"Please, have a drink."

"Ugh. I really shouldn't be drinking while I'm on duty…"

"Weren't you finished? Do you have to go back and work?"

"Not exactly, but…"

"Then take it, quickly. Deputy Head Song's arm will get tired holding it out."

At Seong-ho's urging, Dae-su Park, who had been tilting his head in hesitation, picked up his soju glass and held it out toward Gu-taek Song.

"Ah, forget it, I give up. I'll stop after today. Managing Director Song. Then I'd be grateful for a pour."

"Goodness. Thank you for granting me the chance to pour a drink for a Deputy Division Chief of the Special Investigation Division."

Gu-taek Song carefully lifted the bottle with both hands and filled Dae-su Park's glass.

And then, having filled Seong-ho's glass and his own in turn, he raised his own.

"Well then — shall we drink to the nation?"

"Very good."

At Gu-taek Song's suggestion, Seong-ho and Dae-su Park raised their glasses after him, and so the three of them ate and tipped their glasses together.

When the first bottle of soju had been emptied and a new one ordered, it was Dae-su Park who spoke first.

"Do you think we can bring the World Cup off successfully? These days people talk about nothing else the moment they gather. Whether we can reach the round of sixteen or not."

"We've never managed a single win in the World Cup finals to this day, so surely a first win comes before anything else? Talk of the round of sixteen can come after that."

Dae-su Park nodded as though he agreed, and picked up the bottle.

And, pouring for Gu-taek Song, he asked,

"What do you think, Managing Director Song? Do you reckon we can manage a win?"

"Hmm… The group draw is far too poor. Poland, Portugal, and the United States on top of them — there isn't an easy side among them. I don't think it'll be simple."

"Well, who on earth would think of us as the top seed? They'd think Portugal was the top seed… Isn't that so?"

Dae-su Park…