As True as a Dream

An older man in a tuxedo lay on the floor, shot several times.

 

Off to one side, a man in a black suit was being pushed to the ground by employees, and a long gun was visible that could have been used for revenge.

 “…Ouch! It’s him! It’s him! I saw him! I’m sure of it!” 

After scanning the scene and trying to turn away, Hae-Joo jumped.

 

One of the employees pushing the man in the suit suddenly pointed a finger at her.

 “What, what…?”

Hae-Joo jumped at the attention she was getting.

 

Just then, the man on the floor lifted his face to look at her.

 

Hae-Joo raised her eyebrows. He was the customer she had picked up earlier.

 “Look,”

he said,

“she’s making eye contact! She’s carrying a box with this long gun in it! I saw it!” 

Hae-Joo’s face turned pale with confusion.

 “This man and that woman, they’re in cahoots!” 

Before she could finish, Japanese soldiers in frightening black uniforms entered the garden.

 

Their fierce presence silenced the chatter of the horses, and there was a dead silence.

 

***

 

Five minutes before the shooting at Song Yue Pavillion.

 

The electric lights on the second-floor veranda of the red-brick Western-style building cast a faint glow.

 

Yi Ho, dressed in a white T-shirt and dark gray vest, sat loosely on the porch railing.

 

He looked down and saw a middle-aged man walking across the grassy yard.

 

Soon he hears regular footsteps and the sliding door to the veranda opens.

 

The round, reddish face of a middle-aged man was framed by a smile similar to Hahoe Tal’s.

 

It was Wu Hongo, the manager of Song Yue Pavilion under Ban Yi Ho.

 “The young lady was thrown into the middle gate of the banquet hall, just as you requested.” 

Yi Ho nodded as he wrapped the pocket watch on a gold chain around his finger.

 “I’m glad you found the watch.” “I am. I didn’t bother looking for it, but it came back to me.” 

Yi Ho’s casual placement of the pocket watch on the railing left Hongo speechless.

 “You haven’t forgotten how much of Song Yue’s income you spent to buy that watch, have you? It’s very precious, so you should take care of it…” 

Yi Ho let out a deep laugh at Hongo’s toothy voice.

 “Wasteful?” 

Yi Ho’s gaze flickered across Hongo’s face and he immediately twisted his neck like a quail.

 “What I mean is, I wish I had caught her that day, in that clearing, when you came to your senses, eh, Yi Ho?” “It hurt, that day.” 

He should have, he’d almost died and come back to life, the pain gnawing through his body.

 

He’d been blown away after being so close to where the explosion had occurred.

 “So how are you feeling?” “Not bad. I’m alive.” “Good. I’m fine.” 

Hongo’s mouth twitched as he watched Yi Ho’s muffled reply.

 

He didn’t ask if Yi Ho was alive or dead.

 

He asked about his basic physical condition.

 

Hongo lowered her gaze and saw the shadowy figure below Yi Ho.

 

The full moon hovering high above revealed a true shadow that would normally remain hidden.

 

Its ears stood up on its head, and five tails swayed behind its hips.

 

Five…

 

Hongo furrowed his brow and swallowed a sigh.

 “What about the rumors?” “What?” 

After staring at Yi Ho’s tail in a daze, Hongo straightened his posture.

 “Eh, thanks to you spreading the word everywhere, there’s a lot of talk. I said I’d reward you for providing or finding information about Guishan Island, so I’m sure we’ll hear something sooner or later. I’m sure we’ll get something this time.” “Watch this space. If we don’t, so be it.” 

Hongo sighed again at the casual answer that sounded like it was someone else’s business.

 

That’s it. The painting was Yi Ho’s last lifeline.

 

They have to find Guishan Island.

 

Hongo looked at Yi Ho’s face, which was so white and transparent that he could see through it.

 

It had a fragile aesthetic that could shatter at any moment.

 

His multifaceted hazel eyes, the high bridge of his nose, his red lips, and his lean, toned body were mesmerizing.

 

This was undoubtedly the most beautiful gumiho, or youkai, Hongo Wu had ever seen in his life.

 “Master Hongo, your eyes are too hot. I’m going to misunderstand you.” 

