chapterone

"In The Past"

Barely an hour north of Seoul's fair city, lies the Mi-young Manor, named after the deceased Hwang Mi-young and was utterly deserted apart from the caretaker after she died several years ago prior.

The manor is not visible from the main road, shrouded from a fan of oak trees and a parallelogram of high stone walls. The gates are reinforced steel with old vines perched upon the pillars. Were you allowed to these portals, you'll find yourself on a pea-gravel avenue, meandering gently through what was once a manicured lawn but has now evolved to a wild garden.

The trees grow dense as you approach the manor itself, soaring oak and horse chestnut intermingled with more delicate ash and willow. The only signs of cultivation were the driveway free of weeds and the glowing lamps that float, seemingly without a tether or cable.

But nevertheless Tiffany had appreciated it, despite the obvious fact that the caretaker hadn't really took care of the house. It has been 10 years since her last visit in the house. Her grandmother, Miyoung was still alive and strong that time. She remembered the time when both of them sat on the couch, exchanging tales and stories. She was ten years old at that time and barely remembers the exact details, but she treasured it like a heirloom.

Today, after almost a decade, she came back, this time with her fiancé, Lee Donghae. Both of them were looking for a house to dwell by the time they would marry to have a nice, big family. A suggestion then flashed in her mind and suggested for them to take a look on the house if it's suitable enough for their living. Donghae, a modernization lover who alwways have earphones tucked in his ears whenever she's speaking, hesitated at once but later agreed.

They were welcomed by the caretaker, a middle-aged man in his mid forties. His curly hair was bouncing slightly as he walked towards them, wearing a fake smile. He led them to the doorway, a grand double-door made out of Narra exported from a nearby country. As the duo stepped on the tile, they saw a grand stairway and a dimly-lit room. Furnitures were covered with white linen cloth and the floor was far from clean. It's dusty.

She winced at the sight of a cockroach crawling beneath her foot. Donghae saw this and chuckled. “Is this the place you want to live in?” He asked in a mocking tone. “First it's dusty. Obviously not cultivated for several years. And insect life! How can someone like us bear it?”

Tiffany rolled her eyes, ignoring him. He was really the proud high-class heir to the Lee family and was a cocky ert and best of all a liar. Sometimes she wondered how could she live with someone who hasn't even met her standards.

She wanted a man who is god-fearing and smart. Not like her fiancé who was an adventure-lover and truth be told a moron. She occasionally wish she will get herself another fiance and this guy would find the girl who is right for him.

The caretaker brought them to the dining room and prepared a meal. Nothing fancy but it will do since both of them were already hungry.

Moments passed and the couple sat by the living room's couch, still covered in linen sheets. Donghae , as always had his earphones tucked in his ears, listening on some random rock-ballad music and singing along by the beat. She decided to leave him and headed upstairs where her grandmother's room was located.

The knob was an old one, darkened by age. Below it was a rusting keyhole and on the door way was an old cello, tied with a strings of cobwebs. Her hands curled to the knob and twisted it open, revealing a poorly-lit and dirty room.

The furnitures were as expected covered in linen sheets. She sat on one of the chairs, beside the mirror. She remembered exactly the days she spent with her grandmother. The old woman would comb her hair to comfort her when she felt like crying. They would spend tittering like school children and would exchange banter over a cup of coffee. That's the moment she realized she missed her grandmother so much.

Holding back tears, her hands flew on the nighttable and felt something on her hands. Frowning, she turned to look and was surprised to find an old notebook there. Curious, she flipped the pages and was shocked and perplexed to find it was no ordinary notebook.

It was her grandmother's diary!.

Still curious, she began to flip the pages, searching for the entry for the date today. May 28. finding it, she smiled and excitedly hunched back to read.  

May 28, 1945

Dear diary,

Its a harsh morning today as I had woken up sore, head hurting like crazy. I stood as I took the way to the bathroom, giving myself well-being with flowing water. Dressing up with a traditional; dress, I fixed my hair in a neat ponytail. I am meeting Andrew today so I must look good.

Tiffany paused and wondered who this Andrew Choi might be. She thought of asking Donghae downstairs but dismissed the idea. He might just laugh at her, asking a random question. She resumed her reading and fixed her eyes on the letters.

 .....I came out of the room, tiptoeing to the hallway. In the doorway by the guest room, Andrew was there, holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling at me. We really do have fun talking about some random things when interruption came. My brother, Chansung barged in. Now the three of us where seated on the couch, talking about Andrew and I's supposed marriage.

Tiffany smiled at her grandmother's story but she wondered what had happened next. As far as she knew, her grandmother never got herself a husband. Numerous possibilities popped in her mind like pop corns in a frying pan. Andrew must have died or had migrated. But she dismissed those. It seemed harsh.

