I steadied my breathing.
Methodologically speaking, going to meet Director Ho itself was not difficult.
I belonged to Director Ho’s project team, and because I so often acted alone, the director had given me the freedom to come and go within his domain as I pleased.
Unlike the agents who had smuggled out Director Ho’s sleeping project team members, I still retained that “authorization.”
In material form, at that.
Fox Counseling Office
“……”
I pulled out that warmly colored nameplate from within the tattoo.
“…Are you really going?”
“Yes.”
The two agents decided to stay behind instead of accompanying me, so as not to provoke Ho Yuwon.
…The process of persuading them had been a little intense, though.
[He really was a persistent sort. Whew!]
As I walked the rough path leading out of Agent Choi’s hideout, I recalled Brown pouring out criticism under the guise of jokes, and found a faint smile touching my lips.
Some of the tension eased.
Even so, just thinking about what was about to happen still made my hands stiffen.
“……”
A rural roadside in Gangwon Province.
I hung the nameplate on the front door of one of the empty houses dotted here and there, then pulled the old door open.
Creak.
Sunlight poured in.
A warm, gentle, carefully prepared interior revealed itself.
The Fox Counseling Office.
A warm space in the counseling waiting room, neatly prepared to receive clients.
When I had first set foot in this place, I…