2014

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"Let me wait for him..."

The loud cheers of kids startled Sungmin awake, erasing from his mind the dream he just had. Their mother looked at him apologetically for all the noise, but Sungmin couldn’t really get mad over that because, truth be told, he was also glad to have arrived. Long train rides were not particularly his favorite thing to do in the world. They were an utter bore, not to mention the uncomfortable seats would always leave him feeling sore. With a nod and a small smile, Sungmin replied to the woman, indicating he had accepted the apology and that he didn't mind the kids' eagerness. Looking at their clothes and the amount of luggage they were carrying, Sungmin concluded they were not tourists. They were probably town folks coming back home from a trip to another city.

While stretching his arms and legs as much as he could, Sungmin curiously looked through the window to see what the small town looked like. But he was startled to see fields and more fields filled with flowers. Rows of different colors filled the horizon underneath the celestial blue sky on a fine day. The town he had picked at random was one that specialized in cultivating and selling flowers. Sungmin smiled at the beautiful sight and a really welcoming change from all the gray and LED lights Seoul was filled with.

When the train finally stopped, Sungmin’s heart was pounding fast. He couldn’t really understand why, but he was excited to roam around the small town. He suddenly felt like an elementary kid on a field trip and not an experienced thief running away from his last contractor. The train station was old but very well cared for, there were plants and vases everywhere and every pillar of the boarding area had climbing roses adorning them. The smell of different flowers mingling in the air was fascinating and left Sungmin slightly dazed.

Yet, something else had piqued his interest. The tourists that had climbed down the train were all rushing to one point at the end of the platform. They were all taking photos with the statue of a sad looking wolf. Sungmin looked at it for a moment and then looked up at the rail. He noticed how the statue was looking, gazing away, as if it was waiting for something to come. Sungmin thought it was a weird statue, but his considerations on it were sent flying away when Sungmin finally exited the platform and entered the ticket hall full of small stores selling trinkets, flowers and other things for tourists. Sungmin noticed then that many of the trinkets were wolf-related and sometimes roses were paired together with the wolves.

Sungmin walked out of the station, wondering where exactly he should go. But the moment he set foot outside, he saw the most beautiful scene he had ever seen in his life. In front of the station, there was the main town square, filled with peach trees in full bloom and flowers of all colors. Spring had only just started, but all the delicate beauty already filled the town. Around the square, there were other stores, restaurants, small hotels, and flower shops. All built in traditional Korean style, making it seem as if Sungmin had traveled through time.

A small group of people at the center of the square caught his attention. A statue of yet another wolf had been placed in the middle of a fountain, the animal had been sculpted as if he had climbed the fountain and was howling at the moon. Sungmin's curiosity sparked once again when he recognized there was a tour guide leading the small group of tourists. Sungmin ran in their direction in hopes of listening in on the story behind the Totem Wolf.

"This was the first statue crafted in honor of the city’s legend, and it is part of the collection of five statues scattered around the town," The guide initiated her tale, not noticing that there was an intruder in her group. "This wolf is believed to be the protector of this town. Local history claims that he was first seen four hundred years ago. The legend says around the year 1600 a rich merchant came to live in this town. His wife had gotten sick and needed the countryside's pure air to live a few more days. The merchant built the most beautiful and biggest house this town had ever seen and from it, he brought prosperity for all living here. It is said that it was his wife’s love of roses that started the devotion of this town in cultivating roses and other flowers, to be commercialized at the capital. That merchant had two sons, the older was a brave boy that loved to explore the woods, and the youngest was a lovely boy that devoted himself to cultivating the most beautiful roses. One night, the previously most influential man of this town, filled with jealousy and hatred towards the kind merchant, set fire to his house, hoping to kill the entire family. But to his dismay a beautiful brown wolf ran from the woods and entered the burning house, miraculously saving all members of the family." The tour guide continued to tell the story getting all her listeners to gawk at the statue in awe.

"It was said that the oldest son had befriended that wolf during his adventures in the woods and after the fire, the wolf was seen much more often roaming through the yard of the merchant’s house, playing with both boys. He was described as the most beautiful creature ever seen in this town, its fur was dark brown, but whenever the sun would shine against it, its fur would turn into a shade of gold..." Said the tour guide. Sungmin looked back at the statue understanding why it was made of copper. The metal was a cheap attempt to mimic the legend. "Yet the years passed, because of the wife's death a mausoleum was built right in the middle of the rose field. The merchant got too old to travel, the older son became the one responsible of going back and forth to the capital to sell their flowers." The woman added, pausing now and then for a dramatic effect. The tour guide looked at the train station and pointed at it.

