Secrets in the Mist Jishou.
Hunan ProvincePOV: Choi Joo-yeon | September 2025 | 05:00 AM
Even as the clock hands nudged closer to dawn, there was no sign of light breaking over this valley. On the G56 Hangrui Expressway, Sawn slowly steered the truck into a roadside rest area.
Far off in the distance, shrouded in mist, a colossal suspension bridge spanned across the ravine. It looked more like a mysterious highway ascending into the clouds than a normal road. Bold Chinese characters on a sign I couldn't read signaled that we were about to leave the last of the level ground behind and enter the labyrinthine mountains.
“Loweis! Go on down and stretch your legs. I’m going to check the undercarriage, and you need to go settle things with my boss,” Sawn stretched and twisted his body before hitting the brakes, bringing the truck to a halt after pulling off the main road.
The sky was smothered by a thick veil of fog. Sharp gusts of wind carried a chill that bit deep into the bone. Only stray leaves skittered across the pavement, accompanied by the faint scent of woodsmoke and the unavoidable, pungent stench of a pigsty drifting through the air.
“Jetdoe… it’s freezing as hell!” a voice rang out from the other truck.
I felt so nervous my hands were shaking... This would be the first time we all faced each other. I felt like a criminal about to be busted, all because of Loweis’s clumsy attempt to hide the truth.
“Ooh... I’m so stiff!” That deep voice rang out again. I turned back to see the trailer driver—a man with striking good looks and a tall, sturdy build comparable to Loweis—standing beside his vehicle, twisting his body to shake off the fatigue.
“Take it slow,” he said, politely reaching out to assist a woman dressed in a black tracksuit. Meanwhile, Sawn and Loweis approached another tall, long-haired man who was stretching beside the other truck.
Drained of energy and aching all over, I walked over to the deepest corner of the rest area and slumped down. From there, I watched two beautiful women walking side by side, leading the way in front of the giant driver.
The short-haired girl, looking quite feisty, blurted out a loud complaint while glaring up at the tall driver defiantly. “You’re no gentleman! How could you use force against a woman? Look at this... my arm is all bruised!”
“Don’t waste your breath on him. His profession doesn't require a brain; he only knows how to use brute force. He’s only tough against women who are weaker than him,” the long-haired woman said, dismissing the giant driver as if he were nothing but thin air.
The situation among the group from that trailer truck looked to be in critical condition. Everyone’s faces were somber and haggard, looking as though they had just come fresh off a battlefield.
“I won't let you interrogate me about my personal business in front of all these people! And don’t you dare use force on me again. Give me back my phone right now! I’m calling a car to go home!” The young girl with a bob cut—her skin as smooth and pale as fine ivory—snapped at the tall man.
Her thin, rosy lips were pressed firmly together as she gave him a sharp, resentful side-eye. “You’re forcing a theft charge on someone who didn't steal a thing.”
She stomped her sneakers toward the front of the rest area and sat down with a huff, her neck stiff and her expression sullen.
As for the other woman in the black tracksuit, although she kept her head down to avoid any gaze, her poised movements and well-proportioned figure made it clear she was a head-turning beauty.
The group of men walked back in. Sawn approached while rubbing his arms and legs, raising a hand as a gesture for cooperation… “You three ladies... please come and sit together right here.” He beckoned with his finger, signaling me to join the two women at the front.
I stole a glance at the long-haired man with a sense of trepidation. The image of him from before—running headlong into a frantic clash with the Wuhan Dragons while wielding an Uzi—was burned into my mind. I guessed to myself that this man must be the leader, as even Sawn showed him obvious respect.
To me... that long, flowing hair was a symbol of freedom without boundaries. In North Korea, my homeland, you would never see a man allowed to wear his hair like that.
“We don't need to get to know each other... Just tell me who you are and why you got on my truck.” The moment he opened his mouth, I became even more certain of my instincts. This blunt, abrasive way of speaking without regard for anyone's feelings—this was the true hallmark of an authoritarian leader.
The beautiful girl with the bob cut in the white outfit raised her hand fearlessly. She had to be a local Chinese for sure; even in a situation hanging by a thread like this, she possessed overflowing confidence.
“Give me back my phone! I already told you I’m calling a car to pick us up! Our journey together ends right here.”
“Middle-Finger Girl, shut up!” the long-haired man barked at the girl with the strange nickname that caught my ear.
