prologue: the contract and the bridge / 계약과 교량
reflect on your shadows
prologue: the contract and the bridge / 계약과 교량
(Monday, 4/9 20xx. Morning.)
Kim Myungsoo didn't know what had crossed his mind when he told his manager that he wanted a break and then went away on an exhausting long trip to a town unfamiliar to him. Maybe he was tired of working. Maybe he wanted a change in scenery. Maybe he was exhausted.
It didn't matter now, as he leant the side of his head on the window of the car, watching as blurred trees passed by.
He glanced at the phone he kept on the dashboard, unlocking it to see a picture of a map. It was the direction to his destination: the small town of Geoul. It was a very isolated town, almost two hours from anything. If he went by a train, he would have to take another bus ride from the train station which was located in the next town.
What business did he have in the small town, you ask?
His phone chimed off, signaling a call coming in. From his brother. He slowed his car speed and pressed the accept call button, setting it on loudspeaker.
"Have you arrived yet? It's still rather early to come." His brother's voice greeted him, with hints of murmur across.
"Still on my way. I think I only have to pass the bridge. How are the family?" He asked, noticing the aforementioned bridge up ahead.
"They're holding up fine. It's surprising to hear you want to come, though. She's not exactly your closest friend in high school."
"No, but I'd still like to pay respect." He said as he passed the bridge. Just after the bridge, he could see the silhouette of the town in the distance.
"Suits you just fine. I'll see you soon." His brother ended up the call.
Myungsoo stared straightly at the town, slowly turning from mere shapes to actual buildings. All in all it wasn't a big town, but it was still bigger than a mere village. That being said, it's more of a very big village than a small town. He could see a small lake, an inn, and a shopping district as he passed them. Maybe this trip wouldn't be a waste.
He figured he would be weird to wear black suits since he heard there were people who still held traditional value and wear whites and he had assumed this town would be the same. Since he only had black clothes, it troubled him.
He was wrong. Almost everyone wore black, only few people, no more than eight, wore whites. He sighed in relief.
He quickly approached the main hall–the town surprisingly had a funeral house and a hospital, despite it being a small town. After he placed his condolence money to the offertory box, he went straight to pay his respects to the deceased and her family. One of the family members kindly guided him to the dining area, where he quickly found his brother.
"Moonsoo."
"Hyung." His brother greeted upon seeing him. "I expected you to arrive later than this."
"Me too. It was a rather long trip." Myungsoo grabbed a plate and filled it with kimchi, "You'll stay for the burial in two days, right?"
"Yes." Moonsoo replied, "Are you going to wait and go back with me?"
"I'd like to, but my manager told me to go back early." He couldn't help but sigh as he chewed on his meal.
"That's a shame. But if you change your mind, you could stay with me at the inn. Though, it's rather small for both of us."
"No, thanks." Myungsoo chided with a small smile, "Your snore will keep me awake."
Moonsoo chuckled, "You're a heavy sleeper, I bet it wouldn't bother you that much."
"Have you prepared an oration yet?"
"I figured I should from the first time I heard the news. She was my senior in the club, after all." Moonsoo said with a wistful gaze.
Myungsoo turned his sight around the room. For a young woman, there were lots of guests attending the funeral. "There are lots of people coming." He commented.
"True. The inn even had room shortage. It was a miracle I could get a room. Almost everyone wanted to stay until the burial. I guess she was just that popular of a person." Moonsoo said.
The brothers scanned the room, watching as people chatted and ate the meals prepared for them. There were few people that caught Myungsoo's interest, particularly the two young men standing near the doorway, looking outside as they talked. "Moonsoo, do you know who those two are?" He asked.
Moonsoo looked at where he pointed and shook his head, "I think they're locals? I would remember if they're from our high school."
Myungsoo didn't say anything as he kept watching both men talking with each other, until one of them, the taller one, caught his gaze and he had to avert his eyes.
(Evening.)
He slept in his car for the night, because just as Moonsoo had informed him, the inn was full and he had no acquaintance in the town willing to give him a place to stay. He didn't mind, though, because he managed to park his car on the lake side and he got an amazing view of the lake and the night sky. Thankfully the lake side were barren of people so he could change his clothes to a more comfortable one.
