January 18th, 2018

I opened my computer and checked the inbox. Still nothing. I needed something fast, and I couldn't ask Youngjae since he tried his best to avoid me at all cost. The only conversations we've had were him telling me where he was going and when he'd get back. Small talk happened once or twice, but we aren't good at talking. We were taught not to talk. 

"Downtown, drugs. I'll be back at 11." He put his coat on and glanced at me before turning out of the door. I turned to look at the knob, expecting to see the latch verticle. It was a sign to tell me not to follow him like we were trained. He had never once left it unlocked, until right now. I shot up, closing my laptop and almost sprinting to the door. 

Putting my coat on, I opened the door and looked down the street at his retreating figure. He was walking slower than usual. 

I made sure I locked the door and put my hood up before going after him at my own pace. I mirrored his steps, watching him from behind. He was walking nonchalantly up the sidewalk, his head down and hands in his pocket. He looked normal, but why did he leave the lock unlocked?

I stayed a good 20 feet behind him as we entered the thick of the city. It was always buzzing, even if it was almost ten o' clock. There were no times when all the lights had to be shut off or any bells tolled at ungodly hours. It seemed like a light that stayed on forever.

Youngjae quickly turned down an alleyway where a door to a bibimbap place was. This confused me, but I still followed in. 

The place was full. There were people everywhere, playing games, drinking, or eating. Youngjae walked right to the back of the restaurant and I stopped myself from following. The hostess came up to me and smiled. 

"Can I have a quiet table? My boyfriend is coming soon." She nodded and pointed to the table in front of Youngjae's. My back would be to him.

I sat down and put my coat on the back of my chair, trying to act normal. Youngjae was alone at his table. Picking up a menu to hide my mouth, I started to ask questions. 

"What are we doing here?" I whispered.

"You'll see. Just don't bring attention to yourself. This guy knows who you are."

"Is he on our side?" He shook his head and stood. 

"Junior. Thought I'd never see you again." I was intrigued on how Youngjae's voice had shot up and sounded a lot more inviting. 

"Well, I was held up in Seoul. You know that. Is there a coat rack somewhere?" Youngjae must've pointed and the new man walked past me. I caught the tiniest glimpse of his face a curse silently. It's that kid Himchan and JB were beating up. Wait...How does...? If he's not on our side, does that mean he knew JB? 

He walked back and I tried to keep my glance down. The anger built inside of me for my lost friend. 

"Sorry, I couldn't find a better place. I live in Jinhae-gu, not Busan." 

"It's fine. As long as we can talk about what we need to." The people at the table next to mine burst out in a loud cheer and I cringed at its loudness. I hate this whole drinking eating culture.

"What would you like?" The lady walked up to me and I glanced down at my menu. 

"My boyfriend and I will have the dolsot bibimbap. He said he'd be here in about 10 minutes." She nodded and walked away. 

"So you said you had more info on that spy?" Youngjae inquired. 

"Yeah, Tuan's in Busan now. He's dead set on getting this girl. She's the only on that's ever gotten away and he hates her for it. Why do I even tell you this stuff, you're probably bored by it."

"Not at all. He thinks she's in Busan?"

"He knows, he and Wang are trying to get her back to Shin this Friday. He's just waiting for his warrant to clear. Shin's the police chief in Seoul."

"Yeah, I got him as a character in my book." Book? What the hell kind of cover story does Youngjae have? 

"Don't tell anyone I told you this stuff, though, or I'd be fired." Youngjae leaned back in his chair. 

"Everything is confidential. It's just inspiration. The whole North Korean spy thing is in now."

"Mhm. It's creepy, though when JB had planned that fake thing so I could get a look at her and be able to describe her to Tuan, she let me go nicely. She doesn't seem to be the type that North Korea would recruit. She's short and has this innocent look to her. She is actually pretty too. I though Jong-un would want to keep girls like that." I tensed at those words and I saw Youngjae's head move a bit back at me. 

"There's probably a reason she's here. A lot of stories from defectors are sad."

"Too bad she isn't a defector...by the way, I want like 5 percent of the profits you make on this book-"  

"Why do you want her to be a defector?" Youngjae cut into Jinyoung's sentence. There was a pause in their conversation. 

"Well, one, she's hot, and, two, she'd make a great police officer. Even a great agent, but that rarely happens."

"So, you want her to be a defector so you could have a chance with her? That's the stupidest reason I've heard." The both laughed together, but Youngjae's was a bit dry. 

"North Korean girls are pretty, what can I say? By the way, personal subject, but have they gone back to find your wife?" My hand grasped the pair of chopsticks. His wife?...What is Youngjae's alibi? They know he's from the North? Is he a real defector? Am I being played again? 

"No. They found her in China, she's on her way to my house now."

"Really?! Dude, it's been four years since you requested her exodus and now you can see her again. That's amazing! I have to meet her!" Four years...Did he really request such a thing? For his wife...? He doesn't have a w... 

"She will be with me only for a long time. Maybe in a few months you can. I just don't want to throw her into something. She's been through so much already." I stood up and my chair slid unpleasantly against the wood floor. I started to walk out of the hole in the wall and I knew Youngjae would soon follow. 

"Speaking of my wife, I have to travel to Seoul to get her transferred. Sorry I have to leave right now, but I have to get her in 2 days, and I want to enjoy Seoul a bit." Youngjae stood up and I missed what Jinyoung said to him, but he turned and looked me straight in the eyes before I walked out of the door. 

My mind was flying wild with the possibilities. Is Youngjae still one of us? Did he actually send people to look for "his wife"? Did he defect? Do I have to kill him now? Th bell of the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked right at Youngjae, who showed no emotion on his face. He just took two steps forward, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into the next vacant alleyway before letting me go. I took one step and slammed him into the brick wall. He rolled his eyes. 