“Heh heh heh...” Muffled laughter broke out from the group of men behind him. Even the handsome young driver had to turn his face away, unable to suppress his amusement.
“Hand over the backpack, now,” he commanded firmly, pointing to the floor right in front of him.
“Unnie! Don’t give it to him!” Middle-Finger Girl lunged forward to stop her sister, her voice cracking.
I snapped my head around to look at the two of them again in surprise... 'Unnie'? Are they fellow Koreans?
“I’ve warned you. If you want it that badly, then take it... but let me tell you now, I will absolutely not open it for you. I’m embarrassed! If you want to know what I stole, it’s just information—not something inside this bag.” The woman in the black tracksuit decided to yank the backpack off and drop it on the floor as ordered. She then returned to a seated position, her face set in a cold, indifferent stare.
Sawn frowned, staring at the bag intently. “What exactly is in there?”
“Just women's personal items! And three blood-stained sanitary pads! I’ve already told you there’s nothing in there, but you won’t listen! My sister is trying to explain, so why don’t you listen? Why do you keep insisting on searching it?” Middle-Finger Girl snapped back, her face twisted in a sulk.
“Middle-Finger Girl, back off!” The long-haired man growled in a low tone that made the girl freeze. He scanned the group of men for a moment before his gaze settled on me, his eyes unreadable.
“You... come and open it.” His finger pointed specifically at me.
The moment I touched the bag, the first thing I felt was a faint, continuous vibration, along with warmth spreading through the fabric. It reminded me of the portable hand warmers they sell all over North Korea to ward off the cold.
“Huuu... Huuu! Give it back!” Middle-Finger Girl walked over, sobbing loudly and stomping her feet, before snatching the backpack back out of my hands.
“Huuu... fine, I’ll open it myself! I’m going to splash this blood all over you and curse you with bad luck for the rest of your lives! You just keep forcing me... Huuu!”
“……………” Everyone in the circle stood frozen in stunned silence.
She yanked at the jammed zipper with fury, her bratty wailing punctuated by sobbing tears.
“If you want to shoot me, just do it! Kill me! I curse every single one of you to be miserable! May you never see the light of day again in this lifetime!”
As the zipper slid open, the bag began to gape, revealing what was hidden inside.
“Wait, don’t open it!...” Sawn cried out, his voice filled with genuine alarm as he raised a hand to stop her.
“I’m superstitious about this stuff, man... I don’t want to be cursed by ‘unclean’ things. I don’t care what you’re hiding anymore. Those guys probably aren’t following us anyway.” He glanced at Natalie with a look that flickered with a certain hidden spark.
Most Asians harbor a deep-seated belief that a woman’s menstruation is an inauspicious omen. This generational belief suggests it is a "low" thing that causes guardian angels to abandon a person, or causes magical charms and amulets to lose their power instantly. It is a regional superstition that runs deep across many countries.
“Jetdoe, Sawn... but I’m still wondering what the hell these two stole from those bald guys in Wuhan,” Bro said.
“Why don’t you suspect HER instead!” Middle-Finger Girl suddenly snapped her finger, pointing directly at me.
“Huh?!” I was so shocked I was speechless. She had just lobbed a grenade right into the middle of the group without warning. This kid was more dangerous than I thought... she wasn't just trying to survive; she was looking for a scapegoat.
Loweis raised a hand in a calming gesture before standing up. “I think I should handle this myself. Sawn... tell your boss to calm down first.”
But the long-haired man immediately roared back… “Loweis! You’re the one who needs to clear things with me! How could you bring these dangerous people onto my truck? And you, Middle-Finger Girl... mark my words, I have never used force against a woman. Don’t you go around making up lies about me!”
“Tan... you’d better be the one to talk. This ‘straight-faced girl’ hacked the military checkpoint data and saved our skins. Loweis, let’s go talk over there first,” Sawn said, cutting in and touching Loweis’s arm before leading him down toward the trailer truck, leaving me to face the other young man alone.
“My name is Tan... How did you all get here?”
The young man named Tan had eyes that were friendly and sparkling with curiosity. His demeanor seemed more sincere than any man I had encountered in this convoy so far. He swept a quick, non-threatening gaze over me before breaking into a smile.
“I’m Mei Hua,” I lied through my teeth, while the two women snapped their heads away in opposite directions.
“I remember you now... You’re from the Chenpibao Hotel, aren’t you?”
