inflicted.
2010 - the holiday period
Shinhye walks through the airport, on her way to the luggage area so she can gather her bag again. She’s just returned from a trip to China, ready to get back to her part time job at the convenience store. The weekend city trip has rejuvenated her spirits and made her feel more able to take on the coming weeks again. One of the perks of the little arrangement she’s made for herself.
Grabbing her bag from the automatic distributing line, she checks the tag to make sure it’s hers, then sets on her way to the exit of the airport. Of course there’s customs first, but she strides over to the line that indicates she has nothing to declare. Walking with confident steps, Shinhye wonders again if she hasn’t entirely missed out on her career as an actress.
After all, she is more than aware of the amount of drugs she is currently carrying into the country. Perhaps she would feel bad about it, if she could afford such a luxury. The truth is she needs the money, and this is the easiest way to make money. Dangerous, but easy. The organisation she’s working for has also provided her with a place to live and the occasional clothes to go with her so-called city trips.
Well, she is visiting those cities, so there is hardly anything wrong about what they’re calling it. She’s seen plenty beautiful parts of China by now, and the stress every time she walks through the airport security is just something she’s going to have to get used to. It doesn’t feel like that’s going to happen anytime soon, though, with the way her heart is thumping in her throat.
She gives the security agents a polite nod as she passes them by, then walks out into the airport entrance halls. Behind her, she can hear someone else being stopped so they can do a luggage control. It’s only when she exits the airport altogether that the relief fills her, however. Taking a deep breath, she looks around for the taxi with the right plate number and calmly gets in.
“Cheongnam, please.”
All she has to do now is get out of the taxi with the second luggage in the trunk that contains her payment and perhaps a bonus, and the driver will deliver the goods to where they need to be. Shinhye’s hands are clean of any other crime.
Or at least that’s what she tells herself.