episode_0010

[Episode 010] The Story That Has Already Been Written.

“Kyaah!”

‘Hehehehe’

Awakened from a nightmare, Heesun’s mind was haunted by the sound of mocking laughter.

“Eugh…! No! Disappear! Just disappear!”

Heesun shook her head, hoping to banish the bad memories, but no matter how hard she tried to shake them off, the dreadful memories clung stubbornly to her mind and refused to let go.

Since when was it?

When did she start having dreams where monsters appeared?

It must have been almost 40 years.

In her dreams, she was always chased, with the monster following her.

No matter how hard she tried to escape, eventually it would catch up and overwhelm her, as if her future was predetermined. It felt like it was cursing her, as if saying, “This is your fate…”

The nauseating malice messed up her mind day by day, making her feel increasingly drained.

After having such dreams, her whole body would be drenched in sweat.

Every time, Heesun longed for a bath.

“I want to wash… I want to soak my body in water…”

If she could immerse herself in ice-cold water, washing away all the sticky residue, how wonderful would that be…

“Sob… Sob… Mom…”

She missed her father.

If he were here, gently patting her head as usual, giving her a warm smile and embracing her, it felt like all these unpleasant memories could vanish.

However, her father was someone even his daughter couldn’t approach casually.

Moreover, due to the jealousy of her sisters who envied their father’s affection, she had no choice but to endure the pain alone.

“Did you have that nightmare again?”

“Is it just once or twice? Leave her alone, she’s probably doing it for attention from Mom,”

“No way, and since when does Mom pay attention to such trivial matters?”

“But still, she gets the most attention from Mom because of her beauty, isn’t that enough… Shameless.”

“Hahaha, Heesun. Seriously, are we going to complain to Dad just because we had a nightmare? Who do you think you are, the ruler of the world? Or do you just want attention from Mom?”

As Heesun’s expression darkened and her cheeks, which had flushed like peaches, turned pale, her sisters, blinded by jealousy, found even her appearance repulsive.

“No… That’s not it… I’m just scared… I’m so scared…”

No matter how loudly she cried out, her voice reached no one.

Thus, in her loneliness, Heesun’s heart grew darker.

.

.

.

.

Every full moon is a day eagerly awaited by the heavenly nymphs.

If you were to ask people about the heavenly realm, what would they say?

They might describe it as a paradise where all kinds of happiness and romance exist.

That wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but it doesn’t mean that everyone in this place is satisfied with everything.

Especially, the part that the heavenly nymphs often complained about was bathing.

It wasn’t a big problem in their daily lives, but whether you were a human or a celestial being, living beings tend to never be satisfied with what they have.

Of course, there was a bathing culture in the heavenly realm as well, and maintaining cleanliness was not an issue.

Among the many floating clouds, they would collect fluffy foam clouds in baskets, saving them to rub on their skin during baths, creating lather and moisture to cleanse their bodies.

The scent was delightful, and it cleaned the body well, so what could be wrong with that?

However, for the neat and tidy nymphs who valued cleanliness, it seemed like an unsatisfactory method.

Naturally, rubbing mist-like moisture from the clouds onto their bodies while bathing was considered uncool compared to traditional methods.

With a splash! Jumping into the water, feeling refreshed in the icy lake water

When pouring the cool water over her head from the bucket, it felt like cleansing the accumulated dirt from head to toe, a satisfaction beyond comparison.

That’s why the fairies always descended to earth, eagerly awaiting the day to bathe.

Especially, the purity and beauty of Geumgangsan Gamho Lake were most cherished and longed for by the fairies,

Descending to earth on the permitted day of every full moon, wearing winged garments to bathe together was their delight.

It was a bright full moon night.

Heesun, who came down with her sisters to bathe under the usual bright moonlight, enjoyed the long-awaited peace and freshness so happily.

After dreaming a nightmare, she felt burdened by hot and uncomfortable memories, as if poisoned, hence bathing in the cold lake was more urgent for her than others.

Splash!

Pouring the cold lake water from the wooden bath bucket over her head all at once.

The refreshing sensation tingling her spine seemed to wash away the dark emotions from the nightmare, her sisters’ jealousy and torment, making her heart incredibly relieved.

If not for this lake, she would have surely gone mad…

Having shed all the bad memories, she could now peacefully fall asleep for a while.

She knew that would be the case, but…

“Oh? My… my clothes! My clothes are gone!”

The problem arose when she finished bathing and tried to dress.

Despite searching high and low, thinking it might have flown away in the wind or slipped under a rock, Heesun couldn’t find her winged garment anywhere.

