PART 1: THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK

.........................

 

Lee Sookyung was tired.

 

She had been walking with the Japanese for a while, answering the tourist’s queries. She was assigned to tour the Japanese tourist around her university.

 

The tourist was an old lady who could understand very little Korean.

 

As the Japanese lady asked for a break, she led the tourist to a bench. There weren’t so many people around the area she took the lady to. It was her favorite place. It was nice and relaxing.

 

She gave a can of tea to the old lady.

 

As the lady took it, she saw the keychain attached to the old woman’s bag.

 

“Ah...!” She liked cute stuff like Doraemon. She wanted to touch the cute little stuffed toy but kept her composure and just stared at it with a poker face.

 

The lady seemed to notice it as she smiled. “You liked it?”

 

“Eh...? Err...” She nodded as she blushed.

 

“You can take it.” She detached the keychain and handed it to her.

 

Sookyung reluctantly took it.

 

“That was my granddaughter’s.“ Sookyung nodded in understanding. She wanted to ask why the lady was giving it to her when it was her granddaughter’s. “But she died at a young age...” The lady smiled sadly. “If my granddaughter hadn’t died maybe she would have been the same age as you!” She let out a soft laugh. “And yet I still buy kid stuff for her. Maybe it’s because she died when she was still eight years old...” The woman looked at her with a bright smile. “You were a nice company. You rarely talked but you showed me a lot of meaningful and beautiful places.” The lady smiled.

 

Sookyung just looked at the lady with soft eyes. She never liked talking very much.

 

“See this.” The lady took out a book from her bag. “I went to Korea so I could look for the owner of this book. It seemed mysterious. I have never opened before. I was going to give this to my granddaughter when she turned 20 but she didn’t even get to turn nine years old.”

 

Curious, Sookyung stared at the book. It seemed to call out to her. It seemed to call her name. It seemed to invite her to open it.

 

It was as if the book was glowing.

 

Breaking her train of thoughts, the lady held her hand. “I’m giving it to you.” The lady smiled.

 

Before she could even thank the old woman, a voice called out to her.

 

“Sookyung-ah!!!” A tall, blonde man ran up to her. “Annyeong! You look serious. Well, you always look serious, anyway!” He laughed.

 

Sookyung just stared at him.

 

“Ah! What’s that? An old book? Where did you get that?” He laughed some more.

 

When she didn’t answer, Himchan shook her shoulder. “Yah! Answer me when I ask you questions!”

 

“Someone... gave it to me...” She quietly said. She didn’t like talking and yet this loud man always forces her to talk.

 

That reminded her, she was talking to the old woman!

 

But when she turned to her side, the Japanese tourist was no longer there.

 

Puzzled, she stared at the book.

 

“What kind of book is it? Some stories about ancient Korea?” He snatched the book from her.

 

Sookyung let out a soft gasp.

 

“Let’s read it, shall we?”

 

Sookyung grabbed Himchan’s arm to take the book but it was too late. Himchan already opened the book.

 

And they were engulfed by a white light.

 

.................................................................

 

Han Yerin cheerfully grabbed Park Sora’s arm. “Let’s go, Sora-yah! I bet Kyunglimmie already misses us!”

 

“B-but...”

 

“Kyunglimmie’s  alone in her house right now! We could spend lots of times with her and maybe by that, we could get high grades in the next exams~” She laughed as she urged the shy girl to run towards their classmate, Yong Kyunglim’s house.

 

As they knocked on the door, they noticed that it was unlocked.

 

“That’s weird... Kyunglim-ah wouldn’t leave her door open...” Sora said suspiciously.

 

Sora locked the door as she and Yerin stepped into the house.

 

Kyunglim’s house was like a mansion. It was huge and maze-like.

 

“Kyunglimmie is so rich, ne, Sora-ya?”

 

Sora paid no attention to the cheerful girl as she worriedly looked for Kyunglim.

 

“Maybe she’s in the library?” Yerin suggested.

 

Kyunglim’s house had 5 libraries. Being born in a family of scholars, all members of the family was expected to be smart and studious.

 

They went to the first library. Kyunglim wasn’t there.

