“I’ll be going.”
“Yes. You’ll come tomorrow too, right?”
“Why?”
“I’ll make the walnut pie to give to the Mountain God. And please give my regards to the fox-nim and tiger-nim too.”
“Alright, I’ll come.”
Bihyeon casually waved his hand and walked through the door.
“Ah, right. He asked me to tell you the apple pie was delicious.”
I’m glad it suited his taste. I smiled without words, bowed politely, and waved my hand until the end. The door closed with a thud and I lowered my hand and sighed. I hope I don’t feel any gazes today. I want to at least sleep comfortably and go look for a part-time job with a fresh mind…
My shoulders felt heavy, so I patted them, then soon turned around and lay down on the blanket.
I lifted my head slightly to look at the family photo and muttered “I’ll endure just a little longer…” before closing my eyes.
***
‘Uh… This is a bit troublesome.’
I had an interview in the afternoon, so I had finished preparing and was about to leave.
When I opened the door, I saw the palace, so I closed it once and opened it again. Again, it was Bihyeon’s palace, not outside.
Hmm. This is really quite troublesome. I blinked and tried to close it again. But this time, the door wouldn’t move at all.
This is really troublesome? What’s going on!
I opened my eyes wide, grabbed the doorknob, and put strength into it while making a ngh sound. It really didn’t budge at all.
“Oh my?”
Just then, the fox was passing by and discovered me, widening her eyes and approaching.
“Hello, Fox-nim…?”
“Bihyeon-nim isn’t here right now, so how… Door, did you do this?”
When the fox looked at the door and spoke, creeeak— this time the door opened wide. It seemed to be telling me to come in. I was gripping the doorknob tightly when I staggered and my body was pulled along.
“Ah.”
I almost fell on the floor, but she caught me so I barely maintained my balance.
“Oh my, what’s gotten into the door? It doesn’t even like humans. Come in for now.”
“But I need to go out…?”
“What to do… Once the door gets stubborn, no one can stop it except Bihyeon-nim. And Bihyeon-nim is out working right now.”
The fox smiled and dragged my body inside. Thud! As soon as I was completely inside, the door shut firmly.
“Sit down until Bihyeon-nim comes. Should I get you something to eat? It’s lunchtime, have you eaten?”
My part-time interview…
“I haven’t, but please don’t worry about me.”
Since I wasn’t an official guest, I felt quite uncomfortable and sorry. So I sat awkwardly on the veranda and looked around nervously.
“I’ll wait here, so please contact Bihyeon-nim…”
“Yes, I’ll contact him. Don’t stay there, go into the room. I’ll bring out some tea and yakgwa.”
I became weak at the mention of yakgwa and couldn’t refuse, so I went to where the fox pointed and sat in front of it.
Phew, I’m really experiencing all sorts of things these days. At this rate, I won’t live out my natural lifespan.
…Not that it particularly matters.
I leaned blankly against a pillar and looked around the palace. I felt this last time too, but it really felt like I’d time-traveled to an old era. The air somehow felt incredibly clean too. The scenery was also too beautiful, not matching this current era.
I let out a small sigh and looked at the sky. The sky was really clear and blue too.
‘At this rate, I’m definitely going to be late…’
I slowly looked around, and taking advantage of no one being around, I stood up and approached the door.
“Um… Door-nim? Door-nim. Could you please open?”
Silence flowed.
“I need to go to a part-time interview… Would it be… impossible…?”
Since they said it was alive, I felt like it might hurt if I just grabbed and pulled the doorknob. I reached out my hand and carefully stroked the door.
“The interview is until 1 o’clock. Please, I’m asking you.”
As expected, silence flowed. I scratched my head and looked up at the door.
“The place you’re trying to go seems to be an ominous place.”
Hm?
I was carefully continuing to stroke it when I took my hand off and heard a voice. Thinking the door was speaking, I jerked my head up. Then I realized the sound was coming from beyond the wall and moved my body to the side.
A tree that had grown so large it far exceeded the wall, blooming beautiful flowers… Ah! Mountain God-nim.
“Mountain God-nim?”
“Hehe, you recognize me. Child. Where were you trying to go?”
“I was trying to go to a part-time interview.”
“Then that place must be a very ominous place.”
“An ominous place means…”
“It will be a place where an accident is about to happen. The door is a guardian deity of disaster…”
A guardian deity…
Did I just stroke it randomly? What a cursed thing to do… When my eyes widened and I opened my mouth, the Mountain God laughed loudly, “Hahaha.”
“Don’t worry. Even though they’re guardian deities, they’re young gods who have just shed their baby teeth.”
Young gods? Ah, now that I look, there were pictures of two young haetae drawn on the door.
Creeeak—
As we were talking, the door opened. The Mountain God who opened that door slowly went and sat in the pavilion in the center. As he settled in with an upsy, birds came and perched their bottoms on the branches. They were all transparent and beautifully glowing birds.
“Ah, right. Hello, Mountain God-nim. I think I forgot to greet you.”
“Yes, hello. You have good manners too.”
The Mountain God smiled warmly with “Hehe,” reached out his hand and stroked the birds. Then he placed one on his hand and held it out to me.
