As True as a Dream Chapter 159

Min-byeong sat with a sulky expression, his face marked by injury. Hae-Joo, who had been watching the situation, stood dumbfounded for a moment before finally taking a seat at So-hwa’s gesture.

 

Then, she lifted her eyes and glanced once more at Min-byeong, who had been flirting with her earlier.

 

Whether fortunate or not, So-hwa’s words didn’t seem to have affected Min-byeong in the slightest. He winked at a female comrade named Ahn Young-ji, then, upon meeting Hae-Joo’s gaze, winked at her too.

 

‘Does he just like all women?’

 

Hae-Joo ignored Min-byeong, just as Young-ji had, and focused on So-hwa.

 

“Then, I’ll explain the operation handed down by Teacher Kim.”

 

“We’re here to assassinate Governor-General Saito, right?” Young-ji asked coldly.

 

So-hwa pulled two photos from an envelope and spread them on the table.

 

“Correct. Today’s target is Governor-General Saito Jiro of the Japanese Colonial Government.”

 

“Huh? Isn’t this woman Saito Mao, Saito Jiro’s daughter? Why is she here? I heard she was on the verge of death.” Min-byeong muttered, scratching his chin. So-hwa nodded.

 

“Saito Mao is currently at one of our safehouses in Gyeongseong. Thanks to Teacher Kim’s advance maneuvering, we barely managed to extract her from the Governor-General’s hospital. And you all know how much Governor-General Saito dotes on his daughter.”

 

“So, we’re using Saito Mao to eliminate Governor-General Saito?” Young-ji asked.

 

So-hwa’s hardened eyes confirmed it.

 

“You’ve all been told that the operation would ‘bloom at nine tonight.’ But plans have changed. Governor-General Saito is a seasoned soldier with decades of battlefield experience. According to a recent telegram, the Governor-General’s Office is acting unusually. We’ll soon leak Mao’s location to them. Then, we’ll wait and eliminate the Governor-General in one strike.”

 

“Ha! You think he’s stupid enough to just walk right into where Mao is?” Min-byeong interjected again, but So-hwa ignored his attitude.

 

“He’ll come. His daughter is involved. Governor-General Saito is famous in Japan for disregarding all danger when it comes to her. Of course, he’s no fool—he’ll bring soldiers. But we’ll be prepared. Ten guns can’t stop one bomb.”

 

After her brief explanation, So-hwa pulled another photo from the envelope and slid it toward Hae-Joo.

 

The black-and-white image showed a long, two-story building with iron fences, a wide courtyard, and a triangular roof above what appeared to be the entrance.

 

“Do you recognize this place?”

 

Hae-Joo stared at the photo for a moment before nodding.

 

“It’s the abandoned Yeongdo Public Elementary School.”

 

“And?” So-hwa pressed.

 

Hae-Joo hesitated, then realized what she was being asked.

 

So-hwa’s eyes held a flicker of distrust—she was testing Hae-Joo’s abilities.

 

Hae-Joo took a moment to gather her thoughts, recalling the terrain around the school.

 

“The school is located in the upper part of Namsoryeongcheon, Namsodong. There are two main roads for vehicle access. If you count footpaths, there are about five or six. The area is undeveloped, mostly quiet, with some impoverished residents.”

 

After her rough explanation, Hae-Joo glanced around, then stood and retrieved paper and a pen from a drawer, sketching a map.

 

“If this is the school, vehicles can approach from here and here. And one more—this side road is narrow but passable. Footpaths are here, here, and here… If something goes wrong, we should hide a getaway car on this side road for escape.”

 

So-hwa’s lips curled slightly at Hae-Joo’s confident response.

 

Truthfully, she had doubted Teacher Kim’s judgment when he ordered her to include Hae-Joo—a woman barely past her teens—in the operation.

 

Teacher Kim had said Hae-Joo, a former taxi driver familiar with Gyeongseong, could help plan the escape.

 

Though skeptical at first, So-hwa now understood.

 

“Good. We’ll place the getaway car on that side road, as Comrade Yeon suggested. Let’s move out immediately.”

 

After finishing, So-hwa struck a match and burned all the photos.

