CHAPTER 10………………………………………………
Chohee remembered that day vividly, even nine years later.
It was a hot August day, filled with the loud chirping of cicadas.
“Father, today you mustn’t stop anywhere. Come straight home after work.”
“All right, Chohee.”
“I heard a bakery opened in Sajik-dong. They’ve just started selling castella, a Japanese-style sponge cake. It looks so fluffy—I really want to try it, Father.”
“Understood, my daughter. I’ll bring some on my way home.”
“Promise me you won’t go anywhere else and will come straight home, okay?”
Chohee clutched her father’s sleeve as he was about to leave. It wasn’t so much about wanting the cake as wanting her father to return home safely.
For years, her father, Sung Joong-bok, had been involved in many national affairs as an interpreter.
It was common for him to return home late at night, and sometimes days would pass without seeing him at all.
Chohee’s earnest plea made her father laugh heartily, ruffling her hair before leaving, promising to be home by evening.
But it wasn’t her father who returned that evening—it was the Japanese policemen.
{This is the house. Search it! Sung Joong-bok may be hiding here. Hey, you—are you his son?}
{I am his son, but what is the matter?}
Without explanation, the policemen began ransacking the house.
Chi-hoon, startled, ran into the yard and demanded to know their purpose. Chohee and her mother trembled behind him, forced to watch helplessly.
One of the policemen grabbed Chi-hoon roughly by the neck.
{Don’t you know what your father has done?}
{What on earth happened—}
{Your father dared to steal the contents of the annexation treaty before it was even finalized! You traitorous Joseon scum!}
The officer kicked Chi-hoon violently in the chest.
“Ugh!”
“Brother!”
“My son!”
Chohee and her mother screamed and helped him to his feet, tears welling in their eyes.
{Search every corner!}
Ignoring the family sprawled in the yard, the policemen tore through the house. Naturally, her father was nowhere to be found.
Unable to find him, they vented their anger by setting the house on fire.
The three of them could do nothing but watch their home burn, wailing, as the policemen left with a cold warning:
{Consider yourselves lucky—we have no authority to detain you yet. Sung Joong-bok, if you hide him, we’ll kill all of you.}
Even if they had wanted to, they couldn’t hide him.
From that day on, her father never returned.
Not a single letter, not a word.
He had abandoned the house and the family.
And so, the castella she had so wanted to taste remained uneaten forever.
“Don’t worry, Chohee. I’ll take care of our family somehow.”
Chi-hoon’s determined words tried to calm the anxious Chohee.
The three of them, left homeless and penniless, were near destitute.
But Chohee’s worry wasn’t about money.
“Promise me, Brother. Never leave our family like Father did.”
“Of course, Chohee. How could I ever abandon my family?”
“Stay away from danger at all costs, okay? There are people opposing the Japan-Korea annexation treaty. Don’t get involved with those idealists.”
“Chohee—”
“You promised, Brother! Movements for independence are for those who have already abandoned their families, for people with nothing to lose! If the police catch you, I could even lose you! I can’t lose you too!”
Sob—
Chohee clutched Chi-hoon’s clothes, crying desperately.
Her world had collapsed when her reliable father abandoned the family for the sake of independence movements.
The only things keeping her from total despair were her mother and brother.
If she lost them too, she couldn’t continue living.
“…All right, Chohee. I promise.”
Chi-hoon held Chohee in his arms, calming her as she trembled and cried.
Hearing him swear never to leave the family for danger gave Chohee some reassurance.
So when her brother’s hands smelled of gunpowder that day, she had no choice but to look away.
“The person who bombed the police station was none other than your brother, Seong Chi-hoon.”
At Do-un’s words, Chohee felt her heart drop to her toes.
It couldn’t be true.
Her brother would never have joined an independence movement.
Yet no matter the truth, Chohee had to protect her brother.
He was the only family she had left.
She struggled to maintain composure, palms sweaty as she gripped her hands together.
“That can’t be true. Brother would never do such a thing. He’s just a printer working for a publishing company.”
As if expecting her reaction, Do-un calmly revealed the truth she didn’t want to hear.
