Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: Rxel
Chapter 278
TBC ‘Men on a Mission – Special Forces Team Part 3’
It was a dark dawn.
The screen fast-forwarded as the clouds moved, and the morning sun rose over the base.
The cheerful narration of the broadcaster.
Narration: Finally, the last day at the Special Forces Team. Oh, you all look so tired.
The men got up from their beds, groaning.
As the eldest brother, Lee Pilseung, turned on the light, they all squinted. Their sleepy faces soon started to smile at each other.Min Taewon: Isn’t this our last day?
Jo Sohyung: Yeah, this is the end of the Special Forces Team.
Park Hobeom: It’s not over until it’s over. We can’t relax until we get to the airport.
Jo Sohyung: Hobeom, you’re such a mood killer.
The cast members’ eyes soon turned to Hanjo.
To be precise, the two empty spaces next to him. The blankets were neatly folded.
Narration: But there’s no sign of the two trainees. Oh, where did they go so early in the morning?
The cast members murmured.
Lee Pilseung: Hanjo, where did they go?
Hanjo: (Fish eyes) I don’t know…
Min Taewon: They folded the blankets and left. Maybe they got up early and prepared for the morning ceremony.
Cho Sohyung: They’re really diligent. Is it because they have good stamina?
The cast members, who were sitting on the bed and moaning ‘Oh, my back…’, admired New Black’s stamina.
Soon, as the eldest brother said ‘Let’s get ready!’, they folded their blankets.
As the door opened, the two idols came in.
Woojoo: Good morning. Did you all sleep well?
Junghyun: Good morning.
The two idols, who had showered and washed up, changed into black suits.
The cast members’ eyes widened.
Jo Sohyung: Where did you go?
Woojoo: We went out for a roll call…
Jo Sohyung: Roll call? Why?
They all looked curious at his slightly gloomy expression.
Woojoo: I woke up early and went for a morning walk with Junghyun. They said it was okay. But…
Park Hobeom: But?
Woojoo: We ran into the Tactical Team 1 members while walking. They asked us if we were going for a roll call, and told us to join them…
They all laughed at the Team 1’s consistent love for Number 8.
Soon, the screen rippled and switched to a flashback.
30 minutes ago.
Woojoo and Junghyun’s walking under the dawn sky was caught by the observation camera.
They were having a serious discussion about what they would eat for the rest of their lives, cold noodles or water noodles.
Woojoo spotted the Team 1 members who were on their way to work and gasped.
Woojoo: Oops…!
He hid in the bushes and camouflaged himself at the speed of lightning.
Junghyun followed him.
As they held their breath and hid, the Team 1 members who were passing by the flower bed stopped.
Go Kwangsoon: Our Number 8. What are you doing there?
Woojoo: …
Go Kwangsoon: Even if you hide, this instructor can see everything. Who taught you that?
Woojoo: Hello…
Woojoo came out of the bushes and leaves fell from his body.
The Special Forces team members smiled and said ‘Wow, he learns ten things when we teach him one’, ‘Our rookie is so cute’.
Then, Woojoo and Junghyun, who were held by the Special Forces team members, did the roll call with them, along with the narration.
Narration: Another lively morning of the Special Forces Team! Shall we start the day for real?
The last day’s morning started with the Special Forces Team leader’s speech.
He told the members who gathered in the barracks that they had worked hard and asked them not to forget the efforts of the Special Forces Team members when they went back to society. They all nodded seriously.
After the speech, Lee Pilseung shouted with a loud cheer, “Salute to the team leader!”
“Special Forces!”
The Special Forces Team leader, who received the salute, came down from the podium and shook hands with each member and left.
“Everyone, move!”
“Move!”
They immediately started preparing for patrol, but their expressions became strange as they wore the equipment they received.
They wore vests with ‘Special Forces’ marks on top of their black suits, and finally put on red berets. They felt like they had become real Special Forces Team members.
At the same time, they felt a sense of responsibility.
“I feel like I have to do well on this.”
“Me too.”
“This is why clothes are important. I didn’t realize it when I only wore black suits, but this makes me feel some pressure…”
Everyone agreed with that.
When they put empty guns around their necks, they looked like perfect Special Forces agents.
The cast members who had slightly protruding bellies also looked like veterans who had been through many battles with the Special Forces uniforms.
“Wow…”
In the midst of that, there was one person who received everyone’s admiration.
“Junghyun has really broad shoulders.”
“You could be a Special Forces promotional model. Hey.”