 

Then looked for the second library. Kyunglim still wasn’t there.

 

On the third and fourth library, Kyung was still nowhere to be found.

 

As they quietly opened the last one with a “Dr. Yong Junwoo” written on the door, Sora said, “This is Kyunglim-ah’s father’s library.”

 

“Really? Do they have like one library for each member of the family?!”  Yerin said, amazed.

 

As they reluctantly opened the door, their hearts were thumping.

 

But when they opened the door, Kyunglim was still not there.

 

“Aish! Where could Kyunglimmie have hidden?! Ne, Sora-yah, do you think she’d hiding from us because she hates us?” Yerin faked a cry.

 

“I think that’s it, Yerin-ah.” She patted the other girl’s back. “Rather, I think there’s something wrong.”

 

“What could have happened?! Ah, Sora-yah, you don’t think she got kidnapped, do you?”

 

Sora gasped. “Omo! With Sora’s family’s wealth, that’s just possible!”

 

“We should look for clues! There must be something that’s off in here.”

 

Sora picked a book that looked old. It was closed and it seemed to rise her curiosity so she held it out to Yerin.

 

“That’s...?” Yerin said, confused.

 

“This...” Sora said seriously. “...is a book.”

 

Yerin sweatdropped. “I know, Sora-yah! But what’s that for?!”

 

“It looked interesting.”

 

“I thought we’re looking for our Princess Kyunglimmie?”

 

“Well, this seemed really weird, don’t you think?”

 

“Well...”

 

Sora opened it and a white light shone from the pages of the book as it seemed to them.

 

......................................

 

“I don’t want to go back to Paris...” Ryu Minhyun whispered as she carried a large box containing her old stuff.

 

She was going to stock her old stuff in their attic as they were going back to Paris where she grew up.

 

As she laid down her stuff, she tripped on something.

 

It was an old, dusty book. She blew the dust off and coughed.

 

“Geez, stuff here in Granny’s house are so dirty!”

 

She opened the book and screamed as a bright light blinded her eyes.

 

...................................................................

 

“Seungyeol, help me explore?” Young Mi-cha looked at her childhood friend, Sungyeol, shyly.

 

“E-explore what...?” Sungyeol blushed.

 

“Our basement at home! Eomma says there’s a ghost in there!”

 

“What? No way! I wouldn’t want to go to a haunted basement!”

 

“But Sungyeol-ah!!!”

 

“Alright, but we’ll bring L with us.”

 

“Alright. Myungsoo-yah lives nearby anway.” She looked at Sungyeol mischievously. “By any chance, are you afraid of ghosts, Yeollie?” She laughed at him.

 

“Me? Scared? Oh please!!! I’m a Power Ranger, didn’t you know?”

 

“Oh? And what color are you?”

 

“I’m pink!”

 

“But the pink one is a girl!”

 

“Then I’m the gold one!”

 

“But there’s no gold one in Power Rangers!”

 

“Aish! Lemme just call L.”

 

“Fine.”

 

Soon, L arrived.

 

“So what’s up?” He told Sungyeol, his best friend.

 

“We’re ghost hunting!” Sungyeol said excitedly.

 

“We’re not! We’ll just see what’s in the basement.”

 

L scoffed. “If I hadn’t known better, I’d think that you two were up to something down in the basement.”

 

“What are you sayi--- Oh...” Sungyeol blushed in realization at what L just said.

 

“Yah, Myungsoo-yah you ert!” Mi-cha blushed and hit L.

 

L was the first one to enter the basement. Behind him was Sungyeol while Mi-cha hid behind Sungyeol and held onto his shirt, scared.

 

“I thought we’re not ghost hunting? You act like you’re expecting ghosts.”

 

As they opened the fading lights, they spotted a red book, seemingly shining despite the dusts covering it.

 

They brushed the dust off and opened it.

 

..........................................................................

 

“Will you marry me?” Baek ChunHee’s boyfriend had just proposed to her.

 

“I...” She was speechless. She wasn’t really in love with him. They relationship was on-off and she often thought of breaking up with him.

 

He seemed really sweet and so in love with her, though, that she couldn’t bear hurting him.

