Chapter 57
***
A prince of Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah Salman Al Saud, the third son of Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, was quite interested in Korea.
In fact, these days it would be harder to find young people who weren't interested in Korea.
So he often visited Korea and was studying Korean.
He still couldn't speak Korean freely, though.
Still, he was a dreamy 18-year-old boy who hoped that one day he'd speak Korean fluently and travel around Korea.
For him, Kang Noah, who had recently been growing rapidly in popularity, was a very intriguing figure.
After all, wasn't he able to predict a person's past and future at a glance just by flipping over a card?
And he had a 100 percent hit rate, too.
It would have been strange not to find that amazing.
So when he happened to run into Kang Noah on a plane, it was only natural that he approached him.
'It's real...!! This guy is the real deal!!'
His excitement wouldn't calm down.
He had stopped by Korea briefly before going to America on his father's orders.
And he met the streamer when he was about to go sightseeing and then head to America.
How did he know that he had fought with his second older brother?
It was clear that he'd really looked at his past and future by flipping just one card.
His eyes sparkled.
'This is hyung's gaze...!! So deep! Deeper than a criminal like me could ever hope to fathom!!'
He was completely different from how he looked on the broadcast.
Abdullah felt like he was being crushed by those eyes.
One who reads the flow of the world, punishes evil, and saves people.
Such a person is called a prophet.
"Uh, y-you're a little too excited."
The aide beside him translated into English, and the red-haired woman next to Kang Noah, Hong Si-yeon, translated it back into Korean.
It took going through two people, but Abdullah couldn't stand not being able to get his message across to him.
"Noah hyung. Fahman, the one I raise, has been sick lately. Will he get better?"
Fahman is the Savannah cat Abdullah raises.
He was affectionate and lively, but lately he'd been listless.
As Abdullah's eyes sparkled with all the other things he wanted to ask, Kang Noah, after hearing the translation, answered.
"That cat has lovesickness. You have a friend named Salman, right? Connect him with the Savannah cat he raises. It'll perk right up."
"Oh... ooooh...!!"
His friend Salman definitely raised a Savannah cat.
They'd kept them together for a little while before...!!
To have even noticed that.
Abdullah wanted to drop to his knees and worship him right then and there.
"Hyung!! Do you use Stargram or something? As a fan, I'm dying to know!"
"I don't."
"Why?!"
"Because it's a hassle...?"
Unbelievable.
He talked about being a star and all that, but he didn't even use Stargram, which even all the useless nobodies were on!
So was their connection on this plane all there was between him and Kang Noah?
When he looked flustered and disappointed, Kang Noah grinned.
Then he wrote something in the notebook he pulled from his pocket and held it out.
"What's this?"
"It's a Korean phone number."
The aide beside him said it for him.
Abdullah stared blankly at the phone number starting with 010, then jerked his head up.
"Call me when you're bored. But if you want to talk to me, you'll need to learn Korean."
To think he could actually have a conversation with hyung!
Of course, as a fan, he had no intention of bothering him.
But this was...
Wasn't this something only a special person among his hundreds of thousands of fans could receive?
Abdullah trembled with emotion as he personally saved his number into his phone.
"I will! I absolutely will!!"
***
I never would have thought a Saudi prince would be my fan.
Still, it wasn't exactly a bad thing.
If he'd been doing trashy things just because he was a prince, I'd have just cut him off.
Abdullah was a prince, but he was down-to-earth and friendly with ordinary people.
He was fairly popular in Saudi Arabia, and he was smart and kindhearted.
When someone like that says, 'I'm a fan. Hug me,' there's no need to refuse.
Anyway, we took pictures together and ate a meal.
So time passed, and when we arrived in the United States, Abdullah was deeply regretful to part with me. He said several times that he prayed to Allah we'd be able to meet again next time, then got off first with his aide.
Only then did Bill approach.
"Goodness. Prince Abdullah..."
"It wouldn't be bad to get on friendly terms with people from the Arab world."
I glanced at Bill.
He seemed quite flustered, too.
"You're not thinking they might be connected to the Moon of Allah, are you?"
"Saudi Arabia is an ally of the United States. It has been building ties with China and Russia lately, but..."
"Then that's fine."
As long as it wasn't anything like the relationship between South Korea and North Korea.
Bill nodded with a complicated expression.
.
.
.
After getting off, the paperwork and baggage claim went smoothly.
I wondered what I'd do if immigration gave me trouble because I couldn't speak English, but that wasn't a big deal either.
