Chương 115: S.05 Time to Fly 07(07)

Scene 11_03. Hee-jin: I'll guide you to the quarters where the two of you will stay. Hee-jin left her seat first. So-hui and Si-yeon followed behind, shuffling, glancing about as if still not adjusted. Watching Ji-young sprawled flat on her back, Si-yeon moved her lips slightly and asked Ji-young. Si-yeon: Sis, you're not coming?? Just us?? Watching Si-yeon's urgent plea, Ji-young held a pouting smile and then sprang to her feet. Ji-young: All right then, everyone, let's head to the housewarming.

Ji-young carried her risen steps straight on and scurried over to So-hui and Si-yeon, who had been following behind Hee-jin. The Directors and deputies set off after Ji-young's quick steps. Scene 11_04. Hee-jin, walking ahead, quietly passed a word to So-hui, who had been sunk in deep thought as if holding a momentary question. Hee-jin: The designation of Seer was bestowed by the Oldest herself. So-hui: Ah. No wonder. It was a grander name than I expected, so I was a bit flustered.

Hee-jin: Have you never cast the title out through your foresight? So-hui lightly smiled and shook her head. So-hui: I never really saw as far as the name. In the records, the title that always showed was just — Three Butterflies. Hee-jin smiled lightly and nodded. Already feeling her breath choke off, Si-yeon glanced back to check for Ji-young's presence. Ji-young twitched her lips, barely holding back a laugh, following along at the very back. Si-yeon: Um, but. Are we allowed to go out? Hee-jin: Of course.

However, you must receive permission from the administrative office. On workdays excluding holidays, you'll also need the Oldest's approval. When Si-yeon sank a sigh to the floor, Gyeong-seo, at the tail end of the group, nodded hard as if in agreement. Gyeong-seo: The~ good~ days~ are~ all~ go — I-seon lightly smacked Gyeong-seo's side. At the light smack, Gyeong-seo drove air into her lungs and lurched to the side. Si-yeon was conveying to herself a deep urging that she ought to run now, while she could.

She was certain she should snatch So-hui's hand right now and bolt outside. But such resolve of Si-yeon's had already become useless, it seemed; before long they were passing in front of a signboard reading Room 0. Si-yeon: Haa.... SSibal. The garden, beginning to sprout fresh and green, opened up wide. Looking at the new-style 한옥(Han-ok_Traditional Korean house) building set beyond the spread of the garden, So-hui and Si-yeon paused their words for a moment.

It was a timber dwelling that felt cozy at a mere glance. A large, cozily set window stood open. The home's furnishings glimpsed faintly within were all the latest, without exception. As if to say go ahead and look first, Hee-jin stood still in place. Hee-jin carefully extended a hand and ushered the two's steps inside. Ji-young, following behind, also watched without stepping in, as if to let the two enter first.

The Directors and deputies who had followed Ji-young, and Gyeong-seo too, gazed intently at So-hui and Si-yeon. After So-hui and Si-yeon went into the hanok, which looked far better than expected, they kept poking around here and there without rest. The corners of the two's mouths wouldn't come down. A cypress scent came drifting down from the ceiling. Without a trace of the new-building smell felt in other houses, a cozy air settled in even in the chill of early spring weather.

So-hui and Si-yeon looked at a fairly large frame set in the living room. Inside the frame was held a single wooden board. Onto the wooden board was carved a familiar handwriting. May every road we set out on together always shine bright. She gazed at the engraving that adorned the wooden board. It was a line gouged in a familiar hand. Looking at the Korean carved into the plaque, taller than So-hui herself, she couldn't bring herself to speak.

It was a plaque on which the words one had wanted to say were set down, without leaving so much as a name. It was writing she'd wanted to see. She thought it would have been even better to hear it in a voice. While So-hui silently looked at the plaque, Ji-young and Hee-jin, the Directors of each office and their deputies, crossed the garden and took their places near the entrance. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Ji-young: Huh, that — I'm seeing it for the first time too. Hee-jin: It's writing the Former Oldest left, coming in person when the quarters where the Seer would stay were completed. Gyeong-seo: My college classmates did the construction. Heh heh. Thanks to Gyeong-seo's boast, failing to read the mood, So-hui and Si-yeon set aside for a moment the old memory laced with smiles. Hiding eyes that held a great many emotions, they could look at Gyeong-seo with a smile held on their lips.

So-hui, holding a light sigh, bowed her head lightly toward Gyeong-seo and Hee-jin. So-hui: Thank you. Ji-young: What, prison~? Lockup~? You ever hear of a prison with mom's handwriting carved into it? Si-yeon: Well, I mean, how was I to know it'd be a place like this. The hanok's really nice. I thought it'd be like an annex? A villa? Something like that. Ji-young: That place is just for resting. This is where you'll even do your work — as if mom would've made it half-heartedly.

Hee-jin: There are seven rooms in all. An office where the Seer can personally handle work and draft documents, and a place where the Secret Agent in charge of the Seer's person will stay. And the sleeping quarters for the two of you, and a reception room set apart for receiving outside guests should they come; and the 경호부 (Gyeong-ho-bu_Guard Corps) personnel will never leave the gate and the outer wall unmanned. Si-yeon: We don't need anything like that. Hee-jin: Yes.

Since I heard the Oldest promised that point as well, even the interior guard personnel won't stay inside the building. Nothing will be heard, so don't worry. Instead, the exterior guard is essential. Both the Former Oldest and the current Oldest regard the standing of the two of you as most important. It's the minimum measure, so I hope you won't refuse it. So-hui: Uh, um. Well, I don't mind if it's heard. Si-yeon: It'll just be the sound of us scrapping every day, is all.

