《Dilettante》 Chapter 1 (Author left this warning at the beginning of novel.) ¡°We aim for national, racial, and human rights equality, but discriminatory profanity and coercive scenes may appear in the work.¡± (Tr*gger Warning for the attempted r*pe, abusive language, and violence in this chapter.) June 21, 23:47:12. When she stood on the side of the road and waved her hand, the electronic sign that says ¡°Unoccupied ¡± turned off and the taxi stopped. ¡°Welcome!¡± Although it was late, the young driver greeted the guest kindly. Ha-na, wearing a ball cap and carrying a bag full of English textbooks, nodded, and climbed into the back seat. ¡°Mapo, in front of Yuseong Mart.¡± ¡°Yeah, Yuseong Mart. Are you a student?¡± ¡°Yes, well it¡¯s late.¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s a lot of trouble. There¡¯s water and drinks, so please feel free to drink.¡± She glanced at the drinks in the center console that the driver spoke of, but she didn¡¯t touch them. The taxi was quite comfortable. A protective plate was installed to maintain the distance from the driver¡¯s seat, and there was a subtle smell of air freshener. That means the driver is at least not a chainsmoker. She felt like pickled plums. So, she yawned loudly and closed her eyes for a moment while the car stopped at the signal. She thought she was fluent in a foreign language because she lived abroad for a long time, but the foreign language she learned for her license was different. Anyone can speak, but to understand the structure of a language properly, Some study was needed. She had been pushing herself for several months because over-indulgence is common once she gets hooked. Of course, that¡¯s not the only reason she was tired. As soon as she finished class, she stopped by a convenience store and drank three cans of beer. Even a shot of drink plays the role. Then, an unexpected situation appeared as soon as she opened her eyes. ¡®Did I fall asleep?¡¯ Her heart was beating rapidly, and confusion arose as if she had suddenly been pulled out of water. The taxi was still running, and the guests had increased. She checked who was in the passenger seat and asked the driver. ¡°Driver, not there yet?¡± The driver, who looked back, smiled with his eyebrows drooping as if he was apologetic. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry, miss. I took the wrong road and got stuck behind the car in the middle. Are you okay?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Please get there quickly. The fees are¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry. You only have to pay half the fee.¡± Half¡­. She frowned and soon noticed a familiar landmark in the distance, her panic start to cool off and she rested her head against the window again. The driver was kind, and the man who was part of the joint ride was busy playing games on his cell phone. Frequently, the vibrating sound of a cell phone could be heard from the seat in front of her. She fiddled with her cell phone and loosely inserted it into the front pocket of her bag. ¡®I¡¯m arriving soon, so¡­¡¯ She just wanted the ride to finish quickly so she could go home and reorganize her vocabulary materials. Soon she would be twenty-nine, and shortly afterwards the age thirty will follow through. Now was the time for a stable job. When she thought of every minute and second of her life going to waste, Ha-na, who was leaning her head against the window, suddenly opened her eyes again. She must have dozed off again. A dark and gloomy place without a single light. Her focus sharpened quickly and noticed there was no one in the driver¡¯s or front passenger¡¯s seats. She slowly stared out of her window, which was engulfed in darkness. The moment she sensed danger, the back door where she was sitting was opened. The man who suddenly pushed himself in was the taxi driver from the driver¡¯s seat. Surprised, she leaned back and the door opposite of her opened. ¡°Hold her!¡± Another man then appeared from behind, and secured her body tightly with both arms. The hat was removed, and her long hair flowed down. ¡°Oh what do we do? you picked up a criminal, not a passenger, driver?¡± one man said with a smirk. They were treating her like she was invisible, they chuckled between themselves, and the driver grabbed her leg. ¡°Wow, what a hard face. You must have a temper.¡± ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t think she drank anything. Will it be okay?¡± ¡°Shit, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I was shocked because of how strong the alcohol smell was.¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t we going to be screwed?¡± ¡°She can try and report it if she wants to. We can kill her.¡± Then, a sharp metal tip pressed against her neck. She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a knife or a mere tool used to threaten her because she couldn¡¯t see it. Then the man restraining her from behind put his hand inside her shirt. Excited just by rubbing her chest, he started rubbing his erect member against her waist. Soon the driver holding her leg started groping at the leggings she was wearing, breathing heavily with a reddened face. Ha-na warned the men by glaring at them as if they were pathetic. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to do it?¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re classy. Is this a new thing? You¡¯re talking so f**king weird. Are you scared?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m scared. So, if you stop here, I won¡¯t be mad. You bastard.¡± ¡°Shut up, you punk. Before I¡¯ll use your face as a mop.¡± The driver, who uttered the vulgar words, lowered his pants and pulled out his member. Then he warned quite strongly. ¡°If you bite, your hair will fly away.¡± The metal that touched her neck pressed into the skin even harder. She was then convinced that it was a crudely made imitation knife that was pressed against her neck. But anything with a sharp tip, no matter how crude, can be a weapon. She pursed her lips and looked up at the excited man. ¡°But, she¡¯s so pretty. I think I¡¯m going to lose it. Smells good too. Fuck.¡± The man sitting at her back could not contain his excitement. Her lower back was wet. With that terrible and irritating sensation, her patience was gradually going downhill. ¡°Hurry up and open your mouth!¡± The driver tapped her lips with his erection and grabbed her hair. With her eyes raised, her lips draw an arc. An unusually relaxed, creepy smile. The bewildered man¡¯s eyes contorted. ¡°You¡­ have you ever killed anyone?