Ah, it was cozy and I gradually became sleepy. I blinked my eyes slowly from drowsiness and they eventually closed smoothly.
* * *
I opened my eyes. Whether I was dreaming another dream within a dream, I could see myself putting something down in front of the stone tower. It seemed to be from someone else’s perspective. And not far away, I could see Bihyeon standing behind a tree. He didn’t approach me. Even as flowers bloomed and fell, even as seasons changed, he just silently hid somewhere and watched me. As if curious, and on the other hand, as if puzzled about why I placed such things.
– Humans are truly fascinating.
Bihyeon reacted to the words coming from the air and turned his head.
– A truly lovely and frightening existence.
The view returned to me. The transparent hand moved as if wanting to stroke my head but didn’t reach. Next it tried to pat my back but again didn’t reach. The view kept following me. While doing so, the transparent hand would drop fruit from trees or drop pretty flowers. But I was busy putting everything back in its place.
– If only you would accept even one…
Along with the transparent hand, Bihyeon also followed me. As if observing me from afar. I who was humming while holding a branch tripped on a stone and fell flat on the ground. The transparent hand moved urgently and tried to catch me. But in the end it couldn’t catch me and passed through my body. Bihyeon’s eyes also widened as if surprised. Perhaps he had grown attached after watching for so long, as he raised his hand and flinched in the air. His body was also half-emerged.
– How can such a weak existence exist.
Blood was coming from my knee. The transparent hand restlessly circled around but couldn’t catch me. I brushed off my knee and got up to walk energetically again. Whew. Bihyeon sighed.
– Child, please don’t get hurt.
– Child. Thanks to you, each day is enjoyable. How can something so small be this lovely.
– I want to return to you as much happiness as I have…
As the sun began to set, Bihyeon and the transparent hand watched me descending the mountain. Humming. Until the sound of singing disappeared. Ah, you’ve been watching me from much earlier. Because humans are fascinating and lovely.
It was time to wake up from sleep now. When I opened my eyes, I saw the mountain again. It seemed to be the past again. The ground was muddy as if it had rained. I ran around not caring about mud splashing, trying to catch flowers falling from trees. Seeing flowers in full bloom, it seemed spring had come.
“You’re giving that to the deity too?”
“Huh? Hyung!”
I smiled brightly. Perhaps because I hadn’t seen him even though I came to the mountain all winter, I was really glad to see a face I was seeing after a long time.
“Yes. I’m running hard trying to catch the prettiest one to offer.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to just pluck it?”
He whom I was seeing after a long time had comfortable eyes. As if he had been watching me for a long time. I approached him and lightly smacked his back.
“Then the tree will hurt! Hyung, you’re really cruel.”
“What…?”
“Mom said so. Forcibly plucking flowers is as painful as pulling out all our hair!”
When I scolded him like I was reprimanding him, he nodded with serious eyes.
“Is your mom a shaman?”
“No, my aunt is the shaman. Mom didn’t receive a divine calling because of me.”
“That’s a shame. She seems like a wise and kind human.”
“Of course. How wonderful my mom and dad are.”
When I spoke with a bright smile, he smiled faintly. Because I saw his smiling face for the first time, I stopped catching flowers and approached closely to look at that face.
“Wow, hyung, you’re really pretty when you smile.”
“Did I smile?”
“Yes. As pretty as this flower!”
I pointed at the flower scattering in the air and said.
Snap!
“Huh?”
Unfortunately I couldn’t catch the falling one, but the tip of the branch I had been watching broke off and a branch with flowers still full of life fell to the ground. I opened my eyes wide, ran over, and picked up the branch.
“Hyung, look at this!”
I smiled brightly and thrust the branch in front of his face.
“If I wait, will another one fall?”
“Another one? Why?”
“I’ll give one to mom and dad. They definitely won’t be able to see flowers well because they’re working.”
“And you’ll give that one?”
“This is for the deity-nim.”
When I said firmly, he chuckled. Snap. The tip of another branch broke off. It was a branch with even more flowers in full bloom than the one in my hand. I waited below and quickly picked it up.
“Alright! I must be lucky today.”
“Are you that happy?”
“Of course. Something this pretty came into my hands even without plucking it.”
I should take it to the deity-nim quickly. I grabbed his hand tightly and ran to where the stone tower was. I almost fell while running with all my might, but because he supported me from behind, I could barely maintain my balance.
“But hyung, what have you been doing? I didn’t see you all winter.”
“I was sleeping.”