There. A deep, mocking voice brought Hongo Wu back to his senses.

 

That was it.

 BANG! BANG! BANG! 

The sound of gunfire echoed in the dark night sky.

 

It came from the direction of the Moon Pavilion within the Song Yue Pavilion.

 

The corner of Yi Ho’s mouth twitched in amusement as he looked at the distant sky.

 “Looks like someone’s been causing trouble for a while.” 

Hongo felt his heart sink unexpectedly.

 

Yi Ho might seem calm and gentle at first glance, but in reality, he was anything but.

 

He is cunning, manipulative, and selfish to the point of not even caring about his own life.

 

His mesmerizing smile and soft, gentle voice are just a facade.

 

You don’t know what he’ll do if you give in.

 “I’ll go.” 

Hongo was about to turn away when Yi Ho, sitting like a statue, suddenly rose from the railing.

 

He was coming out of the study connected to the veranda, carrying something.

 

Hongo’s face grew puzzled.

 “Is this…?” 

In Yi Ho’s hand was a white fox mask that covered more than half of his face.

 “Come with me… Do you want to go?” “Yes. Nothing to do. I wonder who would make such a fuss. Do you want to die?” 

Hongo’s words made his hair stand on end.

 “I’ll go and take a look at the situation first.” “Right.” 

He blinked.

 

Hongo’s round body jumped off the porch, transformed into a red crow, and flew away.

 

Below him, Yi Ho, wearing a fox mask, walked leisurely across the grass.

 

The wind blew gently, and the red tassels under the fox’s ears swayed slightly.

 

***

 

How could this happen?

 

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t accept the one-yuan bill offered by the hospitable customer.

 “What is one yuan… No, money is innocent… You said it was for a music box, you cheating bastard…!” 

Hae-Joo clutched her hair with both hands and muttered through clenched teeth.

 

Her throat was tight with frustration.

 

At the moment, she was locked in an empty room in the annex by Song Yue’s staff.

 

Outside, the guards were taking stock of the situation, and the guest who had dragged her into this fire pit was also locked in another room.

 

Hae-Joo jumped up from her chair and paced the room nervously.

 “I said I don’t care, why don’t you let me go…!” 

Before she was locked in the room, the gunman had said clearly.

 

This has nothing to do with her.

 

That she was just a taxi driver paid to move the boxes.

 

But after stuffing cotton in her ears, the policeman locked her in the room and said she was related to him.

 

That made her even more scared and burning inside.

 

Now is the time!

 

The customer said

“revenge,”

but in a monk’s words it could also mean

“assassination”

.

 

At first glance, it sounds like the dead old man was an important figure in a Japan-related funding organization.

 

It was not unlikely that this would be packaged as a

“rebellion”

rather than a

“personal vendetta”

.

 

Hae-Joo stuck her head against the sliding door of the window, trying to somehow see outside.

 “It took me a while to figure out who he was… he’s from Shanghai… undercover…” 

What? Shanghai? The Shanghai of Gina (China)? And what’s a secret agent?

 

Hae-Joo’s knees went weak.

 

It was no secret that the rebel army was active in Shanghai.

 

But she hadn’t even taken half a step outside of this Joseon land, let alone Shanghai!

 “Excuse me… Excuse me…? Mr. Policeman? Is anyone there? I’m not really…? I’m just a very nice, honest taxi driver… Please let me go home…” 

Hae-Joo stayed close to the door and called out an echo that didn’t come back.

 

She sounded scared and intimidated, but inside she was ranting like crazy.

 

Korea, Japan, it doesn’t matter!

 

Song Yue Pavillion! What the hell is going on?

 

I thought this was an inviolable area!

 

Do you really think you can let a Japanese soldier run wild like this?

 

Has Song Yue Pavillion’s inviolable reputation faded over the years? Is that what happened?

 “Excuse me… Mr. Policeman…? I really don’t know anything… I was wrong to give you a member, do you want me to give it back to you…? Shunsha… Ugh!” 

Hae-Joo, who had been pleading with him, suddenly let out a loud scream.

 

The sliding door suddenly opened and the hand she was holding against the door hit the frame.

 

Hearing the pain, she quickly stepped back and leaned her head against the opposite wall.

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