Heesun’s face turned pale.

“What’s wrong, Heesun? Did you lose your clothes?”

“Uh… What should I do, sisters? My clothes are gone!”

“Why did they disappear! Hurry and find them! We need to go back up soon!”

Annoyed by Heesun’s panic, her sisters replied impatiently.

Heesun’s heart raced frantically as if being chased by a predator due to the missing clothes.

“This can’t be happening… I’m sure I left them here… Why are they gone… Please… where are they…”

Searching for her clothes while barefoot, she couldn’t find them anywhere, and time mercilessly passed by.

Even though it was time for her sisters to return to heaven, they started to reprimand her as the delay caused by the troublesome youngest continued.

“Where does she keep her mind! What kind of clothes are those to lose!”

“Uh… S-sorry… I’m sorry…”

How could losing her clothes relate to her state of mind if they were placed with the others?

But to Heesun, whose mind seemed absent, such thoughts didn’t occur.

All she could think about was finding her winged garment.

“I don’t know! It’s really time to go back now! If we’re late, we’ll all be scolded because of you!”

“Sob…”

“…Sisters, let’s just go first, okay? We can’t all be scolded because of the youngest. Let her face the consequences alone. Anyway, the winged garment couldn’t have flown off on its own; it must be somewhere. She can find it slowly when daylight comes.”

“Um…”

Though Heesun’s face turned pitifully pale at those words, her sisters, feeling the heat, didn’t bother much.

Their thoughts mostly revolved around ‘Why should we suffer because of her’ rather than any affection for the troublesome youngest, given the strictness of heavenly laws.

Continuing to contemplate for a moment, her sisters eventually informed Heesun.

“…Heesun, it’s best for you to stay and find your clothes and come up later.”

As cold as the lake water, their tone was equally stern.

Heesun rushed to her knees in a hurry, fearing that the Hullevet sisters would leave her behind.

“Oh, sisters… Please.. please wait for me just a little bit…. I’ll find you soon…. I’ll come find you soon…. Just a moment…. Sob… I don’t want to be left alone…. Oh, sisters, wait, wait a moment..! Please… wait just a little, just a little longer…. Sob….”

Despite Heesun’s tearful pleas, her pleading green eyes filled with tears like beads, the heartless sisters prepared to ascend and only readied themselves to fly towards the sky.

It was pitiful to see Heesun reaching out to grab the sisters’ winged clothes.

Thump thump..

Her sisters left without looking back, leaving her behind.

Sob…. Sob…. Sisters… I’m scared…. Sob…. Mother…. Father, please help.”

As the fairies departed, only Heesun’s cries echoed lonely across the lake.

Thump thump

Pushing away the refreshing lake air, a foul odor wafted in slowly.

… She had to run away.

Before something bad happened…

The malice disguised as repaying kindness and duty,

The unjust verdict imposed on the innocent,

Because what was approaching her could rather be called a curse than fate.

But perhaps it was because overwhelming sorrow masked the stench.

She sat there, enveloping her naked body, crying without feeling anything.

Thump thump.

… Eventually, the intended malice reached her.

“Whoa, hehehe, that weird deer was right! Oh no! It said we had to hide until the third one is born… That was close,”

“Sob sob sob….”

“Hey, wake up, master! Hey! Are you listening? Get up, you have a busy road ahead.”

Startled by the grotesque voice, she quickly ran into the lake to hide.

“Eek! Who, who are you? Who are you?”

“Get out first, master. Hehehe From now on, you will be my possession.. Got it?”

“What are you talking about! Don’t come closer! I’ll scream!”

“Well, since the master has nowhere else to go. I’ll give you clothes and a place to live, so come quickly.”

“Ahh! Stay away! Don’t come near me!”

Terrified, she screamed and ran away.

As the monster slowly approached the lake and she fled.

Even though she had never experienced such a situation before, she realized that this situation felt familiar to her.

So this was today.

It wasn’t just a dream; it was showing her an inevitable fate that had already been written.

Resisting as much as she could, she knew she would ultimately be captured by the monster and suffer.

Even though she wanted to resist this irrational fate until the end.

Even if it was a predestined story, she believed that by resisting, she could change it.

At least she wanted to give herself to the person she chose… she couldn’t let the monster have its way with her…

However, in the end, the cruel grip of the monster seized her by the hair….

The rough touch was too terrifying and painful….

Despite trying to resist by contorting her body, the violence and malice of the monster were too frightening….

In the end, she surrendered in her heart to the inevitable fate.