February 15,
Dandong, China.

Arya didn't get herself into any complexity at all. She roamed around the port city for the first couple of days and collected some necessary things. She fished out some Network mapper, Etherpeek, and Ettercap from the black market around. These cost her a handsome amount of money though, she wouldn't even think about buying this expensive hacking stuff earlier, but as long as she is not the one paying, she is all up for it!
After all, Jin's credit card is now in her possession.

She got herself a wet suit, aqualungs, diving gear, and one latest scuba jet on the third day and got on board on a fishing boat and set for Wihwa- Do island.

The owner wasn't up for it although these fishermen had the licenses to catch fish in their common water in the Yalu river and even sell those in the islands there. As the diplomatic relationship between North Korea and China had always been on the good term, the two countries didn't have beef on the river between the two country's common border and the trade between the two parts were going pretty well.

Though it seemed like it was an all rainbow and clouds type of scene, but the boat owner was concerned. He looked at her with a gaze that screamed that he was thinking that the girl was crazy. He argued adding,
"Previously, that island was our main market to sell the fishes we catch, but since last two years, North Korea made an army base and a missile pod there. Since then, the market is kinda off. Believe it or not, most of the fishermen lost their job and starving now. Even I had to put my boat on the mortgage."

"Why the markets are closed?" Arya was curious.

"After the army base was established, the entry of commoners made very controlled and restricted times to time. There have been some issues too recently. So, we try to avoid that island if it's not urgent."

"What issues?"

"The fishermen were detained a few times, checked for the legality and what not. In the good case, it was just prison for a few days and deported back. But at worst, they seized the boat. Rumour has that if you can pay enough, maybe you'll not be able to face any of this. But it's all about luck there. You even don't know why you have been inquired or detained."

"If they seize your boat, my money can cover that, can't it?" Arya tried to cheer him up.

She paid a huge amount of money, even if they seize the boat, he can buy a new one. The amount was crazy compared to what she was asking, but the owner also knew what she was demanding was fishy and secret.

The amount was huge.
But again, she wasn't the one who was paying anyway.

"Actually, who are you?" The owner asked.

"Just another journalist. Want to cover some confidential news about there."

"You know you are crazy, right? If they catch that you are a journalist from a different country, you'll be long gone! They'll just make you disappear.

"Yeah, I know." Arya shrugged playfully, "but, tell you what? I want my big break this time. Gotta make this news big and hot. So I am not going back. Do whatever I told you, you are being paid for this."

"But if you get caught, I'll be in trouble too." He was in tension now,
"I better leave before it's too late.

"No one will know anything about me. Just take me as your other passenger."

He was annoyed already, "the entry is restricted, and you are a woman over the top. Why are we arguing over it even? It's an impossibly risky business."

"Who said I want to go into the island?" suddenly she chuckled making him surprised.

"But you hired me for going there!"

"Yes, hired "YOU" to go there."

"God! You are confusing!" he gave up despite the most contradictory feelings in his life. Not "The day is dark, should I take out my boat for fishing today or not" kind of contradiction, but "I may not come back alive if she gets caught" kind of contradiction.

"What is the least distance between the island and the mainland?" Arya suddenly asked.

"Seven nautical miles, towards Northwest. Why?"

"You'll go to the island, sell your fishes as usual. And come back, alone."

"What do you mean by alone?" He was further annoyed.

Arya didn't answer rather decided to look at the horizon where the port was now a thin straight line below the skyline.

"One more thing," Arya again broke the silence, "Forget everything regarding me after I leave. No one ever came in your boat, ever. You get me?"

"But..."

"You'll get more money if I ever return. But if they get the smell of my presence there, and if I come to know that it's because of you, remember, you'll die." Her voice was low and cold.

The middle-aged man was stunned. He looked at her intensely. A chill went down his spine when he realized that this girl was not playing anymore. She wasn't any typical journalist, but he knew he can't go back now. It's too late now. That girl tricked him into a trap. Money has always been a problem for him and she utilized that card on him successfully.

"Yes...yes." He gulped a little.

Her eyes turned to that mischievous giddiness again. She smiled a little,
"Don't be scared, I won't get you into trouble."

He wasn't too convinced though. But he tried to give out a smile of approval.

"So, from now, as I am the one who makes the decision here, listen to everything I would ask you to do. Don't question anything. Ok?"

"Aye." His face was pitiful.

It was late in the night. the fishing boat traveled quite a distance already. Arya was standing beside the rails. Probably this shabby, distempered, almost broken boat was a beauty once. This 45 feet long fishing boat has a twine hull system. There are two cabins, a tiny galley, an even tinier kitchen, and a wheelhouse to the port side of the deck. It can even speed up to 12 Naut per hour when the wind plays with the three masts of the boat. But an auxiliary engine is there to help when needed. It can anchor down up to forty feet. The long white crates are there at the starboard side using which they caught Dorado and mullet the whole day.