“This child is a friendly child. Don’t worry.”
Chirp— Cheep. One bird that was singing like a song flew to me. When I reached out my hand, the small bird that climbed onto my finger looked at me and tilted its head.
Wow, it’s sparkling like a jewel.
“You’re really pretty. But isn’t my hand uncomfortable?”
When I smiled and spoke as if treating a young child, the bird made chirp chirp sounds. It seemed to be in a good mood.
“This… you rotten…!”
Then a tremendous sound echoed from the large building.
Startled, I flinched and all the birds flew away with a flutter.
The Mountain God who laughed “Hehe” turned his head that way. What came out opening the door with a bang! from the building was none other than a bear. A bear bigger than the building’s door…
A bear…!
‘Uh, um… what was I supposed to do if I see a bear?’
Play dead? Climb up a tree…?
I don’t know why the saying that bears will tear you apart no matter what you do came to mind right now. As my body trembled slightly and my hands shook, the bear approached me with large strides.
“What is this strange smell! Why is a human here?!”
“Well…”
It was tremendous force. A bear face with a long vertical scar on one eye…
I was going to say I was invited. But honestly, if I said that, wouldn’t that baby door get severely scolded, so I quickly shook my head.
“I’m sorry. I’m, I’m not a thief though…”
At my words, the Mountain God laughed loudly “Hehehehe!” and stretched out branches to block the bear that was rushing at me.
As it roared right in front of my eyes, I could see those fierce teeth very clearly. Really… it was tearfully scary.
“Hyeonwoong. Calm down.”
“Spirit-nim! I’ll drive them out. These rotten humans… I heard they’ve been flowing in here lately and damaging the trees!”
“Now now, I said calm down. This child is Bihyeon’s guest.”
“…This human?”
“Yes.”
“But they’re human?”
“That’s what I said.”
Huuuuh? He frowned deeply and glared at me very frighteningly.
“Oh my, Spirit-nim! Why is Hyeonwoong out here?”
Behind that, the fox who peeked her head out approached, swaying her multiple tails. In her hands was a tray with steaming porridge.
“Haru, it’s been a while.”
“Yes, Spirit-nim, it’s been a while. Did you come down from the lake?”
“Yes, I felt this child’s presence. But where did Yeonho go?”
“He went out to look around. It’s hunting time. Ah, Bihyeon-nim is in a meeting and said he’ll come right away as soon as it’s over.”
“…Yes.”
It seems like it would be better not to go to that part-time interview anyway, should I just give up?
I let out a small sigh and smiled as I nodded. I felt sorry for being like this in a house without its owner, but since I couldn’t leave right now, there was nothing I could do.
The Mountain God gestured, so after standing awkwardly, I went and sat beside him.
“I should prepare a meal for you two. Please wait just a moment, I’ll bring it out right away. Hyeonwoong, come quickly and cook.”
The fox reached out her hand and pulled on the hanbok the bear was wearing.
“No! Not! Going! How can I leave Spirit-nim alone with this human?”
“I forgot to introduce. That apple pie we ate back then, this child made it.”
“What?!”
Eek. My ears.
He shouted roar and turned his head sharply to approach me with large strides again. He leaned his head close and grabbed both my cheeks with his hands, turning me this way and that to check.
“You’re saying you’re the one who made that gentle pie?”
“I don’t know about gentle, but the apple pie was made by me. Ow, it hurts!”
His palms are too rough, it hurts.
“Huk, I’m sorry. It’s been too long since I’ve been ‘moderate’ with a human…”
Wha, what?
I became afraid to ask what ‘moderate’ meant and shut my mouth tightly, then heard laughter from the side. It was the Mountain God and the fox.
The fox who dragged away the bear that kept opening and closing its mouth as if wanting to say something waved her hand.
“Wait just a bit. Should I get you more tea?”
“I, I’m okay.”
Rather than tea, please get Bihyeon-nim quickly… I shook my head rapidly.
“Bring Bihyeon’s durumagi. If the human smell leaks out, everything in the mountain will all gather, so it would be better to cover it with Bihyeon’s scent.”
Then the Mountain God smiled and spoke lowly. The fox who tilted her head soon nodded and smiled as if she understood.
“Should I?”
“…No? Without the owner’s permission, it’s a bit…”
“It’s fine. I’ve given permission.”
“Then of course. Please wait just a moment.”
The fox smiled, gestured, and walked away.
“Will it really be okay? I think Bihyeon-nim will dislike it…”
Since I’m human, after all.
“Then I’ll get scolded with you later.”
“Scold…”
The Mountain God-nim getting scolded by Bihyeon-nim? I can’t imagine it.
Ah, whatever. Let’s just listen. If all the beings in the mountain come down, it’ll be more troublesome.
The fox who went into a room and came out brought one durumagi. It was a hanbok mixed with black and white. Full of Bihyeon’s scent…
My chest tickled for no reason, so I sniffled.
The durumagi that she draped over my shoulders as she approached was so big it covered my entire body.
“…Hmm, seeing it like this, it seems similar to that child. Though that couldn’t be.”
The fox who stared at me and muttered smiled and went out first.
