovered.

Kang Dae-Kyung had fallen asleep with the TV still on, leaning his head on the backrest of the couch. Yoo Hye-Sook had dozed off with her hand gently resting on his leg in a fetal position.

They were probably tired from not being able to get proper sleep last night. The hotel life was no doubt uncomfortable for them too. Considering even Kang Chan felt so comfortable and cozy in their home, his parents probably felt that way even more.

I’m so lucky to get to meet people like them.

Kang Chan quietly returned to his room and brought out a thin blanket.

Creak. Creak.

Kang Chan put a lot more care into it than it looked. Nevertheless, just as he tried to cover Yoo Hye-Sook with the blanket…

“Channy? Oh dear, I must have fallen asleep,” she said, suddenly waking up. Although her lips were moving, her eyes were still extremely glazed with sleep.

“You should sleep a little more, Mother. It’s just a bit past three now,” Kang Chan told her.

Yoo Hye-Sook smiled drowsily.

Kang Dae-Kyung did look a bit uncomfortable, but waking him up right now would probably only be a loss for him. He would likely want to be in that position longer.