One Year Later

Chapter 1
Danny was checking his emails until he recieved a video call, he accepted it, it was Andrew’s biological parents Park In-hwan and Park Ki-ok aswell as Ri Kon-Yung and Ji-Min, the latter was holding two infants aged 3 months, Danny saw Sapaieo, his daughter’s therapy pet sleeping in a dog bed.

”Danny?” He heard Ri Kon-Yung.

Danny didn’t recognize Ri Kon-Yung at first, he saw the former North Korean soldier looked much healthier.

”It’s me, Kon-Yung, Can I talk to Min-Li?” He asked.

“Marie! Marie! Can you come down here?” Danny exclaimed, Marie walked down.

”Hm?” Marie asked, She was wearing a white dress and slippers.

”Your dad wants to talk to you.” Danny said, Marie looked at her biological father

”Appa?” Marie spoke, she saw her parents, her mother looked much different aswell as her father, they wore more casual clothing with her father wearing earrings and her mother with a red streak in her hair.

”Eomma…? Appa?” Marie spoke.

”Min-Li…we had to defect to South Korea months ago, Your father’s health was starting to worsen and we couldn’t stay, I took Sapaieo and ran for it and sneaked to the Southern part of the DMZ…we stayed in a forest overnight until we were found by soldiers…” Ji-Min explained.

”Your father was in very bad shape, he was malnourished, had malaria and dehydration, I was surprised to see them with a domesticated fox until they told me that since Marie couldn’t bring her therapy pets to the DPRK, they had to get a silver fox from Eastern Russia, they told me she was a therapy pet.” In-hwan explained, “I made sure she was safe and healthy.”

”That’s a relief….who are those?” Marie asked.

”Those two are your brother and sister, Yong-Soo and So-won, your mother was pregnant when she defected.” In-hwan explained, “We’d like to see you come to South Korea, you can bring your family along, We’re in Nowon-gu, Seoul, I’ll send you the address.”

Marie gave a gentle smile.

”Did you tell your stepsister that your devotion was just a facade?” Ri Kon-Yung asked.

”Well, until Jo visited, She wouldn’t listen until Andrew told her that what she thought was I being a devout loyalist was all a lie.” Marie said.

Kon-Yung gave a smile.

”In-hwan told me what you liked…you should see your room when you come over.” He said, “He told me you like this…anime stuff…and these Simpsons characters….”

”I will.” She said.

”Love you honey.” Ri Kon-Yung said to her.

”You too dad, give my younger siblings a hug for me.” Marie said, The call soon ended.

Laura heard the call.

”Does this mean we won’t visit North Korea ever again?” Laura asked.

”Nope.” Danny said, “Her parents defected.”

Chapter 2: Visiting Seoul
Two months later, The Lara-Rutters arrived at Incheon International Airport and finally got their bags and left the gate, meanwhile In-hwan, Ji-Min and Kon-Yung were waiting for them.

”Hey! Over here!” Kon-Yung exclaimed as he saw them, waving his arms, he soon ran over to them, hugging Marie, Danny smiled as he rubbed his shoulder.

Ji-Min went over and gently hugged the both of them.

”Let’s get back…It’s late.” Ji-Min said.

In-hwan led them to a car, he started it as soon as everyone was in, Ji-Min helped buckle Samantha and Myles in.

”Okay, when were out in public, You refer to me as Lee Hwan-chol and my wife Mi-ho, okay?” Kon-Yung explained, “We had to take false names.”

Danny nodded.

Laura looked at Kon-Yung, Marie’s father looked much healthier than the last time she saw him, he wasn’t in a baggy uniform anymore, she saw he was wearing much casual gear alongside his wife, he looked cleaner too.

“We live in an apartment with three rooms, you might have to stay in In-hwan’s.” Kon-Yung explained.

Ji-Min gave a small smile.

After an hour, they arrived back at their apartment block.

”We’re here, come on.” In-hwan said, “You’re all coming with me and Marie, go with your parents.”

Marie nodded as she made her to the apartment room, which was next door to In-hwan’s.

The apartment was nice, she saw Ki-ok, Andrew’s spunky mom.

”Your kids are in bed.” She said, crossing her arms.

Sapaeio looked and saw Marie and nuzzled against her, causing Marie to pet her.

”Hi Sapaeio!” Marie said, gently hugging the fox, after the hug, Sapaeio began to lie back down

Min-Li was browsing through South Korean TV, flipping through channels.

”These are some odd TV channels, There’s one about a monkey and his friends living in a refrigerator.” She exclaimed.

”You mean Cocomong?” She asked.

”Yeah, that.” Ji-Min said, sighing a bit, South Korean TV was alien to her.

Ri Kon-Yung then decided it was time to show Marie her room.

Marie was surprised, she saw plush toys, anime posters, some Korean literature and manga and even a TV.

”In-hwan explained to me what you liked….he told me you liked this JoJo series that gave you the power to forgive your sister….manga….He told me it’s Japanese comics, I didn’t know it was allowed in Korea….they told me Japanese imports were banned even in the South, he then told me only it’s certain things nowadays.” Kon-Yung said.

Marie laid down, the bed was as soft as ever, she sunk into the comforter, she took out one of her plush toys from the bag.

An hour later, Ji-Min came in, Marie was in her pajamas sitting comfortably, watching YouTube on the TV:

“Hi Min-Li.” She said, “We’re planning to go somewhere tomorrow, do you want to come shopping with me?”

Marie nodded.

”Eomma, can I ask you something? What was it like being in South Korea for the first time?” Marie asked.

Ji-Min looked down a bit quietly before speaking.

”Your friend Andrew…or Young-Soo, his dad found us, your dad was hospitalized and he thought once he was better, he would be returned to the North, but after he recovered, In-hwan took us to an apartment where we had this KFC…” Ji-Min said, “Then In-hwan told us we’re going to a place called Hanawon first thing tomorrow, me and your father were asked if we were North Korean spies and knew anything, we shook our heads, they asked us about our occupations and life in the DPRK.”

”Okay, go on…” Marie asked.

”Then we went to Hanawon, normally at the end, since me and Kon-Yung had no family members to speak of, where you lived was chosen by lottery but In-hwan told the tutors that he has a place picked out for us…I have to admit it, I didn’t like my tutor that much….”

”What was wrong with him?” Marie asked.

”I saw him as controlling and had high expectations, we had mental health checks, he became more sympathetic once he realized I had serious issues relating to being in North Korea…some of the female defectors had been sexually abused in China and North Korea…I was lucky but…I spent over a day in a forest near the border on the South Korean side…” Ji-Min said, “That tutor became the closest thing I had to an actual dad, he helped me during my pregnancy a lot…he even helped me when I was late into pregnancy and was too heavy to get up.”

She slowly looked down to the ground.

”Your grandparents cared fucking nothing for me, especially since they cared more about Kim Jong-il more than me…Hell, a birthday celebration was awkward for me, the Kim dynasty was their existence.” Ji-Min said quietly., “Even when he no longer gave a shit, My father in law died for nothing…”