“If my misfortune is your happiness, I’ll happily stay unfortunate.”

Agust D, The Last

Jungkook wasted no time. “What happened out there, Father?” he asked, eyes wide as he leaned forwards eagerly, “You owe us a story!”

“Your father has had a difficult journey,” my stepmother interjected, “Let him rest. Heaven knows we’ve all had a rough time.”

“He came back from the dead, that’s what happened.”

“Hoseok!”

“What, it’s true!”

My father chuckled, watching us indulgently. “Every moment without each of you was death itself,” he said, looking at us one by one, “I never feared for my life; it was yours I was thinking of. I couldn’t allow myself to leave you, not without a proper goodbye.”

His eyes met mine, and there was something in his gaze that I couldn’t catch.

But the flickering light of the flame was probably to blame. Shadows danced on the wall as it burned, and my father adjusted himself on the large cushion, wrapped up in a blanket as he looked at us.

“Your mother will have to forgive me,” he said with a look at our stepmother, “But I will tell you a story tonight. I’m sure you all deserve to hear it.”

A shiver rippled through my arms as he said that, and I scooted closer, an excited smile on my lips.

How strange, to even think how forlorn I’ve been the past two weeks, and now, too happy beyond measure.

Father pursed his lips. “It was dark, and the other village merchants and I were camped out in the forest,” he began, “It had rained, and by nighttime, it was freezing. We set up a fire, and had some provisions for food; we were about a day’s journey from here. It would have been an uneventful night, and I was a little grumpy, you see, having to sleep on the damn ground with no layer save the horse’s blanket.”

I smiled at that, suddenly remembering how Hoseok had fallen into the river as a child, and Father had been more upset at having to wade in to fish him out than the fact that my brother had been choking water out of his lungs.

“We were all taking turns to keep watch for the night. Kim and I were having a bit of a smoke by the tree, and talking about our children – which reminds me,” he said with a slap to the forehead, “Kim said his daughter Naeun is getting married in the fall, and he wanted us there.”

Jungkook sniggered. “Wasn’t she the one Hoseok had a crush on?”

“I think everyone had a crush on her,” Jimin said dreamily, “Too bad she’s engaged to the odious Changmin.”

Hoseok shot up. “She’s engaged to who?!”

“Shut up, all of you,” I shushed them. “Continue, Father, please.”

“Where was I- oh, yes. While us two fathers were reminiscing about our growing children, we heard the howl,” he continued, rubbing his arms as he shivered, “I can never forget it. Not one moment. I’ve never been more afraid in my life.”

My stepmother placed a hand on his back, patting him as he shut his eyes, wincing from the memory, unease making his face look even older.

“I could see them, headed our way. Perhaps they smelled the meat that was part of the goods; I could feel their eyes watching from the shadows, a pack of them, smelling like wet dog and hunger. We barely had a chance to wake everyone up,” he said, swallowing, “Merchant Kim tried to fend them off by throwing logs from the fire, but they were not fazed. This was their forest, and we were the strangers. The whole time, I was thinking to myself, I had to do something. And so, while the men tried to fend them off, I got a slab of the pork Butcher Choi had ordered from Bucheon, and I went right at them, waving the stupid thing and presenting myself as sacrifice.”

My breath caught. “And?” I whispered, “Surely they chased you?”

“Rightly so, my child. And I swear to you now, I have never regretted buying our horse from the races of the Capital. She outran every single one of them,” he said, pride evident in his voice, “I simply tossed the meat after I got far enough, and I could hear them tearing into the flesh like they hadn’t eaten for years.”

He smiled, looking like he was about to laugh, until he caught himself. “But then I was lost,” he said, “I had drawn them away from the forest, up into the mountains, and I lost my way in the dark. I could barely see my own hand in front of me, and I realized that I had, indeed, thrown myself out of the pot, and into the fire.”

There was a long pause.

“My teacher said that there are spirits in the mountains,” Jimin said quietly, making us look at him, “He said that there were some children who had gone out into the forest out of boredom, and went exploring in the mountains. They never returned. He says the mountain spirits ate them.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Jungkook scoffed, “That’s a legend they tell us to keep us being good little children who fulfill their responsibilities. Right, Father?”

He didn’t answer for a few moments. But when he did, he no longer held the same vigor he had had when he began the story.

“Not only did I see something,” he whispered, eyes faraway, “I don’t know now if I imagined it all, or I was simply mad from the opium I had. Speaking of which, Eunji, I forgot to give you your present.”

He stood up, walking to the satchel that he was wearing when he returned, and brought it with him as he sat back down.

He was about to say something earlier, I thought.

But what?

He reached into the satchel, taking out something wrapped in rice paper, holding it out to me.

“What’s this?” I asked, taking it from him and unwrapping the paper.

A stalk of mugunghwa – similar to the one Mistress Song had found in the forest – lay, its delicate petals carefully wrapped by the rice paper. Unlike the ones I was used to seeing, this rose had larger, wispy lilac petals. The inner part of the petals was a deep red, the color of blood.

“Oh,” I gasped, holding it up, “It looks beautiful, Father. Even prettier than I thought!”

He visibly shook himself. “It’s getting late. I don’t want you children up past your bedtime.”

Jungkook pouted. “Aww, why?” he whined, “You always end on a cliffhanger!”

“Believe me, son, this is one of those cliffhangers that are best left that way.”’

Having known Father for too long, I know his habits.

I’d recognize that nervous twitch in his smile any day.

I can smell his nervousness from the casual dismissive tone.

There’s something there. I know it.

I met Hoseok’s eyes; he narrowed them.

Guess I’m not the only one who could see through our father.

My twin brother subtly shook his head.

Don’t do it, Eunji, he was telling me.

I ignored him. “What is it, Father? What did you see in the mountains? Can’t you tell us? Please?”

He shook his head. “To your rooms, all of you! We will speak more of this in the morning.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, child. Now will you go to bed?”

I grinned contentedly, slapping Jungkook on the back. “Well, boys, you heard him. Off to bed,” I said, getting everyone up to their feet.

He rubbed the part I had slapped, scowling. “It’s not even late. The sunset only just set.”

“Well, technically, we had a bath, and I went to cook, then we all sat down to eat, and then Father told us the story,” Jimin corrected, “The sun set well before that.”

Our youngest brother rolled his eyes. “Ugh, you always have to be the smartass.”

As the two