Side Story 09
“……!”
Heeju blinked her eyelids.
“Hong Heeju, do you want to be the First Lady?”
“?”
“If you want, I’ll try to make it happen.”
“What?!”
Her mouth fell open in shock at the sudden and overwhelming words. After all, it wasn’t something you can say casually.
Amidst the dazzling lights and reflecting mirrors, Heeju’s gaze landed on her reflection. She couldn’t believe she was in a wedding dress, wearing a beautiful tiara.
It had been a month since the two began preparing for their marriage in earnest.
Unlike the arranged marriage that had ended with the simple signing of documents between their families, this time, everything was handpicked by them. They had to choose everything: the flowers, the menu, the dress, the gifts for the guests and everything.
“It… doesn’t feel real.”
“What doesn’t?”
“It reminds me of that time, preparing for your funeral. I was alone in choosing the flowers, the urn, the meal…everything.”
“……”
Silence fell as Baek Gyo-eon’s lips tightened. Heeju absentmindedly fidgeted with the sleeve of his suit.
“That’s why I feel strange. Like if I close my eyes and open them again, I’ll be back at the funeral home, dozing off in a corner.”
The more they immersed themselves in the busy days of wedding preparation, the more moments Heeju couldn’t believe were real began to creep up on her.
Like when the usually expressionless man would smile faintly whenever he spotted her. Or how he would constantly gaze at her, no matter the time or place. All of those incredible and improbable events.
After hesitating for a moment, Heeju grabbed his wrist tightly. In response, he interlaced their fingers firmly.
“How could this be a dream? My entire life now depends on you.”
Heeju’s blank stare met the sharp, cold features of the man.
“You have me hostage, and now you’re trying to escape reality!?”
“……!”
“You traitor.”
Baek Gyo-eon pulled the curtain behind him and abruptly pressed his lips against hers. Faced with such direct and constant affection, the stiffness in Heeju’s body began to melt away. His laughter seemed to infuse the kiss.
“Is it a promise…?”
“I swear.”
His serious words felt like irrevocable bonds. Despite the weight of his proposal, Heeju smiled. And that smile suited the sparkling tiara perfectly.
***
D- Day
They chose a very intimate wedding, with only friends present—no family members were invited. Having completed their hair, makeup, and attire at a salon, the two were now traveling to the venue.
The road was pleasantly clear.
“How do you feel, Hong Heeju?”
“About what?”
“About marrying me for the second time.”
A laugh escaped Heeju’s lips.
“There won’t be a third time.”
When she glanced at him, she could see his lips curl into a faint smile.
The sight of the groom in a black tuxedo was both unfamiliar and familiar. Compared to his former appearance as an intel, it was the perfectly tailored suit that truly revealed Baek Gyo-eon’s dignified nature and outer shell, at least as Heeju saw it.
He constantly berated himself, but Heeju was certain: this life was something he had fought for and rightfully deserved.
At that moment, the slight smile on his face abruptly stiffened.
“What’s wrong?”
“Something’s odd…”
A hard expression settled on his face as he murmured something low. Heeju followed his gaze to the window.
“It looks like there’s been an accident.”
The road ahead suddenly seemed chaotic.
The area was not usually prone to traffic jams, yet cars were inexplicably packed together, unable to proceed. Groups of people had gathered along the sidewalks and edges of the road, engaged in loud phone conversations.
Baek Gyo-eon frowned silently. The cars were so tightly packed that it was impossible to move forward or backward.
“…How do we get through this? What if we’re late to the ceremony….”
Heeju clutched her voluminous dress tightly. Her complexion paled in an instant.
The road’s center had become a chaotic crowd as people stepped out of their cars to assess the situation.
In the midst of the traffic jam, traffic police ran between the cars, blowing whistles, a stark contrast to the SWAT officers who had established a more formidable barricade further ahead. It was an ominous sight.
“W- What should we do?”
Without a word, Baek Gyo-eon unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Stay here. Don’t get out.”
“What?”
“I’ll be back after checking things out.”
“Gyo-eon…!”
Driven by anxiety, Heeju grabbed his sleeve, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Sensing her fear, he paused opening the car door, and gently patted her head.
“I’m not going to disappear leaving you.”
“……!”
He traced the fine line of her eyebrows with a deliberate stroke.
“If we’re going to get married, I’ll have to push all those cars out of the way. I’m just going to check the estimate.”
He added an inappropriate joke to reassure her. But as soon as he stepped out and closed the door, his face turned ice-cold. It seemed the words had been far from jesting.
A faint smell of flammable liquid lingered in the air.
Baek Gyo-eon pushed through the crowd and moved toward the end of the barricade. There, a group of police officers surrounded a car that had veered across the centerline and came to a crooked stop.
Abandoned oil drums lay haphazardly on the ground, and fuel was dripping steadily from the vehicle’s frame.
