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I just dragged my tired body home not long ago, but now the morning sunlight has slipped through the curtains, tickling my eyelids.

I crossed my arms and tossed and turned on the sofa, but I couldn’t find a comfortable position, so I finally got up. My head felt foggy, my legs ached, my mouth was dry, and my stomach was churning. Did I drink too much yesterday?

With my disheveled face, I lifted my head to survey the surroundings. It was our family townhouse in the Abas capital. In the kitchen, there was a spilled cup of water and a cheap whiskey bottle; in the living room, the coffee table was piled with an ashtray overflowing with butts and a crumpled pack of cigarettes. I was slouched with a blanket on the sofa. It was dark outside the window. Was it dawn?

Every time I blinked my blurry mind, the horrors of yesterday replayed in my head.

I had been drinking with Camila, touring famous attractions, shopping at the department store, and meeting up with our group. The five of us went out for more drinks and probably partied until dawn. I had forgotten all about being broke….

How did I even go to the department store with no money? The question was answered by a receipt shoved carelessly in my wallet.

I must’ve swiped my card.

“Damn that alcohol….”

As I scratched my head, I murmured a mix of a sigh and a curse.

I spent more money again. I thought about cutting up my credit card but realized it would be pointless since the money was already spent.

I rummaged through the messy table, hoping to find another receipt, and discovered some half-finished cigarettes among the crumpled pack. Staring at the cigarettes for the first time in 28 years, I hesitated for a moment, then opened the door, put one in my mouth, and flicked the lighter.

*Sizzle…!*

It was a dark world.

When the glowing ember faded at the edge of my vision, a smoky sigh mixed into the black void.

I sat on the floor, cigarette in my mouth, staring at the darkened road. After sitting there for a while, the sky shifted to a dim blue.

At that moment, something landed on my nose.

I looked up at the unseen intruder and saw the sky.

“…It’s snowing.”

Snow was falling from a piercingly blue sky.

I started a new day under the falling snow.

Episode 10 – Change Course to Northwest

While puffing away at home on my vacation, old memories flooded back.

Was it Mexico or Colombia? I remembered sitting with coworkers in a shabby safe house, smoking together while participating in a joint operation.

Indoor smoking in the 21st century was a barbaric act deserving of punishment, but there was no way I could have more than ten people coming in and out just to smoke a single cigarette, so we did what we had to. We even locked the windows and drew the curtains, fearing sound or light would escape, which must have been a nightmare for the non-smokers in the group.

We waited like that for three days until the high-ranking official who visited last uttered the first words I still remember.

“Is this an opium den or what, you little punk?”

A sharp sound caused my head to instinctively lower. My neck felt sore.

As I rubbed the aching spot, I turned my head to see my comfortable pajamas-clad sister glaring at me.

“What’s your deal now?”

It was Older Sister Adela.

“Why the hell are you smoking at home? Have you lost your mind?”

“What? Why are you hitting my head?”

“Just because.”

She nonchalantly slapped the back of my head.

“What if a fire breaks out? Are you going to put it out?”

“The ashtray is right here. I even soaked a paper towel with water, so it won’t catch fire.”

“I swear I’ll—!”

Seemingly not fully awake, Adela grabbed my hair and started shaking me. She’d been complaining about stress from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and finally seemed to snap.

“Where did you learn to do such bad things? Getting hammered last night wasn’t enough; now you’re smoking too? Huh?”

“Ugh, let go! Are you done?”

“How dare you raise your voice at your sister?”

“What kind of lazy bum are you? How can you not go to work?!”

“I was on duty yesterday, so I’m off today, you punk.”

Her words meant she was off today because she had worked yesterday. No wonder it was past eight, and she wasn’t going to work.

I tried to shake off the gorilla targeting my head and desperately called for Older Brother Jerry, but he was either already at work or just nowhere to be found. He truly only shows up when I don’t need him.

It seemed I had no choice but to let my sister batter me.

