NTH 74

“That is not it, but…”

Suhyeon looked at Tsubame, who was dressed in a simple yet luxurious kimono and finely made up, with a firm expression. He looked like a graceful woman, so much so that not only was he unrecognizable as the shoe servant from Matsuyama, but it was not even apparent that he was originally a man.

That day was the anniversary of the relocation of the Gyeongseong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a core pro-Japanese organization, after constructing a new building in Jongno, and many high-ranking Japanese officials and figures from the political and business worlds were scheduled to gather.

If a bomb were thrown onto the stage at the event site, it was highly probable that key figures would die, and even those who managed to survive would be at least seriously injured. It was unlikely that the organizers were unaware of this, so the security would be extremely tight.

Suhyeon and the members of the independence movement organization held repeated secret meetings and decided to send someone whose face the Japanese police did not know and who had never been exposed as a dangerous element. The task of selecting someone who did not look suspicious at all, could act naturally, and knew the geography of Jongno well enough to escape easily after the event, proved to be more difficult than expected.

In the midst of this, Tsubame, who heard the story from Suhyeon, volunteered to go himself. Suhyeon naturally opposed it, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized there was no one as suitable as Tsubame.

First of all, hiding his presence had been Tsubame’s specialty since his days as an informer. Furthermore, since he had lived in the Jongno area his entire life, he knew all the alleyways around the event site inside and out.

The remaining key issue was ‘not looking suspicious,’ and Tsubame said he would solve that problem by dressing as a woman.

Women were relatively less suspected by the Japanese police compared to men. Even if there was a body search of the spectators before the ceremony began, unless they were taken to the police station, their clothes would not be stripped off, nor would their bodies be searched more than necessary.

Thus, Tsubame disguised himself as an ordinary woman who was just a little on the tall side, and hid a small bomb in a secret pocket made inside the obi wrapped around the waist of the kimono.

“Remember. It is ten seconds. If you fail to get out of there within ten seconds after the bomb goes off, the square will be sealed off and your escape route will be blocked.”

When Suhyeon spoke with a serious expression, Tsubame nodded with a faint smile.

“I understand.”

“Tsubame. If this operation succeeds, the loss of personnel on the Japanese side will be immeasurable. All the major organizations will lose their leaders and fall into chaos. That is how important this opportunity is. It is right to do it even at the risk of your life. But…”

When Suhyeon hesitated, unable to continue, Tsubame approached him and said in a bright voice.

“Do not worry. I will do a good job and come back.”

“Alright. Let us be sure to see each other here again.”

Tsubame wrapped a large, white sable fur scarf over his kimono and left the mansion. He got into a car that Suhyeon had prepared separately in front of the main gate and headed to the place where the new building of the Gyeongseong Chamber of Commerce and Industry was constructed.

The square in front of the building was already crowded with a multitude of people, including event officials, reporters, and general spectators. In front of the stage where the important people would be seated, police officers stood in a line, guarding it to prevent the public from getting close.

Arriving at the square, Tsubame carefully squeezed through the crowd and pushed his way as far forward as possible. He calculated the range as Suhyeon had taught him and barely managed to secure a spot from where he could throw the bomb and have it land in the center of the stage.

Soon, the event began, and the guests of honor, who were high-ranking officials, were introduced. President Matsuuchi, who held an executive position in the Gyeongseong Businessmen’s Association, was also seated in a chair prepared on the stage. Tsubame raised his hand to his forehead, pretending to block the sunlight, to avoid making eye contact with him by any chance.

A moment later, the director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry began his keynote speech.

“Today is a historic day on which our Gyeongseong Chamber of Commerce and Industry relocates after constructing a new building. Under the banner of the harmony of Japan and Korea, until the day when Japan and Joseon become one and lead the world economy…”

BOOM! With a tremendous roar, red flames and black smoke shot up from the stage.

“Aaargh!”

“Do not push!”

“Help!”

The event site instantly turned into a scene of chaos. People ran without exception, trying to escape far away from the stage.

