A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 26: A Nuclear-Level Incident (1)

Ggaldagu. Ggajimegi.

L. japonicus.

We call it “sea bass.”

Sea bass in August is more delicious than at any other time. Since they start spawning around November, they are at their tastiest during summer as they prepare for the spawning season.

“You know your aunt almost lost her job the moment you went missing? Do you have any idea how much stress I endured for 12 days? Watching your childhood history get plastered everywhere while people tore into you online!”

Carefully, I picked up a glistening piece of the pale-gray fish. Its texture naturally evoked admiration as I held it with my chopsticks. Dipping it in vinegared red pepper paste, my heart fluttered as though I had encountered my first love.

“Why does a politician need to barge into accident sites, causing unnecessary trouble? The entire nation went crazy! Swarms of opportunistic politicians pounced like vultures during the chaos!

Is the country not already on the brink of collapse? Did you think playing the scapegoat shaman for public outrage was a good idea? What if you died while doing it?”

It is said that when King Wu of Zhou unified the realm, he saw sea bass leaping onto the deck of his ship and considered it an auspicious omen. With such sincerity in mind, I placed a piece in my mouth.

Ah, the ocean bursts forth in my mouth.

“…Are you even listening to me?”

“Yes, Aunt. I’m listening.”

My uncle squeezed lemon juice onto the sashimi and grinned.

“How is it? Tasty?”

“It’s heavenly delicious.”

“Eat more!”

My aunt groaned, clutching her head in despair.

“Ugh!”

I provocatively mimicked her with perfect enunciation. This set off Attorney Byun So-jung—our intellectual powerhouse from a prestigious law firm—who immediately snapped.

“You brat! You’re such a…!”

“Do-yeon’s mother, calm down… it’s Seung-Moon, after all…”

“I used to work as a security guard in front of a restroom!”

“Seriously?”

Would any top law firm actually set up a desk in front of a bathroom? Of course not. It probably meant she endured subtle ostracism. Yet, my uncle seemed genuinely shocked and concerned for her.

“…Ugh, forget it. I shouldn’t even bring it up.”

My aunt, pleased by my uncle’s concern, smugly picked up a piece of sashimi with a sly smile curling her lips.

I added earnestly, “Sea bass is known to aid memory recovery and prevent dementia. It’s also great for digestion and protects internal organs-”

“Did you go fishing while in the National Assembly?”

“Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok’s yacht, remember? Sometimes, I’d bait worms on hooks for him while out on the West Sea.”

“You really get involved in all sorts of things…”

I shot a factual rebuttal at my aunt’s sarcastic tone.

“How can you not know this when your husband runs a fish market?”

“Oh, look at you now, picking a fight with a lawyer?”

“Ahem! Respect the authority of the National Assembly-”

“Shut it already!”

Yeo Do-yeon growled with a menacing gaze.

She had stuffed three pieces of sashimi into her mouth and even used her rare Busan dialect.

“Quit messing around already! What are you doing, huh?! Eat!”

Do-yeon, nearly mummified in bandages, clumsily tried to pick up sashimi with her uninjured left hand but dropped it onto the table.

I picked up the fallen piece with my chopsticks, brought it close to her mouth, and then quickly ate it myself.

“You little—!”

An elbow to the ribs.

“How long are you two planning to act like this?”

“Ah! He stole my food!”

“Still, he’s an Assemblyman. Don’t act like this in public.”

Although her mother and I didn’t have the best relationship, I sensed Do-yeon silently acknowledged her words with a nod.

Does that mean hitting me when no one’s watching is fair game? I decided to keep my mouth shut since bringing it up might earn me another smack.

When all the sashimi had disappeared into our stomachs, my uncle brought out a whole watermelon from the kitchen.

“Well, Mr. Proprietor, is this complimentary?”

“Ah, don’t start a skit with me. I’m terrible at those.”

“It’s hot, so this is perfect timing. Honey, give me the knife. I’ll cut it up for everyone.”

The rainy season was over.

The stifling humidity had arrived, making this the prime season for sea bass. Meanwhile, in Seoul, an average of 1.4 people were dying per second today.

As always, our Mr. Yeo maintained his dignified middle-aged charm, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.

By contrast, Attorney Byun So-jung, who married with the mindset of catching a handsome and kind man to support, happily admired the sight.

“Uncle, which do you like better—your muscles or your face?”

“Both.”

Her cheeky answer perfectly reflected her personality. I decided to keep the mood light with some questions.

“How was the country while I was away?”

“…”

My aunt offered a bitter smile.

“Everyone poured their resentment onto you first.”

“Pardon?”

“They claimed it’s because of people like you—politicians fooling around and causing the country’s downfall. What good is the two-member National Assembly doing…”

It was ironic, especially given the anchor on the TV in the corner of the store enthusiastically praising me.

I could sense the situation clearly.

The world was falling apart, but there was no one to blame.

The President was dead, and there wasn’t a clear figure of accountability.

Sure, the real power lay with Cha Jae-kyun, but he cleverly shielded himself by making his subordinate the head of martial law, acting as the sacrificial lamb.

Anyway, this situation wasn’t anyone’s fault in particular. But when you feel like crap and can’t even vent your frustrations, it only makes things worse.

And amidst all this, I had pulled a crazy stunt. The entire nation probably cursed “that bastard Han Seung-Moon” in unison.

“So the reason people like me now is partly out of guilt, huh? They cursed at me, and then I saved 1,200 lives…”

“Every journalist and whoever else just slapped on a smile and started praising you. If you get too excited, you’ll get backlash.”

My aunt’s sharp remarks weren’t offensive because, deep down, I knew they came from genuine concern.

“Ah, right. My company’s CEO wants to have lunch with you soon. It might feel a little nauseating, but I think it could be a good opportunity, so I’m passing on the message.”

