Jeong Tae-eui placed the booklet on his lap and gazed out the window, his eyes drifting over the road leading from the airport into the city. The path was the same as in any city—an open highway, empty and devoid of interest.
"The place you worked at before was the Americas headquarters, right?" his uncle asked.
"Reconsideration? Yeah, that's right. That guy was all brains. They say they're still after him at headquarters."
Jeong Tae-eui glanced at his uncle, curious.
"Are the headquarters and branches divided like that?"
"Not exactly, but usually. Headquarters is like the brain center. If you're sharp, even if you have a physical disability, you can make it in. But the branch needs people with basic physical strength. Doesn't mean that if you can fight, you'll get in just because your brain is made of muscle. To put it simply, the branch focuses on training the MacGyvers."
"MacGyver... I'm not sure about that, though," Tae-eui replied with a frown.
"Ah, don't worry. After a few months of rolling with it, you'll get it."
Jeong Tae-eui, weary-eyed, looked at his uncle, who was speaking so cheerfully, and then finally voiced his lingering questions.
"So, the branches aren't really that different, are they?"
"Hmm, not much. The training process is the same across all of them. Sometimes, people are exchanged between branches, but each branch has its own vibe. The South American guys are a bit wild, the African guys are unpredictable, the Australians are a little mischievous, and the Europeans—well, they're just brutal."
There was a clear disparity between the cheerful tone and the raw content of the words.
"Are you on bad terms with the Europeans?"
"The headquarters and the branches don't get along, and the branches themselves aren't exactly friendly either. It's just the way it is in competitive environments. But the Asian and European branches? They have a special relationship. We have a joint training once a year for fifteen days—bloody, to say the least... but it's something worth seeing."
Tae-eui remained silent, taking in his uncle's words. His tone was less about pity for the Europeans and more about the chaos created by these annual training sessions.
What could his uncle say? He had a face that didn't look overly friendly, yet his demeanor was far different. Sometimes, even Jeong Tae-eui, who knew him best, found himself confused by the sharp contrast between the appearance and the mind.
Jeong Tae-eui buried himself into the soft sheets of the car seat. The comfort was welcomed, especially after several days of being swept up in his uncle's whirlwind. He hadn't even had a moment to rest properly. If he closed his eyes, sleep would likely come easily.
His uncle, seemingly aware of the shift in Tae-eui's energy, spoke in a quieter tone.
"It might take a bit of time to adjust, but I'd suggest you close your eyes now. We'll be at the pier soon. It'll be harder to wake up once you fall asleep."
"Pier?" Tae-eui turned his head, noticing the city creeping closer as the streets were lined with buildings, the hustle and bustle of signage hanging above. Old structures resembling the row houses from his home lined the streets, while further up, a decrepit building poked through a flashy shopping mall, laundry hanging from a pole.
"Is the branch on Hong Kong Island?" Tae-eui asked.
"No," his uncle answered.
"Then why the pier?"
"We have to take a boat."
"… Macau?"
His uncle chuckled. Tae-eui glanced at him with a slight flush, as his mind immediately jumped to Macau upon hearing the mention of a boat ride.
His uncle shook his head, still smiling.
"Ido. It's an island a little further out from Hong Kong Island. It belongs to Hong Kong-China administratively, but in reality, it's an extraterritorial jurisdiction. The Asian branch of UNHRDO is based there."
"Hah… It feels like something out of history, where prisoners were sent to some remote island to keep them from escaping."
"I can't say we didn't have that in mind," his uncle replied with a grin.
"We get Fridays from 5 p.m. to Sundays at 5 p.m. off every other week, so if you want to get out and explore, feel free. There are boats running to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula on those days."
"Listening to you…" Tae-eui began, his tone trailing off.
"Yeah?"
"It feels less like 'the Asian branch of UNHRDO is on that island,' and more like 'only the Asian branch of UNHRDO is on that island,'" he remarked.
"Answer," his uncle said with a teasing smile.
Tae-eui gave a bitter smile and shook his head, feeling the weight of his uncle's words.
The car took a sharp turn away from the downtown area and passed a towering hotel, drawing closer to the pier in the distance.
Tae-eui casually glanced at Hong Kong Island across the water, then abruptly turned to his uncle.
"Come to think of it, I have another question."
"Yeah?"
"What do they call you there?"
His uncle laughed, a mix of family affection and authority crossing his features.
"Instructor Jeong Chang-in, or Izzy. But in short, just Instructor."
The journey to Ido took about an hour by boat.
Tae-eui had imagined a small, desolate island, but instead, it was surprisingly expansive. After arriving at the pier, they got back into a car and continued along the beach road, the setting sun casting shadows over the dense forest that flanked the path.
"This place feels like it wouldn't be strange if some wild animal or poisonous snake appeared."
Tae-eui muttered, and his uncle nodded, his tone calm.
"The venomous snakes are with me. Just watch your step at night. There's nothing to worry about though—nothing poisonous enough to kill you instantly. As long as you get first aid, you won't die."
Tae-eui looked at him skeptically, but his uncle added, seemingly to reassure him, that there was no real danger.
It felt like he might have come to the wrong place. Even though it was half a year, wasn't that too much time to risk someone dying from a snake bite?
Just as Tae-eui began to think he might escape once the weekend came, his uncle remembered something.
"Oh, right. I won't be going out for another month or so. The joint training with the European branch starts in 15 days. It lasts for two weeks. Before that, there's special training, so no going out even during the joint training. Well, a month passes quickly, so make the most of that time to adjust."
For a moment, Jeong Tae-eui was filled with a brief urge to strangle his uncle. The frustration was palpable, though fleeting.
He glared at his uncle's neck with frustration before his gaze flicked to the rearview mirror. The driver, who had picked him up earlier at the airport, met his eyes briefly with a slight smile.
This was the same driver who had accompanied him from the airport, through the pier, and now into this isolated island. The driver didn't seem to be a stranger to these surroundings. He carried the same rough, soldier-like aura as his uncle had described, though his uncle repeatedly denied ever being a soldier. Maybe the entire island would carry this scent—sinister and battle-hardened.
Tae-eui sighed, his irritation fading as the strength to strangle his uncle evaporated.
"Since it's joint training with the 'unlucky' European branch, you've come at just the right time for some hardship... Looks like my uncle actually hates me," he muttered.
"No way," his uncle laughed.
Tae-eui knew he wasn't going to face anything too difficult in training, not after the years he'd spent in similar environments. He had been a military officer up until four months ago. No matter what kind of training awaited him, as long as it didn't kill him, he'd adapt.
He wasn't the type to regret his decisions. Every pain he endured in the past had been something he had chosen, and even if it was uncomfortable, he'd come to accept it. But still, thinking about how things had unfolded left a bitter taste in his mouth.
As his thoughts wandered, he absentmindedly scratched his head, realizing just how far he'd come—by plane, car, and boat. His body was already feeling it. After all, he hadn't had a chance to warm up, so getting to the training grounds was going to be an ordeal.
Then, as if on cue, the car came to a stop.