Chapter 10: Unraveling The Web

As Camellia and Leo walked back to their apartment, the weight of the conversation with Yohan hung heavy in the air. They both knew that they couldn't reveal what they had learned from Agent Kang, but the desire to help their friend was overwhelming.

"I hate keeping this from him," Camellia said, her voice laced with frustration. "Yohan deserves to know the truth, even if it's difficult."

Leo nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "I know, but we have to trust that the NIS is doing what's best. Interfering could put Yohan in even more danger."

Camellia sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to this story. Yohan has always been so kind and honest with us – the idea of him being involved with the North Korean regime just doesn't add up."

"I agree," Leo said, his expression thoughtful. "There has to be something we're missing. We need to find a way to help Yohan without jeopardizing the investigation."

As they reached their apartment, Camellia paused, her eyes narrowing. "Wait, Leo – what if we could dig a little deeper on our own? Maybe there's something we can uncover that could help the NIS, or at least give us a better understanding of what's really going on."

Leo considered her words, his brow furrowed. "I don't know, Camellia. Agent Kang was very clear that we shouldn't interfere. If we get caught, it could make things worse for Yohan."

"But what if we're careful?" Camellia pressed, her eyes alight with determination. "We could start by looking into Yohan's background, see if we can find any clues that might shed light on this whole situation."

Leo hesitated, weighing the risks and benefits in his mind. Finally, he nodded. "Okay, let's do it. But we have to be extremely careful, and we can't let Yohan know what we're doing. The last thing we want is to put him in more danger."

Camellia's face lit up with a relieved smile. "Thank you, Leo. I promise, we'll be discreet. Let's start by digging into Yohan's past, see if we can find anything that might help us understand what's really going on."

The two friends quickly set to work, scouring the internet and any available public records for information on Yohan's background. They searched for any clues that might shed light on his connection to North Korea, but the results were frustratingly sparse.

"There's hardly any information on him before he came to Seoul," Camellia said, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It's like he just appeared out of nowhere."

Leo nodded, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the keyboard. "Yeah, and what little we do find is pretty vague. It's almost as if someone has gone to great lengths to cover up his past."

Camellia leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. "Do you think the NIS is holding something back? Maybe there's more to Yohan's story than they're telling us."

Leo shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know, Camellia. Agent Kang seemed pretty convinced that Yohan was a North Korean defector. Maybe there's just not a lot of information available on his early life."

Camellia chewed on her lip, her eyes narrowing. "But that doesn't make sense. Yohan's been living in Seoul for years – surely there would be some kind of paper trail, some records of his life here."

"You're right," Leo said, his brow furrowing. "Let's try a different approach. Maybe we can find information on the people Yohan has been in contact with, or any organizations he's been involved with."

The two friends spent the next several hours scouring the internet, searching for any clues that might lead them to the truth. As the night wore on, their frustration grew, but they refused to give up.