She'll buy a fishing boat like it one day- she suddenly decided. This boat, the almost disappearing name was still on the bow, Water lily.

Maybe she'll have a secured or a normal life one day, she just wished.
Jin told her that he'll protect her. But she knows, she can't just sit back for someone to come and save her for the rest of her life. Well, what is the rest of her life? She's already living her second life borrowing time and cheating death. She didn't know why, when Jin told her he'll be there no matter what, she tremendously wanted him to keep his promises. She wanted to trust him, and most surprisingly, she felt secure, she felt a warmth that she forgot she still has deep inside her.

She sighed a little, suddenly missing that annoyingly stubborn and almost mute man beside her.

"Should I serve the dinner now, girl?" Wang Chen, the boat owner came out of the wheelhouse.

"later. You go on, eat first." She didn't avert her gaze from the water.

But he didn't just go away.
She looked back, "want to say something?"

He nodded slightly "I can understand that you are going to do something dangerous. I can feel it."

Arya frowned slightly.

"But my child, if it's not worth it, don't do it."

"Are you forbidding me?" Arya smiled, slightly amused.

"No. I know you won't listen to me even if I do. But take care and be careful."

"Whatever." Arya rolled her eyes, "I won't die. Not this easily. Someone is waiting for me. He said he'll protect me."

"Seems like you think it's funny?" Wang Chao smiled too, "That someone is protecting you?"

"I have been on my own since the time I remember. Now if someone says he'll protect me, shouldn't be it funny? I have come all the way here without needing any protection, right?"

"But your smile says differently. Looks like you trust him."

"Whatever. Go. I want to proceed further. We don't have to stop during the night."

"Can you take the reading? Can you sail the boat at the night?" he was a bit surprised but he knew this stubborn girl can do anything she puts her mind on.

"Don't worry," Arya dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

Wang Chao sighed a little and came to stand by her side. He didn't know what this girl is gonna do next, but he somehow grew an affection for this girl. She worked hard the whole day without any rest or complaints. She isn't any typical girl- he had this feeling since they met, but this time he grew respectful towards this girl.

A unique personality, confidence, and stubbornness masked under a mischievous grin and happy face made her an unbreakable enigma. She is always smiling and talking with a kind and somehow cocky tone like she knows she owns everything and the world is her playground, but in her eyes, she is just lost.

He had never encountered someone like her, ever.

They caught Macaron and Dorado the whole day, releasing and pulling up the bigger nets between the hull and keel with hand Crain, cleaning the whole load and preserving those with ice and salts, cleaning the whole boat, and also navigating the boat in the right direction- they both done works of ten people the whole day.
Still, she hasn't taken rest and offering him to leave the navigation in her hands?

"You are a strange girl."

Arya looked with questions in her eyes.

"Coffee?"

"Sounds nice."

Wang Chao went down from the deck. He came back with two mugs of coffee after ten minutes only to see the girl standing in the same position with the same posture.

"Who are you actually, girl?" he offered one mug to her.

"How many times you are gonna ask it?" Arya smiled.

"Curiosity, tell me about you. Anything." He sat down on a crate.

Arya didn't answer and was silent for a long few minutes before turning around and sitting on another crate.
And for the first time, he saw her tired. Not a physical type of tiredness, but mentally exhausted kind of tired.

Her voice was tired as well, but with a tinge of sadness, "if you want to know, you should know that I don't know who am I either."

His eyes were calm yet affectionate.

She looked at the dark liquid in her mug and looked back to the horizon.

"Ever since I am conscious, the only thing I know is that I don't know anything. What is past, what is present, what is memory or reality. I am just a person trapped between fragments of memories and confusion. I can't sleep. When I can sleep, I can't but help see things I may have done before or people I have met or whatever, and these things frighten me. Sometimes I get scared of myself too. I am still in a daze of what am I." She took a sip and sighed,
"maybe I am just an unfortunate person or a monster they made me. I am constantly looking for the answers you know. I am hella tired, I want to quit, I am scared. But what is my purpose, who am I? Why am I here? How did I end up here? Without these answers, how can I move on too? Normal life? It's a far-fetched dream still. I need an answer so that I can look forwards without constantly looking over my shoulders, without dragging the shackles from my blurry past."

Her voice was now dumped into deep frustration and desperation with unbearable loneliness.

"You..."

"Sorry," she smiled apolitically coming back into reality, "probably you didn't understand anything at all!"

"It's ok. I am glad you decided to talk it out." He raised his coffee, "cheers to that."

Arya raised the mug and again got into deep thoughts.

"Be careful in the Island." She said with a soft tone, "you've shown so much affection to me these two days, I won't forget those."