Chapter 220: Planning A Visit For Tomorrow
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Su-Jin and Ji-Won were both sitting inside the car in silence. Each was deep in thought and seemed reluctant to perturb the other.
Despite their initial expectations, today's field work had proved to be quite eventful. From the village itself, which seemed to answer all their needs, to the last discovery of the day, everything had left them in a troubled state of mind.
Especially Su-Jin, who had been shocked by the woman's unnatural appearance.
'So what happened to that place and to its owners? Why was this woman looking so old and crazy? It almost seemed like her spirit had been broken into pieces, leaving behind only a shell for what little remained of it.' Su-Jin contemplated with a heavy heart.
Then, all of a sudden, her thoughts took a slightly different turn.
'And why did the house and its surroundings appear deserted as a grave? In all that time we were there no one else came out or went inside. There were no sounds coming from the courtyard either. Could it be that the guesthouse was shut down?'
Reaching up to here, Su-Jin suddenly panicked. She quickly sucked in a deep breath and expressed a silent intent.
'Tomorrow I will go back there. Regardless of what the truth is, I want to know it. I need to know…' She finished her thoughts with conviction.
All of a sudden, Ji-Won's deep voice broke the heavy silence.
"It's already quite late, so I'll take you home."
Compared to the last time, now Su-Jin didn't contradict him. In fact, she quite welcomed the idea of getting home sooner. She was tired, both mentally and physically. So, she simply nodded her, letting out a soft hum of assent.
But it appeared that Ji-Won hadn't finished. His voice changed subtly, taking on a slightly firmer tone as he continued to speak.
"Miss Park, empty your schedule for tomorrow. Also, make sure to dress comfortably and eat a hearty breakfast before leaving. I will come and pick you up at 9."
While he spoke, Ji-Won kept his eyes fixed ahead, his fingers lightly gripping the steering wheel. His expression seemed calm on the outside, as though he was merely talking about going to work the next day.
Su-Jin turned her head slowly and gaped at the man with perplexed eyes.
'Is this person able to read minds now? How did he know that I was going to come back here tomorrow?' She couldn't help but wonder.
She peered at him attentively but from where she stood, Su-Jin couldn't see any fluctuations in Ji-Won's dark eyes, nor could she notice any ripples in his expression.
Yet, another thing that she didn't see were the tensed muscles of his lower jaw, which betrayed his troubled mind.
"Pick me up tomorrow morning? Why?" Su-Jin eventually asked in bewilderment.
"Weren't you thinking of coming back here?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.
Despite his questioning tone, Ji-Won's eyes seemed to make an affirmation.
"Instead of doing this alone, I think it's better to do it as a team. So, I am coming with you. Besides, you are not the only one who's worried about that place. I also want to know what happened to both the guest house and its owners."
~~~
That night Su-Jin's brain refused to relax long enough for her to fall asleep.
She writhed on the bed, moving and fidgeting, turning from one side to the other as though she was laying on a mattress made of needles.
In the end, it must have been well over midnight when Su-Jin had finally exhausted herself.
The sheets were wrapped around her body like a cocoon and she was breathing quietly. With each breath, her chest moved up and down in a slow rhythm.
When she opened her eyes, Su-Jin found herself standing in the middle of a courtyard.
Looking around, she was soon greeted by the sight of a beautiful, traditional two-story guesthouse. Su-Jin could see the upturned eaves shining in the sunset, spreading a reddish color all across the sandy ground.
After taking a few minutes to explore the spacious courtyard, Su-Jin noticed a peculiarity.
There wasn't a soul in sight. Despite it being a time when people should have been around, no one was bustling around the building. And it wasn't just outside. She couldn't hear a single sound coming from inside of the house either.
Feeling both curious and determined to find out what was going on, Su-Jin raised a foot and began walking towards the building.
However, after just one step she stopped. Looking down at her feet, she froze in shock.