"The statue you saw when you arrived by train tells this tale, it’s said that the wolf became a sad creature whenever the oldest son was away. It would sit by the road and stare longingly at it, waiting for its friend to come back. The legend says that one day the wolf howled loudly, a terrifying sound, before it sprinted through the road. That generation had never seen it again. Months passed and the oldest son had not come back until a messenger came with the news that he had died tragically in an ambush on his way back, his body arriving a few days later. There are those that believed the wolf had felt its friend was in danger and had ran to his rescue for a second time, but had not been fast enough. The oldest son joined his mother inside the mausoleum. Throughout the burial process, it's said the wolf had howled, then for years it had not been seen or heard again. Because of the premature death of his oldest son, the merchant, who was already broken from losing his wife, had fallen sick. He died a few years later without seeing the birth of his first grandchild.” The tour guide continued her tale.

Sungmin frowned at the tale, why did legends all have to be bittersweet like that? He felt sad for the wolf and the family. Yet questions built up inside of him, the wolf had only protected one family why would it be considered the town’s protector?

"The youngest son, though, continued to live here. He continued with the family business and helped build this town into its greatest glory. He married a local woman and had three beautiful girls. The town was already the number one flower cultivator of the country when the girls were given in marriage. Being a man of strong connections, the youngest son married his daughters into his business associates' families. The girls left town with their husbands back to the capital, leaving their father behind, he refused to leave with them, claiming he wanted to be placed with his parents and older brother. After his death, their house was closed and abandoned with time. It’s said that, every year after the house was closed, the wolf would be seen in the yard on the death anniversary of each member of the family. It is believed to be the same wolf because the beauty of its fur was so very unmistakably unique." The tour guide continued to tell the tale. At that, she pointed in the direction of the hotel to their left.

"At the end of the town, facing the woods to the west, another statue was built. As well as other two; there is one to the north and one to the east. It is said that during the past three hundred years, that same wolf with golden-fur-under-the-sun had been rumored to protect the town. The first indication on this had left the town folks surprised. A group of five males were found nearby in the western woods, their throats bitten, as well as their ankles. Their bodies had been clawed at and their deaths were said to be caused by a wolf. Everybody became scared and for days nobody dared to enter the woods to hunt, which was until the magistrate found out the true identity of those men. They were actually a group of assassins that had been terrorizing the neighboring towns. The citizens' feelings towards the incident changed completely, especially since after it, a brown wolf was seen in the yard of the Lee family house more frequently.” The woman said, adding a thrilling intonation to the story.

Sungmin felt a shiver run up his body when he heard the name of the family. Lee was a very common surname in Korea, but he would rather have the legend be filled with any other surname but his.

"A hundred years ago, when a pest started to kill people in the nearby towns, was the last time the wolf was seen. For almost a month, it was heard howling in the woods and mysteriously the pest never reached this town. News of it disappearing came in the following months and the citizens believed that it had all been because of that spirit wolf." The tour guide added, looking back at the statue. "Now and then at night, especially during crescent moons, you can still hear a wolf howling in the woods."

That last line had spooked Sungmin. Legends should all be in past tense, he wanted to tell the lady, but instead he decided to move away and explore the rest of the town. He bought some canned food and other small utensils for camping, then explored all roads, mapping them in his head in case he needed to perform a hasty escape. Sungmin nodded to himself, even though the town was small, he had plenty of different escape routes. Pretty much all the buildings were of a traditional style, the walls separating the houses were easy to jump over. With precautions taken, Sungmin picked up a lollipop from his backpack and set off to find the other wolf statues from the town's Totem with a carefree skip.

When he reached the end of town to the north, he saw a long path to the famous Lee mansion. The abandoned house was just a smudge on the horizon, and beyond it were the woods. Sungmin stood beside the wolf statue and looked at it. That statue portrayed the wolf leisurely strolling towards the mansion. Afterwards, he crouched down and hugged the statue with one arm while still looking at the house. Sungmin thought back to his last contractor and smirked. Some part of him had wanted to see the man's face when he found out his most treasured possession now belonged to Seoul's Museum of History. "I wonder how much more he will spend to try to kill me again." Sungmin mumbled to himself. The more he looked at the house the more he thought that it was the best place to settle for a while.   

Sungmin looked at the wolf statue. "So you’ve been guarding it for four hundred years eh? Say, I need a place to stay, you won’t mind letting me rest my bones there, right? I can’t exactly afford to stay in that cute little hotel at the main square. I'd rather not show my beauty in public for a while, just in case that decides to look for me in every village of this country." Sungmin spoke calmly, he patted the statue’s head three times in a mocking gesture towards the legend before he stood up. He looked around and decided that his best shot of getting into the house unnoticed was getting there through the woods.  

Sungmin sighed as he made his way through the woods, always careful to stay on the edge where he could see the fields, guiding himself to the abandoned house. From there he could see the yard and he frowned at the sight of it, maybe it was not a good idea. The yard was nowhere close of being abandoned as it was all filled with roses, beds of different colored roses from near the woods till the gate to the house.