Tsubame, too, covered his mouth with a handkerchief and ran towards the escape route he had identified beforehand. However, it was difficult to pick up speed because of the narrow kimono and uncomfortable Japanese wooden clogs, and the square was so densely packed with people that he was constantly delayed.

‘I just have to get to that building. If I turn the corner there, a maze of alleys continues in a winding path, so I can easily shake off the police even if they follow.’

Tsubame, who had painstakingly pushed his body through the gaps between the confused people, counted numbers in his mind, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

“Seal off the square! Do not let a single ant out of the square!”

As the order came through a megaphone, uniformed police officers blocked Tsubame’s path just as he was about to exit, surrounding him like a human fence. They simultaneously drew the long swords from their waists and aimed them at the people.

“Everyone, bow your heads and crouch down! Anyone who moves will be considered the culprit!”

Tsubame stopped in dismay and looked back towards the stage. On the stage, where gray smoke was still billowing, the work of carrying the bloodied casualties on stretchers and extinguishing the fire was underway. At a glance, the loss of life seemed immense.

Had he, with this, repaid even a small part of the debt he had accumulated from his time as an informer?

So, what should he do now? Since he had failed to escape, he would soon be investigated by the police, and if it was discovered that he was a man dressed as a woman, he would not be able to avoid harsh torture as a suspicious person. Would it be better to just bite his tongue and die here?

A police officer shouted at Tsubame, who was standing there blankly, out of his wits.

“Who are you! Did you not hear me say to crouch down?”

When Tsubame just stared with empty eyes and showed no reaction, the police officer brought the tip of his sword to his neck.

“Is this bitch deaf? Something is strange, let’s take her in for now and…”

“Nana! There you are!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind, and Tsubame whirled around. A dapper man in a top-quality suit, a British-made black coat, and a gentleman’s fedora was striding towards Tsubame, cutting across the numerous people who were crouching.

In the terrifying scene where black smoke was rising and everyone was lying flat on the ground like refugees, trembling, that man alone looked neat and noble.

“I told you to stay by my side! I have been looking everywhere for you. Are you hurt anywhere?”

The man cupped Tsubame’s face with a look full of worry and gazed at him affectionately. Tsubame bit his lip, barely holding back the tears that were about to burst forth.

“Who are you? Are you this bitch’s accomplice? State your name!”

The police officer shouted at the man, holding up his long, sharp Japanese sword menacingly. The man, whose gentle expression had vanished in an instant, answered him with a face as cold as ice.

“I am Seo Suhyeon, and this person is my fiancée, Sekiguchi Nana. Do you have some business with her?”

“This bitch disobeyed orders and acted suspiciously, so she must be taken to the military police for investigation. Hand her over immediately.”

“Is it not more suspicious for a twenty-two-year-old young lady who grew up delicately like a flower in a greenhouse to act calmly after seeing a bomb go off and people dying right before her eyes?”

“Joseon-jin, do not play word games with an Imperial police officer.”

“There is no getting through to you. I do not wish to speak with you any longer, so if you want to take my fiancée, call Inspector Oohara from the Jongno Police Station’s constable division.”

“Damn it! How dare an inferior Joseon-jin use the Inspector’s honorable name so casually!”

Suhyeon frowned as the situation did not resolve as he wished due to the police officer’s stubbornness. At that moment, a clear Japanese voice was suddenly heard.

“Oh dear, Shuhei. This is why I said I dislike Joseon. Because the territory is shabby, the level of the dispatched police is this low, is it not.”

A startled Suhyeon looked down at Tsubame.

Having only seen Tsubame use Korean, even while being beaten for it, he had naturally assumed that Tsubame could not speak a single word of Japanese. However, the Japanese Tsubame had just used was, in a word, perfect, from grammar and pronunciation to the use of feminine vocabulary.

“Nana, I promised we would go to Tokyo and hold the wedding ceremony as soon as the Shinhwa Tailors business is finished.”

When Suhyeon replied to Tsubame, fawning over him like an empty-headed man placating a childish lover, Tsubame said in a pouting, nagging tone.