Moonsoo had kindly bought him dinner before they part ways that evening. He ate in silence, enjoying the noises of owls and crickets around the lake side. The town was rather quiet; although he could distantly hear voices of people not yet asleep from the town.
After he finished eating, he leant back on his driver seat, fully taking the sight of the starry sky. Something about it made him feel strange. The moon gave him a weird feeling, as if he wanted to both stare at it and also avoid its gaze.
He casted down his gaze, towards the lake. He gasped in awe, seeing how the lake surface completely reflecting the sky. As if it was a giant mirror. A single butterfly flew across the lake, looking as if it was shining with blue lights.
Suddenly he felt drowsy and his eyelids fell, lulling him into blankness.
He was awoken to the sound of a microphone feedback. Gritting his teeth at the annoying sound, he found himself to be sitting on a stage of a small performance hall. The lights were dim so he couldn't see much apart from the empty seats of the hall.
He stood up, examining the stage. Only a single spotlight shone on him, and no other lights were on. Where was he? He remembered falling asleep in his car..
"Have you awaken?" A deep voice called out to him.
Warily, he turned to look for the source of the voice. He recognized faintly the voice as his own, albeit deeper and lower.
"Fear not, as I'm here only for your contract." There were steps and suddenly, on the stage in front of him, there was a young man with a face similar to him. He even had the same clothes. However, his face remained without expression as he handed Myungsoo a clipboard with a paper on it.
"This contract is the one that you need to sign if you want to bring out the truth." The man continued, "This contract will be your agreement to take responsibility for your actions and will give you access to power. Should you fail to sign it, this will be our last meeting and that signifies you don't stay true to who you are."
Myungsoo faintly thought of a name for this man. L, he thought to himself, that name suit the man so well. Myungsoo didn't even know where did it come from.
Hesitantly, he reached out to the clipboard and lightly read the paper. Sure enough, it was some form of a written contract about taking responsibilities, something about power, and something about his journey. Deciding that it was maybe just a dream and nothing could happen from it, Myungsoo signed the contract.
'L' took back the clipboard, he seemed relieved and he smiled in a pleased manner. "This will be all for now. We will meet again, but not like this at least. Soon enough, the 'other you' will greet you. I hope it would be the 'other me' as well." There was a knowing tone to his voice, as if he knew something that Myungsoo didn't. "Although, I'll always be within you."
"What are you talking about?"
The spotlight turned off. Myungsoo blinked in the darkness, listening to a fading footsteps.
The next time he woke up, it was 5 am in the morning and he was freezing in his car, on the lake side.
(Tuesday, 4/10 20xx. Morning.)
Myungsoo managed to sneak into Moonsoo's room to take a bath and in return he treated his brother for a simple breakfast at a local restaurant before he left the town. Moonsoo sent him off as they again part ways; Moonsoo had decided to stay until the burial after all. He had been close with the deceased girl than Myungsoo.
The sky was cloudy that morning, but Myungsoo didn't pay it any mind. There were flashes of lightning every now and then in the distance. Myungsoo shrugged it off, praying it won't start raining soon since he just washed his car the day before he left for the funeral. He focused on the road up ahead, gripping the steering wheel loosely while absentmindedly listening to the radio, playing a song very familiar to him.
The distance from the edge of the town to the bridge was quite far. Maybe around twenty minutes, but maybe it's just because his slow driving. He didn't want to leave just yet, he didn't want to go back to the suffocating studio just yet.
There was another flash of lightning, closer to the car. The trees shook as the wind passed. Myungsoo leant in closer to the steering wheel, relieved to see the bridge just few hundred meters away. At least the bridge seemed sturdy enough to withstand the strong winds.
"Though it seems like a pretty strong wind." He commented offhandly.
Another flash of lightning, and suddenly Myungsoo had to grip tightly to the wheel as he was pushed forward. Immediately he winced his eyes, teeth gritted in reflex as he processed what was happening. The world around him turned around–over and over again.
He quickly realized that it was his car that was turned around multiple times. The storm was so strong. He felt genuine fear, trapped in the car with no way out. His ears were filled with endless ringing and loud crashing; no doubt from his car and the road, and also from the storm hitting the trees.
Bright flash of lightning filled the sky. The air around the car felt off. A thunder was coming. He had to get out of there. But his car was still crashing, turning around, and he was still trapped. His only saving grace was the safety belt, ensuring his body didn't leave the car seat.
