Chương 104: S.05 Time to Fly 06(02)

Scene 02_01. The sunlight slid down at a slant. The wind drifting in from the far-off mountain ridges was not warm, yet it was not sharp either. Fingering the ear cuff hooked on her ear, Yeon-su let out a small breath. Draped in a black 철릭(Cheollik_Traditional coat-dress) along with a thick black 두루마기(Durumagi_Traditional outer coat), Yeon-su cut a rather striking figure. Standing in the rowdy public-parking tower at the marketplace, she watched the sunlight quietly, as if waiting for someone.

Along with a blaring engine, loud music came rolling in from one corner of the public lot. Only then did Yeon-su turn her head and move her steps. After a run of tire-screech that sounded ready to lay down skid marks, the roaring ignition cut out too. From the firmly shut car, Si-yeon and So-hui climbed out and welcomed the approaching Yeon-su. Si-yeon: Twig. At Si-yeon's teasing voice, Yeon-su bent at the waist and offered her greeting first.

Seeing Yeon-su's clouded look, So-hui smiled calmly and stepped a little closer to her. Knowing the whole of the reason, So-hui and Si-yeon only drew near to Yeon-su without a word. Yeon-su: Guide. So-hui: Hey, what's with going all damn glum on me already. At So-hui's banter, Yeon-su only showed a flicker of gauging the mood, and could not swallow back the words rising in her. So-hui: It's all right. It's not like I'm being sold off for good.

At So-hui's banter, Yeon-su heaved a sigh deep enough to cave in the ground, and belatedly lifted the head she'd bowed to greet them. Watching Yeon-su's wide eyes brimming with a thousand worries, Si-yeon twitched her lips. At the sight of Si-yeon barely holding back a laugh, Yeon-su put on a grumbling face and quietly pressed So-hui. Yeon-su: Ugh, come on, seriously, sis. At least tell me the reason we can't just kill that bastard.

So-hui: Hey, while Yeon-hui sis is locked away, you think Yeon-hui sis would be glad if we killed that bastard? Yeon-su: Haa …. So-hui: And besides — you sealed Yeon-hui sis away with his blood and yours, so what, once you kill him you're just going to leave Yeon-hui sis shut in there forever? As if struck by a belated surge of irritation, Yeon-su scrunched her face and scratched roughly at her hair, which fell to about shoulder length.

Yeon-su: Ah-ni, but still — making me be the one to sell sis off, it really makes me feel like I'm living up to my title, doesn't it. So-hui: The Oldest's orders are for you to live up to that title, so — got a complaint? Then go take it up with Ji-young sis. So-hui folded her arms and drew her thick coat closed. At So-hui's plausible logic, Yeon-su, as if even her words had been corked up, stamped the feet shod in 수화자(Suhwaja_Korean Traditional Battle boots) like a child.

The innocent parking-lot floor only thudded under her. Si-yeon: Don't go SSibal flying off the handle again and raising Jiral about lopping that bastard's head off — you just guard So-hui well. I came out in case things go sideways. Yeon-su nodded listlessly, as if grumbling. Twitching the corner of her mouth, So-hui asked Yeon-su. So-hui: Still — you're glad, aren't you? At So-hui's question, Yeon-su could not bring herself to answer.

By the account she'd heard from Ji-young, she reckoned it wasn't a thing to be purely glad about. As if her feelings had settled at least a little, Yeon-su moved her head on a diagonal. It was a shape that was neither a nod nor a shake. At the childish manner the fairly tall Yeon-su was putting on, Si-yeon let out a snort. Si-yeon: Glad or not? Yeon-su: Scared and sorry and glad. What. Si-yeon: Ha, guess you're feeling a bit better? Going by how short your words got?

So-hui unfolded her crossed arms and moved off first. Fluttering the deep-navy shearling-leather coat to find a pocket, So-hui drew out the phone inside it and checked the time. Yeon-su set off after So-hui. When Si-yeon made to follow as well, So-hui halted her steps for a moment and looked at Si-yeon. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. So-hui: I parked here just in case. So I'd want you keeping a good watch.

