Casino War: Episode 4

Mu Yeong sees the car crashing in front of his eyes. He runs to her car and find her already unconscious, blood splatters all across. He holds her and starts to cry uncontrollably. Mu Yeong asks people around to call an ambulance and police while he sits there and holds her on his lap.

Hang Ah is brought to a hospital while the police investigates the accident. Mu Yeong choose to go to hospital. On his way he calls his boss, Jeong Hak. 

“Boss, I’m on my way to hospital. There’s car accident. I beg you to go to police station to get updates,” Mu Yeong tells Jeong Hak.
“Hey hey, why do you call me? Why I have to go to police station?”
“It’s long story, about Hang Ah. Please, I ask you!”
“Hey kid, do you think I don’t have anything else to do?”
“...”

Mu Yeong ends his call and makes Jeong Hak frustrated. But he ends up at the police station anyway. He asks begrudgingly at the police station for their record on car accident. One thing for sure, whether it’s intentional or not, the brake system is not working properly. But the police can’t decide whether the brake system has failed from the start or it somehow gets broken while driving. Jeong Hak calls Mu Yeong on this info, making Mu Yeong all more frustrated. He can barely contain his tears in front of unconscious Hang Ah. 

 Myong Guk comes to the hospital to visit Hang Ah. She’s still in coma because of head injury. He doesn’t say anything, but looks at her pitifully.

“Well, it’s pitiful we lost Comrade Kim Hang Ah. I guess we can’t use her anymore,” Myong Guk says.
“Are you even a human? Do you think I don’t know you had set up the car?”
“If you tell someone something you don’t have evidence, it’s not proof, it’s accusation.”
“I should really kill you on that day!!”
“That day, you are even weaker than now. Then again, what’s the point, I won’t interfere you anymore. In fact, I’ll strip her from her title and set her free.”
“How easy for you to say things!” Mu Yeong is even more upset.

Myong Guk reminds him that it’s always Mu Yeong who wants to set free Hang Ah, not him, he only executes what they want to do. Mu Yeong can’t believe Myong Guk easily discard Hang Ah and even tries to kill her. But then again this man will do anything as he likes. Mu Yeong asks him to leave before he really kills him with his own hands. Myong Suk sneers at him and leaves the hospital.

A week later....

Mu Yeong is always by Hang Ah’s side while his boss, Jeong Hak is getting nervous day by day if they are known to help North Korean, a spy nonetheless. Finally, Hang Ah wakes up from her coma, fortunately she doesn’t have serious head injury or external bleeding. Mu Yeong is relieved.

But one night Hang Ah wakes up and looks at Mu Yeong worriedly, she has nightmare that some men in black suits chase them. Mu Yeong holds her sweating hands, assures her that it’s just a dream. Hang Ah wants to come to Myong Guk. She just worries about them if she doesn’t contact Myong Guk. Mu Yeong is concerned and doesn’t give straight answer. Mu Yeong asks her to wait for few says before she can meet him. She nods and agrees with Mu Yeong. 

Three days later and Hang Ah contacts her boss to meet him. Myong Guk receives her call while he’s at a gym, trains himself to boxing. Myong Guk knows she will ask to meet him so he just gives her a place and time to meet up. 

Mu Yeong looks at her longingly, as if he’s not ready if he will lose her soon. Hang Ah looks at him and smiles. She will come back to him, she said.

“If... if you can come again to me, I’ll wait for you today. We’ll meet up at 5 pm at my boss’ office. But if... somehow you can’t come and you have to go back to North or worse, I’ll still wait for you day by day. Either way, I will wait for you,” Mu Yeong tells her then wraps her up in hug.

She feels her heart stops beating for a bit. She feels painful because there’s no guarantee she will come back alive given her boss nature. But she braces herself for whatever comes.

“See you later, Mu Yeong,” she says, really hopeful they’ll meet again.

Hang Ah goes to meet his boss in an abandoned building. She looks at her boss, unsure how she should ask. Myong Guk just stands there, waiting for her to talk first. 