¡± Her tone of voice was calm, as if she was speaking to a friend. ¡°What? What are you talking about, damn it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a habit to prepare drinks with medicine, right?¡± The lips of the man turned blue. He seemed to have concluded that this was an unusual turn of events, or she was a crazy b*tch. ¡°¡­Hey, kill this b*tch.¡± If there¡¯s nothing to say, it¡¯s there. She smiled and looked up at the man. She always smiled when she had nothing to say. The driver¡¯s eyes widened at that angel-like face. ¡°You¡­!¡± She pointed to her own neck, where the blade touched. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, not here¡­ Here. I¡¯ll show you.¡± It happened in an instant. She seized the wrist holding the knife, redirected the aim and forced the man behind her to stab the driver in the chest. There was a terrible rupture sound as the muscle separated from the bones. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The man¡¯s wrist twisted in a strange direction. She bent forward, pulling her leg back, and with all her might, kicked the driver in the stomach. The knife was pulled out by the recoil and blood gushed out. The driver¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he fell out of the taxi. She slammed her elbow into the ribs of the guy behind her, barely dodging the knife. The throbbing pain made the man bend over, unable to breathe. As she got out of the taxi, she struck the driver, who was trembling as he attempted to crawl away, on the back of the neck. There was a cracking sound and he passed out. Next is¡­. ¡°Dirty.¡± Looking down at her wet, slippery clothes, she frowned and approached the taxi. The man, who had just opened the back door and was attempting to escape, began to tremble with terror. ¡°Come on, come on, come on, I was wrong¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hey, I was drunk! Spare me¡­¡± ¡°The law has been changed to magnify the punishment for sexual offenses in a state of mental and physical weakness¡­ You don¡¯t even watch the news, do you?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­ that¡¯s not it!¡± Now, he was shivering and wheezing with shortness of breath. Seeing the droopy, repulsive genitalia and the pale, lifeless face reminded her of the sensation of the ejaculation on her back. She felt like swearing but decided not to let the words slip out of her mouth. ¡°Should I kill him?¡± ¡°Sa, save me¡­!¡± ¡°Are you scared? Don¡¯t worry, the Korean police will save you. But I have a personal request. Please don¡¯t pull your dick out, tuck it away and go. Yes? It¡¯s very disgusting.¡± Suddenly, a police car siren sounded from afar. Her expression wrinkled. She kicked the man¡¯s face, which had an expression of joy as if he had met a savior, like a soccer ball. The man¡¯s chin whips to the side with a crackle sound, and he slowly falls to the ground. Crimes against children, the elderly and the socially disadvantaged must be eradicated. Then, a van with its warning lights blaring, stopped loudly with the screech of tires. ¡°Lee Ha-na, you bastard! I told you not to kill them!¡± Jeon Yu-cheol shouted as he jumped out of the van. He was a very ugly-looking man today. He¡¯s tall and has a nice body, but that¡¯s just too much. Like a sample of a macho man. Jeon Yu-cheol often looked more like a gang member than a homicide detective. She responded harshly to Jeon Yu-cheol, who was running wildly on the road. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. Don¡¯t kill me.¡± ¡°You punk! This is what murder looks like!¡± ¡°I was drinking. This is enough defense due to mental and physical weakness. I know it¡¯s self-defense.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough. Call 119. Quickly!¡± The detectives, who got out of the five police cars that followed the van, laughed at the bloodied criminals. The handcuffed criminals couldn¡¯t move, they just laid in the dirt and trembled until the ambulance arrived. The surrounding area that quickly became a crime scene, was a construction site with a logo of the construction company. Construction has been halted for a while due to the exercise of a lien. So, there was nobody around. Ha-na looked at Jeon Yu-cheol and pointed to the shirt he was wearing. ¡°Take it off, old man.¡± Jeon Yu-cheol, startled, covered his chest and looked her up and down. ¡°Is this sexual harassment?¡± ¡°Yeah, take it off. Hurry up. It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Why!¡± She turned around and pointed at her shirt. ¡°That bastard made a mess.¡± ¡°Hey, f*ck that bastard¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go like this. Well, I¡¯ll take a shower as soon as I get there.¡± Jeon Yu-cheol took off his shirt while spewing all types of swear words. She grabbed the shirt he had taken off and grinned. She went to the taxi and took out her cell phone from the front pocket of her bag. She then stopped the file she was still recording, and she transferred the file to Yu-cheol¡¯s cell phone. ¡°It¡¯s evidence. Recordings collected at the scene of the crime. He threatened me with a knife, attempted murder, sexual assault, he ejaculated on my body, and he threatened me with harassment and intimidation. It¡¯s all in there.¡± ¡°Wow, did you record everything in the midst of all this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to make sure that there¡¯s no escape due to insufficient evidence. If I see them again, I will kill you.¡± Yu-cheol¡¯s colleagues, who stared blankly at her back as she headed to a corner to change her shirt, poured out questions as if they had been waiting. ¡°Who is that? Are you really her junior?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you an actor?¡± ¡°Did she come from another team? That person made this much trouble by herself? Oh my god.¡± The faces of the juniors were relaxed, as if they were enjoying a drink. In the eyes of homicide detectives, who did not blink an eye despite the harsh situation, Lee Ha-na was unusual. It¡¯s not unusual, it¡¯s amazing. Yu-cheol, who lit the cigarette he took out after taking off his clothes, gave a serious warning with a grin. ¡°Hey. Whatever you think, it¡¯s up to you, but don¡¯t try to get involved with her. Because none of the humans who made eye contact with Lee Han-na are alive. Don¡¯t forget.¡± Then, he shook away the unsettling feeling sweeping over his arms with a motion that did not match his large frame. ¡°That¡¯s not a person. That¡¯s a weapon¡­ a murder weapon.¡± Chapter 2 Hana changed into Jeon Yu-cheol¡¯s shirt and returned to the scene with an uneasy expression. Then, Yu-cheol¡¯s colleague greeted her politely and offered a bottle of cold water. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Aww, it¡¯s nothing special. I¡¯m a fan of yours, Lieutenant Ha-na.¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± Whenever she met an overly polite person, she would feel strangely shy. Upon receiving the bottled water, Ha-na approached Jeon Yu-Cheol, who was undergoing a settlement at the scene. Then Yu-Cheol, who was sweating profusely after putting the criminals in the ambulance, spoke. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s going to take more than 12 weeks for the injuries to heal.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hit him that badly.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? How can you still say that afterwards? Ugh, I knew this would happen.¡± ¡°Then what shall we do? Are you going to arrest me for assault? Are you proud that the police have brought in civilians?¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not what I meant. Anyways, you worked hard. If it wasn¡¯t for you, this time it would have been in vain. If you used that head to study, you could have gone to Harvard. Tsk.¡± She reached out to Yu-cheol who was grumbling. ¡°Then, please pay for the labor. The promised amount plus the laundry fee.¡± ¡°Wow, look at this. How can you ask for payment immediately after the mission is over?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a busy person. Please, the labor cost.¡± Yu-Cheol looked around with an exhausted face and then pulled out some 10,000 won bills from his wallet. When he notices Ha-na¡¯s frown, he finally pulls out 10 of his 50,000 won bills and hands them over. (TL: Approximately $422.10 usd) ¡°Take this, and I¡¯ll put the rest in your bank. I¡¯ll buy beef. Do you want some?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to get promoted after catching them?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve advanced to the first rank. The salary is the same. eh?¡± ¡°Ah, I knew this would happen. You do this even while knowing my ransom.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I don¡¯t know why but, we all know your ransom is among the highest in the industry. So, I¡¯ll buy beef. Hey man! We haven¡¯t seen each other for a day or two, there should be a friendship going back and forth. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Okay. Anyway, keep your beef promise. Will you remember?¡± ¡°Okay, okay. So, shall we simply drink a glass of soju today?¡± When she remembered the snacks that accompanied soju, saliva pooled in her mouth. It was late, but she was feeling hungry after moving around for a while. So after readily answering yes, she headed towards the van that Yu-Cheol arrived in. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you here!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll clean it up soon!¡± Why is the car so dirty again? She wasn¡¯t sure which was in the homicide squad, the owner or the van itself. Ha-na sat on a torn sheet and kicked away the trash that was under her feet. After roughly cleaning up her seat, she took out her cell phone and aimlessly surfed the Internet. The noisy international situation and the words of the National Assembly. The portal site was complicated and noisy today with articles about popular dramas and singers who dominated the Billboard charts. She quickly lost interest and put on her earphones. Then, a monotonous English conversation flowed out. After finishing the on-site command, Jeon Yu-Cheol opened the trunk, found a crumpled shirt, put it on, and came to the back seat. ¡°The article is going to be released tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, your name won¡¯t be listed.¡± Ha-na nodded her head seriously. ¡°My name can never be on there. If it was known that I was sent out in the field¡­¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s because I know.¡± Today, at Yu-Cheol¡¯s request, she was sent out to investigate the rape and robbery of a drunken woman that had already occurred three times. They converted cannon vehicles into taxis, conducted illegal businesses, and committed crimes targeting drunken women. As a result, the victims could not remember the faces of the perpetrators. Infrequent blackouts were the problem. There were victims, but no suspects. Yu-Cheol narrowed down the suspects to taxi drivers and tried all sorts of methods, but they were not easily caught. If the woman wasn¡¯t pretty, they wouldn¡¯t bother, and they were quick-witted, and could accurately distinguish targets even in the dark. The biggest problem was that they never picked up male passengers. The criminals were picky about their targets, and undercover cops were obvious. So, Jeon Yu-Cheol asked Lee Ha-na, who was considered the last bastion, for help. The reasons didn¡¯t even need to be complicated. In addition, Ha-na would never get hurt. As the success rate was high, he had to pay a fairly large amount of money, but considering the first-class special promotion, this amount was not even on the axis of an investment. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s all go have a drink! I¡¯ll buy!¡± ¡°Oh! Is that true? What¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°Hey, hurry up and get in! Before the team leader changes his mind!¡± Jeon Yoo-cheol, who was rarely in a good mood, smiled broadly and climbed up next to Ha-na. He wanted to pass through but Ha-na insisted she would never step aside. Yu-cheol crumples his body and click his tongue However, Lee Ha-na was in the midst of memorizing her English words with a very casual attitude. The attitude of the woman who knocked out two men and made everyone feel on edge, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at English?¡± ¡°English certifications are a bit different.¡± ¡°Practice is important. Do the Blue House bodyguards guard require English?¡± ¡°No matter what, you need to have a good grade to get a high salary.¡± Everyone nodded their heads. saying ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to do that¡¯. Then they joke with each other saying that English was best left to the experts. Yoo-cheol, who gave the address of a popular restaurant known as a long-established restaurant near the sandy market, changed the topic by chatting with the people who were glancing at Ha-na. ¡°How¡¯s Do-hyun these days? Is he doing well? Where is he now?¡± ¡°I do not know. He was in the US two months ago, but recently I got a call from Spain, and a week ago, was it Cambodia¡­?¡± ¡°That guy, he¡¯s so popular. He was discharged from UDT and was dispatched into the field right away, right? Overseas drug crime investigation team, that¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°Do-hyun is so smart. It¡¯s not because he¡¯s my brother, but he always does well.