I'll go with just Yeon-su, so stay here a little while. At So-hui's request, Si-yeon nodded readily. While Si-yeon headed toward the side with a clear view down over another public lot below, So-hui and Yeon-su went down along the iron stairs. Having descended a long way, the two of them moved on, taking in the clamor of the bustling market alley. Scene 02_02. Even the people who passed Yeon-su's thick, fluttering 두루마기(Durumagi_Traditional outer coat) didn't bother to mind what she was wearing.

It wasn't an everyday outfit, but as though it were clothing one might run into now and then around the neighborhood, no one spared her a glance beyond the one or two who looked over as if stealing a peek. Coming down from the roughly five-story public-parking tower, So-hui and Yeon-su headed for the ground-level public lot set right beside it.

Catching Yeon-su's gaze stealing a look at the click-clack of her heels, So-hui — hands still in her pockets — gave the shearling-leather coat she wore a slight tug closed and lifted the corner of her mouth. So-hui: I told you. I'm sensitive about my height. They were fairly high heels. Yeon-su, who had thought So-hui's height not all that small, recalled for a moment the heights of Ji-young and Si-yeon, with whom she'd gone about.

Just as she nodded with the thought that it might well be so, they were stepping into the wide-open ground lot. Even though it was market day, not many cars were parked there. Having surveyed for a moment the lot that looked emptied out whole in patches, So-hui, with a small breath, carried her high heels — hands in her pockets — toward one side. Yeon-su only followed So-hui without a word. Not a single familiar car was in sight.

In the lot bordered off with an iron fence, So-hui stopped her steps and let out a breath that didn't carry far. Yeon-su: Did the Oldest tease you a lot about your height, sis? So-hui twitched the corner of her mouth and shook her head. So-hui: Does my sis look like the type to do that? Yeon-su shook her head too. So-hui: It's just a chip on my shoulder, is all. Whenever I went around with sis, I was a dimwit too busy hiding behind her.

When I was little — back when I couldn't even call her Mom — if Mom asked whether I'd finished my schoolwork, I'd be too busy just shaking my head behind Ji-young sis. Even so, Mom always made a point of asking me. Even when Ji-young sis answered in my place, she wanted to hear my answer. So I guess by my teens I wanted to be a bit different. That's why I went hunting for heels — I wanted to get up near Ji-young sis's height, so I'd track down ten-centimeter heels, and then go and sprain my ankle. Yeon-su: Mm.

So-hui: Look at you not getting it 'cause you're tall — unbelievable. Yeon-su twitched the corner of her mouth and shook her head. Yeon-su: Even being tall, there's me — too busy hiding behind little Yeon-hui sis, you know. At Yeon-su's light grumble, just as both So-hui and Yeon-su twitched the corners of their mouths, they looked over at a jeep coming in fairly fast with a great roar of engine. So-hui checked Yeon-su first, as if stealing a glance.

Try as she might not to show it, Yeon-su's face was hardening easily. The jeep drew up near So-hui and Yeon-su. The ignition of the car, which hadn't kept to the parking lines, cut out too. At once, with a dull sound, the door opened. Climbing out of the car, Yu-seok drew the hem of his suit coat closed and gave So-hui a light bow at the waist. Yu-seok: My apologies for being late. Guide. At Yu-seok's courteous voice, So-hui didn't so much as return a greeting.

Of the two hands in her pockets, she drew out only one and pulled the zipper of her shearling coat the rest of the way up, as if tidying it. Slipping her hand back into her pocket, she stood there in her high heels without moving a step. Yu-seok: The reason you asked to see me — what might it be. So-hui: Yeon-hui sis — it's time you let her go now. At So-hui's cold voice, thrown out bluntly with no lead-up, Yu-seok — hands still folded politely — only tilted his head slightly.