At some point, both her legs and feet had shrunk, and she was now walking with the steps of an eight year old child.
Su-Jin slowly raised her arms hoping against hope that they would be normal. Unfortunately, it was the same situation with her upper body as well.
In one last attempt to deny the obvious, Su-Jin ultimately pinched her cheeks with both hands. They felt round and puffy and… painful.
"Ouch… AH!" she gasped.
There was absolutely no doubt now. She was really in the body of a child. Even her voice sounded squeaky.
"What the hell is going on?" she muttered, then immediately clamped her mouth shut.
It was truly disturbing to hear that kind of language coming from a child. Well, for Su-Jin it was rather unnerving to hear those words coming out in such a childish voice.
Consequently, she decided to remain silent and keep all thoughts to herself.
'I'm dreaming right now, aren't I? Yes, this must be a dream. Otherwise, I don't know how I could explain all this. But earlier when I pinched myself it really hurt. Weren't dreams supposed to be different from reality? I heard people saying that you can't feel pain in a dream. Then… is this a lucid dream1?'
Su-Jin's eyes widened. She hesitated to continue that idea and eventually stopped thinking about it altogether.
'Whether this is a dream or simply an illusion, it doesn't matter. There must be a reason why I am seeing this right now. So, let's go, Park Su-Jin! Go and explore this place a bit and see what is going on. Nothing bad should be able to happen to you here. Fighting!'
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Su-Jin and Ji-Won were both sitting inside the car in silence. Each was deep in thought and seemed reluctant to perturb the other.
Despite their initial expectations, today's field work had proved to be quite eventful. From the village itself, which seemed to answer all their needs, to the last discovery of the day, everything had left them in a troubled state of mind.
Especially Su-Jin, who had been shocked by the woman's unnatural appearance.
'So what happened to that place and to its owners? Why was this woman looking so old and crazy? It almost seemed like her spirit had been broken into pieces, leaving behind only a shell for what little remained of it.' Su-Jin contemplated with a heavy heart.
Then, all of a sudden, her thoughts took a slightly different turn.
'And why did the house and its surroundings appear deserted as a grave? In all that time we were there no one else came out or went inside. There were no sounds coming from the courtyard either. Could it be that the guesthouse was shut down?'
Reaching up to here, Su-Jin suddenly panicked. She quickly sucked in a deep breath and expressed a silent intent.
'Tomorrow I will go back there. Regardless of what the truth is, I want to know it. I need to know…' She finished her thoughts with conviction.
All of a sudden, Ji-Won's deep voice broke the heavy silence.
"It's already quite late, so I'll take you home."
Compared to the last time, now Su-Jin didn't contradict him. In fact, she quite welcomed the idea of getting home sooner. She was tired, both mentally and physically. So, she simply nodded her, letting out a soft hum of assent.
But it appeared that Ji-Won hadn't finished. His voice changed subtly, taking on a slightly firmer tone as he continued to speak.
"Miss Park, empty your schedule for tomorrow. Also, make sure to dress comfortably and eat a hearty breakfast before leaving. I will come and pick you up at 9."
While he spoke, Ji-Won kept his eyes fixed ahead, his fingers lightly gripping the steering wheel. His expression seemed calm on the outside, as though he was merely talking about going to work the next day.
Su-Jin turned her head slowly and gaped at the man with perplexed eyes.
'Is this person able to read minds now? How did he know that I was going to come back here tomorrow?' She couldn't help but wonder.
She peered at him attentively but from where she stood, Su-Jin couldn't see any fluctuations in Ji-Won's dark eyes, nor could she notice any ripples in his expression.
Yet, another thing that she didn't see were the tensed muscles of his lower jaw, which betrayed his troubled mind.
"Pick me up tomorrow morning? Why?" Su-Jin eventually asked in bewilderment.
"Weren't you thinking of coming back here?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.
Despite his questioning tone, Ji-Won's eyes seemed to make an affirmation.
