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“Here you go,” Seok Kang-Ho said, offering something in his hand.

“What’s the occasion?” Kang Chan asked.

About twenty minutes before Kang Chan was supposed to meet with Lanok, Seok Kang-Ho brought over two cups of hot cocoa and set them down in front of Kang Chan.

“You’ll have to sleep as soon as you get on the airplane, won’t you? If you have a warm cup of this, they say you’ll sleep better and recover from fatigue faster.”

“Are you the type that can’t sleep if you have some coffee before going to sleep?” Kang Chan asked out of confusion.

Profusely denying the notion, Seok Kang-Ho replied, “Of course not. I have to have a cup of coffee before getting in bed if I want good sleep.”

“Why did you buy something like this, then?” Kang Chan now had a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

“Hey, hey! No complaining. Just have some of this today. It’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?” Seok Kang-Ho grinned.

The two chuckled amid their nonsensical small talk.

“Right! Next week is the students’ College Scholastic Ability Test.”

“Oh yeah?” Kang Chan recalled agreeing to buy Kim Mi-Young rice cakes for good luck.

“The school seems to be looking forward to it,” Seok Kang-Ho began. Kang Chan just looked back at him, waiting for him to continue.“From the looks of it, they’re hoping that Mi-Young will get a perfect score on the exam.”

Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho burst out laughing.

Kang Chan couldn’t imagine how it would feel to get the highest score out of all the students on a mock exam—and not just scoring at the top, but getting all the answers right and getting a perfect score. He shook his head from side to side. Such a notion seemed like something from a completely different universe from the one he was in.

He still had about half of his hot coca left when a sedan stopped right in front of him.

“Well, I’m off now,” Kang Chan bid him goodbye.

“Have a safe trip. When you suddenly crave some meat, come by Korea for a bit, like what you just did,” Seok Kang-Ho joked.

Kang Chan just grinned in response. Seok Kang-Ho grinned as well.

Goodbyes were harder when they were dragged out. Kang Chan quickly stepped into the car, and they left right away.

***

Arriving back in Niafles, France, Kang Chan began to focus on his training again. Two days later, he was informed that he would be traveling to Israel. The issue was that he wouldn’t be able to use his phone for the next two weeks.

He wasn’t worried about Kang Dae-Kyung, Yoo Hye-Sook, Seok Kang-Ho, Kim Hyung-Jung, or even Michelle. He could just tell them about it, and everything would be fine with them. His main problem with it was that he didn’t want to tell Kim Mi-Young something so sudden when the most important exam of her life was just around the corner. Nevertheless, Kang Chan still decided to text her.

[I have to go to France because of some urgent business. Unfortunately, I’ll probably be out of reach for about two weeks because of it. I hope you do well on the exam, and I’ll call you once I’m done.]

It made Kang Chan’s heart heavy, but he thought this was better than suddenly going off the grid and not contacting her.

His training in Israel was mainly focused on retaliation. He was taught how to make his opponent abandon the will to fight back and the steps and methods to deal with oppression. The lessons didn’t suit Kang Chan’s personality, but that didn’t mean Israel was going to abandon their ways of doing things. At the very least, he saw no downsides to know about their methods. Spending two weeks with the other trainees here made him feel as if he was on friendlier terms with them as well.

After the two-week training, Kang Chan returned to France. It would be Monday tomorrow. Much to his surprise, the training program gave him Sundays off.

Kang Chan checked the time zone differences. Afterward, he called Yoo Hye-Sook.

- Channy!

The phone only rang once before Yoo Hye-Sook answered the phone with a breathy voice.

“Mother, is something the matter?” Kang Chan asked worriedly.

- I’m just happy to hear my son’s voice.

This kind of love isn’t something you come across every day.

Kang Chan’s heart was once again filled with a warm sensation.

Yoo Hye-Sook had to check several times if everything was okay and that he was perfectly fine and healthy before he got to speak with Kang Dae-Kyung.

After his parents, he called Seok Kang-Ho and Kim Hyung-Jung. They both assured him that there wasn’t anything special going on in Korea right now that he had to be concerned about.

Lastly, Kang Chan looked for Kim Mi-Young’s number and gave her a call.

- Hello?

“Hey, Mi-Young. How was the exam?” Kang Chan greeted.

- You’re so mean!

Kang Chan had to stifle a laugh that threatened to escape.

