Snow...spark...silk...and dark
It just needs these four to bring magic
Park Da Som is a laid-back girl who hates studying and love stealing glances at a university student working as a part-time library in her hometown. But a seemingly innocent wish...
Da Som woke up at afternoon the next day and that too, by a knock at her tent(again, another weird occurence because as far as Da Som knew a tent made of cloth cannot be knocked at.)
Bong flung a shimmering sea green color fusion Hanbok towards Da Som, "Come on, get dressed up. The Circus is about to begin."
The Hanbok rippled in the ground like waves and it was difficult to ascertain where the dress ended because suddenly there was ground and the hem of the Hanbok emerged like a spring from the earth. The Hanbok changed colours as per Da Som's mood. When Da Som felt nervous, it had a dirt green hue. When Da Som felt excited, it changed to almost sky blue. And when Da Som saw Bong, it changed to scarlet.
Bong was wearing a midnight blue suit, his look complete with a watch which had a galaxy on its display instead of numbers. He was talking to a black smoke like blob hanging in the air without a face. Transparent spirits dressed up in resplendent clothes moved through Da Som many times. There were cabbages rolling on the ground which were calling circus patrons to buy the empty jars hovering above them.
"What's that?" Da Som asked Bong. The faceless blob disappeared.
"Those cabbages? They sell voices," Bong said.
"Voices???"
"The voices which the dead miss the most on the other side. Like the sound of sea, a cuckoo's song, the voice of their lover calling them back to bed at a rainy dawn, the voice of their Kpop bias, the voice of their mother singing lullaby, the sound of rain...things like that."
"Is everyone here..." Da Som bit her tongue.
"You mean, Dead,"Bong chuckled, "Don't worry, we dead don't mind being called dead. And no, not everyone here is dead. Some of the living ones also come here for some debts to be settled."
"Am I also here for a debt to be settled,"Da Som tilted her head up to look into Bong's eyes.
For a second, Da Som felt it was not Bong she was looking at. He was someone else, with a kind face and a heart that cannot wish anyone evil.
"Da Som," Bong called softly.
Da Som woke up from a trance.
"What's that?" Da Som pointed.
"Come on,"Bong said, "You humans must have carousels around. It's not a dead exclusive thing."
"Yes, but I know this is not a simple carousel," Da Som said.
"You sit on one of these,"Bong said, pointing towards the plane like seats attached to the carousel, "Once the carousel gains speed, you can create and experience a memory which has not previously existed."
"I'll try this,"Da Som said but she was not able to climb on the carousel. Bong lifted her and made her sit on the carousel. Da Som tried to be unaffected by the giants, ghosts sitting on the carousel. But as soon as the carousel caught speed, Da Som found herself on a hill surrounded by green grass. Strong wind was blowing and Da Som was lying down on the grass, her hair covering her eyes. Suddenly someone blew over her hair and Da Som see Bong's innocent, dorky face with glasses. They were wearing school dresses so maybe they were in high school. Bong supported himself on elbows and her face was parallel to Da Som's.
"What are you thinking about?" Bong asked.
"I'm thinking about Rain (Rain is the name of a South Korean singer,"Da Som teased Bong.
"What about him?"Bong asked innocently.
"I was thinking how I would elope with him and travel the world," Da Som said.
"But I can bring the world to you," Bong touched his glasses, "And you won't even have to leave this hill."
"How?" Da Som sat up.
"I'll bring to you the stories from every corner of the world and recite them as you sleep."
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Bong in Da Som's created memory looks something like the above
The carousel stopped.
"You stopped this?" Da Som asked Bong.
"You created a memory with me," Bong asked, puzzled.
Da Som looked at the ground. As Bong helped her climb down, she whispered,"The wishing well was not the first time we met and I'm not here because of my wish not to go back to University. I am here because it was my deepest wish to see you."
"I was eight then. My father's friend took me to watch the cherry blossoms at Seoul on a bike but on a deserted road, a truck hit our bike. Dad's friend died on the spot. And I was severely injured. But someone tended to my wounds. I was so scared and crying incessantly. But he recited to me one story after another and sang songs to console me. I could not see him but I recognise his voice."
It was Eun Jeok's last day as a ghost. Due to manmade factories, smoke, wireless, radio signals, old magic was already weaker and when Eun Jeok used his magic to revive that scared kid, he knew that the old magic would leave him in two or three days. Coincidentally Seoul Institute for development of artificial intelligence was at the final stage to develop the first humanoid with name Android e3.x9.7e nicknamed as Bong who looked like human but had extraordinary IQ level and strength. Eun Jeok had saved the life of a watchman appointed there from muggers. As a result, the watchman used to tell interesting gossip from the institute. Eun Jeok had spent months at the institute listening to the scientist, reading the books that the watchman brought for him and he knew it was time for him to adapt himself to newer kind of magic.
