Path to Paradise|NAYEON+2yeon|ENG

02: Safe?

Nayeon's pov

The days passed and the end of the month arrived. I went to the river and saw a stationary boat and men carrying boxes down. Looking at them, they didn't look Korean. That had to be the Chinese boat. I tried not to get noticed and waited for at least some to leave. The men carrying the crates moved away and only the captain remained on the boat. I looked around and took advantage of the solitude of the city to get into the boat.

Fortunately, the captain was talking on the phone, so he was quite distracted. I reached the hold and felt like I had lifted a weight from my heart. I hid behind some crates and hoped they wouldn't bring them down or find me.

After about an hour, I heard some men's voices and after five minutes the boat began to move. I was safe, at least for the moment. I was so emotionally destroyed that I ended up falling asleep. Unconscious gesture, I might as well have never woken up again.

I was awakened by noises coming from above. Those men were putting a lot of pressure on the wood with their boots. I got out of my hiding place and thought about what to do. The footsteps seemed to be less and less distant and their dark voices were also fading away. I was afraid of doing the wrong thing. I waited a long time. I took courage and opened the hatch slightly. I looked out and saw that the boat was moving away from the harbor. I had waited too long. I looked around and saw that there were no men on the boat. I quickly got out of the hatch and jumped into the river.

I didn't know how to swim, I never got to learn. I moved my arms and legs at random and tried to stay with my head above the water. I was a hopeless case. After a few minutes, I found myself completely under water.

I didn't expect it would happen, but I opened my eyes. I was surrounded by some people. Surely they would have realized that I was Korean and would have sent me back to North Korea. It was nice to feel almost a sense of freedom for a few hours.

"Ni keyi tingjian women ma?"
("Can you hear us?")

"Dui wo lai shuo ta kan qilai bu xiang zongguo ren"
("She doesn't look Chinese to me")

"Women queding ta meiyou cong chaoxian taozou ma?"
("Are we sure she didn't flee North Korea?")

"Wo juede ta shige youke. Ta zenme keneng taozou?"
("I think she is a tourist. How could she escape?")

I didn't know what they were saying. I was just afraid they'd caught me.

"Are you Korean?" one of the people watching me asked me.

"Yes" I said, now frightened.

I couldn't lie. I didn't know a language other than Korean.

"I'm Chou Tzuyu" she told me helping me to get up.

Chou Tzuyu... I've heard of it. Ah! Sergeant Kim.

"Are you the girl Kyungwan told me about?" she asked me starting to pull us away from people.

Kyungwan?

"Sergeant Kim" she said, seeing me confused.

I nodded.

"Don't worry, you are no longer in danger" she told me, smiling at me.

I was told that Korean from North Korea is different from that of South Korea.Both in pronunciation and in some words. But Tzuyu spoke very understandable Korean, like that of the sergeant Kyungwan.

We got into a car. It was my first time in such a thing. I looked around and was amazed.

"What is your name? Kyungwan didn't know it" Tzuyu asked me.

"Nayeon"

"It will be better to change your name. Ning. As long as you stay in China, you will be Ning. You will have to learn Chinese. You must not be discovered. Is that clear, Ning?"

I nodded.

"What will happen to the sergeant if they find out?"

"Kyungwan is smart. He won't let himself be discovered"

"I wish I could thank him. Last time I didn't have the opportunity"

"Kyungwan will return to South Korea sooner or later. You will be able to meet him"

"We've arrived" she told me, stopping.

She got out of the car and tried to open the door. I did it.

"We will stay here. This is my house"

"Wow. Do you have a bed and lights?"

"I have everything you need. Even clothes. You can even take a bath in the tub. You will have your own room and whatever you ask me."

Tzuyu and Kyungwan are great people. I was so lucky.

"How old are you?" Tzuyu asked me as she opened her house.

"Twenty... Six" I said thinking about it.

"Then you are my unnie"

"Unnie?" I asked not knowing the word.

"You're older than me. Like an older sister. I'm twenty-two" Tzuyu told me.

"Oh. I'm your unnie" I said nodding.

Tzuyu and I went into the house and I saw that it was so big. I followed her to a door and when she opened it I saw a bed, a real one. There was also a large window and a... wardrobe. I think it's called that.

"The bathroom is next door to your room. Do you know what soap is?"

"I've heard of it but I've never used it"

Tzuyu nodded.

"Later I will explain everything you need to know. Now rest" she told me and then went out and left me alone.

I lay down on the bed and looked at the white ceiling. I closed my eyes and thought about my dad, my mom who was taken away from me and Jennie who died trying to escape. I was lucky to have met Kyungwan.

"Sergeant Kim, wait for me. I'll survive for you"