It had been bothering me that the mountain spirit had given the bookmark string back to me again, so this worked out well.
Thanks to the food I’d received there, I’d saved quite a bit on meal expenses, so there was no reason to be stingy about this. While heading over to pay, I happened to notice some bubble solution and picked that up too.
After finishing the payment, I stepped out of the store and let out a long breath.
I slowly looked around the alley, where not a single person was walking. I stood in front of the shop for quite a while, then turned my body and started walking slowly toward home. For some reason, the road back felt a little lonely.
There’s no one around… almost frighteningly so.
Other than the shop owners along the way, I hadn’t seen anyone at all.
Thump—
“…?”
I suddenly heard footsteps right behind me and froze in place.
Thump— thump—
Wasn’t the sound too close? Since when had someone been behind me…?
No matter how many strange things I’d been through lately, this was still terrifying. I gripped my phone tightly and slowly turned around. I froze when I saw a white hanbok right behind me, then slowly raised my head.
Something wearing a mask was looking at me.
It was extremely tall. And the mask… countless eyes were moving across it. All of them were watching me, yet in an instant they darted elsewhere, flicking around restlessly. The figure bent slightly, bringing those eyes level with my face, staring directly at me.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
W-what is this?
“…Um… I, I don’t taste good.”
My hands trembled as I clutched my phone and spoke in a small voice.
A low laugh sounded.
I cautiously opened one eye and looked at the mask again. Looking closer, the eyes felt strangely familiar.
“Um… were you, by any chance… at the lake…?”
“Yes. You remember, child.”
Huh? The voice also sounded familiar. That low, mysterious voice…
Blinking, I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to remember where I’d heard it before.
Where was it? I’d definitely heard it somewhere.
Just like when I had climbed up by the lake, a hazy sensation washed over me, as if my body were floating. I staggered and closed my eyes, and the masked figure gently caught my body.
“Lovely child. This is all I can tell you for now.”
I’m dizzy…
As I frowned and started to collapse, the masked figure held me tightly.
“All your bonds will hold you up… so please, do not give up.”
My eyes slowly closed.
* * *
“—Wahaha!”
A clear laugh rang out.
A small, thin child who had been running joyfully around the mountain turned back and raised both arms, waving.
Truly… the child’s smiling face was unbelievably lovely.
“—Lord Bihyeon!”
Walking backward, the child suddenly wobbled.
But the child didn’t fall.
Two enormous animals stood behind them.
A dog-like creature caught the child’s body and let out a happy cry, licking the child’s cheek.
The child burst into giggles, delighted by the soft fur, and hugged the animal before waving again.
“Lord Bihyeon, let’s go over there too! Hurry!”
Step.
When I turned my head, I saw Lord Bihyeon standing there with a gentle smile. His gaze, sweet and tender as if looking at someone precious beyond words, followed the child.
Small birds fluttered around the child who was still waving. They teased playfully—tickling with their wings, perching on the child’s shoulders and rubbing their cheeks against them.
The child’s face was filled with endless happiness.
He walked over and lifted the child into his arms.
Still smiling quietly, he affectionately stroked the child’s head, then turned and walked toward the place the child had pointed to.
My chest felt tight.
Even though it was clearly a dream, my heart hurt so much it felt like tears might spill out.
Biiiiii—
Suddenly a ringing filled my ears, and my vision turned red.
Something unpleasant and sticky spread across my sight, like blood flowing.
As if driven out of the dream, I woke up.
“—Hah…!”
My eyes snapped open, and tears spilled down.
My chest felt suffocating. I grabbed my clothes tightly and frowned. Curling up, I let out a small groan.
Someone wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes.
A familiar scent…
I turned my head.
As expected.
Lord Bihyeon was looking at me with an unreadable expression.
“Uh… Lord Bihyeon. Why am I…”
I broke eye contact and looked around.
The moment I realized this wasn’t my house but Lord Bihyeon’s palace, I shot upright.
“The door opened, so I went out… and found you collapsed on the road.”
Nothing hurt, so why had I collapsed again?
The feeling was the same as when I’d suddenly lost consciousness at the café before.
Back then too… I had seen a small child…
I pressed at the corner of my eye, then met Lord Bihyeon’s gaze and gave an awkward smile. To show I was fine, I grabbed my shoulders and swung my arms around in big circles.
Lord Bihyeon, who had been watching me, let out a quiet sigh and caught my arm, as if telling me to stop.
He seemed a little relieved, so I smiled awkwardly again.
“Clear.”
When he called out softly, the door opened and a sheep walked in.
Curly wool caught my eye first, so I lifted my head and slowly shifted my gaze to the face. Wearing a hanbok with a white doctor’s coat over it and small round glasses, the sheep bowed politely.
Adjusting the glasses, the sheep walked over to me and suddenly flinched.
It was small and a herbivore, so it didn’t seem very scary—
No.
That thought was wrong.
The atmosphere was terrifying.
And the eyes… the pupils were horizontal.