 

Suddenly, his phone rang.

 

“You should answer it.” ChunHee said.

 

“B-but.”

 

“Just answer it!” ChunHee kinda yelled, she gets angry easily, you see.

 

As her boyfriend excused himself, ChunHee looked around. She saw a lady who seemed to be in a hurry.

 

The lady dropped her book.

 

“Ah! Ahjumma, you dropped your book!” But when she reached the book, the lady was nowhere to be found.

 

The book was opened and when she touched it, the book her.

 

No one seemed to see it, though.

 

When her boyfriend came back, she was nowhere to be found.

 

......................................

 

Park Min Hi laughed as JR, one her friends told a joke.

 

“Well, I have to go now. Bye!” JR waved his hand as he walked off.

 

Min Hi sighed dreamily. She’d been having a crush on JR for a while now. He hung out with her and her friends everyday and he could make her laugh with his silly jokes. She loves the man a lot.

 

She had always wanted to confess to him. But she couldn’t...

 

She giggled at her own silliness. She noticed that JR forgot to return the book he got so she took the initiative to return and clean JR’s mess like a kind, loving wife.

 

Again, she giggled at the thought.

 

As she walked, a book fell from her side.

 

Frowning, she took it and opened it.

 

She let out a short scream as the book engulfed her with a binding white light.

 

.......................................................

 

Min Deul Lae was, as usual, spending her time in the library, sneaking into the forbidden history room.

 

Suddenly, she heard a short scream. Alarmed, she ran to the source of the sound.

 

But there was no one there.

 

“Was I dreaming?” Then, she noticed an opened book on the ground.

 

“Deul Lae-yah, I told you not to go here. What would happen if they caught you in the forbidden section?!”

 

“But..”

 

Taemin then hugged her. “I wouldn’t want my girlfriend to get into trouble.”

 

Deul Lae laughed. She and Taemin liked pretending that they are a couple.

 

“There’s an interesting book in there.” She pulled out of Taemin’s embrace.

 

Picking it up, the book glowed and bright lights filled the room.

 

..........................................

 

PART 2: THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD

 

......................................... [the forest group]

 

When Park Sora opened her eyes, she could see the familiar greens.

 

Actually, it wasn’t so familiar but she felt like she had seen the place before.

 

But she sensed danger.

 

She could tell that she was in a forest.

 

Her heartbeat ran faster. She felt excited as she dashed off to the nearest tree and climbed it. She was a nature lover.

 

She stood on a tree branch as she silently laughed. She wasn’t scared of being in a foreign place at all.

 

In fact, it felt like she was from the forest.

 

As she watched the beautiful scenery in the forest, she saw someone walk by.

 

‘A person...? So this is not some sort of dream...?’ she thought.

 

As the person’s face came into view, she exclaimed, “Lee Sookyung!” She covered as she realized that she was being too loud.

 

The person looked up with a blank expression.

 

‘Park Sora? Park Sora from my neighborhood?’ She thought.

 

Sora hopped off the branch.

 

Sora shyly looked at Sookyung. “H-hi... I thought... I thought I was the only one here...”

 

Sookyung looked at her but didn’t answer. Sookyung kept on walking instead.

 

Although she didn’t seem like it, Sookyung was actually kinda worried.

 

‘Himchan... is he also in this interesting place?’

 

Sora shyly walked beside Sookyung. “Do you know where we are? I like this place but I came here with a friend and...”

 

Sookyung looked at Sora as Sora seemed close to tears.

 

She handed Sora her handkerchief.

 

Sora thankfully took it. “Thanks.” She wiped the tears forming in her eyes. She suddenly felt nervous of being in a totally different place.

 

Then, they heard footsteps.

 

When they looked at the direction of the sound, the two girls saw two men.

 

“Hi, could you help us? We don’t know where we are. By the way, I’m Sungyeol.” The taller man said.

 

“We don’t know where we are, either.” Sora said shyly.

 

Sookyung looked at them, disappointed. She was hoping she’d see the one who was with her before she got to that forest.

 

“Maybe we should go to something like a town?” Sungyeol suggested.