“Boss, you said you will stip me of my title?” Hang Ah asks.
“Yes. But only with one condition. You have to be ready whenever we call you again, on whatever mission.”
“Really strange. You’re not the kind of person who’d give up on someone,” she notes.
“Do you think I’ll take you back to our country after what can be labeled as treason? I’m 100% sure you’d die before you can take a breath there.”

She looks at Myong Guk at disbelief, but he just tells her to quickly go. There’s nothing else he could say. She just needs to remember that one condition and be ready whenever he calls on for mission. She says thank you and sorry and then leaves him. Mu Yeong already waits for her in the office. She finally comes. 

“Am I too late?”
“Nope, I guess I’m too early,” he smiles.

Jeong Hak meets them. They look so happy that even Jeong Hak becomes jealous of them.

“Do you know Ms. Kim? The only thing worse than a guy who hates you: a guy that loves you. Are you okay with that?”
She smiles shyly before answers, “Yes, I’m okay with that.” 

Jeong Hak teases them that he feels he has goosebumps seeing them lovey dovey like that. They smile shyly but can’t hide their happiness, it’s one of a kind that spy can marry one another. Most of the time, given their origins they would kill each other. Jeong Hak is little bit annoying seeing them in front of him. He tells them to just leave now, tomorrow might be not as bright as today. Mu Yeong understands his boss. He holds Hang Ah’s hands, interlocks their fingers and gives his boss a smile before leaving. 

3 weeks later and they officially married. Mu Yeong gives her simple but beautiful ring, but only on one condition: she has to wear it on index finger. Hang Ah says it’s too absurd but Mu Yeong is still concerned with their safety, better not allow anyone else to think they’re married.

Hang Ah pouts, it’s a shame that they can’t show off their marriage or even have proper wedding. Mu Yeong gives her backhug, saying things will slowly change.

“Only one thing will never change.”
“What?”
“My love for you.”

Hang Ah scoffs at him and reminds him not so cheesy because she might having goosebumps from it. But Mu Yeong hugs her even tighter and kisses the back of her neck.

“Hmm, so Comrade Kim Hang Ah, how many children do you want to have? 2? 3? Or even 5?”
“Forget it, one is better. Don’t you know the prices of milk, baby clothes, so on and so forth. Raising children need a lot of money and we don’t even know if we get decent jobs.”
“Aigoo, just leave it to our luck and the future, why bother?” 

Mu Yeong smiles at her and kisses her lips lightly, making Hang Ah blushing. The next minute, Mu Yeong pushes her towards the bed and she falls on their bed. His eyes turn naughty, he moves closer to her. He gives her light kiss on the lips, then on the cheek and back to the lips. Now they’re kissing passionately and their hands hurriedly takes off each other clothes. But before Mu Yeong takes off her clothes, she pushes Mu Yeong and holds his body. Now, she’s sitting on his lap and looking straight at his eyes.

“You just like to be on top right?” Mu Yeong teases her. 

She smiles sheepishly, wraps her hands around his neck and kisses him. They roll on the bed... That night seems to be the hottest one than ever.

-The End-

Writer: kanz
Cr: Casino War, as tagged, to owner

Special thanks to Casino War on Empress Ki DC for inspiration and Dear Readers!

Note: I plan to make it into season 2, maybe next January or February. Thanks for enjoying this fanfic.

Read More

Casino War: Episode 3

Myong Guk gives Hang Ah two options, either shoot Mu Yeong or he will send her to prison camp. Hang Ah chooses to go to prison camp, but surprisingly Mu Yeong comes and asked to be shot instead. Hang Ah eyes widen, can’t comprehend the situaton. Jeong Hak sweats a lot knowing that he’s in trouble if one of his subordinate dies. He wants to stop Mu Yeong but it seems Mu Yeong has made up his mind. Myong Guk smirks at them.

“What are you waiting for? Shoot him now!” Myong Guk orders Hang Ah. 

