Crossing The East Sea

13 Masikryong Resort

November progressed into December, and unexpectedly, a series of severe winter storms that moved across the Sea of Japan resulted in the suspension of the Shiramine's next sail till the following month. Nakajima chafed at the delay, for he was impatient to find out if Watanabe had unearthed any more information about the drug dealer Baek, who had left the jangmadang shortly after they had encountered Yeonha at her stall, and disappeared in a car that had come to pick him up.

Shinsou suspected that Nakajima was also anxious to see Park Soojin and Yeonha again. As for himself, he didn't mind missing one trip; it meant that he didn't have to bother about his boss's daughter, and he was busy with his training. After so many months, he finally felt as if he was making progress. He was still working intensively on his karate, for he suspected that Choe was probably making Yeonha train harder, and he didn't know when he might have to spar with her or with someone else over there in Wonsan again.

He was also finally feeling more at home speaking Korean. He could help the church Kims man their drinks stall more easily now, chatting with the church-goers, although he would conveniently look blank whenever any of them tried to persuade him to go upstairs for one of the church services.

He was also slowly making progress with his North Korean accent. For vocabulary there were quite a number of phrases to take note of, which meant different things in the North and South. For example, "mije" meant "Made in America" in South Korea, but "American imperialist" in the North. Makeover Girl was also getting him to read North Korean newspapers, such as KCNA (Korean Central News Agency), which were often full of propaganda and rhetoric against Japan and the United States. Some of it was so extreme that it was almost funny.

Nakajima had, by this time, also ordered Ryoko to join Shinsou's classes with Makeover Girl, for he suspected that they might need to use her in their quest to interrogate Baek, in which case she was going to have to acquire the correct accent. Makeover Girl had gotten hold of some videos that showed North Korean newscasters reading the news, and suggested that Shinsou and Ryoko try imitating their speech.

This didn't work, however, for the newscasters' style of reading was so exaggerated and overdone, and the content so blatantly full of propaganda, that it was impossible to take it seriously; and Shinsou would usually dissolve into helpless laughter after about thirty seconds of watching. There was even one newscaster who started weeping on air while announcing the news of the previous Supreme Leader's death. Ryoko, on the other hand, would sit there looking totally blank; her Korean was still so poor that she couldn't even understand what the newsreader was saying.

Kaneshiro, who often came to watch his trainees' progress, intervened at this point. He told Ryoko that she, too, would cease classes with Teacher Kim, and learn Korean from Kaneshiro himself instead. He spoke to her entirely in the North Korean manner, and although she was slow to learn, patiently kept her at it.

"This is no laughing matter, Hirano," he said to her firmly, "With your shapeshifting ability, you'll be able to infiltrate places that even Nakajima and Watanabe can't, and you must be able to act the part. Don't let us down."

"Yes, Kaneshiro-san," she said, looking frightened. To her credit, she really was trying very hard.

January came around, and the team found themselves setting forth on the Shiramine once again on a cold, clear winter's day. Shinsou, making the routine stop at the galley with the bottled water, found Lee determinedly following Ryoko around as usual, talking nonstop.

"I see that the two of you are getting on like a house on fire," Shinsou remarked, when Ryoko had somehow managed to get rid of her admirer, and joined him in the side room.

"He's changed his tune," said Ryoko, looking harassed, "Suddenly, instead of history and politics, he keeps singing my praises."

"Well, you like that, don't you?" said Shinsou, "and have you got Yoshida's hairs? Don't forget to take them!"