Step 1: Know your enemy/ies

“Do we really have to do this?”

Sam has forgone a long deep breath before speaking to her dear friend. It was for the nth time since Min asked the question. She was getting irritated by the tone of it. “You want to finish college?” Sam asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Right,” Min said dejectedly.

Sam knows that Min will do anything to finish college, even if that means bargaining with Satan.

“Do the people here know what a Google is?”

 Silly witch.

Looking around the place, you will have the same question as Min. Do the village people know Google? It was far from the city. Miles, miles far away from the environment Min grew up with. There were no coffee shops, convenience store, and heck with the bars.

Mom, we got here safe. I just don’t know if we’ll be back safe. This place is so ancient.

“Please, please be sent. Please, please,” Min prayed while she was wagging her phone back and forth, just outside the almost stone-age like house (just as what Min described when she first saw it). Unluckily, that will be her home for a month or ‘till they finish their research.

“Finally,” she screamed in delight when MESSAGE SENT flashed in the screen. “Waaaaaah!!!!!” she screamed while she was rolling on the ground. “Ouch,” she complained when she tried to stand up. “Grrrr. I hate this place!” she whined, still she was trying to get up. She wagged her hands in frustration and shouted, “ARENAITZUNO.”

It was all thanks to that stick, Min got home. Her hair is a sure fine mess. There were leaves all over her. Her clothes were no good.

She glared at Sam to stop her from talking, “Don’t ask.”

Sam could just stare at Min while she stomps her feet to the bathroom.

“She totally loves the place,” Sam whispered after Min banged the bathroom door. “Poor door.”

***

Pity was written all over the face of the people in the town market as they look at the young man who just walked by. He was carrying his grocery bags, enough to keep him full for at least a month.

According to hearsay, the young man started living in the town a year ago. He situated himself at the house west of the town. He was living alone, according to the people.

The village people tried their best to get to know him and welcome him at their small village, but he was avoiding everyone. He isolates himself from all the people around the globe.

“Young man,” the ahjumma from the fruit stand called. “Young man!” she shouted again, getting the attention of the whole market. It was as if their world stopped when the young man stopped his trance and slowly turned around to the ahjumma. He didn’t say anything; he just walked back to the fruit stand, eyed for the forgotten bag of oranges, and carried it.

Just like that, the mysterious young man was gone.

Few moments later the usual energy at the market was back. There were shoppers asking for lower prices of goods, sellers who try their very best not to lose on the persuading game. But still, there are few people who can’t make their mouth shut about the young man.

“Shouldn’t we ask the village leader to investigate the young man?” an ahjumma selling vegetables suggested to the others near her stall.

“Yes. We don’t know anything about him,” another agreed.

“He maybe a dangerous man from Seoul or other places. He maybe a police wanted.”

“Tsk. Tsk. And when did the people in our village become interested to other people’s business?” Chief Song, the village leader interferes with the group of ahjummas playing a talk about the young man. Each of the ahjumma fell quiet. “Trust me, he is not some police wanted from other areas. I can assure you of peace.” Chief Song said and left the group.

“He’s guiltier than a criminal, but less of a criminal,” Chief Song whispered.

Undoubtfully, Chief Song is deserving of his title. He’s responsible for the peace in the whole village. And obviously, he knows about the young man. He can’t just let anybody live in his beloved village and ruin the peace they were enjoying for years.

“Chief Song!!! Chief Song!!! Chief Song!!!” a man half of Chief’s age was panting as he holds Chief Song’s shoulder for support. From the look of it, he was crazily running to look for the Chief. “Chief! Our guests! Our guests…” he can’t finish, not at least a phrase because of his heavy panting.

“What happened Yu Han?!” Chief Song shakes Yu Han for an answer. “Yu Han! Yu Han!”

It was because of the water why Yu Han was able to have a grip of himself. He told the Chief what happened on the West side of the village involving the two guests who just arrived yesterday.

**RIGHT. RIGHT. Forgive me with my headspinning grammar :) Pure product of boredom :) Nothing much.