“You’re quite observant,” I answered evasively.
“You’re pretty tall yourself. How did you manage to hide for two whole days without Sawn finding out?” He smiled, looking me over again with genuine awe.
“I was buried under a pile of blankets,” I replied curtly. I noticed that Tan was meticulous and thorough; even while chatting with me, his eyes would periodically flicker toward the backpack beside the two women with lingering suspicion.
“Tan! Don’t go being too damn kind to them! These women are nothing but trouble regardless!” the long-haired man didn't miss his chance to shout back a final order.
“I’ll handle it, Bro!” Tan shouted back before turning to me, lowering his voice and speaking with a hesitant, respectful tone. “Did you all... escape from... uh... the brothel?”
I looked at Tan, who seemed especially considerate while asking that question. His smile appeared harmless compared to that long-haired man.
“I suppose you could say that... it’s not exactly a place anyone wants to stay for long,” I answered evasively, trying to maintain my persona as a simple fugitive. “Thank you for letting us hitch a ride. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I would have escaped those bald guys.”
Tan nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with that answer for now. “I understand... Well, you’re safe for now. Get some water and rest for a bit before we head out again.”
He maintained his friendly demeanor, though his eyes instinctively flickered toward the backpack beside the two women every now and then—a driver's habit of ensuring everything is in order.
As silence enveloped the rest area, a string of curses drifted over from the trailer truck. “Jetdoe... show some damn respect! Do red-headed foreigners like you even know the meaning of the word?” The long-haired man’s voice roared at Loweis, echoing across the entire valley.
I glanced toward the trailer where the shouting continued to drift on the wind before turning back to lock eyes with Tan... That gaze of his—searching for the truth with such politeness—made me feel more suffocated than having a gun pointed at my face.
“Now, answer me truthfully: Why did you help us?”
I pressed my lips together firmly, my mind racing to process a response... How could I possibly tell him the truth? That if I hadn't helped you hack the checkpoint, I would have been the first one swept up and dragged back to that North Korean hellhole!
I had to keep lying to survive. “I grew up in a community connected to the black markets... we oppose the central government, so we were taught these things to avoid surveillance and bypass credit checks.”
I gambled on an answer cobbled together from news I’d heard. The strictness of the Chinese government—attempting to isolate people and eliminate them without weapons, much like North Korea—made my claim seem plausible in an instant.
“Unnie, if she hadn't hacked that data, the long-haired guy and that lanky one would’ve been arrested by now,” Middle-Finger Girl said, wrinkling her nose at me in annoyance.
Suddenly—
“%$##@$%$^%^?”
She unleashed a torrent of Chinese at me, firing off a string of sentences in a sharp, flawless local accent. Her eyes glared at me as if she were determined to catch me in a lie once and for all. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but my throat was so parched that no sound came out.
“..........................”
The silence that followed was so suffocating I could hear my own heart racing. It felt like an executioner’s blade had severed my neck in a single stroke... I had completely forgotten that if I claimed to be a Chinese anti-government rebel, I should be able to speak their language fluently!
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Tan, standing nearby, began to narrow his eyes at me with a mix of suspicion and surprise. The friendly smile he once wore began to fade inch by inch...
“Oh… my stomach hurts,” I moaned, collapsing beside the woman in the black tracksuit. She startled and caught my arm.
In that split second, I whispered… “I’m Korean.”
“Huh!” The woman in the black tracksuit froze for a split second. Her once-stoic eyes widened in shock before she quickly masked her expression. She held onto me firmly, as if instantly understanding her role.
“What’s wrong with her?” Tan stepped closer, startled, completely forgetting about the Chinese question Pai Pai had just fired off.
“She’s probably suffering from acute gastritis due to stress... I’ll take care of her,” the woman in black replied quickly in flawless English, before locking eyes with me with a spark of mutual understanding known only to the two of us.
Middle-Finger Girl stood there with her arms crossed, wrinkling her nose as she watched my performance with deep suspicion. “Is she faking a stomach ache? She was a top-tier hacker just a moment ago.”
In that moment, I had to gamble on whether Tan could distinguish between Korean and Chinese. I had only one card left to play. I leaned close to the ear of the woman in black while feigning agonizing pain, whispering in a chillingly cold Korean:
“If you don't help me... I’ll tell them right now that those aren't sanitary pads in your backpack.”