¡± She smiled brightly at the story of her only brother. A woman with a smile sweet enough to melt someone is called a murder weapon. Even after hearing from Yu-cheol and seeing it in person, it was hard for everyone to believe. Ha-na opened the photo album on her phone and showed off a photo that Do-hyun had sent her not long ago. There was a picture of UDT¡¯s admission. There was a photo taken while surfing on the beach. Afterwards, he constantly sent the photos taken when interviewing with a broadcasting station. ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough to be a mother and not a sister?¡± Yu-cheol joked. ¡°How about a mother and a sister? After all, it¡¯s just the two of us.¡± Ha-na and Do-hyun were born at an inn in Seoul. Their mother, who gave birth to twins as a single mother, abandoned both of them without even breastfeeding once. She understood. It must have been hard. Living as a single mother in Korea, especially in Seoul during the early 1990¡¯s, would not have been easy. Although their lives were saved with the help of an inn-grandmother, Do-won were weak from an early age. The orphanage tried to send the two together for adoption, but it was difficult to find a family that wanted twins. When they grew up and started puberty, the two started living away from the orphanage. From the rental room to the basement single room. And after living in a rooftop room, they were both accepted to universities with dormitories in central Seoul. Ha-na became a soldier for minor reasons. They had no money, and she was hungry. In addition, Do-hyun gradually regained his health after coming out of the orphanage, and she also had extraordinary physical strength. But it was impossible for both of them to go to college with the money they had saved. So, Ha-na sent the smarter Do-hyun to college. Instead, she volunteered for the military. She hoped she could last a very long time if possible. A place where lodging and meals were provided, a salary was paid, and jobs were given. In addition, serving in the military suited her aptitude. She was given more opportunities than expected. She entered the special task force with the highest grades and worked for more than 5 years, where she was introduced to PMC (Private Military Company). It was at that time when she gradually felt that the salary given by the military was insufficient. She used her talents to apply as a sniper, but she was a rare female agent. As a result, she caught the eyes of the executives and received a different level of training. Her main training was to improve her close combat skills, including espionage. Since her PMC¡¯s training was unknown to the public, the intensity of her training was incomparable to any other military training. As a result, she has worked in Afghanistan and other countries in conflict. In short, there were no borders at work. Wherever there was war and terrorism, the whole world was her stage. Lee Ha-na returned to Korea a few months ago, stating that she would join the Blue House security office, rejecting her billion-dollar annual salary. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you came back to Korea. Mercenary work, that¡¯s impossible. No matter how much you fly and crawl, dying while working as a mercenary is the death of a dog. You know that right?¡± It was late, but the van stopped in front of the Daepotjip, which was full of customers. (Daepotjip refers to a pub where you drink alcohol from a large porcelain bowl rather than a cup.) ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I came back. I was tired of the nagging.¡± ¡°Yeah, well I thought about it. I have never seen a brother and sister as close as you two. My younger brother is always in accidents, and he can¡¯t help it, but f*** him.¡± ¡°We¡¯re twins.¡± ¡°Not all twins are like that. You guys are unique. Anyway, let¡¯s get in. I¡¯m starving.¡± Yu-cheol patted his stomach and got out of the car with his colleagues. It was time for her to follow him with her bag. Suddenly, the cell phone rang. A +855 country code displayed on the screen. Her face lit up when she saw that the number started with 23, the area code for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. ¡°Senior, take that call.¡± Judging from the timing and circumstances, it was a call from Do-hyun. How long has it been? Ha-na first sent Yu-cheol away by shaking her head, and then answered the phone with excitement. ¡°I got a call. Do-hyun?¡± The remote sensitivity characteristic of international calls is welcome. [Are you a member of Lee Do-hyun¡¯s family?] It¡¯s not Do-hyun. The caller was someone who knew Do-hyun. The smile disappeared from her face, and the caller¡¯s business-like manner continued. [You¡¯re Lee Ha-na, right?] ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Who are you?¡± She hoped that her ominous premonition was wrong. She recalled what the instructor said during Hell Week. ¡®The military uniform is a shroud, and the reason for training is to survive. It doesn¡¯t teach you how to live.¡¯ You¡¯re going to put on your shroud and jump into the enemy camp. She didn¡¯t know why the words suddenly came to mind, but it had been a long time since her heart had beat so fast. [This is Young-hoon Lee from IDC: A. Lee Do-hyun died during his mission.] Chapter 3 Ha-na slowly closed and opened her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°Don¡¯t lie¡­you bastard.¡± Like a habit, profanity slipped out from between her lips first. After a moment of silence, the caller calmly continued to speak. [I¡¯m sorry.] Ha-na felt like the ground beneath her feet had disappeared. Her mind went blank and her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She leaned against the hood of the van to steady herself and didn¡¯t even need to blink before the tears dripped down, wetting her face. ¡°No¡­ no! It¡¯s not true! Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Ha-na eventually collapsed. Surprised by the sudden situation, Jeon Yu-cheol and the other detectives rushed forward to support her. The ringing in her ears caused their concerned voices to fade into the background. Yu-cheol gently took the phone from her hand and spoke to the caller. After a few moments of silently listening, his face paled and then he started yelling into the phone. He vented his anger at the caller by spitting out swear words even she had never heard of. For Ha-na, everything happening around her felt completely unreal. Like an elaborate play that was being performed on a crude stage. ¡®This can¡¯t be real.¡¯ ¡°Hey, get up. You have to calm down, Lee Ha-na! Come on!¡± Yu-cheol grabbed her arm roughly, shaking her. Her bloodshot eyes were distorted. ¡°Wake up, you bastard!