The Boundary Between Reality and Dreams

The panting of the man and woman subsided, and as the endless heat finally cooled, the sound of insects chirping came from outside. It was a truly fitting sound, bringing tranquility to a night that could easily have been dark and frightening.

If one surrendered to this stillness, the clamor of day and evening felt like a lie. It could only be the charm of the night.

I drank the water at my bedside and sat up. I couldn’t gauge the exact time without a clock, but I estimated that three or four hours had passed since the deed.

The two people in this small room were soaked with sweat. Chunhyang, who was sleeping with even breaths, was, and so was I. I peeled the clothes clinging to my damp back and slipped out of bed.

Stepping outside, a cool sensation washed over my body, which had been warmed by body heat and blankets. I carefully opened the door so as not to wake Chunhyang.

The coolness of the chilled floorboards chased away some of my sleepiness. The wood creaked softly underfoot each time I put my weight on it. Bangja would probably fix it tomorrow.

Like a night visitor, I tiptoed into the kitchen. If Chunhyang or Hyangdan had seen me, they would have rushed over to drag me out, but they were both asleep now.

I took out a suitable bowl and ladled out the Sujeonggwa Elixir stored in the crock. It wasn’t as prettily arranged as when Hyangdan brought it, but so what? As long as it tasted good.

I returned to my spot with the Sujeonggwa Elixir. The floorboards creaked as I sat down.

Chirp, chirp—the insects chirped. It had been quite a while since I’d heard the sound of frogs.

With the occasional breeze and the sound of insects, I listened to the song created by nature and sipped the Sujeonggwa Elixir as if tilting a soju glass.

The spicy and sweet, indescribable taste filled my entire mouth, starting with my tongue.

“I didn’t usually drink this much.”

I used to prefer Sikhye, but for some reason, Sujeonggwa Elixir suited my taste.

Someday, when I returned, it wouldn’t be bad to drink Sujeonggwa Elixir and compare them.

“If I return…”

Was I still holding onto such thoughts?

I should have already given up on returning to my original world. It was a little funny that I unconsciously uttered these words.

“I have to admit what I have to admit.”

I can’t go back to where I lived. I’ll just keep repeating endless possessions.

I can’t see the smiles of my parents who always welcome me,

I can’t drink with my friends who exchange curses whenever they meet,

I can’t go to the company that gives me both stress and a sense of accomplishment,

I can’t meet my colleagues, with whom I spend as much time as family.

I can no longer meet the very foundations that make up the person Kang In-ho.

I am destined to wander forever, wearing the shells of other people, awkwardly forming relationships with unfamiliar people, and living as the seasons pass.

Ah—I felt depressed. Maybe I was more emotional because it was night.

I sipped the Sujeonggwa Elixir again. The spicy and sweet, foreign taste was felt once more.

Delicious.

After sipping it several times, I stared at the dim moon for a few minutes.

I felt the sleep I had driven away creeping back to me, watching my mood.

Should I go back to the room? It felt like it would be too hot.

This was just right, so it would be good to just doze off here for a while.

I leaned against the pillar and closed my eyes. I roughly put the empty bowl somewhere.

The wind crept through the gaps in my clothes and cooled the remaining heat.

“Ah, good.”

Like an old man entering a bath, the words popped out of my mouth without me realizing it.

The sound of insects chirping, the wind, the stillness, the melancholy.

The perfect environment for wallowing in sentimentality.

I gave a bitter smile and surrendered to the approaching Sleep Demon.

And when I opened my eyes, I clearly recognized that I was dreaming.

The creaking wood and the sound of insects were still there, but the sudden presence of the woman in front of me solidified that thought.

The woman was squatting in front of me, looking up at me.

Her face was full of smiles, as if she found something very amusing.

“You still have such a foolish face.”

A woman with her long hair tied back, wearing black martial robes and striking red eyes.

The woman pressed my nose with her finger.

The sensation of being pressed was vivid, but the more it was, the more I thought it was a dream.

Heat rushed over my face. It was a powerful heat that devoured even the usual floral scent.

“Your appearance when you’ve just woken up from sleep is always cute. I never get tired of seeing it.”

The woman chuckled, as if she liked something. Then, she stroked my head with her small hand.

“Master.”

