03

THE BLACK SWAN

Minji is distracted after the talk last night. She constantly is checking her birthmark which is hidden under her boots. The form is starting to clear in her eyes. The red mark seems like a bird or something since it shows wings which face sideways.

She is starting to feel anxious as she realized everything her Dara unnie said last night.

Their real identity is getting clearer to them. Everything the old Lady Hye Sun said before she died few years ago is happening bit by bit. She was still too young to understand everything then but she’s well aware that something is about to happen.

Hye Sun is the person responsible why they’re here in the town. She took care of the four of them until life passed at her. She’s been really good to them. She taught everything they needed to know in order to live independently.

The day she died was one of the dreadful days of their life. They cried and mourned for the person that serves as their guardian and mother. On her dying minute, she revealed her secret and they reason she took care of them. She confessed about the augury. The fate they have to face in the future. As well as the hidden powers that according to her, they possessed. However, she never said what that is for. She had just said something about the Blood Moon and the powers will be triggers.

Minji sighs deeply lost I n her own thoughts. What will going to them on the day of the Blood Moon? The powers Lady Hye Sun said, does it worth everything they had accomplish? Does it worth her life? Their lives

“Minji-ssi? Minji-ssi!” her thoughts were cut when she heard her name.

She composed herself first and looked at her students staring at her weirdly. How long does she has been caught in her own thoughts? Oh my God! That’s so embarrassing!

“I-I… I’m sorry. I got side tracked. Were we again?” she asked blushing shamefully.

“You’re teaching us the third foot step in waltz,” Ha Na one of her noble students she’s teaching answered.

“Oh yes! Sorry! Thanks Ha Na,” she apologized. Ha Na just rolled her eyes showing her bratty side at her which she already got accustomed to.

Minji continued her lesson. She is focus by this time.

She is considered as the Black Swan because of her exceptional dancing skills. So the nobles which are the upper class in their town hired her to teach dance lessons to the daughters of their family. She teaches every genre that needed to be taught to them.

Nobles are brat in every way because of their status. In anyway, she’s already used to their awful attitude.  She already learned to be immune by it.

The day dragged off. It was already late when her lesson finished. Her Dara unnie must be home by this time preparing their dinner as always.  She scampers out the studio instantly when the last student was out.

Their home was quite far from the main town. She would be passing by the town plaza first. The plaza is decorated with lanterns in preparation for the upcoming festival. There is tent bazaar built by some merchant villagers. Minji decided to stop by and check out if she can see interesting items to buy.

She is strolling around when she passed by a stall which sells accessories and charm jewelries. She was looking at a line of shining bracelets when one particular item caught her eyes.

A res string accessory caught her eyes. It’s was very simple yet beautiful. It seems like a bracelet but too die to e worn in the wrist. The string is divided into two interlacing with a tiny ruby stone dangling in the middle that locked the two strings.

Minji carefully reaches the piece with awe. It’s very simple enough for her taste.

“That will look good on you, Milady,” the ahjumma vendor commented while smiling at her.

Minji’s cheeks heat up a little.

“Thank you, ahjumma. It’s really beautiful. But I don’t think I can afford it,” she shyly said as she reluctantly put back the item.

The vendor looks back in forth at Minji and the jewelry.

“You should try it first, Milady. I’m sure it will fit with you,” she insists.

Minji hesitates for a while but then she smiles at the ahjumma and gets the item again.

“Well there is n harm in trying, right?” she mused.

She was about to put it on her wrist but the latter softly chuckles. She looked up her with confusion written all over her face.

“What’s funny, ahjumma?”

“Aniyo, Milady. Mianhe but it’s not a bracelet. You don’t wear that on your wrist but on your ankle,” the ahjumma informs.

“Oh! It’s an anklet?”

“Neh. That anklet is a vintage. It was made centuries ago. It was said that the red string symbolizes as the phoenix’s leash and the ruby stone is the bird’s eyes. It is a good luck charm for gracefulness and beauty. It’s quite simple but only royalties wears that before.”

“Wow! It’s must be really expensive just like what I thought.”

Once again, she put back the anklet without even trying it on to its original place disappointedly. She really likes it. Though, after hearing its worth, she was sure that she can’t afford it.

She was about to leave when the ahjumma vendor called her again. Minji turns around. The latter just smiles as she approaches her. To her utter surprise, the old lady takes her hand and put the anklet on top of her palm.

“A-ahjumma… W-what’s—” before she can even finish what she’s saying the latter already beat her.

“This anklet belongs to someone as pretty as you. Take good care of it, arasso?” she said.

“But I can’t take this, milady. I don’t have enough bronze with me to pay for it. It’s too much, ahjumma,” she refuses and tries to return the item to the old vendor.

“No. It’s okay. It’s yours. It belongs to no one but you.”

“But…”

Minji still tried to protest but the latter shakes her head while smiling at her as she squeezes her hand tightly.

“The phoenix is calling you, milady. Hear her cry.”

