Chapter Text
5
“Appa, let's go up the CN Tower for Eomma's birthday! Jane went with her parents and she said the restaurant is really nice!”
“Oh yeah?” He says. You both stop at the street corner and wait for the crossing signal. “What else did Jane say?”
“Well,” you tug on your backpack. “She said you can see really far away! Maybe we can even see Korea from there.”
Your dad laughs and swings your hands together.
“That's pretty far, aegiya.”
“It's because the tower is really tall, Appa,” you explain to him.
“I see,” he nods in agreement. “Oh, let's go.”
You cross the street briskly and approach the front door of your school.
“I'll talk to Eomma about it.” He says, leaning down to give you a hug. “But you have to do well on your report card first, okay?”
“I will!”
-
“Miss Sarah?” You say, surprised to find your neighbor at the principal’s office. You normally do your homework in her apartment when both Appa and Eomma are working late. But she's never picked you up from school before.
Mr. Baker stands up from behind his desk and pats you on the shoulder before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
“Celine, hi,” Sarah gives you a small smile. “Do you have your things?”
“Yes,” You tug at your backpack strap to stop it from falling off. “What's going on?”
-
The car ride to the hospital is quiet. You stare at the CN Tower in the distance. When you arrive at the ER, Sarah takes your hand and you walk behind her, eyes trained on your feet the whole time. It's chaotic and you try not to get too scared from the noises.
Your head snaps up when you hear someone wailing. It takes a second to recognize who it is. It's your Eomma. You can see her, partially hidden behind a curtain.
“Celine?” Sarah turns around when you stop walking.
“No,” you say firmly. You look at her through your blurry vision and shake your head. “I wanna go home. Eomma and Appa are waiting for me.”
Sarah kneels down to give you a hug. She's also crying.
“I'm sorry, Celine. But there's been an accident…your Appa, he’s gone.”
4
Idol training is grueling. Hunter training is even worse. Seuseungnim is hard on you, but you understand why. Your duty goes beyond singing songs and dancing routines. Your purpose in life is bigger than you.
When you first signed up for idol training camp, most of the other girls stayed clear of you, which was fine. The competition was stiff, so you couldn't let your guard down. You didn't need friends.
You suppose things are a bit different now, as you turn down an invitation to go out on a rare weekend off. Miyeong stops the pouting Jisoo from nagging you, telling her to leave you alone.
“I hope you enjoy the weekend with your mom, Celine,” She says with a smile. “We'll be spending a lot of time together from now on!”
You try not to think about her too much while you sit on the ferry to Mokpo.
When you arrive, your mom yanks the door open before you can even turn the key.
“Aegiya!” She says cheerfully, pulling you in for a tight hug and kissing your temple. She feels even smaller than before in your arms. “Come in, come in. Dinner is just about finished!”
She ushers you in, taking your bags and disappearing into the bedroom.
“You're so skinny!” Her voice floats as she putters around the tiny apartment. You take off your shoes and follow her. “That woman is overworking you and barely feeding you anything!”
“Eomma,” you laugh. “Seuseungnim is feeding us plenty. And training is important.”
She scoffs, stirring the bubbling pot of kimchi jjigae in front of her. She looks like she's about to make another reprimand so you cut her off with another laugh.
“I have a gift for you!” You offer, stepping out of the kitchen. “Let me go get it. It's in my bag.”
“Fine! But I have a box of pears for you to take back. And some hongeo-hoe.”
You walk through the narrow hallway to get to the bedroom you used to share before you left.
“You’re going to like this!” You call out loudly, digging through your bag for the envelope. It's pictures from your first photoshoot with Miyeong and Jisoo. “But you can't show it to your friends yet!”
You hear a clatter and a loud crash.
“Eomma?”
You rush to the kitchen and find your mom leaning on the kitchen table, hand clutching her chest. One of the chairs has been knocked over and the ladle is on the floor.
“Eomma!” You run over and catch her. “What's wrong?!”
-
“Celine Kim?”
You stand up quickly at the sound of your name.
The doctor gives you a grim smile.
“I'm sorry,” he says. “But your mom didn't make it.”
3
“Celine! They've taken her!” A distraught Miyeong cries through the phone.
You and Jisoo hurry home and find her bloodied and badly injured.
Il-Sung is dead next to her. And Rumi is gone, taken to the underworld.
It's easy enough to find the rift in the Honmoon and you only hesitate briefly before jumping in first, Jisoo following closely, and Miyeong stubbornly limping behind. To your knowledge, no hunter has ever crossed over before. And even if they did, no one's ever come back.
It's disorienting at first. Dark, with an eerie glow of red in the distance. You can feel Gwi-Ma’s cruelty on your skin like a layer of mist and you tamp down the fear bubbling up your throat. You have to stay strong. Your faults and fears must never be seen.
You cleave your way through the demons, hot in pursuit. The sounds of a baby crying in distress is loud enough that you know they have to be close.
“There!” Jisoo yells out, pointing across a wide river. A pack of Dokkaebi are hurrying to the red glow in the distance. You spot a particularly large one holding a bundle in a clawed hand.
You look around desperately for a way to cross before you spot a small boat with a Jeoseung Saja standing near it. You ready your swords to strike it down when the demon throws its hands up.
