As True as a Dream Chapter 160

With an even sterner tone than usual, So-hwa addressed the restless militia before turning to Hae-Joo.

“And whether we make it out alive depends entirely on Comrade Yeon’s guidance.”

Hae-Joo nodded resolutely.

Surviving was just as crucial as the mission’s success.

No one understood that better than her.

 

After watching So-hwa, Young-ji, and Min-byeong check their gear and prepare for ambush, Hae-Joo turned away. 

 

She needed to confirm the routes—whether the backstreets near the elementary school or the main roads were still as she remembered. If their escape by car failed, she had to consider alternatives.

 

Once she finished scouting and returned, the others had already dispersed for their ambush positions.

“Let’s all meet again alive,” So-hwa said. Even the usually flippant militia man nodded solemnly.

“Be careful.”

Hae-Joo watched them vanish—into the school, around building corners, even into the tall grass—before getting into the car. She reversed, tucking it precariously between dense trees to keep it hidden.

 

“If that lunatic spouts more nonsense, just knock his teeth out.”

As she stepped out to assess the situation, Hae-Joo barely stifled a scream when Yi-Ho dropped from a tree above her. Then, remembering his earlier irritable remark, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Did you have trouble keeping up?”

“Am I fast, or is the car fast?”

She pressed her lips together at his evasive answer. She’d already “ridden” him enough times to know better than to argue.

 

“What’s your plan, boss? Will Man Insa appear alongside Governor Saito?”

Hiding among the trees, Hae-Joo kept her voice low. Yi-Ho shook his head as he pulled out the pistol she’d practiced with and handed it to her.

“Don’t know. But he’ll likely be near Saito. Wherever he is, I’ll catch him.”

She checked the magazine, tucked the gun into her sock, and slid two spare mags into her pockets. Her skills were still rudimentary, but at least she could defend herself—or maybe even help someone in a critical moment.

 

With a deep sigh, she stared at the open grounds of the elementary school just a few steps away.

“The crows will alert us when Saito moves.”

“Right.”

Hae-Joo glanced at the silent sky.

How long had they waited?

At least two hours.

The orange hues of sunset slowly crept across the scattered clouds.

 

“…Why haven’t we seen a single crow?”

The crows were fiercely loyal—or stubborn, depending on perspective. Yi-Ho had ordered them to report Saito’s movements, but after a few initial flights, they’d gone silent.

“Is the governor not moving at all?”

A bad feeling twisted Hae-Joo’s stomach. She glanced at Yi-Ho, who was also frowning, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon.

“It’s too quiet. Something’s wrong…”

 

As she muttered to herself, his expression suddenly darkened.

“The smell of blood…”

“What?”

Hae-Joo’s brows shot up. Yi-Ho’s ears twitched, his head snapping toward Min-byeong and a stranger now running toward the school.

“Blood. And crow cries…”

Her heart sank. She couldn’t smell or hear anything, but if Yi-Ho said it, it was real. A fleeting image crossed her mind—the pitiful crow that had been thrown to the ground, injured protecting her from Man Insa.

 

‘What’s happening?’

A foreboding dread prickled her skin.

Then—

“No! No! This isn’t the place!”

A man’s desperate scream pierced the air. Hae-Joo turned to see Min-byeong bolting from the bushes toward a frantic figure sprinting toward the school.

 

“…One of ours?”

Young-ji emerged near the wall. Before she could move, Yi-Ho grabbed Hae-Joo’s arm.

“This isn’t the place.”

“What?”

He tilted his head, listening, then locked eyes with her.

“Whatever intel the independence fighters leaked to the governor, he wasn’t fooled.”

“Meaning…?”

A realization struck her. They knew Man Insa, the legendary demon who craved blood, but not his full abilities. What if Governor Saito wasn’t relying on his own power but on Man Insa to find Saito Mao? Then no false intel would deceive him.

 

“Sa—!”

“Hehe, fox! Here you are! Come play!”

A child’s voice giggled through the trees, though it was midsummer. Yi-Ho’s face turned icy as he gripped Hae-Joo’s shoulder.

“Hide. Prioritize your life. Understood?”

“Boss!”

“Understood? Don’t be reckless.”

His intense gaze demanded an answer.

“I’ll prioritize my life. So you should be careful too.”

 

“Fox! Hesitate and you die!”

A blade shrieked through the air. Yi-Ho shoved her down, pivoted, and kicked. From the ground, Hae-Joo glimpsed the glint of steel and the hand wielding it twisting away from his foot. Yi-Ho lunged toward the trees, drawing Man Insa away from her.

 

Everything happened in a blink.

 

At the edge of the wooded path, Min-byeong’s furious voice rang out:

“This isn’t the place! Governor Saito took Saito Mao to the Yongsan base! It’s been razed!”

Hae-Joo clenched her fists. So-hwa and Young-ji, who’d been hiding in the school, rushed toward Min-byeong. She sprinted to the car, started the engine, and pulled onto the road. The others piled in urgently.

 

“What’s the situation?” she asked. So-hwa slammed the door, face grim.

“The intel leaked. Yongsan base was overrun.”

“And Saito Mao?”

So-hwa couldn’t answer. Hae-Joo swallowed hard, then noticed Young-ji’s pale face.

“Comrade Ahn?”

“To Yongsan… We have to go to Yongsan.”

“Comrade Ahn! It’s already—”

“My brother’s there! He’s hiding there! I have to see if he’s okay!”

Young-ji’s scream was frantic. The others exchanged glances.

“What are you doing? Drive! To Yongsan!”

 

Hae-Joo pressed her lips together. So-hwa clearly disagreed, but Young-ji was trembling, eyes bloodshot.

She’d promised Yi-Ho.

Stay safe.

“Is the Yongsan base still occupied by Japanese forces?”

The skinny boy who’d brought the news shook his head fearfully.

“Don’t know.”

“Not going? If your family were there, you’d hesitate?!” Young-ji shrieked again.

 

Hae-Joo nodded.

 

“Comrade Kim, Comrade Lee, if you don’t want to go, get out. I’ll take Comrade Ahn to Yongsan.”

“Comrade Yeon!”

“She has a brother. She needs to know if he’s alive. Family is family.”

 

So-hwa hesitated, then fell silent.

“Then let’s go. I don’t care,” Min-byeong urged, knocking the car roof.

 

Hae-Joo nodded, asked Min-byeong for directions, and drove off, weaving through Seoul’s streets toward the lumber company—the independence group’s Yongsan base.