The lights were bright. The cameras were ready.
Yona Hart sat on a white chair in the middle of the studio. She wore a simple white dress, and her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail. The presenter smiled at her. She looked dim, as if the light inside her had faded.
"Miss Hart," he said, "we are happy to have you here today after your five-year disappearance."
She smiled softly, and with difficulty. "I'm happy to be here with you."
He asked, "It's been a long time since we last saw you. Can you tell us why you disappeared after being such a successful writer?"
She replied, "I just wanted to rest. That's all."
He nodded. "I can see you've changed a lot. What made you make the decision to disappear?"
She answered quietly, "Love. Real love changes you. It opens your eyes. It shows you how blind you were before."
He smiled. "And who is the lucky man who made you say that?"
She smiled softly. "He is a brave, handsome man... He gave up everything for me."
The presenter leaned in and said, "He's lucky… A girl like you, everyone would dream of being spoken about like that."
"Second question: Why did you suddenly publish Memory of a Spy? And the audience is wondering… is there a second part coming?"
She looked calm but sad, trying not to seem pitiful. "I was afraid to forget everything that happened… so I wrote it. At first, I didn't want to publish it. But it got published anyway. As for a second part… there isn't one. The hero is dead."
The audience looked shocked.
The presenter said, "Do you mean… like the audience guessed… it's a true story?"
She looked at him calmly and said, "I don't think even in fiction someone would be given an ending as tragic as mine."
Silence fell.
When the interview ended, Yona walked out of the studio. She tried to breathe in the air and hold back her tears. Her phone rang.
A loud voice shouted, "Why did you say all that?! I worked hard to bring you back! And now you ruin everything again! Why didn't you ask me before saying those things?"
She answered coldly, "Did you ask me if I wanted to publish this story? Did you ask me if I wanted to return to writing? Did you ask if I agreed to this interview? No, you didn't."
Then she hung up and walked to the park. She opened her book, Memory of a Spy. She looked like she was reading it for the first time — opening it, closing it, hesitating. Then she gathered her courage and began reading the first page.
---
Five Years Earlier
The sea was calm. The sky was light blue, and soft clouds floated slowly. A warm breeze touched the officers standing on the ship's deck.
It was a big police training ship, painted dark grey, with many rooms inside. Every year, it took a group of special officers to a secret island far away. This time, twenty officers were on board – fifteen men and five women. They were serious, strong, and ready for the mission.
At the front stood Captain Mi Van — tall, quiet, sharp-eyed. He was gazing at the island that was only a few kilometers away, lost in thought.
He was interrupted when Officer Sora came to him. "We're almost there. Should I tell them to get their backpacks?"
He didn't look at her. "Tell them."
She turned and shouted, "Get your backpacks! We're one kilometer away!"
"Got it!" they shouted back, walking toward the storage room, laughing.
Jin, a tall young man, slim but with a strong build, joked, "I heard there's a snake in there."
The girls gave him a look.
One girl said, "You think we're scared of that?"
Jay opened the door. It was dark. The air smelled like wood and old metal.
Jin kept joking, "I'm not kidding. There's a ghost in there."
Suddenly, he stopped. "Wait. Did you hear that?"
A girl laughed, "Haha, very funny. Who's afraid of ghosts?"
Jin looked serious. "No, really. I heard something."
Soft breathing.
Jay stopped carefully and began listening. He signaled, "Shhh." He walked behind some boxes.
Then he gasped, "What is this?!"
Everyone came over… and froze.
There, under a blanket, was a girl. She had long brown hair, an expensive watch, and clean shoes. She was asleep.
Jin touched her lightly. "I think she's dead."
Suddenly, the girl pushed his hand away.
Lima — a girl slightly chubbier than the others, of average height, with striking olive-colored eyes — checked her. "She's alive."
Jin whispered, putting a hand over his mouth, "Do you think she's a spy?"
Everyone looked at him — and strangely, seemed to agree.
The girl slowly opened her eyes. She saw many faces staring at her. She sat up quickly.
"Huh? Where am I?" she asked.
The officers looked at each other.
"She's not one of us."
Jin joked, "Should we kill her before she speaks?"
"WHAT?!" the girl screamed. "HELP ME!"
Lima hit Jin. "Shut up! No one is killing anyone. Unless… she's guilty."
Suddenly, Captain Mi Van came in. He stopped when he saw her.
"You?!"
Before he could continue, she said, "Please, I don't know anything! I don't even know where I am!"
Mi Van stepped outside. The officers followed him.
"She's not on our list," Jay said.
"She must be a problem," Sora added.
Everyone waited intently for his answer.
Mi Van thought. Then he said, "She's… our new trainee. HQ sent her late. I forgot to tell you."
"A trainee?" everyone asked.
Jin, putting a finger to his lips thoughtfully, asked, "Why was she sleeping in storage?"
Mi Van glared at him. "Don't ask questions."
Everyone returned to their bags.
Mi Van went back to the storage room. She stood silently at the door.
He grabbed her wrist.
"Hey! Why are you pulling me?!"
He took her to a room. He let go. Before he could speak, she shouted:
"Are you kidnapping me? What is this? I knew I was popular, but this is crazy!"
He said calmly, "No. Who are you? Who sent you? Which group?"
She laughed, speaking quickly with arrogance and a mocking smile, "Oh, now I'm being interrogated? You're obsessed with me, admit it!"
Mi Van said coldly, looking at her with a mocking expression, "Two options: tell me the truth, or stay on this ship. Alone. On a secret island. Maybe for months. Can you survive?"
She looked shocked and began to stutter. "You didn't kidnap me?"
He said seriously, "No. This is a police mission."
She looked at his clothes. "You're the police?"
"Yes. And I don't have time for your games."
"What am I supposed to do now? I don't know what I'm doing here! The last thing I remember was having dinner with my family on the 23rd of the month!"
He looked at her carefully. "Seven days have passed. Today is the 1st. We departed the night of the 23rd. If I find out you're lying… I'll kill you. I have permission."
She raised her hand, trembling. "I swear I don't know how I got here!"
"Then follow my orders. And don't tell anyone."
Then he left.
Outside, Sora asked Rosa, "Why were they in there for so long?"
"She doesn't look like a police trainee," Rosa said.
Mi Van came out. They pretended to be busy.
He walked to the front of the ship.
"We're here. Everyone, get off the ship!"
"Yes, Captain