She comes to Mu Yeong step by step with hesitation. Her right hand trembles while pointing the gun to him. He lets out a deep breath. She’s aiming the gun at his head, but unable to move her fingers. She finally closes her eyes and shoots.

But... nothing happens. Myong Guk claps at her enthusiastically, notes that the gun is without ammunition. Hang Ah is confused while Mu Yeong relieves from scare. He already scared that his life would end here.

Read More

Casino War: Episode 2

Kang Mu Yeong feels his head is particularly heavy. His boss’ saying is still ringing on his head that Kim Hang Ah is a double agent. Double agent for North and South. He tries to recount what happened last night. 

Flashback 11.25 PM

He’s talking with Hang Ah while they’re still aware of the surroundings, they try to hear and notice any strange movement from the VIP Room. After 2 and half hours, one by one starts to come out from the room. It comes to big showdown, Oh Soo and Lee Gun. At that moment, Mu Yeong and Hang Ah comes inside and catch them red-handed.

Oh Soo and his friend, Jin Sung tries to run off but Hang Ah reacts quickly and blocks them to escape from the casino. 

While Mu Yeong catches Lee Gun and his girlfriend Mi Young. Mu Yeong and Hang Ah charge them with habitual gambling law and give them to local authority who will contact Korean Police. After that they go to hotel bar and celebrate their succesful operation. Mu Yeong drinks whiskey while Hang Ah wants cocktail.

Read More

Casino War: Episode 1

Seoul, 2014

Kang Mu Yeong can’t hide his happiness. Through vigorous training and tests he finally passes as a junior member of secret service, National Intelligence Service (NIS). He’s excited that finally his dream comes true but he tries to hide it and shows his cold demeanor. It’s his dream to be a secret agent, when he’s child he’s fascinated by Stasi and KGB story and grows up watching spy movies.

“Officer Kang Mu Yeong, please come forward,” the MC calls his name.

He comes up front and is greeted by his supervisor, level-five manager Kim Jeong Hak. He shakes hand and receives placard. Now he’s officially a level-one agent. Jeong Hak smiles at him and tells him to do the best.

Pyongyang, 2014

Meanwhile on the other side of Korea, General Joo asks the junior officers who will do a super-secret difficult task. No one dares to answer but they point out one obvious name, Kim Hang Ah. No one will be better than her, super scary man-killer. General Joo tells her it’s up for her to decide, but her father already agreed. Kim Hang Ah can’t believe that her father herself approves her for that mission, stating that it’s really dangerous plan. But no one has the abilities as good as her. The general begs her and states he will grant her request, whatever it is. Kim Hang Ah is frustrated. General Joo tells her to just think about it once again. 

Macau, 2014

Busy day as usual in Macau where Golden Dragon Casino is located. People come and go and even though the room is spacious, one can only see people roam around the room at different tables. One man gambles poker at a VIP table. He has his friend Jin Sung who gives him signals at other people’s cards. He can consider himself lucky, but he’s already won something close to 2 million dollars. He wears poker face before he shows his cards, Two Poker. He wins again and gets off the place with Jin Sung while other players are angry and cursing him. He doesn’t care, as long as he has reason to live and his passion is on poker and gambling table. At least for now. 

Pyongyang, 2014

Kim Hang Ah goes to meet her superior, General Joo. She doesn’t have any big dream, but she’s close to 30 now and has to find a man soon before she’s too old to marry. She argues that going on mission will makes her life difficult and who knows if she can come back to the country. If her cover blows up, the South government won't let her live. She hesitates to tell the real reason to General Joo but can’t help it because it’s what mattered to her the most. But she actually is surprised when the general just grants her wish easily.

“Comrade Kim Hang Ah, so as long as I can find the man, you’ll do the mission? Okay, I’ll do it.” 
“But I have standard too.”
“No problem, leave it to me and the party will select suitable man for you.” General Joo says confidently. 

