In The Dark (SNOWDROP)

"new mission"

❄︎ — chapter 3 — ❄︎

"Oppa!"

Eun Yeongro sprinted out of the Hosu University dorm, down the steps and towards the tall, short-haired young man waiting by an old, ivory-white-painted car.

Eun Yeongu chuckled, holding out his arms and catching his little sister as she hurled herself into them. "Annyeong, Yeongro-ya."

The 21-year-old girl beamed up at him, pulling away from the hug. "I survived freshman year of college, oppa!"

Yeongu grinned, ruffling her black hair. "I'm so proud of you, Yeongro-ya. Come on, put your things in the trunk. If there's not too much traffic, we might have time to go see Halmeoni before dinner."

Yeongro nodded enthusiastically, throwing her suitcase filled with her things she was bringing with her for summer break into the trunk of Yeongu's car. He closed the trunk for her, and she hopped into the shotgun seat. Yeongu got into the driver's seat, but not before scanning a whole three-sixty across the small portion of the university's campus he could see.

If Yeongu appeared a bit on-edge, Yeongro either didn't notice or decided not to mention it as he started up the car's engine and pulled away from the dorm, heading for the main gate of the university. All the while, Yeongro babbled on and on about all the things she'd done in her freshman year at Hosu, the classes she'd taken and the friends she'd made. For once, Yeongu didn't find it annoying. He just listened, smiling every once in a while at his sister's cheerfulness. He was glad she still retained her youthful energy and innocence, whereas for him, the past year had been... rough, to say the least.

Yeongu exited the main highway and started driving the car towards the suburbs, where his apartment was. Ever since their mother died and their father had married another woman, neither Yeongu nor Yeongro could bear to stay at home anymore. Yeongu had a job, and he was able to afford a small apartment near their grandmother's rice cake shop. It wasn't the life of luxury they were used to, but both vastly preferred it to their old home, which they both saw as practically uninhabitable. Lately though, his apartment had been feeling rather lonely for Yeongu, as Yeongro had moved to the dorm at Hosu University the previous year.

But she was back now, and staying for the entirety of the summer holidays. Yeongu couldn't be more excited. His little sister meant the world to him.

They arrived at the apartment block, and Yeongu found a parking spot near his door. He got out and unlocked the trunk, taking Yeongro's luggage out for her. She hadn't packed a lot, most of her things remaining back at the dorm. She had plenty of things already at Yeongu's apartment, anyway.

"Gomowoyo, oppa," Yeongro's said when he insisted on carrying her luggage for her.

He shrugged it off with a smile and pressed the elevator button for the third floor. His apartment wasn't far from the elevator. He unlocked the door, and Yeongro excitedly pushed it open, running into her old home. She immediately threw herself onto the comfy grey couch, hugging a throw pillow to her chest.

"I missed this place so much!"

Yeongu chuckled, leaving Yeongro's suitcase by the door to her small old bedroom. He hadn't dared to touch anything inside while she was off at college. Yeongro was a bit of a neat freak, while he most certainly was not. She'd panic if even one thing of hers was out of place without her having been the one to move it.

Yeongro suddenly jumped up from the couch. "Can we go see Halmeoni now? Please?"

Yeongu glanced at her. "You don't want to get resettled in first?"

"Anniyo," Yeongro said. "I want to see Halmeoni. It's been so long—"

"Aish, all right," Yeongu smiled, unable to resist Yeongro's pleading puppy-dog eyes. "Let's go."

Yeongro squealed in excitement, throwing her arms around Yeongu before hurrying to the door. "Come on, oppa! Let's go!"

Yeongu sighed to himself before shaking his head and following.

"The things I do for that little girl..."

❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎

Meanwhile, halfway across the city sat Hosu Women's University, a proud school, one of the best renowned in the country. Most of the student body had left for summer holidays, both domestic and abroad, but there were still some people remaining. Among them were Pi Seunghee, the dorm housemother, Gye Bunok, the young telephone operator, and Kim Mandong, the dorm facility manager.

Mandong's room was in the basement of the dorm, mostly filled with tools and various repair projects he was working on, but hidden beneath his bed was a backpack containing a radio and codebook. He locked the door to the basement, just in case anyone happened to wander in, and slid out the backpack from under the low bed. He unzipped it, putting the radio on his desk, then took the codebook out with a pencil. He turned the radio on, and the sound of screeching and static filled the dank basement air. In the bits and pieces of voices he heard from the radio, normally there was nothing pertaining to him.

But this time was different.

"Haegeumseong 1, you have a new mission."

Mandong's fingers, though old, were still quick and agile, and his mind even more so. He wrote down the message as it came through the radio.

"The other agents' attempts to keep the South Korean agent Galaxy in America failed. The Black Tiger has risen to power in the ANSP. He needs to be brought down. If you cannot capture him alive, you are to eliminate him without mercy."

❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎ — ❄︎

NOTE: KOREAN TERM TRANSLATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE GLOSSARY

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