"Then let's head out right away."
"We're going to FBI headquarters, right?"
"Yes."
It takes about 40 minutes by car from Washington Dulles International Airport to Washington, D.C.
We took a car waiting at the airport, and as soon as we arrived at FBI headquarters, Bill led me inside.
"Oh...!! Welcome, Mr. Kang!!"
The one who welcomed me was a middle-aged white man greeting me in awkward Korean.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Noah."
"Likewise. Please call me Laton."
"Thanks to Mr. Kang, America was able to avoid far greater damage. Thank you sincerely."
"It was just a coincidence."
"That coincidence saved dozens of innocent children. In that case, perhaps it was God's will? Hahaha!!"
Everything except the opening greetings was in English.
But I wasn't worried.
Because Hong Si-yeon beside me was skillfully providing live interpretation.
"I heard from Bill that you were willing to cooperate with us."
"Yes. If there's anything I can help with, I'll help."
"Thank you sincerely. Then let's go right away."
I followed him downstairs.
It seemed they were holding him in the basement of the building.
He explained that he should normally be in a detention center, but because of the circumstances they were keeping him separately here, then Laton opened a door.
Beyond the transparent glass wall sat an Arab man with a sullen face.
"Is that man a Moon of Allah agent?"
"That's right. Either he was properly trained or he's not saying a word under any interrogation."
"What would you like me to do?"
"We've figured out that the Moon of Allah intends to carry out a terrorist attack somewhere in the U.S. The problem is that we don't know where, or how they plan to do it."
So please figure that out.
If possible, their headquarters and the members there as well.
"And the card..."
"I can flip the card myself."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes."
"Amazing... Then I'll leave it to you."
I flipped over the card.
And told him exactly what I saw.
"That man's name is Ahirman Se Mohab."
"...I see. So the previous ID was fake after all..."
"And they're preparing a bomb attack."
"The bastard...!!"
"There are currently three places where bomb attacks have been planned. However, that's only what this man knows, so... we can't rule out the possibility of more."
"......"
Laton's expression hardened.
After remaining silent for a long time, he asked in a grave tone.
"Where are they?"
"The first is Washington National Cathedral. They've hidden bombs on the second-floor bell tower and in the basement."
"......."
"And the second is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. They haven't planted anything there yet, but the people planning the attack are gathering on South 22nd Street."
He gasped as if he were having trouble breathing.
Hmm.
His stare is a little frightening.
It looks like he wants to hug me right this second...
"Lastly, the third attack is being prepared at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City Mall. There's a bomb planted there too."
In the mall restroom, and at two pillars in the underground parking lot.
They've prepared explosives in vehicles parked beside the pillars, ready to bring them down.
After I told him everything, Laton immediately picked up the phone.
Then he made a call somewhere in English.
A tense silence passed.
"Do you like donuts, by any chance?"
"I like them so much I can't get enough of them."
"I'll bring some right away. The donuts from the shop just up ahead are amazing."
Laton nodded after saying that, and the subordinate beside him hurried off.
"Mr. Noah."
"Yes?"
"The donuts here are super sweet. Be careful."
"Come on. How sweet can they possibly be?"
A little while later.
The donut the returning subordinate handed me was so sweet it made my tongue sting.
No, how do these people live eating this stuff?
-Ring ring!!
I was eating, tempering the donut's sweetness with the bitterness of the Americano.
Laton's phone rang.
I couldn't understand the English, but seeing his expression gradually change made it seem like my guess was right.
"...Haaah..."
Laton let out a heavy sigh.
Then he slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were sparkling like those of a teenage girl who'd just seen a pop star.
"Mr. Kang."
"Yes?"
"Would you consider becoming an American citizen? If you'd like, I can arrange U.S. citizenship and a special position at the FBI within a few days."
Hong Si-yeon's translation.
I laughed.
"I'll have to decline."
"Mr. Kang."
"Yes?"
"Would you consider becoming an American citizen? If you wish, within a few days we can arrange U.S. citizenship for you along with a special position at the FBI."
Hong Si-yeon interpreted.
I smiled.
"I'll pass."
"Why?!"
"Mr. Laton. I was an orphan."
An S-rank orphan who had no parents from birth.
The reason an orphan like me had been able to survive this long was thanks to the help of the Korean people.
So I don't want to go to another country just yet.
At my answer, he let out a regretful sigh, with tears welling in his eyes as if he were about to cry.