The woman’s body went rigid. Her eyes, hidden in the shadows, flickered with panic... She realized then that I wasn't just a hacker; I was a dangerous variable who had seen right through the secret she was desperately trying to hide!
Suddenly... “@#@#@$%” Middle-Finger Girl snapped more Chinese at us, but the woman in black raised a hand to stop her. She reached into her bag, pulled out some bread, unwrapped it, and handed it to me.
“If you’re hungry, eat this first,” she said, touching Middle-Finger Girl's hand to keep her quiet. I took the bread and put it in my mouth obediently.
“We have to work together. I snuck onto their truck too.”
The sound of metal being struck echoed along with a threatening shout from the long-haired man… “Tan! I’m still waiting for an answer, damn it!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t betray you,” she whispered.
Suddenly, Tan cut in, thrusting his hand into the middle of the circle to break up the conversation he couldn't understand. “If you keep doing this, it’s going to be hard for us to travel together... If we’re going to be in this together, I ask that you speak a common language so there are no secrets between us.”
Pai Pai snorted, wrinkling her nose at him instantly. “Che! For such a big man, not only do you enjoy using brute force to oppress us, but now you want to spy on women’s private talk too?”
“Sigh...” Tan let out a long, weary breath. It seemed he had been dealt so many blows by this girl's feistiness that he was utterly exhausted.
“I’m sorry. I will show my sincerity by using a common language,” I interjected, speaking in English for everyone’s comfort.
But Pai Pai wasn't finished. She shot another fierce glare at Tan. “If you want us to show sincerity, then give me back my phone first!”
Tan moved closer. He glanced at Natalie’s backpack and then stared deep into my eyes as I tried to sit perfectly still and upright.
“You know, Mei Hua...” Tan paused, letting out a thin smile that sent a shiver down my spine. “Most people who escape from a brothel sit with hunched shoulders, their eyes filled with paranoia, looking completely helpless.”
He took another beat. “But you... ever since you stepped off that truck, you’ve sat with your back pin-straight. Your feet are positioned at an angle that's ready to spring into action at any second. Your posture isn't that of a service worker. It’s that of a soldier
My heart skipped a beat, but I fought to keep my breathing steady.
“And about that story regarding the black market hacker...” Tan shifted his gaze toward Natalie, who was clutching her backpack tightly.
“If you’re that skilled, why would you let yourself become a scapegoat for this woman? You saw it yourself—the Wuhan Dragons were willing to die in heaps on the roads of Mount Wushan just to stop this truck. They weren't looking for a hacker. They were looking for the ‘item’ in that bag.”
Natalie flinched violently as the target suddenly shifted to her.
“Miss...” Tan turned to the woman in the black tracksuit. His voice softened, but the pressure behind it was heavier than ever.
“I’m a law graduate. I can tell by your demeanor that you are a highly educated individual... Tell me straight: what is in that backpack? Before Bro loses his patience and actually tosses it into the ravine.”
Silence enveloped the rest area. Tan didn't raise his voice, but his powers of observation were like a scalpel, peeling back our secrets layer by layer.
“I’ll tell you my background. I’m a fugitive from Thailand, and I’m being hunted too. My heart nearly stopped at that checkpoint back there. I’m no soldier; I’m sure you two can sense that,” he said, looking at the two women.
“You can’t just drag us into this mess without us knowing anything. You’re still on this truck, and we have to travel together. I have to be honest: we won't help people who see us as fools or think they can just use us.”
He turned back to me. “And you, Mei Hua... I can’t let you and Loweis continue the journey with us either. The people who travel together must be friends.”
“Who wants to be friends with you?” Pai Pai snapped, but Natalie touched her hand and shook her head.
“I don’t necessarily want to be your friend either. To me, a ‘friend’ can be anyone—even a homeless person or a dog can be a traveling companion, as long as they don't turn around and bite me.”
He was different from every other man here. His posture and those sincere words rang like a bell in my heart.
The atmosphere in the rest area reached its breaking point. I glanced at Natalie, who was clutching her backpack tightly, and Pai Pai, whose lips were trembling as she bit them... If I didn't start revealing the truth first, there would be no way for us to escape the clutches of this mercenary group.
“My name is Captain Choi Joo-yeon from the People’s Army. I’m not Mei Hua,” I stated with a calm but firm voice that made Tan freeze for a moment. “I’m North Korean, and the reason I had to hack that military checkpoint was to save my own life—not just for your sake.”
