The hands that caressed her breasts trembled. This was a pretty breast that Mussang described as “a ripe red bean on an upturned white porcelain bowl.” Taut tits like a broiler, a touch soft as cotton, the energy that makes you rise and fall heaven and hell dozens of times. Just thinking about it made your heart soar. I want to feel that touch. I want to hear that rich, baritone voice tickling my ear. I want to hug him so that my ribs are crushed.
“Sob, sob! Why did you leave? Why?”
Hye-young leaned against the wall and sobbed. He was the one she loved so much, but he was self-conscious about others’ opinions about his degree or age, though none of that was a big deal. Unlike a mother who abandoned her child, a cold-hearted father who was inferior to others did so well as to be moved. She poured gasoline on the longing that held down desire. She was awakened.
“I don’t need this at all. I need to meet him!”
Hye-young suddenly jumped out of the bathroom. She ran into the built-in closet with dripping water without wiping her naked body. Jeans, blouses, and leggings flew through the air. The object in her hand was a thick notebook with a yellow cover.
The booklet, too large and heavy to hold in a small hand, was the phone book she had brought with her when she left Korea. It was the same phone book torn by a charioteer on the street to show his strength, and that was also always ready in two volumes (people’s directory, reciprocal book) from door to door.
Hye-young turned over the bookshelf and found it. The name of the owner of the incomparable rented room was Kim Cheol-soo. Hye-young’s eyes that had found Kim Cheol-soo were lost. The name Kim Cheol-soo filled three pages. There were more than 5,000 people on the national board when there were three pages of clear letters (length and width 210mm*297mm). There were also more than 20 Kim Cheol-soo from Waegwan-eup Waegwan-ri.
Support our Vipnovel(com)
“Ahh!”
Hye-young heaved a long sigh and threw away the phone book. The most common last name in Korea was Kim, and the most common name was Cheol-soo. It was like finding a Jack Edward in America. She realized that the years had passed longer than her name. For older people, seven years is nothing, but youth is a long time to change a life.
Hye-young calmed her excitement and dried herself with a towel in one hand and a hair dryer in the other. She dried herself like a northern fish to be placed on the ancestral rites table, like a ritual to remove the traces of dirt.
She packed her suitcase and picked up the phone. She booked a ticket with New York Airlines to Gimpo Airport and got dressed. She finished her runaway preparations and looked back at her room. The studio apartment she had lived in for five years had been transformed into someone else’s room. Bang! She kicked her rear end against the front door and headed to the elevator. The sound of the auto-locking mechanism came from behind her.
“Goodbye!”
Hye-young waved her hand without looking back. Tap, tap, tap, the sound of shoes, and the sound of wheels rolling.
A fate once twisted would not let them go so quickly. Hye-young’s footsteps stopped right in front of the studio apartment’s entrance. A vulgar face, more disgusting than a screaming tick fanatic, blocked her path to Jesus’ heaven and the hell of the unbelievers. Hye-young moved slightly to the side and took a step. She thought she’d get cancer if they talked.
“Lin, that wasn’t my intention. Susan first.”
Robert smiled all over his face and muttered.
“Shut up!”
Hye-young shoved Robert, who tried to put his arm around her. What am I going to do with a scumbag like that? She shuddered. Even if you wash a car, it’s a people car, and if you put a turbo engine in a pony, it will not turn into a Lamborghini. The lice were smeared on the wiped body.
“Lin, what are you up to? Where are you going?”
“Get out of my way! I’m going back to my hometown.”
“Korea?”
Robert’s eyes widened as if he were being torn apart. Hye-young quietly moved forward.
“Lin, if you do not last a few months, the doctor’s course is over.”
Robert begged in a tearful voice.
“Such a degree, you asshole!”
Hye-young walked as if she were running.
“Madam, please give me a moment.”
It was a polite but peremptory tone. Hye-young flinched and stopped. This was the man who showed up with Robert. He stood 10 meters back like still life and appeared in front like a mirage.
“Please call me Miss. Who are you?”
Hye-young rolled her eyes. The salutation “Miss” made her stomach growl.
