Across the door, she came into an elaborate throne room. And when I say elaborate I mean elaborate: it was at least as big as an English train station. Marble columns rose from the ground and touched the ceiling. The floor was of polished marble and had thin streaks of pink fiber weaved onto the stone. The hall was empty except for the throne itself and the person on it. The throne was the most majestic of all: it was made from pure gold and adorned by all the precious gems in the world; rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds among others.

The person on the throne, however, was not as “majestic” as his seat. Like Changjo, Ricky, and Niel, he was in white clothes, but for effect, he had thrown on a king’s robe. He had that “I-don’t-care-what-you-say-I’m-me-deal-with-it” look on his face. Yunjae almost scowled. I think she actually did, because the person raised one of his brows at her.

“Is that how you must look at your next guide?” he said in a bossy way. Good thing he didn’t say “your next king” or Yunjae might have shrieked in annoyance. Instead she rolled her eyes.

“Alright, Your Highness. What is my next task?” asked Yunjae sarcastically and mocked a bow.

The boy hopped down from the throne and looked at her as if she were some strange specimen that he hasn’t seen in his entire life.

“You won’t even ask my name?” the boy asked.

“Ok fine, so what’s your name?” asked Yunjae. Once she looked at him closely, there was something about him that demanded attention, and those drawn to it won’t mind his attitude much anymore.

“Lee Byunghun, or just L.Joe,” said the boy.

“Why L.Joe?” asked Yunjae, finally interested by this new boy.

“Joe is my English name. I used to live in your world, and while I was in what you guys call America, they called me Lee Joe. Now that I’m here, I use the alias L.Joe. Simple enough for you?” explained L.Joe.

Yunjar nodded, disregarding the fact that he just insulted her.

“That’s good,” said L.Joe, finally showing the tiniest bit of concern. “Things in this dimension are usually difficult to explain.”

“Ok, so what’s my riddle from you?” said Yunjae. “I hope it won’t be as hard to understand as everything else.”

“Depends on you, really,” replied L.Joe with a careless shrug.

“What is it?”

L.Joe closed his eyes halfway for a dramatic effect, and then began his riddle.

“There’s this trait that you two don’t share, but it makes you a very strong pair. What is it?”

Yunjae thought for a while.

“There’s a clarification about that, by the way,” said L.Joe.

Yunjae looked at him expectantly.

“What I meant that you two don’t share the trait, only one of you possess it and another owns a different one, rather the opposite of the trait I’m talking about,” said L.Joe in one breath.

Yunjae hardly caught a word, but it didn’t take long for her to get it. She shot a thumbs-up at L.Joe and sat down on the marble floor to think about the riddle.

--flashback—

“Very good, Hyukjae-yah!” cheered their parents. Hyuk has brought home another star student’s report card.

It was always oppa who brought home academic awards. It was always oppa who climbed on the stage with umma and appa to receive rewards and say speeches. On the outside, she kept on the I-don’t-give-a-damn façade, but on the inside she was envious. But she never admitted it, even to herself.

Yunjae pouted. Hyukjae caught a glance at her and chuckled as he ruffled her hair.

“I made something good too, see, umma?” Yunjae searched her bag and pulled out an artwork she made in her art class. It was almost a level higher than what her age can do. Hyuk gaped at it.

Even on recent years, Hyukjae is constantly amazed by her artworks, though he hardly told her that. Take for example her mural wall. He looked angry at Yunjae, but in truth, he was secretly amazed by her abilities. Yunjae even caught her brother hiding a photo on his desktop. It was suspiciously colorful and familiar.

--end of flashback—

“L.Joe, is the trait you’re asking for the one belonging to me or to Hyuk oppa?” asked Yunjae.

“Hyukjae’s, of course. It’s his fault why you’re taking this mission,” said L.Joe. He had seated himself in front of her.

“Ok… Is it possibly his intellect? The ‘me’ counterpart of that is creativity,” guessed Yunjae.

“Bingo, girly,” said L.Joe. He stretched his arm toward the throne and something started to float from it.

When it got to them, Yunjae saw what it was: a flat wooden board.

“What’s that?” she asked. L.Joe raised a hand to silence her. Then he waved an arm over it. Curious blots of ink appeared on it and started moving around (think Harry Potter: the Marauder’s Map). Yunjae’s eyes rounded as she stared at it. L.Joe noticed this and smirked.

“Don’t stare too much, my board might melt,” he said.

When the blots finally settled, Yunjae found her voice. “What do I have to do with it?”

“You,” said L.Joe, “have to play with me in a game of intellect.”

“With you?!” exclaimed Yunjae.

“Yah, you’re lucky if it’s just me. If you were to play with Changjo you’d never get your key.”

“But it’s a game of intellect,” said Yunjae, putting emphasis on the word. “And that’s not what I have.”

“There’s no challenge if you do something you’re good at, is there? You’ll find the next few stations like this, so you better be prepared.”

“What happens if I lose?” Yunjae looked at L.Joe with the saddest eyes he’s ever seen, so he gave out a sigh.

“Fine. If you lose, we can go on playing for as long as you want. If you want to give up, Hyuk will never wake up.”

Yunjae looked at the board. After a while her sad look became a look of determination.

“Let’s do it.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After seven rounds, it was still L.Joe who was winning.

“We can stop already if you want,” said L.Joe, looking with concern at Yunjae whose eyes were burning from concentration.

“NO! I’ll save my brother! I HAVE TO WIN!” said Yunjae loudly.

“Ok, ok, sheesh,” muttered L.Joe as he leaned back and closed his eyes for a while. This is gonna be a long day.

“I GOT IT! I WIN!!!”

L.Joe’s eyes snapped and checked the board. Indeed, Yunjae had bested him using all the failures she committed after seven rounds. L.Joe was impressed.

“And you said you didn’t have intellect,” he said.

“I didn’t. Oppa did.”

Yes, that’s right. Oppa always taught me how to use failures to win.

“O…k… So, here’s your key! And that’s your door. Good luck! And be prepared,” said L.Joe. He watched her make her way to the only door in the room. It was gold and ruby-encrusted, and it looked like it would lead to the king’s quarters. But Yunjae hardly noticed.

Was his last statement to encourage me, or to scare me? Because I feel more of the latter.