Chapter 392
“Japanese diplomat dies in drunk driving accident… Blood alcohol level nearly record high?”
– At 1:20 AM on the day in question, a drunk driving incident involving a diplomat from the Japanese embassy in Korea occurred. The investigation revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.4%, nearing lethal levels. Considering the record blood alcohol level for drunk drivers in Korea is 0.435%, it’s clear he was at a dangerously high limit…
“Japanese diplomat dies. Was it a reckless rampage after drinking?”
– The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Japanese embassy in Korea died in a drunk driving accident. CCTV footage confirmed he sped down the road at 220 km/h, crashing into a guardrail, with the impact presumed to have caused his instant death due to a broken neck.
“Diplomat’s tyranny. Diplomatic immunity is not a license to commit crimes.”
– Though embassies exist as foreign territories within the country, laws and ethics still apply. Despite this, diplomats abuse their immunity, committing offenses at will, while the government struggles to curb this reality, prompting citizen organizations to raise their voices in protest…
“Alliance of Spiritual Capable Persons: ‘The government must declare persona non grata for the ambassador who died in a drunk driving incident. There’s no reason to leave the soul of someone who killed himself while drunk driving in Korea.'”
The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary Kiyomichi from the Japanese embassy in Korea has died.
After drinking nearly lethal amounts of alcohol, he grabbed the wheel, pressed the accelerator, and crashed headfirst into a guardrail, resulting in his death.
The silver lining was that his expensive and sturdy car wasn’t too crumpled, allowing for the preservation of his corpse, even if his neck was broken and his limbs were twisted unnaturally. It was still far better than being reduced to a mere pile of flesh.
In response to the incident, chaos erupted. The media took the opportunity to attack Japan, while citizen groups released statements and contacted journalists, raising their voices. Meanwhile, the Korean government, sensing a chance, protested to Japan and called on journalists to churn out articles.
Anger boiled over in Korea.
Anger directed at Japan.
But what about Japan?
“Japanese ambassador dies in accident.”
It was quiet.
Very quiet.
Unlike the boiling uproar in Korea, only a brief article was published, and there was hardly a mention of Kiyomichi’s death on any TV channel. Even the right-wingers, who would typically express excessive interest in Korea, seemed to be covering this issue up as if they had broken a finger.
What words could they possibly say?
At such a sensitive time, to have a diplomat drinking and driving to his death?
And, to make matters worse, CCTV footage was released.
He was seen flooring the accelerator as if driving a race car on an empty road, before dramatically crashing into the guardrail and rolling over.
In such a situation, what good would it do to make noise?
It was wiser to keep quiet and let it pass.
Thus, the death of one diplomat became fuel for anger in Korea, while it remained an embarrassment for Japan, effectively buried and forgotten.
Kiyomichi’s body was quietly flown back to Japan. Unsurprisingly, his funeral was extremely simple. Not being a heroic death but rather a drunken blunder, Kiyomichi’s family could hardly invite any guests, leaving them to hold a very modest mourning ceremony just among themselves.
It was a truly shabby and humble farewell for a supposedly prestigious elite.
* * *
When one seat becomes vacant, it must be filled. A successor stepped into the spot left by the troubles caused by Kiyomichi’s demise.
The new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary was thrilled to be occupying a position that had suddenly opened up.
It was a joy to fill the gap and ascend where no one else had the chance!
Before him lay a bright future.
He was now on the elite fast-track.
If he just avoided accidents and breathed through, he could rise through the ranks.
The fresh diplomat was absorbed in rosy visions of the future while wearing a serious expression on the outside, all the while secretly chuckling within as he remained in the embassy.
And that day…
A guest arrived.
“Excuse me.”
The visitor was gaunt, with twisted limbs.
Its dark face was featureless, crawling through the shadows, hobbling, creeping, walking, and running toward the diplomat.
It politely asked,
“May I enter your body?”
In its other hand, it clutched… alcohol.
“…kan 176 Vodka. 88% Vol.”
* * *
“Repeated incidents of drunk driving by diplomats. What is happening?”
Another one has died.
The cause of death was a traffic accident.
Drunk driving led to a traffic incident.
His blood alcohol level was 0.38%, still a significant figure.
The diplomat, having excessively drunk on his first day at the embassy, took the wheel and sped down the same road as Kiyomichi. He then drove into a tunnel, crashed into the wall, and lost consciousness.
Despite speeding at about 190 km/h and colliding with the tunnel wall, he didn’t die instantly. Unfortunately, the car caught fire, and he burned to death.
Naturally, such reckless behavior earned him scorn…
However…
Unlike Kiyomichi’s case, the atmosphere felt a bit odd.