 

“That’s great. I don’t like being in forests.” The other one said.

 

“Aish, L, stop complaining. No one wanted us to be here.”

 

Sora, being fond of forests and nature said, “But this is really beautiful in here, though.” She smiled.

 

“Sorry, I’m not much of a nature fan.” He scoffed.

 

Sora was taken aback.

 

L looked at Sora and said, “Why don’t you look for a way for us to get into a town?” L commanded.

 

“I...”

 

Sookyung, not liking what she was seeing, pulled Sora to her side to somehow protect her. It looked like L wasn’t going to be a nice company.

 

“How did you guys get here? I was with L,” he pointed to the man beside him. “then we picked up a book and poof! We were transferred here!”

 

“You’re with a friend? I was with a friend, too...” Sora said worriedly.

 

“How about you?” Sungyeol asked Sookyung.

 

Sut Sookyung just stared at them blankly.

 

Then, they saw a light from their side. Then they heard a scream.

 

As they run to the source of light, they saw a girl sitting on the ground.

 

“Waah! Where am I?” The girl said, suddenly excited. “Waaah! It’s so beautiful here!”  She stood up. “I’m Ryu Minhyun.”

 

“I’m Park Sora.”

 

“Lee Sungyeol here.”

 

L didn’t say anything.

 

“This is Kim Myungsoo. Call him L.” Sungyeol laughed while saying that.

 

Sookyung didn’t say anything.

 

“W-well...?” Minhyun asked Sookyung.

 

Sookyung just stared at her.

 

“O-okay...”

 

Suddenly, they heard a growl.

 

“Wh-what’s that?” Sungyeol shivered.

 

“I don’t know...” Minhyun said.

 

“It’s a...” Sungyeol said nervously.

 

“Omo! A—A beast!!!” Sora screamed as they started running. There was a beastly-looking animal angrily looking at them, its sharp teeth exposed.

 

“Let’s climb a tree!” Sora suggested. She had no problem climbing up a tree. She was wearing boyish clothes so it was easier for her to climb.

 

Unfortunately, Sookyung was having a hard time so Sora helped her up.

 

Seungyeol let Minhyun climb first.

 

As Minhyun climbed the branch, she happened to look back and saw the beast coming closer and closer...

 

................................................[in the village]

 

Park Min Hi woke up feeling dizzy. She felt like she had been hit in the head.

 

She was in an unfamiliar room.

 

She held her head as it throbbed.

 

“You’re finally awake.” A demure-looking girl looked at Min Hi.

 

“I’m Kang Minah.” She said.

 

“Oh. I’m Park Min Hi.” Min Hi smiled at the girl.

 

Minah scanned Min Hi and said, “Where are you from?”

 

“Oh, I’m from Seoul! Actually, I remember being in the library when—“

 

“Seoul? What is that?”

 

“It’s a the capital of Korea! It’s—“

 

“What is Korea?”

 

Min Hi was confused. It was just then that she noticed that the girl was wearing traditional-looking clothes.

 

“Oh, wh-where am I...?”

 

“You’re in the village of ChanGyeo.”

 

“So this is not Korea?”

 

“I don’t know what Korea is.”

 

“Th-then, what is this place?”

 

“It’s in the Kingdom of Hannam.”

 

“I don’t get it...”

 

Kang Minah just stared at her.

 

“Th-then...”

 

Just then, Min Hi felt someone move beside her. Beside her, a girl was staring to wake up.

 

When the girl opened her eyes, she gasped. “Where am I?”

 

“I don’t know, too.” Min Hi answered her.

 

The girl looked at Minah and her eyes widened. “W-wow...”

 

Minah just looked at her.

 

“I’m Min Deul Lae. A while ago, I was with my friend Taemin—“ she gasped. “Taemin!”

 

She looked around and saw Taemin lying on another bed, unconscious.

 

“Wh-what happened?!” She asked the two.

 

“I found the three of you somewhere in the village. No one else seemed to see you so I asked Dongwoo to bring the three of you here.”

 

Taemin then woke up. “Ah, that was a nice dream. W-wait who are you?!” He then saw Deul Lae. “Ah! Deul Lae!!!” He brushed Del Lae’s hair. “Who are they?” He whispered.