“Then finish that business today. A bomb going off in the middle of the city in broad daylight, how can I live in such a scary place any longer.”

“Alright, alright.”

“And that police officer, he pointed a sword at me. You give him a stern scolding.”

“Yes, yes.”

Just as the dumbfounded police officer was about to curse, someone came running breathlessly from behind.

“Well, who do we have here, Mr. Dasukawa. If I had known you were here, I would have assigned you a separate guard. I received a message that you would be unable to attend today due to a family matter.”

“Ah, Inspector Oohara. As it happens, that matter was canceled, so I came here and find myself in a predicament.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

“How much of a development fund did I donate for the construction of this new Gyeongseong Chamber of Commerce and Industry building, yet my fiancée is being treated like a bomber here. What an unjust situation this is.”

Inspector Oohara, who was in charge of the Jongno Police Station’s constable division, glared once at the police officer who had pointed the sword at Tsubame, then bowed his head politely to Suhyeon.

“I am truly sorry. Please forgive my subordinate’s mistake generously.”

“I trust that you, Inspector, will guide him accordingly.”

“Is there any doubt.”

“Then, may I be excused now? Nana is very frightened, and I think I need to help her calm down quickly.”

“Of course. The surroundings are chaotic due to the accident, so please watch your step.”

Suhyeon put his arm around Tsubame’s shoulder, pulling him into his embrace as if to confine him, and started walking. As he heightened his hearing, he heard Oohara’s angry shouts from behind.

“$You idiot! Did you listen with the back of your ear when I told you to be sure to learn the faces and names of the political and business figures in this area!”

“$I-I’m sorry.”

“$Do you even know who that man is? He is Shuhei, the eldest grandson of Chairman Dasukawa Ryunosuke of Shinhwa Textiles, who is so loyal to the Empire to the bone that even fellow Joseon people detest him! You dare to mess with such a person’s fiancée?”

“$But that woman showed suspicious behavior…”

“$Shut up! Shut up and hurry up and find the culprit who threw the bomb!”

It would be a futile effort anyway. Suhyeon had warned the members of the independence movement organization and their families, who might be suspected as culprits, not to come anywhere near the square in advance. The people remaining in the square were innocent and had no connection, so they would surely be released soon.

Suhyeon pulled Tsubame’s lightly trembling body even closer and headed towards his car where Mr. Park was waiting.

As soon as they arrived at the mansion, Suhyeon dragged Tsubame into the bedroom, stripped off all his disguise, and held him in his arms. It was only then that Suhyeon realized how terribly afraid he had been of losing Tsubame.

After that, without a single proper conversation, they were engrossed in relentless lovemaking for several hours, and it quickly became dark night.

When the exhausted Tsubame was lying limp and unable to move, Suhyeon went to the kitchen, prepared dinner himself, and brought it to the room. Suhyeon propped Tsubame up against the headboard and personally fed him the food.

“Why on earth did you come to the square?”

Tsubame, who had chewed and swallowed the side dish Suhyeon picked up with his chopsticks, asked in a languid voice. Suhyeon scooped up some hot soybean paste stew with a spoon, blew on it, and put it in Tsubame’s mouth.

“To pick up my fiancée.”

“Wasn’t it decided that you would never appear at the square because the Japanese side might become suspicious?”

“Thanks to taking the risk, I brought you back safely like this.”

“Did you come knowing I wouldn’t be able to get out?”

“It was fifty-fifty. The Japanese police are always training to deal with such crisis situations. It was a given that the square would be sealed off quickly.”

“…”

“If you had been in your usual attire, you would have been able to get out just fine. But a woman’s kimono or Japanese wooden clogs are endlessly inconvenient for running, and there were too many people, so the possibility of not being able to get out of the square was quite high. I went there to prepare for that moment.”

“Have you saved independence activists in this way before?”

“If I had, I probably wouldn’t be a person of this world right now. If such a thing were repeated, wouldn’t I have naturally been suspected?”