When Arya reached the third helipad, the bus carrying the cadets for their first vacation probably had already set for their destination from the opposite side of the academy. But she wasn't sad at all missing her first vacation after a hell of the first term as an air force cadet.

Seeing the person waiting by the railing with a backpack in his shoulder, Arya suddenly felt giddy,
"Hey, Jin! Didn't know you would be here too!"

"It's Seokjin." His answer was short.

"So, Jin..." Arya didn't give his words much attention, "why didn't you go on your vacation? Everyone went for it!"

"Why didn't you?" Jin didn't bother to look at her.

"Oh, me?" Arya shrugged and sat on the concrete helipad, waiting for the officer who was supposed to take them to the special training camp.
"I have no home to return to."

Jin looked at her.

"You know," Arya brushed the topic off lightly, "my parents...well they are not around. Appa died when I was little, and my eomma went abroad with my sister after their divorce before he died. Heard they are good, so one less thing to worry about." She smiled, "And my foster parents...actually they don't care about me much. I am going to move out once I pass out from here anyway. What about you?"

Jin's face didn't reveal much of what he was thinking, his gentle voice again spoke, "My condolences."

"Aish this proper boy!" Arya cringed,
"Don't do that. I don't care about them anyway. It's pointless. Why did you apply for this course?"

Jin didn't linger on the conversation much, but surprisingly Arya wasn't in her talking machine mood either or she just decided to give Jin a break this time.

"I have a younger brother at home," Suddenly Jin said breaking the silence.

Arya looked at him with slight surprise. Was he starting a proper conversation so suddenly?
"You miss him?"

Jin didn't answer. But his gaze went down a little.

"Why didn't you go then?"

"They...He..." Jin again stopped.

Arya got up from the pavement and stood beside him and put a palm on his shoulder. Jin was a little startled but didn't shake her hands off his shoulder like always.

"You still can go if you want."

"I can't." Jin shook his head left and right.

"Wanna talk about it?" Arya was a little cautious. Seemed like this boy has something to say. But not at all surprisingly, he remained silent.

Arya decided to let this go. Her eyes fall on Jin's wrist. With the hard ironed white shirt and black pants with formal shoes- the official ROKAF uniform was formal and elegant. Jin was looking equally graceful in that uniform without any specks of dust or a single wrinkle. Even his shoes were polished to the point it was shining like mirrors.

Arya almost laughed seeing his shoes. Remembering the shouting of the NCO staff in their daily training,
"Why are your shoes so dull, sir? I want them polished in every single fall ins. Don't let me note your names on my book, Sir. Shoes are your pride, I want them to be shining like mirrors!"

What cracked Arya up every time was the words of the NCO staff, they trained them, punished them, scolded them, treated them in all the inhumane ways possible but still addressed them as "Sir" maintaining the honorifics. Why wouldn't they?
Whatever happens, the cadets are still the senior officers in ranking comparing the NCO staff though they were trainees.

And the laughing made her get an earful every time along with the extra drills as punishments but she still couldn't stop laughing after hearing their words.

Though she wanted to laugh at his "perfect" shoes, her eyes still lingered on his wrist. His watch. It was old.
It wasn't going with the elegant, fresh aura Jin gives every time.

"It is beautiful." Arya reached to touch the watch in his hand but Jin quickly moved his hand to the side.

"Hands off."

Arya chuckled, "why so protective? It's old."

Jin didn't answer and looked to the opposite side.

"Aghh...let me see." Arya grabbed his wrist before Jin could move it away again.

"Hmm..." Arya examined the watch in his hand. "Looks good. But still, it's super old. Old fashioned." She grinned, "I love it. Where did you get it from?"

Jin seemed to want to say something but restrained at the last time.

"Come on! Don't go mute again! What were you gonna say?"

"They are here." Jin pointed his chin towards the runway.

It was two persons in an olive jumpsuit. The size of the body already revealed that one of them was a male while the other one was a female.

Arya released Jin's hand and stood properly.

After saluting, the two were standing still.

"Easy." The female started the conversation.
"My name is Lee Soojin. This is your warrant officer, Choi Jong-il," She pointed at the male.
"Cadet Araya, cadet Seokjin?"

"Yes, Sir." Both of them replied in unison.

"Both of you know why you are here. Both of you passed the test for the special course this term. There are a few cadets from the military and naval academy as well. So I want both of you to be in your best shape, got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll be in your para commando training. I don't care about the other courses, but in my session, I don't want to see despite the presence of two airforce cadets, cadets from other academies are snatching the eagles."

"You won't see sir." Arya was determined.

"Both of you are still in your first term. It's a rare opportunity for freshers. But as you managed to climb up here, I'll guarantee you if any of you want to be in the field as a pilot next, you'll get your leverage."

"Oooh, you are so cool!" As soon as Arya said it, she wanted to go and dig herself a grave there instantly.

"Cadet!"

"Yes sir, sorry sir!" Arya instantly responded.

"Give me fifty push-ups."

"Yes, sir." Arya instantly got down on her hands.

"You think I am cool, cadet?"

"Yes sir," Arya shouted while continuing the push-ups.

"You want to be cool?"

Arya gritted in her thought,
I am already cool.
But she shouted, "Yes, sir."

"If you think I am cool, write down five hundred times, Captain Soojin is cool, I want to be like her."

Arya almost broke down into laughter. The captain was funny. She'll make a good mentor no doubt.

"Report to me when you are done. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Jong-il ssi, make sure she completes her numbers. Cadet Seokjin, follow me."

Arya completed her numbers ten minutes later and followed him towards the chopper waiting for them.

Jin was standing beside the chopper.
They got in the chopper together.

"Cadet Seokjin, after going to the base, feel free to grab anything you like from the officer's mess under my name." Soojin pointed towards him,
"it's my treat."