Kim Hang Ah puts smile on her face and leaves the room with happier state. She will leave it to the party, but she wonders who will they choose.

Flash forward two months later

Seoul, 2014

Kim Hang Ah trains with Kang Mu Yeong at NIS headquarter. Mu Yeong can’t hide his admiration to her as she learns martial arts skills. Mu Yeong asks her if she’s ready for her field assignment but Hang Ah brushes it off because they should ready anytime. They don’t know the new assignment but their superior will tell them today.  

Kim Jeong Hak comes and tells them the assignment: infiltrate to a Macau’s Casino and catch habitual overseas gamblers as they suspected to have transnational organized crime network. The list is on him. The prize? A promotion up to level-two staff and 2 weeks holiday for them. Mu Yeong can’t hide the excitement at the ‘holiday’ and ‘promotion’ words and grins to Hang Ah, but she remains silent.

“Be careful, don’t blow away your cover and your real identity. Once you entered the outside world, you can’t show people your identity. Understand?” Jeong Hak tells them.
“Yes.” They answers.
“Okay. I’ll give you the list of suspects. They’re habitual gamblers, but there’s speculation they also do some money laundering business but we can’t be so sure. Don’t be rash, but if you have enough evidence catch them all.”
“Yes.”

Before Jeong Hak leaves, he tells Mu Yeong to take care Hang Ah, she’s still a woman anyway. Hang Ah says she maybe will take care Mu Yeong later and he protests because it totally untrue. She tells the boss that he basically always loses to her, even in today’s training. Jeong Hak sneers at Mu Yeong, saying even North woman is stronger than him. 

Mu Yeong gets upset and grabs the list from Jeong Hak, saying he will be better in this task so no one can underestimate him. Mu Yeong reads the suspects’ profiles and other information in one document. carefully. It’s his first field assignment, so he wants to do his best. Hang Ah takes a peek to the documents and memorize two names quickly, Lee Gun and Oh Soo. She’s used to learn everything quickly, while Mu Yeong reads it very carefully lines by lines, their habits and their estimated height and weight. 

Mu Yeong rattles off the info of the casino he just got.

“There are 137 slots, 123 gaming machines and 85 gaming tables, and 15 VIP rooms. If we go to them one by one it must be inefficient, therefore we must look at VIP rooms first.”
“How would you know the right room?”
“I don’t know. Leave it to good luck!” Mu Yeong smiles.

Macau, 2014

Mu Yeong and Hang Ah have succesfully gone to Macau and infiltrate Golden Dragon Hotel which has a casino in it. Mu Yeong says they should play their part well and go undercover. Hang Ah tells him not to worry because it’s a given. They act as married couple now and Mu Yeong registers them on hotel’s receptionist as “Mr.and Mrs. Kim”. He signals the bell boy to bring their luggage. They come to a luxurious suite which have two beds.

After taking a bath, both of them goes to the casino. Mu Yeong wonders whether they should just go separately and text each other or go around the casino first to familiarize the place. But not too long he spots the first target, Lee Gun, linking arms with a woman. 

“Honey, shouldn’t we link arms too?” Mu Yeong tells Hang Ah.
“What are you saying? Have you gone crazy?” Hang Ah whispers back, clearly taken aback.
“What are you saying, Honey? You don’t want to do it with your husband?”

Hang Ah gives him confused look because it’s not part of their plot. Mu Yeong pinch her left arm and tells her to see at Lee Gun’s direction. Mu Yeong thinks Lee Gun is familiar but can’t remember him.

“Hmm, he looks familiar. I think I know about him, I really know him but can’t remember it,” Mu Yeong tries to recall his memory.
“He’s the first on the list right?”
“Ah, that I think about it, he’s Yoo Gun!! Yes, NSS’ Yoo Gun. Is he retired from NSS and be professional gambler? Or he goes undercover?”
“NSS?”
“You don’t know Yoo Gun? NSS? IRIS and NSS?” 