Still shaking my head from Adela’s grip, she didn’t seem satisfied just pulling my hair and slapped my cigarette straight out of my hand.

“Ah, no…!”

The window was quickly closed by Adela as the frigid winter wind rushed in, leaving the crumpled pack of cigarettes behind, rustling pathetically.

I stared at the empty pack and the last cigarette that had vanished outside, muttering to myself.

“That was my sail….”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

*

Every culture has its quirks, but the portrayal of information agencies in the media is mostly similar, leaning towards the grim and bizarre.

The CIA in American movies or dramas is portrayed as a gathering of personality-deprived individuals. They rush to kill their own agents, conduct human experiments on their citizens, and embody a shadowy existence manipulating the US government through hidden slush funds and scandals of influential figures.

British media isn’t much different either. MI5 is depicted as a group using extralegal powers to surveil civilians and blackmail politicians, while MI6 usually appears to be bumbling around, only to have its headquarters blown up.

In contrast, China and Russia are given somewhat positive portrayals. Since they risk having people go missing for ten days if they depict the government negatively, they strive to highlight more positive aspects.

No need to mention South Korea.

Retired or current National Intelligence Service agents take on murder contracts based on illegally acquired information, struggle to adapt to the world running junk shops or pawn shops, suit men walk around flexing their shoulders, and civilians are dragged into operations…

Anyway, if there’s a portrayal of a government agency that is incompetent, corrupt, or downright foolish in South Korean media, it’s almost always about an information agency.

Of course, one could argue that such images stem from the deep-rooted karma accumulated by information agencies worldwide, but that’s not as significant an issue as it seems.

In any case.

There are cultural differences, but information agencies in media summarize roughly as a collection of morally bankrupt individuals with dark and bizarre tendencies, at least in the context of non-dictatorial democracies.

That’s all rubbish.

“Hey, wake up.”

On the Wednesday of my second week of vacation, while I was resting comfortably at home, a kick from Adela hit my bottom.

“What?”

“Go take out the trash.”

“…What?”

“It’s recycling day today. Go take it out.”

“…….”

I wanted to refuse her request, but seeing the bottle of liquor in her hand, I got up from the sofa.

I dragged the blue trash can outside. According to the law, recycling trucks should collect trash from homes, but sadly, due to residents’ requests (masquerading as complaints), we had to go further away from home.

In the end, I had no choice but to trek back and forth in my shabby tracksuit, battling through the thick snow.

“Hey, sis! I took out the trash!”

“Oh, you’re back? While you’re at it, take this too.”

“…What is it?”

“Can’t you tell?”

Adela, with an unabashed expression, handed me a shovel and a broom.

“I saw there was a lot of snow. Go clean it up before it freezes.”

“…You want me to shovel snow? Right now?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You just went out, right? Should I go instead? Just sweep up the front yard and sidewalk.”

“…….”

“Oh, right. When you come back, also stop by the store. I’ll give you the list and money.”

Time to go back outside to shovel snow.

The snow that fell overnight piled up to my shins. I shoveled the snow with the spade, remembering that I hadn’t done any snow shoveling since my days as a squad leader. It felt like ages; it really sucked.

Cursing as I swept, every time I turned to look behind, there was already more snow piled up.

Gritting my teeth and shoveling, I ultimately abandoned the spade and broom, ignoring Adela’s demands, and headed to the store.

The store Adela mentioned was an organic grocery store frequented by well-off middle-class folks, which was a 20-minute walk from home. I would have preferred to take public transport, but watching the buses crawl steadily like slugs down snow-covered roads made me think walking would be more efficient.

After 40 minutes of navigating through the snow, I finally arrived at the store.

I shook off the snow that clung to my legs and shoes and opened the crumpled note I was given, greeted by the security at the store. The note, only the size of my palm, was filled with round handwriting.

