episode_0019

[Episode 019] Waiting for Me

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“Is that… really…?”

Her energy drained at the firm words of the grandfather. Even mountain spirits who grant gold axes, heavenly maidens, and even the Jade Emperor have no way home?

[…To be precise, there is no way I know of. It may not be impossible, but… in reality, you should naturally know about it.]

“I should know?”

[Yes. The clear fact is that coming here without even wanting to is an impossible thing. In the previous world, you strongly desired this world, and our world had to respond for it to be possible.]

“I… wished to fall here?”

“Yes. The one who opened the door seems to know how to close it naturally. You alone know the way back. Not this grandfather who has never been to another world.”

“That… makes sense… So, would the Jade Emperor not know this answer?”

“Hmm… Since the Emperor manages all things under heaven, he might not be completely unaware… If possible, it might be good to ask… Although ascending to Heaven is a difficult task, meeting the Emperor is even harder.”

“Oh, I have a thought on that. Heesun is said to be the Emperor’s daughter. So, Heesun agreed to help.”

“Oh? That worked out well! So, how do you plan to ascend to Heaven?”

“Well… I think I need to ask the grandfather about that… By any chance, has something like a dewcloth ever descended?”

“Dewcloth?”

Seems like it hasn’t descended yet.

“Yes, since Heesun witnessed the maidens bathing here, she probably won’t come down again, so I thought of lowering a dewcloth to fetch water as an alternative.”

“Hmm… Maidens only descend on bright nights with a full moon. While dewcloths can descend anytime, such an event has not occurred yet.”

It hasn’t been long since they bathed and ascended; will they lower a dewcloth already?

But when did the fairy tale mention the time of descent? My memory is fuzzy.

Moreover, not only do they descend on full moons, but they can also descend at any time… Does the grandfather happen to know when they might descend?

“Hmm… A single spirit cannot know the affairs of Heaven. Only the people of Heaven know that. Come to think of it, it’s strange. How could the evil one know when the maidens descend from Heaven?”

“Probably the deer informed him.”

“The deer?”

“Yes, I missed a deer while hunting, and it saved me. So, in return, it betrayed Heesun to be consumed.”

“What, what?! How… How could such a vile creature exist?! That creature is surely not just a deer! It must be a human disguised from Heaven! This wretched being! How dare he let someone else repay my debt?!”]

The grandfather’s lush beard trembled with anger.

Getting so upset at his age might lead to high blood pressure…

Worried, I tried to calm the grandfather down.

“Oh, please calm down, grandfather. You might collapse from anger. Anyway, if what you say is true, then that deer was inevitably part of the story, right? So, don’t get too angry—”

“No! That’s different. If it were someone unrelated to the surroundings or the story, your words would make sense. However, that creature is the protagonist. The story could have changed based on its actions! Wicked being! Surely, it reveled in repaying a life for a cheap price! Moreover, daring to recklessly leak heavenly matters? I will ensure that he never sets foot on this mountain again!”

Even with my objections, it seemed he couldn’t suppress his anger, as smoke rose from his sunlit, glistening hair.

Oh, grandfather! Calm down… Please calm down. I will find that person and make them pay somehow. I need their help to know when the Du-rebak will come down anyway. But it seems difficult to find if they can’t come into the mountain…

Although I’m not sure if the mountain god will get high blood pressure, out of worry, the shaman desperately turns his words to calm the grandfather.

After taking a few more deep breaths, the grandfather looked at my worried face, sighed, and suppressed his anger.

[Phew… That’s right… Revenge must be carried out by the person involved… I understand…. By the way, I’m sorry I can’t give you any helpful answers.]

“It’s okay. Just meeting you, grandfather, reassures me of many things.”

[Haha, it was enjoyable to see a young man with a pure heart like you after a long time. How about taking the gold and silver axes now—]

“Ah, what gold and silver? I have enough to live on. And I’m not that clean; I just need to go back to my hometown, so gold and silver are useless to me.”

[What…!!!]

Ah, here we go again. Is there a disease that touches people who don’t accept gold?

Well… refusing gold doesn’t necessarily mean someone is good.