The sheep placed a hand on my chest and leaned its face close, tilting its head.
“I already checked earlier, didn’t I? This human doesn’t appear to have anything wrong.”
Then its face twisted unpleasantly.
“What are you looking at? You’re just a human.”
“…S-sorry…?”
“Why the hell am I even looking at a human… tsk tsk.”
And it clearly hated me.
As if touching something filthy, the sheep shook its hands, then even pulled out a handkerchief and scrubbed them vigorously before standing up.
“I told you, unless it’s that lovely human child, I have no intention of treating humans like this.”
Lord Bihyeon silently looked at the sheep with calm, sunken eyes.
“Yes! I know! I know already. That child’s soul has completely vanished and can never be born again. What I mean is that from now on, for the rest of my life, I have absolutely no intention of treating humans.”
“Hmph.”
The sheep jerked its head away and stormed out of the room.
BANG!
The door slammed shut.
I flinched and clutched the blanket tightly. Turning my head, I saw Lord Bihyeon staring off somewhere, lost in thought.
Not wanting to interrupt, I kept quiet and instead gently rubbed the pocket watch in my hand.
“Rest a bit… then go home.”
At his words, I glanced at my shopping bag behind me, but said nothing.
The atmosphere felt strange. It would be better to give the gift later.
Lord Bihyeon finished speaking, stood up, and left the room without looking back.
Yet I couldn’t think of him as cold.
His eyes had looked unusually confused.
“…What are you trying to tell me?”
I murmured quietly while touching the pocket watch.
What exactly were they trying to tell me…?
The only thing I could say for certain right now was that the “human child” that occasionally came up in conversations seemed to be connected to me.
Ha…
Letting out a sigh, I opened the door and stuck my head out, looking around. The yard seemed empty.
I went back inside, neatly folded the blanket, picked up my shopping bag, and left the room.
Then I put on my shoes, walked across the yard, and stood in front of the door.
I took out the bubble solution and waved it in front of the door.
“This is called bubble solution. If you blow on it—hoo—you get pretty bubbles.”
The guardian lions drawn on the door slowly swayed their tails, and their eyes turned toward the bubbles.
I opened the cap and blew gently in front of them.
Bubbles floated up into the sky.
“I’ll give this to you. Door… could you open for me? The atmosphere feels a little strange, so I think it would be better if I just disappear.”
I wasn’t even sure why I phrased it like that.
Disappear…
“…Please.”
When I set the bubble solution down in front of the door, a small whining sound came from it.
“Kiing…”
Then the door creaked open just a little.
Creak—
I glanced back once more, then bowed toward the empty yard.
Opening the door, I stepped through.
Immediately I was inside my own house.
Seeing the familiar, bleak living room, I let out a long breath.
Thud.
The door closed behind me.
Silence fell.
Thump, thump.
My heart was beating unpleasantly fast, so I turned around.
The tip of the flower attached to the front door had turned pitch black.
My eyes widened, and I reached out to touch it—then stopped.
Why was it that every time the ominous feeling grew stronger, I thought of my aunt?
Why was it always when something unfortunate happened…
“Ha.”
I shook my head and stepped back.
Turning around, I took off my shoes and walked toward the bedding, then collapsed onto it.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I gripped my phone tightly and stared at the family photo placed above me.
Then I squeezed my eyes shut.
* * *
I’m sleepy…
How long has it been since I actually slept deeply?
Pressing at my eyes, I put on the glasses I’d brought to hide my tired face. As I tied the strings of my apron and walked to the counter, Boss Bbiik approached me, humming cheerfully.
“Hansol, I decided we’ll pick the part-timer after the festival. I don’t think I’ll have the time to train anyone right now.”
“Who are you planning to hire?”
“Bidan. Ah, I mean Silk’s son.”
Ah, the snake kid.
I nodded and pulled out the broom, starting to sweep the hall.
“Oh, and Sol. You don’t have to come in during the festival. On Lord Bihyeon’s birthday, all the shops will close and focus on the festival. Just help with the morning shift the day after.”
Right. His birthday… I need to make the cake too.
Why am I this absent-minded lately?
Pressing the corners of my eyes, I smiled and nodded.
“Okay. That works out well.”
“If you want to come to the festival too, just tell me! I’ll lend you my clothes. That should hide your human smell.”
“Ah, that day I…”
…Can I say I’m going with Lord Bihyeon?
I started to speak, then shut my mouth tightly and rolled my eyes around before giving an awkward smile.
“No, it’s okay.”
“You’re too tight-lipped, Hansol. Are humans always that mature at your age?”
“Are they?”
I’m not sure about mature.
Scratching my cheek, I turned my head when the door rang.
Ding-a-ling—
Ah. It’s Lord Bihyeon.
Reflexively I lowered my gaze.
“Welcome.”
After greeting him, I focused on cleaning again.
Maybe it was because of that dream, but seeing Lord Bihyeon made me feel strangely unsettled.