"Instead of doing this alone, I think it's better to do it as a team. So, I am coming with you. Besides, you are not the only one who's worried about that place. I also want to know what happened to both the guest house and its owners."
~~~
That night Su-Jin's brain refused to relax long enough for her to fall asleep.
She writhed on the bed, moving and fidgeting, turning from one side to the other as though she was laying on a mattress made of needles.
In the end, it must have been well over midnight when Su-Jin had finally exhausted herself.
The sheets were wrapped around her body like a cocoon and she was breathing quietly. With each breath, her chest moved up and down in a slow rhythm.
When she opened her eyes, Su-Jin found herself standing in the middle of a courtyard.
Looking around, she was soon greeted by the sight of a beautiful, traditional two-story guesthouse. Su-Jin could see the upturned eaves shining in the sunset, spreading a reddish color all across the sandy ground.
After taking a few minutes to explore the spacious courtyard, Su-Jin noticed a peculiarity.
There wasn't a soul in sight. Despite it being a time when people should have been around, no one was bustling around the building. And it wasn't just outside. She couldn't hear a single sound coming from inside of the house either.
Feeling both curious and determined to find out what was going on, Su-Jin raised a foot and began walking towards the building.
However, after just one step she stopped. Looking down at her feet, she froze in shock.
At some point, both her legs and feet had shrunk, and she was now walking with the steps of an eight year old child.
Su-Jin slowly raised her arms hoping against hope that they would be normal. Unfortunately, it was the same situation with her upper body as well.
In one last attempt to deny the obvious, Su-Jin ultimately pinched her cheeks with both hands. They felt round and puffy and… painful.
"Ouch… AH!" she gasped.
There was absolutely no doubt now. She was really in the body of a child. Even her voice sounded squeaky.
"What the hell is going on?" she muttered, then immediately clamped her mouth shut.
It was truly disturbing to hear that kind of language coming from a child. Well, for Su-Jin it was rather unnerving to hear those words coming out in such a childish voice.
Consequently, she decided to remain silent and keep all thoughts to herself.
'I'm dreaming right now, aren't I? Yes, this must be a dream. Otherwise, I don't know how I could explain all this. But earlier when I pinched myself it really hurt. Weren't dreams supposed to be different from reality? I heard people saying that you can't feel pain in a dream. Then… is this a lucid dream1?'
Su-Jin's eyes widened. She hesitated to continue that idea and eventually stopped thinking about it altogether.
'Whether this is a dream or simply an illusion, it doesn't matter. There must be a reason why I am seeing this right now. So, let's go, Park Su-Jin! Go and explore this place a bit and see what is going on. Nothing bad should be able to happen to you here. Fighting!'
Su-Jin and Ji-Won were both sitting inside the car in silence. Each was deep in thought and seemed reluctant to perturb the other.Despite their initial expectations, today's field work had proved to be quite eventful. From the village itself, which seemed to answer all their needs, to the last discovery of the day, everything had left them in a troubled state of mind.Especially Su-Jin, who had been shocked by the woman's unnatural appearance.'So what happened to that place and to its owners? Why was this woman looking so old and crazy? It almost seemed like her spirit had been broken into pieces, leaving behind only a shell for what little remained of it.' Su-Jin contemplated with a heavy heart. Then, all of a sudden, her thoughts took a slightly different turn.'And why did the house and its surroundings appear deserted as a grave? In all that time we were there no one else came out or went inside. There were no sounds coming from the courtyard either. Could it be that the guesthouse was shut down?'Reaching up to here, Su-Jin suddenly panicked. She quickly sucked in a deep breath and expressed a silent intent.'Tomorrow I will go back there. Regardless of what the truth is, I want to know it. I need to know' She finished her thoughts with conviction.All of a sudden, Ji-Won's deep voice broke the heavy silence. "It's already quite late, so I'll take you home." Compared to the last time, now