¡± ¡°Dui¡­can¡¯t be dead. Sunbae, you know it too. Say something, please? Dui is not the type to just die!¡± (TL: Dui = Do-hyun) When Ha-na screamed, Yu-cheol simply nodded with a bitter expression on his face. ¡°Yeah, how could Do-hyun die? So, let¡¯s calm down and figure this out okay? You have to pull yourself together, Ha-na! Get it together!¡± Ha-na was tired of dealing with death. There were times when a bomb exploded would explode just 100 meters away from her position and a building collapsed with her colleagues inside. She had even witnessed her colleagues¡¯ heads blown off three times. Since she was only human, death was an absolute tragedy that she had no choice but to accept. However, experiencing the death of a family member is different. The disappearance of a loved one, the only being on Earth precious enough to risk her life for, was unimaginably painful. For the first time in her life, Ha-na experienced the agonizing pain of her heart breaking. ¡°Ughhhh!!¡± * * * * * * * * The day dawned bright and clear with the rising sun casting a rosy hue across the morning sky. Numb to the passage of time, Ha-na laid in Do-hyun¡¯s bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. This comfortable house was a completely different place from the inn she cried in for the first time in her life. ¡®Yes, this was our home. It wasn¡¯t an orphanage full of mold stains, nor was it a basement room that was always wet due to condensation. It¡¯s an apartment in Seoul, which was built less than 10 years ago. It faces south, so it gets plenty of sunlight, and everything from the wallpaper, to the furniture¡­ All of it was clean and brand new. This house is the sanctuary we worked hard to obtain in order to live happily together. But without you, this is not our home anymore. I could no longer use the word ¡°our¡± to describe this home anymore.¡¯ Ha-na¡¯s swollen eyes filled with tears as she cried again. She felt like all the moisture in her body had been depleted, but she preferred it that way. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She punched the bedsheets as hard as she could, but it didn¡¯t make her feel better. Nothing felt real. It felt like she was all alone in an unknown world as if her life no longer had any meaning. Nothing ever went according to her wishes. Ha-na buried her face into the damp pillow and screamed. Overwhelmed with grief, she screamed until she felt the blood rushing to her face and a burning sensation in her throat. ¡°Why did you have to die?! Why?! Why did you leave me alone?! Why?!¡± ¡®You can¡¯t die¡­ You can¡¯t leave me behind. You told me that we would live happily ever after until we died of old age. What do I do now? How can I live without you?¡¯ Ha-na was wiping away her tears with her hand when she suddenly heard a sound. A faint vibration was heard from somewhere in the room. It couldn¡¯t by her cell phone since it was dead and had fallen beneath the bed. Ha-na slowly got out of the bed. The strange vibration, which echoed in the quiet, but silent house, pulled her out of her grief. ¡®Where the hell¡­¡¯ Do-hyun¡¯s room had a bed, a computer desk, and a freestanding closet, where his clothes were hung. The only storage in the room was an iron cabinet located under the computer desk, something she had purchased online for 20,000 won. But the sound was not coming from the cabinet. Focusing all her senses on hearing, she slowly walked around the room. ¡°Is it under the bed?¡± It was a high possibility that the sound was coming from under the frame, the vibrating close to the mattress. Ha-na stared at the bed and then lifted the mattress at once, stirring up a bit of dust in the process. After raising and leaning the mattress against the wall, she pushed her hand beneath of the frame. ¡°It was definitely towards the head.¡± For unknown reasons, Ha-na was felt a sense of urgency to find the source of the vibration. It was like an instinct, so she couldn¡¯t explain why. While fumbling around the bottom of the frame, her fingers brushed against a wire. A chill starting at her fingertips, spread throughout her body as she carefully rams her fingers along the wire. The vibration had stopped for a while, but started again. Ha-na was then able to find the source of the sound and grabbed ahold of the device producing the vibrations. Her body trembled as tension built up within her. What she found was a CDMA terminal with a 2G mobile phone attached to it. Currently, 2G service had been terminated, and could no longer be used by civilians, but Do-hyun was not a civilian. (TL: A CDMA terminal is a device that gives a telephone system or mobile phone the ability to communicate with other devices via voice calls and exchange data like texts, fax, GPS, ect.) On the surface, Do-hyun was a member of the National Security Intelligence Agency and the ace of the overseas criminal investigation team. He supposedly lead investigations into oversea drug crimes, but it¡¯s not known exactly what he was primarily responsible for. A lot of secrets meant a lot of hidden things. Ha-na stared at the mobile phone in her hand. The vibrations indicated an incoming call, but there was no caller ID. She flipped open that phone and answered the call while watching the screen. 00:01 00:02 00:03 [¡­Noona!] After three seconds, Ha-na heard the sound of Do-hyun¡¯s voice, and sighed heavily with the breath she had been holding in. ¡°Do¡­hyun? Where are you? What the hell happened to you?! Are you okay¡­.?¡± The signal strength wasn¡¯t good. This meant he wasn¡¯t contacting her using a normal communication device. Her heart started beating frantically. [Noona¡­.I can¡¯t¡­say¡­ Not now¡­ That¡¯s why¡­telling you¡­be careful¡­that bastard¡­.not dead. ¡­Don¡¯t look for me. I won¡¯t die.] ¡°Dui, you keep cutting off. Say it again! Where are you right now?! Just tell me the coordinates. Anything that might be a hint!¡± [Oh, no¡­f*ck¡­] Ha-na instinctively knew the signal would be lost soon. Impatient, she became pensive and continued speaking. ¡°Dui, don¡¯t hang up. Dui! Keep talking and don¡¯t hang up. I¡¯m going to track the coordinates myself!¡± However, there was a loud racket and the call ended. The explosive noise resembled the sound of a building collapsing. Ha-na stood there in a daze. The interaction hit her like a bucket of cold water. Dui¡¯s superior stated Do-hyun was definitely dead. That he died during his mission, so she should make arrangements for his funeral. But, unless it was a ghost she had just spoken to, Do-hyun is still alive. Do-hyun is out there somewhere, alone in a potentially dangerous situation, with no support because everyone believes he¡¯s dead¡­ The muscles in her body grew tense. The hairs on her back of her neck stood up and every fiber of her being was in a frenzy. In a state of shock, Ha-na pushed the bed frame to the side, and grabbed her charging cable. ¡®Dui is alive.