As True as a Dream

Speaking of arcades, last year a western restaurant opened next to the Joseon Theater.

 

It was small compared to Song Yue, but it was quite famous in high society for its beautiful Victorian-style building and dreamy garden setting.

 “Then I’ll get ready and be at Song Yue by five.” “Okay.” 

As he said, there really was no time.

 

Saturday was three days away.

 

It made sense why he had come all the way here at night to wait for her.

 

Up until now, she had been telling him about her appointments through Yingyue as she entered and left the Song Yue Pavilion, and it was certainly difficult to communicate quickly that way.

 

Besides the clothes, she also needed shoes, bags, hats, and accessories to match the clothes.

 

What else would she need?

 

While Hae-Joo was thinking, Lee Ho’s shadow moved in front of her.

 

When she looked up, Lee Ho’s back was already turned.

 “Are you leaving?” 

Hae-Joo craned her neck to look beyond Yi Ho to the entrance of the alley.

 

It was dark, but not so dark that he couldn’t see.

 

The entrance was eerily quiet.

 

Was he alone?

 

Hae-Joo followed Yi Ho a few steps and asked

 “Boss, how did you get here?” 

How could he be a walking mountain of gold and not be accompanied by a single person?

 

Every boss or elderly gentleman she’d ever seen had someone at their side, whether they were driving or in a wheelchair.

 

‘Had he taken a taxi?’

 

There were no other cars at the entrance to the alley where she had just parked her cab.

 

When he didn’t answer, she called out to him again.

 

He probably hadn’t come by car.

 “Boss?” 

His eyes swept over her.

 

The entrance to the alley was on a main street, well lit by street lamps.

 

As they approached the entrance to the alley, Yi Ho’s face was whiter than usual.

 

Just like the night she’d first seen him in the cemetery clearing.

 

He looked like he was about to collapse.

 

What was wrong with him?

 “Just a minute, boss. I’ll take you home.” “You’re taking me?” 

Suddenly, Yi Ho stopped walking and looked back at her.

 

Hae-Joo didn’t see it, but the way Yi Ho looked at her had become very strange.

 “Yes, it’s almost curfew, so it’ll be hard to get a cab, and it’s dangerous.” “Dangerous for me?” “Yes. I heard there have been a lot of murders lately.” 

After mumbling a reply, Hae-Joo walked over to her cab, opened the back door, and looked at Yi Ho.

 “This is my taxi, I brought my own car because it’s my turn tomorrow morning, so I’ll take you home, boss.” 

Hae-Joo waved at Yi Ho, who was standing a few steps behind her, urging him on.

 

When he didn’t move, Hae-Joo, nervous that curfew was approaching, called for him again.

 

When Yi Ho reluctantly came over, Hae-Joo asked him what had been bothering him earlier.

 

Yi Ho, who had just gotten into the back seat, looked at her.

 “Are you sick? You look pretty bad.” “Isn’t it… pitchy?”

Hae-Joo ran her hand over her sleep-deprived face.

“I’m… I’m basically pretty, so it’s okay.” “Such confidence.” 

Yi Ho asked as he got into the car and Hae-Joo closed the back seat door.

 

She got into the driver’s seat and answered his question.

 “Of course, I’m not as good as Mr. Ban, I admit. Mr. Ban… Honestly, your face makes no sense. You look like a ghost.” “Is that an insult or a compliment?” “It’s a compliment.” 

Hae-Joo grinned and started the car.

 “You’ve never been in my cab. You have no idea how well I drive. You’d be surprised.” “Hmph.” 

Despite Yi Ho’s mild reaction, Hae-Joo spoke again.

 “Look at this. I have a taxi, so I can drive you around, and you can use me as your personal chauffeur when you have extra time, and of course I’ll be able to gather information faster when I’m doing research.” 

Hae-Joo is quick to point out the benefits of having a car.

 

But she didn’t get the response she was hoping for from Yi Ho.

 “Even if you had a taxi, you wouldn’t be able to get to the village anyway, and even if you did, it would be useless.” “You’re right.”

Hae-Joo became frustrated.

 

She had never been so broken in her life, but somehow she couldn’t say anything nice to Yi Ho.