Pasta, bread, jalapeños, jam, pâté, mandragora, crackers, green tea, black tea, coffee, coffee filters, magic batteries, dragon’s breath drink (an energy drink I’d never seen before), canned food, salmon, ready-to-eat meals… the list seemed endless. I figured if I spread it out in a line, it might reach Mars.

Most of the items to buy were groceries. The townhouse was occupied only by Older Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela. Jerry, in case you wondered, typically didn’t eat at home due to his schedule. So this meant all this food was for my sister. What a gorilla.

I strolled through the store with two carts. I tried to cram everything into one, but it just didn’t fit, so I grabbed another one. As I was rolling that around, an employee asked while scanning the barcode, “Looks like you brought your car. Did you use the parking ticket?”

I told him I had no car and just needed a few bags; he looked at me with pity.

When I finally stepped out of the store with my hands loaded down, I noticed the snow had piled up to my calves. Apparently, that forecast predicting a record snowfall due to a cold wave was actually true.

The bitter winter wind hit me. My red-tinted fingers felt like they were going to stiffen.

Just yesterday, I had been eating and drinking with Camila and Francesca, recovering with Veronica and Lucia in a cozy hotel room. I couldn’t understand how my situation had devolved to this point in life…

I cursed my ignorant self from an hour ago for forgetting to bring gloves and carefully trekked back home, clenching the bags tightly.

Then, about halfway back,

I stepped on ice.

“Whoa, whoa….”

*Thud!*

A massive shock slammed up through my rear and into my spine. The heavy bags swung down like hammers, forcing me to brace myself on my elbow instead of my hands.

“Ah!”

I collapsed, clutching my elbow and screaming. I couldn’t tell if it was fractured or if something I had treated at the hospital had reopened. My eyes squeezed shut involuntarily.

Damn, that hurt like hell.

I rolled around for what felt like an eternity, rubbing my elbow. Then suddenly, I noticed the odd sensation in my palm and cautiously opened my eyes to find the handle of a ripped plastic bag lying next to me.

Was it due to hitting the ground? Items liberated from the torn bag were scattered all over the snowy ground.

Seeing that sight made a curse escape my lips.

“…Freaking hell.”

As soon as Older Sister Adela spoke, it was like this.

“Did you come back with snow all over your face? Should I call you a snowman or a yeti….”

“Be quiet.”

While Older Sister Adela scurried off with an armful of things, I shook off the snow clinging to my body at the entrance and followed her into the kitchen.

By the time I arrived, Adela had already found some black tea and was tossing it into a bubbling teapot. How did she manage to find that in all that luggage?

“Hey, Yeti.”

“What?”

“Eat this.”

Holding out a pot from which steam rose, Adela grinned. It smelled like baked beans.

“We have bread too, so dip it.”

“Baked? When did you bake this?”

“It’s not fresh out of the oven; there were a few left at home. It’s just bread, but I bought some bacon. Should I fry that for you?”

I shook my head.

My clothes were so damp with sweat that they felt stiff. I had changed into warm clothes, but I was still cold. After trudging through the snow for over an hour, I shivered as I slurped the lunch Adela had made.

Older Sister Adela clicked her tongue and handed me a mug filled with milk tea.

“Eat slowly, you idiot.”

“Did you eat, Sister?”

“I’m fine. It’s not like I had any special thoughts.”

She leaned back in the chair, yawning tiredly. It was a rather undignified appearance, but imagining her out there scolding junior diplomats made me feel a bit weird.

“You must be really tired. Where’s Older Brother Jerry?”

“Where would he go? Of course, he’s at the Ministry of Finance.”

“When did he go to work? I didn’t even see his face.”

“He popped in for a bit at dawn, then headed back out again.”

I carelessly dipped the bread into the baked beans and chewed.

“Are you going back to work tomorrow, Sister?”

“Probably? But with all this snow, I doubt I’ll make it to work.”

As Adela stirred her tea, she set down the spoon and spoke.

“Jerry and I took next week off.”

“You took a vacation?”

“Yeah. Since you finally took leave after three years, we should all go see Mom and Dad.”