“Wow…”
Junghyun smiled proudly at the compliments.
He gave Woojoo a bright smile when he gave him a thumbs up as if asking how he was.
His wide shoulders and tall height.
With the Special Forces equipment added, he looked like a movie hero.
“Our Number 9 has a great fit. He looks like a real Special Forces agent.”
The Tactical Team members who were waiting in front of the vehicle also looked impressed.
Sergeant Go Kwangsoon, who was equipped with patrol equipment, looked around at everyone.
“We have a large number of people, so we’ll split up and move. Some of you will ride with us in the armored vehicle that says Special Forces. The rest will take the bus. For now, number eight, come this way.”
“Yes!”
Woojoo was happy to be favored this time.
The other members looked envious as he boarded the armored vehicle that said ‘Special Forces’.
Soon after, Park Hobeom, who won the fierce rock-paper-scissors, boarded as well.
As they moved, sitting face to face with each other like in a movie, Sergeant Go said, “Well, you don’t need to think too much about patrolling. It’s just a quick round and back.”
“It’s called power patrol. We’re showing a message that we’re protecting the airport from anyone who might threaten it.”
They nodded at Sergeant Park Kyungjun’s addition. Captain Lee Jeongah spoke softly, seeing that they were nervous.
“You don’t have to be too tense. You can use ‘yo’ comfortably from now on.”
“Yes!”
“Don’t worry, there’s no emergency situation. Except for the occasional people who come up to us.”
“Approach?”
She nodded at Woojoo’s question.
“They just come up to us because we’re police. They ask where the currency exchange is, or if that gun is real.”
“They really ask that?”
“Surprisingly, a lot.”
Woojoo thought they wouldn’t be able to approach someone with a gun, but there seemed to be all kinds of people in the world.
Sergeant Go chuckled and joined in.
“And remember, you have to be kind to all the citizens. You can do that, right?”
“Yes!”
“From now on, you are the face of the Special Forces.”
Meanwhile, as they got closer to Incheon Airport, Park Hobeom and Woojoo wore separate equipment.
They had to hide their identity because it would interfere with the filming if it was known that celebrities were walking around.
They wore sunglasses and masks, and their faces were completely covered.
The broadcast camera would follow them, but others would guess they were filming a documentary.
“Looks convincing, right?”
Woojoo asked Park Hobeom as he looked in the mirror.
“What do you think? Don’t you think no one would know who we are like this?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
“…?”
Woojoo blinked at his awkward answer.
Incheon Airport, 3rd floor, Departure Hall.
It was a busy morning time.
The airline counters were endless with waiting lines, and the noise of the people echoed on the round ceiling.
Some people were filled with excitement for their trip, but most of them just yawned at the boring boarding procedures.
In the free air, people’s eyes were drawn to one place.
“Hey, look over there. There.”
“Siwoo, look. There are guns. Look at those guys with guns. There’s a dog too!”
“Is that a real gun?”
Red beret-wearing Special Forces agents were patrolling in groups of four.
One of them was holding a shepherd’s leash, and the rest were walking with guns.
There was also a cameraman following them.
‘Is it a documentary?’
The people who thought that… changed their minds soon enough.
‘It’s a comedy.’
‘It’s a joke.’
It was because of one person among the four-person team.
While the other Special Forces members were easygoing, there was one who stood out like a sore thumb with his proportions.
His walk and posture were like a Special Forces member, but no matter how you looked at him…
‘He’s a celebrity.’
‘He’s a model or an actor.’
‘He’s doing a celebrity experience program.’
He covered his face so no one could tell who he was, but even if you looked at him from a distance, he was a celebrity.
Only the patrol members were oblivious, laughing and having fun.
‘No one knows me!’ He said, enjoying himself. The Special Forces members and Park Hobeom suppressed their laughter.
Park Hobeom stuck out his tongue.
“There are so many people.”
“This time slot is always a hit. It’ll get less crowded soon.”
People were everywhere.
Thankfully, they moved aside whenever they passed by, but it was so hectic that they felt drained.
Even with the cool air conditioning, they were sweating from the heat of the crowd.
‘But it’s fun.’
Park Hobeom looked around and smiled.
How many times would he get to patrol the airport with a gun in his life?
Sometimes, he would catch the eyes of people who said ‘wow’ as they passed by, and he would shrug his shoulders.
And as the Special Forces members had said, there were hardly any emergencies.
Except for the time when a boy ran up to pet the detection dog and was dragged away by his parents, it was just patrolling the airport.