Arya almost rolled her eyes. She was the one who complimented her, she was the one who got punished for it, and she was the one who got burned under the sun and was still sweating like a soaked towel, and without doing anything, he got a treat. Life was unfair indeed.

"Thank you, sir," Jin responded immediately.

Arya almost scoffed hearing him responding where people barely get to hear his voice. So what is it? His words are reserved only for superiors?

"You too, Cadet Araya."

"Me...me?" Arya pointed at herself, "I didn't do anything, sir!"

"But your friend did."

Arya was still confused.

"He refused to wait in the shade in the chopper when you were out there doing push-ups under the sun. I should punish his audacity, but I should reward him for standing out for a friend even more. You have got a good comrade behind you."

"You did that?" Arya poked Jin and whispered, astonished.

Jin didn't answer. Rather he moved a little towards the side to get a space between them.

"Can I have sushi then?" Arya grinned towards Soojin.

"You are quite a character, aren't you?" Soojin shook her head in disbelief, "Yes, you can have sushi. And another fifty push-ups afterward."

"Yes, sir." Arya nodded instantly and whispered to Jin, "thank you by the way."

Jin looked out of the chopper.

"And Seokjin, hundred push-ups for you. Don't ever deny anything I ask."

"Yes, sir." Jin nodded.

Arya was still looking at him in astonishment. Who would have thought he'd refuse to follow orders for her? She thought he didn't even know what comradeship meant in the first place!

"How about the general?" Suddenly Soojin asked Jin. She was reading the profile of both freshers and pointed at one paper, "I didn't know you are his son."

"He is good." Jin nodded.

"General?" Arya frowned lightly and thought, "which general?"

"General Jae suk was still in the force when I first started. A great man." Soojin praised.

"Thank you, sir." Jin bowed.

General Jae suk? Arya was a little taken aback. Who doesn't know that name? He was considered one of the greatest heroes of this time earning presidential awards three times before going to retirement.

But, he had a different surname. Arya was sure, his surname wasn't Kim. Then What?

How can Jin be his son while he has a different surname?

Arya gave up after a few thoughts. No problem, she'll find out soon.

Arya got up from sleep after the sun had leaned towards the west. The headache was gone. She sighed a little. She was still having these snippets of random memories. But instead of clearing the confusion, these were just fueling her frustrations. She'd rather not have these fragments back than knowing nothing at all. Total blank somehow seems good, no strings attached to the past.

"You are so straightforward, Mr. Watanabe." Perrera lit a cigar.

"I like to be clear in business." Jin crossed his legs carefully. He should not let Perrera have control over the situation, nor should he intimidate him.

"I appreciate that," Perrera shrugged a little, "I guess you already have searched up about me?"

"I have." Jin looked at his eyes, "you could have done the same instead of sending someone to my suite."

Perrera didn't avert his gaze.
When the situation was almost turning into a staring contest, he scoffed and released a mouthful smoke, "my apologies. That was irrational of my men."

"Appreciate your honesty." Jin nodded a little, "If you could arrange everything about the transaction and the ownership, I'd like to seal the deal within these few days I am staying in the city."

"You should give me a list of your preferences."

"You'll get it by tomorrow. I'll have to get the report from my men about the market demand," Jin answered and reached for the cue beside his seat.
"Shall we?"

"Absolutely. It's no fun playing with all those amateurs." Perrera got up and found his cue.

The first hand was won by him.
The second one was Jin's.

Before starting the third round, Jin reached for the glass the waitress was serving. His signature nonalcoholic dry martini.

But the waitress stumbled a little and as a result, the glass spilled the drink on Jin's suit.

"God! I am sorry, I am so sorry!" the waitress was mortified, "Please Mr. Watanabe, I am sorry. I can fix this. Can I have your jacket, please?"

Awkward Jin had already brought out a handkerchief to wipe the spilled drink but the liquid had already soaked the fabric.

Anger and annoyance were expressed in Perrera's voice at the same time, "It's embarrassing..."

Jin was hesitant, but the girl was fast. She swiftly took off Jin's suit professionally and bowed, "sorry for the inconvenient, I'll be right back."

"Sorry for the interruption," Perrera started but Jin stopped him, "It's ok."

Looking at his state, he loosened the tie a bit. Unbuttoning the calves, he folded the sleeves of the white shirt up to his elbow and picked up the cue, "let's start again."

The waitress came back after ten minutes with the dry and ironed suit jacket in her hands.

While receiving the suit from her hand, Jin quickly looked at her eyes sensing the presence of something in its pocket. The girl was looking at him directly, there was something in her eyes.

Jin said, "can I have that drink now?"

"Sure." The girl instantly bowed and went towards the bar.

They finished another round before the waitress came back with the drink.
While taking the glass from her hands, Jin again looked at her. Her eyes were desperate as if she wanted to tell him something. Like mysterious pleadings in them.

After almost midnight, they ended the game.
Confirming their next meeting the next day, Jin got out of the casino with his suit jacket.

Entering his suit, he went for the pocket of the suit jacket. There was a tiny torn piece of cash memo and some rushed words written on it. Who wrote it was in a hurry or was just paranoid of getting caught.

Reading the words, Jin frowned a little.

But before doing anything, he calmly walked towards the bathroom for a shower.

After taking the shower, he switched off all the lights except the bedside lamp. He took out the Walther PPK from under his pillow and sat on a chair in a dark corner, ready to wait.

The doorknob rotated and a slender body entered the room almost half-past three in the morning. The room was dark but still, Jin could tell, it was the waitress from the casino who managed to sneak in a massage in that jacket.

"Stay still where you are with your hands held high," His voice was calm but in a dark room at three in the morning sounded cold and scarily low.

"Don't shoot." The voice came trembling, "I am just here to talk."