At A Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, 6 hours later
"That concludes my report, Taehyung. We managed to complete the mission without incident, just like we said we would." Y/N said in a rather composed manner, as he had somehow managed to keep himself composed after he heard Hangyeol's words from earlier.
"I see. All I can say is you both did a good job, especially for your first mission. My apologies if the director won't be here to send you her regards personally, but nevertheless, she expects you to keep this up for our future operations. By the way, how's your partner doing?"
"Oh. Well she's resting at the moment. The operation did take a toll on her body, but she's okay. You don't need to worry about her." Y/N assured him.
"That's a relief. Just so you know, most of our operatives would suffer a mental breakdown after they completed their first mission, though such occurrences are to be expected since their artificial bodies are still beginning to get used to the stress brought about by field work. As for Minji herself, we hoped that she won't undergo the same predicament given that she's part of our Generation 4 experiments, so I'm glad that our assumptions were spot on. Still, inform me if anything happens to her, especially since you're still out of the country."
"Will do. Speaking of which, when are we going back to Korea?"
"In two days. The institute's higher-ups had already made the arrangements for your departure, and you'll be glad to hear that you and Minji will be flying first class courtesy of the US government. They informed us that it's the least they could do in exchange for our assistance in taking out Caleb Smith during the operation. So until then, you still have time to unwind while you're there. Come on, you're in Los Angeles, Y/N. I'm sure you two will have a great time touring the city along with her."
"Yeah, I was already thinking of doing that. Perhaps it's what I can do for her reward, given that she did her best to help us succeed in the mission. But you know, I still honestly couldn't believe what she was capable of until I saw her assault the compound."
"That's understandable. It's one thing that you were able to watch her during the simulations back here in the facility, but the true extent of her abilities can only be properly demonstrated once she's in the real world. So umm, I hope she did meet your expectations."
"Aish, are you kidding me? Of course she did, and more. Maybe I should assume that the rest of her fellow operatives are as capable as her then."
"That's true in most cases, but the difference in skills for each of them still varies. All of them excel in different fields, but Minji is like a jack-of-all-trades kind of agent. Get what I mean?"
"Yeah I do. Well then, if there's nothing else, then I'm off to take a rest too. As for the intel, you don't need to worry about it, as I'll make sure that it gets back to the Institute along with us. We'll keep it safe."
"Glad to hear it. I'll see you both in two days. Goodbye for now, Y/N."
Once the video call ended, Y/N went back to his room in order to get some rest. But just as he was about to, he saw Minji standing at the balcony in silence. He then prompted to check on her first.
"Hey there. Did you sleep well?" He asked.
"Yes I did. I still feel a little tired, but I'll be alright. Umm, when are we going back?"
"Eager, are we? Jokes aside, Taehyung informed me that we'll be departing back to Korea in just two days. For now, I was thinking about going on a little tour around the city along with you. I thought that it's the best I can do to reward you, for you had done well during the mission. How about it?"
Minji begins to smile the moment she hears his words, as Y/N figured that she already liked the idea judging from her expression.
"I'll take that as a yes then. We'll head off at ten in the morning, so you can rest some more if you want to."
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass on that one. I prefer to be here for a whale until the sun comes up."
"Okay, then suit yourself. But I must say, it's a very spectacular view indeed. We can even see the Hollywood sign from here."
"True. I always wanted to visit this country, though I understand that we won't be here for long. Besides, we didn't come here to have a vacation after all."
"Haha, that's okay. At least we still have a couple of days before we leave. Let's just make the most out of it while we can.But you're right, this country is still very beautiful to look at from the outside, even if it already lost its own identity because of the times."
She noticed him frown after what he said, which got her curious.
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"
"Well how do I put this? In the past, they said that America is the land of the free and home of the brave, right? It is the very symbol of liberty, wealth, and power across the globe. It still is, but time had already passed to the point when even this powerful country couldn't hide its own shortcomings. I suppose every superpower now shares the same predicament as they do, especially when it comes to the living conditions of its people."
"I think I get your point, Y/N. You're saying that not everyone was able to get the kind of life they wished for themselves, correct?"
"Wow, that's impressive. Well yes, unfortunately that is the truth about the kind of world we're living in. Let me give you a straight example. Like I said earlier, one of the many reasons why people migrate to this country is to have a better life. They want to be free to pursue their own dreams, and to be happy. It's the very notion of freedom that they all want to have, you see.
"But think about it. Not all of them will manage to live such pleasant lives. Most people nowadays can count themselves lucky if they find a stable job of their own. But even if that was the case, they're just simply surviving for their own sake, nothing more. They say that we're free from oppression, but how many of us can consider ourselves to be free from things such as having an enormous debt, or even the day-to-day stress that most people would endure just to put food on their table? I know that what I'm getting at can be considered idealistic, but there's always a part of me that wishes it wasn't the case. There has to be something that we can do for a change, right? The only ones who can thrive in such a world are people like Hangyeol, who took advantage of their own status and privilege to live like the kings and emperors of old. The very thought alone makes me upset, especially once the reality sets in that we are all a part of this system now."
"Y/N..."
Minji couldn't find the right words to say after she heard his musings, as she thought that this was the first time she knew about what he thinks of the world today.
"Heh, it looks like I got too deep in thought. Forgive me." He apologized.
"It's okay, Y/N. You must have kept all of those things in your mind for so long, so I understand. But still, I'm beginning to figure out the kind of person you are." She teased.
"Oh really? I better keep my guard up then. But seriously, all I can do now is to keep hoping that what we're doing can make a difference somehow. It's not just for my own sake, but for those who are also victims of this unjust society that we're a part of."
"I hope so too, Y/N. But until then, I promise that I will do what I can to help you find the truth that you've been looking for all this time."
"I know you will, Minji. Thank you for saying that."