As she resumed reading, she soon witnessed how her grandmother enjoyed her company with Andrew. How they ran horseback riding in the ranch. How they wet each other in the district fountain. And how she felt hurt when he decided to marry someone else, thus dumping her. Her love had failed her.

***

She rubbed her eyes which was now secreting tears. It flowed down her cheeks, as a sweat would do in your chest after a nice volleyball game. Her eyes were beginning to redden now as she had just cried while reading the notebook she was clutching in her hands.

The notebook was an old one, molten and browned by age. It's pages were already aeons behind the pages of the notebooks today but nevertheless Tiffany liked it. She was after all an antique lover.

For the past moments, she had flipped the pages of the old notebook, skimming through every pages and reading what's inside it. The letters on the paper was alive as if it was a movie that she began to sob. The writings make her feel overwhelming sadness, not to mention unconditional grief upon remebering her once again.

She was clutching her grandmother's diary, the deceased Mi-young as she closed her eyes to make out what she read. Her grandmother was a fragile girl who fell in love with some Andrew Choi. Not familiar with the name, she tried her best to ignore him but can't. The name seemed to affect her much.

Was she angry with him? Not possible as she was not that emotional to plant anger to anyone she doesn't even know. But the name is something like a magnet. It attracts her.

She opened her eyes this time and raised her head, fighting the fatigue she was feeling after reading the long tale of her grandmother's romance. She expected the dirty house welcoming her vonce again but she saw a different scenario.

Surprisingly, she was still on the house, but it's undeniably cleaner. The curtains covering the furniture earlier were no longer there. She reached on the phone on her pocket but found no trace of it. Her hands then flew to silk gown she's wearing. It was not the checkered blouse and skinny jeans she's wearing earlier. Far from it. She looked at the mirror and saw she was wearing nowhere same to what she was wearing a while ago. There before her, was the reflection of herself wearing a garment nowhere close to a blouse and a jeans. A yellow gown used by traditional Koreans.

She frowned as she saw that her hairdo had altered too. She frowned. A while ago, her hair was an image of mess and shambles but now it was tied neatly in a ponytail. And also, she no longer had the make-up masked all over her face, as it was replaced by the natural hue of her face.

She looked around the room once again. The room was indeed the room she had been but it was mysteriously altered. It was as if she had just transported back to the past.

That rang a bell on her head. She quickly ran to the door and viciously struggled to open it. The double door then creaked open, revealing a huge stairway, nowhere near the dusty stairway she saw earlier. The hall was dimly lit by incandescent lamps and the hall was deserted.

She walked on the white tiles. A few hours before, she was stepping on a yellowed tile but now she was on a clean and new floor.

Was she really sent back to time?

A tall guy then caught her eye. He was standing by the doorway of the other room. He was clutching something that Tiffany couldn't make out. A flower perhaps?

She paced closer to him as she tried her best to recognize the guy. The guy then turned, sensing her presence. Now Tiffany what he had in his arms. A bouquet of flowers indeed.

“Hey Mi-young!” He said in English which was peculiar for Tiffany since she only knew few Koreans who can speak the language. After a moment, she realized that the guy called her in a different name.

Not just a name but her grandmother's!

Was she really in the past?

***

For some reason, the scenario seemed familiar to her. The flower thing. Soon a presumption came into her mind. This must be Andrew Choi!

The man was in his mid-twenties and might be 6 inches taller than her. He was gym-buff and had a huge built. Although he is only wearing a white camiso shirt, this cannot hide his handsome features. The sleeves were not helping either on concealing his biceps. He was what teenagers call hot. For a moment, she admired him. Then she remembered where she was and what she might be in.

She was in the past!

She secretly pinched herself, trying to check if it was a dream but it rendered no effect. She was still face to face with Andrew, who was smiling at her.

“You're pretty as ever.” He said, now speaking Korean.

She unconciously frowned but tried to conceal it. She drew her breath and asked. “Mister umm. Choi. What is the date today?”

“May 28.”

“!945?”

it was his turn to frown. “Yes you silly girl.” He walked towards her and knocked playfully in her head. 'What had gotten into you? You must have thought it's new year once again.”

She bit her lip. Thoughts confirmed.

Just then, a hand touched her shoulders. He turned to face the owner and was surprised to see a masculine guy, dressed in another camiso shirt. He was familiar! Yes! Of course he was! He was her grandfather, Chansung!

“So you came Siwon-hyung!” He greeted, smiling.

Siwon kneaded his head. “What's happening to your sister? She thought it was new year. Too much reading classics I think.” He then handed the flowers to her and leaned closer until their faces were an inch apart. They could hear each other's pants and breathe.

Her heart was beating faster.

Why am I feeling like this?

THIS IS SHORT. SORRY FOR THAT. I AM REALLY HAD A NEED FOR POSTERS. PLEASE INFORM ME IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.