Chapter 32………………………………….
“But why did you bring all these clothes in the first place?”
Chohee, who had been rummaging through a box, asked in confusion. The man digging through a pile behind her paused.
“They’re things our boss and his wife brought in to use a while back, but never ended up using.”
“It seems like a waste to just leave some of these piled up in a warehouse.”
Chohee picked up a pair of apricot-colored Mary Jane shoes that had never been worn. The man merely shrugged instead of answering.
It seemed there were circumstances he wasn’t telling her.
It was strange to imagine the boss and his wife wearing such a wide variety of clothing.
Unless they enjoyed disguises…
Chohee shook her head again.
No need to take interest in things that don’t concern you.
She moved on to another box. Most of the clothes were modern outfits suitable for going out right away, but here and there were garments with an old-fashioned feel.
Even if she couldn’t find the exact Empire dress described in the book, she felt she could alter something similar.
The man approached from behind, holding up a piece of clothing.
“Miss, are you looking for something like this?”
“No. The waistline should be a bit higher.”
“Hmph. All Western dresses look the same to me.”
Grumbling, he bent down and opened another box beside her. Despite his complaints, she was grateful he was helping so diligently.
“Miss! Oh dear, what’s wrong with me? We haven’t even introduced ourselves!”
The man, clutching an armful of clothes, hurried toward her as if he had committed a grave mistake. Smiling broadly, he extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Moon-gyu.”
“I’m Seong—”
Chohee stopped herself just as she was about to give her name.
She had introduced herself to the Japanese as “Lucia Lee.”
But if she gave her real name, Seong Chohee, and it somehow reached the police, they might connect her to her brother.
The man seemed kind, but…
If something unfortunate were to happen, she couldn’t risk revealing her real name.
Suddenly, Bok-i’s face came to mind.
‘I’m sorry, Bok-i. I’ll borrow it for a moment.’
“My name is Seong Bok-hee.”
She offered a similar version of Bok-i’s name and shook his hand.
After all, they would likely only meet this once.
It felt safer to use a name that couldn’t be traced back to her.
“What a fortunate-sounding name—very pleasant to hear, Miss Bok-hee.”
After exchanging names, they resumed searching. Though not perfect, Chohee found two outfits that were fairly suitable.
“Miss Bok-hee, how about this?”
Kim Moon-gyu lifted another dress.
The ivory silk dress had a waistline sitting just beneath the bust. Lace adorned the chest, and delicate floral embroidery was stitched tightly across it.
Chohee’s eyes sparkled instantly.
“Yes! This is the style I meant. I’ve never seen one in person, but based on the description in the book, this is exactly the feeling!”
A few spots in the embroidery were loose, but not noticeable unless examined closely.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Kim Moon-gyu. This helps me tremendously.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“I’d like to take this dress. How much should I pay you?”
She quickly pulled out her small coin purse from the inner pocket of her dress. Inside was her first salary of 500 won, which she had received from Dowoon.
At the sight of the purse, Kim Moon-gyu waved his hands in alarm.
“No need for that! It’s not that valuable. And didn’t you help me first? I can’t slyly take your money.”
“But still…”
The dress clearly looked valuable at a glance.
Translating for him had been nothing much…
Receiving more than she had given felt uncomfortable.
Especially from a stranger.
Looking around for a good excuse, she pointed to the tea set she had noticed earlier—tableware rimmed in gold.
“Then I’ll buy this tea set as well. This one I want for myself, so it’s only right that I pay for it.”
“Haha, very well. You’re quite a rare young lady, Miss Bok-hee. If you insist, I’ll accept payment for the tea set.”
Before he could change his mind, she immediately opened her purse and took out several bills.
“Will this be enough?”
“How about giving me something other than money?”
“Something else?”
“Have you truly no intention of working for our company? There’s a position that would suit you perfectly.”
“Well…”
It was awkward to keep refusing when he persisted so earnestly. What kind of work could it be, that he would try so hard to recruit someone he had just met?
Just as Chohee was about to decline again, a sound came from the door.
Creeeak— clank!
The warehouse door was opening.
Creeeak— clank!
Rita unlocked the warehouse door and pushed it open.
Stepping into the dark interior, she flipped on the wall switch with practiced ease.
“Ah, come to think of it, this is your first time here. Take a look around.”
She gestured leisurely around the warehouse. Dowoon’s gaze shifted to the wall.
Weapons of various sizes were mounted there—from rifles useful for assassination to pistols small enough to carry at all times. Along the wall, boxes filled with different kinds of explosives were stacked on the floor.
Seeing Dowoon silently taking it all in, one corner of Rita’s lips curved upward.
