Myungsoo was looking rather intensely at his camera when Sungyeol came and sat down beside him.

“I still don’t remember taking this picture,” He mused.

“You must have accidentally pressed onto the shutter,” Sungyeol remarked, “That wouldn’t be very surprising, considering the fact that it’s you.”

“Yah, I’m not clumsy when it comes to taking pictures!” Myungsoo retorted, but then broke into a smile as he placed the camera in front of Sungyeol.

“Anyway, look at what I captured. This girl –” Myungsoo paused for a moment as he looked at the image on the digital screen, “– is really my style.” Then, he let out a satisfied sigh and said, “Even my camera recognizes beauty.”

“Why do you always fall for girls whom you cannot get?” Sungyeol laughed.

“I am going to find her,” Myungsoo simply said as he took the camera back from Sungyeol.

“Well, good luck,” Sungyeol said, “There are over 10 million people in Seoul itself. When you really find her, then I’ll agree that it is fate.”

“Just you wait,” Myungsoo said, grinning.

It was a balmy spring afternoon when Myungsoo took a stroll along the streets with his camera just like always. As he walked along slowly, he noticed a tiny circular object rolling by in front of him. He bent down and picked it up.  It was a copper ring which looked slightly rusty, with a simple design of an intersecting “X” and a small piece of ruby in the middle. The ring sure looked ancient, but the ruby appeared to gleam, giving off a lively yet mysterious feel.

Myungsoo gently placed it in the palm of one hand and snapped a picture of the ring. Then, he placed it around his left index finger and began twirling it as he walked. He just reached a traffic light when something across the street caught his attention.

With long flowing black hair and meek smile, the girl walking by at the other end of the road looked exactly like the girl who somehow got captured on his lenses. After looking left and right anxiously, Myungsoo didn’t wait for the traffic light to turn green before dashing across the road.

A loud trumpet-like horn sounded furiously and a bright flash of light shone upon him as he heard rubber tires screeching. And that was the last thing he remembered.

When Myungsoo opened his eyes again, he found himself in some sort of tent. He sat up and realized that there was someone else in the little tent – someone wearing a soldier outfit.

“Excuse me, what happened?” Myungsoo spoke up.

He looked on patiently as the person kept something – oh my gosh is that a freaking rifle? – into a metal cupboard on one side of the tent.

And then, the person began turning around to face him as she (it was a girl, surprisingly) said, “You’re asking me? I’d like to ask you the same question. What were you doing in this area, which has obviously been stated as out-of-bounds?”

“It’s you!” Myungsoo exclaimed.

The girl looked bewildered, “Who? I don’t know you.”

“You…” Myungsoo said, his words trailing off as he blushed lightly and scratched his head, “Um, it’s kinda hard to explain but somehow I caught you on my camera, and then I saw you across the street… How did you find me?”

“What on earth are you talking about?” The girl scoffed, slightly amused, “I just told you. You, mister, have trespassed on military property. So please answer my question and explain your presence.”

“M-military property?” It was Myungsoo’s turn to be confused, “What?”

The girl sighed in annoyance as she gestured for Myungsoo to get up. Then, she held him tightly by the arm and pulled him out of the tent.

“See that spot beside the rifle range?” she pointed in a specific direction, “You were found there, unconscious. I don’t know why you were unconscious, maybe it’s heat or something, but I don’t care. What matters is that you were trespassing. With a camera. I have all reason to suspect that you are a spy.”

“Oh my gosh,” Myungsoo said softly as he surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, “What is this place?”

The girl turned to look at him, “Pretending that you lost your memory isn’t going to help. I have all the psychologists and doctors I need to prove that you’re lying. Just confess now, and maybe, just maybe, your sentence will be lighter.”

Myungsoo closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and then exhaled slowly, trying to collect his thoughts.

“I honestly, honestly, have no idea what you’re talking about,” He said, looking into her eyes earnestly, “The last thing I remember is running across the street to find you, and then this loud honking and screeching and – I thought I’d be in the hospital but… What is this place?”

“You’re still going on with it, huh?” The girl said, looking a little impressed, “You even have a storyline planned out. How brilliant.”

Myungsoo opened his mouth to rebut her words but realized that he didn’t know what to say.

“Y-you – you’re not helpful at all! I’m freaking lost here, and all you can say is things which I don’t understand at all!”

The girl sighed and said, “Follow me.”

“So what exactly is this place?” Myungsoo asked again as he walked beside her.

“Do you seriously not know?” She said disbelievingly, “The outskirts of Yongsan village, Myeongsadong.”

“Ah,” Myungsoo said and then muttered under his breath, “What place is that?”

“Where exactly do you come from then?” She asked.

“I live in Manwondong,” He replied.

Her eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.

“Manwondong?” She repeated.

“Yeah…” He said, taken aback by her response, “W-what’s wrong with that?”

“Are you working for the Japanese?” She fired, “Manwondong has been acquired by Japan since the end of last year!”

“What?” He exclaimed in shock, “No such thing happened!”

“Stop pretending. I know my facts,” She said firmly.

“What year is this?” He asked cautiously.

“Are you going to tell me you’re from another era now?” She laughed sarcastically, “It’s 2013.”

