Chương 133: S.05 Time to Fly 10(06)

Scene 08. So-hui's quarters were fairly bustling. With the morning light climbing ever higher, So-hui, Si-yeon, and Yeon-su all moved about busily, with somewhat hurried gestures as they got ready to head out, churning through the wide living room. Si-yeon, her hair in an apple bun, held a 곰방대(Gom-bang-dae_Slender Pipe Ornament) and a butterfly ornament in her hands and trailed after Yeon-su, fidgeting her tall frame.

As So-hui plopped down and dragged over the vanity set in the living room to draw her eyeliner, Yeon-su was fastening a black 철릭(Cheollik_Traditional coat-dress). While Si-yeon wavered over whether to go to So-hui or finish telling Yeon-su, Yeon-su, having gathered up all her lapels, grasped the ornament in Si-yeon's hand as if she'd already known of Si-yeon's fidgeting. Si-yeon smiled bashfully and sat down before Yeon-su.

Yeon-su pushed the Slender Pipe Ornament into Si-yeon's apple bun, fixing Si-yeon's hair in place like a hairpin. Yeon-su: Sis, do you ask So-hui sis to do this every morning? Si-yeon: Well, more or less. Maybe 'cause my hair's the longest, it keeps getting pushed out along with it. Yeon-su: There, done. Having tidied Si-yeon's ornament in no time with deft hands, Yeon-su rose again. As if she'd finished her liner, So-hui pushed the vanity toward Yeon-su.

Yeon-su sat down, took over the vanity, and studied her own face beyond the mirror as she asked. Yeon-su: So I just have to tail that damn bitch all day today, right? So-hui: Be careful. Always. With everything. When Yeon-su tried to draw her eyeliner with clumsy hands, this time Si-yeon stepped in and turned Yeon-su's head with a "yank." Si-yeon: Hey, can't you even draw one line on your own eyes? Yeon-su let out a dumbfounded scoff at Si-yeon with an exasperated look.

Yeon-su: Wow, sis, that's not something you get to say to me. At Yeon-su's casual whining, Si-yeon frowned and shook Yeon-su's head as if scolding. Si-yeon: Hey, don't move. If it goes off, it'll come out looking like a crazy bitch. Yeon-su: I don't really wear makeup. I'm only doing it 'cause you sisters told me to, but it's not like I'm going on some matchmaking date, so why do I have to put it on?? Si-yeon: Ugh!! You little shi —, stop yapping!! At Si-yeon's bark, Yeon-su flinched and hastily shut her mouth.

While the two focused on the eyeliner, the front door of So-hui's quarters opened and Ji-young came in, trudging her steps. The moment Ji-young entered, she flopped down sprawled across So-hui's living room. So-hui came over, took Ji-young's long arms, all but dragged her into the living room, and asked her. So-hui: Did she go? Ji-young nodded, still lying down. Ji-young's ornaments scraped of their own accord, rubbing against the floor. So-hui let out a small sigh. So-hui: So now, we really do walk our own road.

Ji-young: It nags at me, like I'm the one who shoved her into it. So-hui: Mom would've had it worse. At So-hui's flat voice, Ji-young let out a small sigh, still lying down. Lying there, Ji-young jerked her head up and gazed for a moment at Yeon-su, who was in the thick of her makeup. As if belatedly realizing something, Ji-young shed her somewhat darkened expression and quickly twitched the corners of her lips. Ji-young: Ah, what a good age to be.

Yeon-su: Ah-ni, I seriously don't get a single bit of what's going on. As if she'd finished all her makeup, Yeon-su quickly checked the vanity. Yeon-su marveled at her own face. It was makeup that didn't stand out much, but it was true she looked fairly different from her usual self. Studying her own reflection, Yeon-su asked Si-yeon. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Yeon-su: If I show up all done up like this, won't Yeon-hui sis not even recognize me?

Ji-young: You think we did it so you'd look good for Yeon-hui? Ji-young shot up from where she'd been lying. As if her nose was stuffed from rhinitis, Ji-young sniffled, listlessly plucked a tissue from the box in So-hui's living room, blew her nose, and delivered a stuffy-nosed voice to Yeon-su. Ji-young: Yeon-hui will recognize you just fine on her own, so hurry up and head up there, carefully. Yeon-su rose fumbling from her seat and bowed to Ji-young. Yeon-su: Then, The Oldest, I'll be off.

Sis, I'll be sure to find her and welcome her together. At Yeon-su's courteous voice, Ji-young only nodded, seated. Unable to bring herself to give an answer, Ji-young barely got her voice out only after Yeon-su had gone out and grown distant. Ji-young: Jo So-hui. Lee Si-yeon. So-hui / Si-yeon: Mm. Ji-young: You two stay careful and hold things down too. I'll be back soon. Ji-young urged them in a dignified voice. The two, who couldn't fail to grasp the meaning held in that dignified voice, nodded in silence.

Ji-young: I'll endure and endure and come back too. So, be careful. Always. After Ji-young's firm resolve, Ji-young turned her head to look at Si-yeon. She carefully held out a hand to Si-yeon. Ji-young: And, Si-yeon. Si-yeon, who'd met Ji-young's eyes in silence, came a little closer and took Ji-young's offered hand. Ji-young: I hope you won't feel sorry. For anything. She couldn't understand Ji-young's words. Si-yeon didn't bother to answer or ask.

