12
Chapter 12
The training passed quickly.
Exploring the Administrative Office and Security Office of the Baekbeom Culture Research Institute, they got a feel for the atmosphere, and occasionally listened to Doctor Kim give lethargic lectures. Examples and classifications of Anomalies, their dangers, hostile groups operating in Korea, and so on...
Six days had already passed.
Tomorrow, the training would end.
Having finished their schedule, Lee Yeon-woo and Kang Yeol sat on the bed packing their bags. To ensure they could leave first thing tomorrow, they crammed clothes and daily necessities into their bags.
Press, press—
As Kang Yeol folded towels into neat, brick-like squares, he suddenly spoke.
"I can't believe the training is already over. It doesn't feel real."
"I know. It feels like the accident only happened the other day."
Lee Yeon-woo stuffed a short-sleeved T-shirt in haphazardly. His hand trembled. Not even a full week had passed. The metallic scent of blood and the crisp sound of that eerie diary flipping pages were still vivid in his mind.
"...."
Perhaps because he had recalled the carnage, the conversation didn't continue. For a while, the only sound in the silence was the clattering of luggage being packed.
Knock, knock—
Someone tapped on the door, and a pale face suddenly popped through the gap as it opened.
"Fellow trainees. You're not asleep yet, right?"
"Seo-yeon? What's going on?"
Kang Yeol asked after glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 11 PM, the night after the schedule was complete and their things were packed.
Dressed in comfortable tracksuits with her hair tied tightly back, Lee Seo-yeon gave a bashful smile, peeked out to check the hallway, and quickly stepped into the room.
Rustle—
Clutching something tightly in her arms.
"Didn't they tell us not to bring that during the training?"
While Kang Yeol spoke with wide eyes, Lee Yeon-woo swallowed hard. A large bag of snacks and a plastic bottle of soju the size of an ion drink sparkled under the fluorescent light.
In the next moment, Lee Yeon-woo rummaged through his cluttered bag and pulled out a tumbler.
Lee Seo-yeon glared at Kang Yeol and sat on the empty bed. Raising the snacks and soju in both hands toward their faces, she shook them.
"So, are you not going to drink? It's the last night of training. I've been saving this until today."
"That's..."
"I'll drink."
"Here, take this."
She popped the cap of the plastic bottle and poured the soju into Lee Yeon-woo's tumbler. Glug, glug, glug—the distinct smell of alcohol spread instantly. Then, the soju bottle, now about a third empty, turned toward Kang Yeol.
"Are you really not drinking? If you don't want to, fine."
"No. I'll drink."
While Kang Yeol's cup was being filled, Lee Yeon-woo opened the snacks. Rip—shrimp crackers spilled from the torn bag.
Lee Seo-yeon lamented playfully.
"Look at them, taking their drinks and not even worrying about me. Whatever. I'll pour my own."
"No, I mean..."
"Too late! Cheers, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
With an excited shout, different tumblers clinked together before pulling apart. Each person brought their drink back to their lips. After a few swallows, groans of reaction erupted.
"Ugh—so sweet!"
"Gah."
All three reached out simultaneously, crunching loudly on the snacks. As they swallowed, conversation about their future company life began to flow, mingled with the scent of alcohol.
"Kang Yeol, you said you're going to the Security Office, right? I'm jealous."
"I was only picked because of my experience."
"Still. I wanted to do work like that. Back at the NIS, I was just stuck at a desk doing administrative work."
Lee Seo-yeon immediately tilted her cup and took another sip. Whether because of the bitterness or something else, her brow furrowed.
"I joined this company because I wanted to do something special, but it's the same administrative side. Looks like I'll just be sitting in a chair tapping a keyboard."
And then, she gulped down the soju.
Lee Yeon-woo shook his head inwardly while eating a shrimp cracker. Talk about first-world problems. Being an office worker is actually better; besides, drinking like that, she'll be drunk in no time...