I made a voice as if submerged in water.

“Yes, my heartless disciple. I’m here.”

“Have you been… well?”

“Does it seem like I’ve been well?”

Her face darkened. It was the same bitter smile as mine.

“You look like you’re in good color.”

Her brow furrowed.

“You don’t know how much I cried after sending you away. Do you know how it feels to be alive but feel dead, to sleep but feel awake?”

A pair of red eyes turned this way. My body stiffened involuntarily at those eyes filled with resentment and sorrow.

She glared at me with resentful eyes, then soon gave a bright smile.

“Well, I don’t know if a playboy who has slept with many women would know my heart.”

“That, that’s…”

“It’s okay. Anyway, I’ll be the one to have you in the end.”

“I missed you. My beloved disciple.”

She stroked my head again. Slowly, gently.

The moment I saw her, I knew I was dreaming.

That’s why I was sad. Because this meeting would vanish as I woke up, just a dream in the middle of the night.

Her hand, which had been stroking my head, slowly came down and touched my cheek. She traced the contours of my face.

“Hmm, so this is what your face looks like here.”

“Come to think of it, you managed to recognize me. Even though my face is different.”

“Hmph, as if I wouldn’t recognize you?”

“Haha…”

I didn’t have anything else to say, so I just laughed.

She silently traced my face. I didn’t dislike her touch.

After stroking me for a long time, she clapped her hands and stood up.

“Now, it’s time. Let’s wake up.”

“Is it time to wake up from the dream?”

I had a feeling that I had had many dreams like this.

Meeting someone, talking, and then waking up. I seemed to have had many such dreams recently.

I heard that when you wake up from a dream, the memory of the dream disappears, so maybe it will be the same this time.

When I wake up, I won’t even remember this moment.

“Dream?”

She laughed at my question.

I tilted my head, not knowing the meaning of her laughter.

“Do you think it’s a dream?”

She bent down and brought her face closer. My face was reflected in her red eyes.

“Well, it’s not reality, so it’s not unreasonable to think it’s a dream. But this place is neither reality nor dream.”

“…Then?”

“This place is the boundary.”

“Boundary?”

Master nodded.

“Yes, the boundary. A kind of defense mechanism created by your unconscious.”

“What is that… a defense mechanism against what…”

“It will be difficult to understand now. You’ll gradually find out. Um… since there’s no time, I’ll just tell you the important things.”

“What are you saying…!”

Something in the form of Master blocked my lips with her finger.

“My lovely disciple, you must wake up.”

“Grope the tree, and then you will see the forest.”

With those words, I woke up.

I opened my eyes with a gasp. It was as if I had been pulled out of the water.

The sweat that had cooled down soaked my clothes again, and my breathing was heavy.

“What kind of dream was that…”

Was it this fierce?

How much did I miss her, how deep was the impression that Master came out in my dream?

Shaking my head, I grabbed the pillar and stood up.

I wondered if I had such a dream because the bed wasn’t comfortable, so I was about to move back to the room.

[Grope the tree, and then you will see the forest.]

The words I heard in the dream grabbed my ankle.

The door burst open. Chunhyang, who had woken up from her sleep, turned on the light with a disheveled face.

“…Young master?”

With a voice sunken in sleep, Chunhyang looked up at the panting man.

“Young master?”

The man’s condition didn’t seem normal.

He seemed excited, or as if he was trembling with fear.

“Young master, what’s wrong?”

The sight of him made her feel uneasy, so Chunhyang drew a curve on her lips to reassure him.

She didn’t know why, but she wanted him to be comfortable, hoping that his excitement would subside…

“Tree…”

Suddenly, a tree? A shallow wrinkle formed on Chunhyang’s brow.

“When I think about it, it’s strange…”

With a half-dazed face, he let out a laugh.

“Young master, what’s wrong?”

Even with Chunhyang’s question, the man couldn’t calm his excitement.

“…Now I see it. I can see it.”

What did he see? Chunhyang groped with her hand where the man’s gaze was directed.

And when she realized the sensation that touched her hand, she let out a deep sigh.

She smiled brightly and looked up at the man she loved.

“Oh my… I’ve been caught.”

Her eyes were golden. Like the Golden Eye Herb I had seen someday.