 

“Oh, sorry, I’m Park Min Hi.”

 

“Kang Sora.”

 

“I see, and I’m Lee Taemin. And this is Min Deul Lae.” He pulled Deul Lae to his lap. “...My wife.”

 

Min Hi and Minah stared at them.

 

“Eh? Seriously?” Min Hi said.

 

“No! He’s just—“

 

“Yep!!! We’re sooo in love.”

 

Deul Lae glared at Taemin. “Oh yeah, we are sooooo in love, right, Taeminnie?” Deul Lae pinched Taemin’s cheek hard.

 

Min Hi laughed. “You are so sweet together.”

 

Minah expalined to them what she thought was happening.

 

“So you think that we got ‘called’ by the book to save this mysterious world?” Taemin said.

 

Minah nodded. “There must be some other people who got here as well...”

 

As Min Hi was looking outside the window, she saw someone who looked like JR!

 

But the person was wearing traditional clothes so she figured that it was just someone who looked exactly like her beloved.

 

“By the way, you are currently in an inn. My small house couldn’t accommodate you so I checked you in an inn.”

 

“Oh thanks! So you paid our rent?” Taemin said.

 

“No.”

 

“Whaaat?” The three said.

 

“I—I have money here!” Min Hi said as she took out her wallet. “Will this do?” She took out a bill.

 

“What is that?” Minah said.

 

“I don’t think that modern money would work here.”

 

“So we need to earn money?” Deul Lae asked.

 

“Yes, I suggest that you earn money for yourself. I won’t provide you anything.” Minah quietly said. “I’m sorry but I’m not rich myself...” For the first time, Minah showed a different face other than the blank one. She looked sorry and worried.

 

“It’s alright.” Min Hi said.

 

“M-Maybe we could work?”

 

“Do any of you have talents? It would be easier if you could play instruments. People here love entertainment.”

 

“Well...”

 

.................................................[in the palace]

 

Baek Chunhee opened her eyes as the light went out.

 

She was in a classy looking room.

 

“What is this place?!”

 

She looked at her wrist watch. “Omo! How do I get back home?! I have a modelling appointment later!!!” She was a model in the normal world, you see.

 

She then started running and looking for a place out.

 

She found an exit. It was a garden-like place. It was so beautiful and exquisite.

 

She then started calling out, “Someone, please help me! I need to go home!”

 

But instead of an answer, she received a shot of an arrow.

 

Luckily, she didn’t get shot.

 

Her eyes widened.

 

“Who are you to be roaming around the royal palace?”  A man pointing an arrow at her said.

 

ChunHee scoffed. “And who are YOU?” She was mad that the man attacked without even finding out why she was there.

 

“I’m Lee Howon, one of the emperor’s soldiers. I suggest that you submit yourself while I’m still calm.”

 

ChunHee frowned. “Who are you to tell me what to do?” Without thinking, she ran away and managed to dodge Hoya’s arrows.

 

Quickly, she managed to climb a tree.

 

Menawhile, when Yerin opened her eyes, she was in the emperor’s room.

 

She stared at the people in the room. There was a ten of about thirteen years old, wearing flowing silk robes while the other was wearing expensive –looking clothes but they were for men.

 

“Huh? Are you guys cosplaying?”

The beautiful girl blushed. “What is cosplaying?”

 

“Who are you?” The man said.

 

Yerin was speechless. She felt like she did something bad.

 

“Emperor, I think she’s one of the girls from the legend.”

 

The emperor looked at the other girl. “Perhaps you’re right, Princess Sulli.”

 

“We should take her to the other girl who also got here a while ago.” The princess said.

 

The emperor smiled at Yerin. “I’m Emperor Sunggyu.” The emperor helped her up.

 

The emperor called one of the palace guards and asked him to take Yerin to “the other girl.”

 

Yerin wondered what it meant.

 

As they were walking, Yerin said, “Ahjussi, please let me just take a look around the palace.” She said, trying to escape.

 

“No, you can’t”

 

“Awww... But I’m really lonely and I want to look for my friends~” She whined cutely, trying to sweet-talk so she could escape.