All they heard were the constant radio calls and the chatter of the travelers.
As they walked slowly, someone approached them.
‘Police! Police!’
It was a Chinese woman who called ‘police’ in Chinese.
The Special Forces members blinked and looked at each other.
“Is she calling us?”
“Do you understand her?”
“No. I have no idea what she’s saying. Should we hand her over to the airport police? None of us can speak Chinese, right?”
…As they were talking, Woojoo raised his hand.
“Oh, Woojoo. You know how to?”
“Yes. I can do it.”
“Then go and listen to what she’s saying.”
Woojoo confidently stepped forward and spoke to the Chinese woman.
‘Oh…’
‘He’s good.’
‘He’s our team’s rookie.’
His Chinese was short, but it had a local vibe.
Not only their impressions, but the Chinese woman who had spoken to him also looked amazed.
Park Hobeom gestured to the cameraman to film him properly, and the cameraman made an OK sign with his hand.
Woojoo explained the situation.
“She says her family is having a dispute with another traveler, what should we do?”
“Let’s go and see. We have plenty of time for the shift change.”
“Yes.”
They went to where the Chinese family was gathered.
There was another traveler’s family on the opposite side, with a suitcase between them, looking hostile.
They also brightened up when they saw the Special Forces members.
‘Police! The police are here.’
And at that, the Special Forces members and Park Hobeom blinked.
‘What?’
‘They’re Japanese.’
It seemed like a situation where the Chinese and the Japanese were arguing.
When they had no clue how to resolve this, Woojoo smiled and started speaking Japanese.
It was very fluent Japanese.
“…?”
The people behind Woojoo all looked at each other.
‘The Chinese and the Japanese were fighting…’
‘And the Korean is mediating.’
Woojoo seemed to have dealt with them before, listening to both sides of the story.
It looked convincing.
Like a diplomat who came to mediate.
He smiled and relayed their words, calmly mediating.
They were impressed by his demeanor.
“What did they say?!”
As the Chinese family started to scream, Woojoo swallowed his saliva.
This time, the Japanese family across from them began to get angry.
“Tell them exactly what I said. No, this is too much!”
“What are you saying now? Just as it is! Tell them as it is!”
“Are they cursing at us now?”
As Chinese and Japanese crossed and the scene became noisy, the police Special Forces blinked their eyes.
“…They’re still fighting?”
“They’re fighting more because they understand each other.”
“Look at Woojoo. He’s burning like firewood.”
In less than five minutes, Woojoo had changed completely.
He turned his head and looked at them with a pitiful expression, as if saying ‘please save me’.
Meanwhile, the foreign families held on to Woojoo.
“Where are you going! Tell them what I said!”
“I told you to tell them my words first!”
Woojoo had tried to mediate nicely, but he ended up adding fuel to the fire. They held back their laughter at the sight of Woojoo.
The Special Forces chuckled at the sight of Woojoo walking in a daze.
“…”
Park Hobeom also glanced at Woojoo and held back his laughter.
No.
He had left out anything that would make them feel bad from what they were saying on both sides.
But as soon as they understood each other, the fight got bigger.
Fortunately, he was able to get out of the complicated situation by handing them over to the airport police who arrived at the scene.
“…”
He would have been better off staying still.
He realized the truth of the army, that it was a loss to step up, while the camera director reported to PD Do Joongi what had happened.
They seemed to be happy that they had picked up the broadcast volume, as Woojoo heard them laughing on the other side.
They continued to patrol.
“But the crowd isn’t getting smaller.”
“That’s right.”
Woojoo answered Park Hobeom’s words.
“It seems to be getting bigger.”
They said that by this time, the people at the Departure Hall would be gone, but they were growing more and more.
Soon they realized the reason.
“It must be the day the idols are leaving.”
“Oh, that’s it.”
“Of course, the experienced ones know well.”
It was the sight of the idol fans they saw when we left.
Some were wearing masks, some had portable ladders. There were cameras with huge lenses everywhere.
The number was so huge that Woojoo thought it might be TNT or Teen Spirit at first, but it wasn’t.
They were both busy with overseas activities right now.
It seemed like there was a joint overseas concert or a music show, as he saw various fandoms mixed together.
“Heehee…”
Woojoo’s laughter leaked out of the mask.
It was fun.
It was so fun to pass by in a Special Forces outfit where the idol fans were gathered.
“…”
Woojoo held his breath because of the fans who were puzzled by the broadcast camera in the middle, but fortunately they didn’t recognize him.