With a loud noise his ears couldn't even bear, a flash of white light dominated his sight. The car halted, still upside down with stunned Myungsoo in it. Ringing filled the air as raindrops fell, taking its turn after the numerous thunders. He couldn't take it anymore. With his last thoughts being the bridge in front of his eyes falling apart into the deep river below, he succumbed into unconsciousness.
A faint music and a voice of a woman singing greeted his ears first before he opened his eyes. His body felt numb for a bit as he struggled to remember what had happened. Wincing at a sudden pain shooting through his head, finally he recognized the room he awoken to as the performance hall he saw when he met L, the mysterious being bearing his appearance. However, the stage was now properly lit instead of it being dark like earlier.
The audience seats were blue, just as the curtains and the walls around the room. The stage itself was black, with stairs on each side. Some of the lights were on, shining only the stage and not the whole hall.
Even then, Myungsoo noticed how he was sitting on the audience seat rather than on the stage. Instead, on the stage there was a desk on the back rather near the curtains in the back of the stage, with two figures behind the desk, unmistakably watching him.
The light softly fell upon them. One of the figure, a long-nosed man with bulging eyes, sitting on the chair behind the desk. Another one was a girl with long, silver hair tied to a single low ponytail draped over her chest.
Somehow, he felt familiar with the two.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The man spoke in surprisingly high-pitched eerie voice, "To think another guest would arrive so shortly after the previous one... You are one of unusual fate."
Myungsoo sat up straight to see them better. The weird man was dressed in black suit, while the girl was dressed in overall blue clothing. If he had to describe it, she was dressed as an idol would be dressed, complete with the short frilly skirt.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Igor." The man introduced himself in a kind albeit amused tone then he gestured to the girl standing beside him. "And this is my assistant who's also the resident here."
"Hello, I'm Agatha. I will be aiding you on your journey." She waved one of her hand slightly, her other hand was holding a huge book.
"This place exists between mind and matter, dream and reality. This is a room that only those who have signed the 'contract' would be able to enter." Igor then took a good look around, "As expected, you are such an unusual guest after our last one."
Agatha smirked cheekily on that, "Never thought we would see someone from the other island."
Igor chuckled, closing his eyes. "That being said, as you have signed the contract, we shall recognize you as our guest henceforth and welcome you shall you decide to come to this place. To reach the end of your journey, you will have to take hold of your power and refine it. To do so, you will require my assistance. I ask only one thing in return; that you abide by the contract, and take full responsibility of your actions."
Myungsoo nodded, "I understand." He said, because how else was he supposed to answer? Both Igor and Agatha seemed pleased of his response.
A key suddenly manifested from blue fog in front of Myungsoo's face. He took the key hesitantly, examining it.
"That would be the key to enter this place. Please come whenever you wish." Igor explained.
Myungsoo slowly started to feeling drowsy just as Agatha clapped and then the lights were turned off one by one.
"We will tell you the other details later, when you're ready." Agatha hummed, "Until the next performance."
(Wednesday, 4/11 20xx. Afternoon.)
One second, he was seeing a strange girl waving hand at him, and the next second, an extremely attractive young man was leaning down on his face. Granted, the said young man immediately jumped back once Myungsoo opened his eyes to meet his gaze.
"Oh, you're awake!" The man said. "Wait, I'll go call your brother."
With that, the man left the room.
Myungsoo blinked his sleepiness away. After few seconds, he finally was aware that he was bedridden, on a room dominated with white, with a sterile-like scent clinging to his nose. Another few seconds, and he knew he had to be in a hospital.
The door was rolled open and came Moonsoo through it, followed by the man from earlier and another man with noticeably small eyes, also a man dressed in white doctor jacket. "Hyung, how are you?" Moonsoo asked him worriedly, immediately approaching his side.
"Handsome, but thirsty." Myungsoo weakly joked.
All of the people not currently bedridden laughed at his expense, more of relief than anything. The doctor checked up on him and made sure he was not injured both internally or externally. After explaining that he needed to rest for another couple of days, the doctor left the room.
"I'm glad you're okay!" Moonsoo said, "I was so worried when I heard about the accident."
"Sorry." Myungsoo murmured, "I only remembered the crash. What happened after I passed out?"