“Huh!” A soft gasp escaped Natalie. She looked up at me in shock before deciding to speak up as well.
“My name is Natalie Park. I’m a South Korean-born American scientist working in Wuhan.” She slowly loosened her grip on the bag, revealing a corner of the device where a small blue light was blinking rapidly. “And inside this bag... is a bio-vaccine storage unit for the Aeon 30
“What exactly is it?”
“I’ll explain later,” she said, lowering her gaze. In that moment, the middle-finger girl cut in immediately—
“My name is Pai Pai! I live in Wuhan. We didn't steal a thing! So stop accusing us already!”
“These are major issues,” Tan muttered, looking between me and Natalie before turning toward the trailer truck.
“Bro! Two of our passengers are VVIPs.”
“What do you mean...?”
“Middle-Finger Girl is just an extra.”
“Jetdoe! This extra sure has a big mouth!” he shouted back, accompanied by the clanging of metal.
“Joo-yeon is a military hacker from North Korea.”
“Jetdoe… Loweis… you lied to me again, didn’t you?!” His voice rose even higher.
“Natalie Park is a scientist. The bag we were suspicious of contains a vaccine that determines the fate of humanity, but she hasn't given the details yet.”
“Jetdoe…!” The shout echoed across the entire mountain range.
Pai Pai snapped her head toward the shouting voice, completely unfazed. “Joo-yeon Unnie, don’t pay any attention to him. That long-haired uncle is a total dictator.”
Tan turned sharply. “I’m still standing right here, you know...” He shook his head wearily.
“Did I say anything about you?” Pai Pai shot back instantly. She was as feisty as her nickname suggested—a true "Middle-Finger Girl."
Tan looked at me with steady, friendly eyes. “Thank you for opening up to us. I have things I need to be careful about as well, so I hope you understand.”
“You aren't thinking of leaving me here, are you?” My heart raced at this unexpected turn of events.
“I’m a fugitive myself. I understand you, Miss Mei... I mean, Joo-yeon.”
I smiled broadly, moved by the friendship Tan offered. Natalie shook my arm and looked up to ask:
“Joo-yeon Unnie, where are you headed?”
“I need to get to South Korea first... to process documents to prove I’m a human being,” I replied, a pang of bitterness echoing in my chest.
Right now, my status was no different from a wild animal. Even some pets have pedigree papers to certify their breed. But for me... there was no evidence in this world to confirm that I actually existed.
“How many days has it been since you escaped?” Tan asked softly, stepping closer.
“One month and ten days... Loweis is the one helping me get out of China.”
“Are the two of you lovers?”
“No, I’m single.” The moment the words left my mouth, Pai Pai—whose height barely reached Tan’s shoulder—lunged forward and shouldered the giant young man so hard he stumbled backward.
“Unnie, you escaped? It’s so risky entering China!”
She hurriedly turned me around, checking me over and rolling up my sleeves to inspect for wounds. Natalie joined in, her hands moving over me to check for bruises until I felt a flush of embarrassment.
“Unnie couldn't have just strolled out casually. Are you hurt?” Pai Pai gently stroked my leg, her eyes filled with genuine worry.
“It must have been so difficult, but Unnie, you’re so amazing for surviving,” Natalie added, squeezing my arm lightly in encouragement.
As the fingers of the young girl and Natalie brushed over my old scars, the warmth radiating from them only made the chill in my chest grow colder. The compliment of being "amazing" felt so hollow. In reality, no one ever wants to be "amazing" just to survive abandoning their homeland.
I didn't flee because I wanted to see the world; I fled because there was no place left for me to stand. If I had the choice... I would rather endure a terrible regime while sleeping in my own home than be nameless trash on a trailer truck in a foreign land like this.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore... When I first got out, my whole body was covered in bruises.” The feeling of isolation and desolation I had tried to hide surged violently against my heart, a feeling that had haunted me since the moment I stepped off my fatherland.
The silence in cramped rooms over the past month felt like an invisible cage, slowly gnawing away at my humanity. But encountering the soft palms of these two young women, I felt the suit of iron armor I was ordered to wear as a North Korean soldier beginning to melt.
I was trained to be numb. But a human heart... no matter how long it has been frozen, once it meets the warmth of genuine concern, it regains the ability to feel pain and be moved by sincerity.
