Beautifully Untamed 

Chapter Two:

Ji Yong was deep in thought as he walked forward, not really knowing where he was going, and no real destination in mind.

He was too busy trying to remember the things about earth. It had been years that he had laid dormant before first waking up. This was the third time that he had woken up again, and come to a different world from the one he had thought knew. It seemed the world had gone from having vast majestic forests to now tall metallic cold buildings. The humans looked different, the buildings, and something that Gaho called technology. It bugged him.

Yet not as much as the pain that grew in his chest with time that always became unbearable, and he grew weak and had to sleep again. Ji Yong feared if that happened he would wake up to something even more disturbing. Ji Yong couldn’t ever remember the ground being this hard, like rock, everywhere. Ji Yong suddenly felt a harsh tug at the back of one of his ankles and stopped.

Gaho barked, and people turned to watch him. Ji Yong snapped out of his thoughts and the loud sound of honking and screeching tires reached his ears. He looked back and forth in front of him. Probably the worst change of all were those speeding contraptions that threatened to end your life if ever they were to make impact on a person.

Ji Yong couldn’t help but think that humanity had created their own death trap, just to make their lives easier.

“Idiot, you have to watch were you are going!” Gaho growled, keeping mindful that he could be heard. Ji Yong smiled down at Gaho, before looking around him. There was no one around him at the moment. But with the weird things going around, it seemed impossible for him to decide how to go forward. Gaho sighed, watching his charge’s confusion and frustration grow. “Those are cars. You should go to the end of the sidewalk and wait till you can cross. You can cross when the others do, now please, stop making me talk in public” the small puppy whined.

Ji Yong nodded his head, but started to walk to the end of the block where Gaho had pointed him.  If he had his powers, those things would be blasted to ashes! Gaho had to rush to keep up with the young man’s fast pace.

On his way there, a small girl bumped into Ji Yong. She had short black hair, large teary eyes, and a pout on her lips. Ji Yong looked around him, wondering where her parents were. All he saw was a woman that looked like she was looking at some odd device, a man, and several teens, and none of them were looking at the small girl. It was as if she was not visible to them.

Gaho came up behind Ji Yong and gasped.

Standing before them was a ghost.

Seung Hyun frowned as he walked down the halls of his university. In his hands he had the syllabus for his Digital Art class and he couldn’t help but feel like his finals was more than he had expected. Sure, he knew from the very beginning. Syllabuses were given contracts from the class; you always knew what was expected from you throughout the class. He had tried to plan for it. But he had procrastinated and now everything was last minute. 

Flipping through the rest of his schedule, Seung Hyun tried to picture how the next few weeks were going to be. Seeing as his parents were rich and insisted on paying for his education, making him a full time student, Seung Hyun had opted to taking eight classes at once just to graduate that much sooner. But with graduation around the corner, and haven hasted on choosing his major, Seung Hyun wasn’t sure if he was happy with where his life was going.

Others would be envious that he was finishing school, had a job right after he was done, and an opportunity to rise in his career. They would think that he had it easy that his parents paid for his schooling, and that they were there to offer him full support before letting him go on his own. He was grateful, Seung Hyun truly was, but often he feared that he disappointed his family in his career choice. Besides that, he felt babied, like everything had just been handed to him.

Sure, his skill was proven, he could hold his own. The thing now was that it felt like a price was hanging over his head. He owed something to his parents.

So long as nothing happened, and if he focused himself, he was sure that he was going to be fine. Seung Hyun turned the corner and then headed towards an open door and into the computer lab. Once he was there, he found himself an empty desk with a computer. He logged into his account, and decided to start work on his final reports for each of his classes.

He would have done the work at home, but he couldn’t seem to concentrate when he was there-- Too many familiar people.

His mind kept wondering back to the stories that his father had told him. It didn’t help that he had started to have strange dreams as well.