Yu-seok: I have not yet accomplished anything. At such a time, if even my younger sister comes out, I will truly become unable to do away with the Oldest. The sound of Yeon-su curling her fists could be felt. Though she only stood half a step behind So-hui, silently watching Yu-seok, the anger surging in and out of Yeon-su was easy to feel even over So-hui's shoulder. So-hui: I called you because I know there's something else you want — not that. Yu-seok: Hm.

After unfolding his politely folded hands as if drawing them back for a moment, Yu-seok rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled out a cigarette to bite between his lips. Lighting it without ceremony, Yu-seok blew out a long stream of smoke along with a small breath. So-hui, just as unbothered, waited for the rest of Yu-seok's words to drop. Only Yeon-su, as if she couldn't sit still, kept clenching and unclenching her hand. Yu-seok: Have you come out meaning to be dragged off by me right now.

So-hui pursed her lips and shook her head. Yu-seok: Then it would be a path doomed to fail again. So-hui: There's no such thing as a path that succeeds, and even if there were I wouldn't tell you, so — well, what's it going to be. Are you taking it? Or not? Yu-seok: That I covet the Guide's path-sight — I have not yet let anyone know. That if I seized that path-sight, if I dragged it over to my side, the work would go more smoothly — I only ever half-thought it. I've told no one, not even her.

At Yu-seok's cryptic words, Yeon-su reined in, for a moment, the anger that had been boiling up one-sidedly in her. She struggled to hear Yu-seok's words coolly. Yu-seok: It sounds as though you have some reason you must throw wide open that small byway set at the fork in the road. So-hui: Because I'd like Ji-young sis not to suffer for long. Yu-seok: Is it certain that's all there is. Merely for that reason alone — So-hui: What is it you want to hear.

Yu-seok: The reason she mustn't suffer for long — is it merely to lessen the Oldest's pain — Yeon-su: This son of a bitch, really — you think everyone's like you? Yeon-su, having held it and held it and held it no longer, burst out her pent-up fury, low-voiced as it was. Keeping her gaze on Yu-seok, So-hui silently drew a hand from her pocket and took Yeon-su's, as if to cover it over.

Yu-seok: If there's some decisive reason all four butterflies must stay together in one place — if such a thing exists — The cigarette Yu-seok had been smoking burned down nearly to the very tip of the filter. Yu-seok blew out one last long stream of smoke. Holding the burnt-out stub in his hand and tossing it away carelessly, Yu-seok glared straight at So-hui. Scene 02_03_Falsehood. Yu-seok shot out just as he was and lunged as if to strike So-hui down.

Neither So-hui nor Yeon-su managed to register Yu-seok, who had lunged in an instant. Yeon-su swept her arm fast and raised 검은 모래(Geomeun-morae_Black Sand). Before Yeon-su's Black Sand, meant to screen the front of So-hui, could cover her entirely, the Black Sand that gathered as if welling up in Yu-seok's hand went for the nape of So-hui's neck first. With her other hand, Yeon-su shaped Black Sand much like Yu-seok's and tried to shove him back. But the one he'd aimed at from the start was not So-hui.

Yu-seok's hand, passing to the side of So-hui's neck, seized the long neck of Yeon-su — who had even drawn down a veil to screen So-hui. Black Sand gushed out, coiled around Yeon-su's neck, and flung her back in an instant. Around one wrist of Yeon-su, tumbled to the floor, the Black Sand that had gushed from Yu-seok's hand lay heavily wound. While Yeon-su, tumbled to the floor, lay collapsed without managing to do a thing, Yu-seok swiftly drove a dagger shaped from Black Sand into So-hui's side.

At the thing done in an instant, Yu-seok twitched the corner of his mouth. Yu-seok: I'll take the Guide with me right now. Because that path — for me — seems to be the one that wins. Yet So-hui, stabbed deep at the waist by the dagger, made not a single notable move. Keeping her gaze quietly down on Yu-seok, So-hui drew out the hand she'd had in her pocket and, as if to make a show of it, merely crooked her wrist at Yu-seok.