Who would know that he was doing this here?
That was how they passed through the 3-4 gate area full of idol fans and turned to the quiet west side of the Departure Hall.
“Huh…?”
Woojoo spotted a familiar face among the sparse people.
A tall woman.
She had a unique fashion with her arms and legs stretched out, and she was standing with her manager.
Park Hobeom seemed to recognize her too.
“Oh, that person?”
The Special Forces asked, “Why are you like that?”
“I saw someone I know for a moment.”
“Really? Do you want me to say hello?”
“Can I do that…?”
They gave Woojoo permission to relax, as it was time to change shifts soon. Woojoo approached her and lowered his mask slightly.
“Hello.”
She jumped in surprise.
“Eggmoney!”
The loud exclamation made the people next to Woojoo laugh.
She quickly recognized his face and took off her sunglasses, revealing her round eyes.
The famous SNS celebrity, Maxi, spoke softly.
“Hey… you scared me.”
Woojoo chuckled at her familiar tone.
Was it a year ago?
They kept in touch occasionally, but this was the first time they met in person since they worked together on Team C in Around the World With Dice.
Maxi asked Woojoo with a happy face.
“Woojoo, did you become a soldier?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“The PD called me.”
“Wow. Ddoruru…”
The unique sound of admiration made the Special Forces members flinch and then burst into laughter.
As he talked about his appearance on Men Go, Woojoo turned his eyes to the man who was standing awkwardly next to him.
“Who is this person…?”
“My secretary.”
“Her younger brother.”
Everyone laughed at his firm answer.
They turned their heads to see Maxi smiling at the sniffer dog and saying, ‘Hello, sweetie. What’s your name?’
Her brother answered with a look that said it must be a tough job.
“My sister pays me a lot of money.”
It was a wise saying.
Maxi looked disappointed and said, ‘I like cats.’ as the sniffer dog ignored her attempts to lure him.
Woojoo asked her then.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh. There’s a K-pop concert in LA. I was invited to be the MC there.”
“Oh…”
Woojoo realized then why there were fans gathered earlier.
The K-pop concert they participated in Saitama, Japan was going to be held in the US this summer.
She looked excited as she said she was going to visit her parents’ house for a while. Woojoo smiled and nodded at her.
“Our shift time is almost over. See you later.”
“Okay. Take care of the country. Cheer up!”
She gave a friendly smile to the Special Forces members as well and walked briskly towards the camera director.
“Everyone! Hello, this is Maxi! M.a.x.i!”
“…”
“Please remember me~!”
She blew a kiss to the camera and was dragged away by her brother who sighed deeply.
Woojoo waved his hand slightly.
Park Hobeom muttered, “…I thought it was a broadcast concept, but it was real.”
“Yes.”
“I wanted to say hello, but I forgot.”
Woojoo empathized with how he felt.
He was also very flustered when he first recorded with her.
“Let’s go change shifts.”
As they moved to change shifts at the captain’s words, Park Kyungjun tapped Woojoo’s shoulder and said, “Woojoo, they look like idols. Do you know them?”
“Who…? Oh!”
Woojoo smiled and answered as he saw the seven-member boy group looking bewildered.
“Yes. I know them well.”
“Wow…”
The members of Iris looked around the airport.
It wasn’t their first time here, but it was their first time traveling abroad as idols, so their hearts were pounding.
‘We’re K-pop con performers…!’
They felt elated by the fact that they were invited as performers for an overseas concert.
But they soon felt gloomy.
“But we don’t have any fans.”
“Maybe we booked the wrong airline. If we went over there, there would have been fans of other groups…”
“Maybe someday we’ll have some?”
Other idol seniors had fans waiting for them at the airport, and homemasters taking pictures of them.
They felt empty as the surroundings were quiet.
“Hey, it’s Iris.”
“Wow!”
Someone recognized them!
They all turned their heads at the same time with bright smiles.
“Hello~”
They stopped as if they were frozen.
It was because of the face of someone who had pulled down his mask from the four-member Special Forces police.
“…Sunbae-nim?”
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Why are you there…”
“Have a safe trip and see you again later~ Iris fighting!”
“Th, thank you!”
They bowed awkwardly as Woojoo gave them a fist bump and left.
They had a stunned expression on their faces as they watched him walk away with his mask back on.
“…What was that?”
“Why is Sunbae-nim there?”
“What kind of situation is this? Seriously.”
The Iris members looked dumbfounded.
‘What the hell.’
This situation where the senior singer was a Special Forces member at the airport.