“…Two. Two people have died in traffic accidents?”
The Korean government felt uneasy about the new diplomat’s demise.
If it had been some other incident, that would have been one thing, but here we had the same drunk driving, the same road, and the same reckless speeding, with him dying alone.
It would indeed be strange if they weren’t left with an uneasy feeling.
“Yes, it’s a possibility, but… hmm…”
Yet it was troubling to let it pass without further thought.
It was a possibility, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that happened frequently.
Amid a rising sense of unease reminiscent of Cold War paranoia, the National Intelligence Service was mobilized to investigate, concluding there were no special circumstances before finally resting at the idea of mere coincidence.
Japan felt similarly.
“How am I supposed to understand this? One fool could be expected, but both of them? What are the odds?!”
Upon the incident, Japan grew suspicious of Korea.
Was there any possibility they were being provoked? They deployed agents to investigate and, despite finding no special circumstances, couldn’t shake their suspicions, prompting them to carry out another investigation.
“Nothing suspicious at all? Is that plausible?”
But when subsequent investigations produced no results either, the Japanese government finally decided to call off their inquiries.
They had not completely dropped their skepticism, but at least they deemed the chances of this being mere coincidence were high.
“Phew… This next ambassador really needs to be a solid individual.”
Agreed.
Isn’t it weird how coincidences work?
Two deaths can have a ring of truth to them.
The man who filled Kiyomichi’s seat wasn’t known to drink heavily either, or so they claimed.
Rumor has it, he had impeccable skills at hosting banquets…
So it was within the realm of possibility for a drunken driving incident to happen.
Japan deduced this and sent a new diplomat to fill the vacancy.
This time, a very reliable individual.
One who didn’t even touch alcohol, let alone smoke.
So the new diplomat was dispatched.
“Another diplomat sent to Korea has died. Cause of death? Another traffic accident?”
“Is it incompetence or a curse? Three diplomats have died in succession due to traffic accidents.”
Another death.
Cause of death… traffic accident.
* * *
“Wh-What the hell! What kind of absurdity is this?! Are they openly assassinating our ambassadors like this?! Do they genuinely want war?!”
The Japanese government erupted in anger.
They released their fury through unofficial channels, hurling terrible curses at Korea, which should never be uttered in normal diplomacy.
“This is a declaration of war! Just sending a declaration of war isn’t the only way to call it a declaration of war!”
“…Please calm down. The investigation found no signs of foul play…”
“Shut up!”
The investigation turned up no clear signs of foul play.
No drugs, no energy, no divine objects, no magic traces.
Nothing at all could be found.
No evidence existed.
But could they claim it’s all merely coincidence because there was no evidence?
A diplomat was dead.
Not one, but three.
All by the same cause.
How could they possibly dismiss this as mere happenstance?
Claiming it was all coincidence? The odds of that would be astronomical.
It would be an unquantifiable probability that’s effectively zero.
“Dammit! Listen well! We’ll be withdrawing our embassy, just so you know!”
“No, wait a moment…!”
Japan was enraged.
They wielded the ‘withdrawal of diplomatic missions’ card.
Of course, they weren’t actually moving forward with it.
Opinions had been raised about whether it would be wise to withdraw, but doing so would bring disruption not only to Korea but also to Japan itself, so for now, it was merely used as a threatening tactic—a card for extreme leverage.
Knowing full well the fallout would be immense should such a withdrawal actually occur.
So Korea and Japan entered into negotiations, radically opposed to the days when Kiyomichi died.
Until the next incident breaks out.
* * *
Have you ever seen a swarm of insects?
Have you ever watched the mass of insects part like waves?
Have you seen a mass of insects rejoining to form a tiny human shape, until that shape gains color and ultimately transforms into an utterly normal human form?
“Vibrasamana ushassamupastard.”
Look.
The manifestation of the insect’s primordial spirit.
That form, twisting with the humidity of the archipelago, resembles a vast cell.
“Lebairudetyanumadyama nah.”
One wore shabby clothes in the shape of a man.
“And one possessed a woman’s curves, but bore a hideous face.”
The two were entities born from the primordial spirit of a shaman, following the commands of a parasitic shaman back in Korea.
Within their hands were objects the shaman wished them to wield.
“Chanda yah-sama namna praminati dham.”
Behold what they grasped.
ANFO explosives wrapped delicately.
Once ignited, the radiant sun shall descend upon the land.
“Chanda yah-sama namna praminati dham.”
The primordial spirit forged by Jinseong began to move.
The destination? Minato Ward in Tokyo.
The Japanese embassy in the Republic of Korea.