Hee-jin: The Guard Corps will bring your belongings as they take their posts. Besides that, the Room 0 phone is set up on a separate internal line, so pressing 1 anytime connects you to the Oldest, and 2 to the Executive Secretary. This place's number is 0. Si-yeon: Hey. We could even have swordfights in the living room. Ji-young: Scratch the plaque doing that, and I'll just thrash you both. Si-yeon: Ah. True. Ah, what! I just mean it's that spacious. What would I do inside when there's outdoors?

Hee-jin: There's basic equipment set out in the garden, so you can do light sparring anytime. Though it'd be best, if possible, not to raise the Black Water. Si-yeon: Uh, um. Uh. Yes. Hee-jin: Then, we'll take our leave first and go tidy up the remaining work. Hee-jin and the Directors and deputies bowed at the waist and withdrew from the place. Ji-young drew a little closer and perched on the wooden veranda set beyond the living room window. Ji-young: I told you to hurry in. Wouldn't listen for the life of you.

Now that you're actually here, it's nice, right? So-hui: Well, it's not that we wouldn't, more that we couldn't. Si-yeon: Ah-ni, still, stifling is stifling. Wow, even getting here I thought I'd suffocate to death. Cracking jokes as she sat in the living room, Si-yeon all but sprawled herself toward Ji-young. Ji-young gently laid her hand over Si-yeon's. Si-yeon's hand was always a little colder than Ji-young's.

At Ji-young's wordless comfort, Si-yeon, holding a sheepish smile, pushed back Ji-young's comfort in a grumbling voice. Si-yeon: Ah-ni, if it was such a nice place, you could've at least shown us beforehand. Ji-young: Hey. I didn't even go in on purpose so you two could see it first, and what. I saw it for the first time today too, you know?? So-hui: Sis. So-hui too came over beside Si-yeon, drawing close to Ji-young, who sat beyond the living room window.

Noticing the rather gaunt Ji-young, So-hui looked at her carefully. At So-hui's glance, Ji-young, as if making light of it, mouthed soundlessly. Ji-young: Does it show? So-hui nodded with difficulty. Ji-young: Argh, honestly. Let's quit the moping. I mean, you two and Yeon-hui'll be handling it just fine, so what's there. So-hui:... Yeah.... Si-yeon: Ah! We really should've come just a bit sooner!! Do we have anything to do today? Can we just laze around?

Ji-young: Since you're here, Gyeong-seo and Yeon-su say they'll show you around inside. Go chat and get familiar with the faces and names of each department's Directors while you're at it. They're all good people. Si-yeon: Ah. We should do that, at least. But, I'm seriously damn bad at remembering faces and names. So-hui: Me, me too.... Despite So-hui and Si-yeon's grumbling, Ji-young paid no mind and sprang to her feet. Ji-young: I'm gonna head out for a bit today. Si-yeon: Where are you going??

At Si-yeon's question, Ji-young, with a look that said this was perfect, twitched the corner of her mouth into a playfully cruel smile. Ji-young: Now, you two watch the house. Scene 12. She opened her eyes as if startled awake. Breathing hard, Yeon-jin barely surveyed the sun rushing in early in the morning with her wide-strained eyes. When she tried to lift herself from the sofa, the inner thigh ached.

Only after feeling the small muscle pain did the events of the past evening and late night flash back for a moment like old film. After letting out a small sigh, Yeon-jin finally lowered both legs to the floor and set her lying body upright. Sweeping up her long hair and going through a dry wash of her face, Yeon-jin pulled a small cosmetic from her pocket and, without even wiping it off, checked the eyes smeared with sleep-set makeup in a small mirror. Yeon-jin: Ah, shit, I look just like a dead bitch.

Clutching the aching inner thigh as if to hold it shut, Yeon-jin barely got to her feet with effort and headed toward her office desk. Gripping the cigarettes set on the desk, she pulled one out, held it in her mouth, and moved to spark a flame as a matter of course. She showed a flicker of surprise at the lighter's flame leaping up larger than usual, but seeing the adjuster set to the smallest spark notch, she carefully kept her distance and lit it again.

Even so, she carefully finished lighting it against the flame that flared as if bursting. After checking the fuel level in the lighter once, she set the lighter down listlessly. A luxurious door set in one wall of Yeon-jin's office opened. Not the exit leading outside, but a small side door set in one wall of the office. Beyond the opened door, Yu-seok, stretching himself out fully, moved with slow steps and came out.

Loosening his stiff neck this way and that, Yu-seok looked at Yeon-jin with eyes not yet fully awake. Below the suit trousers, his feet were bare. The small scars set over the firm muscle showed plainly. Scratching roughly at his messy hair, Yu-seok rummaged in his suit trouser pocket for his cigarettes. Yeon-jin wordlessly gripped the lighter and cigarettes set on the desk and tossed the cigarettes and lighter she held lightly toward Yu-seok, standing near the luxurious doorway.

Yu-seok caught the lighter and cigarettes deftly in both hands. As Yu-seok pulled out a cigarette, held one in his mouth, and moved to spark a flame, Yeon-jin called to Yu-seok in a husky voice. Yeon-jin: Babe, watch the lighter. I think it's bro — The flame Yu-seok lit, a cigarette in his mouth, was no different in size from an ordinary lighter's. Sheepish, Yeon-jin gently rubbed the back of her own head and let out a small sigh.

Loosening his stiff body this way and that, Yu-seok held a long draw of smoke and offered Yeon-jin a slightly husky voice. Yu-seok: Tonight, there's someone I'm meeting — want to come along?