‘What the hell is this… At this rate, we’re going to be late..’
Baek Gyo-eon felt a flash of annoyance and, almost without thinking, his hand went to where his bow tie would normally be. The sight of his wedding suit reminded him of its absence, and he lowered his hand, forcing down his irritation. His Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably as he swallowed.
“Hah…”
He tilted his head in annoyance while observing the situation. It wasn’t hard to grasp what had transpired.
Just then, through a partially cracked window, the driver screamed hysterically.
“Stay back! Get away, all of you!”
The middle-aged man in the driver’s seat brandished a household butane gas canister, shaking it threateningly at the approaching officers.
“Look at that!”
“Oh my god…!!!”
The onlookers murmured in a mix of alarm and curiosity.
At the same time, a faint cry of “Daddy…” pricked Baek Gyo-eon’s nerves.
Bending slightly, he peered intently into the vehicle, the lines on his forehead deepening as beads of sweat began to form.
Sure enough, a child—so small that they barely filled even a quarter of the passenger seat—was strapped tightly into the seatbelt, sobbing uncontrollably.
Baek Gyo-eon clicked his tongue in frustration. At this rate, there was no way they would make it to the wedding on time.
“Is that a kid in there?”
“…!”
A voice, as delicate and sweet as ice cream, chimed in his ear, causing him to instinctively turn his head. There, lifting the hem of her simple wedding dress with one hand, stood Heeju, her mouth open in a mixture of surprise and shock.
“Why are you here…?!”
“Gyo-eon! Is there really a child stuck in that car?!”
All eyes landed on the pair, whose wedding attire made their identities obvious. Among the quick-witted bystanders, someone had already started recording on their phone. Murmurs rose as a few citizens recognized Baek Gyo-eon’s face.
“Hong Heeju, go back.”
“What about you?”
“I can’t let our wedding fall apart, so I’ll have to figure something out.”
“What?”
“Why is the crisis negotiation team taking so long to get here?”
“T- Then… Who’s going to help?”
Heeju grabbed his arm, her face full of doubt.
“You’re not… planning to, are you? How would you even do that?”
Her baffled tone carried a clear undercurrent of disbelief, which made Baek Gyo-eon pause. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, his pride bristled slightly.
“Believe it or not, I—”
He raised an eyebrow, and it looked as if he was about to say something, but he abruptly changed his mind.
Countless memories of intense phone calls with 406 came flooding back like a violent torrent.
‘Damn it.’
His brow furrowed involuntarily.
After all, he wasn’t a negotiator; he was a cynic who had often been criticized for being unfit for the role. Negotiation begins with a conversation. With understanding the other person as a human being.
A skilled negotiator wields empathy as their greatest weapon—but “Baek Sa-eon” had never lived that way.
Years of emotional numbness had shaped him. The only things he had ever been attached to were power and control. So, when it came to negotiation, he couldn’t have been further from being qualified. What he excelled at was manipulation.
“…I have to escort you to the altar.”
His excuse was flimsy, but it was all he could offer.
“I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day I could walk in with Hong Heeju, under the name you gave me.”
‘I have to do this.’
He muttered under his breath.
Unable to stop him, Heeju watched him move back into the crowd. She pressed her trembling hands to her chest, trying to slow her racing heart.
“Good work.”
The SWAT team captain, who had been communicating over his radio, looked up in surprise at the tall figure approaching.
“…Huh? Aren’t you Baek Sa-eon, the spokesperson?”
“Yes. I’m Baek Gyo-eon.”
“R- Right…! I- It’s an honor.”
The grizzled captain instinctively extended a hand for a handshake. Baek Gyo-eon shook it firmly, his tone brisk but unwavering. Even amidst the chaos, his voice maintained a sharp precision, slicing through the tension like an arrow through the air.
“I’m on my way to my wedding, and the road’s completely blocked.”
“I- I see.”
The SWAT captain glanced over Baek Gyo-eon’s impeccable attire with silent admiration.
“As you know, I was raised under Professor Shim Gyu-jin.”
“…!”
His voice was disturbingly flat, given the sensitive topic. Hearing the infamous name from Baek Gyo-eon himself, the captain faltered.
Professor Shim Gyu-jin—whose legacy had been tainted by explosive charges of attempted murder and illegal activity—had once held the title of South Korea’s top crisis negotiator.
“Before I was her son, I was a student. It looks like the negotiation team is delayed, so let me step in and talk to the hostage-taker.”
The SWAT captain hesitated.
“If we waste time here, that child’s life will be at risk.”
As if under a spell, the captain relayed the request over his radio.
“Captain Lee speaking… This is Baek Sa-eon—rather, he’s Shim Gyu-jin’s disciple… He is here…”
He scratched his head in confusion but was immediately given an order. A path was cleared, and Baek Gyo-eon strode into the center.