Sure enough, Lee Seo-yeon's eyes were already becoming hazy. Her intoxicated gaze landed on Lee Yeon-woo.
"I'm jealous of you too, Yeon-woo. You're going to the Korea Branch. And it's the Anomaly Investigation Unit—a name that sounds so cool."
"I don't know. I'm not even sure what that department actually does..."
"Still, wouldn't it be more interesting than my job? With a name like that, it sounds like you'll actually encounter Anomalies."
Lee Yeon-woo toyed with his tumbler and replied softly.
"I wonder what's so great about encountering them. You saw what happened to the other two."
"Ah. That's true..."
A brief silence followed.
Lee Seo-yeon silently raised her cup. Her drunken voice continued.
"To Heo Chang-seong and Song Si-woo, who acted to save others."
Clink.
A new toast was made with every sip.
"To our professional lives!"
Kang Yeol shouted.
"I hope for a safe and peaceful career without any major accidents,"
Lee Yeon-woo wished.
Just as the three tumblers collided once more.
Snap!
A strange sound echoed. It sounded like plastic rods hitting each other with force, yet it was a sound they felt they had heard somewhere before.
The rookie employees, frozen with their tumblers still poised to drink, looked at one another. Their eyes were filled with confusion. Lee Yeon-woo spoke suspiciously.
"Did you guys hear something just now?"
"I heard it too. That wasn't the sound of tumblers clinking."
"It sounded just like a slate. You know, the ones they use when filming movies or dramas."
At that moment.
Bang! The door flew open. The three rookies jumped in surprise and tried to hide their tumblers, but in their haste, the remaining soju spilled, and the scent of alcohol surged through the air.
As the spilled soju pooled on the floor, a slipper landed with a wet splash right in the middle of it.
It was Doctor Kim's slipper. Doctor Kim looked down at the drunken Lee Seo-yeon. With a flushed face, Lee Seo-yeon gave an awkward smile.
"Ah, I mean, I brought the alcohol, and I was the one who suggested we drink."
"Everyone."
He cut her off. Doctor Kim gestured with his hands, a strange expression on his face.
"A performance has been prepared to celebrate the successful completion of your training. Please, come along and watch."
"What...? At this hour...?"
Lee Yeon-woo instinctively looked toward the window. The clock by the window was racing toward midnight, and it was pitch black outside. It was the dead of night in a mountain valley with no streetlights and no moon.
Lee Yeon-woo felt something was wrong. Yet, his hands moved on their own. Clap, clap-clap, clap-clap-clap; his palms began to applaud. The three of them opened their mouths involuntarily, adding words to the applause.
"I'm so looking forward to it! Let's go see!"
"Let's go!"
"My goodness! The legendary singer who moves people to tears with a single note—Leonardo da Seoul! I absolutely have to hear this!"
A name that Doctor Kim hadn't mentioned, a name they had never heard before, flowed naturally from their lips. No, it wasn't just their mouths.
Clunk—Screech—
Their feet moved on their own to slip into their footwear, and their bodies drifted away from the beds. Then, as if pulled by invisible strings, their legs crossed in stiff, unnatural strides.
Lee Yeon-woo's pupils trembled violently. He tried to say something, but his mouth would not move.
***
"Ready!"
Snap!
"Action!"
***
0. Opening
Subtitle: Art must be free. Especially if it is art that moves the world. - Association of Free Artists
1. Jungsangol Stop / Night
The pouring moonlight brightly illuminates the stop sign and Leonardo and the Director standing beneath it. The Director raises a clenched fist.
Director: Art must be free! Let us overthrow the company that suppresses art with nonsense! Let us overthrow the company that censors art, locks it in warehouses to gather dust, and sometimes destroys it!
Leonardo: (As if annoyed) Mister, let's just finish the job and go.
Leonardo taps the guitar case on his back.
The Director's fist trembles, and he thumps his own chest.