"Yesterday there was a big storm. During the storm, we heard loud noise from the bridge so I went to check it out and I found your car with you unconscious in it." The man with small eyes explained. Upon closer inspection, he faintly smelled like flowers and hand soap.
"Hyung was really panicked and immediately called the hospital." The man who invaded his personal space just after he woke up spoke, "Since then you had been in the hospital. Shortly after they brought you in, we found out that you had a brother staying at the inn so we told him about you."
"It was a miracle that you got out of it uninjured! Like, there were barely any scratches and aside from shock, you're virtually uninjured!" Moonsoo commented with amazement.
Myungsoo let that sink in for a bit before he looked up at Moonsoo, "I have to go back as soon as possible. My manager will kill me if I overstay–"
"You can't." The tall man (the one he first saw) interrupted.
"What? Why?" Myungsoo frowned.
The man with small eyes (thus, the nickname Small Eyes) bit his lips, "The source of the loud noise we heard during the storm... It was the bridge. The bridge collapsed."
Moonsoo definitely had pity on his eyes, "Since the only way to connect this town to other town was that bridge... We can't leave this town until they fixed it."
That took a bit longer to sink in. But when the gears on his brain started to move, Myungsoo wasn't at all upset. He felt numb, but not in a bad way. After all, this would mean he wouldn't have to come back to his job for a while.
"How long would it take for the bridge to be repaired?" Myungsoo asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in his voice. If any of them caught the unexpected anticipation in his voice, nobody commented on it.
Small Eyes considered for a second, "I'm not sure of the details, but the mayor said it would take at least ten months if everything is working smoothly. After all, not all of the bridge is destroyed."
So that would mean ten months of hiatus. Myungsoo could get behind that. Surely his boss and manager would understand. It's not like he could jump over the bridge.
"But this is quite a problem.." Small Eyes frowned, looking out over the window, "With the bridge collapsed, we're trapped inside the town. I'm afraid the inn was still full of guests from Raewook-ssi's funeral, and there were still lots of guests for the funeral trapped in the town who had only came yesterday before the storm. I'm afraid you'll find difficulties in finding a place to stay."
Myungsoo was about to say that it's okay, and that he'd just sleep in his car before he quickly realized that his car was probably unusable due to the crash. He'd ask Moonsoo about his car later. "I'd just.. Stay with Moonsoo, I guess."
At that moment, Moonsoo's face turned sheepish, "Oh, sorry, hyung... See, last night, the other club members who came yesterday morning asked to stay with me in my inn room, so.."
Tall And Cute (the tall man, because he was tall and cute) then stared at Small Eyes, "Hyung, wasn't there an empty house near the shopping district? You know, that one with big yard."
Small Eyes nodded hesitantly, "..yes?"
"Since, you know, he had no place to stay for the time being and that house is empty anyway, why can't he just live there? Temporarily, you know? I'm sure your father wouldn't mind. It's to help a visiting guest, after all."
Both Myungsoo and Moonsoo looked up at Small Eyes, unsure what to take of Tall And Cute's words, but Myungsoo trusted him enough that Tall And Cute just wanted to help him out. He could appreciate that.
Small Eyes sighed exasperatedly, "You and handsome guys." He murmured at Tall And Cute, "Fine, I'll ask Father to clear it out. Consider it done."
"Thank you!" Tall And Cute beamed happily in Myungsoo's behalf. He then turned to look at Myungsoo, "I'm sorry for the late introduction, but I'm Lee Sungyeol. I'm co-worker of this man here." He gestured at Small Eyes who scoffed.
"Kim Sunggyu. We both work at the kindergarten near the town park." Small Eyes, who's called Sunggyu, said.
"Thank you for your help, Sungyeol-ssi, Sunggyu-ssi." Myungsoo replied. "I'm Kim Myungsoo. Nice to meet you."
Sungyeol took his hands and shook it cheerfully, "Once you're discharged, I'll come to help you settle in your new place. Do you have any more luggage aside from ones in your car?"
"No, that should be it."
"Alright! Thankfully the house is practically full-furnished so I'm sure you'd like it!"
At that point, Myungsoo didn't know what kind of journey fate had exclusively brewed for him. All he knew, was that he was pleased to be able to fade into mundane days instead of being restrained to chains of public expectations.
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