September 16, 2001

  It was 2:00 AM, Gamagogi gently wiped Gamamusa’s face with a tissue. The blood that had been trickling from Gamamusa’s mouth had stopped, and his arm was wrapped in bandages. Gamagogi stroked Gamamusa’s head. “Those kids were reported to the authorities. Everything turned out fine, so don’t worry.” Gamamusa glared at Gamagogi. “All they’ll get is a slap on the wrist. Why am I the only one who has to suffer like this?” Gamagogi sighed, taking Gamamusa’s arm, and looked into his eyes. “...Musa, problems exist to be solved. If you just complain when things go wrong, how will you ever get back to normal?”

  Gamagogi led Gamamusa to the bed and helped him lie down. “Get some sleep, Gamamusa. Tomorrow, we’ll board a flight to Pyongyang.” As Gamagogi tried to leave, Gamamusa grabbed his arm. “...Wait, sir. I have a question.” Gamagogi sat back down at the young Gamamusa’s request. Gamamusa asked an odd question. “...Sir, what does it mean that humans could become herbivorous animals?” Gamagogi looked at him thoughtfully while sitting on the bed. “...So you read my paper. No wonder it was all messed up.” Gamagogi pulled a crumpled Kim Il-sung badge from his pocket. “...You did this too, didn’t you?” Gamamusa scratched his head awkwardly. “...The other kids did it. Well, I shouldn’t have taken it, though.”

  Gamagogi looked at him and let out a deep sigh. “Ha… how did I end up adopting a kid like this? Sleep already.” The next day, Gamagogi took Gamamusa’s hand. “Let’s go. It’s time to head to the airport.” Gamamusa nodded and followed Gamagogi. At the hotel lobby, Gamagogi sat Gamamusa on a chair and went to the desk to check out. While waiting, Gamamusa suddenly noticed something odd: one of Gamagogi ’s hands was empty. He had forgotten the carry-on bag he always dragged around.

  …

  Baek Hyung-jin rubbed his shaved head. He looked at his bald reflection in the mirror, feeling unfamiliar. “...Is this really me? It feels a bit strange. Did everyone else shave their heads for the surgery too?” Go Ah-young shook her head. “...No, Lee Yeol-gi and Goyeun kept their scalps intact during the surgery, so the surgical area was limited. You and I are a bit different.” At that moment, Jang Cheol-dae opened the door to the reception room and walked in.

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  “Let’s stop using the name Lee Yeol-gi. He’s abandoned that name too.” Baek Hyung-jin and Go Ah-young turned to look at Jang Cheol-dae. “...What do you mean? It’s only been about two weeks since Lee Yeol-gi went to Shinan. Has he changed his cover identity again?” Jang Cheol-dae nodded. “...No one knows that Gamagogi died in North Korea. So, he’s taken on Gamagogi’s identity. The concept is that he had defected from North Korea but was captured and enslaved near Shinan.” Go Ah-young snickered. “What a heartbreaking story. It’s bad enough that he was purged and died in North Korea, but now he’s being killed off twice. Isn’t this disrespectful to the dead?” Baek Hyung-jin looked at them, bewildered. “...Gamagogi? That guy… he’s dead? I thought we were following his orders.”

  Jang Cheol-dae shrugged. “That’s how it used to be. Things have changed a bit. The cook you met at the company, Park Sung-jae, is our leader. His real name is Gamamusa. He’s a different person from the real Park Sung-jae working at headquarters.” Baek Hyung-jin looked confused. “...This is getting complicated. Sir, what exactly are we doing here? You said we’re going to change the world. How are we supposed to do that?” Jang Cheol-dae looked at Baek Hyung-jin intently. “...Oh, didn’t I tell you? Follow me. I’ll show you.”

  …

  Gamamusa returned to the hotel room. He noticed the door was locked. After a moment’s thought, he slipped a hairpin from his pocket and picked the lock. He opened the door and entered. As Gamamusa rummaged through the room, and checked the bathroom. Fortunately, Gamagogi’s carry-on bag was in the hotel bathtub. He wasn’t sure why it was stashed there, but Gamamusa felt relieved. Unlike the other bags Gamagogi often left behind, this carry-on seemed genuinely important, as if it were hiding something.

  “Heh heh… Dad’s gonna praise me… right?” The carry-on bag was unexpectedly unlocked and open. Gamamusa flung it open and saw strange items inside. The bag contained several water bottles filled with objects that would likely be prohibited on a flight. A cloudy, gel-like liquid filled the bottles, and Gamamusa held one up in his hand. “...What is this?”

  …

  Baek Hyung-jin looked around with a shocked expression. He had followed Jang Cheol-dae and Go Ah-young into a sealed warehouse behind the abandoned building. The place was filled with various scraps of metal and junk, and in front, covered by a cloth, stood a massive machine. Jang Cheol-dae pulled back the cloth. Inside was a huge grinder, and next to it, a plastic container holding cloudy gel diluted in liquid form. Jang Cheol-dae gestured toward the junk. “...It’s a bit early, but I’ll show you. It might look like scrap now, but once assembled, these will become a new weapon to lead the future.”