Director: (Intoxicated by himself) It has been a grueling road! How difficult it was to find the warehouse of the company that collects art capable of moving the world! How long it took to find this tiny country and then track down this research institute! The journey across the globe could fill dozens of scenarios!
Leonardo: (Irritated) Ugh, give it a rest.
Leonardo turns and walks alone up the mountain path toward the Baekbeom Culture Research Institute. The Director glares at his back and slowly follows.
The two disappear beyond the path.
The title 'Operation Art Recovery' appears.
***
"Cut!"
The moment he spoke, the moonlight that had been shining like a spotlight vanished. The mountain path plunged into darkness instantly. They couldn't see an inch in front of them. Leonardo and the Director, who had been walking smoothly, came to a halt.
"Mister. Can we start filming again? I can't even find the way like this."
"No! This kind of thing isn't needed for 'Operation Art Recovery'! It's boring, dull, and meaningless!"
"If you don't want to, just say so. Why are you shouting? What if we get caught by the company people?"
He hadn't even turned on his phone to be cautious, so why all the yelling? Leonardo adjusted the guitar case on his back and carefully found his way forward, whispering complaints under his breath.
"But why today of all days? There's no moon, so it's hard to even walk."
"You'll find that in my work, 'Operation Baekbeom Culture Research Institute Espionage.' It took a very long time, and it's a magnificent—"
"Ugh, enough. I'm not watching it, I'm not."
While conversing, they eventually drew closer to the research institute. In the distance, two buildings leaked light from their windows. Through the hazy darkness at the main gate, the silhouette of a person seemed to appear.
The two hid behind a tree and peeked out.
"Now what? You said all I had to do was perform."
"Ready."
With a burning gaze and voice, the Director muttered softly while glaring at the institute buildings. Immediately after.
Snap!
The sound of a slate echoed from somewhere in the air, and the Director gave the cue.
"Action."
***
2. Baekbeom Culture Research Institute Main Gate / Night
A night without a moon. Two security staff members on the night shift are chatting idly. Just then, the sound of footsteps is heard, and Security Staff 1 turns his head to look down the path.
Security Staff 1: I heard a strange noise. Is someone coming?
Security Staff 2: Who would come at this hour? If they're here, it's probably an enemy.
Security Staff 1: Right? Stay alert for now.
Security Staff 1 grips his taser gun, and Security Staff 2 puts the walkie-talkie to his mouth, fixing his gaze on the road. A human silhouette gradually approaches from beyond the dark path. A finger rests on the transmission button of the walkie-talkie.
Leonardo: Hello. I'm Leonardo da Seoul, invited to perform today!
Leonardo gives a bright smile and a polite bow. The security staff lower the walkie-talkie and taser.
Security Staff 2: Wow! Leonardo da Seoul! I'm a fan! I've always wanted to see you live!
Security Staff 1: It's Leonardo da Seoul, the one whose music makes you lose track of time! We absolutely have to let him through without an inspection!
Security Staff 1 opens the closed iron gate. Leonardo passes through the gate and enters the Baekbeom Research Institute. After passing the security staff, Leonardo stops.
Turning around, Leonardo claps his hands once.
Leonardo: Oh, right! I have one favor to ask.
Security Staff 2: Anything! What can we do for you?
Leonardo: (Pointing somewhere) See that empty lot between those two buildings?
The security staff turn their heads. An empty lot between a three-story building and a two-story building. Moonlight acts as a spotlight, shining down in a circle. Leonardo smiles with satisfaction.
Leonardo: I'll be performing there, so please gather everyone in the institute—don't leave a single person out.
Security Staff 2: Yes! We'll get on it right now!
Security Staff 1: A performance by Leonardo da Seoul! I can't miss this! Everyone will definitely be excited to come out!
The two security staff members run toward the three-story and two-story buildings, respectively. Leonardo heads to the empty lot. He stands in the center of the moonlight, waiting for the audience, nodding his head and humming a cheerful tune.