¡¯ ¡®Dui, my only reason for living, is alive.¡¯ ¡®He didn¡¯t die.¡¯ Her lips were trembling as her heart started pounding as if she had taken stimulants. ¡®There must be a reason why he is contacting me through a device that can¡¯t be tracked or bugged, when he can contact me on my cellphone.¡¯ Ha-na ran into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. Raising her head, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror as the icy water dripped down her face. ¡®Calm down, Ha-na. Get a hold of yourself.¡¯ She inhaled deeply and focused on calming her erratic thoughts. Her hands turned white from grasping the bathroom sink too tightly. ¡®But I¡¯m happy¡­.¡¯ She exhaled and the sudden relief seemed to ease her tension. As she watched her reflection in the mirror, Ha-na began to grasp the situation. Dui is alive. The organization is trying to kill Dui. This is a cover up or a misunderstanding. ¡®He was assigned to a dangerous mission, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he lost his life. But, what about the body? Why didn¡¯t I ask about the body?¡¯ Ha-na punched the marble sink with her first, reflecting on the errors she had missed. ¡°You bastards¡­¡± Do-hyun is currently in a tight spot. Which means that there is a high probability that he can¡¯t ask for help from anyone in his organization. The dark-brown eyes reflected the mirror were filled with rage. Because of her unusual pale skin, her hair appeared exceptionally dark and dense. After leaving the bathroom, Ha-na headed straight to her room. Opening the door to her walk-in closet, she retrieved a 20-inch suitcase and began to pack things quickly and accurately. After packing a minimal amount of clothing and underwear, she added her tablet, laptop, phone charger, and a few archive files from the bottom of her bookshelf. Then, she immediately went online and purchased a plane ticket to Cambodia. The shortest flight was 5 hours and 30 minutes. It took Ha-na 17 minutes to purchase a first-class ticket for Wi-Fi access and locate her passport and ID. Dui didn¡¯t die. Ha-na mumbled to herself as she continued to pack like a madman, and then left her house without hesitation. It was just before sunrise, a time when the sky was dyed in a breathtaking mixture of colors. An eerie calmness washed over her as she sorted her chaotic thoughts. Her erratic heartbeat had also subsided, and the only thing on her mind was the fact that Do-hyun was alive. Ha-na called Choi Tae-joon while waiting for a taxi. Choi Tae-joon is Do-hyun¡¯s closest colleague and currently deployed on the same mission. ¡®If something had happened to Dui, Choi Tae-joon would have been the first to hear the news. But if something also happened to Tae-joon¡­¡¯ As her thoughts cycled through the worst case scenarios, the call connected. [Uh¡­ Ha-na] The moment the call connected, Ha-na could hear Choi Tae-joon as he cried over the phone. ¡®F*ck, don¡¯t cry.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡± [What? Where¡­?] Choi Tae-joon was sobbing so hard that it was difficult to make out his words. ¡°To see his body.¡± [The¡­the body¡­I see¡­] ¡°Choi Tae-joon¡­ I¡¯m the one who wants to cry. So, just please answer me directly. Dui¡¯s body, where is it?¡± [I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t find it. A bomb went off. There was¡­a suicide bomb¡­on Dui¡¯s body¡­ Ha-na, listen carefully to what I am about to say. Don¡¯t get too shocked, just hear me out, and listen until the end.] ¡®This is already hard to listen to.¡¯ ¡®Suicide bomb? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡¯ Ha-na wanted to say that she had spoken to Dui on the phone not too long ago, but she swallowed her words and endured it. Ha-na watched the streetlights turn off one by one with a harsh expression on her face. [Dui¡­ What I¡¯m trying to say¡­ It appears that Dui stole some things.] ¡°Things? What things¡­?¡± [He stole drugs. I think he needed money. But, the thing is¡­ The drugs belonged to the mafia.] ¡°Therefore¡­¡± [I think this was done by those Mafia dogs. You know the methods they use to dispose of bodies. I think that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t find his body.] Ha-na closed her eyes tightly. Her hand was trembling as she held the handle of the suitcase. There was a metallic taste in her mouth from biting down on her lip, but she couldn¡¯t feel the pain. ¡°Choi Tae-joon¡­ Why didn¡¯t you call me? You should¡¯ve done that right away! Why?!¡± [I wanted to find him! Somehow¡­ Somehow, even a damaged part! But¡­ But, they said they had already killed him. Ugh¡­ Lee Do-hyun, you crazy bastard! Why?! Why?!] The taxi had arrived. Ha-na took a deep breath, opened the door, and climbed into the back seat. ¡°The time difference is two hours. If the flight departs at 5:50, I will arrive at 9:20. So, please wait for me at the main exit of Phnom Penh Airport and be on time.¡± [Are you serious? You¡¯re coming now?] ¡°Yeah, right now. You said you couldn¡¯t find the body. I will find Dui¡¯s body. And¡­ I¡¯m not going to mourn his lost just yet.¡± Tae-joon didn¡¯t say anything. Ha-na could clearly picture the puzzled expression on his face The elderly taxi driver turned around and asked, ¡°Should I take you to Incheon International Airport?¡¯ Ha-na nodded her head. ¡°Therefore¡­ if you don¡¯t want to see me go crazy, don¡¯t hide anything from me. Not a single thing. Now, go get ready.¡± Chapter 4 June 22, 9:17:28 She arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, earlier than scheduled. Hana had on a hat and was rearranging her luggage before getting off the plane. As the only first-class passenger flying to Cambodia, the flight attendants waited until she was ready, flashing her a look of concern while telling her to be careful as the security was not good. As a result of traveling around the world, she knew that only a few countries had better security than Korea. Especially when traveling to southeastern Asian countries, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for them to be nervous in the first place. ¡°Have a good trip. I hope to see you again on your return flight home.