"If you get into trouble, come find me," Yamada said quietly, out of hearing of the others. "My name is Yamada Genzo."

Nam stared back. Yamada didn't know whether he'd understood, so he pulled out a silver cigarette case from the inside pocket of his coat and pressed it onto Nam's hand. Yamada ran his finger along its side, where his name was engraved. Then he pulled away with the rest of the officers; and now that Nam's fate was decided, at least temporarily, no one paid him any mind as he limped away on his own.

Excerpted from Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim. Copyright © 2021 by Juhea Kim. Excerpted by permission of Ecco. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.