"Who are you?" I growled to him and he took a small breath. 

"I'm defecting and I want you to defect with me."

Kill any enemy of the state. - Officer YONG 

I reached in my back pocket for my knife, but came up empty. I left it at the house. He surprised me so much with his actions, I forgot everything. I cursed him inside my head and pushed him more into the brick. 

"I will never defect from my country!"

"The only reason you aren't defecting is because of Junhong. I know how to get him out." He's lying. 

"I will get my brother out by doing my mission. I don't need a traitors help." He grabbed my arm and twisted it, switching our positions. 

"If I'm a traitor, why am I not dead? I've seen you kill people with your hands. You're confused. After seeing the life in South Korea, you see how free they are and you long for that freedom. I can help you and Junhong. If you defect, you ae granted asylum."

"Never." I struggled against his grip, but he was too strong and I had no leeway. 

"When you find out about Junhong, I'll be here to help. I'm leaving and going to Seoul, I promised to help them with the other defectors in exchange for my freedom. Tuan is at the house. I took the liberty of hiding your things and they're in the shed. Get arrested on private property, and go in willingly. One of your men will get you out and I'm sure North Korea will give you directions. Don't follow them, and think about what I offered. I'll be waiting." He pushed off and turned away from me. How badly did I want to go and break him neck right now, but something made me stand, rooted to the spot. One question going through my mind, yelling louder than the others.

"Am I that wife?" He turned back again and locked eyes with me, saying the answer without speaking. 

"I hope to see you soon...MeeYon." I thought that would be the last time I would ever see him again. 

______________________

The house had three police cars in front of it and one familiar black Maserati, imported from America just for him. Three lights were on in the house and I wondered what they had to look at.

"Get arrested on private property." Do I listen to him? 

"Mark, there's nothing in that house but old food and some t-shirts. We were wrong, let's just get over it." Two men walked out of the front door, conversing in English, and I ducked behind another houses' wall. I soon identified the two as Jackson Wang and Tuan. My heart started beating in my chest...Was I really going to listen to that traitor? 

"She's here. There was an anonymous tip from someone who labeled themselves as a North Korean defector," that little ,"and they said she was here, Jackson. We've been going dry for almost 3 weeks."

"You haven't slept over 12 hours because of that. Why are you so obsessed with her? Do you like her or something?" Jackson got hit over the head by Tuan and he laughed. Tuan's face was still stone. I was troubling our little agent. 

"Let's just call it a night and go back to the station. No one around here is home and no one is in that house. You can get more done there than here." Tuan huffed and leaned against his car. 

"I guess you're right. But I...Hey!" His head snapped to my location and I stepped out from behind the house, walking away from the two. I can't believe I'm doing this. 

"Excuse me, Ms!" His footsteps were quick and I needed to find private property. 

"Mark, what did I just say?!" I turned the corner and walked quickly to the left, looking for a company I could walk into. My eyes scanned the street I was on and I looked up at the signs. People were moving on the streets, jostling me left and right. I put my hood up and could still hear Tuan looking for me. I can't believe I'm doing this. 

A sign came in my vision and it was in English. R&R Travel Associates. That was private enough and it looked like everyone had gone home except a few windows that were still illuminated. I opened the door and walked into the empty lobby. There was an oak desk right next to the entrance and a space with nice chairs and a coffee table. It looked like no one had been in here for a few hours and no one was going to leave soon, so I sat down in one of those chairs. My view was pretty as my back was facing the door that Tuan would walk into. A small, wall waterfall was slowly trickling down the tan colored brick and into a pool at its bottom.

The door opened nad my heart beat quickened up to my throat. Why was I feeling this fear? 

"Excuse me, Ms. Can I talk to you?" His footsteps came closer and closer and I gripped the chair with all of my might. This was it for now. 

His body came into my view and I was looking down at the floor, my face just out of his view. He was wearing a suit like he always did, and nice leather shoes. What a weird outfit to raid a house with.

"My name is Mark Tuan and I'm from the NIS. I would like to ask you some questions pertaining the area of housing you were just in. Is that okay with you?" I looked up and him, my hood falling. 

"Only if it's okay with you agent." He stood there for a few seconds, frozen with shock of some sort. I knew he snapped out of it when my face had hit the floor and handcuffs were around my wrists, their cool metal cutting into my skin. It was a foreign feeling, being arrested. 

"Kim HyeIn, you are under arrest." I didn't struggle, just like Youngjae told me. He picked me up from the floor and made me meet Jackson Wang's eyes. He was even more shocked. 

"Did you bring the car?" Tuan asked him and Jackson nodded, gulping. 

"You, you found her." he stuttered out and I glared at him, walking with Tuan as he led my to the door. 

"It took him long enough." I muttered and Tuan's gripped tightened on my shoulder. 

"We're taking her to Busan HQ and getting the OK to transfer her." We walked out of the building as onlookers turned to see what was happening. There were no cameras around and I was shoved into the car before anyone could take their phones out. I took in the nice leather interior and the inside of Tuan's car. Maybe he was one of those who got off on cars and not women like Yugyeom told me about. 

Both of them got into the car and Tuan reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. 

"I'm bringing her in, have a room ready." He hung it up as quickly as he took it out and looked into the rearview mirror, right at me.

"Nice to meet you again, I'm sure you know Jackson." Jackson took a quick glance back at me and I looked out the window. Better enjoy this ride becuase I'll have to walk once I get released. 

"I'd get ready Kim-sshi. You've met the end." I let out a small laugh, but didn't see his reaction. He just sped up the car and drove off. Tuan really knows nothing.