Chapter 05. Dreams Come True

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Opening his brown orbs, the first figure that met his sight was that girl.

He was standing in front of the old chestnut tree while gazing at the picturesque mountains of the city.

Beside him, standing also is a young girl with probably the same age as him.

The girl’s face is vivid. Her beautiful face is very clear to his eyes. The shape of her face, her curved scarlet lips, the red-tinted cheeks, her glorious pallid skin, and those eyes that were once filled with sadness… seemed to not exist in them anymore.

He was too immersed at looking at her features that he did not notice her reaching out her hands and placed them against his palms.

They felt cold… Nevertheless, he laced his fingers with her.

It was unexpected.

Unfamiliar scenes came flooding into his mind.

 

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Screams

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Pleas

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Tears

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It suffocates him.

It is unbearable.

Just then, he felt her squeeze his hands.

Warmth surged into him.

Realization dawned upon.

He believed.

He knew.

She is real.

 

Jong In’s eyes fluttered open.

His chest tightened. His breaths were irregular. His body was numb.

And then it hurts…

It hurts.

He felt a bead of his sweat fell down from his forehead down to his ear, just a few centimetres above his right ear.

He forced himself to sit up. He brought his knuckles on his eyes and rubbed them. He had to blink his eyes to get a clearer view of his room. His room was getting rather colder now.

“That was a weird dream,” He muttered. “weirder than the other ones.” He shook his head and chose to forget those. “What–” A yawn. “time could it be now?”

Jong In was just talking to himself. But then, something anticipated happened.

“Hmm… It’s almost seven in the evening, young lord.” A female voice answered.

He nodded and mumbled, “I see.”

It took him a couple of seconds before realizing it.

“Who are you?!” Jong In looked around his room frantically.

To his bewilderment, a young girl clad in white and black hanbok was leaning against the wall on the right side of his room with her arms crossed on her chest.

She looks eerie.

Her face… Her dolorous eyes… They were so familiar.

His eyebrows were pressed together as he scanned his brain of a possible answer.

“Dream… girl?”

The enigmatic girl smirked. “Congratulations, young lord Jong In. You got that right.”

“Oh,” Jong In deadpanned. “I am still asleep.” With that, he flopped down on the mattress again and forced his eyes to close.

The girl pouted and roamed her eyes around his room. “So this is what an aristocrat’s room looks like…” She shifted her sight to him and calmly told him, “Hey, noble man. Your parents have eaten supper an hour ago. Your mother did not bother on waking you up because she thought you must be so exhausted at the university.” She chuckled. “But all day, you were just thinking about me.”

Jong In ignored her and put his head underneath the pillow. He pressed it hardly against his ear to block her voice. “Dreaming… Dreaming… Dreaming…” He chanted silently.

“Yah!” She shouted and he bolted. “You were thinking about me all day, right? And you have always wanted to see me, right? Aren’t you happy that your wish has granted now?”

If possible, Jong In’s eyes widened three times larger from its original sizes. “W-Who are you?”

His voice trembled. The girl found it funny, therefore she laughed hysterically and loudly.

With a finger on his thick lips, he whispered indignantly. “Hush! Someone might hear you! They might think I am keeping a woman here for filthy purposes!”

“Filthy purposes?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Noble men sure are erted huh. I bet you’re going to have more than ten concubines just in the first year of your marriage.” She shook her head and made ‘tsk’ sound triple times. “Oh what could Lady Ga Seung have done during her past life to deserve you, eh? Poor lady.”

His right eye twitched. “W-Were you just speaking informal to me?”

“Yes I did, Jong In.”

“Don’t call me just like that!”

“Oh yeah? Then why did you let that Mi Sang girl call you by your name only?”

“H-How did you know?”

“Because I was in your mind?”

The young lord pressed his eyes close and lied back onto the mattress.

There is no way that this could possibly happen. There is no way that the girl in his dreams could get out into his world! Into the reality! Impossible! It’s either he is still dreaming or he has mental problems, that’s it.

The girl yawned and stretched her arms. “Go and eat your dinner right now, young lord. I’m actually pretty hungry too so I guess you’d share it with me.”

“How can I eat my supper peacefully without thinking that a girl suddenly appeared in my room?” He muttered under his breath, tones full of heavy sarcasm.

“Repeat what you said. I kind of… did not hear it.” She whispered into his ear, in a taunting manner.

