"Why is it taking so long, Hwang?" Yoshi asked, his patience wearing thin, his voice a low growl.

"Sir, I contacted the authorities, but there isn't any response yet," the old man replied, his voice shaky.

"I can't wait for them forever," Park raged, pacing back and forth, his frustration palpable.

"There is one way, sir—" one of the guards, dressed in all black, interjected hesitantly.
Yoshi's eyes landed on him, burning with impatience. "What is it? Tell me!"

"The lake, sir," the guard replied, his tone measured but urgent.

"Lake?" Yoshi echoed, confusion lacing his voice.

"Yeah, the lake is the only way in, sir," the guard declared with a slight quiver in his voice.
Yoshi took quick, menacing steps toward him, grabbing his collar with sudden aggression.

"How are we going to do it?" he demanded, his grasp tightening, the guard's breath hitching.

"I've... I've everything ready. We just need your approval," the guard managed to mumble, struggling to breathe.
Yoshi released him abruptly, causing the guard to nearly collapse onto the hard ground. "You only have ten minutes. Get everything done as soon as possible," he ordered, turning away sharply.
The guards, along with driver Hwang, scattered with hurried steps, heads bowed in submission.

Taesan sat at his desk, head hung low. "What is happening? Why am I feeling like this?" he muttered, frustrated, gripping his hair in his hands.

He took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm himself. Once somewhat composed, he sighed, picked up the key, and inserted it into the padlock. The lock clicked open, revealing the same leather-bound book.
He retrieved the book and immediately searched for the photograph, finding it exactly where he had left it.He held the photograph close, staring at it intensely. A lone tear escaped his eye, which he quickly brushed away.

"Am I doing the right thing, Mom?" he whispered, his fingers tracing the woman's face in the photograph.
After smoothing the photograph's edges, he placed it back in its spot.
Next, he opened to the exact same page Aeri had tried to decode earlier. Digging through his pockets, he pulled out a passport-sized photograph. He taped it beside the red cross mark, over the cryptic words Aeri couldn't understand.

"You escaped the world's eye, Yoshi, but you can never escape me," he whispered fiercely, tears welling up as he aggressively traced the red mark again and again.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, and his breath hitched. He harshly wiped his tears, shoved the book back in the drawer, and locked it.

Just then, Aeri entered the library. She approached him, hesitant. "Taesan, I'm sorry if I crossed a line. I didn't mean to be nosy. I was just curious," she mumbled, her head hung low.

He didn't reply, which made Aeri even more ashamed than she already was. "Are you mad at me?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"I'm not mad, Aeri. You just need to understand some things are better left alone," he said, standing up and turning away from her.

"I understand. I'll try to be less nosy from now on, but—" she stopped midway, approaching him.Placing a hand on his shoulder, she continued, "You can always trust me, Taesan. I don’t know if you still think of me as a mere stranger who's been living in your house for the past few months or not, but just know you aren't a stranger to me anymore. You've become more than that, and if I'm being honest, it's concerning because I'm sure I'm not supposed to feel like this, but I just... I just can't help it," she finished, her eyes full of emotions.

He turned around, gently moving her hand from his shoulder. "I can trust you, but you shouldn't do the same."

Aeri stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "Why? Just because you're secretive and reserved? I know you're more than you pretend to be, and I honestly want to know the real you, Taesan."

"It's getting late. You should go to bed," he mumbled, looking away before leaving the library, leaving her to sigh in frustration.

"But sir, it's a risky task," Hwang cautioned, his voice trembling with worry.

"I don't care. All I care about is getting in," Yoshi said, climbing into the boat his men had prepared to cross the lake.

"Sir, I'll still insist there is nothing inside apart from some wild animals. We should go ba—" Hwang was cut off by Yoshi's threatening tone.
"Start it right now if you want to provide for yourself and your family," Yoshi barked, eyes blazing with determination.

With no other choice, Hwang signaled the others to start the boat. The group, tense and silent, set off across the dark, foreboding waters.