Even though the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are government agencies, it’s tough to take time off comfortably. That’s just how the unspoken rules of public service go.

Even if Older Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela can take time off freely, it’s hard for our parents to take leave. It’s because they hold high positions.

So it’s rare for us to overlap vacations in this family.

It looks like they collectively took time off for me after a long time.

Older Sister Adela asked.

“When do you have leave until? Isn’t it next week?”

“Maybe. I think I have just under two weeks left.”

“You have two weeks left, so what do you mean by ‘maybe’?”

“Ah, it’s the military, you know? Who knows when something will happen?”

She rolled her eyes at my lackadaisical explanation. It must have been a weak excuse.

“Be honest. Is it not because of the Ministry of Defense but because of your job?”

“That’s right.”

With that short answer, Adela shook her head as if in disbelief.

“…What an amazing job. Can’t even take time off freely.”

Adela turned her head away with an exasperated look, and I stuffed the remaining lunch into my mouth, lost in thought.

Honestly, working in an information agency isn’t all that glamorous.

A handsome gentleman rolling around with beautiful women? Life where you spend hundreds for a meal and a drink? A hotel room overlooking a fancy resort? A secret job that even the family doesn’t know about? If such a thing existed, I would want to enjoy it too.

Forget the beautiful women—getting caught dating a foreigner would mean being chased by the Inspection Office, and the meal expenses that can be charged to work are limited monthly; instead of resorts, I’ve spent months in a damp, dusty semi-basement with smelly old men. Overtime is a standard, and when I’m bored, it’s camping and sleeping outside. Plus, I can’t even go home properly, so my relationship with family and friends grows distant.

Of course, my family knows I work in an information agency. To be exact, my mother and father don’t know I’m at the Military Intelligence Agency, but Older Sister Adela and Older Brother Jerry do. I got scolded the last time I mentioned it to my mom, so I’ve intentionally kept it quiet…

But knowing that doesn’t change anything.

Seeing Older Sister Adela arguing with me over work makes me wonder how others are doing. Is that why Colonel Clevenz isn’t married?

Anyway, working at an information agency isn’t anything special. It’s just another job.

“Sigh.”

With my body relaxed, I found my thoughts drifting. I came on leave, and here I am, thinking such things.

I hastily finished my lunch and flopped onto the sofa.

“Ahhh….”

Thanks to the heating, the sofa was warm.

I crawled around on the couch, and Older Sister Adela came over with snacks and coffee, firmly pushing my legs aside to take her seat.

“Stop loafing around like a bum and go outside. You took time off, and this is what you do? Don’t you have any friends?”

“I do, but outside is dangerous….”

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

Adela chuckled playfully, leaning back on the sofa. She seemed to feel bad for giving her little brother a hard time after such a long time apart. I decided to play along and put my legs on her stomach, but after a playful punch to my side, I stopped.

We settled on the sofa, tossing various conversations back and forth.

“By the way, I heard you went to the South. Did you drink with a girl? Had a good time?”

“I didn’t go for a vacation; I went to work.”

“Work? What kind of work?”

“Um… Just security work…?”

Older Sister Adela looked at me with pitying eyes as if trying to understand why I was working even on leave.

“It sounds like you’re not just some ordinary person to be doing security for the intelligence department. It’s all done, right? How long are you staying here?”

“Not exactly; I’m currently waiting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, handling protocol. Unless I get a specific call, I just have to wait at home.”

“…Ministry of Foreign Affairs? That’s for handling foreign dignitaries. But why didn’t I know about this?”

“It’s normal for you not to know. It’s an unofficial visit. Don’t go talking about this, Sister. There are people who would be in trouble if this gets out….”

I changed the subject to steer the conversation.

“About that terror attack. Did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs say anything?”

“They said it was a terror attack by a stateless No Man’s Land terrorist. I heard it from the diplomats in charge of security. Other countries have released statements and condolences on behalf of their heads of government, but that’s just the usual courtesy when a major incident happens.”

