“Let’s stop this and go home now. Yeo Moon-beom has prepared a feast for Father. There’s beef and buckwheat jelly too.”
“Eun-hwi.”
“Yes, Father.”
“I would like to join you for the meal and hear about everything that’s happened, but having just returned from the prison of the Ten Kings of Hell, it’s difficult for me to maintain human form for long.”
“P-prison of Hell?”
He had only known that as a result of the bet, Gabi had returned to his original form and regained his lost yin energy. The half-dokkaebi’s face fell at the mention of this punishment for a heavy sin he couldn’t even imagine. And then.
“So we can’t stay together longer?”
Only now registering the latter part of what Gabi said, he asked with visible disappointment.
He had planned to talk with Gabi all night long and tell him about everything he had experienced. He hadn’t expected such a short time would be given to him. His slender shoulders drooped. Tears that had just stopped began to well up again, blurring his vision.
“I plan to recover my strength here as much as possible so we can live like before. Let’s meet again when spring comes with its flowers.”
“But it’s still winter… Spring is so far away. *Sob*.”
“I’m sorry, Hwi. I’ll be with you during both day and night then, so could you wait just a little longer?”
Gabi, who had been comforting the continuously sniffling Eun-hwi, looked at Moon-beom with a pleading expression.
Moon-beom approached silently and wrapped his arm around Eun-hwi’s shoulders. That wordless gesture made his heart ache even more. His head, which had been constantly turned toward Gabi like a sunflower following the sun, dropped suddenly.
“Eun-hwi.”
“…Yes.”
“Some waiting feels like eternity, as if that moment will never come. But in this universe, among all things, there is no eternal waiting. If you live by regarding it as a pillar supporting your life rather than being enslaved by time, the promised day will have approached to tomorrow.”
“…Like you did, Father?”
Gabi smiled with eye-creases like a Hahoe mask and answered:
“Like you and I both did.”
Like a reward given after a long wait, the strong arm that would always protect him firmly embraced his shoulders. The half-dokkaebi raised his head and spoke in a composed tone:
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Let’s all go flower-viewing that day.”
“Yes. I promise. Let’s enjoy the flower festival together.”
“Oh right. This is my friend, Dr. Hong-salgwi. He wanted to greet you, so he came along.”
Since first seeing Gabi’s face, Dr. Hong had been wiping his eyes with a handkerchief that had become completely soaked.
Just like a broken faucet.
Even without asking, Eun-hwi knew the reason. He and Moon-beom stepped back, making room for him.
“I am Hong-salgwi… No, Bang Ki-bong. Since you saved my life over fifty years ago, I’ve lived waiting for the day I could repay your kindness. I had my suspicions, but to think that the little dokkaebi’s father was my benefactor… Thank you. Thank you for saving me… Thank you!”
Gabi helped Dr. Hong rise as he knelt and continuously bowed his head, and said:
“Isn’t saying you want to die another way of saying you want to live? I merely listened to that desperate cry. If you truly want to repay the favor, please continue to be a good friend to Eun-hwi.”
“Yes, Mr. Dokkaebi. I will cherish this relationship, as valuable and precious as life itself, and remain a close friend for a lifetime.”
Seemingly touched by Dr. Hong’s sincere heart, Gabi comforted his still-trembling shoulders.
The sobbing that had filled the cave gradually reduced and soon even the faint sniffles disappeared. Only the joy of deep emotion filled the void left by sound.
“Then, we’ll see you again soon.”
Noticing the gradually diminishing power of the moon through the cast shadow, Moon-beom offered his farewell first. Eun-hwi grabbed Gabi’s arm one last time as he was about to return to his original place and conveyed the message he had been eager to share.
“Father. I met Mother at the bank of the Sanzu River. She asked me to take good care of you until the day you meet again.”
“…Muryon, you say?”
“Yes. She said she would surely come to find you.”
Gabi, who had been looking surprised with wide eyes, returned to the Jangseung with a broad smile revealing his white teeth.
Unlike earlier when he had exuded sternness bordering on intimidation, the Jangseung now openly displayed excited emotions, which was quite pleasing to see.
Eun-hwi’s eyes curved beautifully as he watched.
“A true friend should know exactly when to withdraw. Even I have that much sense, Little Dokkaebi.”
They had just finished the beef barbecue feast and Eun-hwi had suggested that Dr. Hong stay overnight. Standing behind Eun-hwi, Dr. Hong glanced discreetly at Moon-beom, held out his palm, and firmly refused the suggestion.
It seemed he didn’t want to witness them constantly kissing at inappropriate times like they did at the company.
Since this was the first time Eun-hwi had invited a friend by his own choice, he wanted all three of them to play gonggi (five stones) and tag together.
Although he wanted to insist, he couldn’t be too stubborn seeing Dr. Hong’s face swollen from crying so much. Eun-hwi waved goodbye, putting aside his regret.
“Take care on your way down and sleep well, Dr. Hong-salgwi. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, Little Dokkaebi. Good night. I hope you have a peaceful night, putting down all your burdens.”
On Dr. Hong’s finger was the grotesque mask ring that Moon-beom used to wear. Eun-hwi had specially lent it to him for access to the barrier-protected Hwichukdang.
