Chapter vv15c8

* Act 2, Scene 3 *

The Girl Meets the Boy – A Duet of Youth

– The boy was captivated by the girl’s eyes, sparkling like jewels, full of life. They were bright and healthy, overflowing with vitality, like black pearls that had captured the sunlight. He loved her eyes.

The girl first saw him on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea, where the waves crashed against the shore, sending up plumes of white foam.

He was surrounded by dozens of seabirds, so many that it looked as if he were being attacked. White birds flocked around him, perching on his shoulders without fear or hesitation.

He was a mysterious boy. But to call him a boy, or even a young man, wasn’t quite accurate. He looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, his face still youthful. She had never seen him before.

“Excuse me, but may I ask who you are?”

The boy’s gaze, which had been fixed on the sky, slowly turned towards her.

His face was pale and drawn, his eyes empty. He looked like a man made of dust. He opened his mouth slowly, his eyes fixed on the emblem on her left breast.

“The White Goose emblem? The Sword Clan?”

He recognized the emblem instantly. He was no ordinary person. He was a martial artist.

Dokgo Ryeong nodded.

“Yes, I’m a disciple of the Sword Clan. What brings you here? As the security officer in charge of patrolling the island, I need to know.”

Of course, the “security officer” part was a joke.

Her two-winged emblem didn’t grant her any authority. No authority meant no responsibility. And that meant she wasn’t considered independent, a constant reminder that she was still under her master’s protection. It was frustrating for someone as independent as her. Perhaps that’s why she was so obsessed with patrolling the island.

“Well, Officer, I’ll answer your question. I was simply enjoying the view, the fresh sea air, the scent of salt. The sea breeze is refreshing here. I thought it might help to clear my mind, to lighten the burden on my heart. It’s a hopeful thought, that even I might forget.”

The sadness in his eyes touched her heart. He had a certain charm, a magnetism that drew her in. She had never met anyone like him before. He was refreshing, stimulating, captivating.

Her heart skipped a beat.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Her face flushed. It was strange.

“What’s your name?”

She asked. It wasn’t a question born out of her duty as a security officer.

The boy shook his head.

“I… I’ve forgotten.”

He said after a moment of thought, his face blank. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was talking about what he had for breakfast.

“Y-You have amnesia?”

She exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

The boy knew what she was thinking. He could see the curiosity in her eyes, sparkling like stardust. It was an unwelcome attention.

“Isn’t it… a bit rude to stare at me like that?”

She was looking at him as if he were a rare specimen. It was definitely rude.

“You don’t have… amnesia?”

She asked, her face falling. The boy smiled faintly. It was the first time she had seen him smile.

“Of course not. But perhaps I need it.”

He wasn’t joking. He longed for amnesia. He desperately needed it.

“You want to forget your name…? Do you want to escape the shackles that bind you?”

She had spoken without thinking, but she had hit the mark. She had unwittingly touched upon his deepest desire. He couldn’t smile.

“That’s… a painful truth. A name you can’t escape, even if you want to… Perhaps it’s another form of fate.”

His eyes were deep, old beyond his years. They were the eyes of a man who had seen too much, suffered too much.

To have such a world-weary expression at his age… It meant that the burden he carried was heavy indeed.

According to the I Ching, according to Eastern philosophy, fate could be changed. But destiny was predetermined, unchangeable. It was foolish to blame destiny. But it was equally foolish to not try to change your fate.

Which one was he?

“But do you really think forgetting your name will bring you peace?”

It was a sharp question, like a knife to the heart. The boy winced, clutching his chest. A bitter smile touched his lips.

“Perhaps my misfortune is knowing that it’s impossible. But right now, I just want to forget the burden of my name, to rest, even if it’s just for a moment. Even if it’s just a temporary escape… I need it.”

His face was etched with fatigue and sadness.

What kind of life had he lived to have such an expression at his age? Dokgo Ryeong was surprised by her own curiosity.

She had never been so intrigued by a man before.

“Hmm… How about this?”

She said, smiling brightly.

“Forget your old name for now. But it would be inconvenient to have no name at all, right? So I’ll give you a new name. While you’re using this name, forget your past and live as a new person! Like an actor on stage!”

The boy was taken aback by her bold suggestion.

He didn’t know how to respond. But he couldn’t deny that it was a tempting offer.

“To forget my name…”

It was a way to escape the curse of his name.

“Yes, to forget your name is to forget who you were. While you’re using this new name, forget your past and rest. Become someone else. Like an actor in a play!”

She didn’t wait for his response. She had already moved on to the next stage.

“So what should we call you? I can’t call you ‘hey’ or ‘you.’ And ‘John Doe’ is too cliché…”

She chattered on, not giving him a chance to speak.

“I know! How about Eunmyeong?”

“Eunmyeong?”

“Yes. Because you’re hiding your name. ‘Eun’ for ‘hidden,’ ‘myeong’ for ‘name.’ Eunmyeong!”