“Joo-yeon Unnie, you are so lucky to have escaped... I still don’t know if I’ll be that lucky,” Natalie’s voice trembled, betraying the deep-seated suffering buried within her.
“When fleeing from the powerful, you must crouch as low as possible. If we know what we are running from, we can find ways to protect ourselves and hide. Be patient; tomorrow always waits for those who push through,” I said, offering the same consolation I tell myself every day.
“I don’t know if I can make it all the way. Just one more step to Guiyang, and I might finally be out of China.”
“Do you have a problem with this government too?”
“I’m not sure if the central government is involved, but I know for certain that the military is,” Natalie replied.
“In that case, you won’t be able to leave China by plane. The fact that you’ve made it this far makes me think the central government might not be involved.”
“Why do you think that?” She asked with the innocent face of a child, a look that stood in stark contrast to the credentials she claimed to hold.
“CCTV cameras are everywhere, watching almost every step you take. You wouldn’t have survived Skynet otherwise,” I said. I knew all too well how terrifying it was to be governed by technology rather than troops. North Korea still has places to hide from a soldier’s gaze, but in China, it’s beyond imagination.
“Then what should I do?”
“For maximum safety, I’ll hack the system for you.”
Tan, who had been silently gathering information the entire time, immediately raised his hand to interject. His eyes were filled with the suspicion of a lawyer catching a witness in a lie.
“If you’re capable of that... why didn't you just hack your own way out from the beginning, Joo-yeon?”
I locked eyes with him and answered in a tone that allowed for no joking. “Because a hacker without the proper equipment is no different from a soldier going into battle empty-handed. Throughout my escape, I could only crouch low and hide within small loopholes.”
I paused and looked toward the road leading to Guiyang. “In Guiyang, there is certain equipment I need... specialized hardware you won't find in a regular computer store. Before we enter the city, you all must take me to buy these things. If I get them... it won’t just be Natalie; all of you will become ‘invisible’ to the Chinese government’s eyes instantly.”
“Joo-yeon Unnie, I’m placing all my hope in you. If you need any money, just let me know. I have plenty,” Natalie said, clinging to my arm with complete trust, like a little sister who had made a mistake and needed her older sister’s help to avoid being punished by their father.
“Natalie... why is it that I don't feel any resistance from you at all? It’s strange,” I couldn't help but wonder. Her demeanor seemed like that of someone who would constantly build class barriers against others, yet she was projecting her anxiety through a bizarrely sincere connection with me.
“What do you mean?” Natalie looked up at me, puzzled.
“Usually, South Koreans don't welcome people like us...” I confessed, letting out the long-held bitterness that had been gnawing at my heart. “The last time I went to a family reunion was in August 2018 at the Mount Kumgang resort. My perspective changed completely that day. They looked at us with such distant eyes... I felt like we were the forgotten siblings. Or maybe... we’re just the ones deluding ourselves into thinking we’re still the same family.”
“Joo-yeon Unnie!...” Natalie lunged forward, gripping my hand even tighter. “I’m so sorry on their behalf... I grew up in America myself, and I’ve felt abandoned and alone too. Economic problems and wars have torn the relationships of every family apart. Sometimes I’m lonely... and truth be told, I don't really have any friends on the South side either.” She used the term "South side" comfortably, mirroring how I am a person from the "North side"—a division created by powers that ripped our country in two.
"Thank you, Natalie..." The iron shutters I had reinforced in my heart seemed to crumble entirely. "If it’s your money... I will make sure every single cent becomes our way out."
Tan sat there with a faint smile and blurted out, “It’s all because of the superpowers’ Cold War that nations are torn apart. Power makes the excuses for ruling so contradictory. Before they have power, they use inequality as a weapon. Once they have it, they use inequality to oppress in a different form.”
Tan’s eyes clearly reflected a deeply hidden pain. For those sharing the same fate, a single glance was enough to instantly connect those feelings.
“I still believe this world is wide enough for us to live in, but I also want to go back and reclaim justice for my family... if I don't draw my last breath first, I will return to receive a fitting restitution.”
I spoke while staring deep into Tan’s eyes... but what I saw wasn't the blazing fire of revenge like what I felt. Tan’s gaze was dimmed, despondent, and filled with the scars of being utterly crushed by fate.