“Oh, I already have an official schedule.”

“Huh? What official schedule when the National Assembly’s not in session?”

—

“Alright, on three—cut!”

Seated in the center, I snipped the ribbon, and a flurry of camera shutters accompanied the explosion of confetti.

It was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the launch of a guild.

Under the banner that read:

“Special Monster Damage Recovery Foundation – Supernatural Services Guild Opening.”

Most people would probably call it:

“Han Seung-Moon Foundation Guild.”

A journalist immediately thrust a microphone toward me.

“Assemblyman, you established this foundation even before the Apgujeong rescue operation. Could you comment on that?”

“The government has been considering prudent responses to the Gate Incident and superpowers for some time. This foundation is one of those efforts now coming to fruition.”

“There are allegations that you’ve formed a private organization. Doesn’t this violate the anti-dual employment principle?”

“I was involved in its establishment but do not participate in its operations.”

“Is it permissible for David Kim, a foreigner, to lead a public institution?”

This was the moment to get angry.

“He was born in Korea, raised as a Korean, served as a soldier defending Korea, and saved 1,200 Koreans as a superpowered individual.”

“Ah, but-”

“Any further questions?”

“N-no, that’s all…”

I felt a little sorry for the flustered rookie reporter, but the public loved moments like this. In a time when news of death was a constant, people held on to such fiery responses as a source of catharsis. I provided that satisfaction, offering them a brief escape.

When the event ended and I approached the vehicle, my eyes met those of Hong Seon-ah amidst the crowd. She smiled brightly and waved. I returned the gesture with a relaxed smile and wave of my own, feeling like I had been transported back to our university days.

I had been part of a theater club.

Once I got into the car, hiding my expression, Yang Il-ho pressed the accelerator, and Lee Ho-jung, sitting in the front passenger seat, began her report.

“Mayors from the southern provinces held a joint press conference. They’re announcing plans to accommodate refugees from the metropolitan area.”

“They must have changed their minds after taking some heat.”

Until now, local government officials had been lukewarm about refugee accommodation, carefully avoiding any direct mention of it. This reluctance stemmed from their need to secure votes in their territories, and accepting refugees would upset their constituencies. Thus, they had chosen to ignore the issue.

They had been able to get away with this partly because of me. They enjoyed slandering me in the media to bolster their own image.

However, with Han Seung-Moon no longer around as a convenient scapegoat and the strong public backlash mounting…

“Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok must be hammering them hard.”

As if on cue, Lee Ho-jung relayed intelligence. Ever since being promoted to political secretary, she had served as my mailbox for all critical information.

“Do you remember the scalpel Assemblyman Yang often wielded?”

She was referring to the connections he had strategically placed within the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office.

“Ah, yeah. I benefited from those during election season.”

“Well, it seems he’s pulled that tool from the cabinet and is ready to use it.”

“Wait, how does the head of the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office even go after local government heads?”

Yang Il-ho, engrossed in driving, chimed in.

“This industry is tightly connected through training cohorts and alumni networks. Once they decide to move, they pull strings without hesitation.”

“Ah, right. You were a lawyer.”

“…Come on! That’s too much, isn’t it!?”

“A seventh-grade secretary trying to argue with me isn’t intimidating. Be grateful I trusted a left-foot-braking maniac like you with driving duties!”

“I only did that once, I swear!”

Lee Ho-jung smirked nonchalantly.

“Oh, by the way, Assemblyman, you wouldn’t even be able to use your left foot to brake, would you?”

“You human trash…”

Yes, I have a prosthetic leg. There was no point arguing further; it would only make me look pitiful. Resigned, I leaned back and rubbed my neck.

These devilish bastards laughed amongst themselves and continued driving.

“…I’m firing all of you one day. For real.”

“Sorry~ Won’t happen again~”

“Me too~ I’m sorry, oppa~”

It seemed we were finally settling into normalcy. These were the same people who once huddled together in a corner of the Assembly Hall, slurping instant noodles in a pitiful display.

“…”

This would usually be the moment when Kang Seok-ho would intervene, sternly reminding everyone not to tease their superior. And then I would tease him back for being overly serious.

That was how it should have been.

But…

Kang Seok-ho had joined the guild.

We fell silent, each retreating into our thoughts.

“How’s Seok-ho doing?”

“Oh, he’s doing fine. I’ve visited him a few times with Ho-jung. Except for losing two fingers, he’s in pretty good shape.”

“He had burns on his lungs, right?”

“Chun Hwa-ran treated those for him.”

“Ah.”

I hadn’t yet seen Chun Hwa-ran.

After a long hospital stay in Seongnam, I had returned to my hometown to spend time with family. Alongside Yang Pan-seok, I had also toured Busan for some public engagements.

Meanwhile, Chun Hwa-ran had remained at her lab in Gangbuk. Although Gam Ji-yoon had gone there immediately, I hadn’t had the opportunity to visit due to my packed schedule.

“I heard she’s been managing the entire lab on her own?”

“She oversaw everything, from its establishment to its security. It’s now essentially her personal research lab since there’s no other chemist capable of handling magic power…”

She carried an immense burden. This was likely one of the few labs in the world conducting research on superpowers.

“…I’ve called her a few times, but I suppose I should visit in person.”

“You’ll have time starting this weekend. For now, you still have interviews and constituency office matters-”

*Ring ring!*

My phone rang with the ringtone I had assigned to Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok. Reacting almost instinctively, I picked it up immediately.

“Ah, answering immediately? Seems you haven’t lost your staffer instincts just yet.”

“Ah, Assemblyman! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“We’ll see each other at the underground National Assembly soon.”

“Sorry, what?”

“Twelve Assemblymen have gathered.”