“Huh? I don’t understand,” Minji furrows her brows together.

The old lady smiles knowingly in return.

“Keep it. Think of it as a present from me for you.”

Though Minji feels hesitation nodded as she accepts the anklet.

********************

Everything keeps on repeating on Minji’s mind like a broken recorder.

She is now walking under the dark starry night to their home. It was past their dinner time but she hasn’t gone home yet. A lot of things are swirling inside her head. She felt lost and confuse.

“I wish Lady Hye Sun was here. If she’s still alive, none of these confusing thoughts were left unanswered,” she exhales audibly as she looks up the sky night.

The stars are shining brightly with the moon. It was too peaceful and quiet. Only the sound of nocturnal animals and insects were heard. She closed her eyes and savors the cold wind.

Then all of a sudden, she felt a stinging feeling on her ankle where her birthmark is located. She dropped down on her knees and checks her ankle. The marked was redder than yesterday. The half of the form is visible. It was a feathered wing of a bird. But only one side of it was shown. Then out of the blue, she heard a whimper. No. it’s sounds like a howling creature. It’s a sound of bird crying to be exact.

Minji turns her head left and right to find the source of that sound but she didn’t see anything.

“Whoa! What was that?” she blurted out herself.

She tried to listen again but only crickets can be heard. The bizarre howling a while ago was gone. Oddly, even the stinging sensation she felt had gone as well.

“That was weird,” she mumbles while tilting her head to one side and then shrugged it off.

She stands up again and continues to walk. Her sisters probably are looking for her now. Perhaps, they even worried and planning a search team to find her. They sometimes treat her like a baby to look out for. Well she can’t blame them, can she? She’s the youngest after all.

The path she is taking is really dark that she didn’t realize someone is coming. They bumped into each other however Minji is the only one fell on her .

She feels hard rock knocks her down. It’s hard as a rock but warn.

“OH! Are you alright, milady?” she heard someone asked.

She didn’t respond as she struggles to get up on her feet.

“I think you bumped into her hard, bro,” another manly voice said.

“Mianhe. I didn’t see you were coming. Here take my hand. Let me help you,” the previous one said as he held out his hands to her.

She looks up and narrows her eyes to get a better view of these strangers before her despite the darkness. Then she saw two lads wearing thick cloaks. The person who happened she bumped with wears a red expensive hooded robe while the other one had royal blue with gold lining on the hems and sleeves. She decided to accept his hands. Once she’s settled on her feet, she utters her simple gratitude.

“Thank you,” she said.

The man with Mohawk hair style stills while holding her hand for a moment and stare at her with wide disbelieving eyes. Though, he had chinky smiling eyes. His read cloak is protecting him from the cold wind of the night.

Minji feels uncomfortable with his scrutinizing gaze that she pulls her hand back. She fixes her knee length ragged dress courtesy of Chaerin. She feels nervous.

The Mohawk guy had realize what he had done and clears his throat in shame.

“Are you okay now?” he asked.

“A-ah… I’m…I’m fine Thanks,” she answered stuttering.

“Hmm… great,” the lad nodded.

Minji gulps inwardly with discomfort. Instincts told her to leave fast and now. They’re strangers after all.

“I-I better get going. BYE!” she quickly said and left.

She didn’t dare to look back at the two astonished lads. She is scared that they might be bad guys and harms her. They look utterly… mysterious. And the fact that she hadn’t seen them in the village before is enough for her to doubt them.

It’s better safe than sorry.

********************

Taeyang just stares at the retreating back of the young girl he happened to collide with. There’s something about her.

The moment he held her hand a while ago he felt something unusual. He felt connection. He can’t explain it himself either. But he knew it’s something.

“YAH! What’s happening to you? DO you have a thing for that young girl?” he heard Jiyong grimaces beside him.

“What? No way! Of course not!” he vehemently denied.

“Then why are you staring at her? And don’t you even get me started with what you did a while ago. God! Taeyang, she’s too young for Pete’s sake!” he snickers.

“What do you think of me? A e?”

“Aniyo. It’s just you looks oddly with interest in her.”

“Aish! It’s not what you think, Jiyong.”

“Then what’s that all about?” Jiyong asked.

“Just because I felt something in her. It doesn’t mean anything malicious. I’m not thinking of y stuff about her. What do you think of me? Seungri?” Taeyang scoffs a bit offended.

“Something? Bad or Good?” Jiyong frowns.

“Yes. But I can’t explain it myself. There was something uncertain about her,” he mused while looking at the path the girl walked to.

“Uncertain?” Jiyong mumbles skeptically enough for him to hear. He is in deep thought, he noticed, he suddenly looked at him wide eyes. “Do you think…?”

“Think what?” he asked with creased forehead.

“She’s one of the maidens we are looking for? The priestess of Suzako?” he continued.

Taeyang also widens his eyes. Is that even possible?

“We need to keep an eye at her. If out hunch was right, we need to confirm it,” Jiyong added seriously.

“Right,” he agreed.