June 14th, 2025.
South Korea, Tongyeong – 3:45pm
Hyun-Woo and Min-Seo both walked down a park filled with lush green grass. It was packed with people. Some kids ran around, some sat in the sandbox, and some slid down slides, all while the parents watched from the benches.
The two of them held hands as they walked on the path that ran all the way through the park. Min-Seo sighed as she leaned onto Hyun-Woo's arm. "Honey, look… the swings are all taken." He turned to look and saw that all of them were occupied. He softly smiled and kissed her on the top of her head. "Don't worry, as soon as one of them opens up, we'll get you one, okay?"
"No! I want a swing now, go get one of those kids off the swing," she said as she looked up at him, somewhat annoyed. Hyun-Woo softly laughed as he shook his head, "Sorry, no can do." She sighed at his response, and she looked away before replying. "I'll let you not doing what I want slide this time around."
"Woah, thank you, your Highness. I appreciate the mercy you show me; how could I ever repay you?" he said in a playful tone. "A kiss on the mouth," she replied as she looked up at him, his eyes meeting hers. "Awfully clingy today, aren't you, love?"
Her expression changed, she stopped holding his hand, and looked away. "Fuck you, I don't want the kiss anymore." Hyun-Woo's eyes widened as he tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away again. "Love, I'm sorry, I was just trying to tease you like you always do with me!"
She remained silent. "Love! What can I do to make you forgive me?" he asked, and Min-Seo stopped in her tracks. She coldly looked at him and with a sadistic smile said, "Get on your knees and grovel for your queen!" Suddenly, Hyun-Woo grabbed her waist and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. They both stopped, and she was left in shock.
While flustered, she looked away. "Your mouth tasted like steak…" Hyun-Woo chuckled as he fired back with, "Yours did too." He grabbed her hand once again and they started walking down the path once more. "You know how clingy I get when we go on our dates before missions. This could be our last date."
Hyun-Woo softly smiled, "I understand. I'm also scared deep down, knowing tomorrow one of us could wake up alone." Min-Seo sighed before looking up at him, "Don't say things like that. You were supposed to say something like 'My precious queen, my love, the woman whom I adore the most! Do not fear, we will both come back home safely!' or something like that to reassure me."
"Okay, but I was just being honest with you! Why do I have to reassure you? Why can't you reassure me?" he said playfully. "Because I asked first?" she replied. "Fair…" Hyun-Woo said before stopping in his tracks, getting on one knee, and grabbing Min-Seo's hand with both of his. Everyone turned to look, and some even took out their phones.
Hyun-Woo gulped as he began having second thoughts. He had done this instinctively, forgetting there were other people around. He then sighed, "The things I do for you, Mi Min-Seo…" She smiled, a playful one. "Are you proposing to me?!" she said jokingly.
"My Queen, everything will be okay. I promise you, we will both wake up to see another day!" he said before quickly standing up, grabbing her by the hand, and walking toward the swings. "Oh! Look, a swing is open!" he said. People looked disappointed.
Min-Seo, in a soft tone, said, "I love you so much, Yoon Hyun-Woo, my honey." He smiled at her words. Min-Seo sat down on the swing. She turned to look at Hyun-Woo. "Honey, push me!"
He walked behind her and softly pushed her, and she went up slightly. Another push, another one, and another one. She slowly went higher and higher. The two of them smiled; they were having fun like little kids.
June 14th, 2025.
South Korea, Tongyeong – 3:55pm
The two of them sat on a wooden bench in front of a small pond. Around four ducks swam, quacking every so often. Hyun-Woo had his right leg crossed over his left, and so did Min-Seo, but in a more feminine way. "If you could bring someone back from the dead for an hour and ask them anything, what would it be?" Min-Seo asked.
"Probably some religious figure from the past. Or my father—no, most definitely my dad," he answered. Min-Seo grinned, "Do you know who I would bring back?" He hesitated to answer for a second, "Who would you bring back, Love…?"
"Genghis Khan so I could ask him how he slept with so many women. Or Sasaki Kojiro, but I won't ask him any questions. Instead, I'd fight him and see how he does against modern-day assassins!" she said proudly.
"Sasaki Kojiro?! Like the samurai? You would bring him back to fight him? Why not Miyamoto Musashi?" Hyun-Woo asked. "Everyone always picks him. I want to be different," she answered. Suddenly, she asked another question, "Why would you only bring back your dad but not your mom? I never met her, but your dad always spoke so fondly of her."
"My mother was an incredible woman. I loved her with all my being, she was a saint. I would do anything to have her back, yet I would still pick my father. I was able to spend so much time with my mother, I had no regrets about like 'I wish I had spent more time with her.' I spent so much time with her, so many good memories with her."
He took a small pause as a tear rolled down his cheek. Min-Seo softly swiped it away before caressing his cheek and kissing it. Hyun-Woo looked down at his hands and sighed.
"I never knew my father was an assassin until I got recruited by Kang-Dae. He was actually good friends with my father; he told me everything. It always felt like he was so distant, always working, sometimes he would sleep in a hotel instead of coming home, barely making time for his family. But now I know why—he was a high-ranking assassin in the organization, and he was always sent on long missions. The reason he would stay at a hotel sometimes was because rival assassins were after him. He wanted to keep us safe…"
Min-Seo looked sad as she saw tears stream down his cheek. He continued after a small pause. "I still remember the day he suddenly came home and asked me randomly, 'I'm moving to Spain. You're coming with me.' It was so sudden, but then Kang-Dae told me he had said that to me because he retired and wanted to move somewhere where he could keep me safe. 'Your father had been wanting to retire ever since you were born, to make time for you. The organization never allowed him.' Those are the exact words Kang-Dae said to me. My father had been wanting to quit for nineteen years, and the day after he did, he was killed… so the reason I picked him is because I took him for granted. I regret not spending more time with him. I had also made myself distant because he always felt out of reach. I would do anything to speak to him, even if it is just for an hour."
Hyun-Woo had a cold, expressionless face, yet his tears flooded his eyes. He kept looking down at his lap, and tears fell onto it. Suddenly, he was pulled into Min-Seo's shoulder. His tears were getting her dress all wet, and some tears also began to drip from her eyes. She softly kissed him and said, "Let it all out, honey."