Thunk.

Tak-hyeon Lee, stepping out of the car, looked up at the Blue House main building.

"Chairman."

Unlike usual, today it was the Presidential Chief of Staff himself who had come out to handle the reception protocol.

"Oh, you. It's been a while."

Tak-hyeon offered the Chief of Staff a friendly greeting.

The Chief of Staff bent at the waist, politely took the hand Tak-hyeon extended, and bowed his head.

"How have you been? I was quite worried, hearing you'd been unwell."

"Thanks to your concern, I'm all right now. And however uncomfortable I might be, I had to come today. Isn't that so?"

"That's a relief. If you hadn't been able to come, I was just fretting over whether we'd have to change the date."

"Now now. That won't do."

Tak-hyeon hardened his face and shook his head as he spoke.

"When the whole nation is pleading for this to end even a day sooner, how could we delay it? However unwell I might be, for the country's sake I'd have come lying down if I had to."

"That's our Chairman."

The Chief of Staff bowed his head, then glanced at Seong-ho standing beside Tak-hyeon and gave a small smile.

"It seems the Chairman's devotion to the country has been passed along well to your son-in-law. Thanks to Head Kim's active help, we were able to proceed without great difficulty."

"Ha-ha-ha. Is that so?"

At the Chief of Staff's praise, Tak-hyeon turned to Seong-ho with a smiling face.

And, looking at Seong-ho, who was bowing his head as if embarrassed, he said,

"I did tell this fellow to cooperate actively with what the government was doing. And to hear it was well observed — that's fine work."

"Then shall we go in and discuss the details? The wind is chilly, and I worry it may harm your health, Chairman."

"Yes, let's go in. The President will be waiting too."

Tak-hyeon nodded to the Chief of Staff's suggestion that they head inside.

Seong-ho, who until then had merely been listening quietly, spoke cautiously to Tak-hyeon.

"Then I'll wait in the…