Because of his sudden realization that the house may not be abandoned after all, Sungmin waited patiently till night fell. The yard and the house stayed in complete darkness as the only light came from far above and the temperature turned quite cold. Sungmin looked up at the clear sky and saw the full moon shining brightly. A loud howl made Sungmin’s hairs stand and a sudden fear made him move. Stealthily he crossed the yard, as he got closer to the wall separating it from the house, Sungmin prepared himself and jumped over, making use of the gates. The years he spent running from the police did make his body flexible enough for him to be able to do very unusual things.

Another loud howl made Sungmin shiver again, it was somehow louder and closer. Quickly Sungmin tried the closest door and to his surprise it was not locked. He entered the house expecting it to be void of furniture, yet that was not the case. The house was fully furnished and decorated, everything inside seemed to be from the Joseon era and he was extra careful not to touch anything.

Sungmin grabbed his night vision glasses from his backpack and wore it. He frowned at everything he was seeing, everything seemed well kept. He couldn’t see spider webs or any other indication that the place was not inhabited. Opening another door, Sungmin entered into what seemed to be a living room, as silently as he could Sungmin reached yet another door. When he opened it he heard another howl. That one seemed to have come from the yard. Sungmin was filled with a momentary fear. Suddenly he wished he had used all of his thief gear. The fear was soon replaced by awe at the sight of the inner yard. There was a fountain in the middle of it and other rose beds, white roses, there were only white roses in them. But in the middle of the fountain there was an island filled by a bush with the biggest and most beautiful red roses Sungmin had ever seen.

Disregarding the howls, Sungmin entered the yard and walked to the fountain. Sitting on it's edge, he stared at the roses and tried to reach for one, wondering if it could really be real. The next second, something hit him. He was thrown to the side mere seconds before he could touch a rose bending over the water. Sungmin blinked, disoriented from the pain and the impact of whatever that hit him. He heard a low growling nearby before something blocked his view of the sky. That had to be a wolf, those white fangs, and those golden shining eyes staring right back at him.

They looked at each other. The growling stopped, silence filled the yard and time seemed to stop along with Sungmin’s heart. He saw that thing distancing himself. Sungmin stared, completely speechless at the half human, half wolf creature that was staring back at him from a distance. Sungmin had to be dreaming. There is not a werewolf staring at me, Sungmin chanted in his head.

"What is your business here?" the beast spoke with a guttural voice that made Sungmin wonder why he had not peed himself yet.

"I… Need a place to stay… just a few days… I need a place to hide…" Sungmin found himself saying with a thin voice, scared out of his wits. The truth slipped past his lips as if he had lost his ability to lie.

There was a moment of silence between them.

"You can stay," The werewolf said in reply as he walked closer. He stopped just a breath away from Sungmin. "As long as you don’t go out at night. As long as you do not touch my red roses. You can stay for as long as you need," The beast added before cradling Sungmin’s face with his nearly human hand, careful not to hurt Sungmin. "You can stay." He added and Sungmin could swear there was sorrow in those golden eyes. Some kind of pain that made the beast seem a little less scary. Sungmin didn't know if it was his imagination that the tone used seemed broken as if it carried dejection.

The beast walked away, crossing the yard as he slowly transformed from beast to completely human form.

"I’ll show you a room." He said as he reached the door. He looked back over his shoulder. Sungmin gulped, still filled with fear, and fearing for his life he moved. It felt like his body was moving on its own. He walked to the werewolf and let the man guide him through the dark corridors and into a room that only had a bed, a wardrobe and a table, clearly a service room.

"For tonight you stay here, tomorrow you can choose another room." The beast said, the husky velvety human voice somehow calming Sungmin’s fear.

Sungmin watched as the werewolf lit up a lantern. The beast in human form had a strong built, he was tall, and his back was muscular.

"What’s your name?" the beast asked almost in a whisper. His tone was soft, almost hesitant.  

"Lee Sungmin." Sungmin replied, surprised with how firm his voice sounded. Again he wondered why he had not hesitated, why he didn't consider lying. But Sungmin frowned when he saw the werewolf's shoulders tensing up. Then he lowered his head. Suddenly that back seemed to be carrying a heavy burden.

"I am Youngwoon. Kim Youngwoon. If you need anything you can call my name." The werewolf informed, but before Sungmin could reply, Youngwoon once again shape-shifted. Not into his beastly form, but into a strong and beautiful wolf. The yellow light of the lantern making the brown fur shine in a hypnotizing golden tone.

The legend was not a legend. Sungmin realized in another shiver of fear.

..•.:*´¨`*:.•.¸¸.•´¯`•..•´¯`•.¸¸.•..:*´¨`*:.•..