“I’ll do it. Call me Spector.”
“So?”
“It is about the state scholarship Ms. Lin has received so far.”
Despite the hostile response, his expression did not change. He didn’t even blink. He looked as if he had been injected with a vial of Botox in his face or was wearing a mask.
“National Scholarship!”
Hye-young’s shoulders dropped. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. If you eat salt, you should turn on the water.
“I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”
“Sure.”
Hye-young headed to the open-air cafe on the beach. Despite it being past midnight, many guests were occupying the table. They were pairs of young lovers who enjoyed wine. The open-air cafe, which lines up on the Santa Barbara beach, offers an outdoor stand for tasting and promotes a variety of wines.
If it’s wine, France, Italy, and Chile come first, but high-quality wines are also mass-produced in California. The Center of this is Santa Barbara. Hye-young entered the cafe with a tasting glass. Spector sat across her, and Robert sat at the table next to her with a glass of soda.
“Miss Lin, are you giving up the doctoral program?”
The blue eyes stared. Hye-young was terrified. She didn’t feel any hint of warmth in his eyes. It was like looking at the eyeballs of a Burmese python. Suddenly she missed Mussang. If he were next to her, she wouldn’t even be scared of dinosaur eyes, let alone python eyes…
“I’m not giving up, but… I want to rest now.”
Hye-young was confused.
“Good. Can I ask you why you want to rest?”
“I just want to rest…”
Hye-young replied with a sigh.
“Can I see that as a synonym for giving up?”
Her voice was dry, as if she were reading a book consistently. He was a man who was unlikely to bleed a drop of blood even if he was stabbed with a needle.
“For now, I don’t think it would be too wrong.”
Hye-young replied in a cynical tone. I want to rest, so what reason is needed.
“I’m sorry.”
Hye-young was terrified. She felt the smell of dark blood, not regret from the man’s words.
‘Mussang, I’m scared!’
All of a sudden, sorrow soared.
“Miss Lin, excuse me, but please reconfirm the agreement.”
Spector pulled the file out of the old Dax briefcase and gave it to her.
“Sure!”
Hye-young, who was discouraged, quietly opened the file. It was a copy of the State Scholarship Agreement. At the time of the contract, she had only roughly read the credit maintenance part, subsidized amount, and degree-related matters and put it down. She didn’t even remember where she put the contract. The rest are the fifth wheel. Robert brought the tasting wine and put it on the table. Hye-young put her nose into the contract without even looking at him.
…
f-3 If the signed beneficiary renounces their master’s degree in the midway or the probability of obtaining a degree is significantly low, they are obliged to work for an organization designated by the Academy for three years.
….
h-4 If the signed beneficiary falls under case f-3 after obtaining a master’s degree, they will work for five years at the Academy.
s-2 The signed beneficiary cannot refuse the work designated by the Academy. This includes overseas assignments.
s-3 The signed beneficiary automatically acquires US citizenship in the case of h-4.
…
t-1 The signed beneficiary agrees to the confidentiality pledge. The related work with the Academy shall be kept secret permanently. The Beneficiary’s Pledge of Confidentiality is valid for life.
….
Hye-young’s eyes widened. Provisions she hadn’t even thought of were lined up one after another. Then she felt that everything was weird. The national scholarship was too generous, covering tuition and living expenses if it was spared. She was a Korean international student who had nothing special. Pretty and intelligent women were all over the campus. It was unlikely that a long-term scholarship of a hefty amount would be granted.
“Mr. Spector, what kind of academy is mentioned in the contract?”
“It’s just an academy.”
“Is it an institution related to the government?”
“Of course. Miss Lin received a scholarship from the government of the United States of America for the past five years, paid by the people’s taxes.”
“Is it a secret institution?”
“No comment.”
“Is US citizenship automatically acquired?”
“Yes. You must give up your Korean nationality.”
“What if I don’t give up?”
“You will give up.”
“What is the meaning of t-1?”
“It means that it is dangerous to leak a secret.”
“Does danger mean death?”
“No comment.”
“Ugh!”