“Oh, I didn’t,” He mumbled to himself under his breath, “It is 2013.”

She stopped in front of a house and said, “We’ve reached.”

“It’s pretty strange,” The doctor said with his brows creased in deep thought, “From the simple scan, it appears that his brain activity is normal. I can’t explain the memory gap.”

“From what I’ve gathered though,” The psychologist continued, “He doesn’t seem to be lying.”

“Are you convinced now?” Myungsoo asked as the girl sent the professionals out of the makeshift clinic that was her house.

“You’re not free of guilt yet,” She said icily, “I’m still waiting for –”

Just then, a couple of knocks sounded at her door. She opened the door to reveal a few other soldiers.

“General Son,” The soldiers reported, “We’ve checked all his belongings, including the pictures in the camera and the other memory card as well. There’s nothing suspicious.”

“Oh, is that so?” She said, glancing over at Myungsoo, “Did you record down his name and particulars then?”

At the mention of that, Myungsoo suddenly realized that all his belongings weren’t with him.

“Yes, M’am, we’ve gotten everything down.”

“Okay then, hand them over.”

The soldiers passed the girl a navy blue sling bag and black camera bag, and then left shortly after.

She walked back into the house and passed Myungsoo’s belongings back to him.

“Thank you,” Myungsoo said with a forced smile.

“Son Naeun?” He enunciated as he looked at the name sewn on her uniform, “Is that your name?”

“How rude!” Naeun exclaimed, “You should call me General Son!”

Myungsoo just chuckled lightly and then commented, “Your name sounds a little too pretty for a person like you.”

Naeun glared at him and then stretched out a hand.

“Just hand me the fine and leave.”

“What fine?”

“Two hundred thousand won. Whether it was intentional or not, you still trespassed and it’s a crime so you’re liable for a fine.”

Myungsoo sighed and said, “What if I don’t pay?”

“Then you’ll stay at the neighbourhood police station until someone bails you out.”

Myungsoo laughed helplessly, “Who’s going to bail me out? There’s nobody I know here!”

“Then pay up.”

Myungsoo bit his lips in exasperation as he searched his wallet for the notes.

He handed them to her unwillingly, and then said, “Were you serious about Manwondong being under Japan? Because I’m certain no such thing happened.”

“And I’m certain it did,” She replied.

Myungsoo let out a loud sigh, and then asked casually, “Can I stay here for a while then? Until I figure out what’s happening.”

“No way. I’m not letting an unknown man stay in my house. Especially someone as dubious as you.”

Myungsoo laughed, “So you still think I’m a spy?”

“It still doesn’t make any sense to me why you were there with a camera.”

“You are one contradictory person,” Myungsoo said in disbelief, “How could you allow a spy into your house? Isn’t that where all the important information is kept?”

Her eyes widened and she bit her lip.

“You didn’t think of it?” Myungsoo teased, “Ah, seems like you actually don’t suit this job…”

“Get out now,” Naeun gritted her teeth as she began pushing him towards the door, “Out!”

“I’m sorry alright!” Myungsoo exclaimed, but she continued pushing him outwards with surprising strength.

Myungsoo was just about to speak up again when the door slammed in his face and he heard the click of a lock.

“Yah, you don’t have to do this right?” Myungsoo shouted across the door.

There was no reply.

He bit his lip and sat down beside the door.

I shouldn’t have made her angry, he thought. Then, he got out his phone and was just about to call Sungyeol when he noticed that there was no signal. He hit the ground in frustration.

“Naeun!” He called out again, “Don’t be like this! I really have nowhere to go!”

He noticed some passers-by shooting him pitiful glances.

“Naeun-ah!” He exclaimed, even louder, “Let me in! I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

Naeun tried her best to ignore him as she did some paperwork at her desk.

“Honey, please!” He shouted.

Naeun rolled her eyes in exasperation. What is he trying to do?

“Forgive me! We can start over again!”

She bit her lip and glared at the door. No –

“Son Naeun!” His voice boomed loudly, even across the door, “Are you going to be this cruel?”

Her jaw hung open in disbelief as she stormed towards the door and swung it open.

“Are you crazy? What are you doing?” She exclaimed.

He broke into a satisfied smile upon seeing her, “How else would you open the door?”

“Are you really that desperate?”

He nodded with wide eyes.

Naeun sighed, “Come in.”

“Lock yourself up in that room,” She said, pointing to the room at a corner, “Don’t talk to me. Don’t touch my stuff. Don’t do funny things.”

“You must be the friendliest person I’ve ever met,” He said, his words dripping with sarcasm, as he walked over to the room and opened the door.

“Oh, this ring!” He exclaimed from inside the room, “That’s right! That could be it!”

Naeun walked over to the room in frustration.

“What is it now? Can you not make so much noise? I’m trying to concentrate,” She grumbled as she opened the door.

“That ring,” He said, pointing to an item in the glass display cabinet, “I was wearing the exact same ring before I woke up in that tent.”

“Huh?” She looked at him, confused, “That’s an antique collectible. My grandma gave it to me. There’s some kind of fairytale going around about it though.”

“What fairytale?” Myungsoo asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.