Underground

take my sister to the army. You know what happens to those girls. They become prostitutes. Guess what has happened to my sis now? She is his slave day and night. That sick bastard is a freaking pervert. You should see her face, my friend.”

  “I understand. I really do.”

  He meant it. He felt the rickshaw boy’s pain. He wanted his country back badly. And when he looked inside the window, he saw a flawless woman. He was afraid of what lay ahead for her. On the way back to Mr. Choi’s, he knew he had to make a decision between his country and his heart.

  When Little Choi and Heeyeon arrived, all he was thinking about was the war.

  “Do you know how to dance?”

  “Miss…”

  “Just do as I say. You always do.”

  Heeyeon lifted her hand and put it on his hand. It was the first time he felt her skin. His heart started to pump. He followed Heeyeon’s lead. Heeyeon was humming the music played at the party. It was pleasing sound.

  Little Choi looked where the music came from. It was the most beautiful music he’d ever heard. They were dancing like two young lovers who never had to care about who they were. Something was clear between their eyes, as if they were the only couple left in the world.

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about, son.”

  It was Mr. Choi. They split immediately. Heeyeon disappeared into her room. Little Choi was afraid, but he wasn’t going to apologize.

  Walking down Mr. Choi’s new underground property, Little Choi realized the place had more purpose than a holiday house. It was a bunker. There was everything you needed to survive as long as you needed to.

  “Sir, how did you know there would be a war?”

  “What did I teach you all this time?”

  “Do not trust anyone.”

  He made his fortune pleasing the Japanese. He would do anything to keep his daughter safe from the madness of the time. He saw a chance and took it.

  Mr. Choi never trusted the Japanese. He always paid enough for them to leave him alone. The way he got by would turn him and his daughter into enemies when they got back their country. He must be independent from both sides.

  Only one thing was getting in the way. He knew Heeyeon wouldn’t be happy without Little Choi. She loved going to parties because Little Choi escorted her. She made it clear that she wouldn’t go anywhere without Little Choi.

  “I don’t think your feelings for her are much different. So, what will you say, son? Will you come down here with us?”

  It was an offer he dreamed about. It was something he wanted more than almost anything.

  “Ever since I got here, I’ve never stopped loving her. What you are offering is more than I deserve.”

  “Wrong. You deserve more than this.”

  Little Choi felt a pain in his chest. He knew his decision would break their hearts. It was breaking his heart. They were the only two people he had cared about in all his life.

  “But sir, I can’t neglect my country anymore.”

  “Better leave soon, then.”

  Mr. Choi wasn’t going to ask him to reconsider. Little Choi wasn’t going to delay, either. Little Choi got on the first train the next day.

  He headed to Shanghai, where the temporary government resided. Things weren’t easy. He couldn’t believe how far Mr. Choi’s reputation reached. It seemed like every single person from Chosun knew who Mr. Choi was and they all hated him. For them, Mr. Choi had betrayed his country.

  Little Choi had to try harder to find his place to save his country. But the chance didn’t come. Japan surrendered to the U.S. before they declared war.

  Little Choi rushed back, but he couldn’t find Mr. Choi or Heeyeon. The whole town was burnt down and destroyed, including the manor house. He desperately followed their trail and tried to find the entrance to the underground property, but couldn’t find anything. Little Choi knew the town well. They disappeared as if they had never been there. It was such a mystery.

  “Hello?”

  Min and Jun entered the house. Min’s voice was loud enough to reach every room. But they didn’t even get an echo. The house was abandoned a long time ago. The doors of each room fell apart or barely managed to stay on.

  “Suzi, are you there?”

  The house was huge and there were so many rooms. Min and Jun thought they heard something in the corner. Min chased the sound. Jun followed, but he lost him. Jun did not know where he was. Suddenly, Jun heard a noise behind him.

  It was a familiar humming. Jun snuck into the room. There she was. Suzi was in a good mood and her eyes were wandering around the room.

  “Now I have to find Min.”

  Jun held her hand and saw something on the floor. When Jun recognized what it was, he didn’t look at it again to confirm it. He felt Suzi’s hand was slipping from his. She was still humming. Jun remained frozen.

  “Suzi!”

  Min found them. He also saw the same thing as Jun.