 

‘Is it the guilt of my heart? Or have I become stupid lately?’

 

Hae-Joo thought to herself as she drove slowly through the bright Gyeongseong night.

 

***

 

The taxi Hae-Joo was driving stopped in front of the SongYue Pavilion.

 “Don’t stop here, go a little further along the wall.”

As the car was about to stop, Yi Ho, who had been sitting quietly the whole time, suddenly spoke.

 

Hae-Joo looked back at Yi Ho and drove the car forward.

 

The high, long wall of the Song Yue Pavilion stretched out to the right.

 “Rumor has it that this is the land that belonged to Mr. Ban’s ancestors, isn’t it?” 

After a short silence, Yi Ho replied.

“That’s right.”  “Just out of curiosity, how many square kilometers is it? I’ve been in and out of Song Yue Pavilion quite a bit, but this is… It must be over ten thousand square meters, right?” “Thirteen thousand square meters.” 

Hae-Joo pursed her dry lips at the unimaginable area.

 “You could look at the ground every day and be happy.” 

She hears a low chuckle behind her.

 

Hae-Joo can’t help but laugh.

 

She follows the wall to her right, and soon the buildings to her left disappear, leaving her on a dense, tree-lined street.

 

There are no streetlights, so it’s pitch black.

 

As they trudged through the deep darkness, Yi Ho asked her to stop the car.

 

When the car stopped, Yi Ho got out and Hae-Joo hurried to follow him.

 

She soon saw a large black iron gate standing solidly in the darkness.

 “Where am I?” “You were here before. My house.” 

Hae-Joo’s mind suddenly flashed back to a large grassy yard and a Western-style brick building.

 

‘This was it?’

 

She glanced back and forth between the unlit entrance to Song Yue on the other side of the street and the darkened place.

 

Still, it seemed unlikely that this man would enter and exit through the Song Yue entrance, which was heavily traveled.

 

Besides, even she, who had driven a taxi through such hard ground, hadn’t expected to find such a scene on this side.

 

On this street, there was nothing but these iron gates and walls.

 

On the other side, there was nothing but dense trees and bushes.

 

And those trees and bushes became narrower and narrower until they hit the wall of Yi Ho’s house, forming a dead end.

 

In other words, there was no road ahead.

 

Hae-Joo looked at Yi Ho, tongue firmly in cheek about the secret location of the house.

 “Then go inside and rest. I have a curfew too.” “I have to go before the curfew starts…”

I said.

 

Yi Ho, who was standing calmly, suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

 

Dragged defenselessly, Hae-Joo was thrown back against Yi Ho’s chest.

 “What’s wrong…” 

Hae-Joo spun around, startled by the sound of shuffling footsteps behind her.

 

Four or five men came out of nowhere, each holding what looked like a government money knife or a chainsaw.

 “It’s hard to see you, Mr. Ban,” one of the men said, “but I’d almost jump over the wall if I didn’t see you today!” 

Hae-Joo’s entire body stiffened as she looked at the ruggedly handsome men.

 

‘What the hell is going on here?’

 

The mean and murderous looks of the men with

“I’m a thug

” written on their faces fell on Yi Ho.

 

‘I’m in trouble! I’m screwed!’

 

Hae-Joo looked up at Yi Ho standing next to her.

 

His face hadn’t changed much.

 

The only thing that had changed was the smile on his face.

 

‘Is he smiling now?’

 

Hae-Joo looked at Yi Ho’s face, which had gone from white to pale.

 

He looked very unwell, as she had noticed.

 

Hae-Joo felt sick to her stomach.

 

As far as she could see, he didn’t even have the strength to catch a chicken.

 “We are here today for no particular reason. We just… want to fix that stupid haircut. You can’t use it if you’re too arrogant, you know?” “You should know your place and bow down, this is the world we live in.” “Who said that? If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you’ll be dead before you know it. You’ll only regret it when you’re in a coffin.” “Don’t kill him. Just break a leg or an arm or something.” “I like the sound of breaking bones best, I’ll do it, brother!” 

Hae-Joo’s mouth went dry when she saw the thugs laughing and talking among themselves.

 

‘What was she going to do?’

 

Despite their ragged behavior, these men had her and Yi Ho completely surrounded with no way out.

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