Ionian Military Base

Keroessa, Io

After making plans with Kai, I agree to meet him at the gates of the base a few days later. So here I am. I try not to fidget in front of the guards at the door. They’ve agreed to let me wait around until Kai comes and lets me in. Chanyeol and Lay aren’t on duty right now. That’s a good thing for me, because things would get slightly awkward if Kai showed up and found out about my other fake identity right away.

I’ve been hard at work for the past few days. Using Haeyoung’s identity, I’ve done every single thing I could think of. I’ve travelled around the city and taken photos and notes on every single thing I thought was interesting. I’ve been to art galleries and museums. I’ve even been to a nightclub, and that’s usually not my type of place. The point is, I did everything I could to experience Ionian life. Aside from the military secrets I was trying to investigate, there were also many other things I could write about.

I wish I could say that I had a great time, but I really didn’t. I was just so paranoid. Every time someone looked my way, every time I turned a corner I was afraid I’d be caught somehow. I did my best to blend in using Haeyoung’s clothes. They did their part. But did I do my part well enough? Did I act like a regular Ionian? No one approached me while I was out in public. No one really paid too much attention to me. At least that’s what I thought. But the question of …what if? Always lingered at the back of my mind. I was a fraud. I felt like I had that written across my forehead. What if someone already knew?

There was also the guilt. At first, it was really bad. I mean come on. I’ve stolen some innocent girl’s identity. I’ve been using using her name, living in her apartment, eating the frozen food in her fridge, sleeping on her couch. It wasn’t fair to her. What would happen when I left? What would happen when she came back? The possibilities are endless. When I wasn’t worming my way through the city during the day or night, I was lying on the couch staring at the ceiling. Thinking. Just thinking hard about what would happen when she finally found out about me. If I was a good or bad person for doing this. You could try to argue both sides. My conclusion? Most of my morals went out the window when I decided to come here. Let’s say I left them back on earth.

Anyways.

The doors slide open and Kai steps out of the base. He waves at me and flashes me a smile full of teeth.

“Hey! Come in.” He waves me towards him.

I hear him exchange a few words with the guards to tell them I’m his guest and then I’m through the doors.

He’s wearing his black uniform again, and his hair is just as pink as it was a few days ago.

I school my expression into one of casual curiosity. I have to do my best to get my hands on something juicy today. The faster I find something, the faster I can start planning my departure from Io and escape back to earth.

I swallow my nerves and force myself to smile at Kai. I have to be as convincing as possible. “Thanks for agreeing to this, Kai. I really appreciate it. Where are we going to do the interview?”

He’s all smiles back, but I can’t read his eyes. Maybe I’m overthinking it.

“We can do it in the admin area. That’s the only place where there’s space to sit down in this entire base, really.” Kai answers.

I raise my brow at him.

“Oh, really? How about where the soldiers stay? I assumed they had places to, you know, rest.” I want to take this opportunity to question him a bit. Last time I wasn’t able to see where the soldiers stayed because I ran into him.

It’s Kai’s turn to raise his brow at me.

My pulse races for a moment. Should I not have asked that? Can he see through me? Maybe I shouldn’t prod him too much. I feel like I’m teetering on a tight rope. I need to keep my balance and do what I came here to do without falling and getting caught.

I shouldn’t get too greedy. The admin office was the place I wanted to see anyway. I need to stick to taking what I can get. There’s no way I can get away with seeing everything anyway. The longer I hang around Kai, the more likely I am to be caught.

“You’d want to do an interview in a place full of noisy people?”

I force out a laugh and shake my head. “Sorry, just curious. That’s all.”

Kai laughs, and I notice that the doors have slid shut behind us. He leads the way to the jeep and gestures for me to get in. We make petty small talk with each other as he drives, and I do my best to subtly memorize the roads we’re taking in case I have to make a run for it later. I mask my desperate road memorizing by questioning Kai about the landmarks and buildings that we pass. Two birds? One stone.

-

Because I’m with Kai, we breeze through security and find ourselves in the elevator on our way to the basement of the armoury in no time.

I’m so close. I can feel it. I’m going to take whatever chance I get to snoop around. I’m not sure how I’m going to be doing that, but I need to find a way.

“So who has access to this place?” I ask casually.

“Officials, mostly. People like Haeyoung’s dad. Workers.” Kai tells me as he leans against the railing. He seems relaxed.

“And you? Which category would you fall in? The interview really starts now, by the way.” I don’t think he’s really told me much about himself despite all the small talk. I just know he’s a soldier. We’ve talked quite a bit, and Kai is always talking. Talking, talking, and talking, but never revealing. I, on the other hand, have revealed the nonexistent Song Haeji’s entire life story. It’s not like I had a choice. I would’ve seemed even more suspicious otherwise.  

“I’m an official. But don’t you already know that? You did tell me that Haeyoung told you about me.”

“What kind of official? I mean, I know you’re a soldier, but… C’mon Kai, tell me your story,” I urge.

I can see the beginning of a frown on his face.

“You should know that, though. Any Ionian who does a simple internet search should know. But since you’re Haeyoung’s friend, she would’ve already told you. You were looking for me to start out with, after all. Right?” There’s a challenge in his brown eyes.

He thinks I’m suspicious. Just when I thought I’d gained his trust. I think… he might know. Could he know… that I’m an impostor? My pulse speeds as my brain races for an answer. Do I answer him? Should I just try to run? But there’s nowhere to run. I’m stuck here with him as the elevator descends.

“Yeah, I was. I just wanted to hear everything from your point of view. It’s sort of like an ‘introduce yourself’ type of question. I usually put that info at the beginning of the article,” I try to cover my slip up with nonchalance. “So? What’s your answer?”

I force a close lipped smile at him.

Kai smiles back at me, eyes crinkling and face beaming.

I blink.

Before I can process anything, I’m staring down the barrel of a sleek, black gun.

“I think it’s time for me to ask the questions, Haeji-ssi.”

Kai circles around me, and I feel the gun on the back of my head.

White hot fear courses through my system. It’s over. He’s going to kill me. I’ve failed. For a second, I want to laugh. I’m being held at gunpoint. I could die any second. Sure, I’m scared for my life. But the majority of my feelings… are regret… and disappointment in myself. I didn’t part with my friends on good terms. I’ll never get to make up with Baekhyun. I’ve failed Daegu Daily, I’ve failed my friends, and I’ve failed myself. And that feeling alone is enough to crush me.

The doors of the elevator slide open.

Kai nudges me forwards with his gun.

“So, I guess it’s my turn to interview you, huh?” He says as we exit the elevator. “Who the hell are you?”