 

The guard was about to agree but someone talked from behind the guard.

 

“I see you know how to sweet-talk and trick people, huh.”

 

Yerin smiled sweetly at the stranger but inside, she was pissed off.

 

“I’ll take care of this girl here.” The stranger said to the guard.

 

Yerin turned to the stranger. “Hi~ Oppa, I need to go somewhere.” She pouted cutely.

 

“Aww... But your aegyo doesn’t work on me.”

 

Yerin frowned.

 

“Who are you to resist my aegyo?!”

“Nam Woohyun. Remember that!”

 

Just then, from the window, a girl with modern clothes appeared.

 

Yerin saw that and exclaimed, “Kyaaa! Someone of my same kind!!!” Yerin ran to the girl.

 

“Oh wow, it’s nice to see you here! I feel relieved! I’m Baek Chunhee, by the way.”

 

“Han Yerin~” They smiled at each other.

 

“Is this guy bothering you?” ChunHee referred to Woohyun.

 

“Oh, yes, he’s a jerk!”

 

ChunHee glared at Woohyun.

 

Just then, another girl appeared from the hallway.

 

“It seems that we got transferred to this world.” The new girl said.

 

Yerin gasped. “KyungLimmie~~~” She hugged the girl.

 

Yerin turned to ChunHee. “ChunHee-yah, we’re saved! Kyunglimmie is here and she’s really smart and she’d get us out of here in no time!!!”

 

Kyunglim tried to get out of Yerin’s deathly hug but ended up tripping her own feet and falling down.

 

“Aigoo, Kyunglimmie, you’re even clumsier than I am.”

 

“I don’t understand the three of you at all!” Woohyun said. “Tell you what, I’ll leave you here and do whatever you want. The emperor will find you anyways. So don’t bother trying to escape. Bye then!” Woohyun winked at them and walked off.

 

ChunHee spoke up, “So we’re in another world, and we’re here because...?”

 

“Maybe they need something from us.”

 

“Oooh~ Like we are heroines?”

 

“Yes, there was a legend from a book... About people from a certain world getting transported to another world to fulfill the roles of being a priestess.”

 

“I see...” ChunHee said. “How did you guys get here?”

 

“I was at my father’s library. When I opened a certain book, it transported me here.”

 

“Oh, was it a red book that looked so old and mysterious?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Yerin decided to in. “I see!!! Actually Sora and I went to your house and saw the book and when I opened my eyes, I was in here!”

 

“You went to my house?!”

 

“Err... Yeah.”

 

“Did you lock the door?”

 

“Oh, you’re worried about that? Hahaha. Yeah, we did.”

 

“Oh, good.”

 

Then, they heard a scream.

 

“I told you to let go of me!!!” The girl screamed again.

 

The three girls ran to where they heard the scream.

 

“Sungyeol-ah!!! Help!!!” The girl continued screaming.

 

The guards were holding her in the wrist as she tried to struggle free.

 

“Let go of her!” ChunHee yelled.

 

The guards looked at her.

 

And because of that, they all got captured.

 

“Oh man~ I shouldn’t have yelled.”

 

The girl earlier wasn’t screaming anymore but she still looked scared. “I’m Young Mi-cha. Earlier, I met the Emperor and the Princess. I escaperd and now the guards went after me.”

 

“I don’t think they’d harm us, though.” KyungLim said.

 

Just then, the emperor entered.

 

“Let them go.” The emperor quietly said.

 

The four girls looked up and saw the emperor. Everyone bowed down to the emperor except for them

 

..........................................

 

End of this chapter

 

What would the group in the forest do? Will they get stuck in there? Will they make it back to town alive?

 

What can the village group do? How can they earn money? Will the people accept them?

 

What will happen to the palace group? What will the emperor make them do? Are they safe in the palace?

 

Sorry for the typos. Sorry if some weren’t given enough exposure.

 

Sorry if it wasn’t so good.... But I wrote 29 pages!!! TWENTY FREAKING NINE! This is the longest chapter I have ever written in my whole life! LOL

 

So I hope you liked it.