  “Ahhhhhh!”

  Someone was in the bed. Suzi’s humming made it spookier. Jun held Min’s hand while he slowly reached the bed. Min held Jun’s hand tightly. It gave some kind of strength to Jun. Min gently poked it.

  “Whatever it is, it’s not alive.”

  It made the boys calm down. Jun came close to it and took away the cover. It was a skeleton. The boys screamed until their voices became hoarse and their jaws got too sore.

  “We should get out of here.”

  They realized Suzi’s humming had stopped. They couldn’t hear her anymore. She laid down on the floor. A snake was sliding away from her.

  “Suzi, stay awake, please,” Min desperately shouted, but he was losing her. “Why is dad taking so long?”

  “Min, I didn’t meet anyone.”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t want to be there alone. So what should we do...”

  “She is dying because you are an idiot!” Min punched Jun’s face a few times.

  “Why is everything my fault? What have I done wrong? You got me into this, remember? I was just trying to be nice. I didn’t want any of this shit to happen to you, your sister, or me. I am very sorry that you have a disabled sister, but that’s not my fault. Why do I have to suffer? To be honest, I am more concerned about how I am going to get out of here. Shit, I was scared to death.”

  Jun was out of breath, spilling out all his words with anger. Min couldn’t hit him anymore.

  “Now, let’s get on with it. We’d better hurry up.”

  Jun started to search for some way for them to get out. Min followed Jun.

  It was too quiet when Min’s dad came back. He knew there was something wrong. The house was so clean and quiet. It should be a mess, Min usually wrestled with Suzi to try to calm her down. That was a scene he got on normal days.

  It didn’t take very long for him to figure out where they’d gone. He was devastated. He could barely press the emergency number on the phone.

  “Sir, I think it’s been found.”

  When Hyunil said it, Mr. Choi didn’t realize that his hand started to shake. Mr. Choi thought his heart stopped. Hyunil pretended not to notice it.

  They got to Min’s place before the rescue team. Hyunil had brought a ladder and a light. He came down and helped Mr. Choi. He had waited for this moment his whole life.

  He had carried many names ever since he had come back from Shanghai. He was once a communist and once a democrat. It depended on which side suited him. When he finally settled in Seoul, he claimed himself as Mr. Choi. He knew exactly what he needed to do to accumulate wealth. However, it had taken his whole lifetime to reach this point. He looked down the hole. It was exactly how he remembered. At the end of this tunnel, he might find something he had searched for: Heeyeon. He put his foot down, but it didn’t reach the bottom.

  He would have broken his back if Hyunil hadn’t caught him. He was so fragile.

  “You’ve waited all your life, if you hurt yours
elf now, you may not get there.”

  Hyunil was right. Mr. Choi relied on Hyunil’s strong arm. His fragile body had to hold on to Hynil to make strong steps to get there. Hyunil had never seen him lean on someone else before. Hyunil knew he wanted it badly.

  When Mr. Choi walked across the garden, he regretted the decision he made and the time he wasted. He couldn’t come back any faster. He never stopped thinking about coming back and it was too late.

  His heart stopped when he found Heeyeon. She was still 20 in his eyes. She hadn’t aged at all. There were two boys crying, holding an unconscious girl. Hyunil held the girl and ran as fast as he could. Mr. Choi wasn’t there with the others. He was 60 years in the past, on the day he left. He got down on his knees.

  Suzi was handed over to a rescue team member.

  “I am sorry, so sorry. I didn’t really mean it. I shouldn’t have even thought about it. Please wake up.”

  “What is it?”Min asked. Min’s father couldn’t say a word while looking in his son’s eyes. He was afraid to tell. “What is the thought you shouldn’t have had?”

  “Your dad asked Mr. Choi to look after you.”Hyunil helped.

  “What do you mean by ‘look after me’? Why?”

  “I was going to leave with Suzi.”

  “To where? Without me?”

  Min realized what Hyunil mentioned about adults being complicated.

  “Is this how you adult deal with the situation? And were you going to tell me that it was all for me? Abandoning me?”

  “I think I understand,” Jun interrupted.

  “What do you know about my family?”

  “I know nothing about you and your family. But considering what happened today, I think I understand