Hang Ah just has blank face when Mu Yeong tries to explain NSS to her. If NIS is the army, then NSS is the Special Forces, while IRIS is their common enemy. He wonders why she didn’t know about it. He thinks to himself that she’s just low-ranking official in North so probably wouldn’t know about top secret agents. Why would North Korean defector know about it anyway. He tells her to be as natural as possible, he thinks it will be better if they just follow Lee Gun first.

They notice Lee Gun walks away in light steps with his lady. Lee Gun probably doesn’t know anything about them. Gun enters a VIP room on the corner, a dimly lit room. Probably half of them are Chinese, but the operator quickly closes the door before Mu Yeong and Hang Ah can see their faces clearly. They want to stay near the room to observe the situation. Mu Yeong takes few steps closer to Hang Ah and they now face each other closely. They act out as if they have intimate conversation but they are always aware of the surrounding. 

A while later, a cocky man and his friend walks up to the same room. Hang Ah side-eyes them and recognizes one of them is Oh Soo, another man on their list. He looks really calm and she thinks to herself that he’s really tall and good looking. If he’s not a gambler and criminal, then he’s perfect husband material for her. And if they’re married maybe they can go to Bali for honeymoon. 

Her eyes are on him, until Mu Yeong asks if he’s the suspect. She’s startled at the sudden interruption on her fantasy and stomps over his feet in annoyance. He yelps in pain, while she’s still annoyed. She can only see his back, but Oh Soo clearly enters the same room as Lee Gun. Their hunt is on! She tells Mu Yeong to stay alert, now they have to wait until the suspects leave the room.

--------------------------------------------------------

Mu Yeong wakes up when his phone alarm rings and he can’t stop it. He feels dizzy and nausea. He feels cold that he pulls the blanket, but then a noise comes from his side. He opens his eyes and sees a woman lying beside him and he automatically screams. Hang Ah also wakes up at his sudden scream but she screams louder at the top of her lungs. They’re almost naked and don’t know what happened to them. Mu Yeong jumps from the bed and covers his naked chest with his arms, but Hang Ah is already upset and she punches him right at his temple. 

“Waa.. What.. what are you doing?” Hang Ah is ready to punch him once again.
“What? I don’t know. Why did I suddenly end up in this bed? Where is my bed?”
“Shouldn’t I ask you the question? Why are you here? Are you a pervert? What are you doing to me?”
“You... and I... Perhaps? Ahh... I don’t know. I swear I don’t remember it!”

They fight against each other that Hang Ah is tired to argue. She storms off the room saying she should report it to their superior that he raped her, or at the very least sexually harassed her. He can’t hold her back because his head feels so heavy. He looks for his shirt and wears it while his eyes are too heavy to open. He yawns and now looks for a glass of water to wake him up. 

He goes to small cabinet and fills up the glass with cold water from dispenser. A note hastily written laid out on the table. He reads it “미안하다” (I’m sorry). It’s Hang Ah’s writing. His eyes widen and he suddenly stays alert and wakes up completely. He goes to search for their passport but all he can find is his passport, hers is missing. He tries to call her, but her phone is off. He searches through the suite, looks up at the beds and even small cabinet and drawers. He doesn’t find anything amiss, except that it’s cleaner and tidier than before. He spends a few minutes to think what else goes missing and what happened last night.

Suddenly his boss Kim Jeong Hak calls, his angry voice can’t be hidden.

“Hey, kid! What are you doing now? Quickly go and catch Kim Hang Ah!!” Jeong Hak orders him.
“What? Boss, why Kim Hang Ah?”
“Are you stupid or just pretending? Don’t you sense her as North Korean spy?” Jeong Hak tries hard not to go crazy because of his staff.
“Spy? Why do you tell me now?” Mu Yeong asks.

At the sudden thought of her as spy, reality hits Mu Yeong. He just remembers what happened last night. More than the fact that she’s actually a spy, he’s more frightened at something else.

***

To be continued...

Writer: kanz
Pictures credit: as tagged, to owner

Read More