‘Hide!’
At Heeju’s gesture, the children scrambled into the bushes. The headlights of a military jeep swept over their hiding spot and moved past.
‘Phew…’
Heeju wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and exhaled deeply.
It had already been two months since she arrived in Argan. Though her sister’s connections had ensured a safe passage through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, everything afterward had been fraught with challenges.
‘Where could he be?’
She had moved here with nothing more than a slim possibility, and every step forward felt like fumbling in the dark.
At first, she had inquired about an Asian journalist through foreign press networks, but there were no leads.
Sa-eon had been a war correspondent, later worked in political journalism, and even became a broadcaster, perhaps was he in the civil war zone? After travelling to the area where the most violent confrontations were taking place and seeing children falling to bullets, Heeju never set foot there again.
Deaf children were particularly vulnerable because they couldn’t communicate. Not being able to speak meant they had no means of protesting and were the first to be asked to obey. Heeju knew this better than anyone. So she started teaching international sign language.
As I became more and more busy as a teacher, it became increasingly difficult to find Baek Sa-eon.
I asked the director, who went to the city once in a while, for a favor. If he heard anything about a handsome Asian journalist, he should let me know. But when he returned from the city, he just shook his head apologetically.
Disappointment used to leave me in tears, but I’ve since developed a thicker skin. Only the hope that we would meet one day kept me going.
***
“Damn it, we’ve been found…!”
The facility director, who had been leading the group, cursed under his breath as masked rebels suddenly surrounded them, pointing rifles.
『“Hands up! Place your hands behind your head!”』
The rebels’ rough voices barked orders as their gun barrels pointed menacingly.
The trembling children dropped to their knees. Heeju also lowered her gaze, clutching the back of her head.
The rebels’ boots, worn and riddled with holes, loomed over her, filling her with dread.
『“I heard there’s an international sign language interpreter at Biben Facility,” one of them said in broken English.』
“……!”
Heeju bit the inside of her cheek. Her heart was racing.
『“These kids look like they’re from Biben,”』 another rebel remarked, dragging the muzzle of his long rifle across the ears of the huddled children.
Seeing the terror in their young eyes, Heeju trembled as she raised her hand.
『“I… I’m the sign language interpreter,”』 she stammered in English.
“No, Heeju!” the director cried, grabbing her arm to pull it down, but it was too late.
A man with dark skin and thick eyebrows scrutinized her.
『“Are you really the interpreter?”』 he asked leisurely.
『“Yes… I am,”』 she replied hesitantly.
『“You’ll have to come with us.”』
『“I won’t go with you,”』 Heeju countered firmly.
『“Is that so?”』The man smirked.
At his signal, the rebels began lifting the children and throwing them into the back of a truck. The director, attempting to intervene, was swiftly knocked down and trampled under heavy boots.
『“What are you doing?!”』 Heeju shouted, her face pale with anger.
『“You said you won’t come, so we’ll take them all,』the man said nonchalantly.
『“……!”』
『“If you don’t come, they’ll all become hostages.”』
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Heeju glared at the man in front of her.
『“At least tell me why you’re taking me,” she demanded.
『“We need an interpreter.”』
『“An interpreter?”』
『“We captured a government officer, but he’s deaf. His interpreter was his younger brother, but, well… I accidentally shot him.”』
『“……!”』
『“So now negotiations are at a standstill.”』
The man leaned against his rifle, a cigarette dangling from his lips, exuding an air of insolent calm that clashed with the urgency of the situation.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on her.
『“You wouldn’t happen to be from Korea—”』
『“Let the children go,”』 Heeju interrupted sharply, cutting him off.
The man frowned at the abrupt shift in Heeju’s attitude.
『“I’ll go with you,”』 she said firmly.
***
The seats rattled on the bumpy dirt road.
Blindfolded and helpless, Heeju was being dragged away, the smell of exhaust fumes a grim reminder of her impending fate. The distant crackle of an old radio added to the eerie atmosphere.
She let the breeze blow in through the open window and tried to take stock of her situation.
So… If there are government soldiers holding prisoners, these guys are definitely rebels.
Finally, the car screeched to a halt, and I was grabbed by the back of the head and dragged out. My ankle throbbed as it hit the edge of the truck.
『“We’re in a hurry,”』 the man from earlier said.
『“……!”』
『“Get started.”』
『“Water… Please, just a glass of water,”』 she pleaded with parched lips.
The man’s dry lips twitched, and he nodded his understanding.
Heeju stumbled forward, still wearing her blindfold, and if she hesitated for even a moment, the muzzle of a gun would be pointed at her back.