“Seong Chi-hoon conspired with members of the independence group Uiyŏldan and last month, on the 10th, threw an incendiary bomb at the Jongno Police Station and fled. The policemen pursued them, but they were not caught.”
“It’s not my brother. It could be someone with the same name.”
“Remember the 10th of last month? That was the day we rode the same train. You would have met your brother before boarding.”
“Th-That’s—”
“Have you seen your brother since then?”
Do-un’s sharp question silenced Chohee.
“It hasn’t been widely reported in Sinuiju yet, but in Gyeongseong, a special notice has already been issued to find your brother.”
A shiver ran down her neck.
The police were searching for her brother.
If what he said was true, it was fortunate he had not been caught—yet.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Do-un paused, giving her a moment to think, then continued.
“I want you to know that you now have two choices.”
“……”
“You can either help me by joining the English club to gather information, or allow me to inform the Japanese that ‘the family of the subversive person you are looking for is here.’”
“Are you… threatening me?”
Do-un smiled faintly and removed his glasses.
The sharp gaze hidden behind the frames now met hers, and Chohee swallowed nervously.
In a cold, unfamiliar voice, Do-un spoke.
“I regret that you feel threatened. There are only two options.”
The teasing man from moments ago was gone.
Leaning back against the sofa, arms folded, he watched her with sharp eyes.
Ah. So this was his true self.
Chohee finally understood why his picturesque smile always made her uneasy.
This man was not a shameless lecher—he was a dangerous predator.
One who pretends to wander, lulling prey into comfort, then strikes suddenly at the neck.
She realized she was trapped completely.
“There’s only one choice I can make among the options.”
“Good, that’s what I expected.”
“I’ll join the English club and pass on information. But don’t reveal anything about my brother.”
“Of course. Ah, and there’s one more thing we need to confirm.”
Do-un smiled, satisfied with her answer, a more natural expression than before, as if a layer of his mask had lifted.
“As I said, the club was privately organized by the businessmen’s wives. To join, you must be introduced as my wife.”
“Wait, what?”
Chohee’s eyes widened in shock. She could understand spying, but now he was asking her to pretend to be married?
Do-un raised his hand as if to reassure her.
“You don’t need to be a real wife. They just need to believe you are.”
“So… you want me to pretend to be your wife?”
“Yes.”
Chohee laughed in disbelief. One problem after another.
It seemed she was about to be dragged into increasingly dangerous situations.
Do-un’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“First, we’ll create your fake identity.”
Do-un studied Chohee’s flushed face.
She had turned pale as if to die when talking about Chi-hoon, and now her cheeks were red with anger at his request to pose as his wife.
His intimidation had worked exactly as he anticipated.
Even if she refused, he had no intention of turning her over to the Japanese.
He would never sacrifice a fellow Korean as bait.
But this innocent woman had believed his words, thinking he could have her reported to the police.
Was it fear?
Do-un noticed that Chohee disliked him, often glancing at him disdainfully and persistently calling him a “shameless man.”
Now, fear seemed to be added to the mix.
He wasn’t sure if this was good or bad.
Perhaps it was for the best. Her fear meant that information could be conveyed accurately and promptly.
Though a little uneasy, Do-un dismissed it.
With a source secured, only preparation remained.
“It’s best to introduce you as someone who studied in Europe. Since all the wives are Japanese, they won’t welcome a Korean, especially one who has only lived in Joseon.”
“But I’ve never actually lived in Europe.”
“The wives haven’t either. You just need to make it plausible. Think of Pride and Prejudice.”
Chohee pouted, clearly annoyed. She muttered something about how novels aren’t reality but didn’t argue further.
“Say you studied in London from a young age and speak English fluently. Oh, we’ll need a name too. You can’t use your real one.”
“A foreign-style name would work. We can even use my baptismal name.”
After considering other options, they settled on Chohee’s baptismal name, “Lucia.”
Do-un, known as “Michael” among businessmen, agreed it would match his own.
“The next meeting will be in a week. We’ll prepare until then.”
“Prepare for what?”
“I can’t send you in unprepared. I’ll teach you how to gather information.