“Don’t! I'll take you!”
You keep a sword pointed at the demon the whole time as it steers the boat with a pole, not trusting a demon to pass up a chance to drown you the moment you turn your back.
You hop off as soon as you're close enough and unleash carnage on the Dokkaebi.
Miyeong cries out, limping to Rumi and scooping her up in her arms.
“Come! We have to go!” You say, putting an arm around her. Jisoo covers you as you run back to the boat.
You're so preoccupied with Miyeong's injuries and checking for any on Rumi that you don't notice the boat drifting.
“No tricks, demon!” Jisoo hisses.
You whirl around and see that the boat is suspended in between both banks, slowly drifting down the river. The previously trembling Jeoseung Saja looking at you with a devious look on its face.
“This is the Sam-do-cheon,” it explains, gesturing to the river. You take a moment to truly look and flinch at what you see: the dead floating beneath you. “Souls can only cross in one direction.”
You rise up to your full height.
“Take us back.”
“Or what, hunter?” the demon dares, holding the pole away with one fingertip, threatening to let it fall into the red water. You can see more Dokkaebi gathering on the banks.
You tighten your grip on your swords.
“What do you want?”
The demon laughs.
“A soul to take my place,” it finally offers, eyeing something behind you. “I’ve been doing this for centuries. And I'm tired.”
You move to protect Miyeong and Rumi from the demon's leering eyes. It starts redirecting the boat back to the bank, almost close enough for the Dokkaebi to leap over.
“Stop!”
“Jisoo, wha–”
“Take me,” she says calmly.
You watch in horror as she lowers her arm and her axe disappears, shimmering into the Honmoon above you.
“Jisoo, no!”
“There has to be another way.”
The demon takes control of the boat and pushes it back to the other bank. It smiles at Jisoo, holding out the pole.
“Deal.”
Jisoo turns slightly to look at both of you. There are tears in her eyes.
You shake your head.
“Please, no,” you beg.
“Don't do this,” Miyeong cries.
Jisoo smiles.
“Tell Rumi about me.”
She takes a deep breath and grabs the pole.
2
“Step aside, Celine.”
You look up, your hands trembling against the ground. You're back in Jeju. And Jisoo is–
Jisoo is gone and Miyeong is bleeding gravely behind you. You don't have a lot of time.
“Seuseungnim,” you manage between breaths. A scythe is pointed at your face. “Miyeong is–”
“Step. Aside.”
“What–”
It takes you a moment to realize what she means to do.
Miyeong whimpers and you see her pulling Rumi closer to her chest.
You get up slowly, your legs shaking underneath you.
“You swore an oath,” Seuseungnim reminds you. “A duty to protect that which many women before you have bled for. That child will be our undoing.”
You shake your head and summon your swords.
Jisoo is gone.
Miyeong is dying.
And Rumi…
“Forgive me, Seuseungnim,” you raise your weapons, your voice trembling. “But you'll have to go through me.”
1
You fall to your knees and pull Miyeong into your arms.
“Miyeong-ah,” you sob, trying not to think of what you've just done. “Come on. We need to take you to the hospital.”
Miyeong struggles to open her eyes.
“It's too late, Celine.” Her breaths are shallow and her ashen lips are trembling. “It’s too late for me.”
You shake your head and brush the hair from her face.
“No, no. Don't say that.”
“Please,” She trembles, weakly holding onto her baby. “Promise me you'll protect Rumi.”
You wrap your arm around hers to support Rumi and choke back a sob. You watch as the sleeping baby burrows deeper into her mother's chest.
“I promise,” you swear, closing your eyes to hold back the hot tears from falling. “I promise.”
You press a kiss on the crown of her head. She looks up at you and smiles.
“I’m glad you found me that day,” Miyeong struggles to say. “Will you stay with me?”
You think about the first time you met her: blossoms falling from the trees, early morning sun peeking through the clouds, and a warm smile asking you if you needed help with directions.
You didn't find her. She found you.
You didn't know it then, but you know now that you've loved her ever since. You loved her then, you love her now, and you'll love her until your time is up.
You'll probably love her after.
“I won't let go,” you lean your head against hers.
“Thank you.”
0
1
“Do what you should have done a long time ago.”
Rumi offers her sword and her neck to you in supplication.
“Please,” she pleads with a broken voice.
Rumi. Miyeong’s daughter.
-
‘Am I not precious to you?’
‘Rumi-ya, you are the most precious person in my life.’
-
Your daughter.
No.
You rush to her and throw away the sword.
You will not watch her die.
0
“Eomma, tangerines please!”
You look over from the flower bed you're weeding and find Rumi standing by the tangerine tree, her little one sitting on her shoulders.
“Can you get one for halmeoni too, bug?”
“This one is for halmeoni! She gets the best one.”
Giggles.
“Of course.”
You smile, wipe your hands clean, and open your arms for the incoming hug and offer of tangerines.
“Thank you, aegiya,” you kiss her cheek. “What a precious gift.”
-
In the end, death comes as a friend.
That evening, after a happy day full of sunshine and laughter, and a good night with the people you love, you fall asleep and dream of floating downriver to go home.