 

Unlike when they entered, they exited through a back door, where an old car was waiting.

 

“…Does this thing even run?” Min-byeong asked.

 

A crack formed in So-hwa’s stern expression.

 

“…Headquarters isn’t well-off. The fact that we even have a car for this operation is thanks to Teacher Kim’s special request.”

 

“It’ll probably break down halfway.”

 

Ignoring So-hwa, Min-byeong kicked the car lightly, making her frown deepen.

 

“Um, should I drive?” Hae-Joo offered, stepping forward.

 

So-hwa nodded. “Please.”

 

Hae-Joo took the driver’s seat, Min-byeong sat beside her, and Young-ji and So-hwa climbed into the back.

 

The two women also carried large bags, which they held tightly in the cramped space.

 

“Ugh! Isn’t it crowded? What’s in those bags? Do we really need them?” Min-byeong fussed.

 

So-hwa cracked open her bag slightly, revealing the muzzle of a gun.

 

“Do you want to live?”

 

Min-byeong’s mouth snapped shut at her icy tone.

 

But his silence didn’t last.

 

This time, he turned to Young-ji.

 

“Little lady, what’s in your bag? If it’s not necessary—”

 

“Without this, we’d be Swiss cheese from Japanese bullets. Should we really leave it behind?”

 

She opened her bag slightly, revealing handmade small bombs.

 

“Damn, that’s brutal. Comrade Yeon, you said you’re just guiding us, right? I heard you were a taxi driver—do you live alone in Gyeongseong?”

 

His words carried a flirtatious undertone. Hae-Joo shot him a sidelong glare.

 

It seemed he had given up on Young-ji and shifted his attention to her.

 

“I have a fiancé, so save your breath.”

 

Min-byeong’s face twisted in exaggerated disappointment.

 

Annoyed by his antics, Young-ji finally asked So-hwa, “What exactly does Comrade Min-byeong do? He’s going into this operation empty-handed?”

 

Though the question was for So-hwa, Yi-Ho answered himself.

 

“Ever heard of me? I’m the last graduate of the famous Military Academy. Hand-to-hand combat, martial arts, wrestling—anything requiring strength, I’m the best. Hah! Of course you’ve heard of me—the legend of Lee Min-byeong, worth a hundred men!”

 

“I never knew someone could gild their own face with their own bragging.”

 

“Blowhard. Tch.”

 

So-hwa and Young-ji’s back-to-back dismissals froze Min-byeong’s triumphant expression.

 

Hae-Joo, driving toward Yeongdo Public Elementary School, smirked at the bickering behind her.

 

The lack of tension in their banter eased her stiff shoulders slightly.

 

As she drove, she scanned the surroundings but saw no sign of Yi-Ho.

 

‘If he were that easy to find, he wouldn’t be a nine-tailed fox.’

 

Besides, wanted posters for Yi-Ho were plastered all over Gyeongseong.

 

It was better if he stayed out of sight.

 

 

* * *

 

Yeongdo Public Elementary School had only been abandoned for a few years.

 

Rather than eerie decay, it was simply desolate.

 

After parking the car on the narrow side road Hae-Joo had mentioned earlier, Min-byeong immediately got out and stretched.

 

“So, Saito Mao is in this school right now?”

 

As Min-byeong cracked his neck and stretched, the others turned to So-hwa.

 

“We’re using Mao as bait to lure them here. I never said she was actually here.”

 

“Oh, so it’s false intel?” Hae-Joo asked.

 

So-hwa nodded.

 

“Comrade Ahn, plant bombs at the school entrance. We need to inflict as much damage as possible on the Japanese soldiers. I’ll take a position on the second floor for covering fire. Comrade Lee, you’ll disrupt the enemy when the opportunity arises.”

 

“Huh? Just me?”

 

“You said you’re worth a hundred men.”

 

So-hwa raised an eyebrow, and Min-byeong’s face stiffened slightly.

 

He looked like he wanted to slap himself.

 

So-hwa chuckled, then turned to Young-ji.

 

“Comrade Ahn, give him some of the wearable bombs. A Military Academy graduate should know how to handle a gun, right? Just stay flexible and adapt to the situation. Remember—our only target is Governor-General Saito.”