Creaaak—
The door closed, and only the two of them remained. Eun-hwi watched Moon-beom head to the kitchen to finish cleaning up after the meal, as always, and then sat on the wooden floor.
The dark, vast sea with waves of moonlight and the sky swimming with the Milky Way. It was the same unchanging night scenery, where the sky was the sea and the sea was the sky.
A view of complete nature that could never be seen in Hanyang.
“One star, two stars, three stars…”
The half-dokkaebi started counting stars, beginning with the ladle-shaped Big Dipper. Unlike before, when he had to start counting from the beginning several times because he didn’t know numbers beyond twenty, now he could easily count a million stars.
It was all thanks to Moon-beom.
“Forty-seven stars, forty-eight stars, forty-nine stars…”
As he was concentrating on counting stars, Moon-beom, who had finished washing the dishes, approached and asked Eun-hwi:
“Aren’t you cold?”
“The bonfire is here, so I’m not cold at all. Ah…! I forgot what number I counted up to!”
“I unnecessarily interrupted you. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I was counting while waiting for Yeo Moon-beom as I practiced numbers.”
“Is that so? You’ve been studying hard lately. That’s admirable.”
He sat down beside Eun-hwi with a gentle smile. The half-dokkaebi stared at the space between them, wide enough to fit two fists, and gradually scooted over until he was pressed right against him.
“I thought you said you weren’t cold?”
“No. I’m trying to keep Yeo Moon-beom warm.”
Unlike his house, there was no automatic hot water, making dishwashing difficult. Eun-hwi felt the strength of the arm wrapped around his waist and held his other hand, which had grown cold.
After gently rubbing it back and forth and fiddling with it, the hand quickly became warm. Moon-beom, who had silently offered his hand, called Eun-hwi’s name in a low but clear voice.
“Eun-hwi.”
“Mm, what is it?”
“What do you want to do from now on?”
“Do what?”
“Kim Gabi has returned to Wolhwa, and you’ve achieved your wish. I’m curious about how you’d like to live, not just until spring, but after that too.”
“Ah…”
Curious about where and how you’d like to live.
Finally grasping the hidden meaning, Eun-hwi stared at the distant sea for a moment. The past days, when the black surging waves were everything, rushed behind his blinking eyelids.
“You know, Yeo Moon-beom.”
“Yes, Eun-hwi.”
“The world was only black because I was alone. Until you came.”
Although he had pretended to be fine and endured each day firmly, the world was frighteningly dark and quiet, and his heart easily scattered at the slightest breeze.
Without his presence, which colored the once-gray world, he wouldn’t have been able to stand firmly as he did now toward the newly unfolded world.
“I want to go to Hanyang and study. I want to study hard and see a world with more colors. Is that okay?”
Therefore, he wanted to move forward together from his side, in the place where he lived, not on an isolated island disconnected from the world.
He was worried about being disliked because he was still unskilled at almost everything, but.
Moon-beom smiled broadly at Eun-hwi’s cautious question, as if to say there was no need to ask for permission, and replied:
“I told you. Just bloom beautifully, Eun-hwi.”
“But I can’t blossom fully by myself. We’re in a romantic relationship, so we should bloom together.”
“You are me, and I am you. We’re already one body, so is there any need to bloom separately?”
“…Is that so?”
Instead of saying “yes,” Moon-beom buried his lips on the white cheek tilted to one side. It was a kind kiss that drove away the shadow of worry from a corner of his heart.
“I have a debt to repay to Eun-hwi for life.”
“A debt to repay?”
He had thought that since Moon-beom had fulfilled his wish to become human, he should be the one repaying the favor.
Eun-hwi stared at him with blinking eyes and a puzzled expression. Moon-beom pulled the hand he was holding and placed it on his broad, flat chest, whispering softly:
“You removed the thorn that had been stuck here all along.”
He intertwined their fingers. Then, giving strength to their hands, firmly intertwined like an unbreakable knot, he continued:
“I’ll bear all the worries, concerns, and wounds you might experience in the future. I’ll show you only the most beautiful colors in the world.”
There was firm determination in his eyes. Moon-beom spoke once more to Eun-hwi, who was gazing at his black pupils and the iris surrounding them as if burning:
“I told you before. That I would teach you how to live from now on. Trust me and follow me. Let’s become even more splendid humans and proudly come back to Wolhwa to show off.”
Eun-hwi realized.
From the moment they first met, he had been completely captivated by those deep blue eyes burning with a high purity like dokkaebi fire.
The straight gaze before him was clearly engraved in his heart. The half-dokkaebi displayed a smile that spread like water currents and conveyed another foreign phrase he had secretly prepared:
“Yeo Moon-beom, I love you.”
“I love you, too. Eun-hwi.”
The moonlight illuminating the entire world was brilliant. Under the full moon where the jade rabbit pounding rice could be clearly seen, the two sealed their promise for the future with a kiss.
Spring, when the sound of sap rising in every branch would soon be heard and new life would prepare to burst forth with flower buds everywhere. Spring, when he could meet again with the scenery, fragrance, and existence he had missed to the point of tears.
It was a night with a heart full of anticipation for the coming spring.
— End of Side Story, “The Dokkaebi Waiting for the Moon”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