A dream about someone- or at least he thought it was a person. But the more the night faded and the day grew old, he forgot what he had dreamt. It was frustrating trying to recall what he had seen in his dreams, what he had felt- and he tried so hard to recall it, but it was gone, always out for his reach.

Shaking his head, his fingers started to flow over his keyboard. He’ll deal with any depressing thoughts later.

Ji Yong made a face as he took a drink from his cup. Gaho had suggested he buy something. Money for Ji Yong was not easy to come by, but he took on odd jobs for the little that he did have. It was often used for food and drinks. But no matter where you went, so long as you asked for it, a cup of water was often free. “The waters taste…has changed.” 

“Give it to me then, and shut up,” Gaho growled and Ji Yong nodded, placing the cup down so the small pup could have a drink.

They were now in a park, sitting down to take a break. The small girl had followed them, and that was the reason they had stopped. The small girl looked happier now. She wasn’t crying, but she also wasn’t speaking.

“Why is a ghost following us?” Ji Yong asked.

“I’m kinda hoping she would tell us,” Gaho turned his eyes to the girl.

She simply smiled.

Ji Yong smiled in return. “She might be a ghost, but there can’t be anything bad about her, can there?” he asked.

Gaho gave Ji Yong a pointed look. “Listen, people don’t still tell horror stories about creatures many think never existed, or cant, because they did.  She is a ghost, and there is no way that you can take her presence lightly,” Gaho growled at the girl, and she blinked. “She’s here for a reason, be it good or bad- it’s never something pleasant”

Ji Yong stood, no longer caring to hear why a ghost might be here. Too many words and riddles, not enough answers “I want to move fast, while the feeling still lasts. I don’t want to lose my path.” He tugged on his beanie and started to once again move through the thick snow. The girl stood as well, ready to follow him.

“Wait,” she said, her eyes turning to Gaho who blocked her path.

“Tell us, why are you here,” the small puppy growled.

The girl smirked. “I feared you would not remember me, Ji Yong. I’m a ghost from the past. Your past. A life you spared.” Ji Yong turned to look at her, confused by what she was saying. He had no memories of the past. How could he ever hope to remember her. Not that it seemed important.

“I spared your life?” he asked. “Sounds very sensible of me.” He joked.

The girl simply nodded her head.  “I’m here to give you hints about your past. This is your last chance after all. You aren’t getting any more chances after this.” The girl looked down at Gaho, daring him to refute her words. Gaho knew when the time limit would be. “I can’t tell you what you are searching for, I don’t know either. But I can show you things about the past the might help you realize what it is. This is the last act of mercy from the Gods”  

Ji Yong felt pressured. Gaho was right when he suggested it. He did have a time limit. If he didn’t find that important thing to him this time around…what would happen? “You speak like an older lady” Ji Yong commented. “Wise beyond your years, although you don’t look it.”

“Please, don’t offend me,” the girl said. “I’m just a very old ghost.”

“Will you be following us?” Gaho asked.

“Not all the time. Just when the time to show something to Ji Yong occurs,”

“Is that why you are here now though?” Ji Yong asked. “You have something you want to show me right now?”

“I do.” The girl nodded.

Ji Yong was about to ask her what, when a woman with a small child passed by. He watched as the woman’s face twisted in displeasure, and her eyes directed to Gaho. The look could be describe as if the sight of an innocent pup had offended her terribly. “You should keep your dog on a leash,” she spat, darting her glaring eyes to Ji Yong.

“Why?” Ji Yong asked, but she just gave him a look, grabbing the child that was with her close. The child winced at the pain that was placed on his wrist, but he looked so excited to see a tiny animal so close.

“Come now son, don’t get near that thing,” she snidely said.  

Ji Yong moved to step in front of her, blocking her path. “A puppy frightens you, and yet you have the whole of the park to go around and you ask me to put him on a leash when you are the one barking,” he narrowed his eyes at her. “I shall put you on a leash you wench,” Ji Yong was about to make a grab for her, when Gaho stopped him.

“Ji Yong!”