“I see.”
Maybe he’s someone who sleeps especially well in winter. I nodded greatly in agreement, then approached the stone tower. I placed the branch with the most flowers among the two in front of the stone tower and clasped my hands. I was embarrassed because of hyung next to me, so I couldn’t bring out the words inside me. After closing my eyes for a long time, I slowly got up from my seat.
“What did you pray for?”
“It’s a secret.”
Rather than praying, I said thank you for letting me see these flowers, so I hoped the deity-nim would also smile seeing this. When I giggled and shook my head, he suddenly asked.
“…What’s your name?”
“Oh, come to think of it, we don’t even know each other’s names. My name is Hanyoon.”
“Yeah. I’m Bihyeon.”
“Bihyeon… Your name resembles you and is pretty.”
“Is that so.”
It was truly a fitting name. Like him, with a slightly lonely yet beautiful atmosphere… Bihyeon who was looking at the sky looked at me and smiled faintly.
“He says to tell you thank you.”
“Who?”
“The deity.”
“Wow, are you a shaman too, hyung?”
“No.”
“Aww… Then how does hyung know?”
“I can know.”
He who was letting out laughter lightly, weakly touched the flowers in my hand with his hand. How can he know? I was curious but couldn’t ask further. Was it instinct? I felt like I shouldn’t know the truth.
It was when I came down from the mountain smiling at the thought of being able to show the flowers to my parents, even though I felt uncomfortable. I made eye contact with my aunt standing at the village entrance. Unlike before, her eyes were strangely murky. I heard she had been tormented by the villagers because it hadn’t rained for a long time, and she also looked quite tired because of that.
“Aunt…”
“Hanyoon. I told you not to go to that mountain, didn’t I?”
It was a sharp voice. Although my aunt disliked me going to the mountain, this was the first time she showed such boiling anger. Usually she worried first and had never been angry, so I fidgeted with my fingers and watched her nervously.
“I just played nearby…”
My aunt who approached with big strides snatched the flowers from my hand.
“Ah, that’s…!”
“My divine power is being stolen because you keep bringing these ominous things!”
Ominous… I had waited hard and brought them to show mom and dad. Maybe it’s because they fell on the ground? My aunt was different from usual and I was scared. I felt like crying but held it in and lowered my head deeply.
“Sorry, I’m sorry aunt. I won’t pick up things from the ground anymore…”
My aunt who threw the flowers on the ground and trampled them just turned around and left first. I bent down and picked up the flowers. They were dirty and ruined from being trampled here and there. I poured out the tears that burst out belatedly and hugged the branch in my arms. From afar, mom must have heard my crying as she ran to me urgently.
“Child…! Baby!”
“Mom, this… I was going to give it to you…”
Mom who had been looking at the flowers for a long time hugged me tightly with trembling eyes.
“Baby, it’s okay. It’s okay…”
After crying while in her arms and calming down, we returned home together. Mom who took the branch I had been gripping tightly stroked it carefully.
“Did you bring it from the mountain?”
“Yes. I gave one to the deity-nim and wanted to show one to mom and dad…”
“Did you pluck it?”
“No… I picked up what fell on the ground. I’m sorry.”
My tears had barely stopped but my shoulders were still shaking and I choked up again. When I spoke while sobbing, mom quickly shook her head. Rather than scolding me, her eyes were full of worry and concern.
“No, I’m not trying to blame you, baby. The flower has a clean and sacred energy to it. Can you tell me who else besides you touched this?”
“That hyung…”
Whew. Mom who sighed quietly put the ruined flower in a bowl filled with water.
“Why on earth…”
Mom looked at the flower quietly, then placed the bowl in a place where sunlight came in well. She even patted the back of me who was dejected as she hugged me tightly. Tears burst out again and I cried loudly.
“He’ll come back soon. He was originally a kind person…”
Mom’s murmuring voice sounded sorrowful.
* * *
After that incident, I couldn’t climb the mountain for two days. Perhaps because I cried too much, I burned with fever all night. Rather than my being sick, I was worried first thinking that Bihyeon would be waiting for me.
“Mom, can I go to the mountain today?”
“Do you want to go that much?”
“Yes. I think hyung is waiting for me.”
Mom who smiled kindly stroked my head.
“Baby, even if that hyung isn’t the human you think he is, can you still like him the same?”
“If he’s not the human I think he is…”
Mom pointed at the bowl containing the flowers. There, unlike yesterday, I could see flowers that had become fresh. Huh? Why is this…
