2009: Lost Memories 2005

As Imperial Japan’s iron grip on the Korean Peninsula tightened in 2009, two seasoned agents from the Japanese Bureau of Investigation (JBI), Masayuki Sakamoto and Shojiro Saigo, found themselves at the forefront of a high-stakes operation. The stage was set when a group of terrorists, known as the Hureisenjin, launched a daring hostage crisis at the Keijo museum. Though the true motives behind this brazen act remained shrouded in mystery, Sakamoto’s meticulous investigation would eventually uncover a cryptic connection to a crescent-shaped artifact, dubbed the “Lunar Soul”, which had been seized by one of the slain terrorists. As the JBI delved deeper into the Hureisenjin’s modus operandi, it became increasingly apparent that their primary target was none other than the storied Inoue Foundation - an organization founded upon the artifacts collected by Korea’s second Governor-General.

As Sakamoto and Saigo dug deeper into the labyrinthine world of artifact collecting, they were left scratching their heads over the Hureisenjin’s seemingly irrational fixation on these historical relics. But before the truth could be fully unearthed, the terrorists struck again - ambushing a convoy transporting Inoue Foundation artifacts back to Japan and making off with the coveted Lunar Soul. The ensuing gunfight pitted Sakamoto against the enigmatic leader of the Hureisenjin, Oh Hye-rin, in a tense standoff that would leave lasting scars.

Sakamoto’s probing questions into the Inoue Foundation’s affairs sparked a maelstrom of suspicion and mistrust among his superiors. His father’s mysterious execution as a traitor for allegedly aiding a thwarted attack by the Hureisenjin on a Vladivostok-bound cargo ship in 1985 served only to further discredit Sakamoto, leading to his dismissal from the case. Undeterred, he embarked upon an independent investigation, traveling to Harbin to unravel the secrets surrounding the Lunar Soul.

But just as Sakamoto began to make progress, tragedy struck when Takahashi, his trusted mentor, was brutally murdered at his apartment - a crime for which Sakamoto was subsequently arrested and charged. In a stunning turn of events, Saigo - once Sakamoto’s ally - vowed to become his enemy the next time they crossed paths. And so, as the JBI closed in on Sakamoto, he found himself forced to go underground, relying on his wits and cunning to stay one step ahead of his pursuers.

As Sakamoto lies injured within the secluded lair of the enigmatic Hureisenjin, a clandestine meeting unfolds between Saigo and a high-ranking representative from the Inoue Foundation. The revelation they uncover is nothing short of astonishing: their reality is but a distorted reflection of a parallel universe. This epiphanic discovery stems from an archaeological excavation in 2009, where a collective effort by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese scholars unearthed a colossal stone temple with the ability to manipulate the fabric of time. The Japanese ultranationalist organization Uyoku dantai seized upon this ancient artifact, utilizing its power to transport their leader, Inoue, back in time exactly 100 years to prevent the assassination of Resident-General Itō Hirobumi on October 26, 1909.

The ripple effect of this temporal manipulation is profound. With Itō’s survival and Inoue’s foreknowledge of future events, Japan avoids defeat alongside its Axis counterparts in World War II, instead forging an alliance with the United States against Nazi Germany. The war concludes in 1945, marked by the atomic bombing of Berlin rather than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a victorious power, Japan rises to become a military and economic powerhouse, claiming a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, while its colonial empire remains intact. Inoue’s descendants found the Inoue Foundation, carefully guarding the knowledge of this altered timeline from prying eyes, with only the highest echelons of Japan’s government privy to this secret.

Meanwhile, a Korean researcher, driven by a determination to rectify the anomalies of the past, had doggedly followed Inoue and attempted to thwart his actions. This indomitable individual would go on to found the Hureisenjin, passing down the tale of the distorted timeline in the hope that somehow, someway, the original chronology could be restored.

As Sakamoto’s awareness of the altered historical landscape grows, he forges an unlikely alliance with the enigmatic Hureisenjin, who have acquired the coveted temple stone and are poised to launch a decisive assault. However, their plans are brutally foiled when the JBI raids their hideout, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. Amidst the carnage, Sakamoto and his companion, Hye-rin (Kim Tae-ri), manage to escape with the Lunar Soul, fleeing to a tanker ship where the Inoue Foundation’s treasured artifacts are being safeguarded. There, they locate the temple stone and carefully place the Lunar Soul within it, unwittingly triggering its activation amidst the chaos of a gunfight with the JBI. Tragedy strikes as Hye-rin falls, leaving Sakamoto as the sole custodian of the timeline. With a heavy heart, he dispatches himself to Harbin in 1909, pursued by Saigo (played by), who is determined to preserve the current reality. Compelled by a dire warning that restoring the original timeline will imperil his wife’s family in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Saigo redoubles his efforts to prevent Sakamoto from altering the course of events.

Sakamoto wounds Saigo before hastening to the railway station where Inoue (played by) is poised to eliminate An. However, just as Sakamoto prepares to intervene, Saigo reappears, hell-bent on disrupting the timeline. Sakamoto dispatches Inoue and then brings down Saigo, thereby preventing him from carrying out his deadly mission; An subsequently fulfills his destiny by assassinating Itō. Later, Sakamoto is seen covertly planting explosives to destroy the temple stone when Hye-rin (Kim Tae-ri) unexpectedly materializes beside him. As the truth gradually unfolds, it becomes clear that this Hye-rin was a Korean researcher from the original timeline who had tracked Inoue’s journey through time, despite never having crossed paths with Sakamoto in her native reality.

Upon returning to 2009, the restored timeline becomes evident as a young boy, who had shared a poignant moment with Sakamoto in the alternate timeline, gazes upon a gallery of Korean heroes and leaders at Independence Hall, including a cherished image of Sakamoto and Hye-rin beaming together.