¡± The moment I set foot here, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be returning alone. Hana thought as she stepped forward. She boarded a flight to Cambodia with neither data nor any conjectures. What she did on the plane was learn the basics of Khmer and study the map. Along with trying to make out what Dui was blurting that morning and constructing them into proper sentences. ¡®Noo¡­ na. ¡­I can¡¯t ¡­say. Not now. That¡¯s why, telling you¡­ be careful. ¡­That bastard ¡­not dead. ¡­Don¡¯t look for me. I won¡¯t die.¡¯ No matter how much I thought about it, it was weird. The stranger it seemed the more I doubted it. Dui didn¡¯t contact Hana so he could inform her about his location. It was the opposite. He knew when she heard the news of his death, she would come looking for him like this and try to stop it. But why is that? How did Dui know that his associates were planning to kill him? ¡®Lee Dui, you really¡­ Did you do something you shouldn¡¯t have?¡¯ ¡®And now you¡¯re now trying to figure it out on your own?¡¯ Hana shook her head. Her thoughts grew heavy as there are way too many speculations in her head. She breathed in the terribly hot air and kneaded her stiff neck. Even Choi Taejun, who is his best friend and his lifeline, doesn¡¯t know that Dui is alive. Dui did not inform Taejun of his survival and warned me to be careful. ¡®Then who could it be?¡¯ She didn¡¯t hear it exactly because the signal wasn¡¯t good, but it was definitely a foreign name. Two, to be precise. Hana blended among other groups of tourists and completed her visa application. Since she preferred to not stand out, she made eye contact with people she didn¡¯t even know and smiled brightly. The immigration officer handed her passport and issuance card. Then he waved his hand while greeting her with a smile and said in English, ¡°Have an unforgettable trip.¡± An unforgettable trip¡­ Hana turned around, feeling a sigh about to escape from between her lips. At last, she had reached Cambodia. Dui¡¯s last known location. * * * * * * * In front of Phnom Penh International Airport Gate 2, Hana checked the time and her expression stiffened. It had already been thirty-five minutes past nine in the evening. The inside of the airport was crowded with travelers trying to leave for Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located. Although there were some Koreans heard from time to time, they all seemed to be ordinary tourists and none of them appear to be working for the National Intelligence Agency. Hana looked up at the sky, then down at the road through the large front window. The atmosphere was not much different from other southeastern Asian countries. Perhaps due to the classic tropical climate, the breeze from the air conditioner felt humid. I guess I¡¯ve been living comfortably in Korea for a while now. I can¡¯t believe I thought this felt uncomfortable. ¡°Hana, Lee Hana!¡± As she turned toward the direction of the someone shouting her name, Hana saw Choi Taejun in a checkered shirt jumping up and down. ¡°Sorry I was late. Man, it¡¯s scorching hot. I had a collision with a motorcycle on my way here. Is this the only luggage you have? Hana stared at Choi Taejun¡¯s hand and decided to drag the carrier herself. ¡°The car?¡± He was too calm, nothing like the person who was bawling his eyes out earlier. Now he was chatting away happily and fanning himself. ¡°Get in the tuk-tuk. I¡¯m off work today so I don¡¯t have a car.¡± Taejun stuffed his hands in his pocket, looked back and gave a faint smile. Unlike a little while ago, she could feel the pain and sadness in his bitter smile. Taejun skillfully bargained with the driver and loaded her luggage in the trunk. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d really come¡­ Why the sudden visit? As soon as Hana got into the car, instead of answering, she took out a tablet and opened google maps. ¡°What are the coordinates of the last place¡­ Dui was seen.¡± The tuk-tuk had yet to depart. Taejun clicked his tongue and zoomed in on the tablet Hana had pulled out. ¡°75km up north from here, towards Siem Reap. It¡¯s an ordinary residential area.¡± The tuk-tuk started moving. There was a slight breeze, but it was still hot. Once Hana bookmarked the location on the map, she turned her head away from Choi Taejun. Placing his elbows on his knees, Taejun clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and then squeezing his eyes shut. ¡°Hana, I know it¡¯s hard to accept¡­ You¡­. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°What am I doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to figure out Dui¡¯s death. Don¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll feel troubled, you know.¡± ¡°Where are we going right now?¡± Hana ignored his words and changed the subject. Taejun sat up and rubbed his face before pulled out a cigarette. Then he put it between his lips but didn¡¯t light it. ¡°The place where Dui stayed. I thought you might want to see it.¡± Rather than answering, Hana took a deep breath and shut her eyes. The flip phone she had in her bag kept crossing her mind. She had examined it earlier while waiting for Taejun and noticed that it was a modified and had automatic roaming on it. Therefore, if she received a call again, they would be able to talk longer this time. Hana nodded and clenched her fists inconspicuously to not draw any more attention to herself. The weather was already miserable with the high humidity, but she also had to deal with even higher temperatures, which stayed at an average of 38¡ãC. (100.4¡ãF) Since it had been like this in the morning, there was a huge chance that the temperature reach over 40¡ãC (104¡ãF) by noon. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Watch out for motorcycles, I don¡¯t wanna see a pickpocket¡¯s wrist fly away,¡± Taejun said jokingly, Hana sighed and shook her head. ¡°Did you prepare what I told you to?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The information related to Dui, I asked you to have it prepared before my arrival.¡± ¡°Lee Hana.¡± ¡°I want to know everything about the last mission he was on, the opponents he faced, the type of drugs Lee Dui stole, the clothes and shoes he wore at the time of suicide, the means of transport he took, and everything else without leaving a single detail out. Didn¡¯t you prepare it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get in first, it¡¯s too hot to talk outside.