Su-Jin didn't contradict him. In fact, she quite welcomed the idea of getting home sooner. She was tired, both mentally and physically. So, she simply nodded her, letting out a soft hum of assent.But it appeared that Ji-Won hadn't finished. His voice changed subtly, taking on a slightly firmer tone as he continued to speak."Miss Park, empty your schedule for tomorrow. Also, make sure to dress comfortably and eat a hearty breakfast before leaving. I will come and pick you up at 9."While he spoke, Ji-Won kept his eyes fixed ahead, his fingers lightly gripping the steering wheel. His expression seemed calm on the outside, as though he was merely talking about going to work the next day. Su-Jin turned her head slowly and gaped at the man with perplexed eyes.'Is this person able to read minds now? How did he know that I was going to come back here tomorrow?' She couldn't help but wonder.She peered at him attentively but from where she stood, Su-Jin couldn't see any fluctuations in Ji-Won's dark eyes, nor could she notice any ripples in his expression. Yet, another thing that she didn't see were the tensed muscles of his lower jaw, which betrayed his troubled mind."Pick me up tomorrow morning? Why?" Su-Jin eventually asked in bewilderment. "Weren't you thinking of coming back here?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.Despite his questioning tone, Ji-Won's eyes seemed to make an affirmation. "Instead of doing this alone, I think it's better to do it as a team. So, I am coming with you. Besides, you are not the only one who's worried about that place. I also want to know what happened to both the guest house and its owners."~~~That night Su-Jin's brain refused to relax long enough for her to fall asleep.She writhed on the bed, moving and fidgeting, turning from one side to the other as though she was laying on a mattress made of needles. In the end, it must have been well over midnight when Su-Jin had finally exhausted herself. The sheets were wrapped around her body like a cocoon and she was breathing quietly. With each breath, her chest moved up and down in a slow rhythm. When she opened her eyes, Su-Jin found herself standing in the middle of a courtyard. Looking around, she was soon greeted by the sight of a beautiful, traditional two-story guesthouse. Su-Jin could see the upturned eaves shining in the sunset, spreading a reddish color all across the sandy ground. After taking a few minutes to explore the spacious courtyard, Su-Jin noticed a peculiarity. There wasn't a soul in sight. Despite it being a time when people should have been around, no one was bustling around the building. And it wasn't just outside. She couldn't hear a single sound coming from inside of the house either.Feeling both curious and determined to find out what was going on, Su-Jin raised a foot and began walking towards the building. However, after just one step she stopped. Looking down at her feet, she froze in shock. At some point, both her legs and feet had shrunk, and she was now walking with the steps of an eight year old child. Su-Jin slowly raised her arms hoping against hope that they would be normal. Unfortunately, it was the same situation with her upper body as well. In one last attempt to deny the obvious, Su-Jin ultimately pinched her cheeks with both hands. They felt round and puffy and painful."Ouch AH!" she gasped.There was absolutely no doubt now. She was really in the body of a child. Even her voice sounded squeaky. "What the hell is going on?" she muttered, then immediately clamped her mouth shut. It was truly disturbing to hear that kind of language coming from a child. Well, for Su-Jin it was rather unnerving to hear those words coming out in such a childish voice. Consequently, she decided to remain silent and keep all thoughts to herself. 'I'm dreaming right now, aren't I? Yes, this must be a dream. Otherwise, I don't know how I could explain all this. But earlier when I pinched myself it really hurt. Weren't dreams supposed to be different from reality? I heard people saying that you can't feel pain in a dream. Then is this a lucid dream1?' Su-Jin's eyes widened. She hesitated to continue that idea and eventually stopped thinking about it altogether. 'Whether this is a dream or simply an illusion, it doesn't matter. There must be a reason why I am seeing this right now. So, let's go, Park Su-Jin! Go and explore this place a bit and see what is going on. Nothing bad should be able to happen to you here. Fighting!'
