Junho is sitting in a deep, quiet corner of a raw fish restaurant, waiting for someone.

  The appointment is at 4:00 PM. He arrived much earlier to secure the spot and has already ordered a plate of flatfish sashimi.

  “Sir! Hello. I’m sorry, am I late?”

  A soldier in his early twenties rushes into the restaurant, out of breath.

  “Ah, it’s fine. I just got here myself.”

  Junho tells a lie with a gentle smile.

  “But the sashimi looked so delicious I couldn't wait. I started a bit early with some soju. Haha. Come on, sit down. You must be starving, right?”

  “Haha, yes. To be honest, I took an afternoon pass today specifically because you said you were coming.

  I have to head back to the base right after we meet here.”

  “I see. Is the base far from here?”

  “No, it’s close. I’m on coastal guard duty in the Hajodae area.”

  This sector is a critical zone. From Hajodae Beach to the Military Demarcation Line, it is only a little over a two-hour drive. Due to the possibility of maritime infiltration, this region is always under tension, guarded by the Army’s 23rd Infantry Division, known as the "Iron Wall Unit."

  In Korea, men become subject to mandatory military service at age 18. Along the 155-mile dividing line that crosses the Korean Peninsula, units are densely packed like the teeth of a comb. Among them, the East Coast, where Hajodae is located, is a strategic stronghold where one can never let their guard down for even a second.

  The young man sitting across from Junho is named Seok.

  He enlisted as soon as he turned twenty. University was never an option; he couldn't afford it.

  Raised in an orphanage without parents, he had to step out into the world the moment he graduated high school.

  That was the law. Although there was an extension system, he didn't choose it.

  He tried to live on government subsidies, but in Korean society, that money is barely enough to keep one breathing.

  So, he chose military service. By saving his entire salary during his service, he could get his hands on a lump sum of over 20 million won.

  He has always been alone. He never knew parents or siblings. After leaving the orphanage,

  he drifted through jobs—convenience stores, delivery, loading and unloading at logistics warehouses, cashiering, and even designated driving at dawn. He did anything to survive.

  Seok has known Junho since he was a child. Junho was a regular donor to the orphanage and visited at least once a month. On the day Seok graduated, Junho bought him jajangmyeon. To Seok, that single bowl was the most precious gift of his life.

  Junho also saw him off on the day of his enlistment, as if replacing the father he never had. To Seok, "Ahjussi" is the very sense of stability that allows him to endure the world.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Junho always says the same thing.

  “Seok, attitude is everything.”

  But Seok does not yet fully understand the weight of those words. Today, Junho has traveled this long distance solely to see Seok.

  In Korea, sixty-five is by no means old. No one speaks of a "sixty-year-old elder" in the traditional sense anymore.

  But Junho is different. No matter how much he exercises or takes supplements, the fatigue seeping into his marrow does not disappear.

  This body belonged to a truck driver he met at Jingogae twenty years ago. There was sufficient compensation and an agreement.

  He took the body, but the driver's mental world remained within the files. Even though Junho took the physical form, the driver's consciousness remained, gradually progressing toward the direction of Junho’s consciousness. Eventually, it is about being born as a new type of human.

  This technology was perfected after countless experiments repeated since the dawn of humanity.

  In the end, although he possesses the brain of a young truck driver, the man's soul has not vanished. It still exists within an independent mental world.

  It’s just that Junho’s past psyche overwhelms him. The driver's consciousness has no choice but to follow the direction toward the great ideal world.

  However, since the body is not a so-called "natural" one, it feels as though it is aging faster than others as time passes.

  Junho gazes quietly at Seok sitting across from him. After finishing the meal, the two head toward Hajodae, a pavilion atop a cliff overlooking the sea.

  “Seok, do you know what Hajodae means?” “To be honest, I’m not sure. I just thought it was the name of the place.” “That’s right. But it has an origin. It’s the first characters of the names of two men: Ha Ryun and Jo Jun. They were the strategists for Yi Bang-won and the architects of the Joseon Dynasty. They were geniuses.”

  Junho looks out at the horizon. The scenery is beautiful.

  

  “They say they fell in love with this view and came here often to gaze at the sea.

  That’s why people called this cliff Hajodae. See that pine tree? It’s the one that appears every time the national anthem plays on TV.”

  “Ah… so that’s the story. Haha. I had no idea. Looking at it like this, it really is a grand sight.”

  “Isn’t it? Without those two, the politics and economy of Joseon wouldn't have functioned properly. It’s quite interesting, isn't it?”

  Looking at the waves, Junho thinks of Jo Jun. Goryeo existed, Joseon was born, and they were at the center of it.

  Junho recalls the deep sense of loss he felt when Jo Jun died first. His gaze sinks into the dark sea.

  “Sir, what are you thinking about?”

  Seok breaks the silence.

  “It’s nothing… Seok, have you seen the news about the craft from space in Country R?” “I saw it. But… do you think it’s real? Honestly, I find it hard to believe.” “If it’s real, how would you feel?” “Well, shouldn't we first find out if they are friend or foe?” “Haha… I suppose so. When is your discharge?”

  “Next month!”

  “I see. Any plans after you get out?”

  Seok’s face clouds over for a moment. “I don’t know yet. I’m not even sure how I should live.”

  “Don't lose your attitude, at least. And make sure to call me. I have something to tell you.”

  “Haha, the attitude talk again. Yes, sir. I’ll definitely call you.”

  The two descend the cliff, and Seok returns to his unit. Junho watches his retreating figure as he starts his Grandeur.

  Could I use Seok as my next body?

  The thought flashes briefly. The car leaves Hajodae Beach and speeds toward Seoul.

  Inside his building in Seoul, a space military base and laboratory are hidden. He has to hurry.

  ‘A press conference in Country R? An alien in person?’

  Junho snorts. ‘Ilik, you’ve lost your mind.’

  He summons the silver sphere from the car's console.

  “Connect to Ilik.”

  The connection is immediately rejected.

  “Damn it.”

  The highway from Gangwon to Seoul is already starting to slow down with traffic.