“What did the Empire or the Cult say?”

“I’m not sure about the Cult, but the Empire sent condolences in the Chancellor’s name. Usually, it’s the Emperor who sends them….”

“If it were internal matters, it wouldn’t matter, but with defense and foreign affairs, the Royal Family usually gets heavily involved. Makes sense that they would. But did the Chancellor send the condolences?”

“Yeah. While it’s not uncommon for official documents to come in the Chancellor’s name, it’s surprising that the Royal Family didn’t respond to such a significant incident. The Emperor hasn’t been active in foreign affairs for years, so it’s raised many eyebrows in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Older Sister Adela continued.

“By the way, how have you been? It’s been three years, and our parents have been worried a lot. Have you been seeing anyone?”

“Dating?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“If you’ve got no one to meet on leave, what are you doing with your time?”

“Just working. I’m too busy to meet anyone.”

“What a boast. There are so many end-of-year events coming up; take a chance while you’re on leave. You might meet someone nice.”

“Well, what about you, Sister? Aren’t you getting married? Last time I took leave, you were bragging about having a boyfriend after getting a medal. I wondered if that was a euphemism.”

“We broke up.”

“How long did that last?”

“A week.”

“…That’s ridiculous.”

Before I knew it, a punch hit my side as hard as the biting winter wind. I figured if I pushed any further, I’d be in for a beating like old times, so I chose to stay silent.

While rubbing my sore side, Older Sister Adela had turned on the TV, pointing to the weather report.

“Hey, it’s supposed to get even colder tomorrow. Do you have any winter clothes?”

“Ah… I might not have much left. I need to go buy some.”

“Then let’s hit the department store tomorrow.”

“The department store is a bit….”

A department store? What kind of trouble did I face there? My newly grown thumb started to throb, and memories of unpleasant times came flooding back.

“Let’s not ever mention the department store at home again.”

“What on earth is with you?”

– Drrrrring!

The doorbell rang. A call came in.

Adela brushed off the blanket she had nonchalantly stolen and dashed to answer the phone.

“Hello? Yes?”

“What’s the call about?”

Looking puzzled, Adela handed me the receiver.

“A magazine company is looking for you?”

“A magazine company?”

“Yeah.”

Is it because I canceled my subscription? I’ve ended subscriptions to many things.

I tilted my head and took the phone.

“Hello.”

-‘Hello, this is House of Luxury and Lifestyle. Have you recently used any of our products?’

“…….”

I remained silent. Older Sister Adela mumbled something next to me, but I couldn’t catch the exact content.

After a moment of stillness, I finally spoke.

“Ah, yes. I have used it.”

-‘Yes, customer. You recently cancelled your subscription, correct?’

“Yes.”

-‘The reason for canceling your subscription is what we wish to understand. We’ve sent a survey to your home. If it’s not a problem, could you take the survey with us now?’

“Certainly, I can do that right away.”

-‘Great, please head to the mailbox now and retrieve the items.’

Click. The call ended.

I put down the receiver and put on the coat hanging on the wall.

Adela looked at me with concern and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“They say a magazine company is looking for me. I’ll just step out for a bit; you stay home.”

“A magazine company?”

“Yeah.”

As I was about to step out the door, Adela’s voice called after me.

“…How did they get this number?”

I tightened my coat and walked through the biting wind towards the mailbox. The bright red mailbox was hard to see beneath a blanket of snow.

After looking around to make sure no one was watching, I retrieved a brown envelope from the mailbox.

I took it to the backyard.

Surrounded by the wall and some trees where no one could see, I casually brushed off the snow that had piled on the table and flipped the envelope over to check its contents.

Inside the envelope was a car key, a notebook wrapped in plastic, and a heavy black leather case.

“If you were going to drop off the car, you could have just left it at the door….”

I stuffed the notebook and leather case into my pocket and headed out to find the vehicle that matched the key.

It’s a work call.

 

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