It was the look of a loser—someone who had fought with all his heart but was still trampled until he had to flee in desperation to seek refuge on a foreign trailer truck. It was a gaze that surrendered to the truth that he had nothing left to reclaim. It was so different from the reflection I saw in the mirror every morning... eyes that still glowed with a vengeful malice and a spite ready to explode at any moment.
Both of us might have left home for the same reasons, but while I was sharpening my knife waiting for the day of revenge, Tan could only carry his defeat and discard it in the thick mist trailing behind this vehicle.
“It’s surprising...” I remarked to him. “I thought the law only hunted people in my homeland.”
“Forget about it,” Tan cut in quickly, as if he didn't want to dig up any more of the ruins in his heart. “There’s nothing more hopeless than a 'paradise' where scammers are treated as VVIPs.” He stood up to his full height of 190 centimeters, completely blocking out the dim light from outside the rest area.
The sound of leather boots hitting the rest area floor echoed throughout the valley, instantly shattering the dawn's silence.
Pai Pai turned to give Tan a sideways glance. “Hey! Hey! Mr. Tall Man... are you some kind of protester?”
“Mhm,” Tan answered, sounding reluctant.
“I like that,” she said, her eyes bright as she pumped a firm fist. “People with a public spirit like yours. A person must have ideals. I respect your heart.”
Tan suppressed a smile and nodded slightly. “If you keep talking sense like this, we might actually be good friends.”
Pai Pai lunged toward him and held out her hand. “Right! You’re absolutely right. Now give me back my phone.”
“Nope,” Tan turned his head away.
“Hahaha!” Natalie and I burst out laughing at the same time.
The long-haired man wiped engine oil off his hands with a rag that was just as filthy. “Hey, Korean girl. You have to pay for the ride, too.”
Pai Pai shot back immediately. “Uncle... we’ve all come to an understanding. Don’t be so mean.”
He pointed a finger at the girl as a warning. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Uncle? I’ll smear oil all over your face, Middle-Finger Girl!”
“And I’ve told you many times that my name is Pai Pai, not Middle-Finger Girl... Long-Haired Uncle!” she retorted instantly.
Natalie, who had been watching with a mix of courage and hesitation, slowly raised her hand like a student asking a teacher for permission to go to the bathroom. “I... I’d like to call the long-haired uncle ‘Jetdoe,’ if that’s okay.”
“Hahaha!” Both Sawn and Tan burst into uproarious laughter, clapping their hands in delight.
“No way! Don’t you dare disrespect my trademark!” Jetdoe protested, his face darkening with mock seriousness.
“Your name is difficult to pronounce. I’m going to use this name, otherwise, I’ll just keep calling you 'Long-Haired Uncle',” Natalie said, looking down with a soft, delicate smile. It was the first time I had seen such an innocent side of her... this woman truly has a hidden charm buried within those sorrowful eyes.
“I agree! Everyone in favor, raise your hand!” Sawn grinned broadly, thrusting his arm high into the air. Everyone present followed suit, raising their hands in a unanimous vote.
“Jetdoe... You guys are really pushing it! Sawn, you’re betraying me—mark my words,” he grumbled under his breath.
Jetdoe’s demeanor had softened significantly; it was as if the demon in warrior’s clothing had molted into an incredibly kind man. Seeing a perfect opportunity, I had to move the person I felt uneasy about out of the way first...
“Loweis... you go sit in that other truck. We women will ride in Sawn’s truck.”
"Do you want to talk to your new friend? Go ahead! That way, you won't be lonely," Loweis said, gesturing broadly before spinning around with a flourish.
Sawn smirked, his eyes soft and lingering as he looked down at Natalie. He then playfully waved his hand in Loweis's face.
"Go on then, go sit and listen to them nag until your ears go numb! Hahaha!" Sawn’s laughter roared, competing with the massive diesel engine that had just rumbled to life. The ground shook as the heavy machinery groaned—a signal that their escape through the veil of mist was about to begin once more.
“That works, Bro... the name ‘Jetdoe’ is actually pretty cool,” Tan teased, nudging him.
He kicked Tan’s backside, sending the younger man jumping and laughing as he sprinted back to the truck.
I watched Jetdoe’s retreating back—the long-haired man who seemed to hold every secret of this treacherous path in the palm of his hand. He didn’t seem like a cruel person; though he was rugged and somewhat mercenary, to me, he looked like a man who was ready to protect everyone... as long as we remained under his command.
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Author’s Note:
