IMTMIA 9

Chapter 9

Anyone Would Be Like That After Reuniting With an Old Lover 

Translator: Rae

***

“It was my fault, wasn't it?”

Her green eyes trembled ever so slightly.

She had tried to do as she was taught, but it seemed reality sometimes could be completely different from the textbooks her mentors and seniors had spoken of. He was a spy connected to the air raids, so there must have been much to uncover, hence she felt ashamed for ruining it all by clinging to useless ideals.

And of all things, to mess up Jude's work, right in front of him.

“Did old man Benjamin say that a doctor must treat those in need first, regardless of their status, rank, or gender?”

Jude removed the handkerchief and inspected Asili’s wound. The bleeding had stopped, no longer seeping through. Only after wiping away the remaining blood around the cut did he finally withdraw his hand.

“It’s a sentiment worthy of respect, but not everyone will see it that way. In fact, it might even be a horrific thing for the person on the receiving end.”

“...”

“They might be grateful in the moment, but as time passes, it could turn into resentment.”

Jude turned around and descended a step.

“Take proper care of your wound.”

After that, he continued down the stairs. His receding figure grew blurry and indistinct before her eyes.

Everything was a complete mess.

***

 

“You’re back.”

Felix sprang to his feet, greeting Jude as he returned to the Commander’s office.

Having already heard about the 'accident' in the hospital room, Felix had been waiting for Jude’s return, though the wait had been far longer than he anticipated.

While he had wondered why, one look at Jude’s face gave him a rough idea of the reason for the delay.

Judging by the palpable chill radiating from him, he must have been holed up somewhere trying to calm his seething emotions. After all the years they had spent together, Felix wished Jude would open up about his inner thoughts, even just a little.

It seemed he was still a long way from reaching the status of Jude’s 'friend.'

“Not in a great mood, are we?”

“Usually, doesn't one pretend not to notice in these situations?”

“Well, I’m hardly 'normal,' am I?”

With a sly grin, Felix insisted on trailing Jude all the way into the Commander’s office.

Judging by the way he loosened his tie and threw off his jacket, Jude’s mood wasn't just 'not great'—it was bad, perhaps even nearing its worst.

“What about the spy?”

“Shot him d*ad.”

“Oops. That’s going to cause a hitch in the plans.”

Felix muttered, looking troubled. Since a classified operation was underway, they had needed the spy alive.

“Any word from headquarters?”

“They viewed your proposal favorably and gave it emergency approval. But since you k*lled him, what do we do now?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve issued a gag order.”

“Including that military doctor?”

“...Including her.”

“Right, well. She’s not the type of woman to go running her mouth.”

Of course. Felix nodded as if he understood perfectly. Meanwhile, Jude sank into his chair, leaning back deeply and closing his eyes.

Suddenly, everything felt like a chore. He hadn't slept anyway, and just as he was about to try and catch a few winks, Felix—ever the tactless one—spoke up quietly.

“You definitely said you didn't care, Your Excellency.”

“...About what?”

“It’s strange enough that the Commander himself stepped in for a mere prisoner interrogation, but even more so that you personally shot him while an operation is still in progress. If you keep this up, I’m really going to start suspecting things.”

Jude opened his eyes and stared at Felix. Though he wore a breezy smile, Felix’s gaze were quite sharp.

To anyone other than Felix, Jude would have appeared perfectly indifferent, needing no concern. But they had history together. In Felix's eyes, Jude looked remarkably unstable.

“Suspect? What, exactly?”

“Don’t play dumb. From where I’m standing, it looks like Your Excellency cares about that woman quite a bit—no, excessively so.”

“I do?”

“Yes. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for you to be this angry.”

It would actually be a relief if love still remained. Even lingering attachment would be fine.

But a quiet hatred is something even the person feeling it can hardly identify. Rational people like Jude often deceive themselves by masquerading under a veil of indifference, just as he was doing now.

Look at him—even now, Jude wore an expression as if Felix's observation about his anger had come completely out of left field.

“Felix. If you happened to reunite with a woman you once loved so much they called you a madman... could you really feel nothing?”

“Probably not, right?”

“No matter how badly things ended, how would it feel to watch that woman d*e right before your eyes?”

“It’d be pretty bad, wouldn't it?”

“Then what on earth are you so suspicious about?”

“Aha.”

Felix nodded as if he understood. As Jude said, crossing paths with an old lover could stir up a whirlwind of emotions.

Whether it was the bittersweet ache of memories, the regret of a connection severed by parting, or the resentment toward the one who caused the breakup.

And yet, looking at Jude, why was the phrase 'trying too hard' the first thing that came to Felix's mind?

“I didn't even have a plan to interrogate him. I just had some time to kill and went to see how things were going out of curiosity.”

“Ah, I see. So despite that mountain of paperwork stacked up like a skyscraper, you had time to spare. You’re being very strange in more ways than one today.”

Felix’s gaze landed on the two towers of documents on the desk. It was the product of his own hard work and effort, painstakingly sorted by urgency because Jude seemed too busy to even blink.

For a man who would normally clear his backlog before moving an inch to have gone out of his way to a hospital room he had no business visiting—it was beyond strange.

“And the fact that you’re so talkative today, too.”

“...”

“And the way you’re making excuses for every little thing I say today.”

“...”

“And the feeling I have that if I say one more word, I’m going to get punched... that’s not just my imagination, is it?”

With that, Felix slowly began to back away.

He wore a genial smile across his face—though to Jude, it was a look so obnoxious he wanted to smack the back of his head—and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

But only for a moment; no sooner had the door closed than it popped open again, and Felix poked his head in.

“You need to handle the documents on the far right immediately.”

And then, the door closed once more.

Stunned by the audacity, Jude stared at the closed door for a long while before finally giving up and grabbing a handful of the 'skyscraper' of paperwork, pulling it toward him.

‘Angry? Me?’

And over that woman, of all things? Impossible.

Of course, he had been uncertain when he first saw her name, and he had been surprised when they first crossed paths. But that was all; he had been able to shrug it off soon after.

Likely because he thought that chance encounter would be the first and last. The problem, however, was that coincidence kept piling upon coincidence, tethering them together.

They say a series of coincidences is fate. And if an ill-fated relationship is still a relationship, then this was the worst of them all. It seemed there was a reason people warned so loudly against ever meeting an ex-lover again.

In a state of mental disarray, Jude forced himself to read through the documents, though the words barely registered.

He felt there was no other way but to drown his thoughts in work—filling his mind with responsibilities, duties, and decisions to be made.

***

 

After stopping by the showers to wash off the blood and change her clothes, Asili entered the duty room. Her hair was still damp, so she draped a towel haphazardly over her head and collapsed onto the cot.

“Doctor Asili.”

“Asili.”

It was then that Jenny rushed in, accompanied by Steven, Asili’s classmate from medical school. Removing the towel from her head, Asili looked up.

“Let me see. You aren't hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I ran into Velita in the locker room earlier, and she said she nearly fainted when you showed up covered in blood. I was so worried.”

“Ah, right. She was quite shocked.”

She had screamed as if she’d seen a ghost, and Asili had struggled to calm her down. When Asili tried to offer a forced smile to show she was okay, Velita had made an even bigger fuss, saying she looked grotesque.

Unlike Jenny, who sat close to Asili and fussed over her despite repeated assurances, Steven simply perched on the edge of the opposite desk and crossed his arms with a look of disdain.

“I hear you caused quite the scene.”

“Doctor Steven.”

“I heard you were acting all high and mighty about medical ethics or whatever, only to get taken hostage and almost k*lled?”

Jenny waved her hands frantically for him to stop, but Steven just snorted.

“How did you know?”

“How could I not? Gunshots in the restricted area, you coming down drenched in blood, and His Excellency leaving the ward in a foul mood. We've all been militaru doctors long enough to put two and two together, don't you think?”

“What do you mean, 'put two and two together'? You were the one pestering the guards for details.”

“Still, it’s a relief the spy is still alive. If he had d*ed, you’d really be on the Commander's bad side by now.”

When Jenny shot him a glare to make him stop, Steven simply shrugged.

“Don’t keep taking her side, Doctor Jenny. Keep this up and you might end up visiting her in the military brig.”

“I doubt the Commander is that heartless.”

 

“I bet he is. Just looking at his face, you can feel the icy wind blowing. Isn't that right?”

Both Steven and Jenny turned their faces toward Asili in unison.

***

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