“Mikael. Is this what you’re looking for?”
Rita casually picked up a rifle and aimed it at him.
With one eye closed and ready to fire, she looked every bit the sharpshooter.
Though the barrel was pointed directly at him, Dowoon didn’t so much as blink.
“…Mosin–Nagant?”
He glanced at the shape of the muzzle and calmly identified the model.
“The M1891 version.”
At his nonchalant response, Rita lowered the rifle with a dissatisfied click of her tongue.
“Tsk, how boring. Don’t you ever get startled? Not even a blink when a gun’s pointed at you—cold-blooded as ever.”
“How should I have reacted?”
“You should’ve thrown your hands up and begged for your life! Yosef does right away. What if I’d actually fired?”
As she spoke, Dowoon took the rifle from her and examined it lazily.
“I can accept death at any time.”
“What? Now what sort of answer is that? Ahem.”
Rita seemed more flustered than he was. This was not the reaction she had wanted.
But Dowoon truly wasn’t surprised.
He wasn’t afraid of being shot.
His life was no longer his own.
Clearing her throat, Rita changed the subject.
“How did you recognize it so quickly?”
“I used to see them every day. Rifles are familiar to me.”
“Then what about this? Can you name this one?”
Like a flash, she aimed another gun at him, her swift movements showing she was no amateur.
“Mauser 98k.”
After answering shortly, Dowoon pushed the barrel aside with his palm, clearly annoyed.
“It’s just a joke. You really hate it.”
“Rifles are inconvenient to carry. And this one doesn’t even have a sniper scope.”
Ignoring her grumbling, Dowoon approached the wall lined with firearms. After scanning them, he picked up a pistol.
It fit perfectly in his hand.
“One Luger will do.”
“German-made? Good choice. Nothing beats German for rapid fire. I thought you were a bookish type, but you’ve got a good eye.”
Rita nodded approvingly and examined the pistol on the table, checking it with practiced hands.
“But don’t you already have a gun? Why ask for another?”
“I need one that can’t be traced.”
“I see. Then this is perfect.”
Rita nodded.
Rita—no one knew her real name—was an explosives maker, or rather a weapons specialist, for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. She didn’t fire the guns herself, but she inspected them and manufactured bombs. It was no exaggeration to say that no weapon in the Andong branch of the Provisional Government had not passed through her hands.
Satisfied with her inspection, she returned the pistol and bullets to Dowoon.
“But why suddenly use a gun you haven’t touched in so long? You dislike using force.”
“I never said I disliked it. I just don’t prefer it.”
Bang!
The echo of gunfire seemed to ring in Dowoon’s ears.
Since that day, he had avoided pointing a gun at people whenever possible. Or rather, he couldn’t.
When he thought of his friends who had been executed by firing squad, his hands would tremble.
“The mission comes first.”
This time, however, he had no choice. If there was no other way to extract information from Minamoto, he might have to threaten him at gunpoint.
That would expose the three years he had spent undercover in Sinuiju.
“To succeed in a mission, one must use any means necessary.”
Rita smiled in satisfaction. Unlike her, Dowoon tucked the pistol into the back of his waistband with a troubled expression.
He gave a bitter smile.
He knew he wasn’t in a position to be picky.
How dare he try to live like a decent human being? With the blood of countless people on his hands, he had no right to such a life.
“Thank you. I’ll be going.”
With a brief bow, Dowoon left in haste.
Creeeak— clank!
The warehouse door opened again, sunlight flooding inside.
Startled, Kim Moon-gyu instinctively raised both hands high before relaxing when he saw who it was.
“Oh, it’s you, Rian.”
A woman in white hanbok stood outside. Her sharp eyes moved from Kim Moon-gyu to Chohee.
“I heard voices from the adjacent warehouse. Who is this?”
“This young lady was looking for something, so I was helping her.”
Rian’s brows lifted in suspicion. Kim Moon-gyu quickly explained how she had helped him earlier. Thankfully, the suspicion faded from her gaze.
Chohee and Rian exchanged awkward greetings.
“Well then, I should be going, Mr. Kim. Thank you so much today.”
After paying for the tea set and preparing to leave, Kim Moon-gyu stopped her once more.
“Are you certain you won’t consider working for our company, Miss Bok-hee? From what I heard earlier, you speak English very fluently. Our company needs someone like you.”
Needed.
Chohee let out a small laugh.
The word made her think of Dowoon.
She vividly remembered the first time he had told her she was needed—his words, his eyes.
“My answer is the same as before. There is already someone who needs me.”
Clutching the dress she had found in the warehouse, Chohee smiled brightly.
