Hanbin and I spent the day playing Resident Evil on Playstation 3 before going to the President's Ball that night. We were on a very important mission but we needed some play time. After all, we were just two teenagers who just happened to be in quite a difficult situation.

"Hey Hanbin?" I called as we were playing.

"What," Hanbin answered absentmindedly, still focused on the game.

"Can I turn on my phone? My parents must be worried sick," I said.

Hanbin paused the game and suddenly got up.

"Yeah, let me turn on the signal jammer first so the spies can't tap your phone," he said.

Hanbin his computer and got to work with some very complicated codes. "Bobby taught me this," he explained before I could ask. "Okay, go ahead."

I my phone and at least 50 messages arrived, some from Dara but mostly from my mother. I immediately called my mother, who picked up after barely one beep.

"Lee Hayi, young lady, where are you? Are you okay? I've been trying to call you for two days!" my mother cried.

"I'm fine, mom. My phone was...broken," I hesitated. I knew it was safer to lie. "I'm alright, I'm at a friend's house."

"That's a relief. Please tell us if your phone is broken, we thought you were kidnapped by some spy because of that article you wrote," she said. That's an eerily accurate explanation. "Ah, speaking of which, great job on the article! That Kim Jungjoo man must be evil."

My mother spoke so loud that I was sure Hanbin could hear. I nervously glanced at Hanbin, who was reading a magazine, but smiled in amusement and held in his laugh.

"Oh, that. Yes. I forgot about that. Thanks mom. I gotta go now," I said with a nervous laugh. We said our goodbyes and I love yous and hung up.

The past two days had been such a whirlwind of truths and lies and plot twists that I had even forgotten what got me here in the first place. I wouldn't be helping Hanbin now if I hadn't written that article on his father.

After hanging up, I immediately called Dara, who also picked up after barely one beep.

"Ya! Are you crazy? Where have you been?" Dara yelled from the other line. She sounded sincerely worried

"I--"

"Please come to the office tomorrow, we need to talk. I know what you did," Dara said sternly, her voice changing from loud and worried to quiet and serious.

"But--"

She hung up before I could explain. She knows what I did? What did she mean by that? Did she know I was behind the Dispatch article on President Lee Byunghun? How did she know?

I glanced nervously at Hanbin, who was staring blankly into space. I wanted to tell him what Dara had said but I knew he would freak.

"It's nice isn't it? To still have parents who care about you," Hanbin asked almost unconsciously.

I was taken aback. He had been so stoic and strong all this time, I hadn't even stopped to think how the whole problem affected his childhood and how it would affect his future.

"I know my father cares about me but we have to be strong for each other, because everytime we wake up in the morning, we must always be ready to die. And there's nothing we can do about it," Hanbin said.

He fidgeted with the invitation to for the President's Ball.

"Hey, stop being so somber," I jokingly punched his arm, trying to lighten the situtation. "After tonight, there will be nothing to worry about." Either that or we would no longer