Jong In shuddered when her hot breath reached into his skin. His eyes immediately opened and for the umpteenth time just this night, he was flabbergasted at the sight in front of him.

There, hovering over him is that mysterious girl, smirking. To make matters worse, she is… flying?

The young lord jumped backward and his back was hit hardly against the wall and pain shot through his spine. Nonetheless, he ignored it. He was more concerned of the girl right in front of him.

“Y-You’re… You are a–”

She frowned. “What are you so afraid at?”

“You’re a ghost!”

Her frown deepened. “What makes you think so?”

“You are flying!”

She rolled her eyes and flew even higher that her head almost touched the ceiling. “This isn’t called flying, young lord. This is floating.”

“So you’re really a ghost.”

“Don’t you think using the word ‘ghost’ is too heavy for a pretty young girl like me?”

He scoffed and mumbled, “Conceited ghost.”

“Anyway,” She then floated around his room. “For a young man from a high-class family, you have no manners.”

Jong In almost choked on his own saliva. With bulging eyes, he asked, “Excuse me? I do not even know you, yet why do you conclude on such things right away?”

She chuckled. “Young lord, have you forgotten? I saved you two times.”

“Save…?” The young lord repeated like a fool as he tried to remember what she meant about that.

The ‘ghost’ giggled. “So you don’t remember? Alright, I’ll tell you. When you were on a date with young lady Ga Seung, three ruffians beat you. I saved you by making them taste their own medicine! I’m so strong!” She gave a smug smile of confidence. “Then hours ago, you kept thinking of me that is why you did not notice some wild horse running in your direction. That was the second time I sa–”

“You were the voice!” Jong In shouted as he finally realized.

“Hey hey hey. You were the one who said to lower the volume of your voice.”

“Oh,” He kept quiet. “You promised to show yourself. Remember when I was sleeping under the chestnut tree and you suddenly talked?”

“Yes, I did. But you did not believe in me and kept denying that I am just a mere dream.”

“I… see. Then why did you appear now?”

“You believed.”

“What did I believe?”

She grinned and floated towards him. “That I am real.”

Jong In’s eyebrows knitted together.

How did she get out of my dreams? This is impossible! If the recent incidents I have encountered with are connected to her, then she must be… She must be…

Jong In stood up and ran to the door, but before he could even open it, the girl blocked him.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I will summon a shaman! My room is filled with bad spirits! I am not safe anymore!” He pushed past her and opened the door.

“Hey–” Once again, the girl flew– no, floated unto him and grabbed his arm. “I might as well give you a reminder beforehand! I am–”

Jong In ignored her and ran away. Just then, he collided with someone. The young lord landed on his . “Ugh,” He grunted whilst getting up.

“Y-Young lord?” The person he bumped into turned out to be Mi Sang. She quickly picked up the things that were accidentally thrown due to the forceful impact against the young lord who is running and freaking out over… nothing.

“Young lord, what’s the matter? I was about to wake you up and bring in your–”

Jong In suddenly hugged her. His breaths were ragged, he was sweating a lot, and he was shaking.

If the young lord did not look like he was afraid of something, Mi Sang would definitely blush over the sudden actions from Jong In. But this is different.

“Young lord…” Mi Sang called out softly.

Jong In tightened his arms around her. “Now I know…”

“What is it about, young lord?”

Mi Sang’s heart palpitated for some reasons. What if the young lord has realized his true feelings?

“Now I know why I have been into incidents lately! The God, no– the Goddess of Death wants to take me!” He said with his voice hoarse and panicky, while occasionally glancing around his surroundings.

“Goddess of Death?” The servant repeated. She, too, looked around. When she found no one, her eyes twitched. “What are you talking about, young lord?”

“She was there! In my room! Flying! She's follwing me! She is chasing me! She is talking to me! She… She wants to take me!”

Mi Sang slowly pushed him away. “Forgive me but,” A pause. “there’s nothing to be afraid about. Please excuse me; I will prepare your supper once again.” She then bowed and left the young lord whose widened eyes were almost tearing.

He felt the cold breeze wrap around him that caused his skin hairs to erect. With shaky voice, he called out, “W-Where are you? Why… Why can’t Mi Sang see you?”

Jong In waited for the mysterious ‘Goddess of Death’ to answer.

But the noises of the nature only served as a response to him.

 

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