"They say that if you join the labor corps, you can earn a lot of money and they'll even let you study. Is that true?"
Samsoon's innocent question made me frown before I could stop myself.
She must be desperate for money.No—most Korean girls during these times were lured away by lies like these.
"Why do you look like that?"Samsoon asked, startled by my sudden change in expression.
The "labor corps."Just hearing those words made my stomach drop.
What's even worse is that many of the people recruiting girls under that name…were Koreans themselves—working for the Japanese.
And after liberation?Not a single one of those people was punished.Not one stepped forward and confessed what they had done.
"Samsoon… don't go. Never. You must never go."
Even saying that much made me look around in fear.
If anyone overheard me discouraging "volunteering," they would immediately report me to the police.
This entire system was built on deception.They dressed it up as "labor corps," but everyone knew what it really was.
"Why? They said they'll give me money and teach me to study…"
If I told her the truth, I'd be dragged away before the day ended.
I'd already been taking too many risks lately.
I was even sending part of my savings to the Provisional Government as independence funds.
'A beggar caught in the whirlpool of fate.'
When I think back on how I met them, I still feel a chill.
It was the day I visited Myeongwolgwan, one of our important clients.
There, in front of the main gate, a man wearing a bow tie bowed politely to me.
To my shock, he was the same one-legged man who had been flirting with Miss Rie while wearing a school uniform.
My memory is too good—I recognized him immediately.
How could I forget the day I almost died?
— "You are…"— "Is something wrong, sir?"
He didn't recognize me.Back then I was filthy and poor; now I wore a suit and spoke with confidence.He had no reason to connect the two.
But something felt wrong.A sense of unease.
Later that evening, I waited for him in secret.
Even I didn't fully understand why.Maybe the uneasiness.Maybe a bit of lingering anger.
But I followed him.
And that's how I met Oh Deok-su of the Korean Liberation Army.
More accurately, I woke up tied to a chair after someone knocked me out from behind.
The moment I opened my eyes, Oh Deok-su was staring at me, sharp and cold.
I really thought I would die there.
'I almost died…'
Even now, the memory makes my face tighten.
I had no choice but to risk everything.
Curiosity had put me in danger.
— "Why did you follow me?"— "Who are you?"— "Are you a spy?"
He questioned me relentlessly.
"No, I'm not," I insisted.
And then I realized something.
These people… they were independence fighters.
There was only one thing I could do: convince them I wasn't their enemy.
So I gambled.
"I'm from Miryang. In Miryang, everyone respects Kim Won-mong."
That was the truth—from my past life.Two old movies and my obsession with Kim Won-mong had filled my memory with details.
Kim Won-mong was barely known in modern times.He had defected to North Korea, so history glossed over him.
But during this era?He was a legend among resistance fighters.
Oh Deok-su's eyes shifted slightly.
"Where in Miryang?"
Another test.
I answered immediately.
Then I quoted something Kim Won-mong had said in a speech:
"I heard the Deputy Commander appealed to Chinese comrades to completely eliminate Japanese imperialism in East Asia."
That single line saved my life.
If Oh Deok-su hadn't been Kim Won-mong's subordinate…If I hadn't remembered that scene from the movie…I would not be standing here now.
"Who told you that?" he asked.
"My father," I lied without hesitation.My poor, hardworking father suddenly became an independence activist for the sake of my survival.
But Oh Deok-su finally softened.
"You have a good father. I'm sorry for doubting you."
A strange meeting.A dangerous one.But it changed everything.
After liberation, people like me—successful under Japanese rule—would be seen as collaborators.
I had a Japanese employer.Most of my acquaintances were Japanese.
I would become a target.
So from that day on, I began preparing.
I told my second brother about meeting Oh Deok-su.It was fate pulling me into the storm.
"I am Korean too," I eventually said to him, "and I want to support the Liberation Army with military funds."
His eyes widened.
"You want to provide funds?"
"Yes."
I had no choice.If I didn't, suspicion could return.This was my lifeline.
"Thank you."
I still remember his expression—relief mixed with gratitude.
"But I have a condition," I said.
"What is it? I will keep it secret."
"Is there such a thing as a perfect secret in this world?" I asked quietly.
These times were dangerous.Comrades today could become traitors tomorrow.
"But on the day our country is liberated," Oh Deok-su said firmly, "all spies and traitors will be punished."
I knew that.
The moment Japan surrendered, until the U.S. military government took over, Joseon would be in chaos.People would die.Revenge would spill across the land.
"I don't know about that," I said. "My condition is this: The Uiyoldan must never harm me, my family, or my future in-laws."
At the mention of the Uiyoldan, Oh Deok-su froze.
"Do you think I'm part of them?"
"I wasn't sure. But your reaction tells me everything."
His eyes trembled slightly.
"Can you promise me?" I asked.
"…I promise."
"And after liberation, please protect me, my family, and my in-laws."
I knew the U.S. military government would arrive later.But during those few days of chaos?
Anything could happen.
"Understood," he said at last."A businessman who donates to the independence movement… is also one of us."
That was the line that troubles me the most.
"To the Japanese army…"
Because spies and collaborators are the very ones the independence fighters target.
'I'll be walking on thin ice for a long time…'
That's what I realized then.