Last Mission

Memory

Ri Jeong Hyeok wasn't a complicated man. 

He liked simple things, like drinking coffee while reading the newspaper, walking early in the morning just to witness the morning dew, grilled meat with beer, listening to classical music, and most of all, he liked his peace of mind. 

Peace of mind was a luxury in his profession, well, future ex profession. There was no room for mistakes, no room for chance, no room for feelings. All semblance of personal life was gone the moment the vengeful teenager he was years ago, signed on for a life of many lifetimes. 

He had been a doctor, a businessman, a trader, a banker, a sportsman, a thousand and one hectic lives, always with one goal in mind, a trophy to bring back in the form of the worst criminals to ever exist. 

But the pomp, the luxury, the adrenaline, none of it was worth peace of mind. 

And that, he had learned over the years, often to his expense, but with a clear idea in mind afterwards. He would fulfill his contract and then disappear. That was the plan. It was still the plan, actually. 

But the memories of his last missions had taken a different turn. Before, memories translated into nightmares that kept him awake on the nights following a mission. There was always a price to pay, always bloodshed, and you'd think he'd gotten used to it. But no, he would never get used to it, he had finally given up on the idea. He was desperately human, behind his mask of indifference and his always neat costumes.

His memories now were made of heady perfume, Chloe she said, eye smiles, light banter and contagious laughter. 

Yoon Seri. 

Agent Son. 

Redoubtable by her unpredictability, her competitiveness, and her dedication to the agency. 

An iron fist in a velvet glove. An agent renowned for her charm and efficiency. She had been the best partner he had ever had, they didn't need to talk to understand each other, and for the first time in his life he had felt that he could be himself, Ri Jeong Hyeok, and no longer Agent Kim and his hundreds, thousands of other identities. 

But she was also the worst distraction from the moment something different, new, bloomed between them. 

He had sacrificed a lifetime to join the agency. He would have sacrificed the whole agency to save her life. 

Agent Lee had seen the change and sent Agent Son on a mission far from Seoul, far from him. They hadn't exchanged a word since, and he hadn't tried to get in touch with her. It was strictly forbidden when an agent was on a mission, and he would never have done anything to endanger her. 

"Why did you join the agency?" she had once asked when they were in hiding, in Paris. 

Other agents had asked him the question before and he had never answered it. But not with her.

"For revenge." 

"And did you get what you wanted?" 

He glanced at her. She had smiled slightly and Ri Jeong Hyeok had had an irrepressible urge to get closer to her. 

"Not yet." 

"I see ... Won't you ask me?" 

He had looked at her, taken aback, and she had rolled her eyes. Before answering, suddenly serious. 

"My father was in prison when I was 15..." 

The sudden confession took him by surprise. 

"He cheated and he scammed people ... But since he comes from a big family, he only went to jail for a year... And I couldn't stand it anymore. So I took advantage of having been raised in the shadows to accept the agency's offer ... " 

"In the shadows ?" 

She had had a bitter smile, a smile he wanted to erase and replace with one of her smiles that lit up her whole face. 

"Like many illegitimate children ... I guess I needed to prove to myself that dishonesty was not hereditary ..." 

"It isn't. You are the living proof of that." 

Her smile then, he would never forget it. 

"You, here, what a coincidence!" 

Ri Jeong Hyeok looked up from his newspaper and bit back a groan as Man Bok sat down at his table. 

"Hello, Ri Jeong Hyeok-sshi ..." 

It was only her who called him that. It sounded wrong in his mouth.

"Goodbye, Man Bok. Have a good day…" 

"Come on, don't be like that…" 

"What do you want ?" 

"What a wonderful coincidence, I ..." 

"You are in my street, in the cafe I visit regularly. Get straight to the point." 

"Maybe we could go somewhere a little more ... quiet?" 

Seri liked Man Bok. She said that a good father like him was rare and that he always made sure that the agents came back safe and sound from the missions. She was right, of course ... He missed her. He had admitted it to himself for a while. He missed her, viscerally. 

Fortunately, he had learned to compartmentalize his emotions and control his imagination. She was doing fine. Otherwise he would know. When he put a cup of coffee in front of Man Bok, the man thanked him. Ri Jeong Hyeok sat down in the chair facing him and waited. Man Bok looked around with a smile. 

"I had never been to your place, not once in what, 18 years?" 

"19." 

No one ever came to his house. Except Seri. 

She had taken over his place in record time despite the brevity of her visits. Visits for dinner, lunch, tea. She had observed and commented on each painting, each object. There were no pictures, ever. She had laughed at his overly serious books, and played a piece of music on his piano, going from embarrassed to bursting into laughter whenever a wrong note slipped into the melody. 

"It's much, I don't know, warmer than I imagined." 

"Why are you here ?" 

"We have a mission for you, Agent Kim ..." 

"What are you going to do when you retire?" she had asked, sipping a warm cup of tea and watching him carefully. 

"I don't know." 

"Don't you have a plan? Any plans?" 

"I never make plans. There is always something going wrong, and I end up being disappointed ..." 

She then patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, offering him one of her signature smiles. 

"I'm sure you will find your path ... I was once told that the wrong train could lead to the right station ... You will find the right station, Ri Jeong Hyeok-sshi ..." 

Her words had been a comfort he could never have foreseen. Memories of her were constantly appearing, at every moment of the day and night. Everything reminded him of Seri, from a conversation they had, to her favorite brand of tea that he treasured in his cupboards, from the scented candle she once gave him, to the plaid she'd used so many times during movie nights. 

He no longer wanted a mission, his desire for revenge was not satisfied but so much had changed. He had changed. 

"I said I was going to retire. I won't change my mind ..." 

Man Bok had taken a sip of the coffee before putting the cup back on the table. 

"Then, we'll have to find another partner for Agent Son ..." 

His resolve collapsed like a house of cards. 

So was she back? Since when ? Why hadn't she called? Was she okay? 

He hated the triumphant glint he saw in Man Bok's gaze, and he nearly threw him out, just on principle. 

But they both knew he wouldn't. 

"What is the mission?"