CHAPTER 6

1930

Gyeongseong

Seungwan walked quickly back home, excited to show her father the norigae she received from her best friend Ppang.

“Papa! Papa!”

Seungwan was already smiling, recounting the stories she was about to tell her father – when she saw her father sitting on their bench, unmoving.

“Papa? What’s wrong?” Seungwan sat beside her father. Myunghoon stirred, suddenly realizing that his daughter was already home.

“Nothing, Seungwan,” he sighed. “Nothing’s wrong.” He planted a quick kiss on the top of his daughter’s forehead. “Let’s eat,” he added, forcing a smile on his face.

Seungwan knew her father wasn’t telling her something.

“Papa, please, tell me,” Seungwan pleaded with her father. “I know you.”

“I’ll tell you when it’s the right time.”

Earlier that day

“Sungmin, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here!” Myunghoon said in panic. “They’re coming, they’re coming, I told you not to come—”

“You have to leave. Now,” Sungmin answered, forcing Myunghoon out to the streets. “We’ll talk in our next meeting.”

Myunghoon hurried back to the streets, acting nonchalantly – as if he didn’t just come from one of the rebellion’s secret meeting places. He knew a storm was brewing – he overheard his director at the government complex talking about Sungmin.

“Park Sungmin?” Kazunari Kaito asked, clarifying whether he heard the name correctly. Kaito knew Park Sungmin. Kaito – who formerly went as Choi Yongcheol – knew Sungmin by heart. Sungmin stole Jihye from him.

“Yes, Sir,” the private said. “The one who married into a noble family.”

“What about his wife?” Kaito asked, trying to conceal his worry for Jihye, whom he still loved. Even when he married, and had his son Taehyung, he couldn’t let go of Jihye.

“As far as we know, Sir, his wife and family have no idea that he’s working for the rebellion,” the private answered. “The wife is seen running the household all day, the son is studying.”

“Good, we’ll do the attack later today,” Kaito replied sternly. It was what Sungmin deserved. This was a long time coming.

Myunghoon already warned Sungmin through another colleague, but Sungmin wouldn’t budge. Myunghoon was already too worried for himself, hoping he wouldn’t get caught with passing messages to young rebels in disguise (not contacting the leaders directly), and he finds out that the Japanese already knew of Sungmin’s leadership in the rebellion. His friend.

He was far from the meeting place by now, stopping by the market to casually observe goods, trying to blend in, when—

Bang.

Everyone was startled, trying to find out where the noise came from—

Bang.

By this time, people were scrambling, ducking under their tables, or running towards wherever safehouse they went to.

Myunghoon knew what those were.

Who those were for.

He knew.

He was asked to improve the Japanese guns and make new weapons.

He knew.

He already told his close friend to refrain from attending meetings.

He knew. Yet he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“Chanyeol, are you listening to me?” Jihye asked, eyes bloodsh