The air became heavy, and an unpleasant, pungent smell reached her nose. As soon as she realized she was indoors, the blindfold was abruptly removed.
“…!”
Her sensitive eyes immediately squinted at the sudden light.
The damp air of the storage room hit her. Plastic sheets were spread across the floor. Piles of wooden planks, plastic tubes, and sawdust, of unknown purpose, were stacked in a corner. It appeared to be a makeshift hideout, patched together from a crumbling building.
At an old, rickety table sat an elderly man, alone.
Judging by his battered face, he was likely the government official they spoke of. Terror seized Heeju, and her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her throat. The gravity of her predicament finally sank in.
‘Am I going to die for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?’ she thought.
The soldier behind her prodded her back repeatedly with his rifle, leaving her no choice but to pull out a chair and sit beside the unfamiliar man. The elderly man studied her with a wary gaze.
‘I’m an international sign language interpreter. Are you alright?’
Heeju signed, and the man’s expression softened faintly in response.
‘Are you the sign language interpreter?’
‘Yes, that’s correct.’
The man sighed in relief while kneading his temples.
‘I’m the Speaker of the Government Forces. So those damned rebels finally brought a sign language interpreter, huh?’
A bitter smile tugged at his bruised face.
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed as someone ascended from the basement, stepping on metal stairs with a dull clang. The vibration made the wobbly table legs tremble.
“…!”
The Speaker’s expression turned grim and quickly began signing.
‘It’s the rebel negotiation specialist. He’s not even from Argan, but I’ve heard he’s had ties with the rebel commander for years. They say he’s more cunning than a viper—’
Clunk!
A cup was slammed onto the table, water spilling from its brim onto the hand of the man who placed it. The Speaker’s signing stopped abruptly.
“I heard the guest was asking for water.”
“…!”
The moment Heeju heard the voice, a chill ran down her spine. She looked at him instinctively.
Under the dim light of the old fixture, her eyes met those of a man who was watching her with an intense, unreadable gaze.
“…”
“…”
Heeju was struggling to catch her breath. The scarf she had tied around her head slipped off, revealing her features.
His face was tanned and slightly grimy, likely from spending so much time in Argan. His hair, once neatly styled, had grown long enough to cascade naturally past his ears. He wore a simple outfit: a black short-sleeved shirt, pants, and sturdy combat boots. But the gun holster slung across his shoulders and the radio clipped to his belt gave him an unfamiliar, militaristic aura.
It was a stark contrast to the man who once represented the government in his tailored suits and dignified demeanor. He had shed every trace of the elite image demanded by society.
Heeju’s lips moved in a barely audible whisper: “I found you.”
It was him. The man she had come all this way to find.
Her eyes welled up with tears as a torrent of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She opened her mouth to speak—but before she could, Baek Sa-eon dragged an empty chair with a sharp scrape and sat across from her.
He gave her a brief glance before turning his attention solely to the Speaker, as though she wasn’t there. His gaze was purposeful and focused on the matter at hand.
“…”
The cold indifference sobered her.
It was a kind of familiar yet unfamiliar dismissal. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Heeju sat motionless, her fists clenched tightly as she struggled to process the shock that had left her breathless.
Baek Sa-eon crossed his arms and leaned back. He closed his eyes briefly, but the veins in his forehead were standing out prominently. The worn legs of his chair creaked precariously under his weight.
『 “Now, we can finally have the conversation we’ve been waiting for,”』 he said, opening his eyes.
His broader chest and arms hinted at the muscle he had gained in the past six months.
Lost in a daze, Heeju didn’t notice his expectant look. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the table, finally breaking her trance.
『“Interpret.”』
“Ah!”
Heeju blushed like crazy and quickly tried to get back on track with the conversation.
『“We’ll halt our attacks in exchange for the key strategic point.”』
‘That’s an unreasonable demand,’ the Speaker replied.
『“Then you’re not ready to negotiate.”』
‘But that territory…’
『“It’s only a matter of time before the rebels take it by force.”』
Thanks to Heeju’s swift interpretation, the exchange between the two flowed smoothly, though her mind was a chaotic whirlwind.
『“Is the negotiation going well?”』
The soldier who had brought Heeju earlier approached with a smirk.
『“You said you were thirsty. Why haven’t you drunk the water?”』
A strange tension settled over the table as the soldier openly stared at her, his smirk was growing more and more predatory.
The moment Heeju noticed his unsettling gaze—
“Urgh…!”
The soldier suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, and brought the glass of water to her lips.
Before he could pour it into her mouth, a brick-like radio flew through the air, striking the soldier squarely on the head with a loud thud.
Eu te encontreiiiiiii!! 😭😭🥳