Chapter 8

Channa stood up, slamming the table, paying no mind to the stinging gazes around them.

“You might get shot attmepting like that!”

“Exactly, but I will just attempt but will not defect completely. I’ll create ruckus.”

“Unnie*, you’re something else! That’s what it’s like to be fed to fish and have your belly opened!”

*Unnie – big sister

Isn’t what she’s planning a bit too much? But Han Seoryeong didn’t care.

Seoryeong drank tea in a good mood while watching Channa running around with a red face.

She said she was in her early twenties, and indeed, she seemed full of energy. Such liveliness was unfamiliar yet refreshing.

“Channa said that the NIS food was delicious.”

“Of course, I told you, but you look like you’re going to eat bean rice with blood and tears instead!”

“But how can a woman like me, without any skills or abilities, find a missing black agent who disappeared on purpose?”

In her low-toned voice, there was a sense of desperation.

“So, I should be caught in reverse.”

Seoryeong looked out the window, lightly touching her wrist. The traces of the intimate encounter that her husband had engraved were already cleanly erased. Nonetheless, she slowly traced her skin, recalling the pain that had writhed.

Simple assault or injury wouldn’t be enough to attract the attention of Kim Hyun. So, capturing a criminal was not an option. To confront the NIS agent, she had to be notorious and do international crime.

But Seoryeong was now a housewife who had just come out of her fantasy, and her husband was on the loose.

“So, I’m going to attempt defection.”

Yes, it would at least be a violation of the National Security Act.

This is something she could do with just her bare body. They will suspect Seoryeong, who attempted to defect to North Korea, and will interrogate and investigate.

Then, what would happen if someone spotted Kim Hyun, who was undoubtedly suspicious? Would they not become suspicious of Kim Hyun?

“Aaah…!”

Channa wailed, tearing at her own hair.

“If they catch me plotting something like this, my brother-in-law will have my hair pulled out!”

Her brother-in-law was the one named Jeong Pil-gyu she had seen before. Channa quietly added.

Thinking of a girl who was oddly loyal for just an employee, Seoryeong nodded. She was family.

At the mention of the word ‘family,’ a pang of discomfort shot through her, but soon she casually masked her expression.

“Unni, aren’t you thinking about what will happen after you get caught? Are you determined to ruin your precious life? What revenge and romance there is!”

“My life isn’t as precious as I thought.”

“….”

“It’s enough. Even for just a moment that I could see him again.”

“Then what?”

To that, Seoryeong just calmly sipped her tea. The cafe was quite lively, with cheerful pop songs and customers’ voices blending together.

Amid the buzzing atmosphere, she alone exuded a different vibe, lost in her thoughts.

With her flowing wavy hair, a neck that stretched straight like a deer, an aura clean and neat without a single flaw, she captivated the gazes of people, ignoring the lively ambiance.

Her gaze naturally fell on a couple with a child. Seoryeong alone, absorbed in her thoughts, created a different mood.

“Unni, are you thinking about killing him or loving him more? What will you do?”

Channa’s fingers, about to grab the glass, hesitated for a moment.

“I think it would be nice to try both if allowed.”

“….”

“Missing someone but wanting to kill them… I’ts painful every day thinking how I couldn’t find him.”

The sound of the baby whining caught her attention again and she turned her head to look out her window.

Perhaps it was just an ordinary day, but for Seoryeong, every moment felt like being pricked by needles, splashed with cold water, and beaten with a club. Each day without him felt that way.

Kim Hyun not only took away her sight but also stole the time they had built together. It was infuriating, and the injustice kept her awake at night.

She was used as part of a mission she had no idea what is.

“Do not travel under the bridge—”

Channa impulsively interrupted.

She heard that her eyesight has definitely improved, but now Seoryeong is groping the air as if she were blind again. When she saw that, she got irritated for a reason.

“Since you’re going to get caught anyway, don’t suffer. Just go by car.”

***

**In Paju, Gyeonggi Province, the Unification Bridge spans the Imjin River in a border area. Being adjacent to North Korea and serving as an entrance to the inter-Korean immigration office, the area was under strict military control. The investigation and reconnaissance were all completed.**

—

“Huh…”

Seoryeong got into her husband’s car and tightly gripped the steering wheel.

Her real goal was not actually defection but merely pretending to attempt it. It was just a performance, getting caught disguised as someone attempting defection to be subjected to an interrogation by an NIS agent.

Not long ago, when she sat in the driver’s seat, she couldn’t even move. The seat, adjusted to Kim Hyun’s physique, felt too precious and uncomfortable. She sat there blankly, seemingly unaware of the passage of time, as if in a daze.

What’s the point of disappearing like a ghost, leaving behind such traces? Seoryeong stepped on the accelerator as if to blow away the emotions she felt at that moment.

Passing by the Unification Park and Imjingak, she absentmindedly drove along the road. Gradually, the yellow barricades lined up in pairs and triples, with a large warning sign instructing a U-turn, came into view.

It was the southern checkpoint of the Unification Bridge.

A civilian access control area.

From here on, she needed an entry permit.