She smiled brightly, her smile innocent and carefree.

“Eunmyeong…”

He tested the name on his tongue. It had a nice ring to it.

“Don’t you like it?”

Her mood shifted instantly, her face falling.

He shook his head quickly. He had taken too long to respond.

A helping hand, offered unexpectedly, from an unexpected source… It was his choice whether to take it or not. And he finally made his decision.

“No, I like it! Eunmyeong. It’s a good name. Perhaps you’re a guardian angel sent from heaven.”

He accepted her offer.

“Oh my, a guardian angel? That’s a bit much.”

She laughed, her laughter echoing his.

“Well, I mean it…”

He hadn’t smiled like this in a year. She didn’t know that.

* * *

“I’m going out for a bit!”

“See you later, Senior Sister Dokgo!”

Na Yerin said, waving goodbye to Dokgo Ryeong, who was leaving with a cheerful smile. It was a common sight these days.

“Yerin, come here for a moment.”

Yoo Soo-gyeong called out to her, beckoning her over.

“Yes, Senior Sister Yoo? What is it?”

Yoo Soo-gyeong leaned in and whispered,

“I haven’t seen Ryeong much lately. Do you know where she’s been going?”

“I don’t know.”

Na Yerin replied in her usual mature tone.

‘She’s so lacking in charm…’

Yoo Soo-gyeong thought to herself. She found Na Yerin difficult to deal with.

“I apologize for not being charming.”

Na Yerin’s blunt words startled Yoo Soo-gyeong.

“Uh… hahaha… W-What do you mean…?”

She was flustered. She tried to laugh it off, but it was no use.

“It’s written all over your face.”

Na Yerin said flatly, her voice as expressionless as a doll’s.

“R-Really?”

Yoo Soo-gyeong touched her face self-consciously.

“Ahahahaha… ahaha…”

She laughed nervously, her face turning red.

“…”

Na Yerin’s expression remained unchanged. She was like a marble statue.

“A-Anyway, do you think she has a boyfriend? She’s been going out a lot lately! Ahahahaha!”

She tried to change the subject, but Na Yerin’s lack of reaction made it impossible to tell if she had succeeded.

It takes two hands to clap. There was no point in talking to herself. Didn’t this girl have even a shred of curiosity? She felt deflated.

“I guess not…”

She murmured, her shoulders slumping.

* * *

He had no complaints.

He was one of the chosen few, and his family was wealthy enough to provide him with everything he needed. His future had been predetermined from birth, and he was proud of his family and his destiny. But one day, he was told that everything he had believed in was a lie.

His thoughts and actions were a façade, a carefully constructed persona designed to deceive the world. His values were artificial. He shouldn’t have seen the world the way he did, heard the things he heard, thought the thoughts he thought. But the values he had been raised with couldn’t be discarded so easily. So drastic measures were taken.

His world was shattered. His values were reconstructed, aligned with his family’s true purpose.

Nothing in life was free. He had to pay the price for his destiny, for the privileges he had enjoyed. It meant becoming a different person, abandoning his old self. He had no choice. He had met the god who controlled his fate, his destiny. There was no other path for him.

But that’s why he was so afraid of his coming-of-age ceremony.

It was a ritual that marked the transition from boyhood to manhood. He would receive a new name, a courtesy name, and inherit his family’s legacy. But for him, it meant something far more profound. It meant embracing his new destiny, a destiny that had already stained his hands with blood. The bloodstains, indelible, were a baptism of despair.

He felt as if he would cease to exist if he went through with the ceremony. He had resolved to become a demon when he had committed that act! But the act itself had haunted him more than he had anticipated.

So he had run away. He had run and run, until he had reached this small island in the South Sea. He was still under surveillance. He hadn’t escaped his destiny. They were just watching him, waiting. But he had met her here. And that was enough.

‘But how long can this happiness last?’

He wasn’t sure. He only felt his own powerlessness.

He knew that he didn’t deserve to be happy. He had betrayed the most important thing in his life. His heart had died that day, along with his conscience.

So he had given up. He had stopped hoping. But then he had met her. She had looked at him with those bright, shining eyes, those black pearls that held the sunlight.

‘Can I be happy with her?’

But his destiny was not so easily escaped. The thought darkened his mood. He felt like a pathetic creature, struggling in vain to escape a bottomless pit. He shivered, despite the summer heat.

“Eunmyeong, are you in there? I’m back!”

He heard her voice from outside. It was a bright, cheerful voice, a voice that knew no darkness. It pulled him out of the darkness, just like it had before.

‘Yes, I won’t think about it now. I decided to forget my old name, my old self! I’ll focus on my current role! Even if it’s just a summer dream, I’ll enjoy this happiness while it lasts.’

He forced a smile onto his face. He couldn’t let her see him like this.

“I’m here, Ryeong!”

He replied cheerfully.