¡± Choi Taejun spoke coldly as he got out of the tuk-tuk, running his hands through his already disheveled hair. Hana followed him while looking around at her surroundings. After received 5 dollars from Taejun, the driver smiled brightly, revealing his white teeth. Then he became expressionless once again and started the tuk-tuk. Hana tilted her head back as she gazed at the six-story building. It was a small apartment complex with a slated roof, which is very common in Cambodia. It reminded her of one of the apartment buildings, that were built in small towns in Korea during the 60s. Hana followed Taejun into the building, which had a peculiar smell of spices throughout. Dui¡¯s apartment was on the second floor. Hana stood in front of a picture frame placed on top of a shoe rack. Even though she knew he was alive, she still choked up when she saw the picture. The picture was taken of them together on a ship. Dui wore a navy uniform while she wore an army uniform. She didn¡¯t know how many times this picture had been circulated on the internet. People used to say that they were blessed with good looks and were like two siblings in the military, but that was the one thing they hated hearing the most. Taejun glanced at Hana as she was standing in the hallway and pulled the curtains, the room was instantly illuminated by the sunlight. Knitting her eyebrows, she finally entered the room and observed the neat and tidy surroundings. ¡°That¡¯s right, Dui was¡­¡± ¡°That guy was clean freak, he never had even a speck of dust on himself,¡± Taejun finished as he handed Hana a key. It was a key to Dui¡¯s apartment. ¡°Stay here for a while. Take some time to calm yourself, and organize your thoughts as well¡­ Perhaps that would make you feel better?¡± Hana slipped the key in her pocket and calmly walked into the kitchen, opening the door to the refrigerator. Inside, there were only drinks, including beer, Dui¡¯s favorite the sparkling water brand, makgeolli2 and soju3, which would be hard to find here. ¡°It looks like Lee Dui really was here.¡± ¡°I might¡¯ve believed he had an accident while on a mission. However, why would Dui take a job only to betray the organization?¡± Hana gave a quick look over the contents of the fridge and turned to Taejun, who was sitting on a sofa. His face was buried in his hands, wallowing in misery and guilt. At least it didn¡¯t seem like Taejun was lying. Maybe he really did believe that Dui was dead. ¡°Choi Taejun¡­ You said Dui had two suicide bombs on him?¡± Hana asked while taking out a barley drink with a Korean label. ¡°¡­Yeah. I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Taejun clasped his hands together and placed his chin on top. Then he looked up at her with narrowed eyes before continuing his explanation. ¡°I was assigned to chase down the source of a new drug called KA-947A. It has very distinct properties than other hallucinogenic substances. There was a big chance that it could be mistaken as a pharmaceutical drug if there was even one mishap, so I kept a close eye on it. But then I received a contract with Dui¡¯s name on it.¡± Hana leaned against the refrigerator and nodded her head, signaling that he could continue. ¡°I asked him what he was doing and why was he moving on his own. I thought that maybe he started the investigation on his own. But¡­ that wasn¡¯t the case. He wasn¡¯t investigating, he was dealing.¡± Taejun sighed heavily and continued with a shaky voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to believe it. I was trying to convince that bastard otherwise, I thought he¡¯d finally come to his senses too. That bastard, he was such a nice and sincere guy¡­ but I think that was what triggered them. They placed bombs on Dui¡¯s body and sent people out of the building. And before support even arrived, it exploded.¡± Taejun¡¯s face was full of anguish as he recalled the memory. To sum up his words, he didn¡¯t witness Dui death personally, but Taejun was certain of his death considering the circumstances. Hana drank from her glass and set her luggage on the table. ¡°Good. What you have just told me, I¡¯ll believe it. Now, give me the date, time, investigation log, and everything else I listed before.¡± Taejun licked his lips and shot up from the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s a state secret! I can¡¯t do anything about it!¡± ¡°I am a bereaved family. I have the right to know the details of his death.¡± ¡°Hah, you¡¯re crazy. It¡¯s still a confidential document! Even then, I have to received permission from a superior.¡± Opening the bag on the table with a slight smile, Hana pulled out some clothes. She proceeded to plug her laptop into an electrical outlet and found Dui¡¯s internet cable.¡± Taejun was startled at Hana¡¯s sudden actions. ¡°Lee Hana¡­ didn¡¯t you just say that you believe me? Dui is dead now.¡± Hana was hesitant to pull out the files stored at the bottom of the suitcase. Dui didn¡¯t want anyone to learn about his survival. If he was calling for rescue, he would¡¯ve called headquarters. She was uncertain as of now, but if she was suspicious of anything, it would definitely be that place. ¡°Taejun-ah, I believe you. But I want to check the details of Dui¡¯s death with my own eyes. So, please bring the information. Or maybe, I should go to IDC:A myself?¡± ¡°Do you know why the organization is being pushed over? No matter how many times you try, you can¡¯t do it!¡± Taejun, who had started to contemplate things, shouted. Hana closed the suitcase instead of taking out the files. Hatred seeped from his eyes as he glared at the photos and notes on the wall and the small map model. ¡°Is that what you really think? Choi Taejun¡­ I¡¯ve been receiving job offers from the organization you¡¯re talking about for the past two years. Do you know why I kept refusing them? Because Dui wanted to work for them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I got a call a month ago. If I join IDC:A, they¡¯ll give me any position that I want. What do you think? Should I take their offer? Do you want me to join the organization and get in your hair? Or do you need some time to think about what will happen? I think you already know what it will be like, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, seriously! Lee Hana!¡± Taejun was so frustrated that he slapped his chest and stomped his feet. If Hana joined the organization, Taejun would not be able to get a promotion for the next three years. Also, he would be reprimanded and blamed as the person in charge of this case. In the battle between power and authority, Taejun would never be able to beat it by himself. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t want to be fucked over, move. I won¡¯t say it a third time. I¡¯ll check the details with my own eyes whether or not Dui is dead. That¡¯s what I came here for.¡± !?! 1. tuk-tuk ¨C a three wheeled vehicle that does not tilt. Most often seen in developing countries. 2. makgeolli ¨C a Korean alcoholic beverage. It is a milky and off-white rice wine. 3. soju ¨C another Korean alcoholic beverage. Clear in color and is one of the most consumed types of alcohol in Korea.