Hye-young wrapped her head around it. It was unclear whether the person she was talking to was a human or a robot. Sweet and spicy wine turned into thin and sour lemon juice. What was the name of the tasting wine? Hye-young desperately recalled the name of the wine to get rid of the ominous omens stuck to one side of her brain.
“Miss Lin’s booked flight to Korea has been canceled.”
After all, it was just an imitation. A counter punch hit her temple.
“What did you say? Is this the United States of America?”
Hye-young’s voice rose. The eyes of the young couples, enjoying wine and cocktails, all turned to Hye-young. Spector waved his hand. Gazes disappeared like a lie.
“That’s right. The United States values the agreement.”
Spector didn’t even flinch. That reminded her of the name of the wine.
“Trickery!”
Hye-young muttered softly. The name of the wine was trickery. She was caught in a tough cobweb set by a sloppy rocker.
“Miss Lin, the Academy respects your wishes. If you comply with only a few rules, you are free.”
‘You canceled my flight as you wish, and now you say I am free?’
Hye-young had anxiety ahead before she got angry. It meant that an institution called the Academy was closely watching her every action. She remembered the rumors circulating on the campus secretly. It was rumored that intelligence agencies were using international students with economic support bait for experiments or as sources of information. It was said that the target is South American and Asian students with poor pockets. It was a rumor that had been around for a long time, but she didn’t like it.
“Do I need to go back to the studio apartment?”
Hye-young’s voice trembled.
“No. Your abode has changed.”
Hye-young looked back at Robert, who was sitting at the table next to her. Robert’s gaze wandered through the night sea as if he were in another world. A handful of anger erupted at the bystander’s attitude.
“Robert, was it planned?”
“My love is not a lie. I still love you as much as my life.”
Robert glanced away from Hye-young’s gaze.
‘God, oh, my god!’
Hye-young stumbled. I knew you were a person who was irresponsible and impulsive, but I didn’t know that you would be this careless. This guy deliberately pushed himself into a trap. She wanted to tear the mouth of this grumpy and shameless white guy.
“You bastard!”
Splash- Hye-young replaced the dirty feeling by pouring the wine left in the glass on his face. Robert, covered in wine, pulled a napkin without speaking and wiped his face.
“Miss Lin, we’ll guide you to your new abode.”
Spector was unconcerned about Hye-young’s deviant behavior. He only said what he had to say.
‘Is he really a robot?’
Hye-young felt a strange sense of discomfort. Spector seemed like a human being who lacked emotion. Humans also act according to the input data and situations, but they cannot be unresponsive to the feelings of others like Spector.
******
“Then, please rest.”
Spector finished guiding Assistant No. 18 and turned around calmly. The mission that brought back the hen who wanted to escape the chicken coop was over. The agent’s stupid actions almost cut a hole in the chicken coop management.
Hye-young cringed as she opened the front door of the new studio apartment. [Veritas Caritas Justitia] was hung on the front wall, and a mirror was hung at the bottom of the frame. Hye-young’s surprised eyes scanned the room.
“Oh my god!”
Hye-young screamed. The objects in her studio apartment had been moved as are. Less than an hour later, they were placed in precisely the position they were in. Even the trash can that had been kicked and rolled at the foot of the bed was still there.
The only strange thing was a white envelope on the living room table. Hye-young opened the envelope with a trembling hand. Two hundred-dollar bills came out. Hye-young kept getting goosebumps. The cancellation fee for a ticket to Korea departing on the same day was $200.
She kept getting goosebumps. It felt like Alice in Wonderland. She didn’t know what the Academy was, but it was certain that she had fallen into the ant ghost’s den. The ant cave that you can’t escape from no matter how hard you hit!
The next day, the world suddenly changed. No, the world hasn’t changed a little. She has changed. The world she was used to became uncomfortable. When she left the studio apartment, a gaze followed her right behind, and when she entered her room, the gaze dropped.
She even suspected that the organization called the Academy was testing repressive psychology. It could be a victim mentality, but the other party is a meticulous organization that even sent the ticket cancellation fee. She felt sorry for herself that she was in a situation where she had no choice but to suffer no matter what they did.