The woman froze, shocked at the talking puppy that was now in front of her. “Move Gaho…”

“No, you can’t abuse what little strength you have, be wise about this,” Gaho barked. Ji Yong sighed, making like he conceded in this small matter. Gaho relaxed, turning to look at the woman. “Please go,” he told her.

She trembled, urging her child to keep up with her she started running, but as she passed by Ji Yong, the blond stuck his foot out and tripped her. “Whoops, well, hope your trip was fantastic,” he said as the woman tried to quickly stand herself and sputtered a few times.

Gaho and the small ghost girl ran after Ji Yong, not knowing where he was going now. But it didn’t seem like he would be slowing up any time soon. 

If there was one thing that Gaho was sure that Ji Yong had not forgotten, it was his hatred for humans. Not like Ji Yong could forget that. Gaho knew that any memory might die, and parish, but there was always that special little residue that remained—something abstract, still there to remind you.

By the time he was finished with his work; Seung Hyun packed his things and headed out of the computer lab. He was a bit surprised to see that night had already fallen. The snow was neatly shoved away from the concrete and it didn’t seem like it was going to snow anytime soon.  It was still bitingly cold, making him pull his sweater closer to his body.

Noticing that he was hungry, Seung Hyun decided to pass by the school store to get a snack before he made his way to his car.

Seung Hyun was munching on a sticky bun when he heard some cursing and crying. He turned his head and saw a woman cursing into her cell phone and crying. She was pretty, a brunet, with a very loud voice. Seung Hyun couldn’t help himself, he approached her. “What’s wrong?” he asked when she yelled, and finally closed her phone with a loud snap.

She wanted to throw her phone and break it, but paused when she saw Seung Hyun. Well, here was her knight in shining armor. “Uh…” she looked embarrassed now, “Can you believe that I forgot my keys inside and I locked the door. And my brother won’t bring me the spare because he’s on a date,” she sighed.

“Oh,” Seung Hyun said. “I could break a window if you need me to,” he jokingly offered.

She laughed, “Not unless you will pay for the damages.” She said. Seung Hyun shook his head.

“I was only joking.”

She walked over to him now, “What kind of car do you have?” she asked. Seung Hyun blinked.

“I have a Toyota, corolla,” he said, and the girl stuck out her hand.

“My name is Lee Hyori, what’s yours my new best friend?” she asked. Seung Hyun took her hand and shook it.

“Choi Seung Hyun,”

“Ah, my little brother is also named Seung Hyun, I call him Seungri though.” She sighed shaking her head before smiling again. “Can I try your key on my car? We have the same, it might work. I’ve heard of it working before.”

“But,”

“Please, let’s just try,”

Seung Hyun awkwardly nodded. She jumped a little in joy and led him to the driver side of the car. Seung Hyun reached into his pockets, fiddling with his keys and she snatched his bun away from him. He protested, but she directed him to continue with trying to open the door. Seung Hyun finally tried, and was surprised when the car door actually opened.

“Oh my God, thank you,” Hyori said, while giving Seung Hyun his bun back and opened the door. Having his snack back, Seung Hyun waved and started to walk away. Hyori grabbed her keys, and closed her door, chasing after him, “Wait,” she called.

“What is it?” he asked, pausing to look at her.

“You’re handsome, have you ever thought about acting?” she asked, a calculating look crossing her face as she checked him out.

“I have a major in theatre because I like acting,” Seung Hyun said, “But I never thought about doing anything with it,”

“Try out, for me,” Hyori said, “I’m hoping my story will get picked up, but please,” she offered. “You’d get paid if it’s a success…”

Seung Hyun thought for a moment, before he nodded his head. He did want to at least be part of a play and be able to develop his acting skills. “Okay, so…what’s the story?”

Hyori’s eyes twinkled as she grinned at him. “Oh, wait till you hear it. Join me for coffee,” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back towards the school—and the student Union café. Seung Hyun had no choice but to follow.