“Oh, you’re like this again. I should start heading back now. By the way, why don’t people come here much even though the lake is so clear and clean? It’s a perfect place for washing hemp.”

[Only those connected can come. Whether it’s a good or bad connection, only those who are connected can come. Haha, if everyone could come, they would have spread the word and everyone would have come down with a gold axe in hand.]

“That makes sense. Oh? By the way, this lake… is it where fairies come down to bathe? Grandfather…?”

[Haha, it’s time for you to go down, isn’t it? Go down quickly. Won’t the fairy daughters eagerly await you? It’s not good to leave a young man alone at home.]

“Oh… Grandfather, you’re unexpectedly cheeky…?”

[Alright, you rascal! Take this and go down quickly. Come back to visit later! Now, this old man will go back now!]

Our cheeky grandfather suddenly threw something wrapped in a cloth next to me with a thud and then disappeared.

I had no choice but to bow once and descend from the mountain.

*

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“Wait, did you really give me these gold and silver axes as if handing them to your grandson going home for Chuseok?”

The basin was filled with gold and silver axes.

Oh my… With this, I could buy three more tiled houses in the village. They were incredibly heavy.

Don’t just casually give things away like this, old man.

But then again, I thought he must have been lonely all this time in the lake where no one visited.

Sometimes I should visit him and keep him company.

He was a kind person. I had gained a lot from the time spent with him.

And now with an extra family member, although I was worried about the living expenses being tight, to take care of me like this… I am truly grateful.

Originally, I planned to find some work in the village, but with this, I can focus on searching for deer.

After harvesting to a certain extent, I returned home.

Smoke was rising from the hearth

and the scent of savory potato stew wafted through the air.

It felt strange.

Normally, upon returning, the house should have been dark and cold, with only the chill of the room greeting me,

but having someone waiting for me, cooking over the fire, was oddly comforting.

“Brother! Welcome back! I’ve been waiting for you.”

Confirming my return, the woman approached me with a butterfly-like smile and warmly embraced me.

“I’m back.”

And naturally, my heart trembled as if I had become the husband of this beautiful woman and answered.

Still… let’s not get too caught up.

Because it’s so lovely, because it’s happy, because my heart is pounding

It must be equally painful to part ways.

Just embrace like this and feel the warmth… Just greedily seek that level of comfort by smelling the fragrance and finding peace… Just that much.

She would like that too.

“So the Mountain Spirit ran away like that? Ahahaha….”

“Hahaha, well, she was a bit flighty but a good person.”

“Of course. She wouldn’t be called a spirit for no reason. She must have accumulated a lot of good deeds.”

“But is that okay? In the lake.. cough! Grandfather might have seen secretly.”

“Hoho, it might be a bit embarrassing, but well, since the fairies frequented that place, think of it as a bathing fee, right. Still, we should be careful from now on! Now, only Grandfather should see my body.”

Huh???

I feel like I heard something wrong?

“Um.. Shouldn’t I also see?”

“Since you’re a benefactor, can’t you show this much?”

“Uh… Even if you’re a benefactor, shouldn’t you demand such things?”

“But you still want to see a little, right?”

Playfully smiling, Heesun lifts her skirt slightly.

A peach scent wafts in the air.

Revealing white legs….

Just that alone unfolds a flight of fancy in my mind.

If I were to gently climb up those pretty knees, there would be soft thighs.

If I go a little higher from here.. her intimate bush….

Thinking about that, my head started to heat up.

If I bury my face in that skirt width now, I would feel incredibly good… If I enter that skirt…

Unconsciously swayed by Heesun’s swaying skirt hem…

Gradually, my face tilts towards Heesun’s leg…

Whoosh!

The leg is covered by the skirt again.

‘Uh? Where did it go? Where did it go?’

Like a child who has had their toy taken away without realizing the situation, I was staring at the covered skirt in confusion.

The room was filled with silence.

Suddenly, I look up and see her face.

Her beautiful green eyes that meet mine.

Her emerald jewel-like eyes shimmer faintly.

Was the dream I had yesterday a premonition?

I couldn’t move a muscle like prey caught in a spider’s web under her laughing eyes.