- When are you coming back?

“I think it’s going to take longer than I thought. I might have to stay for about five months,” Kang Chan replied.

- What about school?

“I was enrolled, but I might end up taking a leave of absence.”

Kim Mi-Young remained silent for a moment. Kang Chan understood why she would feel upset.

- Can I go to France during the vacation?

Kang Chan wasn’t expecting such a question from her. Quickly coming up with an answer, he said, “My schedule here is so tight that I’m not sure I’ll have time. I’ll have to check to see if I have any free days.”

- What about calls? Can I call you anytime?

“I’m available after attending to all my appointments for the day in this timezone. If I don’t answer, it’s most likely because I have something going on. If I miss your call, I’ll do my best to call you back as soon as I can.”

How did she manage to endure not calling him until she was done with her exam? There was definitely a scary, stubborn side to students who excelled in their studies.

After that, they spoke about various other topics for about thirty minutes. She told him about how she felt waiting to call him until the exam was over, acted sulky for not being able to see him, and asked him how he was doing.

- Can I call you every day starting tomorrow?

“How about you text me when you can talk? Then I’ll call you when I’m free. Isn’t that better?” Kang Chan asked.

- Okay, I’ll do that.

Strangely, listening to her reply in a cuter, high-pitched voice put Kang Chan in a better mood.

***

Starting the next day, Kang Chan always spoke on the phone with Kim Mi-Young after his lessons were over from around thirty minutes to an hour. Honestly, it became a source of comfort and motivation for him.

Casual chatter, what happened during her day, current hot issues in Korea, books she had read yesterday, and Eun So-Yeon becoming a huge star in Korea were among some of the topics they talked about. Before dropping the call, she would always say in a hushed tone that she missed him. It made Kang Chan think that her way of liking someone was as straightforward and sincere as the way she focused on her studies.

A week later, Kang Chan was informed that he would have to stay in Germany for the next two weeks. Hence, he told Kim Mi-Young that he wouldn’t be able to contact her for the next couple of weeks again. She was naturally upset, but she surprisingly didn’t sulk too much about it.

In Germany, Kang Chan was taught about the division and instigation of public opinion, and how important it was to have control over the media.

Do they really believe that works?

The strategies were so simple and crude that Kang Chan doubted their legitimacy, but after seeing examples in history, he couldn’t help but acknowledge their effectiveness.

After the two-week education period in Germany, Kang Chan returned to Niafles again. He finished up his calls with the people who had been waiting to hear from him, then put down the phone and gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Why do these people do this training program?

Kang Chan couldn’t immediately answer.

He knew that information warfare was always happening in places that most people couldn’t even imagine, and numerous operations facing armed opposition were likely constantly being carried out behind the curtains. However, that didn’t reveal what the ultimate purpose was behind gathering and training people from six countries together. To this day, he still had no idea why they would do such a thing.

Is it just so we would get to know each other?

The only people whom Kang Chan had met in Israel and Germany were a few instructors and the employees who served him food.

What could people who would never act without multiple calculations running through their minds have to gain through this training?

The other trainees didn’t seem to be contemplating this question at all.

Knock, knock.

While mulling over his thoughts, he heard a rapping at the door. Turning around, he saw Frederic stepping into his room.

“I hope I’m not bothering you,” Frederic greeted.

“Take a seat,” Kang Chan briskly replied.

Does this punk have something to say to me?

Frederic sat opposite Kang Chan, then faced the living room window. “I heard of your exemplary performance in England.”

Kang Chan just glanced at him in response. He didn’t expect something like that to remain a secret forever anyway.

“The United States also has a faint idea about what you did. England could have been targeting them with the device, after all. The results of the biopsy also brought the energy sources to their awareness.”

This was a different side to Frederic’s normally nonchalant and good-natured attitude, but Kang Chan couldn’t really care less.

“What are you trying to say?” Kang Chan abruptly asked.

Frederic looked at him in the eyes.

“Do you have a cigarette?”

This son of a bitch!

“Should I get some from my room?” Frederic offered.

When Kang Chan shook his head, Frederic brought over some cigarettes and an ashtray that Kang Chan kept in one corner of his room.

Click.

After lighting up his cigarette, Frederic exhaled a cloud of smoke. In a serious tone, he finally asked, “Monsieur Kang. How much do you know about Lanok?”