Believing it was simply because of what was to come, Si-yeon merely held Ji-young's hand a little tighter in silence and nodded. As if she'd conveyed all she meant to, Ji-young slowly let go of Si-yeon's hand she'd been fiddling with and straightened her back a little more. Ji-young: Go on ahead to the dining hall. I'll stop by the training hall to pass on a word and follow right after. Tending to a sigh that slipped out on its own, Ji-young shot to her feet.

Ji-young: It's gonna be brutal as hell starting tonight, so we'd better at least fill our stomachs. Scene 09. In the training hall, I-seon sat at the head seat, delivering her voice flatly. In the training hall where directors and deputies were gathered together, no one who heard I-seon's sorrowful voice could readily raise their own. None of them were fools. They were certain that I-seon, the one delivering the voice, would be the most sorrowful of all. I-seon: I don't know, honestly.

She said there might've been a version of me that caught on sooner and flew into a rage, throwing an almighty Jiral fit — but the me right now doesn't seem to be that. At I-seon's voice, calm to the point of being wretched, all the directors and deputies seated around gave no answer. After the deep silence of those who'd heard I-seon's every word, Jeong-in was the first to answer in a calm voice. Jeong-in: I, will respect it.

Jeong-in, without holding back a single tear, pulled out the crumpled slip of paper she'd put in her pocket and, with difficulty, drew out the heart she'd kept deep within. A recipe, written in tidy handwriting, was laid out in a few brief lines. Jeong-in: Seems like this was the one thing she meant to leave behind. When she left without a single other goodbye, she must've steeled herself. She must've meant never to come back. That's why she partied with us like mad. The recipe in Jeong-in's hand trembled faintly.

Instead of a voice that betrayed nothing, Jeong-in only showed a faintly trembling hand. Jeong-in: So, I'll face it head-on. Just as she wishes. The time she spent here like mad — I'll repay it without fail. She folded the slip of paper in her hand neatly again and tucked it into her pocket. Jeong-in let out a great light sigh and looked at I-seon, seated at the head seat. Jeong-in: She told me not to let you know, sis, so I'll be the only one who knows. Don't ask.

Jeong-in's grumbled, listless voice was no different from usual. That made it all the harder for everyone to go on speaking. The training hall door opened and Ji-young came in. At Ji-young's presence, everyone seated shot to their feet and ushered her steps inside. Ji-young, entering the wide indoor training hall, sat at the head seat I-seon had occupied, in keeping with I-seon's gesture of yielding the spot. After Ji-young seated herself, the rest returned to their own places.

Glancing around for a moment at everyone's silence, Ji-young straightened her seated lapels and gave a small laugh. Ji-young: You resent me, don't you? Me. At Ji-young's self-reproach, everyone shook their heads without a sound. Ji-young: I resented myself. I wondered why I didn't stop her. And I thought, even if it was Mom's will, I should've been different. Somehow, my life feels like one left wholly with nothing but regret, and that made me resent myself more.

With her lapels straightened, Ji-young, seated at the training hall's head seat, let a short silence run on. After the brief silence, Ji-young parted her lips again in a clear voice. Ji-young: Having resolved not to regret like that, I don't even quite know what it is I find so wanting, and that makes me resent myself more. And keeping it from all of you to the end — being sorry makes me resent myself more. Jeong-in: When, did you find out? Ji-young: Right after my first death. Jeong-in nodded without a word.

Eun-jae: Then, the Former The Oldest's passing as well — Ji-young: Whatever became of Mom's life, I just wished Mom wouldn't walk a painful road. That's why I tried to stop her to the end. Yes. It was Mom's will, hoping she somehow wouldn't do it, and it was the lost road of the one who, in the end, refused to accept that will. The road she ended up walking, after all. Soo-a: Did you not, resent her? You, The Oldest. Ji-young: Who would I resent. Who could I resent.

Would I resent Mom, who followed it through though I wished she wouldn't, or would I resent the one who walked, in the end, the road she had to walk? So I turned the resentment on myself. I did. On my own. Ji-young's voice was straight, without a single waver. In the composed resolve of one who'd steeled herself sat nothing but a deep, lingering regret. Ji-young: So, everyone. Resent me. Gyeong-seo: The one who chose is someone else. Failing to stop her is no cause for resentment.

Ji-young: In the end, I, will come to ask a cruel thing of all of you. Jeong-in: It's only doing what the one who left wishes most. The one who left will surely wish for us to be cruel. There's no reason we can't follow your will, The Oldest. Soo-a: Without a shred of doubt, we will do our part to the full. That — Soo-a's voice paused for a moment. Soo-a, who'd been speaking courteously, raised her head to look at Ji-young. Soo-a: That is the will the Former The Oldest left us as she faded away.

Gyeong-seo: Because she followed it, the one who believed it the road to walk has gone her way. Jeong-in: We, too, have never once forgotten that will. We'll follow it without forgetting. Eun-jae: We have neither reason nor time to blame you, The Oldest. I-seon: So, The Oldest. The directors' heavy voices and resolve reached deep into Ji-young, seated at the head seat. Ji-young silently turned her head to meet I-seon's call.

I-seon: I beg you, do not trouble your heart, and face the one who's resolved to become an enemy, as an enemy. We, too, will fulfill that duty. Ji-young hesitated for a long while. After Ji-young's heavy answer of a nod, at last, she opened her mouth again. Ji-young: From this evening through tomorrow, I'll lay out what will happen and what we'll go through, and what we must stop and whom we'll face. Listen well.